The Rooster

This kind of thing is one reason I have little to no interest in tournaments. Besides a seemingly total disregard for true safety in boating, there seems to be a big difference in what I see as fairness and sportsmanship compared to what a lot of them do when competing. They swap baits and share secrets off the water, and are great guys to meet and talk with at seminars, but I've read too many stories where squabbles came up over territory on the water and how it was handled later, or even things as small as just how they handle the fish they're catching, way too roughly in my opinion. I guess this is bound to happen at times but it's just a turn off for me on tournament fishing.

People say fish can become conditioned by just seeing a bait multiple times, and I used to think so too, but if this isn't the case, then surely they can at least become conditioned by being caught multiple times on the same bait. Hmm....well, that can't be true either because they have such poor memories and wouldn't even remember it. What about back to back catches within a few minutes? Surely their memory isn't so bad they'd have already forgotten it? I really do doubt that one, but my brother once caught the same small bass so many times within a few minutes time that he was actually worried he'd perforated its mouth to the point of being unable to prey effectively for a while. Either it had a very poor memory or it was just stupid, but regardless of which, it definitely wasn't conditioned after that many times hitting the same bait.

It's similar to the boob tube rig, but I googled that one and saw they were cutting up old used senkos and stuffing a piece inside the tube to trap air in the tip instead of using a foam insert. I'm now wondering how buoyant the foam would be? Would it be enough to use this on a Carolina rig, and when pulled the bait would dive towards the sinker on the bottom, but when rested it would swoop upwards? Imagine fishing that semi fast across a point! I'm betting the fish here haven't seen anything like that.

And based on this I hope I never catch more than one at a time.

No one mentioned it but you can use three centrifugal brakes in a Y configuration and still be symmetrical. I have seen posts where guys claim they just use one brake and had no problems. I doubt it will hurt the reel or casting ability if they're not symmetrically set, as in one, or five on, but I like symmetrical settings and it's one reason I haven't tried a Lew's reel yet since most of them have just four brakes, not six like most others. I'd have to use either four or two, depending on what I do, and sometimes I like three in the Y set up. Sometimes two isn't enough in the wind but four is too much. On the spool tension knob, I leave it as loose as it will go and still stop side to side movement of the spool. I used to tighten it down so the bait just barely fell and it hit the floor and stopped with no overrun but that was extremely restricting the cast distance.

I used to try to tell a friend just getting into fishing about the different things I'd do to fool bass into hitting. He said I gave the fish too much credit for intelligence. He used to say "fish are stupid". I guess this proves it.

The camera you can do without but if you get checked without that license, you'll have a memory you won't need a camera for, haha. Spinnerbaits are one of my favorite ways to catch them on. I remember my first bass on a spinnerbait. It was also a Strikeking in chartreuse color but had a Colorado and Oklahoma combination. Got 5 on it, tore up the skirt, cobbled it back together and came back the next day only to lose the bait. I felt like I'd lost a priceless bait!

I don't stay home, I just bank fish if winds are over 15 mph. I have a 16' aluminum deep V with 88 HP outboard and 55# thrust trolling motor. Plenty of motor for wind but the boat has a high profile in the water so strong winds blow me around too much. I just stand on the banks and fish while cussing.

Wow, I never knew this post was here. I've had this in both arms at different times in the last few years and constantly worry it will come back and ruin my fishing, or just keep me from doing anything really. I'll definitely bookmark this and refer to it from time to time, even as a preventative as well as a cure.

The centrifugal brakes on this model were what kept me from being interested in one. No way to turn them off. I couldn't stomach the thought of damaging a brand new reel to make it cast better. Also, eventually the brakes will wear down and then what? I like the VBS braking on another brand of reels that has brake tabs that can be replaced after they wear down. However, for that little bit of money, you could just get one and use it until it did wear down after a while and then replace it, or let it be just a magnetic braking reel then, like the older models were.

Bucket. For #2 we hit the trees. If no trees then bucket and plastic bags and strange looks back at the launch ramp throwing it in the trash.

Pinnacle makes them, and also makes a lot of other reels for other companies.

