This afternoon the sun was out a little so I figured it was too nice to stay home. After finishing my oblgations I headed to the canal around 3. After changing spots I wound up at the Sagamore bridge and christened my Lami 1205 conv. with a 6 lb bluefish ( oh well) But then I nailed a 34 1/2" fat striper with a 20" girth on the same Megabait jig(black and silver). It was nice to feel the drag on my new BG 7000cl reel. If the fish were any larger I may have lost it on the bridge piling. That was all I caught today, but it was enough the largest this year for me, about 17 lbs. I let her go, and the wife was upset I didn't bring fish home for dinner. I told her another time. I really like that reel Saltheart, I got some 100 yard casts with a 3 3/4 0z megabait jig, not as far with the smillin bills though. I may just take off the 30 lb Magnathin mono and put on 50 lb spectron and see how it casts, I know that will be better for the sensativity to feel the jigs.

Great way to break in a new rod/ nice going/ beats the heck out of a truck door'''''

alright bruce
100 yard casts are real good and a striper to boot . did you get many backlashes ? did you drop off your other rod with the broken guides ? yes the 7000cl is a nice rod . I have to get used to braid I use 30# ande on my 7000cl havent made the switch to braid yet . keep up the practice and you never know you might get a bluefin from shore . lol

Nice fish Slipknot! :)
Go for the Spectron. Especially jigging , you discover there's twice as many thinks taking a nibble on you lure. Sometimes its lobsters or scup but sometimes its bass so you'll start hooking up more.
For the 7000CL , I like 50 lb spectron and 50 lb Ande for a leader. Albright the leaders on and clinch knot the jig on. If you get hung up , the jig knot usually lets go. If not , the albright lets go. Don't worry , it doesn't let go easy. You need a truck to break lose even with the weaker jig knot. If you Polamar the jig on , you'll keep breaking off the whole leader. If you bimini the leader to the spectron and Polamar the jig on , you got a great connection everywhere but now the odds are you'll break in the sprectron. If it happens half way down the line , you just lost about $10 of spectron. Don't want that.

Snagging the bottom is just a fact of life at the Ditch so I rig to minimize the downside when I do.

Them Megabait jigs are very good fish getters. They also plane up when you start crancking fast to get then over the lip.

If you use a barrel instead of a knot to join the leader to the braid, one trick I found to make sure the jig knot breaks instead of the braid is to use one less turn in the clinch knot on the snap or jig end. Or, with 50# mono, you can do a 3-turn improved clinch (passing the tag end back thru the loop) on the barrel and a 3-turn simple clinch on the snap/jig. You will still have to work at it to break off. Next cast, take it a little easy as the braid may dig into itself as you're trying to break off.

Whatever you do, don't jam your fingers between the spool and the reel frame to keep it from turning ;)

That Lami is a great fish-buster. You can really lean into a fish with 50# braid. Hopefully, soon you'll find a fish that'll bottom it out on you. Congrats on the fatty, now hopefully you can replace the " after the 34 with a # :-)

Thanks Clamdigger, truck dor-hehehe. no I have to worry about my bike falling over and cracking guides :)

Only 2 minor hints of a backlash Chris and yes I dropped of the spinner at Mikes first. I tell you what , if you get a bluefin on I will be your gaffman.

Thanks Saltheart,I like the way they plane up also!

Ya Mike, I'd like to replace that " with a # for sure. I usually use a barrel attached to the whiplash with a palomar and 40 lb ande with palomars to a snap and the barrel but the whiplash was breaking at the knot( but that was one the Neptune spinner) I may have to use a setup similar to salthearts if I go with the spectron. Thanks
Oh and I don't need to be breaking any thumbs, I'll keep a short dowel with me for that.

Slipknot
Your rod will be ready on wednesday.
Repairs are done just waiting for second coat of finish.