jimmyjoe

Sure you can talk stripers here. The thing is, your questions need to be answered by someone who knows your particular location and circumstances. Other than @WRB I don't know who that may be. jj

I use a Curado 70 from Shimano on a UL casting rod rated 1/16 to 1/4. Works OK down to 1/8 oz, reasonable distance and good accuracy. I know it's not little, but if you can get a Daiwa Fuego CT100, I have a Ray's BFS spool that will cast a little better, and if you buy the reel on the web, the total saves you money. jj

Oh my, oh my, oh my. I thought I was the only one. The more I hang around here, the better I feel. ???? jj

I would go lighter before I would go heavier. I prefer my 2-piece rod to be made that way at the factory. OTOH, what @Jig Man said makes a lot of sense. Have you ever seen a weight rating on Duckett rods, other than the Triad? People still buy them, and use them successfully. jj

Abu precision oil and precision grease are great. I'm not saying that they're better than something else, I'm just saying that they get the job done as well as anything else. Personally, I use TSI321 and the ABU precision grease. I have Cal's for drags if I think I need it. jj

Is this anything similar to what you're talking about, Tom? https://www.ebay.com/itm/Muskie-Fishing-3-4-oz-DR-Custom-Spinnerbait-With-V-Wire-Twin-Colorado-Blades/121981253709?hash=item1c66a6384d:g:bXIAAOSwSclXMEIW

Cracked guide. Use a Q-tip, and run it around the inside of the guides. A crack too fine for you to see or feel with your hand can rip your line to shreds. The crack will catch little fibers of the Q-tip. jj

Yeah, I saw that. 14,726 blades .... or thereabouts. ? It looks like a cross between an A-rig and a spinnerbait. The main reason that I was interested in the Nugget is that it was supposed to be snag-resistant. (Someone said snag-proof, but there is no such thing as snag-proof.) Literally, it's supposedly safer to let the Nugget drop, set on the bottom 10 seconds, and then slow-roll, than it is to do the same thing with a conventional short-arm spinnerbait like the Hoppy's 5/8 oz short-arm. Like I said .... supposedly. When you can't lay your hands on a lure and use it to see what it's like, everything is "supposedly". ? I've already lost 2 conventional spinnerbaits in this rock, plus some other lures. The bass don't hit high, they don't hit medium, they hit low. And I think I know why; there are musky in this lake. Anyway .... it looks like it will continue for some appreciable time, with the weather we're having this spring. Oh, well. Better than being cooped up. ? jj

Don't feel too bad. Flooding is what got me interested in lakes in the first place. Right now the Mississippi is above flood stage, so it looks like I'll STAY interested in lakes for a while, too. jj

Yeah, I know. None of the guys I know use them for bass, either. Finding 1st-hand info about them is like finding a swimming pool in the Sahara. jj

Lately, McCoy has the V-Twin twin-arm spinnerbait. The old one (for old guys like me) was the Hildebrandt Nugget. They're still available, both skirtless (called the X-rated) and with regular spinnerbait skirts. Does anyone use the Nugget? If so, do you use the skirted version or tip the skirtless version with a worm or minnow? And which weight? If I remember correctly (don't count on it at my age!) the Nugget was said to be VERY snag-resistant, even in rocks. That's important to me because I've got a new rip-rap shoreline opening up. The thing is, I don't know whether that's really true or not. Comments? Thnx for the help. jj

I think you're good to go. I personally wouldn't use braid, but that's because I'm an old fart stuck in the last century. But for t-rigs and jigs, this is about perfect. However ..... I'd be real careful combining a fast action and braid on a buzzbait. Don't pull the lure away from the fish. Give them a half second to envelope it. It's not really a big problem, it's just something you need to focus on. Good luck! jj

When you change the brake setting radically (like from 8 to 4 or 5) you'll lose control. Your reflexes aren't used to that yet. As you get better, you'll find out that you have a certain sweet spot, and that's where you should fish the reel. Like I said, you should work into that spot gradually. And that spot is different for different people; don't try to emulate someone else's settings and techniques. Watch them and learn, but apply it to yourself your way. Like the old hippy said, "You gotta be you, man." That being said, you should probably make casts with less effort first. Then later, as you get more consistent, you'll be seduced by the Dark Side ....... distance casting. ? ? ? jj

