The Rooster

A few months ago I posted a picture of a rod rack I'd made but I never finished it with stain and varnish or anything. Anyway, a friend of my wife's came to the house and saw it and liked it so well she wanted one made to give to someone as a gift. She wanted her's finished with stain and varnish though. The original one I had made was 36" wide and held 12 rods, 6 on each side. At that time I discovered my largest clamp was just shy of being able to open wide enough to be very usable in making it. This time I cut the dimensions back to 30" wide and made it to hold 10 rods, 5 on each side. My clamps worked really well, and after seeing it finished completely, I like it better than mine. I finished it using Minwax wood pretreatment and Early American stain. Then applied three coats of satin finish Varathane like what's used on hardwood floors. I did this for looks but also because it's very durable. This piece must be functional as well as look good. The wood is actually just construction grade No. 2 common pine 1x6 and 2x4, but it turned out very nicely. It's being sold for $100. I loaded it up with my rods for the purpose of this photo.

I just love stories like this.

Just an update. Close to a week later and the wound has healed to the tiniest of marks. Never did hurt other than a slight ache just after it happened. Never got infected either. All ended well. I guess I got lucky? I've always been wary of hooks. Been stuck a bunch of times, just never buried it in myself before. So the first time it happened it turned out to be an easy one. But all the same, I think I'll be more careful next time. It wasn't a pleasant experience.

It has gone this way in KY where I live as well. We've had rain nearly everyday, complete downpours, for weeks now. Some of my waters are a complete mess, others are just murkier than normal. None have risen higher than normal though (except the river). They are flood control lakes. Their spillways are running high, but the lake itself is normal depth.

Don't go there......

I'm good. First, I had my tetanus shot updated last fall. Second, the wound is closed, it's more than two days old now and barely even noticeable. Not sore, just nothing at all. Just barely a little scab. I guess it didn't go very deep. It went past the barb but it was sideways instead of straight down. There's no bruise or anything. Also, I've had staph infections before so I know what that's like and I NEVER want that again. At the first sign of infection I'll be at the doctor's office. But as of now, there's not even any redness. It seriously looks more like just a little scratch than anything else. The hook was just a #6 on a Bandit 200 crankbait.

Oh wow! I just realized where else it might have hit. Makes me think of fishing as a contact sport where I might need a cup!

No bilge pump?

Only to return with a shotgun. Seen it happen, folks are crazy, and it doesn't take much at all to make them feel empowered to make stupid decisions.

As I said no pics, but it did happen. I snagged a crankbait on a log. I pulled hard to free it and just as I decided it was stuck good and I'd need to troll over and get it, it popped free and shot at me with impressive speed. I saw it coming and actually had time to react but didn't because I just thought my jeans were durable enough and loose fitting enough to deflect it, or at least prevent penetration. Nope. I took a hook just left of my right kneecap, through the jeans and buried past the barb. One tug told me all I needed to know, and (don't laugh) dropping my pants confirmed it. For the next five minutes I must have looked real funny to anyone passing by and seeing this scene. I was sitting on deck in my underwear with pants down to my knees working on removing a hook. I tried to just push it on through to cut the barbed tip off but apparently my knee skin is like leather. It would not push through. Pulling gently in reverse was painful, and a fast yank wasn't possible since it had my jeans hooked also. The only option was redneck surgery with a hunting knife I keep in my tacklebag. A small cut to open the wound up and the hook could be pulled out with pliers after that. I thought it would end up sore but it didn't at all and 24 hours later there's hardly a mark where it was. It never even bled. I don't know how because that's a soft fleshy area where it hit but I'm not complaining.

