jimmyjoe

I'm going to get a crankbait rod this year, for sure. It won't be for deep divers, just shallow and mid-depth. I have 3 length choices: a 6'6", a 7"6" and a 7'8". Is there any advantage to the longer rods? Or put another way, is there any disadvantage to the 6'6" rod? Thnx jj

It kinda depends what you want and what you use. For me, spinnerbaits and spoons are the majority of my lures. I get spinnerbaits direct (J-mac and Northland) and the spoons I get from FishUSA. They have sales several times a year. But if I had to use all the same popular lures that the vast majority of bass fishermen use, it would be Tackle Warehouse, without a doubt. So ..... how conventional (or unconventional) are you? It'll make all the difference. jj

You've helped. A lot. Thank you. jj

Great news!! It's been 8 months for me, and so far so good. Fishing has been the therapy I needed to recover, so I know where you're going there. I hope for the best for you! jj

Yeah, it's certainly possible. I've been talking to the 2 guys with whom I go fishing the most. They're almost as opinionated as I am ???, and they're usually 25-50 feet from where I'm standing when we fish. The first (I'll call him Mr. Fiberglass) swears up and down that he has seen fish that I've lost eject the hook UPWARDS as they jump. That would mean that I had too little pressure on the fish, which I KNOW doesn't happen very often. He's the guy who told me I need a more moderate action rod. He's also the one who told me to look into a custom multi-piece rod. The second guy (I'll call him Mr. Fenwick) swears that he knows exactly what this thread is talking about, and swears that the Fenwick Elite Tech Walleye rods are just what I need, end of subject. Because he believes that the sun rises and sets on Fenwick, I take his comments with a grain of salt. However, he did let me cast with one of his 6'9" ML/XF rods, and it sure felt like a good cranking rod. The thing is, it's winter here, and I doubt I can catch anything, much less have the fish act the same way it would in warmer water. As I said, anyway, the trouble doesn't crop up until the fish are about 6-8 feet or less from where I'm standing. Then they jump, shake like a hula dancer on speed, and come unhooked. Fish don't shake the hook 50 feet away. And by the way, this is all monofilament. No braid. Y'think maybe I should just take violin lessons? jj

Correct. And that was exactly the mistake I was making. Give me awhile here, and I might be in a different position. jj

Sounds like a good line in hip-hop ...... ? jj

Now that I read what you guys are saying, a lot of things make sense that didn't make sense to me before. I'm going to go back over a LOT of choices a second time; choices that I rejected out of hand because they didn't adhere to the dogmatic criteria I thought were correct. Thank you, both of you. (Please renew your teacher's certificates. You're doing a GREAT job! And that, my friends, is no joke.) ?? jj

Well, now I'm so confused that I don't know what to think. Let me tell you my problem, and maybe you'll see why I was asking about the swt70m-3. I'm a shorecaster, and I carry my gear in the trunk of my car. Out of sight, out of mind. Secure that way. I already have a M/F 2-pc rod. It seems I have an annoyingly large percentage of fish jump the hook on trebles about 2 to 6 feet from the net. So I asked around, and I think you can guess what I was told; get a more moderate action rod. The increased flex will keep the hooks stuck better, especially close in. I searched and searched, and I couldn't find a 7' M/M rod that was 2 or 3 pc. So I figured that I'd have to go the custom route. I called Batson, and they did, at first, recommend a different blank. Maybe it was the SB843-3. I can't remember. But I remember that the blank was fast action, so I thought that it was the wrong thing to use for my problem. Now here you guys come in an recommend fast and even xtra-fast blanks for a crankbait rod. Am I crazy? Am I barking up the wrong tree? I have no problems with spinnerbaits or spoons. In fact, not even with in-line spinners, like Mepps #5. Just crankbaits. And specifically, with squarebills, a lure I dearly love to use. I didn't like the weight of the SWT70M-3 because I have arthritis, and "forcing" a heavier rod on the cast tends to hurt sometimes. So there. Now you know where I was coming from, and why my questions were "tentative". Sorry if I wasted your time. jj

Good evening. I'm thinking (just thinking, that's all) of having a crankbait rod made up on the Rainshadow RX6/E-Glass 3-pc blank. There's a lot I don't know about this whole affair. 1) This blank is 3.6 ounces. If I wanted the lightest rod possible, approximately how much might it weigh? 2) This blank can be made into a spinning rod or a casting rod. Which would probably turn out to be lighter? 3) I had a L/F rod that used the Minima TiCh black guides. I used both mono and braid for 5 years, and I had no problems. I liked those guides. Is there any reason not to use them on this power of rod? Thanks for your help and your opinions. jj http://www.rainshadowrodblanks.com/product-line/rx6eglass-travel/

