Darren.

Welcome aboard!

Welcome aboard, Todd!

@Will Wetline, fantastic ties. I started tying bucktails for striper fishing this past (late) fall. I can tie a great weed guard, but I've tied maybe one good bucktail. Can't get a good, clean tie at the jig head. Always have bucktail peeking through. A work in progress, but you give me hope!!

The Storm shads work great here for striper. I have fished at night. I don't have any gear for long surf casting from a beach. But what I look for is dock pylons, bridges, etc. Here's something that may help ya. I'm studying it, too as I'm trying to learn the tidal flows, where fish are most likely staging, etc. http://www.stripersonline.com/surftalk/topic/177314-reading-the-water-again/ Odd, I was just reading the posting there a couple days ago and the pictures were showing. They're not now - at least for me they aren't. Hope they work for you. Very informative.

Welcome aboard, Peggy!

I'd have responded sooner but I was finishing the trophy presentation of the Australian Open! Roger Federer is a class act and amazing champ. I'm a huge tennis fan if you can't tell. Really like my MLF Premier that I use for soft plastics. It's a 6 footer that I shortened to 5'9" for close quarter fishing (under low bridges, in the sticks, skipping, etc.), but I use it in open water all the time, too. That stick runs $120, PS60MLF. I like the Carbonlites, too, but haven't tried the new ones which are $120 now. Probably won't be going that route any more (the BPS rod) as I'd like to either stay with the Premiers or give Fenwick a try some day.

If he goes with a St. Croix I'd think he could easily go with a MLXF in whatever length he wants. Short to me is under 6'6", and I'm a yakker who prefers 5'9"-6' primarily, but use as long as 6'6". He'd have to look at the Premier series at Croix to stay under $150. But there are so many great rods in that price range. He's got plenty of choices. I'd go with a MF or MLF for the CB.

You can certainly use bass gear for saltwater. I do Just be sure to rinse off with fresh water after you're done (both rod and reel). The spoons might fare well. All depends on what is biting down there. Some locals should be able to give you good advice. Live bait is *always* good in salt. I've had success with soft plastics I use in fresh for drop shotting. Caught reds, flounder, croaker, etc.

13.1 !!

I am so sorry for your and your wife's loss, Lonnie! I'm only 48 and have a son with the flu home all this week. Reading all the awful stories of deaths to flu. Yours is too close since you're BR family! My condolences.

That's VA for ya. Mild mostly but with a little bit of the white stuff for good measure. Looks like the snow on Tuesday will be on top of ice as it's gonna rain Sun and Mon. Oi.

My wife and I love Italian. She's an amazing cook and makes a ridiculously delish baked ziti. Among many dishes. One of my absolute fave dishes is Penne Rustica at Macaroni Grill. My wife learned how to make it and holy cow is it almost identical!! Love ribs, love BBQ, but I'm actually waaay more partial to Eastern Carolina (vinegary) style BBQ over ketchupy-style BBQ...but I like both.

Dang, man! I hear snow's back on the menu for us next week, too. Dadgummit!

Welcome aboard! I'm the opposite, kinda, as I'm getting in to inshore saltwater fishing! Not leaving fresh by any stretch of the imagination, though!

Welcome aboard!

My absolute fav is the Yamamoto Shad Shape Worm.

Original, but only because when I bought it at DSG, that's all that was available then. I need to get some more soon. Imagine they'd all do well in saltwater, too. Oh, and I did use Brylcreem once upon a time. A little dab did NOT work on my mop, LOL.

My .02 - I use a ML Carbonlite at 6'6" and was able to throw some very light baits with my Chronarch 50e.... By light, I mean no weight added Zoom Finesse worm, and even a weightless Zoom fluke (smallest), though not a far cast on that one!!

There is none of it in Hampton Roads Virginia. You're welcome down here

Dude, good luck and yeah, @Captain Shane Procell would be the guy I'd go to

Can't take credit for it, though First I heard of it was watching a Bill Dance TV show where he demonstrated the technique!

Welcome aboard! I second that it's a good worm rod. And since it is your first, you probably want to practice a bit with it to get proficient! So perhaps an inexpensive mono or copolymer line would be the ticket. When you get it spooled, put a casting plug on it (maybe a 1/4 oz) and cast as far as you can. When you've stopped the spool, cut a piece of electrical tape the width of the spool and tape it over the line there. This way if you have a nasty backlash (which you will), you will only lose some of the line up to the tape, not the entire spool.

I wouldn't call the FG simple... Simple implies the entire knot is easy to tie from start to finish. I'm pretty good at knots, and have 99.9% success with the double-uni in both fresh and salt, but I could not get the FG to cooperate whatsoever with thin diameter braid and line up to 15# test. No doubt some, like you, are adept at tying it, so kudos to you and your success.

IMHO, the simplest/easiest is the double-uni, which I use 99% of the time. Next for me is the Alberto.

Neat stuff