jimmyjoe

I'll be the devil's advocate ? here; use nylon monofilament. It's cheap; braid and fluoro are not. It's easily accessible just about anywhere, braid and fluoro may or may not be. It has stretch, an option controlled by brand and diameter. Nylon line has less of a problem with tip wrap than braid or fluoro. And it floats, which is perfect for topwater. Some fast actions have a soft tip, so whether you want to get another rod or not is entirely up to you. Good luck! jj

I apologize for not understanding your post very well. I hesitate to comment on rods that I haven't used or haven't been used by my friends. That covers a lot of ground. ? One friend, however, has "discovered" Cashion rods. They're American-made in North Carolina. I've used some of his, albeit briefly. They have two rods that might interest you. One is their 7'-06" Elite MH Deep Diver, which tops out at 1 ounce. The other is called the Multi-Purpose Rod. It's 7'-04", MH/MF and tops out at one-and-a-half ounces. Cashion rods are lightweight, and most (if not all) use micro guides. I personally like micro guides for tactics that put a high degree of relatively constant stress on the blank ......... like deep divers. That's about all I can tell you. I myself, unfortunately, prefer fiberglass in a situation similar to yours. I got a St. Croix Mojo Bass Glass 7'-02" H/M last year, and I love it. I'm old, though, and I learned on fiberglass. I can understand some people not liking it. I hope you have good luck in your search! jj

Lures have depth ranges, but I wasn't aware that rods had depth ranges. I use 3/4 oz. Magnum Wally Divers when I can find deeper water, and I have several rods from 6'-08" to 7'-06" that handle them just fine. Two of the rods, however, are fast action. The third is moderate, but fiberglass. If that lure was put on your flatside, I see no reason it wouldn't attain the same depth that it attains for me. However, the majority of deep diving lures weigh more than 3/4 oz ..... some considerably more. So you may be referring to a rod with more power than the 3/4-max flatside. If that's the case, try the rod filter at Tackle Warehouse. Good luck! jj

For the "jig/chatterbait/texas rig" use I would recommend a Tatula 150 (which I have). You mention nothing about which line you intend to use, and the Tatula 150 is extremely versatile and forgiving of different lines and diameters; nylons and braids both work well. I am told by others that it handles fluoro well, too, but I can't personally vouch for that. If you need control, the control is there, yet you can loosen it up for distance equally well. I had that particular Mojo rod, and the 150 paired with it very well, but I use it with 50 lb. braid on a H/F Daiwa Fuego rod right now. Talk to me next month; it might be on something else. Like I said ..... it's versatile. ? jj

These work for me. https://www.ebay.com/p/1400218148 jj

Rod manufacturers make what sells. For freshwater, fishermen don't seem to like spinning reels and line to throw 3/4 - 2+ oz. lures. They like casting setups to do that. So the manufacturers give them what they want, and what they'll buy. OTOH, look at saltwater gear. Saltwater spinning reels can throw a table lamp and tow a boat. That's what saltwater fishermen want, so that's what the manufacturers make. It all balances out. ? jj

I use braid when I fish places that have pike or musky in addition to bass. I use 50 or 65 lb. test, and right now I have Sufix 832 in Neon Lime color. That's pretty bright, and if there were any braid that was visible, I would think that braid would be it. Not only that, but my leader is metal. I throw frogs, spoons, spinnerbaits and shallow jerkbaits. The bass don't seem to mind at all. jj

There's a rod that's not on TW; it's a St. Croix spinning rod from the Legend Tournament Walleye family. Don't let the word "walleye" dissuade you; this rod is nicknamed a "deep cranker", and at that it excels. It's 7', MH/Moderate, 1/4-3/4 oz. lures and 6-12 lb. line test. Good luck! jj