I always use green Big Game. I have no idea whether it's true or not, but I was told long ago that the dyes added to nylon to color it also make it more UV resistant. That's important to me in June, July and August. jj

Looks like an anti-reverse clutch. jj

St. Croix Mojo Bass 7'1" MH/F with a Daiwa Fuego CT100H. For the way I fish, nothing under $450 could touch it. jj

I throw a spinnerbait first, especially in unknown waters. Then I go to spoons, and then ribbontail worms. If one of those three doesn't rustle up some bass, I go home. jj

Y'know, you guys are starting to make me feel better already. A LOT better! ? jj

You guys are giving me a new outlook on rod function and durability. As for high sticking, I learned my lesson long ago. I don't do that. I'm starting to think that if I break a rod casting a lure that the rod was slightly damaged when I got it. jj

I was afraid that was the case. The fragility, I mean. Probably more obvious in a casting rod than a spinning rod. ? Stacking, by the way, is the point at which the limbs of a bow suddenly lose flexibility (and the ability to store energy evenly) and increase their resistance at a sudden and extreme rate. No more flex, and breakage can be imminent. Same terminology applies to any limb (blank) that stores energy arithmetically and then releases it the same way. So stacking affects both the back cast and the forward cast. Please don't ask me how I know that this applies to fishing rods. The part about breakage being imminent, that is. ??? jj

Hot dog! Now I can pay half price and crack TWICE as many! (It's a joke, people. Not a good one, and not a funny one. Just a joke. Remember, I'm old. ??) And yes, I found the website, and the H2O stuff is still for sale. Maybe it was a supplier glitch. jj

Yeah, I suppose that would pretty well do it! That reminds me of 2 truckers I heard talking at a truck stop years ago. It was the middle of winter, and one was telling the other to put a little gasoline in the tank to improve how well the diesel ran. The other one asked, "Well, how much do you add?" the first one said, "Start at a cup, and if that doesn't do what you want, add a little more." The second one wanted to know how he could tell that he had put too much gas in the diesel. The first one said, "Don't worry. You'll know." ?? As for the guy on fleabay, he goes by the moniker "The Rodfather". I know; funny, funny. But a few years ago I got a couple 2-pc rods from him, and they've been excellent. They were spinning, though. Now I'm looking for casting. Finding a good 7-ft. plus 2-pc medium/moderate casting rod is almost impossible. I can get 1-pc rods anywhere. When I go traveling, I need something that I can put in my trunk. That's why I'm interested in this guy. But that is taking us away from the basic question: How do you tell when you're overloading a rod, preferably without breaking it? With that basic knowledge, I can sift through any rod display, anywhere, any brand. Handy to know. I just figured that the Duckett rods presented their owners with that problem right away, and that some of them had probably come up with a quick-n'-easy way how to tell the right weights. After all, I'd think the answer would be different for a fisherman casting easy and one really stepping into the cast and pushing the distance. jj

I notice Duckett rods don't have weight recommendations. There's a guy on fleabay who takes broken St. Croix rods and makes 1 out of 2. He avoids weight recommendations, too. So how does a fisherman know when he has overloaded the rod? I guess it's easier to tell with fast actions, but what about moderate fast and moderate actions? Some custom rod builders talk about "stress testing" the blank. Is that what it takes to tell? And what does that involve? I find it hard to believe that everyone with a Duckett rod does a stress test. I used to use a bow, so I understand stacking. But I always thought that when you got to the point that a rod stacked, you had already gone too far. Is that right or wrong? I might like to get a rod from this guy that makes one out of two, but I'm interested in another crankbait rod, a moderate. And as always, I like to favor the upper end of the weight limit to get maximum distance and blank preload, so I get better sensitivity and quicker hookset. Maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree, but I figure there's got to be an easy answer to this that I'm just not seeing. THNX. jj

I've never used Academy lures. Are the lips fairly durable around rocks and riprap? jj

I have to agree about the Arashi durability. The only bad thing is that they don't catch me many fish. Don't know why. Maybe it's because all I have left are baby bass and wakasagi for colors. In my waters, chrome seems to be the color that does best. The Big O brings back memories. I used it years ago, then kinda fell away from it. I hear that the new ones are manufactured differently, though, and are more durable and run truer. Maybe I'll give them a try. jj

I had no idea. My relationship with Rapala was limited to the smiling face of the clerk behind the cash register at my local retailer. I'll DEF look into it. Thnx. jj

Never heard of a Berkley product called a Wart Hog. Luck E Strike had a Warthog. Fiasco, I heard. Dunno. Sure it's Berkley? jj

Well, today is surgery. No more fishing until spring. You guys have given me several ideas for the Christmas sales, and it looks like I will have to buy several brands and wait to see what works for me. I will say one thing; I've never gotten anything bad from Strike King. Maybe I'll explore them a little more. Thanks, to all of you! jj