Gary_Snyder

Funny, I just had a dream about Jitterbug fishing the other night......and I click on this tackle forum today and the top post is Jitterbugs! Things that make you go hmmmm! I've caught some bass at night on a muskie jitterbug. Also had an alligator follow one once, lol! However, when it comes to top water lures, I seem to catch more bass on a prop bait.

That's exactly why I never tried it - a little less memory is not necessary for me when it comes to fluoro. I would stay away from cheap Fluoros such as regular Vanish, and Fluorocast. They don't hold up long and get weak. I Like Vanish Transition - it's a totally different line than regular Vanish. I use it because it's strong and it's fluorescent, so I can see it. I'm not sure I like the Transition colors though, so I may try Sunline Night Fluorocarbon someday.

- yup, and thin line too. A couple of lines I use - Vanish Transition 12lb, and Trilene XT 8lb. - They are the same diameter and close in strength - but one says 8lb. on the box, the other says 12lb.!! I suppose that's lesson number one - always compare lines of equal diameter. Line diameter plays a big role in physics/science, and line manufacturers can't change physics. And what kills me is...... Vanish is cheap fluoro, don't use it. But Vanish Transition is a totally different, premium fluoro.... they should have never used the word Vanish in the name, it's a completely different line, it's not just colored Vanish!! The problem with line reviews is, people use different sizes, different techniques, different reels (spin, baitcasting), don't compare diameter to diameter and apples to apples, and everybody ties different knots - so results are all over the place. I've become somewhat of an expert on mono lines but it took test articles, inside manufacturer's info, trying many lines, and over a decade to get there.... and I still don't know much about most mono lines out there. Fluorocarbon was easier, because I don't care about easy handling - as long as the line won't break, I'm happy, lol It took me seven years to develop the best terminal knots - and what kills me is, one of the knots I read about previously - it just took me seven years to prove to myself that it was great, lol. It took me way too much time to get a good handle on line. But now I'm pretty confident I'm fishing the best lines for my needs, and I don't feel the need to try other lines.

USPS claims there are mail delays due to covid. I've also noticed mail delays myself.

That does not matter. What matters is the efficiency - how hard it is to start and stop reeling.

Nice sea trout. I have caught those down in the Florida keys. They are very aggressive!

The Judge looks amazing on paper............. similar specs to an all-glass blank but noticeably lighter. Seems unbelievable. Let me know if you find something better, I'd be interested.

Usually, everything else being equal (but everything is not always equal, lol), lower modulus graphite blanks will be a little tougher........ so something like 33 million to 38 million modulus, something like IM6 rather than IM 7, will be slightly more rugged. But generally, graphite rods are fragile....... the manufacturers make them as thin and sensitive and light as possible.......... and supposedly, most of the strength is in the outer wall of the blank.......so if you nick/cut the blank, it could easily be a weak spot ready to break.

Light weight rods often go along with sensitivity. However, it's not the main cause and there are tons of rod builds and probably even blanks that are heavier than something else but more sensitive. Sensitivity is not simply stiffness to weight ratio. There is more involved (clue - how the rod is built can be more important than the blank).

Nice rod and reel Short Fish

Yup!

