Finesse Fishing 2024
Zeeter reply :
Thoughts on the Shimano Stradic CI4+ Spinning Reel? I want to get into finesse fishing this year, using 8# test, drop shotting, and using much smaller lures with spinning gear. Looking at this reel as it comes highly rated.
I guess Mono would be the best line to use as the sinker will get it to the bottom and I want the bait to sit up higher - maybe 18-24". Thoughts on the type? I was going to go with Big Game, but maybe Smooth Cast would work, too.
Darren. reply :
On 2/16/2017 at 10:33 PM, Zeeter said:Thoughts on the Shimano Stradic CI4+ Spinning Reel? I want to get into finesse fishing this year, using 8# test, drop shotting, and using much smaller lures with spinning gear. Looking at this reel as it comes highly rated.
I guess Mono would be the best line to use as the sinker will get it to the bottom and I want the bait to sit up higher - maybe 18-24". Thoughts on the type? I was going to go with Big Game, but maybe Smooth Cast would work, too.
Don't think twice about the CI4+ ... get it!
And you could go mono, but I'd recommend fluoro
instead. I go braid + leader.
The bait for drop shotting can be wherever you want
or need to put it at.
I like 18-24" and probably fall within that range for
the most part, tho I have gone shorter ... and longer.
Zeeter reply :
On 2/16/2017 at 10:40 PM, Darren. said:
Don't think twice about the CI4+ ... get it!
And you could go mono, but I'd recommend fluoro
instead. I go braid + leader.
The bait for drop shotting can be wherever you want
or need to put it at.
I like 18-24" and probably fall within that range for
the most part, tho I have gone shorter ... and longer.
Thanks Darren. I already put the reel in my cart 
Now I'm looking for a good matching rod.
You'd really go Fluoro? I realize that it sinks so is better for getting to the bottom, but I'm already using a weight, and the fact that Mono is more buoyant would make me think it would be better for drop shotting. If I'm using fluoro then wouldn't the bait tend to want to sink?
Darren. reply :
On 2/16/2017 at 11:02 PM, Zeeter said:
Thanks Darren. I already put the reel in my cart
Now I'm looking for a good matching rod.
You'd really go Fluoro? I realize that it sinks so is better for getting to the bottom, but I'm already using a weight, and the fact that Mono is more buoyant would make me think it would be better for drop shotting. If I'm using fluoro then wouldn't the bait tend to want to sink?
The fluoro will be more sensitive to bites than mono.
And the line will not help/hurt the presentation of the bait
as it will stand out perpendicular to the line. Plus, you will
likely be giving it intermittent shakes, which will move the
bait.
For instance, I like to use a Yamamoto Shad Shape Worm
for drop shotting. It is full of salt, and "heavy" like most
GYCB Senkos and so forth. But it has a tiny tail at the end
which gives it irresistible action. I give it gentle action here
and there, and boy does it produce for me.
Zeeter reply :
On 2/16/2017 at 11:05 PM, Darren. said:And the line will not help/hurt the presentation of the bait
as it will stand out perpendicular to the line. Plus, you will
likely be giving it intermittent shakes, which will move the
bait.
Ok, so it sounds like you are using a 3-way swivel. I was going to use a swivel hook, instead. This way everything is in-line.
Let me ask you this, since I'm not an expert on Fluoro as a line. With braid in think that 40# test matchs 12# mono as far as diameter. Is it the similar for Fluoro? I would probably want 8# mono or its equivalent. I hear what you're saying about braid, but I'm not ready to put that on spinning gear yet. I'm even reluctant to put Fluoro on due to the stiffness, but I'm willing to give it a try if I can find one that is less stiff than others.
Darren. reply :
On 2/16/2017 at 11:12 PM, Zeeter said:
Ok, so it sounds like you are using a 3-way swivel. I was going to use a swivel hook, instead. This way everything is in-line.
Let me ask you this, since I'm not an expert on Fluoro as a line. With braid in think that 40# test matchs 12# mono as far as diameter. Is it the similar for Fluoro? I would probably want 8# mono or its equivalent. I hear what you're saying about braid, but I'm not ready to put that on spinning gear yet. I'm even reluctant to put Fluoro on due to the stiffness, but I'm willing to give it a try if I can find one that is less stiff than others.
No, I don't use a swivel at all, nor a swivel hook (though
I would like to try one sometime). I tie the hook on with
a Palomar, or I use a new method I learned here, but
don't have the link handy at the moment.
As far as braid goes, I personally think it is the way to go
on spinning gear. I use it on everything I own. Then I tie
on a leader of varying lengths and varying pound test.
In terms of matching braid diameter to mono diameter, I
am not a believer that is necessary. I use braid based on
strength, and diameter for how much I can get on a smaller
spool (I use 1000 size Stradics).
