MitchIsFishin

Thanks guys - I'll just chalk it up as bad line. I've used some off the same spool (2k yards) & no problem. Oh well.....

Went out fishing this morning, primarily craws & senkos. The water is hot & fishies are deep now down here. Two hours into fishing (bank fishing), break my line 7 times. Lost seven hooks & worms/craws. Now, not happy with losing the hooks & worms/craws, but checked my line (as always) for nicks. Nothing. Tied the same knot as usual. Everything normal. Still, 7 break offs. When I was about to leave, checked my line again (YZ 6lb hybrid with L & L applied), and an 18" piece snapped in my hand. This was line just applied to the spool, wasn't old. Just a fluke, bad line, me, what???

Got two of 'em. Last one bought was a 6'6" MH. It's a fine rod. No, it's not a St.Croix or Loomis (or even a Compre), but at $50, it works. Sensitivity is decent, I use it for craws, lizards and lipless cranks. Again, it was $50 and for that amount, they're fine.

I'm happy with what I have, but my favorite is my Shimano Symetre 1500 FI on a St.Croix PS60. It's my panfish/smallie setup, inline spinners, small craws & small cranks combo.

Good thread, probably been done before, but what the heck. Like everyone here, I love fishing. Love catching. Don't love spending every available dime on gear. I love spinning gear. Have a couple of shimanos, abus, okumas and floogers. And daiwa & Abu baitcasters for my topwater stuff. Decent rods, highest being St. Croix, and I'm happy with what I have. To me, it's about fishing, not merely what I bought. My perception is it's more about fishing, the person behind the rod/reel & what he/she does. For those who play guitar, if I put a $50 pawnshop Stella in your hands, you'll sound great. If I drop a Collings Om-2hc in your lap, you'll sound great. Either way, I'll appreciate the effort.

Same here - I use them & like 'em a lot. Good when the hands are wet.

Thanks guys, yea, think I will respray with the KVD L & L and give it a try, hated to just trash it.

Guys, here's the question. I spooled up 2 spinning reels middle of last summer (yea, last summer!). Had some health issues & didn't fish for a long, long time. The line is Yozuri 6lb hybrid and was treated with KVD line & lure. One only reel was fished and only once. Both have been kept out of the sun/UV rays, basically in good storage. Would you use it? Maybe spray some more KVD on it, or just respool? Thanks Mitch

Love the spro aruka shads & xr50's. Great in spring or fall.

I agree with RW, catch a deal on a used Avid. IF you've got to buy new, a Premier is a good choice. Bought mine for finesse spinning 5 years, and it's been great. Never took to the Mojos, everyone I've ever picked up felt like a broomstick to me.

Tin, to me the CXX at 8 feels like 10, so I know what you mean. While it will probably pull a log from a lake before it breaks, it's like fishing with slinky-line. I switched to Yz based on RW's recommendation, and though it's not as strong, it's like fishing with an overcooked ramen noodle.

Burley, tell us exactly what you were doing? As I best recall, you hate spinning gear anyhow, right? Just got back into fishing, went out for two days, wasn't even like learning to ride a bike again. Thought I would have been rusty, but it's like I never stopped. I've had one line twist in the last 6 years, and that was with an old reel. Like steezy & Leon said, quality reel, I use 6lb Yz hybrid, follow the line/lure rec's and zero problems. If you're fishing light stuff, what about your Curado, thought they great for light stuff?

I bought a 'dick's special' Stratus ST20 5 years ago, been waiting for it to quit or break. Nothing, it's been a great inexpensive real. I'm using it for 1/4-5/8oz cranks and with just a little basic service, it's the same now as when it was new.

More good ideas - think I try LAO162's suggestion when I get to the store. RW, I completely forgot about avids, if all else fails, an avid should do the job. Again, thanks guys.

Again, thanks guys. Kent, I know fishing the gear is best, and no, I'm not being silly. I can't afford to make a financial mistake when buying gear, nor do I want brand suggestions because everyone else says that a product possesses characteristics apparent to everyone but me. That's why I was asking the question, and I know it's difficult to answer because of the unquantifiable characteristic called sensitivity. I know experience brings a greater appreciation for better gear & rods and reels better suited to specific techniques, but I was looking to shorten the equation a bit and find a way to look for a rod that serves my purpose. Again, thanks all.

Thanks guys, I do appreciate the help, but still, I don't have a feel for this even with what has been offered as advice. I'm not interested in a specific brand at all, I'm interested in what those who finesse fish do when they pick out a rod & how they determine the sensitivity, to some degree, in the store. While I have heard of the tip on the throat technique, this is more of a learning experience for me so I can make current and future rod decisions. I thought maybe certain characteristics of a rod that could be exposed in the store would tell me what level of sensitivity I could expect while actually fishing.

Glenn, I'm sorry to hear of your loss and my prayers go out to you & your family. Wow, 99 years. She lead a long & fruitful life. She is home & at rest. May God bless her soul.

Hey all, just getting back into this (fishing) and I'm thinking of a new rod or two. One will certainly be for 'finesse' fishing, i.e. Ika's, senkos, etc. I know of rods that are considered sensitive and applicable to what I'm looking for, but the question to me is how do you determine the sensitivity of a rod in a store? Budget constraints says I stay in a certain dollar range, so I'm not looking for brands, but how YOU determine that a rod meets your spec for finesse fishing before you have fished with it. Thanks to all.

I've been out of commission for a good while, and trying to restart my interest in fishing. It's something I've enjoyed, but wondering what others do for motivation? Still have all my cranks, my plastics (presume they are still good), my inexpensive reels, rods, etc. What gets some of you guys re-motivated to fish when you've been away for a while?

Russ, prayers with you & blessings on you. Cholesterol knows no boundaries, and even when you're thin, you can have issues.

I've been away for a number of months, health issues & other issues in life. Trying to regain my desire to fish. Hope everyone is doing great, lots of new members I see, Glenn doing a great job. Just wanted to say hi.

It must be me then - I never found Mr. Andy Kaufman funny at any time. Not even in Taxi. :-X

Muddy, you are the MAN!

x2. Don't understand it either, but you know what happens when 'brands' are mentioned................

There have been a few unhappy premier owners here, but by & large most are happy with this rod. I've had mine 4 years, great rod for the price.