jimmyjoe

There are no "serious problems" on this planet. None. None whatsoever. This planet is an ecosystem in a constant state of adaptation to changing conditions. The way I see it, that's been true for millions and millions of years. As old as I am, I have to admit that I wasn't around back then. The only "serious problem" we have is that many people want the adaptation to stop at some certain specific point, to reinforce their value system. Nature doesn't work like that. Nature doesn't give a hoot about your value system. In terms of Nature, people are no more important than fire ants, starlings, foxes or trophy-size bass. Many people don't want to recognize that. It hurts their ego. jj

Well said! jj

Manufacturers end up concentrating on what the public buys. For the average bass fisherman, that looks to be right around 7'. Yes, there are specialist actions and lengths. But the average Joe seems to like that 7' category. And I must admit, I'm not averse to it myself. I have rods from 6' up to 8', but most are 7'. They seem satisfactory. jj

This is absolutely #1. Fewer weeds is #2. I haven't had enough coffee yet for #3. jj

It might be that your pinion isn't disengaging totally on some casts. If you clean and lube it like @lo n slo said and it still makes that sound, you need to send it in to the factory. jj

Ah, I see. Not USDM. I had thought you were talking about products on the US market. ? jj

Could you please tell us, what IS a higher end Doyo platform? jj

When I was young, I was told weasels kill to drink blood. IDK true or no. jj

I'll tell you what improved my fishing the most: Bass Resource. No kidding. I was a grumpy ol' river fisherman, with blinders on. This place opened my eyes to the possibilities of new techniques, new lures, and new venues (lakes). It's especially taught me that I need to understand the fish and how they live and why they are where they are. I never thought that way before. I've tried a lot of new things that I learned on here, and I'll try some more eventually. I feel absolutely no need to continue with something that doesn't work out for me, and I doubt that Glenn will kick me off the site because I don't use the same lures that he does. At least I hope not! I especially remember what Catt kinda said: the most important thing for catching fish is between your ears. jj

Balance problems are more obvious on one-handed casts than they are on two-handed casts. Not only that, but cross-body casts from the strong side are the most obvious because your strong arm's thumb is doing the majority of the pushing, but from a disadvantageous angle. I know this because I have arthritis. Some things I've learned the hard way. I have the 7'-01" Mojo Bass MH/F casting rod, which is a SC3 blank. I've handled the Legend rods, but they didn't impress me, for one reason or another. I'm not cutting them down, it's just that for me they show little improvement over the Mojo, and cost much, much more. FWIW, I always cast the 7'-01" two-handed, even casting from the weak side. The 6'-08" MH/F is no different. The only MH/F rod they have that feels good one-handing is the 6' Premier. The flip side of this is kinda optomistic; with two-handed casting, ALL the rods up to 7'-08" that I've used from St. Croix feel okay .... to me, that is. So ..... which is more important to YOU, one-handed or two-handed casting? If it's two-handed, then as @jbsoonerfan said, almost any decent reel will be fine. But if it's one-handed, then I'd recommend a lighter reel that you can choke your hold up on so that you have a stronger grip. Things like the Lew's Tournament Pro, the Shimano Chronarch, possibly the new Shimano Bantam and the Okuma Helios. I would recommend a Daiwa reel, but I have no idea which one. jj

What is "MH/L" ? jj

True. First-time yakkers seem to underestimate this. jj

Powell has crankbait rods, of which many are composite. The Endurance line is good, and they have a "Mistake" outlet that sometimes has composite rods. Not only that, but Powell rods are frequently on sale at retailers, including Tackle Warehouse. jj

Kayak, eh? Neat. Let me give you a piece of advice, since I don't know how big you are or which 'yak you'll get: put on a swimsuit, get in the 'yak, go out and dump it. That's right, I said dump it. Roll it. Fall out deliberately. Very first thing. Then get back in. It's rare that any yakker will ever need that skill and experience, but if you're the one that someday will, it may save your life. jj

This is a mistake I've been making. It'll stop now. I had always thought that fluoro was very resistant to nicks and abrasion. It's not. The bigger they are, the more I tend to do this. I know I shouldn't, but ........ I didn't know this. These things all make sense, supported by things I saw that I couldn't really explain. Thank you. jj

Welcome to BR! Show your wife the pink rods. ? jj

WELCOME! jj

It depends on what you mean by "casts farther". I'm a shorecaster. I put more "OOMPH" into my long casts because 1) I need to and 2) I can. I say "I can" due to the fact that I step into my casts on shore, at least if I'm on hard ground. It's hard to do that in a boat the size of a bass boat. Boaters usually don't use that kind of technique because they rarely need to. Most of the boatmen I see classify distance as whichever line gives them the particular distance they need with the least effort and greatest consistency. That's not the opposite of my situation, but it's pretty different. In other words, they don't grunt or move, and I do. For distance that I need, monofilaments, either nylon or fluorocarbon, reign supreme. They're much more consistent and feed off the spool better. They also don't "dig in", but braid does. That last little ultimate effort of extreme acceleration that shorecasters find useful means you're going to break off your lure with backlashing braid. Braid knots won't take that kind of shock. OTOH, boatmen don't need that acceleration. The info that I needed to do what I wanted to do I got from surf fishermen. Then I modified it to my everyday needs, as I had lighter rods and lighter lures. The principles were what were important, not the details. If you're a shorecaster, you'll benefit to one degree or another going the same route. The things is, if you're a boater, then none of this applies to you. Your casts are different, your requirements are different and the line you think is best might be totally different. Isn't fishing wonderful? ??? ??? jj P.S. If all other things are equal, greater tip velocity equals greater distance. However, other things are never equal.

Yeah, I guess I would, too! I had no idea you had a season on bear. The 45/70 will work great for them, too. jj

The 45/70 isn't overkill for anything bigger than squirrels. The 1200-1300 fps velocity means that you make a clean hole, unlike high velocity dual-core bullets. It's perfect for deer, especially in woods hunting. That big slug isn't as apt to be deflected by a twig. As for a bear, I've found out that if you leave them alone, they'll generally leave you alone. I'd only shoot one as an absolutely last resort. Then again, that's just me. jj

Like the Bumblebee Chopper Bee. That's the only one I miss. It was the "King of Thump". jj

If you would ever see me without'em, you'd know they sure as heck ain't optional! ? jj

Exactly. That's what drives large chains; accounting. They don't care what we want, they care what they can sell. If used toilet paper became the next overnight sensation, they would have no qualms about clearing out sporting goods (or anything else) and putting in several aisles of ...... well, y'know. And what you or I buy isn't of any importance to them. It's what millions of people across the country buy that they look at. We used to say, "Can't see the forest for the trees." For these guys, we should say, "Can't see the trees for the forest." Legality enters into it, too, but only obliquely. If it wasn't illegal to sell nuclear weapons, they'd have them in stock and on sale. Yes, I'm an old grouch. ? jj

Why don't you update your profile so we know where you are? That could make a huge difference. jj

When I was experimenting with braid on my Curado 70, I found only one braid that I liked: 20 lb. Berkley Fireline Ultra 8. It fed consistently, I got good distance out of it, and it didn't dig in. You need to be aware, however, that Ultra 8 is higher diameter for the published test than some other braids. To me, that was an advantage rather than a disadvantage. OTOH, the line I eventually decided was perfect was 12 lb. InvizX by Seaguar. jj