by trailtrekker » Mon Sep 08, 2008 10:41 pm
Hey Mig!,Good evening, I use small rapalas here in N.Y for giant brown trout and walleye at night topwater and to cast these light weight lures I use power pro 10lb test (2 lb) diameter with a 6lb mono leader tied to the braid with back to back uni knots. I use a bait caster and a seven foot rod, medium or medium heavy graphite. The stiffness of the graphite, the length of the rod, a strong back to back uni knot with the ends trimmed as small as possible to fly unrestricted through the guides, once you get the hang of it, you'll be measuring your casts in yards! Shimano makes an excellent casting reel, the Shimano Callisto, 40 bucks and has lasted me years of catching bass, walleye, trout,stripers and I've even used it for crappie in extremely clear water. It has a great braking system that once dialed in you can cast a mile.Bass pro has a Wally Marshall casting reel for 40 bucks too, made for crappie, I use that one for bass only and that little green reel has always been reliable and one of my favorites. A cheap way to find out if my method will work for you, but I really think you'll like the increase of distance you'll see in your casts. Change the set up to your preference, use fire line instead of power pro if you like, an eight foot rod instead of seven, line diameter, test out and find whatever works for you but braid and a casting reel will definitely allow for longer casts. And the purpose of the mono leader to the braid is for when setting the hook on top, you need a little stretch so you don't tear the hook out. God bless, good luck, have fun and catch fish! Hope this helps, Trailtrekker