Fishing related: Shimano rods and reels. I'm always amazed at the casting distance my baitcasters give me. I'm also amazed at how sensitive the rods are to bottom changes. On spinning reels, the one I have currently shames all others prior to it. Line management alone is enough to be worth buying a Shimano. Fluorocarbon and hybrid lines. Solved many not so much problems I had with mono, but just basically filled in the gaps where mono was lacking with certain lures or presentations. KVD Line and Lure treatment. I simply cannot say enough about this product. If you've tried it, you already know, if you haven't, all I can say is GET SOME. Makes a nice cleaner for rod line guides as well. Gets the gunk off, and I feel it coats them to help with friction and further increase cast distance. Worden's Roostertails. NOT just a trout bait! These things catch fish in every situation possible, truly do work lots of times when nothing else will, and also catch large fish. I never buy a color or size in less than 3 of each. Bandit crankbaits. Chuck and wind. All you need to do. The fish do the rest, or so it seems. I'm not sure what the difference is, maybe it's just me or some combination of rod, line, and retrieve speed I accidentally found. All I know is I fished crankbaits for years and used them less and less for lack of success. Then I got a Bandit and literally wore it out. Three dozen more Bandits later, it's the only crankbait I have any interest it. Non-fishing related: Harbor Freight roofing coil nailer. Bought because it was cheap. Even cheaper with a coupon. Hoped it would last through one job. Several roofs later it's still like new and a pleasure to use. I can't really compare it to others, it's the first one I've ever owned or used but let's just say I hope all others work like this one. Harbor Freight air compressor. Same as above, even bought at the same time. For what I paid, it's paid for itself several times over, and is still strong and dependable. Harbor Freight brad nailer (I'm on a roll here). I own a "better" gun but this is the one I reach for anytime I need one. It does both nails and staples, and uses more of a variety of nail sizes than some others I've seen. Paid $15 for it 3 years ago and couldn't begin to count the money this little gun has earned back. It's been so good that whenever I see them on sale I have the urge to stock up a few for the future. Task Force plunge router. Bought the kit at Lowe's on clearance just to get the table it came with to use on a different router. Didn't expect the router to even be of much use. Attached to the table, it isn't much use, but freehand, it is invaluable. Now out of 4 routers I own, some stronger and better built even, this has become the primary use machine. By far the easiest to use, and light weight. Surprisingly wide range of abilities using this router, I've cut mortises in wood up to 1 1/2" deep and 1/2" wide with it. Recently I've noticed Harbor Freight has a version of the same thing. Makes me wonder..... Lithium-ion batteries for cordless tools. WOW! This is probably what has exceeded my expectations the most. Longer run times, no tapering off of power towards needing a recharge, and fast recharge times. Also 1/2 the weight of traditional batteries. I bought two new drills to get enough batteries to last. One battery will do entire jobs on a partial charge compared to 4 older type batteries being rotated out to finish. I'll never go back! At full retail, any tool with a lithium battery is worth it over any other tool on sale for 1/2 off. 2006 Dodge Ram truck with Hemi V-8. Bought it to do what trucks are made to do but I've been places and done things using it that I never could have done, and wouldn't even have tried otherwise. It's saved my bacon more than once on a job too since it can do things my standard work truck cannot. Motorola cell phones. Only owned two. They lasted longer than 4 others would have. One was military grade. Loved that. It was awesome taking a shower and talking on the phone at the same time. Also I could literally wash it off under a faucet when it got dirty, which I did do. I even accidentally dropped it in a sink full of water once. Didn't even lose the call. Both of my phones survived many falls. some hard. Some from the roof top bouncing down a ladder. Hands down the most durable cell phones made. Samsung Galaxy 2 smartphone. I'll definitely not be showering with it, but now that I have a smartphone, the uses these things are capable of is just awe inspiring. I loaded mine up with a flashlight app, a magnifier app, a compass, a dictionary, and many more things. Not just gimmicks, these tools work. Very handy. Taking credit cards by swiping has never been easier. Price checking for on the spot bidding for contracts is awesome. Even just using it to photograph roof damage that customers cannot see from the ground so they know what's going on has gotten better from the screen size alone. Email instantly is wonderful for keeping up with business I have going on. Wireless printer control is cool. Weather maps, GPS, bank account info at a glance, and just quick notes punched in, or voiced in, is just all too convenient.

I have a 30 on a 6' medium rod. Works well there with 8 pound line. I can see it working also on a 5'6" rod but not real well for ultralight. The reason is the line capacity. On an ultralight I'd use 6 pound or less. The 30 size holds a large amount of that, the smaller in line size you go, the more it holds. I'd see it digging in and causing various other line management issues also. For an ultralight I'd probably have gotten the 25 size.

Those packaged lures look like topwater frogs.

Yeah, I figured that, pull with the rod, then take line as you lower the rod again, but the reel has to hold its end up when pulling by not flexing and stressing the internals, so when I do get to take line it's not grinding or tight to turn or any of that. And afterwards, it's good for the next cast again with no damage. I might be over thinking this, never having fished the slop before.

