Wildcard777

I’d like to build a custom on the 10’ 3/4 - 4 striped bass special. What is the weight of this blank?

Looking for a small Big Fish metal lip. Slope nose model. Thanks in advance

I think everything is important. Action foremost and then profile. Letting the lure do the work is only part effective. Imparting action to the specific conditions is what will induce strikes more often.

I keep both in the bag. The mm holds better in current. The md has caught fish for me in almost all conditions

I have similar issue. To fix it I did physical therapy and changed my casting style to more of a flick instead of a catapult. I also shortened the rod butt to 17”. The key for me was to utilize less of the rotator and more of my arms and core. As i aged the rotator cuff muscles weakened significantly so hitting the weight room was absolutely required to maintain my fishing habit...

There were some plugs I preferred over others but I think it’s because I just fish them better. Conditions will dictate the action required so you need to adapt accordingly. Having a rod cable of imparting the desired action is a must for me.

I agree that the Shimano reels mentioned can increase distance but they just have not lasted for me. Im primarily a beach guy but as you know the reel will still get splashed from time-to-time. This recurring exposure has caused all my shimano reels to lock up or seize and I’ve owned everything from the technium to the Stella. And Yes I do maintain the reels as recommended. For surfcasting distance I would prefer using my van staal vsx with a lighter line and a custom 11’ foot rod with torzite rings. From my experience the torzite feels much less abrasive than sic. Lastly the choice of braid is a consideration. Low abrasive lines that I’ve tested include spider wire ultracast and trilene nanofil.

For me line retrieve is essential to maintain optimum feel on the plug. When conditions are turbulent below the surface having a faster line retrieve is a huge bonus. You can always slow it down in calmer water but using anything below 36” per turn will require you to reel like crazy to catch up to the plug when it’s tossed around. An ideal retrieve for me would be 42 - 46 inches per turn. It may sound excessive but here on the west coast where undertow conditions are frequent I find the faster retrieves to be beneficial for imparting action. Bear in mind that everyone has a different fishing style so I understand why it doesn’t matter to most. My action always changes according to the variables I have in front me. Having a faster retrieve just makes it easier for me personally.

If I didn’t have a pencil I would reach for lil neck

Drop shotting from the surf doesn’t get enough use. Obviously this rig allows the offering to remain in the strike zone much longer. Get a 5” or 6” inch slug go or finesse and place about 2 feet above the weight. Inch it into the trough or hole and just impart light twitches. Best when conditions are calm to moderate.

I was fishing this desolate beach at 3am. Not a soul around. There were mounds of sand at ends of each hole. I tried to focus on my plug but my peripheral vision kept noticing movement to my right. I kept fishing nevertheless. As I continued working my way to the next hole I noticed the movement again but this time it was more pronounced. I stopped fishing for a moment and just starred down the beach to see if the movement happened again. Then all of a sudden I see this massive bull sea lion emerge from the darkness waddling on the beach in my direction . Considering it’s size it was moving pretty quick. At that moment I almost layed a snickers bar in waders...

River2sea bubble popper

I used zipperless heavy duty scuba boots with my stockingfoots. Easy to put on and remove, lightweight and minimal sand intrusion. Add a cheap over the counter insert and you’re set. You can even drill studs in the scuba boots if needed.

Thats true. Wax wings swim better on a moderate retrieve whereas glide baits can be crawled

The drag should be loud enough for the owner to hear while fishing the pounding surf... not loud like a friggin siren... the VR drag is quieter than a 20 dollar reel from Walmart