jimmyjoe

Problem was with the Stella. Same engineering team, I suspect. I hope my suspicions are unfounded. My 4 older Stradics are OK. http://www.alanhawk.com/blog/fjw.html

Thanx Believe you me, I understand that. jj

^^^ True ^^^ This is a great place to learn about new things, but they ain't mandatory. Satisfy yourself, not other people. jj

You say you don't think I'll be happy with SX1, or you do think I'll be happy with it? jj

I wonder whether the bail hits the lip of the spool at full extension on this one too. Mmmm? jj

I found a lake a couple years ago that was very alkaline. If I used braid (Sufix) it turned out similar to the picture above. I don't know whether that is the case here, or whether Smackdown would react the same way, but it's food for thought. jj

Exactly. Irksome, isn't it? jj

I'm gonna try that. I have a love/hate relationship with braid, and this year it's been more hate than love, mostly because of abrasion. I figure the line that meets my needs is out there somewhere, I just have to keep buying and testing, and buying and testing. (You realize how many lures I could have bought for that money? ???) jj

I had kinda your situation today in a relatively clear lake that had high water. Nothing worked; not soft baits, not spinnerbaits, not blades and not jerkbaits or spinners. Then by accident, I used a 5' crankbait, and WHAMMO! I found out the the fish were "rafted", or suspended in layers at 5 feet of depth, about 20 feet out from the lip of a shelf that was also 5' deep. Once I hit that critical 5 foot mark, a dead and empty day turned into a great and busy day. I don't know why they were at that particular depth nor do I know why they were so stubborn about hitting upwards or downwards, but that's the way it was. Might your fish be at a certain critical depth also, refusing to be enticed by any lure at other depths? jj

When fishing is bad, I work down, down and down. Sometimes I end up with an ultralight, and sometimes a light. Yes, I like to catch fish and not go home skunked. But I've caught some nice sized fish on light tackle, too. It's just that with light tackle, you catch 10 dinks to one decent sized fish. Meh. So it goes. jj

I don't understand. What's the "45 minutes" you mentioned? Or did you mean "4.5 minutes"? jj

Yup. That's me. I try to follow the old flycaster adage, "Catch the fish at your feet first." I can't count how many times I've walked right up to the water and see a good-sized one go jetting off. It has always helped to overcast, too. jj

I don't care if I'd have to live in a cardboard shack, that right there is the most important thing there is in a neighborhood. jj

Bok! (Sorry ... that's all I know.) Welcome! jj

I have a Curado 200i, a Curado 70 and a Fuego 7.3. The Fuego is by far the easiest to dial in quickly. That's important to me when either changing casting angles relative to the wind, or going to balsa lures from trap-types. It just boils down to practicality. jj

One guy told me, "You don't hook the fish. They hook themselves." I thought he was nuts, but maybe he had something there. jj

The Tatula LT is Alan Hawk's new darling. He puts it above the Stradic FK, but has never mentioned the CI4+ reels at all. This is a salt fishing site, but scroll down for his opinion of freshwater reels. http://www.alanhawk.com/reviews/lists.html jj

This new Sufix Advance is low stretch. I've used it for twitchbaits with good results. Be careful with your knots, though. I'm still experimenting with finding the right knot for it. jj

Extra reel. Bought it cheap. Rarely needed. jj

12 lb. Big Game. Spinnerbaits are 3/8 and 1/2, single blade, double blade and tandem. Just pulled in a nice one this PM on a 3/8 double Colorado. jj

I've made inlines for going on 15 years. Currently I get my components from LurePartsOnline, but Pen-Tac, Netcraft and Hagen's are OK too. Anything from 1/8 oz to 8/10 oz is doable, either single or double bladed, skirted or not. I make them because there are so many pike where I fish, and losing Mepps, Panther Martin or Roostertails is too expensive. Yes, they catch bass. Yes, they're easy. I tried the Chinese stuff online, and most of it is junk and too small. Go ahead and try to make your own; it's cheap and fun. jj

My cousin is 6'-07" and weighs 350. If he wears a pink or pastel shirt, who's gonna tell him it's not manly? ??? jj

Thank you. jj

No answer last night. I'll try again tonight. I have a feeling there's more to this than meets the eye, because I've snapped 8 lb. test line throwing 5/8 ounce spoons. There may have been a nick in the line, there may not. But the line damage I have to deal with is the same line damage he has to deal with, so I'd think that would level out. Thx. jj

I've always believed in the "rule of sixteenths". IOW, a quarter-ounce lure is 4/16ths, so minimum line test to throw it is 4 lb. test. 5/8 oz. is 10/16ths, so use a minimum of 10 lb. test line to throw it. In the last few years I have come to kinda question this system, but I always figured it was roughly correct. Tonight one of my friends, who surf fishes in Texas, told me he throws 4 oz. weights on 15 lb. Big Game, and 5 oz. weights on 20 lb. Big Game. I couldn't believe it. A little leeway I understand, but this is so far beyond anything I've seen or tried that it's hard for me to accept. If this is true, I should be able to throw a 1 oz. lure with 4 or 5 lb. test line. And I can't. No way. Line will snap every time. He's not lying. He's not that type. So what gives? Anyone know? jj