I have a Citica E and I've fished it for years. Never anything heavy though. Tossed a crankbait on my friend's PQ the other day and was impressed with it. Sold actually. Then I tried the same bait on my Citica and added 25 feet to the cast distance and that made me rethink it. 25 feet is a huge difference! My brakes just had two set to on. His had three, plus the magnetic brake was on 8. I know this affected it, but how much? I guess it's an apples to oranges thing. Can't really compare them. I just need to decide which one I like best in hand and go that route. Thought about doing one of each but I'm not that way. I'd end up loving one and wishing the other was one of them also. Called the tackle store today and they're going to be running the Citica sale for at least two more weeks so I have some time to decide.

I might be thinking the way I am due to the Citica's weight, or lack of it. The PQ in hand is definitely heavier. I know that doesn't equate to being more robust, but it makes me think it might be. The Citica feels fragile, though I know it isn't. But this being the first rod I've ever set up to cast directly into heavy stuff, I don't want to find out after I bought it that it isn't up to the task. I don't mean just basic jigging, I mean punching through heavy lily pads with a 3/4 oz. jig and plastic trailer, then setting a hook and dragging a fish out of the pads with grass and everything hanging onto its face. I recently started fishing a lake that is absolutely infested with grass and pads of all kinds. It's thick and nasty. I honestly don't even know how to fish stuff like this but it looks interesting. There may not even be any fish in that stuff but I'd like to be able to get to them if there are, and then get them out again. I guess either one of these reels will probably do it. I just wanted to hear somebody else say they would before I commit to them.

Wanting a couple of new reels. One for 1/4 to 1/2 oz. crankbaits on my cranking rod, and one for throwing topwater frogs or fat jigs into thick slop, and occasionally a heavy spinnerbait, on another rod. I'm not worried about the Citica for crankbaits, but will it do well with 17 pound mono on it and the hard pulling it might see to pull fish out of the grass on my heavy rod? The current models seem delicate in hand, but the local tackle shop here is running a sale now for $99.99 for brand new Citica G reels. That's hard to pass on. It's either two of these, or two of the BPS PQ's that I had intentions to buy at the spring classic sale, before I got starry eyed at all the new baits and spent the money there instead. Now they're full price, but that just basically makes these reels the same money now. If you guys say the Citica will do it then I'll just go that route and save on ordering. If not, then maybe I'll wait on another PQ sale and get them (this time). Either way, I can't use them until October when I'll get them for my anniversary. The wife already said to just get them but she's gonna confiscate them as soon as they get here. Haha. So I may as well wait for a sale again on PQ's.

The current Extreme has dual braking like the PQ but it works differently. It is an "on all the time" design and is not adjustable unless you do some modifications to it, which is to basically make one or more of the brakes inoperable permanently. Most people don't care for this which is a lot why you don't hear more on this reel. I have some older models that are closer in profile to the PQ but they are magnetic braking only. There were problems with those models as well so they never caught on like the PQ did either. Also, many people just simply don't like the green colored reels. The PQ appeals to everyone. It's silver so its color isn't a put off, it has dual braking with the ability to completely override one or both if needed. It's comfortable in hand. It's affordable at full price and a bargain on sale, and it now has a proven reputation to back it up. This is why you hear so much about it now.

Well, I have a MH rod that I normally use for jigs, worms, and spinnerbaits. I got this H rod to have for heavy cover and also figured it might double as a spinnerbait and jig rod, but now I'm starting to think it might be more of a special situation rod, like just keeping a fat jig or worm tied on for throwing into gnarly cover, or for fishing a frog over slop. I got it thinking I'd have a jig on one rod and a T-rig on the other, and either could do spinnerbaits, and I might still use it that way but I also think I'd benefit from a reel that has centrifugal brakes over this magnetic brake reel. It was what I had laying around though so I thought I'd try it. Maybe I'll throw my Curado on it and put the magnetic brake reel on the Curado's rod. I had one on there before and it worked fine. Anyway, I have some suggestions to try now. A little less line (I can't see even the rim of the spool now, it's that full), or different line, also resetting the reel's adjustments, letting the bait have a bit more line hanging down before casting, and I'll have to reread this thread to remember the rest. Thanks all. One last thing, and I might have already said it, I can't remember, is that I did treat the line with KVD L&L spray. I'm a fanatic about that.

