1/16th Jigger

[5th Tuition]

Well today's the day I picked up my Steve F rod. Lou and I ran out to Steve's and saw his "man cave" where he does his magic. The rod is beautiful, and it has my initials on it.
I figure since I run 15 trolling rods, this jigging rod makes me 1/16th of a jigger.
Clyde's Bait and Tackle in Lansdown is having their Spring sale and all reels are on sale. I picked up a nice okuma EF 30 with 10 ball bearings and a 5.0:1 gear ratio for $62 (includes spolled with 30 lb yellow power pro, and tax).
The balance is perfect for the rod, and I can't wait to use it. I told Steve it will be used for everything. I'll catch perch, spot, stripers, blues, hardhead, and anything else swimming in the bay (rays-oh no).
I'm 57 years old, and never had an outfit like this before. When it came to hunting, I always had premium overunders. For trap shooting, I have a beautiful Browning. When I owned and trained gundogs, I would travel to N.Y. to pick out a puppy from Bob Wehle's Elhew line. But, when it comes to fishing, most of my tackle was either an ugly stick, or combo picked up from walmart, bass pro, or some fishing expo.
This is the first rod and reel that is sitting next to the fireplace.
When I step on Pete's boat next time, Pete will not recognize my tackle. Don (Hunter), Mark (Baldzilla), and Pete have planted a seed for jigging.
I still like trolling, eating a sandwich, bs'ing with friends, and dragging fish through the water.
Thanks Steve for not only a new piece of tackle, but a piece of art as well.
5th (Marty)

[jumbo1]

Marty, funny you posted about this...when I first started jigging I went and got a BPS Bionic blade w/ a shimano spirex...man I thought that was the best LTJing combo ever made..
You don't want to know how much money I have tied up into what I use now...actually I don't want to know either...
I really like Shimano products, they seem to really hold up well..they can take the "heat" if you will..I am sure these Shimano saros' 2500 that I use now aren't made for handling 40# fish..but they can..
I have fished beside guys that aren't catching, and they can't figure out why...most of the time it's the rod they are using, they just cant feel the "tick" or bite..or the fishing line, I like 10# power pro..all year.
BTW You can still eat a sandwich...BS w/ friends LTJing too...

Congrats on the combo..Steve makes a nice rod, hope to see ya out there..
P.S. Don't let Don hold any fish in the pics, he's too big and makes the fish look small..

[Southerly]

i'm more or less 100% whatever it is i'm doing. i can remember putting everything i had into trying to find a bass from behind a 1/2 sunk refrigerator or car tires at a screwed up little pond i saw from the highway, or crawling along rabbit trails just to access 'unfished' crystal clear water at loch raven, or,...

but most of my fishing is entirely normal. casting from community pier for the white perch, drfiting/jigging on the bay mostly unsuccessful, putting worms on hooks for kids, etc.. but among my more normal and mainstream goals this year, i want to go out on cold gray, rainy, windy day by myself and troll up a big fish. and be 100% into it while i'm doing it.

and on another day, be spooled up with the 10# power pro of course. 100%

[5th Tuition]

10# braid How would I ever get those abandoned crab pots to the boat with 10#.

As I said before, I used 80# because that's all I had for trolling and I wound some on my reel for Pete's trips, when I felt the 30# braid at Clyde's, I thought I was going to break it trying a knot.

I'm headed to some water in a few minutes to see how far I can cast this outfit and try to pick up some perch (C/R).

5th (Marty)

[Skip]

Put the fairy wand down ASAP.

Put your " Jaws " video in and watch it while holding a 4/0 reel.

Come back to the dark side - resist the pull of LTJ

Congrats on a fine custom rod.

[crabby and son]

Marty, I have 2 of Steve's rods. They are good for jigging, live lining, chumming and catching bait. I have a Stradic 3000 on one and a 4000 on the other. Wayne Morgan said he caught a 50 pound drum on his. Enjoy it............Gary