LAO162

I just watch the line as it comes off the spool and the trip the bail at the desired depth- OOPS! I'm in baitcasting territory ;D ;D As I'm bottom fishing with a baitcaster for the first time this year, I'm learning to watch the line and strip out extra line as the jig sinks. I find it particularly trickybecause the quarry where I enjoy fishing is shallow where I can see the bottom, but much deeperhen I make distance casts.

Because I oringinally planned to fish for other species as well, my first three rods were Medium Fast. Once I settled on Bass fishing, I finally moved to MHF. If I go on a trip and take only 1 rod, I take my 2-piece Browning Midas (boron) 6'6" MF Spinning. It's light enough for trout, and will handle most situations for bass. It's light for heavy cover and a bit soft for jigs, but ideal for finesse. As with most BPS rods, at full price there are better options. Before you purchase an all purpose rod, try to determine the most likely situations you will be fishing and base your decision on how you will spend the greatest percentage of you time. Cheers!

Check the weight of your lure, it should fall within the rating of your rod so that the road is loading properly on the cast. The Joe's I found on line was 1/4 oz. If that is typically the weight of your lures, you will probably want a Medum power spinning rod. Typically Medium power spinning are rated for lures from 1/8 to 1/2 oz. If your rod is rated too lightly, it will not flex enough to "load" properly on the cast. If the lure is too heavy it will flex too much for a good cast. 10lb Test sounds heavy for a light lure. Check your rod line rating. The ideal line text is in the middle. For Medium power spinning rods it is typically from 6 to 12 lb. Since you are using a lighter lure, stay on the lower side. Some spinning reels cast better than others, but overall the 2500 size will cover most situation. Good Luck Leon

I like the Rapala pliers I got with a Rapala rebate earlier this year. They aren't the highest quality and they don't snip line very well (kit included line cutter also), but the nose is very long & good for getting at deep hooked baits.

Spinning, because that's how I start and where I'm [still] most comfortable. 2500 size for almost any freshwater situation.

Thanks for the suggestions. I can find the regular Hybrid at Walmart. I'll look at it again. I had to ask about substitutes because I was trying out the 12# US Saturday morning. After a couple hours, on the last cast of the morning, I wanted to launch the bait towards some distant cover that I had been missing. I ended up casting as hard as I could and just caught the branch that was about 10 feet in front of me :-X The result was not pretty :'( :'(

What do you think about Floroclear, last night I saw that the P-Line website says that relative to CX Premium, Floroclear has 30% more Florocarbon, 10% more stretch and a slightly higher breaking strength?

Thanks Aaron. I've read a lot of great things about Gamma and although I haven't found it locally, it is available at most of the places where I shop on-line.

Most of the jigs I lost were football, skirted jigs with Paca Chunk trailers. Strike King Tour Grade, Chompers and others I don't recall. I actually have some of the jig heads Muddy posted and was already considering the Finess Worm Rig. I haven't lost many weightless Senkos, and I lose only half as many Fat Ika's as I do jigs. I'll have to try jig heads with plastics to see if the smaller profile slips through the rocks better. Today the YZ didn't hold up as well as the BPS Mono I had been using earlier this year. Thanks for the insights. However, the best advice might be coming from someone with the initials BM - "Increase the Budget for Jigs and buy a LOT more" ;D

Since I have to drive quite a ways or order on-line, is there a decent substitute for UltraSoft 12# that can be found at the big box stores when I don't have time to get the real thing? I'm thinking maybe P-Line CX Premium in a higher test? Thanks

I've been losing jigs every 3 or 4 casts at the quarry where I fish. Since I fish from shore I cannot move much to change the angle when I try to pull it loose. Your insights would be appreciated - Which type of jigs do you prefer for rocky bottoms - Do you have a favorite brand for rocky bottoms - Is it better to buy a few quality jigs, or get a bunch of "value" jigs - Is there an alternative to 12# YoZuri UltraSoft; Thanks!! Leon

