BassThumb

I second the Dobyns 705. I use the Champion 705 Graphite, and it's one of my favorite rods. However, I bought my dad a Dobyns Fury 705 crankbait rod last summer, and it's nearly as good, despite costing half as much. The 705 is ideal for those 1/2 oz crankbait like your average squarebill.

A 7' 6", medium-heavy or heavy-power, fast-action "flipping stick" would be a good start, matched with a fast reel, such as a 7.1:1. Pair that with 50 lb. braided line and possibly a fluorocarbon leader and you've got yourself a great starting point to see what's right for you. These flipping sticks are a dime-a-dozen on online flea markets, and Memorial Day sales are right around the corner from online retailers.

No offense, but that reel wasn't re-assembled correctly. Been there, done that, so I know It's time to disassemble and reassemble with careful use of the schematic, which can be found online. Next time, take a series of close-up pics when breaking down a reel. If all else fails, contact Delaware Valley Tackle (a sponsor) and have them do damage control for you. They do great work.

Why use it then? Strip it off and go back to braid.

Zoom Swimmin' Chunk

It's my preferred leader material in water that's not crystal clear. It ties a very strong knot when linked with braided line. I use the 6 and 8 as leaders on spinning tackle all the time.

Rapala Shad Rap in chartreuse and white, size 7 or 9. They'll continue to work as long as Rapala continues to produce them.

I'm going to give the 130 a try this season, but I'll probably use the hand-tied leader with 20# fluorocarbon. They've saved a lot of lures for me during those times when the pike are going nuts. I pre-tie them and then just swap them out when they get nicked. I've never once had a pike saw through one of them. Obviously, it'll alter the action a bit on a topwater, but we'll see what happens.

30# Samurai will work okay on an average-sized spinning reel, though it's about as heavy as one would want to get. It's too heavy for my preference. I prefer 10-20#. Use El Cheapo mono as backing. It doesn't matter. Have you considered trying to sell the braids on our Flea Market? 30# Samurai would work great for those who employ finesse baitcasters for shakyheads and such. That's what I use.

I sold mine, too. Only I had two of them. It was the first St. Croix line that I was unhappy with. I'm actually kind of surprised it made it through development and all the way to the shelves, being that St. Croix is about as reputable as they get. That's how bad the older Mojo was/is.

Sometimes just pulling a few screws out, opening up side plates a bit, and then blowing a strong fan at it for a couple days will work wonders for drying out a briefly-submerged reel or one that was completely drenched in rain. Put a couple drops of light oil where it needs to go before closing it back up, and you're set. Also, using a muffin pan to keep pieces and accessories organized and in one place is very useful.

As a kid, I was taught to tie fishing line with a simple overhand knot with 5 passes. I can tell you from experience, that's one weak knot!

I think the advantages regarding hookup percentages with straight-shank hooks are sometimes a bit exaggerated. Missing fish due to them seems pretty rare. Overall, I believe I'm getting more bites with an EWG due to my bait hanging straighter and requiring less adjustment time. So in the end, that adds a whole new facet to the argument that needs to be considered by the straight-shank-leads-to-more-fish community.

I'm a fan of using a spinning setup for those really light topwater poppers. They're kinda tough to cast for distance on a baitcaster.

Lots and lots of regurgitated soft-plastic baits. It's just crazy to me that some so-called anglers actually throw this stuff into the lake, like its a garbage can. I do understand that it's not all intentional, though. Some baits fly off.

I like the MegaStrike stand-up head and the Picasso tungsten ball head. Both with screw locks and a drop of glue.

I've never seen a crankbait model yet that doesn't have a few duds, not even the LC Pointer. For what it's worth, all my Little Johns work flawlessly and catch fish, too.

Done. Hopefully BR gets a little revenue from the surveys linked from here.

Absolutely. The Ultra Soft is not very good line. The original is far better. Strangely, the US is really no softer than the original, it just gets all milky colored and weakens more quickly.

