jimmyjoe

I'm a shorecaster. You haven't told us whether you're on shore or in a boat. If I had that setup, I would put 10 lb. test Sufix 832 on it, and use it for 1) bottom contact techniques, and 2) smaller twitchbaits. The line is significant (for me), because I hate braid. Sometimes, though, ya gotta do what ya gotta do. ? ? jj

So what did you finally decide, @Tj. ? jj

Bumblebee Chopper Bee spinnerbait. jj

That's because it's not braid at all. jj

In spring .... twitchbaits and spoons. In the heat of summer .... spinnerbaits and spoons. In fall .... cranks and spoons. jj

I had tried FC line 5 years ago, and I absolutely HATED it. This last year, several people got me to try FC again, and I found InvisX by Seaguar to match my Curado 70 perfectly. It's on a M/MF cranking rod. I firmly believe that different reels have different lines that are perfect for them. Perfect on one is lousy on another. And a perfect match for one fisherman is a poor match for another fisherman. I guess it's one of the things that make this game interesting and drives a person crazy, all at the same time. ? jj

It is good to experiment. That's how we learn. Don't expect your results to be the same as another fisherman's results. Everyone is a little different. Trust what you see in front of you. Good luck! jj

I haven't used the low-profile ABU reels, but all the other descriptions you posted pretty much match the experiences I've had. Like you, I'm fishing every day, and as long a time as I feel comfortable. I've found that's a way to flush out the weak points of anything, rod or reel or line. I've been fooled before .... thought something was the Second Coming and 6 months or a year later it turned out to be trash. I'd like to hear your impressions in another 6 months. Thanks for the review. jj

There's an old saying; "Can't fish where the fish ain't." Finding pike is 90% of the game. Finding musky is 99% of the game. Some people (including me) say, "You can call'em!" True, but sometimes the phone is busy. ? ? ? jj

That right there is the difference between long distance casting for competition and long distance casting for practical, everyday fishing. Braid helps, but even then there's a limit in the fisherman's reaction ability. jj

Standard surf casting design. jj

Caught 3 pike today on 1) 4/5 oz. hammered nickel Cop-E-Cat, 2) 5/16 double-bladed Aglia in Firetiger, and 3) Pink-n'-Peach 1/2 oz. Zonar . You don't get much weirder than that kind of combination! But all were in shallow water, all within 10 feet of shore, lying in wait in the warmer water. Also caught 2 bass (dinks) on the same lures. Why does a 1 lb. bass hit a 4/5 oz. spoon? I don't know the answer, but it sure is fun to get back to the river for a little while! jj

@GGzet : When you're learning the capabilities of an adjustable reel as well as your own capabilities (which will change and improve with time) it is best to follow a logical method that you don't change. This gives you a solid reference point to use. You said you have 2 of the brake blocks on and two off. You have the exterior adjustment on #5. That's good for a starting point. I would not change the brake blocks yet. I would change the exterior adjustment. The reason is that the wheel adjustment is finer than changing the brake blocks, so you can see changes under a more controlled condition. You changes won't "get away from you", in other words. Good luck! jj

Ten? Really? How did you get that lucky? jj

I figured it was possibly flexure from higher loading, and that it disappeared when I re-assigned it to a lower-resistance rig. Don't know for sure. Problem is gone, though. jj

Nope. Checked that. jj

FWIW: I have a Casitas HG. My first plastic reel. When I got it, I thought from comments that it could take heavier lures that give a resistive retrieve. So I put 14 lb. test Sufix Advance mono on it and installed it on a MH/F rod to pull 1/2 oz. spinnerbaits. It casted great, but after a few weeks it had a " ...sh .... sh ....sh" sound on retrieve. I took it off, greased and oiled it, put on 10 lb. Yo-Zuri and installed it on my M/MF crankbait rod. Problem over. It's quiet, smooth and casts like a dream. My opinion of plastic reels is that they are just fine ..... as long as you keep them for some light duty usage. There are plastic musky reels on the market. Whether this comparison means that they would be just fine for heavier use on bass rods, I don't know. I don't believe I want to find out, either. jj

St. Croix Mojo Bass casting rod, 7'-0", MH/MF and 3/8-3/4 oz. They call it the "spinnerbait" model, although I don't know why. Excellent small swimbait, fluke, twitchbait and flutter rod. And yes, I have one. ?? jj

