jimmyjoe

I've got a different outlook on leaders. My leader connections, no matter which line or which leader material, never get inside the tiptop. But they're not for bass, either. They're because there are pike where I fish. If you don't have to worry about pike, then what WRB said is your answer. jj

I have the Mojo plastics rod. Personally, I don't like it weightless. I tried it with a Curado 70 using 8 lb. YoZuri Hybrid, and Daiwa Fuego CT100HS using 12 and then 14 lb Trilene xl. But when I went to a Texas rig, it was a whole 'nother world. That small addition of weight changed everything. So I would say to try and find someone who has the Mojo rod and see if you can try it b4 you buy it. Some people around here use Loomis, and they like them. I don't know if anyone uses a Loomis for wacky rigs, though. I know nothing about the Dobyns. jj

I use Eagle Claw Micro leaders. They come in 8"and 12", 12, 18 and 27 lbs. I use the 8" with great success, but I don't throw cranks to pike. I throw spoons mainly, and a few inline spinners. I notice fish hit those further back than cranks, so you might want to go with the 12" length. I also tried South Bend Invisileaders. The quality wasn't as consistent as Eagle Claw. Not bad exactly, just not as good. I personally don't like single strand leaders, but know people who do. Try 'em. I don't use expensive leaders because of snagging. I would think snags are less of a problem with crankbaits. jj

One: That's not what jrob said. That's something that you're introducing into the conversation. Two: a comment such as, "That's ridiculous" does no good, does not advance anyone's knowledge or understanding. Three: a medium might be what the OP needs, and it might not. He wants information or he wouldn't have posted here. Four: He (or I, or anyone else for that fact) will get many varying points of view here. That's fine. That's how we learn about new things. The OP can sort out what he considers valuable and what he doesn't consider valuable. Five: The reason behind critical thinking is to find out whether you're going in the wrong direction or not. New information can be surprising, welcome, even something that can turn your head around. It helps you. That's the kind of comment people look for: something that helps them. jj

You weren't "blunt", and there's no need to apologize. I was hoping you had a line on something I haven't seen yet. But now I see that you're talking about St. Croix in general, as I was. And you're right; you have your opinion and I have mine. I'm sorry if I stepped on your toes. I'm interested in finding out the real truth about the gear. I'm not interested in insulting someone, or making them angry. Nothing good ever comes from that. jj

I've been using St. Croix since somewhere around '90 to '93. They've all fished "heavy" (or "strong") for the rating, from ultralights up through medium/fast. Never saw a freshwater rod from them that had a "forgiving tip". Have they come out with something different recently? Please clue me in on it. I'd sure like to see it, as I have uses for a rod with that kind of tip. jj

The search engine here isn't the best. If I would have found this comment by iabass8 from 2014, I might have not had such unrealistically high expectations. And yes, I think they were unrealistically high. Bad me. Bad, bad, bad me. "The most abrasion resistant braid" is like having to choose the skinniest fat chick in the group. jj

Interesting. Do you sometimes fish around rocks? And is your J-braid 4-carrier or 8-carrier?

It takes NO ... and I mean NO ... abrasion. None at all. Over the years I've tried different braids on spinning gear, and I've never had any brand perform as poorly as this stuff. I fish rocky places way too often to use J-braid. jj

Well, I just started. Bought 40 lb. Daiwa j-braid 'cause it was on sale. BIIIGGG mistake. I'll get some 832 today. The little casting time I actually did have so far with spinnerbaits was pretty positive, but I was in an area where I could acquire the fish easily. I'll tell you one thing; I feel the " bump ... bump .." before the hit that I didn't feel before. That's FUN! jj

At that price they BETTER be stable! Never tried one, never even saw one. I'll have to ask around about that one. Maybe. Maybe not. I always had a problem casting balsa lures into the wind. I'm old now, and I don't see why I should put up with the irritation, y'know? Has anyone tried the Bill Norman lures ..... the Middle N and the Mad N? I have no idea at which speeds they're effective. Thnx to all so far. jj

