jimmyjoe

Maybe it's the best of both worlds, and maybe it's the worst. You won't know until you try it, unfortunately. But if you want to get into cranking without laying out a ton of money, try the David Fritts Perfect Cranker and Perfect Palmer composite rods sold by Lew's. They're $80-90. I like the MH/M models, but I wouldn't mind trying the H/M models, too. Just something to think about. jj

That's great news! ? jj

Graphite has 2 characteristics that endear it to fishermen: low weight and high sensitivity. If you're fishing a moving-bait technique, whether fast or slow, sensitivity means little. The only place I like sensitivity is fishing riprap with squarebills. I run them s-l-o-w, and the "tick .... tick" tells me where I am. For any other steady-retrieve technique, the tug on your line means that the fish HAS ALREADY HOOKED ITSELF, and all you need to do is bear back to put the nail in the coffin, so to speak. No sensitivity needed. As far as weight goes, I'll be 70 years old in 3 months. I have a 'glass rod that weighs five and a half ounces, with a reel that weighs 12 with a full spool of line. I have no problems with the weight; none whatsoever. YMMV The big difference between 'glass and graphite is in resistance to fracture. That probably won't make any difference to you, but I've accidentally broken graphite rods when I smacked them against something. I've done exactly the same with 'glass rods, and there was no damage. Hope this helps you make your decision. ? jj

Look for ones that advertise that they are "spring tempered". They may cost more, but they're worth it. Another answer to the problem might be to use oval rings, although I have no idea now well they work on small stuff. (I use larger rings.) jj

This goes with something that I've been thinking for a long time; reflectivity. I don't understand how it works, but I've noticed that certain shiny, reflective finishes don't do well. I think depth has a lot to do with it, but I can't get a handle on the critical mechanism yet. I used to think the mechanism was the reflectivity of shad scales, but it's a lot more complicated than that. It's like walking in the moonlight. Some things are almost the same as in daylight. Some things are different, but in a weird way. And some things are invisible. Everything around had better blend in with that pattern, or it stands out too much, and looks unnatural. Just a thought. jj

I had a rod arrive in a sched. 40 PVC tube ....... which had a huge dent right in the middle. Obviously someone didn't care whether it got to its destination in good shape or not. So ....... it makes no difference how well a rod is packed. What makes a difference is how it's handled. The store has no control over that. jj

.011" equates to .28 mm jj

"Test" doesn't mean much. It doesn't relate well between brands and advertising systems. My suggestion is to pay attention to diameter. It's not perfect, but it's more consistent than test rating. Personally, I would not use braid on a casting reel that was rated smaller diameter than .011" (eleven mil). jj

Okay ..... that's different! I misunderstood. ?? ?? Do you have the rod, reel and line to handle it? Even the 7" S-waver is almost 2 ounces. The good thing is, it stays shallow. Not only that, but it's cheap as far as swimbaits go. So yeah, I'd say, "Go for it!". You don't know until you try. jj

Considering what I think of their Microwave guide system, I doubt that I'll try their briad. jj

You're in California, and I'm in the Midwest, so take this with a grain of salt. I'm a shorecaster. I would not use large swimbaits from shore. I might use small ones, but not big ones. With the big ones, there's too great a percentage of snagging up, too much money lost and too much physical labor. If I were in a boat, it might be different. But I'm not in a boat. The biggest reason, however, is simple: I don't see that I need them. Perhaps your environment is different than mine. If you try them, I wish you the best of luck! jj

I think we all know what the problem is. We're just trying to come up with a way to contain the damage! ? jj

I had tried Vanish, Sunline Super Fluorocarbon and Fluroclear, and the results were so bad that I gave up on FC line totally and couldn't understand why anyone would want to use that stuff. But people here kept talking about it, and I realized there was an extreme difference in FC lines across the board, and that there was an ongoing development of FC within the industry. So I tried again, this time with InvizX. That's all it took. jj

@bulldog1935 I've seen several of your knots, and you seem to coat them with something to smooth them out. That's not a 3M product, is it? jj

Wow. I thought YGK G-Soul was the only sinking braid. Shows how much I know. ? jj

?????? You're on your own, my friend. I know absolutely nothing about fine braid on the Antares reels. But I'll wish you good luck! I can do that! ? jj p.s. - I just saw your other thread with the pics of the Antares reel. Nice! Very nice! jj

I take it you're using a spinning outfit with 20 lb braid, right? And how much do you worry about knot strength? Please consider Hitena (google it) and Berkley X9. These are two of the so-called "new generation" of braids, which are smaller diameter. If they're 3rd generation, Samurai was 2nd generation, and PowerPro was 1st generation ..... or thereabouts. (Yes, I broke guides with the old Kevlar line. That was long ago.) The bad thing is that these lines have not been in widespread use long enough to really know their characteristics ........ good, bad or otherwise. Good luck! jj

@Catt Thank you. You made my day. ? jj

Hey, John! You know when people say, "You're only as old as you feel"? Well, they're not talking about me. They're talking about YOU. I hope you keep goin' .......... forever. ? jj p.s. - I'm jealous. ?

^^^ Yup. ^^^ jj

I thought I was the grouchiest old wretch in the world, but reading through this stuff, you're just like me and I'm just like you. Thank you, and welcome home! ? jj

Well, that's a game-changer. I'm a shorecaster, too. To me, shorecasting is all about versatility, not specialization. With that in mind, I think you're set up pretty well. My advice is to not jump too fast and too far, too soon. Fish with what you have right now, and the gaps in your equipment and techniques will become obvious to you over time. Who knows - a year from now, you might be telling us that you fish from a kayak 95% of the time and walk the shore 5%. It happens. Kayaking is addictive fun. And you said you fish pressured water. Kayaks are a more productive method for attacking pressured situations than shorewalking. And if that happens for you, you'll probably want a cranking or topwater setup, like @the reel ess said. Whatever you decide, I hope you have good luck and I hope you have fun! ? jj

The 7 footer, I assume. I don't know anything about the details of Bass Pro equipment (please don't ask why) but there are a good number of people here who use them a lot .... and like them a lot. Hopefully, someone who has that very rod will be along and tell you what kind of techniques they use it for and how well it works. Cya later .......... jj

That almost sounds like a frog rod! Which brand and lineup? JJ

^^^ This, times a million! ^^^ jj