There's a time and place for everything. True most of the time the bass will hit a bomber 10 feet out. However , I have been standing on the shore in the fall watching stripers breaking out about 150 yards and wished I could reach. Now with the Breakaway 11'9" , I can. One of my best recollections of feeling helpless to reach fish comes from about 1988. In those days I did several trips each fall to Montauk. I can remember on morning when I started at the light and just walked the beach towards Shagwong point following a school of 30 plus pound bass as they drifted along the shore. They were too far out and I just had to be there incase they came in close. Well they never did. But If had the rod to launch a popper150 yards , I would have been into them fish for hours.
Another vivid memory comes from East Beach. In the late eighties and early 90's , I used to go down to East beach about 3 PM in Sept. I would fish the surface plugs through sunset (mostly poppers and kastmasters with teasers). On thing I would have to often do was to wade out on my tippy toes to a sand bar that formed to the east of Fresh Pond Rock. Despite the same people seeing me do this 3 afternoons a week , nobody would wade out with me. It was the only way I could reach the stripers that would get hung up busting menhaden way out towards the end of the visible bolders. Now , 10 to 12 years later , I'm older and fatter and wiser and I won't wade out there anymore. However , with the Breakaway 11'9" rod and the Mag casting reel , Ican reach that area without wading out.
The last time I wished i had a long caster came in mid August last year. The Breakaway was on order already but I hadn't gotten it yet. I sttod on east beach watching Albies and bonito go by about every half hour. Couldn't reach any of them as they were just out of range. That's about when I put up my "I need" post on Tres' board in hopes of getting that rod as soon as I could. this year , I'm hoping that late August and early sept fishing from the beach for Albies and bonitos will be a great time. I know they don't have stripes but its fun anyway.
As far as levelwind vs nonlevelwind , I'm a confirmed levelwind type. I have been looking at the Penn 525's lately but if I get one , it will be a reel that might get used only 3 to 4 times a year. Only when that extra 10% casting distance will mean fish or no fish. Anywhere I can , I'll stick with the levelwind. I have two nonlevelwinds on my boat (4/0 Penns) and hate to level the line . I could never stand to do it all night while casting and retrieving.
BTW , It sounds as though #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& and John M will be banging heads over this one. Should be Fun!! <img src="/Images/Happy_Face.gif"><!--e1-->
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