I've probably got more spoons than any other lure. They're mostly Eppinger spoons, because they do what I want better than any other that I've found. I also have Thomas, Acme, BPS, Johnson and several no-name Chinese spoons. I have them from 1/8 oz. to 1 oz. stock and up to one and a half oz. stacked. Because spoons snag so easily, I only cast them either in water I know or in the upper half of the water column. I use them on any specie, but they work best on crappie, bass and pike or musky. My advice? Use a wide, crankbait-style snap at a minimum. That's for a steady retrieve. I rarely use a steady retrieve, though; I "twitch" them and make them dance. When I do that, the line twist can be a problem, so I add a ball-bearing swivel. The only exception to that rule is the Johnson Silver Minnow. It seems to have better action tied direct. Generally, spoons are SLOW retrieve lures, with some being slower than others. To see what they do and how well they do it, go to a place that has very clear water. I suggest a swimming pool. Good luck! jj

I fish the Mississippi, and you're gonna have a conversation with Mr. Pike sometime or other, no matter which specie you target or which technique you use. I saw a kid about 8 y.o. with a Snoopy combo catch a nice hefty pike a few years ago. You just never know. There have been many times that I've fished for bass in areas that I KNOW have good bass populations. Nothing will bite, though. Not even sandies or wipers or drum. It's as if nothing is there. That's when I tie on a steel leader and go to a 1 oz. Dardevle or a Zonar. Bingo! Musky is a different subject. There's only one lake close to me that has them. I fish for bass there, but I use a steel leader there also. I've caught 2 this spring .... or maybe I should say they caught me. At any rate, it's fun. Good luck on your quest! jj

For any competent rod designer, there is no advantage from one over the other. But for a fisherman, there definitely is. Fiberglass is a material that absorbs vibration. It is therefore classified as "reduced sensitivity" material compared to graphite. Composite ("Hybrid") rods are, to one extent or another, the same. Graphite, by comparison, transmits vibration much more readily, so people say that it is "high sensitivity" material. When you said that the graphite "felt better", this is probably what you were referring to. Maybe not; it could also have been weight and balance. I think that you would have noticed that as obvious, though. Fishermen will feel that one design is a lot different than some other, but they can all do the same thing, all other things being equal. I have (and like) both fiberglass and graphite. jj

Rapala CRR-5 were (and are) my favorite. I have a stash of them. But the next-best is the Lucky Craft LC1.5. I do see some advantage to a rattle, but it's not consistent. That's probably because I retrieve squarebills S-L-O-W. You have to remember, however, that you're reading this from an old man who thinks that there are only 3 types of hard plastic lures; traps, squarebills and twitchbaits. That makes a little difference. ? jj

I was born and raised a farm boy. Because I married a city girl, I've lived in town since 1979. I don't care whether I live in town for nineteen thousand, four hundred and seventy three years, I will NEVER be a townie. I am country born and bred, and nothing will ever change that. SO .... I call country home, even though I live in town. jj

First things first: No rod, no reel and no type of line is going to cast a lure THAT IS NOT AERODYNAMIC very far. And by "very far", I mean that there is a limited distance determined by the lure characteristics moreso than the rod, reel and line characteristics. I suspect that this is why manufacturers have gone to magnets with moving weights, low-profile designs and smaller diving lips; those things help lures that are not aerodynamic eke a slight bit more distance out of a cast. The most common critique of aerodynamic behavior is simple (or overly simple, perhaps); frontal area divided by weight. The reason I say this is overly simple is that it does NOT take velocity into account. Velocity is applied by the rod, as @Delaware Valley Tackle said. Still, you can have the best and longest rod, the finest reel in the world, skinny line to use, and you CAN'T CAST A KITE. One other thing to consider: Have you ever backlashed? When you backlash, the reel spool is moving FASTER than the lure, among other things. So that's telling you that your reel is capable of moving a lure through the air faster than you can get the lure out there yourself. The reel is not .... I repeat NOT .... the limiting factor. First is the lure characteristics, second is your ability to cast in synchrony with the line leaving the spool, third is the rod, with its ability to store and release energy, and LAST is the reel. It's not that the reel has nothing to do with it, it's just that other things are more important. As for promotion and advertising ..... you should know enough to take it with a grain of salt. jj

Yes, you are. And I am, too. ? jj