Well that was a great article in OTW, that I just finished reading for the 2nd time, and after digging through some gear that I had stashed in a milk crate, I found a penn jigmaster 500, I remember buying it off e-bay but kinda forgot about it. Do you think you can cast this thing, or would I be better off trying to acquire a squidder or a surfmaster?

What kinda rod 8-9 foot?

lets hear what you think

Thanks guys,
JD:cheers:

I'd just like my friggin magazine, still not here , again. I got lots of Jigmasters but I use them for trolling. I can't imagine casting one but I am sure people do it.

:tooth:

Jigmaster is not a good choice for distance casting. Try the squidder or asurfmaster on a 9.5 or 10 footer.

Don't start with a jigmaster (particularly with a chrome brass spool) or a squidder/newell/etc. They can be cast, but you will need to know what you are doing and how to use various oil viscosities to control them.

As the article says, get yourself a medium sized baitcasting reel like a 6500, Shimano 400, or Diawa millionare...with a levelwind. From shore, a 9 ft conventional by St Croix, Lamiglas, or Loomis will be fine. From boat, a 7ft musky rod is better. Get one rated for 1-3 oz (not 2-8oz....stiffer rods unload too fast for beginners). When learning you want to throw aerodynamic plugs near the maximum wt range for the rod, so the rod loads deeply and unloads slowly. Adjust the reel as described and it will be easier than you think. When you can handle that outfit you can then move on to longer rods, and more difficult reels, and much heavier payloads. Starting with a 10ft rod, reel without controls, and going for distance is a recipe for frustration.

The article was not meant to be the be all end all treatise on fishing with conventional tackle.....just a helper for people who want to try it but don't know how. Learning to use it does make it much easier, effective, and fun to fish large plugs for bass. For light stuff or worry free distance casting in the canal, spinning is better. Certainly if you are serious about recreational striped bass fishing, you should be proficent with both types of tackle, and a flyrod to boot.

Years ago I used the 500's from a boat and a 155 from the beach. Today, I have a number of casting reels. Abu 5500's, 6500's, and 7000's. I use Penn 525 mag's, Daiwa 20 sha's, an Okuma Contura 203, and others.
I use from a Bway, a 9' Sealine X rod, and from the surf, I use similar rods, 10' and 11'. Rated to 6 oz's.
I do eels and plugs with these rods and reels.
Now, if I were to toss weight and bait, I would consider the 500, but with a Pinnacle heaver rated to 9oz's. I have one rated to 12 oz's as well. I don't use the latter two that much though.

The Penn Squidder was THE reel on the Canal and the conventionl striper coast, as any 7th decade surfwalker can tell you. As reel and tackle technology evolved, I noticed immediately how much easier it was to cast, level wind thumb, effectively fish, and tame conventional--with reels that were narrower in spool width than the Squidder. I still think this; and I would think friend Numbskull will address this and other issues in his next, followup, more advanced article for OTW--on the physics and engineering of the conventional casting reel and its use.

On a narrower reel, you can thumb more evenly over the shorter width (assuming you are avoiding those energy waisting level wind reels). A narrower casting spool also holds more line "underneath", which cannot get loosened up on the cast until the overlying line departs the spool on the cast. Finally, these ultra thin braided lines we now use tend to effectively make the reel spool "wider" by putting more line "on top", where it can potentially loosen and backlash.

In my opinion, there isn't a beefy conventional casting reel currently in production with a narrow enough spool! I just cherish my Penn 970's as a result.

The Penn Squidder was THE reel on the Canal and the conventionl striper coast, as any 7th decade surfwalker can tell you. As reel and tackle technology evolved, I noticed immediately how much easier it was to cast, level wind thumb, effectively fish, and tame conventional--with reels that were narrower in spool width than the Squidder. I still think this; and I would think friend Numbskull will address this and other issues in his next, followup, more advanced article for OTW--on the physics and engineering of the conventional casting reel and its use.

On a narrower reel, you can thumb more evenly over the shorter width (assuming you are avoiding those energy waisting level wind reels). A narrower casting spool also holds more line "underneath", which cannot get loosened up on the cast until the overlying line departs the spool on the cast. Finally, these ultra thin braided lines we now use tend to effectively make the reel spool "wider" by putting more line "on top", where it can potentially loosen and backlash.

In my opinion, there isn't a beefy conventional casting reel currently in production with a narrow enough spool! I just cherish my Penn 970's as a result.


Now this man knows what he's talking about. Great post and great article in OTW.

I,LL 2ndSaurkraut And add that it must be a lot tougher with braid since it,s so fine. With mono the distance from the top of the line on a spool to the spindle shrinks faster with thick mono making control ease-yer --i think--

i've been using a 6600 d6 abu on a rod that bob from wickford rod works made for this reel especially. eels, 3 oz. plugs. no problem. i did give up on braid tho. had the backlash from hell at 2 in the a.m. tore it out and now use ande backcountry 15 lb. excluesivly on the set up. no problems what so ever

Well that was a great article in OTW, that I just finished reading for the 2nd time, and after digging through some gear that I had stashed in a milk crate, I found a penn jigmaster 500, I remember buying it off e-bay but kinda forgot about it. Do you think you can cast this thing, or would I be better off trying to acquire a squidder or a surfmaster?

What kinda rod 8-9 foot?

lets hear what you think

Thanks guys,
JD:cheers:

Just about the best article ever on convench reels and casting, simple to the point.

I'd just like my friggin magazine, still not here , again.

got mine yesterday paul
I see a picture in there with what looks like Numbskull's dog :uhuh:

they put the mag in a paper cover now :btu:

Yup Bruce, got mine yesterday too as well and not shredded this time. Great article George. Nice fish picture too;). I have been using 7500 non levelwinds for many years for casting plugs in the canal and beach. All my trolling reels on my boat are non level wind too. Even if I do use a level wind reel I alwasy find myself with my thumb on the line:fishslap: Practice makes perfect with casting to get an educated thumb and I still get my share of backlashes. I am probably going to get a spinner over the winter for casting plugs in the canal but will always carry at least 1 conv. set up when I go. I can't imagine fishing live bait with a spinner but I am sure people do it. I wanted to ask you the other day what kind of rods you were using and your article answered the question. I intend to get a set up like you were using. Great read.