jimmyjoe

If it's legitimate, it's not dumb at all. Never worry about that. A friend bought one for Ned rigs. It broke and fell apart. He didn't tell me any details about customer service, but I could tell he wasn't happy. A friend of mine in retail says they're "high profit margin". The insinuation is negative. Sometimes you find diamonds in the rough. I would say Favorite is not one of them. Just my personal opinion. jj

Is this a legitimate question or are you a troll? jj

Once you get accustomed to casting with an Ugly Stik, ten-pounders feel like minnows. ? ? ? jj

I think I detect a common thread here. I don't really believe that it has anything to do with brand or type. Buy a decent reel (any that you like) and keep it clean and well-lubed. It will possibly outlast you. ? ? jj

At least it's not toilet paper! ?? ?? jj

Pickerel and perch are aggressive fish. I wonder whether the bass are right there, along with the other species, but the pickerel and perch are picking off your lures before the bass get a chance to hit them. (Sometimes bass look a lure over for a while before they decide to hit it. Fish that are more aggressive don't wait that long.) Just a thought. jj

You can buy a stethoscope on-line for less than $20. You can use it for much, much more accurate localization of the noise. Go from there. jj

I admire a company that displays integrity. Here is a web page from Sougayilang; notice the bogus contact info in the lower left corner. https://porto-demo16-new.myshopify.com/ And here is the "about us" page. Does not promote confidence, Mr. Doe. https://porto-demo16-new.myshopify.com/pages/about-us Based on this, I would NOT do business with this company. Period. jj

Super Flukes are great! I never managed to find a weighted hook that gave me the results that I wanted; just-so angle on the fall and just-so rate of fall. But I found what I wanted by using a big EWG hook, and it has the side effect of making it difficult for the fish to spit out.

In the past, I was firmly in the Bomber Long A camp, mostly the 13A and 15A. However,the last order of these that came in have been problematic. So I've gotten some other jerkbaits, some cheap and some more expensive, to see whether I can hit the mother lode again. The Rapala Shadow Rap Shad shows some promise. I'll know more a year from now. jj

I fish jerkbaits all year round, although I'm not a fanatic about them. Other than the Countdown, I prefer plastic floaters. Using them over weeds was the original reason I wanted to try them, and I liked what I found. So yes, it's productive. I fish them stop-and-go with short pauses. Basically it's the same pattern as cold waters, but speeded up for warmer temperatures. jj

Leave it to someone younger to see what the old guy misses! I went to the TW site and looked up the Vanford. For the life of me, I couldn't find any reference to line capacity by diameter. I wondered what the heck you were seeing, and ...... what photo? Then I enlarged the photo on top of the listing, and I saw the "dia/m" listing! Thank you! BTW - I had to take off my glasses and peer intently to make it out. Old age ain't no fun. jj

I like to experiment. Whenever I spool up a new line that I'm not familiar with, odds-on I'm gonna do just what you did, sooner or later. Probably sooner. ? jj

If you're "new to baitcasters", I must assume you're familiar with spinning outfits .... no? The casting/timing motion for spinning and baitcasting are different, and if you try to cast a baitcaster like you cast a spinning outfit, you'll backlash every time and your lure won't go anywhere near your point of aim. There is no easy cure for this. You absolutely must learn the different cast and timing of a baitcaster. The easiest rod to do this for most people is a six to six-and-a-half foot rod with a moderate action. This includes what some people call "floppy" rods. The reason is simple: the slower flex allows the newbie to feel the energy storage and release easier. That's what allows you to set your timing; the feedback. If you so desire, you can keep the "floppy" rod and use it for crankbait fishing; many people do. I mention it only as a tool to learn, so get a cheap rod so as not to lose much money. Most bass fishermen idolize the MH/F rods, with a length around seven-plus feet, and that's probably where you will end up ...... eventually. At that point you will know what the maximum length of rod you want to use, to accommodate your likes and dislikes. My favorite rod, BTW, is an 8' M/MF, 1/4-5/8. I doubt many other fishermen here would like it, but I sure do. I hope you have a great time! jj

I understand. I guess I was kinda concentrating on the, "Is there a better method for Pike?" comment. As for the, "We have some very good fish here. I just have to figure out how to catch them. " comment, believe you me, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT ONE! ??? jj

I don't know about anyone else, but I learned it by time on the water (for rivers) and the people here at BR (for lakes). I don't put much by magazines or videos. ? jj

If you could be sure that all manufacturers were consistent with each other in their ratings, that would be wonderful! However , you can't count on that. As the second link states when comparing test versus diameter for the American market: " ..... But in this case, you cannot expect the same Goued line has the same strength, as the quality and manufacturing can be differed by brands. ...." So if you can be sure that the manufacturer used the Japanese diameter chart faithfully, then your problems are solved. Line test can be a secondary consideration. Oh, happy day! Otherwise ...................... ??? jj

I retrieve spinnerbaits two ways. The first is a steady retrieve parallel to the shoreline, at a depth that you can just barely see the blades. That's where I'll use light colored skirts. The second is a stop-drop-and-pop retrieve, usually perpendicular to the shoreline. You need patience for this style retrieve. I'm a notoriously impatient person, so I don't use it very often. Work the spinnerbait slow, dropping it every few yards, then "popping" it up to make another hop. When I do that, I use a skirt color to a-l-m-o-s-t match the background in the water. Usually, that means a dark skirt. For War Eagle, I use Pond Scum Perch, Gold Shiner and maybe Mouse. Mouse seems to be a little light for dark backgrounds. I've also had a little luck with black or black-and-blue skirts, but it hasn't been consistent. jj

I think from the OP's post, that he's got his priorities straight. The wife is more valuable than the reel. Any reel. jj

I'd go with what @garroyo130 says, but you've touched on one of the big mysteries of reel and line usage. It's almost impossible to get customer service personnel to give you a spool capacity in line diameter. If you have the patience to keep working up the ladder, you'll eventually find someone who can give you accurate information. When you do, write it down or you'll forget it like I did. ? ? ? jj p.s. - you can also try it the old-fashioned way. Unroll your line to a measured distance that's more than you'll need, and then spool it up with your reel. Subtract what's left over.

Pay attention to the color of the forage fish in your location. They will probably have a low level of contrast compared to their underwater surroundings. Choose your skirt color accordingly. jj

I fish Musky Killers in the rivers (Mississippi and its tributaries) for LMB. I keep them mid-depth. I don't use them in lakes with weeds. I use smaller Mepps and Panther Martin spinners in quarries. When? Whenever they hit on them. Ice-out to ice-up. How? Slo-o-o-o-wly. The only exception might be the Aglia Long. ? ? jj

I don't believe anyone "has to" upgrade anything. It's more like they "want to" upgrade. And $250 isn't much:

If you learn to close the bail by hand, you also open yourself up to learning all sorts of little techniques to improve your use of spinning gear. Your timing will improve, your accuracy will improve and you'll be able to feather the line to control the cast better. You will also have your hand in place to stop spool rotation if necessary, which is a form of quick-reaction drag. Good luck to you! jj

Unless a lure already has a snap or split ring (like a spoon) to accentuate the action, I prefer a loop knot. Although my old eyes and lack of patience induce me to cuss this knot, called the "non-slip loop knot", I admit it's about the best I've seen. Here are two videos of it: and