Ern

Depending on the location....We go down to the Welmington area about once a year. I just take the Med and MH spinning rigs. I got a couple of "SURF" rods once and all the fish were caught on the "Bass" rigs. We just fished in the breaks on the surf. That is where the fish feed. Bigger stuff is great to reach Way OUT but we did better up close. Used PowerPro and Carolina Rigs to a steel leader and circle hook or large topwaters when the trout were in. Loads of fun. Flounder, Reds, Whiting, and lots of Sharks.

I got to chew a big Crow on this one. About a month or so ago I Had bought and tried PowerPro and started that I had no use for it. Well I have gotten it back out and spooled it and Found a few very good uses for it. Actually to the point I just spooled two more with the stuff. Best thing I have found for it is a leader on the business end. Works great. It eliminates seeing the twist that is in the line. And for what it is worth, a friend has been using Fireline and getting the same twist in the line. Line stays limp, but gets a twist to it. I just treat it like my flyfishing, and put a leader on it. I think it is going to work for me now. Ern

:-? How did we get from a 4" twin tail grub to a tube? Ern

If you are gonna t rig then you are gonna have to crank the hookset. Idea is try to break the rod on the set. I would tex-pose with a weighted worm hook before a shakey too. Or the just a standard jighead. Ern

How do you have it rigged? Let the fish take it more before hitting it. Ern

Same rod would work with about ANY fishing situation. Don't mean that another rod wouldn't do the same tasks BETTER. I don't use technique specific rods. I use what I like. What works for me. FWIW, I'm taking a 6'6" St Croix and Shimano 2000 combo Surf Fishing in three weeks to the Carolina coast. Ern

Like largemouth fishing you will end up with different rods that do a different task well. I do not think that there is a single perfect rod that covers everything. I use a light action spinnning for weightless plastics to a Med heavy baitcaster and 20lb mono. for grassbeds and a med heavy inshore rod and 4000 size reel for jitterbugs. And yes on small streams I use an UL and UL lures. And for targeting big fish, use bigger tackle. I have learned to love my baitcasters for smallies. Just depends on what you are fishing. And after YEARS of fishing for smallies I have come to the conclusion that what works for a largemouth can be applied to smallmouth. And dont think that a smallie wont eat a lure you intended for a largemouth either. I wouldnt use a 10" worm or a 12" swimbait for a smallie though. Ern

Well that drag thing would be the first and foremost to learn. I guess at some point everyone has done that. 10Lb may not be enough depending on if you fishing the outside edge or into the pads. Quality of the equipment makes a HUGE Difference. Solid reel with a smooth drag. Correct action Rod. And Quality line, not the omni flex from wally world either. Also sounds like you might need to work on a new knot is you are getting a 5LB knot on 10 lb line. Either way Keep fishing. No substitute to experience. You will learn what works. Ern

I use them for smallies in rivers. They work great for fishing heavy jambs on the rivers. Use a Zoom tiny chunk or a tiny pacu trailer. Reminds me I need to pick some up. Thanks. Ern

Topwater something. I like Flukes and Heddon Products. Smallie LOVE busting the top. Gets the heart pounding too. Smaller fish, Numbers, go with the Rebel teeny wee craws and rebels ultralight lineup. In-line spinner are good too. Roostertails and Mepps. Grubs and tubes. Should get ya fishing. Catch and release is a good thing too. Just remember when taking the picture. Arms out and no bend. Puts the fish out front. then Focus the camera on the fish. Making the fish look bigger than it was. ;D Ern

I dont get the twist either. Wasnt there when I spooled up. Developed after fishing.

You folks seem to be confusing the twisting with wraping and "wind knots". The line Twisted. You could see it. You could feel the twist in the line. You could move the twist on the line. I never said it wraped the tip, reel, or the itself. No memory is true. I thought I would love it. I couldn't see it against about anything dark colored 2' in front of me. With the twist the line became very visible. What I wanted in the line was a high strength/low diameter line as to put more low visiblity line on the reel. Ern

Well I have not tried Power Pro on my light outfit, Shimano Symetre 1000FJ and St Croix 6' Light action. DON'T care for it either. Picked up a 100yrds spool of this stuff in 8lb strength/1 lb diameter. Gave it a try out today. Spooled the line tight and kept it tight on the reel too. Closed the bail manually. Do that with all my spinning reels. It did do better than the others but...... 1) I could see the twists in the line after fishing it maybe 10 casts. Made the line VERY LIGHT REFLECTIVE! No memory or rod wrap, but visible twisting. could actually slide the twists on the line by pinching the line and moving the pinch down the line. Weird. 2) Casting distance was REDUCED. Right from the start. And got worse to a point then seemed to just hover at taking 1/3 of my casting distance. 3) Very wind resistant. Seem to be caught by every breeze. Leaving a more slack than I would like at the end of the cast. 4) Actual spooling diameter is not the CLAIMED diameter. Noticed this with every SUPER LINE. That 100 yrd spool MAXXED OUT my reel. Looks like the CLAIMED diameter should be closure to what diameter IS. I thnk they just try and pull a Number. This 1lb diameter on the Power Pro is more like a 5LB. Like I said not just PP but all the SUPER LINES. SO I Pulled the line back off my reel and back to its spool. (Love my drill). I picked up a spool of mono on the way home. I now have a spool of 99 yards of PP 8/1 I gave $13.00 for and another 150 yard. spool of 80/18 that I aint using. Wish I could get my money back. Id buy mono. Ern

They caught a Really Big one in Tennessee a Few years ago. Lots of Littler one are caught all the time. Ern

Gamakatsu's. Ern

I would keep an eye on pure fishing's clearance site: FFO. Seem's like the camo color was on there last summer. Also check ebay. Ern

I still am hung on the Rapala F's. Just fish them as jerks. F-9 and F-11 Ern

Nope other way. Slow rod = soft tip. Called Moderate by St Croix. It will have more "give" to it. A fast or xtra-fast has little to it. Ern

You miss the Revo's. You can get a Revo S in a combo At Dick's for I think about $120. I just got a Curado E. You need to look at it too. Don't go Cheap. Ern

Remember when a 4.7 : 1 and 5 : 1 was a Fast Retreive on a baitcaster?? If I remember right my Lew's Speed Spin had a 5:1, a Shimano BX-1 that had a 3.6:1. All the Abu's Casters had 4.7:1's as Fast. I love my 6:1 spinnning reels and 7:1 Baitcasters. Ern

I agree with others........get a better one to start. Lots of good reels to pick. I have had Abu's, Quantum, Diawa, and Shimano and had great luck with them all. I am loving my new Curado and plan on maybe a Revo STX next month. Ern

I don't see the 6'10" listed for St Croix Mojo listed on St Croix's site. That said though. I think the Citca and Mojo will be a nice combo. That would be my pick for worming or jigs. I assume the Inferno is a Baitcaster. With the Rod you have on it I would say Spinnerbaits. Ern

21" river smallie. ;D Ern

I would say it depends on the size of the fish that you have access to in the water you are fishing. Smaller river fish in the 3lb and down I would opt for a light or med/light outfit in a spinning rig. If I was after a bigger size fish say a 6lb smallie in a good bit of current and grass, I would tote a Med baitcaster and spool it with 10-20 lb mono. Just me. I tried the braided lines but find I have to many twist issues to make me happy with it in a current situations. Ern

I'd put a little more to the budget and get the St Croix Triumph. I have several and love'em. And not much more than the $50. Ern