So 10# Power Pro and 15# Power Pro Super Slick 8 are my
braids of choice. 2# mono and 4# mono diameter equivalents.
I go 20# on my casting reel, but I've used up to 40 before.
I believe Sunline Sniper and Tatsu are pretty limp but strong
fluoros that are great on spinning gear. @roadwarrior could
tell you more about Tatsu.
Edit: I'd probably opt for 6 or 8#(max) fluoro for spinning gear.
roadwarrior reply :
Tatsu is perfectly round and uniform throughout the spool. It has the least memory of any
fluorocarbon or monofilament I have ever fished. I have no isues with breaking strength nor
knots. I have Tatsu as my mainline on three rigs and as leader on 8 or so.
Zeeter reply :
On 2/16/2017 at 11:18 PM, Darren. said:
In terms of matching braid diameter to mono diameter, I
am not a believer that is necessary. I use braid based on
strength, and diameter for how much I can get on a smaller
spool (I use 1000 size Stradics).
I guess it probably isn't as important on spinning gear, but with my casting rods if I'm using 10# braid I'm all day picking out birds nests. The baitcasters are usually rated at 10# mono and so I try to match that diameter. I've had far fewer problems with 40# braid.
Again, though - less of a factor with spinning gear.
On 2/16/2017 at 11:48 PM, roadwarrior said:Tatsu is perfectly round and uniform throughout the spool. It has the least memory of any
fluorocarbon or monofilament I have ever fished. I have no isues with breaking strength nor
knots. I have Tatsu as my mainline on three rigs and as leader on 8 or so.
Tatsu is the one I had in my cart but wasn't quite certain if I should get it or not, due to the price. I'll pull the trigger!
WI_Angler1989 reply :
On 2/16/2017 at 11:48 PM, roadwarrior said:Tatsu is perfectly round and uniform throughout the spool. It has the least memory of any
fluorocarbon or monofilament I have ever fished. I have no isues with breaking strength nor
knots. I have Tatsu as my mainline on three rigs and as leader on 8 or so.
Hey Roadwarrior, what pound test Tatsu do you like when you use it as a main line on spinning reels? For 30$ a small spool I'd better be sure I get the right one!
redbirdsfan44 reply :
Amazing reel. I've fished it since shimano released it at icast and I've been nothing but impressed with it. Paired it with a loomis 822syr imx. It's their shakes head rod but has the same specs as their drop shot rod. Spoiled with 15lb power pro to a 8lb fluoro leader you can feel everything. Go get one!!!!
Darren. reply :
On 2/16/2017 at 11:53 PM, Zeeter said:
I guess it probably isn't as important on spinning gear, but with my casting rods if I'm using 10# braid I'm all day picking out birds nests. The baitcasters are usually rated at 10# mono and so I try to match that diameter. I've had far fewer problems with 40# braid.
Again, though - less of a factor with spinning gear.
Right, on spinning, it isn't as important.
However, I actually caught my PB on a baitcaster spooled
with 10# braid and a 10# Yo-Zuri Hybrid leader!! So it can
be done, just may not be best.
My thing with casting and 20# braid is that I'm always aware
of the possibility of digging in. Which is why I always pull out
line to free up the spool if I've had a snag, or had a long fight
with a fish. Has become habit so I don't think twice.
Zeeter reply :
So for drop shotting, St. Croix Legend Tournament or G. Loomis IMX Drop Shot. St Croix is $35 cheaper. I also don't want to limit myself to drop shotting with this rig.
Darren. reply :
On 2/17/2017 at 12:19 AM, Zeeter said:So for drop shotting, St. Croix Legend Tournament or G. Loomis IMX Drop Shot. St Croix is $35 cheaper. I also don't want to limit myself to drop shotting with this rig.
I love my Legend Tournament MLXF (it's a 6'3" model
that's under the Walleye label). I can attest it is a solid
and sensitive rod. No experience with Loomis 
BigGame0892 reply :
On 2/16/2017 at 11:05 PM, Darren. said:For instance, I like to use a Yamamoto Shad Shape Worm
for drop shotting. It is full of salt, and "heavy" like most
GYCB Senkos and so forth. But it has a tiny tail at the end
which gives it irresistible action. I give it gentle action here
and there, and boy does it produce for me.
Nonsense....those Yamamoto shad shape worms are terrible...in fact, I don't even think they make them anymore!! 
Darren. reply :
On 2/17/2017 at 12:22 AM, BigGame0892 said:Nonsense....those Yamamoto shad shape worms are terrible...in fact, I don't even think they make them anymore!!
You know what, you're right. I take back what I said.
