Reel

If you like to experiment, try this test. Go to your local tackle store and walk down the deep diving crankbait isle. Choose one of those expensive japanese bait with the extra long bill. Blue and silver is a nice color. Pay for the lure and, as you walk out, about 5 feet outside the door, put the crankbait on the ground with the bill facing the door. Then walk about 50 feet to the right and wait. I bet you the first guy out the door will pick up the bait without even looking at the bill.

The lenght of the jig hook or the weighted hook also has an impact on the wobble

You can use heads that are meant for weedless Ned Rigs like the Z-Man Nedlock and lots of others. They are available with 2/0 and 1/0 hooks that should be short enough for your short tubes.

Location, location, location. Try to find yourself a spot where some water enters the lake with a bit of current and fish the deeper zone where the waters calms down if you can.

Both reels are good, but I would go with the Curado 200. I sits low on the rod making for a confortable cast with large lures and right now, it's offered at a very low price on one of the major fishing equipment site.

If the JDM sizing for the Miravel is like the sizing for the Vanford, the 1000 has a small body and small spool, the 2000 a small body and a larger spool and the 2500 (completely different) a medium body and medium spool. I have both the 1000 size and the 2000 size in the Vanford. I use the 1000 size for crappie on an ultralight 5' 6'' very soft rod for very light lures and the 2000 size for crappie and small bass on a 7 foot soft moderate action rod for lure between 1/32 and 1/8 oz. I think you would be better off with a 2000 size for the two applications you mentionned since you talk about 1/4 oz lures which is heavy for me.

Make that four. I've been using twitch bait ever since Mirrolure invented them... and that's a very, very long time ago.

Well I responded but I'm not necessarely INTO scents. I don't use them on crankbaits, spinnerbaits or bladed jigs. I don't use them on days when the fish are really biting and I'm going to loose enough time putting them on that it's not worth the trouble. But I use them on difficult days ( for the fish) when it means catching one more fish ( when I've caught only two or three) or when the guy next to me is catching more fish than I am, to act as a confidence booster.

I have one of those ( Shimano Zodias 7' 2'' ). One of my rods that I like the most. Very, very, versatile. Oups, I read back and you are looking for a casting rod. This is a spinning rod..., sorry about that. It's still a really nice SPINNING rod.

For me there is no real difference between 50 lb and 65 lb braid. The casting distance is about the same and one is as visible as the other. For me 65lb is more manageable. Less dig in and easier to untangle. I like Power Pro 8 braid.

I like to make up my own mind and the best way to do it is to experiment under MY conditions. About 20 years ago, I wanted to make up my mind about scents. I rigged up two similar rods with same line, same size and color plastic lure (One inch tube). One rod was used with a scented bait, the other with an unscented bait. Target was crapppies because they were numerous. The more fish you have the better the experiment. Each rod was used for ten minutes, then a change to the other rod. No mouvement of the boat, just sitting still in front of crappie school. Did it three times: Spring, Summer, Fall, with two types of scent ( water base and oil base ). MY results: no difference between oil and water base attractants. Between 10% and 20% more strikes with attractant, more towards 20% when the water was cold. No difference in BIGGER fish with attractant. No experiment is perfect and these results might not apply for your waters or other fish (bass) or new attractants but now I've got a good idea.

I use spybaits regularly to catch large smallmouths, mostly I Props from Jackall that have really small hooks and tried the single hook at the back. It didn't work out that well. I went back to trebles using some really high end ones that flex less and that was an improvement.

I've been using ArmaJoint swimbaits for the last year and the model I use really floats (listed as slow floater) I prefer floating models. They are 7 1/2 inch long and weight almost 2 oz. If I want them to sink slowly, I suspend a small weight on the front hook hanger. I use 20lb fluoro on baitcasting equipment.

I also like the regular Metanium. For me there is no better reel for pitching. Still I've got 4 or 5 DC reels of all ages and what I get from DC breaking is those last few yards of line in a long cast that run out flat on the spool with no problem. It really helps when the wind catches that jerkbait when it reaches it's destination.

Some of the ones I really like and that have not been mentionned: Jackall Yammy Fish and the Great Lakes Finnesse baits in mat finish ( if you can find them).

Take a look at the Shimano Compre Walleye series rods and don't let the word WALLEYE get in the way. These are really nice rods with full cork handles that are a great value. I have a couple that I like a lot.

I like to use the Mustad weighted Power Lock Plus hook because you can slide the weight along the hook shank to put it where you want. I like it at the head when I use my favorite baits, the Jackall Rhythm Wave 4.8. The spring keeper does tear up the bait as much as a texas style rigging.

If your looking at the 1000 size, the emphasis is on a light reel and the Miravel will give you that.

I've been doing it for 40 years with success. I also fish the St-Lawrence and that's how we fish for walleyes: drifting with the current and hoovering a jig just over the rocks. It also works well for smallmouth summer and fall. At lake Champlain, I catch lakers that way. Jigging in a 100 feet of water just over the head of the fish. Lakers are the easiest to see on 2D sonar because they are so big. When they don't want to bite you raise the jig rapidly and they follow and eat it. You see the line coming up and then it stops. Works for smallmouth also (sometimes). Nothing works all the time.

Would this be called Hoover strolling ? Fishing for crappie from shore with fairly heavy braided line dressed with fly floatant and a 7 foot fluoro leader that sinks and a 1 1/2 inch tube with a 1/16 oz jig head with the 90 degree line tie almost in the middle of the body. The leader sinks, the tubes hangs vertical in the middle of the water column and the knot serves as a bobber. Like float and fly but without the float.

Let's define WORM. Is a Ned rig is a worm !!!!

Same here ! Like the Sellus a lot for the price.

Right now my favorite is the Jackall Dooon in Sexy Pro Blue.

I use waders in cold water also ( Spring and Fall). I had a very good pair of 5mm Neoprene that I used for more than 25 years, but they were getting heavy or I was getting old. I changed them for Orvis Ultra-Light wader and shoes and they are as warm if not more because they breathe. Very satisfied.

Technical