I meant a Roostertail inline spinner lure. I use it to search for fish. People say they're a trout bait, but oh, I beg to differ.

X2! Find a tree laying in the water and throw right in the middle of it! I went many years and wouldn't use a jig because I didn't think I could catch fish on them. I finally tried them for more than just a few minutes a couple of years ago and was instantly hooked hard when I caught 2 keeper bass, back to back on consecutive casts from a lake that catching bass in on anything is notoriously hard to do, and this was in November and cold outside. Now, I'll have one tied on year round from now on, no matter what the season is,

Wow. And she actually smelled it? I've asked my wife to sniff something like that before and she just plain knew better.

A Roostertail is my fish finder when fishing from the bank. Haha.

So this is nothing I really need in my bag. I wacky rig with EWG hooks. I use those for all my plastics.

What kind of hook is this? These came free with some line a long time ago and I have no idea what to do with them. Here's a penny for size comparison. If you give me an answer, I'll profit quite a bit more from your 0.02 cents.

I'm thinking of making my own. I noticed some have just one split ring to connect the hook and sinker. And some have a second split ring. Anyone know if this makes any difference as far as action? Also, they have a long skinny sinker but I just have regular bass casting sinkers with a wire tie. Does this make any difference worth noting?

Well, here's some homework for you. I noticed the weights of several Lew's models have been changed on their website from what they were previously stated to be. Particularly, the Speed Spool, the Tournament SS, and the Tournament MG. Cabela's still lists them under their prior stated weights though. Did the company do something to them to make them lighter, or just restate their weights to make them more inline with other competing reels? Previously, the regular Speed Spool was 8.1 oz, now listed as 7.6 The Tournament SS was listed as 8.3, now listed as 7.9 The Tournament MG was listed as 8.4, now listed as 7.9 Considering weight reduction in fishing gear has become a trend, this would naturally make people see them differently when choosing a new reel. Every one of those models went from the 8 oz. range to the 7's, with almost 1/2 oz. shaved off. This isn't a big deal but I don't like when a company changes specs without changing the product. Makes me think it's marketing manipulation and I tend not to trust it. Of course, I know they reserve the right to make changes without notification and all that. I'm just wondering, does anyone know for sure?

. I understand. But I'd think your heavy cover rod, or your worms and plastics rod would be a better choice for spinnerbaits. Maybe even your topwater rod, depending on what the tip action is rated at. I use a MH/F rod for my spinnerbaits. This year I added a H/F for spinnerbaits also, among other things. I want a stiffer rod for the large single hook those baits have, to drive it into those bony jaws. Your rod you have listed as spinnerbaits and crankbaits now might be the right one if it's got the ratings I listed above, but if it is then I'd say it's wrong for crankbaits. I use a M or MH for crankbaits but with a MF tip action due to the treble hooks. I want a soft rod for those baits because trebles are small, wiry hooks that tear out too easily. But, mainly, whatever works for you is right and if that does then stick with it. My choices are based on reading I've done and experiences I've had since then.

Hahahahahaha!!!!! I don't care who you are, that's funny right there.

At $40 I don't think the Trion can be beat. Shimano has the Solstace at that price but I haven't fished it. I've had a Trion that's been going for 5 years now. It's now my loaner reel and as such it's lately been abused since all last season, but it took it and still works just fine. I've not seen another $40 reel do that yet.

Shimano Symetre. I don't know anything about the rods listed except the Shimanos in the older styles and of those I'd take the Crucial. With the new ones, I have no interest since they don't have a foregrip. Not to mention, I hate seeing rods with an extremely narrow lure weight range. It seems every one of Shimano's new rods has a weight range of something like 1/4 - 3/8 or something similar. That's not flexible enough for me, but I'm rambling on now so I'm done.

I'd be interested in the Pinnacle reels, especially the Optimus lines, but no one local carries them, nor does BPS and now apparently Cabela's doesn't have it anymore either. We just got a Cabela's store. I'll look next time I'm in there but this year's catalog doesn't show it anymore. I'm a hands on before I buy guy when it comes to tackle.