jimmyjoe

It insinuates a high arc and more vertical entry to the lure, sometimes with an uncontrolled or "smashing" splashdown. Just the opposite of feathering a jig at close distance to enter noiselessly. jj

Depends on the power and action. The more the rod flexes, the more I would think the rod benefits from a spiral wrap. Not only that, but I fish from shore. Much of the time, I'm fighting a fish sideways, like off to my right or off to my left. I can't line up the way a boatman can. That's when I notice twist in the blank of the rod. I'd like to see whether the spiral wrap would act more like a spinning rod, which twists and loads much differently in that situation. And yes, sometimes I do fight the fish a little .... (ahem) .... enthusiastically. ??? jj

I've been curious about spiral (or acid) wrap rods for some time. An entry by @Mick D got me to thinking; I have a 2-pc. Mojo Bass casting rod, MH/F, that I use most of the time. So I took it and reversed the top of the blank, mimicking a spiral wrap at its worst. The "worst" is the line rubbing on the side of the blank, which I thought would kill the distance. It didn't kill any distance with spinnerbaits or fat cranks. What it will do with longer-range lures, like spoons, I don't know. I'll need to experiment more. If anyone is curious about spiral wrap, just take the end piece of a 2-pc. and reverse it. You'll have a lot of questions answered right away. And you might be surprised. ??? jj

Kinda like the saying, "The more I know, the more I realize how little I know." ?? jj

Aw, c'mon! Fish don't wear boots! ? jj

1) How long have you had it? 2) Have you disassembled it for any reason? jj

Boca has a search page. https://www.bocabearings.com/model-search jj

Supposedly the flat surface has a flash pattern like a moving mirror; strobe-like. Lures with continuously curved surfaces don't have that. I've used them. IMO, they're neither better or worse than other cranks. YMMV. jj

Look carefully at the line coming off the spool. It's aimed down, as if guided under the support bar. Line path is wrong. Is line even going through the levelwind eye, or possibly under the eye bracket? jj

This might help: https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_lf_t3200_086.pdf jj

Anybody Got Purchase Plans Over Winter? This was a trick question, right? ??

I fish a lot of riprap, too. That's where I use squarebills, and that's where they pay off. If I didn't need that deflection so much, I'd use other shallow cranks. After all, squarebills are not magic. Stained, dirty or clear water doesn't mean anything WRT squarebills, at least not for me. jj

A hundred degrees? Isn't that winter time in Louisiana? ??? jj

Exactly! But why stop at braid? Leader material is leader material; as @J Francho said, it's tougher (and more abrasion resistant) than mainline material. You can use fluorocarbon leader on nylon, or you can use nylon leader material (like Maxima Chameleon) on nylon or braid .... or fluorocarbon. Use what best serves the purpose at hand, be that what it may. Just watch your knots. I'm lazy, so I use ball bearing swivels or oval split rings. jj

Please ...... don't get him re-started! ? jj

If it's a little acid, add some creamy peanut butter. I also use a little epazote. I used to add chiles I grew, but I can't tolerate that any more, so my "heat" is at a low level. Diced bacon can add some flavor, too. Dang it! Now you got me hungry for chile! ??? jj

Not really. Let's say you have two different situations: 1) fewer guides, with the line relaxing off-center between guides, and 2) more guides with the same line, so that the line stays centered more between guides. In #1, the friction of relaxed line rubbing against the guides from a wider entry angle CAN create more friction than the net friction of line passage in #2. Maybe. I'm not being dogmatic about this. If I were, I wouldn't be asking questions. ? And that might be the answer, and a good reason not to be dogmatic. ?? jj

@MickD, @.ghoti., and @Delaware Valley Tackle, I thank you all very much! It looks like my decision might be easier to make than what I thought. See ya after I get out of the "classroom". ??? jj

What's the "GPS Fuji video"? I googled "GPS Fuji" (guide positioning software), but couldn't find a video. What do you mean, "control" of the line? What control? And which fight have I lost? I think there's something here that I'm not quite understanding. ?? jj

Bass Pro Shop is BPS. What does BCP mean? jj

You give me far too much credit! If I knew how to do a well executed stress test, I wouldn't be asking you fine gentlemen these stupid questions. ??? But seriously, I think I see the reasoning behind the comment from @.ghoti. about the difference in flex between a moderate and a fast action. I went to Scheel's today and picked up a St. Croix Legend Elite rod for the first time. It was a 7' MH/F casting rod, and it had 11 guides plus the tip. I flexed it, and I could not for the life of me figure out why they had that many guides on that stiff a rod. But now I see why, at least, they don't have that many guides on a moderate action rod. And one point I might make, by the way, is that sensitivity is a non-issue with moderate actions .... at least for me. On steady retrieve rods, I feel that fiberglass is just fine and dandy. Just heavy, that's all. This is all about the possibility (I said possibility, not probability) of having another rod made. It would be a 2-pc, like the 1st one (which I love, BTW), but it would be MF or Moderate action, not fast. That's why I was asking why no Moderate action rods with high numbers of guides. The comment about spiral wrap is intriguing, especially WRT a 2-pc rod. Hmmmmmmm ....... ? Thanks. jj

I've always associated more guides as an indication of a better rod, and fewer as an indication of a lower quality rod. The reason is that more guides straighten the line flow, lessening line slap, and more importantly they distribute stress better and lessen line rub when fighting a fish. I'd think that a moderate action rod would benefit more from a higher guide count, because it flexes more. Yet I've seen no moderate action rod at 7 feet long that has over 9 guides. I've seen fast action rods with fairly stiff tips that have 11 guides. Why? Thanks for your help. jj

^^^ I give it a 7, a la Bandstand. I like this version better:

Sounds like the yoke is not entirely disengaged. jj

Ima Bill Lowen squarebill. My CRR-5 Rapala SB is out of production, so I really shouldn't recommend it to someone. jj