I don't use swimbaits. Someone else here can give you that info. But as far as musky go, two of the last three I've gotten were pulled in on normal bass gear. One was a M/F spinning rod with 10 lb. 832, and the other was a MH/F casting rod with 12 lb. Big Game. No, I wasn't fishing for musky, but for some reason they wanted to come over and start a conversation, so I obliged. Other than the Mepps Musky Killer at 3/4 oz. and the 1oz. Dardevle, every musky I've gotten has been on bass lures, not musky or pike lures. Go figure. jj

My father had a Pflueger baitcaster that he bought roughly at the start of WW2. He had it on a stainless steel Tru-Temper rod. The reel was spooled with a coarse corded line that I assumed was cotton. I learned on my older brother's green Heddon baitcaster in 1963. It was spooled with 10 or 15 lb. braided nylon line. First bass I caught was on a black Hula Popper. I thought I was right uptown. Little did I know what the future would hold ........... ? jj

There are a couple things you can do that will help you "educate your thumb". Just remember that there's no magic. Time and practice will get you where you want to be. It's kinda like bowling. 1) Put something on your thumb that's slick. I have used Band-aids and I've used duct tape. All this does is give you a more predictable and consistent surface to apply friction. But consistency does help. 2) If you're determined to use the thumb, start with a spool that's not full of line. This increases the RPM of the spool, making your thumb (and the brakes) more effective. Try about a 3/4 full spool. As you use whippy rods and rigid rods, as you cast slower and faster, and as you cast to your strong side and your weak side, the way the spool reacts will be more obvious. More obvious is much better; it'll give your reflexes a reference point to sort things out. And that's what it's all about; reflexes. Your thumb controls the spool by means of your reflexes, not your mind. If you have to think about what the reel is doing so as to control it, you're way behind the ball. That thing can bird's-nest so fast that it'll make your eyes water. You can't see it coming ..... but your thumb can feel it. Practice in an open area. Start off soft and slow, and then increase your casting force a little bit each time until you get the feel of what's going on. So try increasing 12 times (like a set of exercises) and then do it all over again (like a rep). Do 12 or 20 reps, and you'll be amazed at the improvement you see. When you get there, it's like @Bluebasser86 said; you won't even realize what you're doing. jj

Since you said "which size reel", I suppose you're talking about the President spinning and not the President casting, correct? jj

More than just a few? Why on earth did you continue? jj

Half and half. Chartreuse shiner is my overall favorite, but the black-back silver flash produces when the overcast is really dark. jj

I sure don't know what it's supposed to look like, but you're right - it's a fish-getter. jj

I've already caught 2 or 3 on the Bomber 14A. I keep it moving, but erratically, almost like walking the dog. It really produces in the shallows, and so does its little brother, the 13A. I have the Rapala Countdown for deeper water later in the season. That Bomber is very buoyant. I don't like that, but it is what it is. It catches fish, and that's what is most important. In the fall, I can use it on a steady retrieve, and its big brother the 1/2 oz. 15A, too. But not now. From now until the water warms up, it's time for a strong, snappy jerk with short pauses. If the water is clear and the sun is at the right angle, I can see the bass set up position to intersect that lure. I love it when that happens. ? jj

I've used some of those cranks and spoons with the "ultra-realistic" paint jobs, and it makes a difference. I catch fewer fish. ☹️ jj

I used to have the opinion that there were only three mono lines you needed: 1) Big Game 2) Big Game, and 3) Big Game. However .... last year I experimented with Seaguar InvizX, and I like it. I'm not saying it's gonna change the world, but I like it. I especially like it on squarebills, but I intend to use it this year on more and more different lures. I certainly don't like Stren or Trilene XL much. They're OK, but not great. I don't get distance out of XT. I like YoZuri Hybrid for cranks, but I'll experiment with one line at a time. Good luck! jj

Smart move. ? jj

True. Fishing poles are NOT for pole dancers. ? jj