jimmyjoe

Hit that riprap HARD. Use a spinnerbait, and drag it and snag it. Any branches, trees, big limbs? Cover every inch of them. I mean that literally. @scaleface was right about the culverts, too. The key here is something that you know and have already said: this is not natural bass environment. They're not the top dog here. So you're going to find them in places where they're safe, and you'll need to coax them to bite. Not easy, but not impossible either. Good luck! And I mean that! jj p.s. - If it were me, I'd add a slow spoon, like about 3/4 to 1 oz. I'd twitch it, dancing it about a half inch away from getting hung up. If you know how to do that, give it a try. If you don't, now isn't the time to try and learn, 'cause it takes a little while, and Tuesday isn't far away.

I don't know where you are, but it sounds like you may have met Mr. Morone saxatilis, the striped bass, or his hybridized cousin, the wiper. They hit hard, like a runaway freight train (it seems), and very fast. The speed makes them seem like more than what they really are. Although usually a good bet for a solid hookset, I've had a few hit hard and drop the hook. If that's what it was, you could be in for a really fun time fishing! jj

Regarding the reasons for lightweight reels, some people believe that it enhances sensitivity through reduced mass. Personally, I don't see it. However ..... to each their own.

Make sure you don't have grease on your pinion yoke or yoke springs. Grease will intermittently prevent the yoke from re-engaging, or at least slow it down. jj

My brother (now passed away) was a carpenter all his life. He referred to the direct-drive saws disparagingly as "sidewinders". Kinda OT, but my brother was inspired to become a carpenter by our great-uncle, who carpentered his whole life without electricity. Anyone who thinks that construction with all hand tools is slow had to have been there and seen him and his crew work. It was amazing. jj

.... and 6, 7 or 8 inch Believers. Bass LOVE those things! jj

Where I live, they're usually painted rocks or pictures in covered containers. Interesting stuff, but not really for me. jj

I know it's a PITA for the woodworker, but I'm a big fan of massive styles. jj

I tell you what .... I have the perfect solution for you. I'll come on up when you go fishing, and we'll go out in your boat. I'll bring my H/M fiberglass rod and my Tranx 300a reel, and I'll do all the retrieving for you. Heck, I'll even go so far as to do the casting for you! That's just the kind of super-nice guy that I am! All you have to do is drive and supply the lures, the sandwiches and the drinks. Sounds good to me. How's it sound to you? ????? jj

In my mind, there's a big difference between travel rod and backpacking rod. If you've ever had a rod in a long tube catch on a tree branch while you're sliding down a hill, you'll realize what I mean. There are 3-pc. and 4-pc. rods on the market. The ones I'm thinking of are on the auction site, and some are made overseas. https://www.ebay.com/itm/FAVORITE-FISHING-GEO-TRAVEL-ROD-74-MEDIUM-HEAVY-4PC-CASTING-ROD/174321675689?hash=item289661ada9:g:8qoAAOSwIrtex-Vh .... and some aren't. https://www.ebay.com/itm/St-Croix-Triumph-Travel-Casting-Rod-66-Med-Hvy-Fast-4pc-TRC66MHF4/141933537777?_trkparms=aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D227673%26meid%3D940090ffadfa43ff82d9bf194c0a7ed4%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D12%26mehot%3Des%26sd%3D312775862468%26itm%3D141933537777%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DSimplAMLv5PairwiseWebWithBBEV2bDemotion%26brand%3DSt.+Croix&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851 Personally, the only experience I have with 4-pc. rods is fly rods. You might want to consider those, and you might not. Good luck! JJ

You're correct ..... if it truly is the same reel. Personally, I don't believe it is. jj

Yes. The roots shelter niiiiiice bass. One place in particular merits a quiet spinnerbait every time I go past it. Gets hit on the drop 50% of the time. jj

I agree. And that's something I had to find out the hard way. In no way do pictures help you understand the difference between the Curado and the Tranx. It's the difference between playing ball versus reading playing cards. jj

With the Crazy Alberto knot, this is EXTREMELY important. Because of the way the knot works, you can trim the tag ends closer than other knots without any problem of the knot letting go. I didn't know this at first, and I had problems with my knot hitting the guides. Once I trimmed the tags ends correctly, guide problems were gone. jj

Many people try to feather a spinning reel with their rod hand, extending their finger. You can do that, but it's not precise. Instead, put your free hand up to the spool and feather the line. You can feather it at the spool lip or you can form a "cone" a few inches ahead of the lip. It's much more precise. Yes, it'll feel "odd" at first. Don't worry about it; you'll get accustomed to it. Once you see how much greater accuracy you can achieve, you'll never go back. ? jj

Yeah. I know. This isn't the place for that discussion, though. jj

My idea of "value" includes the higher paid labor, and I'm just fine with that. I don't like a higher price with poorer quality though, and I doubt anyone else does, either. jj

This. ^^^^ Although I have used spinnerbaits weaving in and out of trunks, the most productive technique has been a weightless senko, dropped just about everywhere. A weighted worm (10" Anaconda with 1/4 oz. weight) is second. I thought I was going to make it through this year without using soft plastics. I was wrong. ? jj

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Let's paint that on the side of the courthouse in red letters 6 feet high! ??? jj

I don't throw chatterbaits. At all. Not on this rod, not on any other rod. If by "blade lures" you thought I meant chatterbaits, then I apologize. I throw blade lures, like Silver Buddy and Zonars. The 3/4 Elken Zonar from Elken Lures in Idaho (Steve Day) is an excellent one. This misunderstanding reminds me of the difference in perception between "paddletail" and "boot tail" plastics. I was advised by someone at the St. Croix factory, by the way, to not exceed the 1 3/8 lure weight rating on this rod. I know that someone who designed rods at St. Croix left and went to Batson, and I imagine that their legacy went with them. The new person coming in to the job will undoubtedly have a different set of ideas regarding how to not only design, but manufacture and rate the rods. This fiberglass rod might or might not have been designed by the outgoing personnel. I don't know. I threw a 1 1/2 ounce spoon with mine, and it reacted rather well. Still, I know that the easiest way to reduce the weight of a fiberglass rod is to make the walls thinner. That might be the case on this series, or it might not. I don't know. All I know is ..... wait for it ..... wait for it ..... I LOVE THIS ROD! ???? jj

You might want to consider the 6'-08" St. Croix Mojo Bass MH/F rod. It has a stiffer tip than some. jj

I've got the Mojo Bass 7'-02" H/M Rip 'n' Chatter. I love it; most versatile rod I have. The moderate action is more accurate than fast actions. I use it for 1 oz. cranks, 1 oz. spoons, spinnerbaits and blade lures. I'm in the process of finding out whether it will suffice for a light frog rod. If I had braid on it, I could MAYBE use it for bottom contact. Remember, however, that I'm accustomed to fiberglass. I like it. Some people don't. I'm also old; I can't push a heavier rig as hard as a younger person. That may make a big difference. Good luck! jj

I generally agree with this. The exception is drizzly or heavily overcast days, when I'll run a tandem chartreuse or chartreuse/white along the margins. I don't believe size is very important under those circumstances. Once that hot ol' sun comes out, though, the effectiveness of the spinnerbaits I have is greatly reduced. jj

Yes, I do. About 25 feet of low diameter monofilament. jj