rod selection

[spartan]

Hi larry,
i am a big fan and watch all of your shows. I live in new jersey which is becoming a state with a variety of fish from muskies to hybrid stripers. I usually fish for smallmouth and trout in the raritan river. I have been going up to the adirondacks the past couple years to fish lake champlain for smallies, largemouth and pike. I am looking for a good overall casting rod for spinnerbaits, jigs and for frog fishing in the slop. Got any suggestions?

[dahlberg]

Hi S
I've been fishing the mh and h 7'2" shimano cumaras and I love them. Simply outstanding tapers for casting both long and accurately, light, strong, just a great all around rod. It will certainly work for slop fishing, but my preference for that specialty is something quite a bit beefier.
best,
L

[spartan]

Thanks for the tips Larry. The cumara rods are a little out of my price range since i am a freshman in high school. Are the crucial rods as good as the cumaras? I saw one of your shows about lure making in your workshop and you molded a woodchopper type lure. How do you make a mold for a lure? I thought that was an incredible idea of leaving instructions for someone to make a lure and put your ashes in it and then go to a specific spot and if a fish bites cut the line. Thats a very inspiring story and you are my favorite fisherman.
Thank you,
chris

[dahlberg]

Hi Chris,
The crucial rods are excellent, and an excellent value. You won't go wrong with one.
I showed how I made the mold in the first part of the show, which re-air again several times in the next quarter.
As I've noted in other posts, I'll be doing a dvd covering all kinds of "cutting edge" lure making stuff that goes light years beyond pouring jigs or slipping skirts on spinner baits.
I'm still learning and finding lots of inspiration from folks in various other hobby craft type fields.
The ideal way to take advantage of molding lures is to find a few buddies to chip in. Once you've got a mold made, and it is very easy, you can crank out what every you want for a fraction of the cost and even in many cases build it better and stronger than the ones you buy!
Thanks for the post, and I'm really flattered by your kind words.
best,
L