jimmyjoe

YoYo Mama. (Es Cubana.)

Look for patches of warmer surface water. It doesn't need to be warm, just warmER. Last year I caught 3 bass in water only 6-8 feet deep, twitching a spoon 1-2 feet below the surface. It was the 2nd of January, and the next day the whole lake was skim ice. jj

What the ....... ? Popular belief? Popular with whom? Idiots? jj

I talked to Spirit Lake about this long ago. Basically, the answer was, "Nope. It is what it is". I went through 4 Pflueger spinning and two Garcia spinning reels. Now I use Daiwa and Shimano. jj

I did the same thing. I was using my older brother's fly rod (split bamboo) and the guy teaching me wrapped red yarn around the rod tip and told me, "Now watch the pattern of the red. Your line will go where the red goes." It worked. However ...... the next year I discovered baitcasters, and I haven't cast a fly since. ? jj

If this is a trout or bream, then yes. ? ? jj

You have my sympathy. Every time I read "it's" in print, and it's used for possessive, I want to puke. English teachers nowadays are a case of the blind leading the blind. jj

More than just plastic and cranks .........

Light line? Yep (both Daiwa Fuego spinning and Shimano NASCI). Heavier line, like 12 lb. test and up? Nope. jj

Another reason to call the factory and talk to knowledgeable personnel. I know that some factory people don't know diddly, and will snow you, but many are very good with practical advice. You won't be out any money, so why not give it a try and mix it in with the advice you get from regular fishermen on forums like this? Remember ...... a poor light still beats walking in the dark. jj

This is long shot: remove the spool, and clean the rims. Then take a q tip and clean the frame where the rim of the spool would hit if it were dirty. If that cures it, you have crap in the water, and you need to constantly keep your reels clean. jj

Does anyone still use Kelly's pre-rigged worms? If you do, how well do they last and resist shredding? https://basstackleusa.com/bait-store/bass-lures/two-hook-weedless/ jj

I routinely advise people to call or e-mail the factory with their questions. It's not a cop-out; I've learned many unexpected things from them, and I expect other people will, too. The factory knows what's changing before we do. jj

For me, accuracy comes with feedback. The best feedback I get is from fiberglass rods, probably because of my many years with them. When I use a spinnerbait, I really want to hit my target exactly. It doesn't really matter much in the rivers, but it sure does in lakes. Other lures? Nah ..... not so much. jj

Nice cats. jj

I wouldn't worry about ratings on the rod. Most of the time, they're mono. Your rod is rated Heavy power. How much "oomph" are you going to put on it? Not the line, not the reel drag, but YOU. How much lift does the rod have? In other words, how much dead weight can the rod lift before it breaks? Do you think it can lift 30 lbs? 25 lbs? 20 lbs? 15 lbs? Use the braid that you really want to use, that handles best, and don't worry about anything else. And remember .......... HAVE FUN! ? jj

I'd go straight to the Curado BFS. The Daiwa Alphas CT SV would be fine, too, but it's more money and JDM (no US warranty). If you really want to find out what low-power casting is like, put one of those little Zebco or Daiwa spincast reels on this. It'll give you a good idea whether you like ultra-light casting or not, and you won't have much dough wrapped up. jj

Pier fishing needs good knots. I have no idea how you feel about knots in braid, or how well-versed you are. Common knots can result in reduced knot strength for braid. You might want to glance at this site to see whether you want to experiment: https://www.knotsforfishing.com/triple-loop-knot/

You are my new role model! ? ? jj

The current production model, the Certate LT 5000D, has a stated capacity of 180 yards of 20 lb. line. Is this not enough for pier fishing? Even if you consider that the factory specs might be a little ..... optimistic .... that's a lot of line. But if your question addresses the aspect of braid only, then I'd say you need to ask around the piers, and get other pier fishermen's advice. (There may be some in this forum.) This is somewhat beyond common bass fishing specs. Is it possible that you have the previous production model ... the one just before the LT variant? I know nothing about that reel at all, but it's possible that it is different enough that it has a different capacity. One last item: Daiwa used to be pretty good about advising braid capacity as well as nylon capacity with their reels. Hopefully, they still do. I would check their manual, and take their advice to heart. In the past, I have doubted Daiwa's guidelines on lines, and found out the hard way that they knew what they were talking about. And I say that grudgingly, because I'm no Daiwa fanboy. ? Good luck! jj p.s. - I know a crazy galoot who is obsessed with using spinning gear. His frog-and-punch setup is a Shimano 4000 Stradic with 40 lb. braid. Bad thing is, I never asked him the brand of braid. The new 4000 and 5000 Daiwa reels are, I believe, the same lip diameter as the Shimano reels, so that may give you some vague idea of where to start. Scroll down to "reel sizing": https://daiwafishing.com.au/pages/light-tough p.p.s. - I believe what @bulldog1935 was getting at is that without a lot of backing, or a shallow spool, a reel that size would spool prodigious amounts of expensive braid. If you have deep pockets, that's not a bad thing. If you're trying to save some money, well, then it is.

Try looking through the lineup at FishUSA. They have a nice selection. https://www.fishusa.com/Fishing/Fishing-Rods/Spinning-Rods?Rod-Power=Ultra-Light jj P.S. - I assumed you're looking for a SPINNING SETUP ONLY, but if you'd consider an ultralight casting outfit, this rod (which I have used) is wonderful. Take the "trolling" classification with a large grain of salt. https://www.fishusa.com/Daiwa-Spinmatic-D-Trolling-Rods

Mine would be, "How to Watch Other People Catch Lots of Fish". I've had this skill perfected for a long, long time. ? ? jj

I've done the same. How are you going to learn if you don't try, or don't experiment? Most of the ones that I modified were ruined, but at least I now know what NOT to do, eh? And don't worry about your fishing buddies. Their attitude doesn't catch your fish ..... you do. ? jj

Everywhere is slow right now, even the river. I went to the Sand Pit this PM. One of my friends was there, throwing a jerkbait. I threw lots of different stuff. Just before dark, I connected with a 1/4 oz. Super Spot, of all things. He zeroed. Someone needs to teach these bass to be more predictable! ? ? jj

There's one of the other things that I was curious about. ? jj