I was saying that I was casting 1/4 oz. lures on another reel just like this on a completely different rod that was made for that weight and had no trouble. What I meant was that I can cast this kind of reel with lighter baits and lighter line just fine as long as the rod was made for it, so my issue wasn't the reel, or so I believed. On this heavy rod, even though it has the same kind of reel, I wasn't able to cast lures even rated for the rod it was on. I definitely had a spinnerbait that outweighed 5/8 oz. and it still backlashed. The spinnerbait was "rated" for 3/8, which is just head weight, and its actual total weight is 3/4. I casted another one that was rated at 3/4, which is probably a lot closer to 1 1/2 oz.. This still backlashed as well, but not as badly. Now I did notice someone above said a 1/4 oz. weight and a 10" worm isn't even 5/8 oz. total. What's funny is I can cast this just fine on the heavy rod. But not a spinnerbait. I think the spinnerbait's wind resistance is the main problem here. That, and maybe the heavy line that I probably have to much of on the reel.

I don't know about redneck, but you might be GROSS if you've ever eaten from the minnow bucket. I also don't know any rednecks that wouldn't simply just cut out any stuck fishing hooks. No ER for me on that. It would have to be pretty large and stuck deep for me to go. I just found out I'm a redneck. I gave my wife the choice, would she rather fish off a bridge or shop for clothes. She chose the bridge!

I've used 12 and 14 pound Vanish in the regular, and the transitions line, both. No problems with any of them on baitcasting reels, and I'd use them again. Only reason I'm not now is because my local tackle shop didn't have it last year, and I didn't want to go to Walmart for it so I bought Sensations copoly line instead, and liked it just as well so I got it again this year. My dad uses the Vanish in 4 and 6 pound lines on some of his rods. I saw him snag a lure once on the 4 pound line. He wasn't even able to break it on purpose when he chose to pull until it snapped. He ended up having to cut it. That stuff ain't breaking unless you fray it or tie a poor not, or a knot not recommended for fluorocarbon line. I use the speed knot, which is a variation of the Eugene knot. Both work for fluoro line.

Ok, I'll be sure to try that. I've backlashed it so many times recently anyway that I'm sure the first, and probably second, full length casts worth of line is boogered up pretty good. It will need cut off anyway. I also thought it might be the resistance of the spinnerbaits as well. That's gonna suck if that's the reason because I really wanted to use this rod for that. So much that a new reel might be in order. And to that effect, I'm wondering if a simple upgrade to a Pro Qualifier might help since it has centrifugal brakes. My Curado E has them and I can cast spinnerbaits in wind with it pretty well.

I have a heavy powered, fast action 6'6" Cabela's Tourney Trail rod rated for 5/8 - 1 1/2 oz. lures. It has an old, but still new from the box, BPS Extreme baitcast reel on it. I spooled it with Berkley Sensations 17 pound line. Now that the details are out of the way, here's what's happening. I've had it out fishing it just 3 times so far, and not very long each time either, so it's entirely possible that I'm just not used to it yet. Also, the first and third times I used it, it was pretty windy out, but the second time was dead calm. I'm sure the wind plays into it some when it backlashes but it does it even when it's not windy as well. I've been using it to throw a hollow bodied frog (no backlashes then) and 3 different spinnerbaits (backlash city). All lures were within the range recommended for the rod, especially one spinnerbait which was at the top of the range, of which it had the least amount of back lashing with that one. I've also made a few casts with a 10" worm on a 5/0 EWG hook and 1/4 oz. weight. No trouble then. I also have several more of these same reels with lesser pound test line that I use on other different rated rods, and I cast them successfully all the time, including in this same wind with no backlashes (1/4 oz. crankbait was casted repeatedly with no problem, even into the wind, on 12 pound mono), and also a Shimano Curado throwing a heavy jig with plastic trailer, also no backlashes. So, while I'd think wind plays a part in the backlashing on this one rod, it's nowhere near the whole reason. I'm wondering if the line is part of it, I've never used 17 pound line before. Also, never used a heavy rod before but doesn't that just have more to do with what size lures I can throw? Also, I might have too much line on the reel, it is pretty full up. Can this effect it since it's a heavier line? I have the reel's magnetic brakes set at about 8 - 9 out of a possible 10, and the spool tension is not as loose as it will go, though the lure falls pretty fast when released. This is how I cast all my others as well, except with them I have the spool tension even more loose. I also wonder if this rod should just be used for more special casts, like pitching short distances, or for just the heaviest of baits being thrown into gnarly places, instead of using it for cast and retrieve baits? I had originally thought I'd use it for spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, jigs, worms, and topwater frogs.

They're just for line ties. Attaching hooks with them can be done but is a waste.