jimmyjoe

Every spring I fish a place that's similar to what you're describing. The only thing that has worked regularly is spinnerbaits, retrieved at a moderate speed but aimed so as to graze the boulders as closely as possible without abrading the line too much. I tried a pulsed retrieve, and it didn't produce anything. I also didn't do this: https://www.bassmaster.com/blog/clear-water-spinnerbaits but you might find it helpful. Good luck! jj

Spoons ..... of course. Jennifer Bustamante is gonna love to hear from me pretty soon. jj

That's how I feel too. Trilene Big Game is the most consistent line I've found in the last 30 years. Stren comes close, but misses the mark by a little bit. Trilene XL can't even approach the consistency of Big Game .... or the abrasion resistance. The only advantage to Stren is that once wet, it relaxes sooner than Trilene. That's OK; I can wait a couple more minutes. ? Sufix Advantage has very little abrasion resistance .... and that's in 14 lb. test. I used Elite a couple years ago, and while it wasn't bad, it didn't show me anything exceptional, either. The only other Sufix line I've heard people rave about is Siege, and I've never used it, so I can't comment on it. jj

In the most basic, unscientific terms, modulus is "power", and strain rate is "speed". And although that description might be handy, it is an extreme over-simplification. Here's why: Let's say you walk into a room where a manufacturer assembles engines, and you ask him, "What's the Brinell hardness of your engine?" He can't reply, because there is no such quality. The engine is made up of the block, which is a low hardness, a crank, which is harder, and tappets and cams and lifters which are different hardnesses again. But not the whole engine. Only the parts. In the same way, "modulus" describes the materials (or parts) in a rod, but not (usually) the total, finished product. That's what @Mick D means when he says design makes the difference. Take those engine parts again; the same hardness of springs, tappets and crank, et. al., can be used to make a racing engine that will turn 30,000 RPM .....or a pump for irrigation that turns 1,600 RPM. Big difference. Same with rods. So when you ask what SPECIFICALLY is the major contributing factor to whichever characteristic a rod has, it's like asking what SPECIFICALLY is the major contributing factor to the working characteristics of such-and-such motor. No answer. Non sequitur. And every manufacturer who makes a motor to do a certain specific task will design it differently. All of those motors from all those different manufacturers will do that certain task, whatever it is, but they'll be different motors. Same with rods. Clear as mud now? ? jj

Man oh man oh man ..... truer words were never spoken! Sometimes we choose to do stupid things that make us want to live in What-Ifs-ville for the rest of our lives. That's bad, 'cause that's a town that has all dead-end streets. ☹️ jj

Yes, if you overpower them. Use a lighter power rod, slower action, set your drag way down, and then they'll stay subsurface and fight like a bass. I went from a ML/F 1/8 to 3/8 rod with 6 lb line to a UL/Mod rod and 4 lb line. Drag is set really light, but I couldn't tell you how many pounds resistance. My luck went up by leaps and bounds. jj

My wife and I have been together for three wonderful years. We've been married for 42 years; three were wonderful. ?? jj

Welcome! jj

Yay! My lure collection just got smaller and simpler. Good reason for me to forsake soft plastic forever. jj

I consider many other things about a reel before I even consider the line roller, if at all. I've only ever had two reels that had a roller problem; one was a Pflueger 6725 President, (I think I got the number correct) and the other was an old Penn. I think the Penn would have been easy to fix if I would have sent it in, but someone else wanted it so I sold it to them. I've only heard from one other person having a similar problem with a President, and there are thousands of President reels out there. Pretty low odds of you having a problem, I'd say. I, too, have Shimano and Daiwa reels, and I've never had any problems with the line rollers. And that's with 3 to 10 lb. mono, 2 to 12 lb. Nanofil, and 6 to 15 lb. braid. No wrap, no stutter and no stall. So there's nothing that says you might not have a problem someday, but it looks like the odds are against it. Smile, be happy and keep on fishin'. ? jj

Wow. jj

I thought patent infringement was for sales, not for personal use. Am I wrong? jj

I think I know where I'm going. I learned on centrifugal, I'm comfortable with centrifugal, only a very proficient caster (video #2) made the linear system look good, and then only (I think) because of a heavy payload. So ...... I think I'll forget the magnetic stuff and stay with centrifugal. Thank you, every one of you. jj

Oh yeah yeah yeah! Latest fish I caught last season was Jan 2nd of this year. I can do it again if you and the National Weather Service co-operate, Santa! Watcha say, huh? jj

I was drinking coffee when I read that part of your post. I've just now got done cleaning the keyboard. Please warn me when you're gonna print that kind of stuff again, ok? Thank you! jj