Frankly, I don't know how people can fishing straight fluorocarbon on a spinning reel. It's incredibly irritating. That's braid/leader territory, all the way. However, I am a big fan of straight braid on bait casters for most bottom contact rods. 20# Tatsu is the best there is, and I've fished two whole seasons without respooling. This season, I'm going to use the same line on my two openwater jig/worm rods, that would be season 3 on the same 20# line, which still looks crystal clear and is without kinks or coils, at least until I feel its compromised. Tatsu just seems to hold up much longer, and that offsets the price. For moving baits on a bait caster, and I know it's been said 1000+times here before, the standard YoZuri Hybrid is about as good as it gets. 12# for most lures, and 10# for cranks. It has a much higher breaking strength than what is listed on the spool. For instance, the 12# is really like 17-lb line, etc. I have three-pound spools of both that I've been chipping away at for years.

I've had some issues with stripping the screw-threads where the side-plates connect with the body. I've never done that before on any other reel. It's also a PITA to get the spool-tension knob back on without removing the whole handle. It used to slip on more easily, but it's getting more difficult because those threads are just beginning to strip, too. In addition, the little flap on the side plate to open it up and access the magnetic brakes have a tendency to stick now after a couple season, to the point where I'm worried I may break it when I try to twist it. It happens only occasionally, yet randomly. Yes, I oil it from time to time. The handle-knob bearings also appear to not be holding up as well as on the earlier models, despite cleaning and greasing them the same exact way. Most importantly, and most telling, after a good, 3-4 hour complete breakdown, cleaning, and oiling, the G-series does not seem to feel as 'fresh' as a similarly treated D- or E-series reel, which feel like a brand new reel after each spring cleaning. The G just feels like it's beginning to wear out after only two full seasons.

With the fishing season just around the corner, now is the time when I meticulously dismantle my reels completely and soak/clean them. Most of them are Curados of the D, E, and G generations. Probably 15 in all. The G's are wearing out a bit, disappointingly but not surprisingly, even though they're the newest of the three. They feel cheap, fish cheap, and wear cheap. But the E's and D's appear to be of similar quality, and the difference comes down to feel. When broken down, even 6-10 years after purchase, they (D/E) still look brand new on the inside, aside from some scratches from screwdrivers and pliers. Im excited to try out the new Curados this summer. They'll replace the G-series Curados. I hope they last as long as the D/E series, because I like to get 5+ years out of a reel. That said, I would never spend $200 on a used, 6-year-old reel that many people bought for $100-125. That's crazy.

734, for sure. 733 is not suitable for pitching, IMO. It's too light. I'd say the 733 is better suited to casting Senkos and 1/4 oz spinnerbaits and such. I bought and sold mine because it was too light for my liking. The 734 (or 744) is the general-purpose workhorse of the entire Dobyns lineup. There's almost nothing you can't do with those. If you could find a used 744, that's what I would recommend for light-line pitching. I personally prefer the 5-powers for pitching (735, 745, 795), but the 4-powers would match up best with 15 lb fluorocarbon.

I take one of my oldest Mississippi-River-wading friends out on my boat a few times a year. He's an excellent angler and fly-fishing purist and will use the fly rod at all times, no matter what, even when his techniques aren't working or the conditions aren't right for fly fishing (too windy or choppy). Nearly every time he comes out with me, he gets skunked. There have been times I've out fished him 30-0. I try to get him to switch over to conventional tackle and offer to supply the rods for him. Nice ones, too, like Dobyns and Shimanos. It just frustrates me to have a fishing guest get skunked. When I bring someone out, I want them to catch fish. I'll put them right on the fish and many times won't even cast at the most productive spots. But he's too stubborn to let me help him.

I'd suggest getting away from Minneapolis lakes if you're looking for quiet scenery. You're gonna have a lot of docks, watercraft, and boat-wakes in the shot. Get a half-hour away from the Metro in any direction and you can have a whole lake to yourself!