jimmyjoe

Thanks, all. jj

That's something I hadn't even thought of. Now this whole idea is starting to make more sense! Thanx. jj

A roll-on leader is one that is so long that it "rolls on" your reel spool. They're used more in saltwater fishing.

Thanks. How long do you think the leader should be? Guys I fish with have said everything from 2 feet to 10 or 12 feet. I'm aiming to get the right "fall" or "drift" to get the lure vertically on-target, which I won't be able to see. The "school pool test" pretty much convinced me to use fluorocarbon, BUT .... I only had one mono, and that was a .014" line. I suppose I could cadge some snippets of other lines from guys I know. The guy who is telling me to use a roll-on leader (10 to 12 feet) is extremely adamant. I just don't like roll-on leaders if I don't really need them. He also uses the "donkey rig", and I don't want to try that. At least, not yet. I'd like to take this one step at a time. jj

I've never used f-c line. I've also never used flukes b4. This year I want to use flukes on a spinning reel (2500 size) that has braid (10 lb. 832) and use some f-c line for leader, maybe 10 lb. also. This will be used in water no deeper than 12 feet, but with brushpiles and standing brush in the water. How long should my f-c leader be, and does anyone have any recommendations for brand of f-c line to use as a leader? Thnx. jj

I can see right now that I'm not gonna get ahead in this conversation! ?? ? jj

69 years, eh? You might be older than I am! (I babysat Methuselah) Welcome! jj

All reels feel smooth out of the box (well ... almost all). Like Scott said, compare them 2 years later. And certain things are more difficult to manufacture better/longer than others. Like: The line roller. Bearings here cost a lot more to make than bushings, but greatly reduce twist and inefficiency under load. And under load is where the better products aim to be. Main gear tightness. The smooth feel that you have in a cheaper reel when new can abruptly go bye-bye. Quiet operation. Better reels stay quiet longer, or sometimes cheap reels aren't quiet at all, even when new. Some people care about this, some don't. If everyone were sensitive to this, no cheap reels would be on the market. More expensive reels SHOULD react better to stresses, take higher degrees of stress, and do so for a longer span of time. Remember; in a spinning reel, you can hit the hookset when the spool is fully extended. Lotta stress there. One of the weakest parts of a spinning reel is the bail. The bail on some cheap reels bends easily. Weight. For light reels to be great quality all around, costs of material goes way up. Last but not least; if a company makes 10,000 cheap reels and 10,000 expensive reels, the consistency of quality control on the expensive ones should be greater. That costs. I probably forgot a few things. Hope this helps. jj

^^^^^ What he said. jj

A pastor named Shepherd. How appropriate. Welcome! jj

I have a 7' 2-pc Eagle UL from Fenwick. They say it's "moderate" action. It is; it bends almost like a wet noodle. (I exaggerate!) I've used it for 2 years, and caught everything from bluegill to pike. It does fine. Rod technology nowadays can make a joint that you'll never feel and maybe not even see. So don't worry about it. Go catch fish and have fun! jj

If Xylol or strong vinegar clean it up, then that means that the stuff is probably silicone grease. Watch that Xylol, though. Nasty. jj

Correct .... on both counts. I said, " ... they had sourced blanks from China. " What I should have written was, " ... they had sourced rods from China." The first statement insinuates that the rods were finished here of Chinese blanks. As far as I know, that was not true. The second statement is, from what I was told by people at the factory, the true one. My choice of wording was poor, to say the least. jj

Just Fresnillo, Mexico. Not overseas. No rod and no blank for a rod sold by St. Croix comes from overseas. There was a VERY short period of time a few years ago when that was not true; they had sourced blanks from China. That stopped REAL quick. If you've been told different, call St. Croix. jj

I will say one thing: You guys are giving me confidence in that reel!! jj

Interesting that you say that lure. The only tailspinner I've ever used was a Little George. It caught me one fish. Only one. That was over twenty years ago, and I haven't used a tailspinner since. I think someone put the Tailspinner Curse on me. jj ?

As far as I know, yes. jj

Split shot, slip shot, drop shot, mojo and more! I never dreamt there were so many different ways to rig a weight and a hook. But it looks like several of you have come up with the original reason for this rig - moving. Moving water or moving boat. jj

Yes. The Binsky is very active, and the 3/4 oz. model will do what you need to do at 30 feet. Good luck! jj

Yes, or at least not much extra investment. I'm going to expand my soft plastic methods this coming year. I remembered this from long ago, and I immediately remembered how it let the mainline slide through and "give". I thought that might be an advantage, or maybe not. So I thought I'd ask. Like all things, the opinions of actual fishermen who have used some certain thing or technique is a lot more valuable than a theory. jj

Nah ... the Gapen had no "give". It didn't let line through. jj

Yeah, I originally got it from river fishermen. Thnx for the reminder about wrapping. jj

Years ago, I was taught a "give" rig. At that time, it was for live bait. But I also saw fishermen using the old pre-rigged Creme worms with this rig, to good results. The idea was to use a rig that got down fast in deeper water, but gave the fish no resistance from the weight. The rig used 2 crane swivels, and the baitline and dropper line were both about 18" long, maybe 2 feet for guys with longer rods. This picture shows something really similar, although this is for walleye. The dropper line was always lighter line, so if you hung up you could break it and get you worm back. The results seemed a lot better than using a 3-way swivel. The only downside was that the dropline crane swivel would wear on the main line above the mainline swivel. You had to check your line fairly often. That never seemed to be a problem. Can anyone tell me why I shouldn't use this for senko and worm lures? Is it inferior? Is there a weakness I don't see? I'd like to hear your opinions. Thanks jj

7/8 oz. Bomber slab spoon. 3/4 oz. Cotton Cordell CC spoon 3/4 oz. Acme Kastmaster Swedish Pimple (IDK ... maybe 1 oz?) Hopkins Shorty At that depth, the only two things that matter are contrast and displacement. Sound, as in rattles, can work for you or easily work against you. If you want to gamble, that's fine and dandy. Always us light colors, because even in clear water, light colors give you the contrast at that depth. With all that said and done, I personally would use a 3/4 oz. blade lure, like Steve Day's Elken Zonar, if the spoons didn't work. But that's just me, too. YMMV jj

Try this: https://www.bassmaster.com/tips/modifying-spoon