jimmyjoe

You're welcome! jj

It does? Really? jj

I was thinking of the Helin Flatfish until you got me with the shad-shaped profile. Are you SURE you need that shad-shaped profile? ??? jj

So many things I'd like to say. "Thank you" will have to do. jj

Keep a bow or bow and stern light on all the time. Not bright .... just there. The turn-on and turn-off of the head light are what scare them, not the presence of light by itself. In fact, a light at night will actually attract fish, although I have no idea whether it attracts one specie more than another. jj

In moving water (rivers) I move from sunlight to shadows. In quiet waters, just the opposite; shadows to sunlight. jj

Good Morning, @GGzet! 1. A ML rod and mono line are not too soft to feel a bite. Feeling a fish bite or a "bump" is not in the rod and line, it's in the fisherman's hands and his attention. I use a fiberglass rod and have good luck. ALSO: a ML rod will usually (not always) be more sensitive than a M or MH rod. 2. Yes, you're overthinking. Just go out and fish. Learn and have fun! 3. Because you're in Japan, I must assume you mean 12 lb. line on the Japanese rating system. That would be 10 lb. line rating here, and I think that's almost perfect. I have used 8 lb. line, but I knew I was pushing my luck, and I was very careful. I use a 70-size reel (Curado 70XG) and it works very well with .28mm diameter line. If this is your 3rd week of using a baitcasting reel, I would stay with nylon monofilament. It handles easier and is more predictable. Good luck! jj

I'm retired and live less than 2 miles from the Mississippi river. I've been fishing it for around 35 years. When you fish the river, you might hook into anything, and I did. I caught more pike and sandies than anything else. After I found this site, I started to target bass specifically, and my catch ratio really took off. Now I really like fishing for bass. But make no mistake about it; I still run into anything and everything if I fish the river. So I've started to fish lakes a LOT more. Better populations of bass. More fun. Less mud. ? jj

Try this. You might like it. It's a dipping sauce for fish. 2 Tablespoons Thai or Korean hot sauce. 1 Tablespoon Karo syrup cut with white wine vinegar to taste (I use 1/2 tablespoon minimum.) 2 Tablespoons crushed scallions. Mix. Let set at least an hour at room temperature or over night in the fridge. jj

I'm going to cautiously recommend you look at the Fenwick River Runner series. The series has both UL and Light rods, all 2-pc. I have the 7'2" Light/MF, and I like it a lot. I switch between 2 reels; a Shimano Stradic CI4+ 2500 FA with 6 lb. mono, and a NASCI 1000 with 4 lb. Fireline Ultra 8. Last year, I also tried 4 lb. Mono on the Stradic. I specifically got this rod as a do-everything Light power, and it delivers. However, the reason I mention it is that Fenwick has touted this rod series as trout rods. If you can find a place where they are in stock, see whether you like them. They have a spigot joint, BTW, so don't try to force the joint "closed". ? jj

If I'm in a real hurry, it's the Improved Clinch. If I'm not in a real hurry, or if I'm tying FC, it's the San Diego Jam knot, which has been called the Improved Pitzen or Locked Pitzen. One thing to note on "weak" knots; if any knot holds stronger than your max drag, or strong enough to bend your rod to the maximum, then it's strong enough. After that, it's consistency; consistency of the line, the knot, and how consistently you tie them. jj

I can't answer for someone else, but I feel quite a bit of difference myself. To me, the Triumph and Premier feel "chunky". I like the Avid line, which goes all the way down to UL. I have their 6'6" M/F, which I have used with both braid and mono. The Avid line seems strong and reliable, but they have what I call a "stiff" tip. They have nothing lighter than ML/F in the Avid-X lineup, but their 7' ML/F is my favorite rod for light twitchbaits, and it's great for wacky rigging too. I like their walleye rods for give in the fight and steady-retrieve cranks. I like their Avids for lure control and sensitivity. I can't comment on their more expensive lines; I've not used them. jj

Yeah, I know what you mean. This craziness has gotten me so antsy that I started seed before I should have, and set out plants equally early. I've got chard up, tomatoes up, eggplant up (that one is really early!) and already transplanted Vinca rosea. It's very rare to snow here in May, but if it does I'm S.O.L. jj

Walleye rods (in general) seem to be manufactured with softer tips than bass rods. This 7' L/XF rod is actually GREAT with trebles. And yes, the weight range is accurate. jj