I really wish that I had taken the time to measure the distance with the 5500c. But on this forum previously, I had started a thread about losing fish while casting long distances in a sandpit. I was using a 7' ML/F spinning rod with 4 and 8 lb braid. I eventually measured my casting distance with a laser rangefinder. Other than the first cast, which came up short, all casts were between 55 and 60 yards. This is with 1/3 oz. spoons. I went back to the sand pit another day. I have an 8' M/MF casting rod, with a Curado 70 on it running 8 lb. Yo-Zuri Hybrid line. I wanted to try and see what it would do. I consistently outdistanced the spinning gear with the same spoons, by a small amount. Not a huge amount, but a noticeable amount. I hate to put numbers on something that wasn't precisely measured, but I'm sure I was hitting 60 yards. Maybe (just maybe) a bit more. Only a rough guess in the same pit, but the 5500c will only do about 75% of that. I want the new reel to put the heavy spoons, the naked Giant Killers and the 1 oz. 'Traps out there AT LEAST as far as that Curado. Further, if I can manage it. That's OVER 60 yards. I've seen other fishermen (boaters) pull in big bass from this pit and 3 other lakes within 75 miles. All were from waaaaay out there. But I'm not a boater; I'm a shorecaster. And I'm gonna stay a shorecaster. I'm almost 70; there's no boat in my future. I know it's not necessary for me to reach out and touch, so to speak, the farther fish, but I JUST WANT TO TRY. Do you think I'm being unreasonable? If I am, just tell me. I won't cry ..... much. ? ? jj P.S. The rod I'll use to do this is a 7'2" Mojo Bass Glass H/M from St. Croix, It's rated 1/2 to 1 3/8 lure weight. Although the 5500c worked on it, I was thinking of a lower-profile reel for greater comfort as well as more distance.

Well, Tom ( @WRB ) had previously mentioned the Cardiff. That would keep me in the centrifugal camp, and the price is right. The only thing is that my info on the Cardiff comes from catfishermen locally, and they didn't think very much of its distance capabilities. Because the season is over here, I never got a chance to actually see what the Cardiff could do. Not only that, but while I was gathering info, a real deal on the 5500c came up, and I took it. So the Cardiff went onto the back burner. Maybe that was a mistake on my part. In your opinion, will the Cardiff 200 SIGNIFICANTLY out-cast the 5500c? jj

This I know. I'm not trying to make the ABU do anything it doesn't want to do. It's great at short to medium distances, so I'll let it work its heart out there. The reason I'm looking into the mag system is that I want to try something for longer distances, and those 2 videos seem to suggest that linear mag systems can cast long distances very well, and that they may in fact be better and more efficient with heavier lures. That would be right up my alley, and might also explain why I didn't like linear mag systems when I used them, like video #1, on lighter lures. Yeah, I can understand this. But maybe .... just maybe .... I'm a cantankerous old fart who was too impatient trying to get the mag systems to work to my satisfaction with lighter lures. So maybe .... just maybe .... I might give one of them another chance with heavier lures. Like I said, I'm just trying to get info on something I don't know much about. jj

Oh, yeah. Those are sweeeeeeet! I almost bought a 9 footer at wallyworld, but already having the Fenwick, I passed. We don't need more rods, do we? ? jj

I have. Just one. And I never knew it was there, because there's no obvious characteristic at all. One of the DNR guys told me about it, and it has been productive for me ever since. jj

From 1 to 1.5 ounces. Bomber 17a, 1 oz. Traps, 1.5 oz. spoons, heavy flukes, Giant Killers, etc. If those don't provoke my arthritis, I may someday move heavier. Dunno. Me, too. Thinking, that is. That's all; just thinking. For 300 bucks, I can think a long time. ? True, true. But I'm wanting to explore the linear magnetic systems, something I've not done. After I find out as much as I need to know to decide, there's no telling what the decision might be. It might be a yes, and it might be a no. The reason I'm interested in distance is that for shorter casts I have a 5500c that works great. Some people say I should get it hot-rodded, but I don't know whether I want to do that yet. If a simple mag system is cheaper, why not go that way? Just trying to get info on something that I don't know much about. Thnx. jj

I've never liked linear magnetic brakes, although the only ones I've ever used for a whole season were Lew's. If I sat them for fairly good control, I lost casting distance. Kinda like this guy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb2YbqxUYp4 This guy, however, has just the opposite luck: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf2u7AFOH84 Yes, I know they're worlds apart on casting weight. And one is braid while the other is mono. But they're both linear Korean Abu Garcia systems. So why the difference? Do linear mag systems work much better (more predictably) with heavy weight, and only so-so with lighter weights? Or is there something here that I'm not getting? The reason I'm interested is that I'm sloooowly getting back in to heavier weights, and linear magnetic systems are the cheapest and simplest reels out there. I don't want to be OCD (old centrifugal dummy). ☹️ jj P.S. My love affair with Daiwa has ended. Totally ended. Don't ask.

Here. Two bucks. Last ya a lifetime .... if you're as old as I am. ? https://www.hobbylobby.com/Beads-Jewelry/Tools-Adhesive/Jewelry-Glue/Bees-Wax/p/99405 jj

Yup. Moms are like that. Lucky, ain't we? jj

When I fished 3/8 spinnerbaits, I used a M/F rod, 1/4-5/8, to load up the tip better and get more distance. I tried to go to 1/2, but I didn't like the way it felt. Now I use 1/2 oz. spinnerbaits, with a MH/F rod, and I like the way it casts, and the way it sets the hook. Could I go back to the old way again? Sure I could, no doubt. But it's like getting together with your ex-wife; just because you can do it doesn't mean you want to. jj