I use cranks that have the line tie on the bill, not the body. Most deep divers are that way, but shallow are not. They have the line tie on the nose. I've found that those kind of cranks are either real fragile to a hit, and won't track true without a lot of re-fiddling, or that they "spiral" as they're speeded up. I need a 3-5 foot crank, fairly light (but no less than 3/8 ounce). I need it stable. No, I don't speed it up very often, but sometimes I do and I want the lure to work OK. Maybe the nose-tie crank designs have gotten better, I don't know. Anyone got some advice? Thnx. jj

"The last two times I purchased it, 6lb and 15lb. I had trouble with the line breaking sometimes in the spool or a knot just randomly failing. " Odd. That just happened to me with Trilene XL. 6 and 12 lb. My 10 is older and it seems OK. XL was always my go-to spinning line. No more, though. A friend told me to ask around about Yo Zuri for spinning, and here I am. jj

Thanks. jj

Great to hear! Which size reels? jj

...but is anyone still using yozuri hybrid on spinning gear? If so, which test and which size reel? Do you have problems with twist after awhile? Do you treat the line with something? Please tell me about it. Thnx. jj

Fluoro sinks. Mono doesn't. And supposedly fluoro has a harder surface, resisting braid better over time. jj

Don't know what your target price is, but Lew's David Fritts Perfect Crankers are the best I've seen under a hundred bucks. M/M or MH/M. jj

I got the Fuego, specifically for casting spinnerbaits into the wind. Works great! I also have a Curado 200i PG (5.5 retrieve ratio) which I use for grunt work. Unless casting distance is super important to you, go with the Fuego. If casting distance is super important to you, go with the Casitas. I'd reserve a Curado for heavier work, but that's just me. jj

That may well be the source of all the advice I had been given. I think I'll take the plunge on a MH/F. Thnx. jj

And remember; oilthelinerolleroilthelinerolleroilthelinerolleroilthelineroller. Other than that, I do it like WRB and Brad. jj

I had always been told that a MH/F rod would pull the hook right out of the fish's mouth. I'm thinking (just thinking, no more) of getting the St. Croix Mojo Bass 7'1" MH/F jigs & baits rod. For low-down, stop-and-go stuff, braid would be ideal. But it would be my only MH rod (My other one broke.) and I have 1/2 oz. spinnerbaits I'd like to use with it. Evidently, from what I'm hearing here, it would be OK. Surprising, but nice. (One of my friends told me I had to use fiberglass with spinnerbaits if I wanted to use braid. I .... dislike .... fiberglass.) jj

A few people here use baitcasters with braid for spinnerbaits. I thought that was a no-go. Those of you who do this, could you tell me the rod you're using, especially the speed/action/taper? (I'm talking about 1/2 oz. spinnerbaits, not the miniature stuff.) Thnx. jj

For anyone with similar questions, here's what I found out. 1) Use "natural" colored lures. This generally means darker, as if it's camouflaged. After all, prey tries to hide. 2) Start small. I have an identical pattern in 3 spinnerbaits; a 1/8, a 1/4 and a 3/8. The 1/8 catches fish far more consistently. 3) Stay close to weedlines, treetrunks or the bottom. In a muddy river forage fish have more leeway to move, but not in a clear lake. 4) I was told by "someone who knew" that I had to speed up my lures, and not give the fish time to look them over. In other words, get more of a reaction bite. HOWEVER ......... I found that to be false. Slow rolling that little spinnerbait up and down over rocks and submerged trees got me more fish than anything else. 5) Spoons can be ok, but not steady retrieve spoons. Instead, find ones that flutter on the drop. Let'em drop, snap'em up, repeat. The hit is on the drop. That's what little I've learned in 3 weeks, and 3 weeks isn't time to learn very much. Talk to me in a year. ? jj

Thnx. Yeah, I can see I'm kinda fixated on spoons from fishing the river(s). Why willow blade spinnerbaits? Because of the clarity of the water? I ask because I think I have .... one. Just one. It's buried somewhere at the bottom of one of my junk bags. Colorado or double colorado always work better in the river. I can see I've got a lot to learn about fishing in clear water! The fish here are largemouth. (At least I don't have to worry about pike.) As a general rule, for any and all types of lures, does clear water indicate a smaller size of lure or a larger size? jj