jimmyjoe

I look at it this way: 1) Does it catch fish for me? If it doesn't, I don't care whether it's free, I don't want it taking up space in my tackle bag. If it does catch fish, I go to #2. 2) Do I lose it often? Whether it's snagged up or broken, if I lose it often it's going be low priced or I won't have it. 3) How many do I think I need? I've got over 30 Dardevle spoons, but only one Rapala Countdown, in Silver. Big difference in money spent. My wife thinks the Dardevles are expensive, and she's right. But they'll go to the grave with me, because no one will be able to pry them from my cold, dead hands. ???? Which brings up my last point: Do I simply think that I have to have them, for whatever reason? If I do, then it's " .....d**n the torpedoes, full speed ahead ....." And I think there are a lot of us with that same attitude. And that's why "expensive" is such a relative term. jj

Color ........ or contrast. jj

I've had more experience with St. Croix Mojo Bass, mostly because the nearest retailer carries a lot of them. I fish two different types of locations; one is relatively unobstructed water, which doesn't present much of any problem. The other is blowdowns, standing timber, sunken limbs and stump fields. Not only that, but I'm a shorecaster. I need to get those fish OUT of that junk, and I that means I need to take control of them immediately. This is especially true for the Senkos and flukes. For the first type location, I've used the Mojo Bass 7'1" M/F rod successfully. For the second type location, I'd never recommend a medium power rod. The minimum I'd recommend would be the Mojo Bass 7' MH/MF "Spinnerbait" rod. And yes, I really meant it when I said "minimum". I don't know what you include in your "etc.", but this rod may have a tip that's too stiff for some of the other techniques, especially squarebills. But when you're dealing with graphite, you can't have it all in one rod. So it boils down to one thing; what kind of cover (or lack thereof) are you gonna fish? Good luck, no matter which decision you make. ? jj

Everything @diehardbassfishing said is correct, but I'll add one more characteristic; durability. Graphite can be brittle. I've broken 3 graphite rods by hitting them against rocks or tree limbs. Although I agree that I should have been more careful, still .... stuff happens. And it happens with fiberglass, too. But I have never broken a fiberglass rod. Never. jj (p.s. - now that I say that, I'll probably break one tomorrow! ?? )

What @A-Jay said is totally correct, and the results can be awesome! It works on spinnerbaits, in-line spinners and spoons. I call it "pulsing". On spoons, like the Dardevle, you can drop intermittently or you can "twitch" constantly, giving the spoon a very erratic path through the water. You don't necessarily need to burn the lure, it's just that the drop in speed (and depth) seems to trigger strikes out of nowhere. I don't know whether it simulates a dying forage fish, or whether it simulates a forage fish that just made the wrong decision, but it works. Where I fish, shad are by far the dominant forage, so the lures with which I have greatest success are all light colored or high-contrast. It seems to work especially well with 1/2 oz. Mepps Aglia spinners in silver. Your color results, however, may be totally different. And yes, this works for bass, too. ? Good luck! JJ

That made me feel good! ??? jj

I've heard scuttlebutt about those Judge blanks. Everything I've heard is great. I think you're gonna be in for a real good time! ? jj p.s. - pic are in order!

I might be wrong, but I thought that the "R18" was industry designation for a particular Kureha formulation. There is R18 line, like this: This is 100 meters, or ~330 yards. And then there's R18 HARD, like this: This is 87 meters, or ~88 yards. It was my impression that the regular R18 was a fishing line, and the R18 hard was a leader material. That would account for the difference in yardage. jj

I'm not condemning the OP's use of live bait. Sorry if it came off that way. I'm saying that using live bait for bass is VERY effective, even extending to fishermen who don't target bass and don't want them at all. Most of the guys I see doing this are using worms. I would have thought that if I were to fish for bass with worms, that bluegill would get in the way, taking the worm first. But evidently that's not the case. It depends on which fish happens to be the predominant specie in your particular place, and how aggressive each specie is at that particular time. jj

Been there, done that ........ 40 years ago. ? jj

It's funny that you say, " ... I imagine with worms it would be hard keeping sunfish off them...." because locally I see a few live bait fishermen who target sunfish and get frustrated because they catch bass instead. Some target sunfish as live bait for flathead, and some target sunfish to eat. To them, bass are trash fish. jj

Lewis had a 3/8 oz. trap for awhile. They were 2.5" long. Had an odd name that I can't remember right now. jj

I've used it in 4 lb. test, and that was good. But I've never used it in 8 or 10 lb. test on a spinning reel, and I don't know anyone who has. Just because the 4 fed well doesn't mean that the 10 will feed well. jj

Does anyone here use Stren Magnethin, especially 8 or 10 lb. test? If you do, 1) how has the knot strength been, poor or average or great? 2) Has it been consistent? Also, 3) how well does it feed off a spinning reel? Thanks for your help. jj

I love the spring, too. But I like the fall more. The bite in the lakes dies before the bite in the rivers, and I have a high old time with spinners and spinnerbaits, cranks and blades in the rivers. The ones in spring might be a "fatty", but the ones in fall are a lean, mean, lure-chompin' machine. ? jj

I use an older version of this one. I wear glasses, and I need the open nose design to prevent fogging. I hear the new ones are smaller, though, so beware. That could be a pain in a one-size-fits-all design. http://advantagesupplies.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1364 jj

^^^^^ that's a ten .... or maybe 11! ^^^^

Let's take an arbitrary figure: Last year they were $150. This year they are $300, but slashed to 50% off, which is $150 ?? jj

Some of us are lucky enough to have fished from a slightly elevated position, and can see the fish strike at the spinnerbait at the same time that they notice that there was no sensation of a hit. Not to mention any names, of course .......... ?? jj

THANK YOU! That was exactly the sort of information I was wanting to know! I appreciate your taking the time and trouble to help! ??? jj

Had a decent spring, a moderately dead summer, and a fantastic fall. ? This year was a spinnerbait year, even more so than other years. Got'em high, got'em low and got'em in-between. It kinda surprised me. Side-effect of trying to lay off plastic, I guess. That, and I took to heart what I read other people post here on BR: "You can't catch fish if you're afraid of losing lures." So this year, I lost a bunch of cheap spinnerbaits playing low-and-slow in the rocks and in blowdowns ..... and caught my best fish of the year there. ? Like everyone else, the one big thing I noticed was the number of people out fishing this year. I was glad to make room. I can't imagine how tortured I would feel if I had to be cooped up all the time. jj

All I can tell you is that we have lots of people who fish worms for sunfish and minnows for crappie. If they catch, then I catch. If they don't, then I don't. Same locations. This is in the river. I haven't fished lakes in almost a month. jj

Very true! JJ

I hear what you're saying, but for me, the positive of the fish that I catch this time of year overcomes the negative of the misery I feel out in the cold, in the wind, fingers freezing and line icing up. Yes, I'll admit it. I'm crazy. jj

Sounds good. Good luck! ? jj