Okay. I can understand that. To a certain extent, I'm the same way. I had problems with lines and knots, too. I didn't solve the problems on the water. I solved them in the garage. I took line in which I had interest, and I tested it. I pulled on it, loaded it up until it broke, and looked at where it broke. I used all kinds of knots (from animations on the web) and tied several of the same kind at once, looped on a post or iron pipe. Then I pulled until they all broke. Some were consistent ... some weren't. Some were stronger than others .... especially in fluorocarbon. (I rejected fluoro line until last year, when I discovered InvizX and the triple-loop knot.) What I discovered is that testing in the garage, time after time, made my consistency tying knots out on the water MUCH MUCH BETTER. And several things became clear: 1) Any line and knot that will hold 5 lb. pull will bend double (and possibly break) any medium or medium-heavy rod that I have seen. (Snags are different. Some snags will break 65 lb. braid.) 2) Braided polyethylene line has a knot strength about 45-50 % of its laboratory tensile strength. 3) Fluorocarbon seems (in my opinion) to have knot problems, and I think it's related to bend radius. A fluoro knot on a pipe seemed to hold fine, but the same knot on a hook eye held in the vice .... not so much. I have only one reel filled with fluoro. It's InvizX 12 lb. test, and I use only the triple-loop knot. Since the biggest part of the triple-loop knot is the same as the Improved clinch knot (which you already use), I would advise you to test the triple-loop knot first. Test it many times and improve your consistency. 4) I came to this forum to learn lots of new stuff, and I did learn lots of new stuff. People came at me ten different directions with ten different ideas. Some were good, and some were bad. I always looked at what happened right in front of me, and I believed that first and foremost. I especially pay attention now to where people fish. I live in the Midwest, and what people do in the Great Lakes area (like you), the South and California can be mightily different than what works for me. That will probably be true for you, too. You need to pick and choose everything. I can use nylon monofilament for everything I do and anywhere I do it. It might not be the best choice, but it'll work. No matter how much I use them, all the other lines are just icing on the cake. So after years of testing and trying, I've basically returned to the "old ways". It was a nice trip, but it has come full circle. Maybe it will for you, too. Good luck! Catch fish! Be happy! ??? jj

Why are you trying to be a "modern angler"? You had a system that worked. The fish haven't changed. Why did you change? I always tell people, "Believe what you see right in front of you." That means ignore the hype and look at the reality. The reality is that you've bought yourself a lot of trouble. You're losing fish and you're losing lures. Forget what other people say. Just do what you know works. jj

I know (for sure!) that I'll never get close to all the sophisticated techniques I see here, but one thing I notice: no one mentions honey. Honey and bourbon, honey and mustard, honey and chiles or honey just to hold rub. Honey on pork, honey on chicken and honey on duck. Why no honey? I always thought clover honey (my Dad kept bees) was absolutely great. Am I wrong? jj

Everyone has to start somewhere. I was where you are, back in 1963. Don't get hung up on the right way and the wrong way; success will naturally guide you into the right way without your even realizing it. It's just like driving, sex and ice skating ..... although maybe not in that exact order. ? ? And remember ...... fishing is FUN. Good luck! jj

This is the best and clearest explanation of the issue in the fewest words that I can imagine. Thank you, @Bankc ! jj p.s. - one of my two first spinning reels was a Penn. ***. None. Smooth as could be.

Sometimes, yes they can be "snaggy". The best way to reduce snagging is to go to a weedless/snagless spoon, like the Johnson Silver Minnow or the Dardevle Weedless. Notice that I said "reduce". I didn't say "eliminate". ? There is another way to reduce snagging on the bottom, although it doesn't really have an effect on snags caught by moving spoons. That's to replace the treble hook with a duplex hook ("frog" hook). The barbs of the hook should point up, aligned with the concave side of the spoon. As for me, I add a small bit of bucktail or marabou to the shank ..... just enough to create a bit of resistance. The spoons I use flutter down concave-side-up. The dressing simply accentuates this. When it hits bottom, the barbs are pointing up, and the spoon is ready for a clean snap. If you wish to try this, I advise you cast a few spoons in your local swimming pool. Some spoons flutter concave-side-up and some don't. You need to know which are which. Good luck! jj

This helps, too. https://outdooraddictions.wordpress.com/2015/01/01/the-trailing-hook-method/ jj

Gotcha! ? jj

I had no idea how many people were interested in spoons. jj

As stubborn and contrary as I can be, I have to admit that I like the Tatula 150H that I've got. I know, I know ..... I never thought I'd hear myself say that, either. ? I'd get another one, in a higher gear ratio. jj

You must be living in the right part of the world! ? jj

If you retrieve it right, it "dances". Otherwise, it just wobbles. jj

Are you looking for a knot that you can use to break off a snag? If you are, good luck! Ain't no such puppy. But if you're just looking for a good knot for fishing, do this: tie your braid off to a post with a knot .... any knot. Now take your rod and pull. Pull hard. Put your thumb on the reel so that the drag doesn't engage, and pull the rod over into a half-circle bend ...... Watch out that it doesn't break first. Did the knot hold? If it did, it's a good knot to use. I don't care which knot you used. It held all the possible stress that you can put on your rod, reel, line and knot, and it held. What more could you want? jj

Correct. Daiwa Fuego casting rod, H/F, with a Shimano Cardiff reel and 50 lb. braid of choice. Or go more expensive if you wish. jj

I always thought that a flyswatter worked best, but to each their own! ?? jj

I bought a Tatula 150 awhile back. I totally ignored the factory blurbs, and just went out and experimented to see what worked best. That's what I'll do with any reel. jj