I know, but those are the best for not tearing out treble hooks. The moderate action helps a little, but it's more the slow reactance blanks made from fiberglass, or composite/blend blanks that really makes a rod wiggly, soft, and forgiving to resist tearing out small treble hooks. Plenty of them are rated moderate-fast. Many of the best are heavy though.........but then again a heavy rod does not matter when you are trying to drag a big-lipped crankbait around the lake. Many manufacturers try to sell high modulus, light weight moderate action rods for crankbaits. And it doesn't work too well - and high sensitivity is not needed for cranks. Moderate vs. moderate fast is more about different things.........like playing a big fish close to the boat and staying buttoned up during head shakes - moderate action rods can help a little here. This is great for flipping. Casting can be quite different too.... moderate-fast would normally be better for bass fishing. A true moderate rod which bends close to the middle would need a surfcast style to work at it's best. I was just thinking about building a new custom topwater rod, which is similar in that you are dealing with small treble hooks. I was looking at 3 blanks - 1) A light weight, (1.8 oz.) moderate action graphite blend blank 2) A moderate-fast (1.8oz.) low modulus graphite popping blank 3) A heavier (2.7 oz.) moderate-fast composite blank, with graphite in the butt, and fiberglass in the tip half, called The Judge I came to the conclusion that 2 would work best for fun fishing, to keep the rod light weight because I'm using a stop-and-go technique with the topwater. And it would cast better. Number 3 would be best for tournaments or pure crankbait fishing if getting the most fish to the boat is the number one objective. Note that the moderate blank did not make the cut. Line choice and technique can change things also But for crankbait fishing, forget about action - look for a heavy, noodly rod with some fiberglass in it if you want the best. If you are just fun fishing, don't care about losing a fish here or there, and want more sensitivity or a lighter weight rod, go for an all graphite rod, even high modulus if you want to.

Good luck reinventing the wheel!

Replacing a guide is the normal course of action. It's $10. Call a custom rod shop or independent tackle store in your area for details. You have to do this.

Oh gosh, there are so many reels.......I'll just talk about my current favorite....... a Pflueger Patrirach spinning reel. Made in China. It's a magnesium, all metal reel, 6.8 ounces with the deep spool option, 6.3 ounces with the shallow spool. I use the deep spool, it's the 30 size. I use 10lb. Vanish Transition fluro on it most of the time with Twinkies, er, I mean Senkos! Sometimes I use 10lb. Ironsilk when I'm throwing topwater baits. I use the Transition so I can see the line. It's strong enough with a great knot, I have no problems with it. I put Spiderwire EZ mono on the reels that my friends and family use, who might be less experienced - it's the same as Trilene XL.......plus it comes in fluorescent blue, which is easy to see. When it came out, I bought one immediately. I fished it heavy for four years until it went missing.......I don't know whether it got stolen or I drove away with the the rod still on the roof of the car, lol........only issue I had with it was the bail spring wore out....easy and cheap to replace (Less than five dollars). After the first one went missing, I immediately bought another, and have been using it for 3 years......so that's 7 years I've been fishing the same reel. No worry about flex, it's all metal, even the rotor (some metal reels are just metal body) Are there lighter reels out there? - Absolutely! I've tried them, and come to the conclusion that 7 ounces is the sweet spot.....in my opinion, lighter reels just don't make that much difference. This tip could save people a lot of money! Are there smoother reels out there? - absolutely! Some of those high end $400+ daiwas and Shimano are smoother, I've tried them. Can you notice the difference on the water? - yes! But here is the big thing...... in my opinion, the higher end reels don't make a worthwhile difference. Would a high end Japanese reel last longer? - probably.... the bearings, for one thing, are generally thought to be better. But I've got four years into the previous Pflueger, and the only thing I had to replace was a bail spring for less than $2.00 - so who cares? Not a big deal, really. How long do you need a reel to last? 4 years is a lot for 3 days a week fishing and thousands of bass up to 14 lbs. Granted, I do service the drag and line roller (not as often as I should). But I never open the gear case. And I do take reasonable care of my tackle - I don't put it down in the sand, and it only gets dunked about once in five years, and I don't fish saltwater with it. I will admit that the line lay is not as good as some other reels, and it's better for casting distance than easy handling, so that's kind of a wash (it piles up line toward the bottom of the spool. (Underfilling the spool makes it work just fine in practice though) Status, looks, and novelty - yes, I'll admit, those things can be important, and some people like that, and that's something top of the line reels can give you...... but to me, the reel is mostly a tool. I'm all about bang-for-the-buck. Please note that "bang for the buck" does not mean buying the cheapest reel. I don't believe in that. So, again, would a top of the line Daiwa or Shimano be better? - sure, it would be a little smoother, but in my opinion, it's just not a worthwhile difference. If I thought it was, I'd buy one today.