jimmyjoe

As long as the rod did what you wanted, I'd take the one with the better reel. Reels have lots of precision parts, close tolerances and sophisticated alloys. More money usually means a better reel, and a better reel gets you greater satisfaction. Just my way of looking at it. jj

Hmmmmmm .......... Hard question to answer. It depends on what's below the water surface. What we see above the surface is, as they say, only the tip of the iceberg. I'm afraid this is one only you will be able to answer. jj

Depends totally on how much cover and irregularity your bottom has. If very little, get the MH/F. But if you're gonna do any hookin'-and-haulin', get the H/F. jj

I have that rod; Citica 200 and 12 lb. Big Game, first and foremost for 1/2 oz. spinnerbaits. But it's very versatile. I use it for other stuff, too. jj

The Mojo Bass 7' Dock Sniper isn't a broomstick, but it's close. The 7'-04" Slop-n-Frog is different. It's great, as a frog rod, as a puncher and as an all-arounder. It has a lot more "tip" than the Dock Sniper. jj

"This question pertains to super light lures, such as a Trout Magnet, which is only 1/40 oz total, plastic and jig. " Fishermen have used baitcasters to cast light lures for many years. They use one of the oldest and most effective methods in existence: They cheat. Depending on what you wish to do, which depth you wish to do it, and which lure you have, you can: 1) use a water bubble half filled (or more). 2) use a hank of leadcore line. 3) use pinch-on sinkers several inches to a foot back from the lure. 4) use a piece of sinking fly line (that takes experimentation and far more patience than I have. If you want to come up with innovative solutions, you need to be ............. crazy. ? jj

A bubblegum super fluke is dynamite in the weedy, overgrown shallows in summer. I use chartreuse lures of all kinds all year long in the river. Not so much in the lakes. Pearl white has never done anything for me. jj

BTW ................ WELCOME TO BR! jj

If you're willing to build it yourself, there used to be a pram under seven feet called the "Catspaw". It was designed by a company down in Carolina called B and B yachts. Unless you either want to spend a lot of money, go folding or go 2-piece, it's about the smallest I know of. I'm not sure that company is still in business, though. jj

I cleaned and oiled the brakes and went fishing this PM. Noise was 80% better, but still some vibration. I think I need new spool bearings ..... maybe? They're not expensive. I'll see whether or not that clears the problem up 100%. Thanks to everyone. jj

True. No matter what the ads and articles say, everyone needs to find the thing that will work for them, whatever that is. jj

Now, now ..... when you get as old as I am, it's hard to predict just what kind of crazy things I might try! I always look at fishing as fun, and part of fun is ... occasionally ... trying new things. I'd hate to be lying there on my deathbed and tell my wife, "Yeah, the only thing I regret in my life is not trying that special crazy small diameter braid." ??? jj

Old Fart putting things down on the to-do list: 1) Oil brakes. See if problem goes away. 2) Change line back to mono. See if problem goes away. 3) Decide whether or not I want to fool around with the Avail spool. 4) Check price of Curado 200K model. This may make #3 (above) redundant. ? Thank you, all of you, for your help. After I mess around a bit and decide what I'm going to do, I'll get back to you and let you know. ? jj

Duh! Fast scan eyes, slow scan brain. Sorry. ? jj

I don't know anything about the line capacity of other brands and models of reels. All I need is 40-50 yards of 50 lb. braid for frogging, and I'll be set. Thank you. jj

Now the big question: Is that Avail spool STRONG? And I mean STRONG as in slop fishing, as in frogs in total weed cover, and as in the occasional accidental musky? jj

Sometimes bad things happen to us to prevent worse things from happening to us. jj

I never thought of that, mostly because I just got it back form the repair service. I'll try it and see whether it helps. Thnx! jj

Ambassadeur 5000 ("Big Red"), sometime around 1980. I used Ambassadeur reels until I got arthritis, and if I didn't have arthritis I'd still use them today. No pictures. Something like that never crossed my mind. jj

It's not which species you catch, it's which species catches you! ? ? ? ? jj

It's hard to explain the sound I don't like. The sound comes on strong at the instant the cast begins. It's as if the bearings can't take the acceleration, although I hope that's not the case. The sound fluctuates for about a half a second, then disappears. Since the RPMs are highest at the beginning of the cast and less at the end of the cast, I figured this to be some kind of mechanical stress. And I don't like putting mechanical stresses on this reel; it's my go-to reel for 200-sizes. I had 12 lb. Big Game on this reel before this braid, and it casted fine as regards noise. I have a stick in the water at a local lake that I use for testing distance. The Big Game and the 50 lb. braid cast the same distance, so I wouldn't think that the acceleration over-all of the braid is any different than the acceleration over-all of the nylon, although conceivably it might be. If that were true, I was thinking that the braid, exhibiting less stretch, might cause an instant of greater acceleration right at the beginning. It's possible that the "K" series has several things improved in it versus the "i" series, and these things might improve the performance with braid. I don't know. I also don't know how far you try to cast, either. I try to get as much distance as possible without risking backlash problems. It's also possible that one of the Daiwa reels might be better than the Shimano reels, but I can't be certain. I was going to buy a Tatula 150, but when I found one at a retailer, the reel had a mechanical problem. That doesn't instill confidence in Daiwa as far as I'm concerned. I've had a love/haste relationship with braid for several years. It's been on-again/off-again. But the weedier the lakes get, the more tempting it is to turn to braid. Right now, the temptation is strong. ??? But ...... thank you for your help! jj

I have a Curado 200i with 50 lb. Sufix 832 on it. It was just professionally serviced this spring. It casts fine, and control is fine. However, the reel makes noises when I cast that I don't like. I THINK (don't know for sure) that this reel doesn't particularly like braid. What is the best 200-size reel for 50 lb. braid? I'd rather not buy another 300-size reel, but if I absolutely have to, then I will. I'd like to stay with 200-size for comfort. Thnx for all replies. jj

Spoons. Deep or shallow, and in all sizes, from the little guys for crappie to the mediums for walleye and the biggies for pike, bass and musky. I use them in rivers and I use them in lakes. I use them right after ice-out, and I use them right up to ice-up. I love my spoons. jj

Even online, I don't find what I want. I order direct from Eppinger. The people are great to deal with! jj

Yes, ..... slightly. I wouldn't do it, myself. Carbontex is made for steady, hard pulls on your drag. When that happens, heat builds up, and it can build up real fast. Carbontex will endure that, and it won't "fade" (drag value decreasing with heat) or "chatter" (erratic catch-and-slip) near as much. I learned about Carbontex from saltwater fishermen, where they were a big advantage. The advantage of felt drag washers (yes, there is an advantage!) is that they can be systematically set lower without sacrificing consistency, and the drag onset is usually lighter and less sudden. So felt washers are better for lighter or more delicate uses, and sometimes perform better for finesse techniques. I think that for freshwater bass reels, especially spinning reels, felt is just as good or better than Carbontex. Goin' after musky? Then it's a different story. jj