jimmyjoe

If you're NOT going outside the US, then by all means do it this way. Much less hassle. My advice is send it USPS, not UPS. Talk to some snowbirds where you live. They'll give you good practical advice on which way to go. jj

I doubt there's a 2-pc that you can take on a plane. And by "on the plane", I mean in the overhead. Don't ever let the baggage gorillas get to it! I think ... not 100% sure, but I think ... that you'll need a 3-or-more-pc for the plane. If I'm wrong about that, then the Damiki is hard to beat. The guides are first-rate, the joint is first-rate, and the reel seat is too. Which one are you looking at? jj

You started at the top. Why go downhill? jj

I used to use Mepps (et al.) a lot. I'd go in to a body of water and use a spinnerbait first. If that didn't work, I'd use a spinner. I used Aglia #4 or 5 for slow and/or shallow, then switch to Panther Martin 3/8 to 1/2 for deeper work. But I found out that the same exact scenario could be handled a better way; I switched to a smaller-form spinnerbait. I go down to the War Eagle 3/16 finesse, and then on down to the Bomber Miniwhacker, if I can still find it. I found out that the step-down scheme works better than changing over to in-lines. On small and largemouth, that is. Pike, wipers and whites are a different story. Walleye and sauger are a different ..... world ☺️

Been there, done that. Learned my lesson. I fish from shore, too, and I can tell you that Sam is right. jj

That looks like a great idea! And the bobber stop is a great idea, too. I already use them to guide my Crazy Alberto knots through the guides, so I have lots on hand. I use the Arnold "dog bone". It works OK. I can see how a non-EWG hook might be a lot better, too. Thank you. jj

I've got some Mr Twister keeper hooks, unweighted, and there's a sale on weighted, # 4/0. I see they also have a fluke body. Unless someone says that the Keeper hook won't work, (some people definitely don't like them) I think I'll put in an order tomorrow. For colors, maybe Baby Bass and chartreuse-and-pepper. Sound good? After all, I gotta start somewhere. ? jj

OK. I've never tried flukes or sluggos. (No need in the river.) Which size do I try to start? This (flukes) is one aspect of fishing where I'm a total noob. jj

Ahhhh ...... you found that out too, huh? jj

Why tungsten? jj I honestly have never tried that. I guess my first instinct - like most people's - is to fight the fish. You might have something there. You'll have to rename yourself "The Fish Whisperer". ? jj

The lakes around here have brushpiles. (DNR calls them "habitat", I call them brushpiles.) The tops of them are anywhere from 2' to 8' in depth, in 8-12 feet of water. They hold bass, but I don't quite know how to target them. Being a shorecaster, my first thought was a spinnerbait. That was fine about half the time. The rest of the time, not so much. So I tried shallow cranks. No fish. Mid cranks .... hung up, big time. Then I tried ribbontail worms. Hung up on brush, or hung up on wrapped-up fish. Then I found out weedless spoons aren't the same as snagless spoons. (There are no snagless spoons.) Jigs? Hung up. What should I do this coming year? I don't quite fetch how to attack this problem. And it's bugging me, 'cause that's where the bigger bass are. Any suggestions are appreciated. jj

Like I've said b4, old man told me that my lure was goin' twice as fast as it should. Slow down, catch more fish. It worked then and it works now. Slower retrieve ratio is one of the best ways to do that, whether you're fishing soft plastic, cranks, spoons or spinnerbaits. Smoother feel, too. jj

????????????????????? I think you're referring to casting reels. jj

I assume you're talking about spoons like the Castaic, which weighs 3 ounces. Because I'm a weak, feeble old fart, I can't cast those heavy lures. But the 7/8 oz. Big Ed from Eppinger, now that I can handle. Let it fall, wait for the count of ten, then lift it up and let it fall again. I have muddy water, so I use light-colored spoons deep. If I go shallow, or I find clearer water, I use darker spoons. Some people SNAP a flutterspoon off the bottom, but I don't. Lift it smoothly, and sometimes you'll get a hit just when you start to move it. If you snap it too vigorously, you can miss that hit. jj

Get some Abu Garcia Precision Grease. Remove the spool and lube the main shaft, nothing else. If it cures the noise, you're good to go. If it doesn't, contact Daiwa and follow their advice. jj

Couldn't have said it better myself. jj

For all my t-rigs, I use only YoZuri Hybrid. Low stretch, good abrasion resistance, great knot strength and consistency. I've always used it on my casting setup. I use it on my spinning setup now, too, thanks to the advice of some people on this forum. Previously I used AN40. Great line, and very versatile, but not as tough. jj

I would get the 2500 for one reason: it's more versatile if you decide to use different line. jj

When I got my Curado 70, I got it for one reason; it was compact and easier than full-size reels to palm with my arthritis. Because all the advertisements stressed the capability of casting lighter lures (which it does very well) I assumed it was a more delicate or fragile reel. I know, I know .... I should never assume anything! What you guys are telling me, though, is far beyond what I thought the reel could do on a day-to-day basis. Specifically, many of you are successfully using larger diameter line than I thought could be used on this reel. Before spring gets here, I'm gonna do some re-thinking of my rod/reel setups. Thank you! jj

I've been a "banker" too, since '63. Koz put it perfectly. In rivers, boaters just go anywhere. Well, almost. Me? I have to beat the brush and weeds, search for rocks in the mud, ask landowners' permission, avoid breaking my rod on the overhanging branches and lose lots of lures that I snag and can't get free. And yes, as Dirtyeggroll said, I gotta watch out for the poison ivy. The only place I'm on a nearly equal footing with boaters is right below the dams. In fact, I can fish some tailwaters much easier than a boatman can, especially around the rocks. That's why I have so many spoons; they survive the rocks much better than crankbaits. As far as lakes go, I can access productive water somewhat easier, but boaters still have an advantage. (I'm learning to like lake fishing; I had been 90% river-oriented until the last year or so.) The one advantage I have in lakes is flooded timber. If the wind is against the boaters, I can throw a weightless Senko or jig under a slip bobber and pull stuff out that the boaters can't reach. That doesn't happen very often, though. The last advantage boaters have is acquiring the fish. A bank fisherman has to deal with rocks and shallow water the last 8-10 feet before he can get a hand or net on the fish. I've lost a good few in that 8-10 feet. Boaters just lean over and scoop'em up. Old habits die hard, though. I'll be a shorecaster 'til I die. jj

If you don't mind my asking, what is the ML/MF rod? jj

Oh man, are you guys singin' sweet songs in my ears! Thank you! I think this upcoming year is going to be very interesting. BTW .... thanks to all the people who helped me transition this last year from 90% river fishing to 50/50 river and lakes. It just goes to prove that you CAN teach an old dog new tricks. jj

I have some questions for those of you who use Curado 70 or 71 reels. 1) Which line do you use on it? 2) How powerful is the rod you use with it? 3) How heavy of a lure do you cast with it? and 4) Have you had any problems with it? Thank you for your replies. jj

I consider shallow to be 2-4 feet, and mid to be 4-8 feet. The two longer rods are available from custom rod makers, and the 6'6" is on the advice of one of my fishing friends who is extremely un-opinionated. (Like water is un-wet and concrete is un-hard.) ???

Fishing from shore. Over half will be in riprap, and the rest over sand bars and ledges. I'd like the distance over sand bars and ledges, but I know I need the accuracy in the rocks. I think A-Jay answered my question when he said it takes a little practice to get the accuracy with a longer rod. At my age, I don't know whether I have all that much time to practice! jj