Capt. Anthony Randazzo fishes most of his trout artificials on a 7-foot, 2-inch medium Shimano Crucial graphite rod with an extra-fast tip.
For topwater plugs and jigs lighter than ¼-ounce, he’ll go with a medium-light Crucial with a fast tip. This rod facilitates longer casts and ensures a delayed hook set to prevent missing fish on treble hooks.
Randazzo spools his Shimano Stradic 2500FJ spinning reels with 10- to 15-pound PowerPro, while baitcasters get 20- to 30-pound PowerPro. Both connect main line to lures with 25- to 30-pound fluorocarbon leaders.
“Some of these line sizes may seem a bit large, but we do have the luxury of fishing clean but not clear water, which limits the need for light line,” Randazzo said. “In addition, I love the extra insurance, knowing that any cast could result in a 30-plus-pound bull red.”
And remember to pay attention to leader size and length. Around shell beds, rocks, rig legs and any other abrasive surface, a 2- to 3-foot leader can spare you a lot of heartache. Conversely, too much fluorocarbon can pull down the nose of a topwater bait and mar its walk-the-dog action.