I would personally put this reel on a rod from the St. Croix Tournament Walleye family. They have a 7' light power, extra-fast action rod that they call a "finesse" rod. And it is. I have no idea how a walleye fisherman would use this rod because I don't fish primarily for walleye. But this is a great rod for bass when you use small cranks (like Mini Fat Rap and Rebel Teeny Wee-R cranks) to get wary bass to commit. Also works great for any lure with small treble hooks. jj

Calling someone a "moron" or "dumb jock" is just part and parcel of the same attitude. Intelligence or lack thereof is NOT the dividing line between peoples in the human race. If you fell down in the mud, and a person that you considered very low in intelligence helped you get up, would you still call them a moron? I hope not. And if someone that you considered to be very intelligent used that intelligence to hurt people and kill people, would you still put them on a higher level than "less intelligent" people who didn't do that? The dividing line in the human race isn't "smart" versus "dumb". It's "kind" versus "vicious". Innate intelligence has nothing ... and I mean absolutely nothing .... to do with it. A person's makeup and motivation become clear by their actions. jj

Round split rings can be made out of brass, stainless steel or spring steel. No real problem; take your pick. However, because of the oval shape of the oval split ring, stress is distributed unevenly around the circumference of the ring. The longer, straighter sides of the ring don't take much stress, but the short round ends take a great deal of stress. In order to prevent deformation, a special alloy had to be developed for oval split rings. It was called... Wait for it... Ovaltine. ? jj

Being a veteran, I was reading your post very intently, trying to remember whether there was any way to help you that I knew of. Then I got to the end of your post. You old dog, you!!! ???? I'm glad I wasn't taking a slug of coffee right then, or I'd have spit it out all over the computer screen! ??? Good one ! jj

I feel pretty good when I can give someone some advice that helps them, whether it be fishing advice or gardening advice or HVAC/R advice. What's sad is to find someone who can't build another person up, but has to tear some one else down in order to feel better. Many times these kind of people hang around in groups, reinforcing each other's attitudes. If one of them spots someone with a spinning outfit, he'll say, "Usin' a fairy wand, huh?". The next one in line will say, "Yeah. Wassa matter, don't know how to use a real fishin' outfit?". The third one will say, "If you don't use a baitcaster, you don't know how to fish." And so it goes. It doesn't really have anything to do with fishing. Absolutely nothing at all. I've seen this behavior in pool halls, on Little League diamonds, on car lots and on college campuses. It has its source in insecurity. I think it's an emotional disease, myself, similar to bullying. I have no idea what the solution is, but I suspect that those people treat others that way because they themselves were treated that way. Which says something about the parents, I guess. jj

Because I'm a shorecaster, I'd use that for a jerkbait rod. Boaters need a longer rod, but not me. jj

I'll bet if we still had drive-ins that they'd be making a mint right now! jj

I have the 7'2" Heavy in the Mojo Bass Glass series. It felt a little heavy in the store, but it doesn't feel heavy at all in use on the water. The 7'11" might be different, I don't know. I know I love this 7'2". It has "authority." ? jj

If and when I think that there's a disadvantage to a ball bearing duolock snap setup, I'll cut off about 18" of line, and tie on a ball bearing swivel (no snap). then I'll put line on like it was a leader, and tie a snap on the end. I like VMC crankbait snaps (I've stashed some small ones). This gives me the best of all worlds ..... except that I can't let that bb swivel hit my tiptop or it'll crack the insert eventually. This works great for lures that helicopter as well as lures that spin. And if I put on a suspending twitchbait, it doesn't destroy the balance of the lure. Have fun fishing! jj

Yup. When it rains or when a storm hits, I make a cup of coffee and go out on the porch to watch it, or I go to the shed and open both doors and watch it. After 43 years of marriage, my wife still doesn't understand. I suppose that's what I get for marrying a city girl. (Gotta love'em, though.) ??? jj

Have you tried any of the catalytic hand warmers, like the S-Boston, the Peacock or (if you're really lucky) the original Jon-E hand warmers? The mittens that have the half-mitt cover over the tipless glove fingers can carry one of these very easily. When you want to fish, just slip it in your pocket. https://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/hunters-advantage-ragg-wool-pop-top-mittens?a=365052 jj