Per Fenwick CS, it ways 118.3 grams, less than 4 1/4 oz. Not the lightest by recent standards, but it feels great. With the 2 Muskie rods, the sale ended at about $94 for a couple days. Then, they went back to the normal Amazon price [still discounted over MSRP]. Then this one went on sale. I had read a couple negative comments about the condition of the rods received from Amazon, so I was hesitant. It came in a triangular box, folded over twice. UPS didn't beat it up too much, although a couple of the seals, but not all? had been broken & re-taped. My preference would have been to price match at TW, but this ONE experience with Amazon was positive for me. I'm done buying rods [this year], but I'm keeping an eye on the spinning rods. For a similar deal, they would make a good gift for one or two people I know. Have Fun! Leon

Mike, did you run up your tab getting her drunk, or trying to get her to look better

Closure. Time to move on.

Just like quant PT said... "There is nothing wrong with using less expensive equipment. However, just like money, time is limited as well. " I'm lucky to get in 10 hours a month. For most of us [here], $15 isn't a big gamble, but maximizing enjoyment & time may be more valuable. Good for you if you don't need material goods to be happy

I paid $92 with shipping (ordered Friday, received Wednesday - from Harrisburg, PA ) Since I needed a 6'6" MHF, I didn't want to gamble that the deal would end before I ordered. All in for casting gear this year I spend $256 for 2 Techna AV's and a Revo-S. While I obviously want to validate my purchases, I think this current rod & deal would be super for anyone's first Casting rod. I was wondering if you would comment Muddy. Thought maybe you would be tempted back to the Fenwick fold

Down to $66 this morning. Hope someone can take advantage. I'm anxious to use mine this weekend.

I started flipping the bail manually last year. I seldom have twist issues now. Maybe 10% of the time I flip the bail by cranking.

I received my today, it was in fine condition. I actually paid slightly more, but wasn't sure how low the price would on the model that suited my need. Because I heard of a few instance of Amazon poorly packing rods, I wasn't going to post until I receive mine. However, at $78 it was too good not to share. I haven't seen it for other rod brands, but periodically Amazon drops the prices on Fenwick. Their normal price on Techna AV's is about $40 off MSRP. Once I saw the whole line drop about 20% from the Amazon price. Other times, one or two models will drop. Recently, the Muskie rods dropped to about $94. Cheers

The question asks about the weight of the CONTAINER, but we only have information about the weight of the CONTENTS of the container. I don't think we have enough information to answer the question, other than to say the weight of the container should remain constant regardless of the contents.

Occassionally I took my old Columbia with its "Banana" seat. But, must of the time I was transported by a pair of Converse sneakers

35 to 40 years of fishing and I consider myself a newbie to bass fishing. My challenge is that every time I learn a new technique, I get into the rut of using it almost exclusively, neglecting the skills I already have and the techniques that I should be learning. The more I learn, the less I know

Relative to my Crucial, I didn't appreciate the Techna AV (7MF Casting) until I tried jigging with it. I liked it so much I ordered another (66MHF Casting): http://www.amazon.com/Fenwick-Techna-Triggerstik-Casting-Medium-Heavy/dp/B000DZF4YO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1217414469&sr=1-1 At $78 including shipping, it's a great deal. I figured it was worth risking Amazon. Last time I price-matched at my favorite etailer, but this time they didn't have the same model in stock. Every so often Amazon will have a great deal on Fenwick rods - the deals disappear quickly. I called Fenwick to confirm that Amazon is an authorized dealer. Cheers!

What line do you prefer for Jigging on Rocky bottoms? In my case I bank fish at a quarry that has rocks on the bottom that range from the size of a baseball to larger than a car. Sometimes I get snagged in the rocks and I'm not able to change location enough to pull from a different angle. Next time out I plan to "upgrade" from 12lb mono to 12lb Yo-zuri UltraSoft. I hope to save a few baits. I'm also anxious to see how copoly/hybrids compare sensitivity-wise to mono. Thanks, Leon

So far, it looks like 3/0 and 4/0 are most popular. Different experiences with hook-ups & fall rates. Thanks!