They're possibly the worst drop shot baits made.
Zeeter, stay away from them!!
BigGame0892 reply :
On 2/17/2017 at 12:23 AM, Darren. said:
You know what, you're right. I take back what I said.
They're possibly the worst drop shot baits made.
Zeeter, stay away from them!!
They don't work as an extreme finesse shaky head bait either!! Horrible!!! All these stupid green and brown fish eat them all the time!!!
Zeeter reply :
On 2/17/2017 at 12:23 AM, Darren. said:
You know what, you're right. I take back what I said.
They're possibly the worst drop shot baits made.
Zeeter, stay away from them!!
I will stay away from them. What is the actual name of these? Just so I don't accidentally pick them up if I see them
Oh...duh. That actually is the official name of them. I looked them up so that I would know what not to get.
WI_Angler1989 reply :
On 2/17/2017 at 12:19 AM, Zeeter said:So for drop shotting, St. Croix Legend Tournament or G. Loomis IMX Drop Shot. St Croix is $35 cheaper. I also don't want to limit myself to drop shotting with this rig.
I have the St Croix Legend Tournament Bass Dropshot rod. It's the 610mlxf. I'll start off by saying that it does NOT fish like one would expect a ML rod to. People say St Croix rods fish heavier than their power ratings, which could be the reason. Another thing is the the XF tip. It loads up so quickly when fishing bottom contact lures that when combined with the strong backbone, the rod has some serious power.
I've caught 5+ pound smallies in fast current in my local river, and the rod has ALWAYS had enough backbone to fight them in!
I'm like you too, it's technically a dropshot rod, but I use it for a lot of presentations. I fish small tubes on it mostly, along with craws, 7" power worms, finesse worms, wacky rigs, small finesse jigs and any other bottom contact plastics I rig!
Funny thing, I've never used it to actually dropshot! I plan to this year (and last year, whoops)!!
grampa1114 reply :
Ok...might as well weigh in on this...you might just try a 3" or 4" sluggo with a #2 drop shot hook and 6#Yo-Zuri Hybrid. Might just work. Also works well on a 1/16 oz jighead. (see Avatar).
Zeeter reply :
What size hooks for drop shotting? I'm in the Maryland/Pennsylvania area so I assume they would be smaller than down south.
Oh - grandpa just answered that. NM.
WRB reply :
Start by buying Don Iovino book; Finesse fishing and the sonar connection.
Any high quality medium lite fast action rod from St Croix or Dobyns balance well with the Ci4 Stratic spinning reel. Tatsu is over priced IMO unless it's on sale. I would start with Sunline Sniper 7 lb or Seaguar Fineese 7 lb FC line and use a good line treatment like TangleFree or KVD.
Hook; Owner Mosqiuto size 1 for nose rig or #5133 size 1/0 or 2/0 for weedless rig depending on worm body dia,
Tom
fishnkamp reply :
My setup for drop shotting as well as all of my spinning gear is Berkely Original FireLine in 14 pound test and a leader made up of either P Line CXX in 8 or 10 pound test or P Line Halo fluorocarbon in 8 pound test. Just my preference. Another terrible drop shot bait you should steer clear of is the Power Team lures JP Hammer Shad. Of course no way to guess who helped design them Jp Derose of course. They are terrible so you would not want to try them either. 
fishwizzard reply :
I have a CI4+ 1000 I picked up this winter. I only have maybe 16-20 hours fishing it so far, but really like it. Beyond the obvious lightweight, it is very smooth to work and the stock drag is very easy to dial in.
On 2/16/2017 at 11:48 PM, roadwarrior said:Tatsu is perfectly round and uniform throughout the spool. It has the least memory of any
fluorocarbon or monofilament I have ever fished. I have no isues with breaking strength nor
knots. I have Tatsu as my mainline on three rigs and as leader on 8 or so.
I am going to piggyback on with question of my own. I have been using 8lb Seaguar Finesse on my Ci4+ and was really like it a lot. Then I had to pull a few snags out one day and it seemed like every time I had to break the line, sometimes 8-10' up from the break would be damaged, almost like it had been over twisted or something. Also, unlike braid/leader, the line would not always break at the lure tie, both costing me more line and leaving more trash in the water.
I have yet to decide if the cons outweigh the pros, as I love the way the line handles and fishes and it seems quote strong. My question is, can you comment on any of the issues above as they relate to Tatsu? I would like to keep using a floro mainline on this reel as I almost exclusively fish it in shallow, clear waters, but am not sure if I have realistic expectations for it.
Zeeter reply :
I'm still stuck on the rod. Looking at the IMX drop shot rods, but for that money I want to be able to do more than drop shotting. There's a mad medium and a mag light. I'm thinking the medium so I can do more with it.
Davidhorowitzski reply :
On 2/16/2017 at 10:33 PM, Zeeter said:Thoughts on the Shimano Stradic CI4+ Spinning Reel? I want to get into finesse fishing this year, using 8# test, drop shotting, and using much smaller lures with spinning gear. Looking at this reel as it comes highly rated.
I guess Mono would be the best line to use as the sinker will get it to the bottom and I want the bait to sit up higher - maybe 18-24". Thoughts on the type? I was going to go with Big Game, but maybe Smooth Cast would work, too.
Up here I've been fishing a finesse type Carolina rig for many years. Not quite the same but close. That reel your looking at is a sweet choice for this. I'd stay away from the mono and use Flouro. For light weight situations it has a bit more sensitivity. I like the 4 pound stuffs my self. I can drop shot a mile away with that and a somewhat fast 7foot light cabelas rod. I found 10 pound braid was a bit less castable if I was super light 1/20oz rig. Last year I that 4 pound caught many fish well above that weight!
Darren. reply :
On 2/17/2017 at 11:06 AM, Davidhorowitzski said:Up here I've been fishing a finesse type Carolina rig for many years. Not quite the same but close. That reel your looking at is a sweet choice for this. I'd stay away from the mono and use Flouro. For light weight situations it has a bit more sensitivity. I like the 4 pound stuffs my self. I can drop shot a mile away with that and a somewhat fast 7foot light cabelas rod. I found 10 pound braid was a bit less castable if I was super light 1/20oz rig. Last year I that 4 pound caught many fish well above that weight!
Are you fishing a mojo rig?
Davidhorowitzski reply :
On 2/17/2017 at 11:10 AM, Darren. said:
Are you fishing a mojo rig?
I fish a couple of places rather close that it pays to work a finesse presentation. I guess half the time I use a mojo rig and the other half I use a Carolina (if people still call it that)))with a glass bead. Using the smallest weights I can get away with!
mwh33 reply :
CI4+ is a great spinning reel. I rarely using spinning reels in freshwater, but it performs well with dropshots and light shaky heads. I use 10 lb to 20 lb braid to a 6 to 8 lbs FC leader.
Now I do use the CI+ for most of my inshore fishing for catching reds, snook, and trout. It is an unbelievable inshore reel too.
jbw252 reply :
A lot has been written about the Shimano Stradic CI4+ Spinning Reel, so don't hesitate to get one. (or more). It's my favorite spinning reel. St Croix rods are my favorite. Together they make a great combo.
roadwarrior reply :
On 2/17/2017 at 9:40 AM, Bunnielab said:I am going to piggyback on with question of my own. I have been using 8lb Seaguar Finesse on my Ci4+ and was really like it a lot. Then I had to pull a few snags out one day and it seemed like every time I had to break the line, sometimes 8-10' up from the break would be damaged, almost like it had been over twisted or something. Also, unlike braid/leader, the line would not always break at the lure tie, both costing me more line and leaving more trash in the water.
I have yet to decide if the cons outweigh the pros, as I love the way the line handles and fishes and it seems quote strong. My question is, can you comment on any of the issues above as they relate to Tatsu? I would like to keep using a floro mainline on this reel as I almost exclusively fish it in shallow, clear waters, but am not sure if I have realistic expectations for it.
I have never had those issues with Tatsu.
rangerjockey reply :
Any time you kink flouro it weakens it. Tatsu included.
Burntorangefan reply :
I have a similar setup to what you're looking at...6-3 St Croix Legend Tournament Shakey Head rod in MXF. CI4+ running 5 lb Sniper. I've never had the issues described with FC Finesse using Sniper. This rod is really powerful for its size and I also use the spy baiting technique which is why I opted for 5 lb test...that and the store was out of 6! I REALLY enjoy this setup.
Edit: add which version of St Croix
Loomis13 reply :
On 2/17/2017 at 11:00 AM, Zeeter said:I'm still stuck on the rod. Looking at the IMX drop shot rods, but for that money I want to be able to do more than drop shotting. There's a mad medium and a mag light. I'm thinking the medium so I can do more with it.
Well I will give you my experience. I have a custom made Loomis walleye rod on an IMX blank and do not care for it at all. I like my St.Croix's much better. With that being said, you are probably looking at the new IMX's and I haven't seen or fished one of those.
On 2/17/2017 at 11:00 AM, Zeeter said:
Zeeter reply :
Just got the Stradic CI4+ on Tackle Warehouse for $170 on sale. Pretty good deal if anyone is looking to pick up a great reel at a much lower cost.
Also got the G. Loomis Mag Med drop shot rod. Got that over the lighter drop shot rod they have so that I can use it for other purposes.
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