Mike-in-WV

;D

;D :

Mike, Few people have trouble with line under #15. It's the heavier stuff that presents problems when memory takes over. We really aren't whiners, we just fish heavier lines. ...lol Yep, I agree about the heavier line and anything over #17 I would go with the braid. Roadwarrior mentioned braid and that Yo-Zuri but I would like to feel that Yo-Zuri in #15 to #17 just to see how it feels and acts. Alot of people seem to swear by that stuff but it sure ain't cheap! :'( It seems like when it comes to straight Mono no one line is that much better than another and thats why I didn't really get into brands, Mike When fresh line is over due, the coils are springy enough that you can't even t-rig... as you take up slack the coils re-spring and retrieve the worm! ;D (unless you use a realy heavy weight)

Well, I can honestly say that I have not seen the problems that some of you have but we are all different I guess ;D On a spinning rod I would agree but not on a casting rod. There is no problem feeling a nibble from a minnow let alone from a Bass ! The heavier line like #15 and above can get bad but that's true of any mono I have seen. You guy's must have found some miracle Mono substance not to have ANY memory! Mike

Why is it so many people complain about line with memory? In all the years I have been fishing I don't remember ever using a mono line that didn't have at least some memory but, it never bothered me when I was a kid and it doesn't bother me today now that I'm an old man Without getting in to names and and manufactures or who has the best and worst line for memory I would like to know what difference it makes to you and why. I have used line with lots of memory on Bait casting reels with no problems at all. If It cast great regardless if it's perfectly straight or limp, It's strong, abrasion resistant, looks good in the water, cranks in good if I'm reeling in a #10 Bass or a #1/4 Blue Gill. So whats to worry about!? Mike

I was always taught to use the thumb too but if I can cast just as far or more without using the thumb then I prefer that. An older friend of mine has his set that way and when he let me try it it sure was nice. The way I set my Revo S so that I can cast far without the reel being to loose and using my thumb was by setting the spool tension. I just let my brakes set on two, One across from the other. Then after setting the free spool so that the plug would drop almost to the ground with a light shake I would cast a good hard cast and watch the reel spin. It would act like it was ready to bird nest on me and so I set the tension spool a little tighter and then just kept doing that just a hair at a time until the casting was smooth and far without any string raising off the spool when I casted. Now the lure drops about 10"-12" on free spool as I mentioned above. If I shook the rod tip harder it may go as far as 2" at a time. No need to test it that way. Mike

On my Abu Garcia LP reels they are set so that when I just twitch the rod tip the lure will drop 10"-12" smoothly. My centrifugal brakes on my Revo S is set with 2 on. My line is #15 Big Game Green . My rod is a Cabelas Eagle 2 , 6'-6",, M/H . With this setup I can cast about 43 yards ( 129') with a rubber practice lure that weighs less than 1/2 ounce. No thumb pressure needed except to make the cast and then it fee spools with no backlashes at all and very smooth.The only time I need my thumb is to stop it for short accurate cast. My other two reels work on the same setup but one has #17 test and the other has #12 test and both have Browning Rods. Mike

Well I can tell you this....My Abu Garcia LP Bait casting reels make that whizzing sound when I cast no matter which brake system the reel has and I love the sound! I guess if they start sounding rough I can try something with the brakes or just send it to reelmechanic Mike

Good point Bob! I'm still not to sure about this lubeing the brake drum thing :-/ Maybe it would be better to just use a Q-Tip with a drop of oil and run it around the drum a time or two. Mike

Yes I understand what your getting at with the brakes on the reel but they are meant to stop the reel from turning or at least slow it to a certain rate so that it quits spinning once the lure is stopped. By greasing it you are allowing it to spin more freely. At any rate if it works for you and it's quieter that's all that matters. I'll have to give it a try on one of my Abu Garcia's. Thanks for the info, Mike

When you say brake races are you talking about the brake drum on centrifugal brakes? If so, isn't that counterproductive as to what the brakes were intended to do? I can see why it would be quieter but it's also Kind a like greasing the drums on your truck, Mike

Last night (evening) I had my first birds nest with this Big Game Green #15 test line and it seemed like it took me longer to get it untangled than any other line I have used. It may have just been me but the line felt softer in a way. It was a good one but I got it un-done.....eventusaly ;D Went to make a cast and let go late and it hit the ground about 15 yards in front of me HARD! , Oh well, that's my one mistake for the year Mike

Setting your reel so that the lure drops to the ground slowly is the way allot of people set it but you should really go by the instructions that come with the reel. The Abu Garcia suggest that you set it so that the lure only drops about 10" with every twitch of the rod tip. I found that to be a good setting over all setting. You will have less birds nest when you screw up a cast and still get plenty of distance. If I set line up so that it hits the ground I will gain very little in yards but it's not worth loosing the peace of mind when casting in tricky areas. No one cast the same even if we used the same gear so it has much to do with your method and your preference. Mike

Go to Google and typ in "Revo S reviews" and hit enter. Then spend the rest of the night reading nothing but good stuff. I have 3 Abu Garcia LP bait casting reels and the Revo S is the best reel I have ever owned . Mike

XT acted like a "Slinky" on Steroids and XL had a strange feel to it when casting and not much better. If I had used them longer I may have become used to them but I don't think so. Mike

Yea I know, This has been beat to death but I thought there may be some new opinions by now. As some of you know one of my favorite lines for my Abu Garcia casting reels is the Cajun Red Cast in #12-#14 and #17 test, Lately I have tried several others including Trilene XL and XT and didn't like either one of them. Tried Vanish too but it seems like I always come back to Cajun Red Cast. Yesterday I was in Walmart looking at the fishing gear and a #1/4 spool of Green #15 test Big Game caught my eye. I have been reading allot about this line and it seems many people really love it so I bought a spool. Yesterday I spooled my Revo S with this stuff and gave it a true test with different weight lures and so on and this Big Game is really good line!! I may have just found a new favorite that will handle Walleye and Bass or anything else I may catch in the Elk River. Yes, I know it has some memory but I have come to the conclusion after all these years that all Mono line has some memory issues. Any of you guy's try the Big Game? What do you think of it? Mike

"Just because some Pro does it that way doesn't mean that we should all do it that way. " Same thing can be said of people who follow the idea that to catch Bass you must have 10 different rod and reel combos with 10 different lines . None of the rods can cost less than $150.00, reels must not cost less than $100.00, line should cost no less than $30.00 for a 100 yrd. spool, every lure must cost at lest $25.00 , special sun glasses no less than $100.00, Bass boat must cost no less than $25,000 and anchors must be solid gold with copper inlaid rope. In todays fishing world the manufactures have done a great job of brain washing people into thinking you need all this and they pay Bass Pros big money to convince you of this. I would be willing to bet that if you gave the pros a Jon boat, one ugly stick rod and one Revo S reel with #15 test that they would have no trouble placing big Bass in there live well. ;D Mike

On my Revo S I have two brakes on and they are across from each other. Then I adjust the weight of the lure with the spool tension knob only. After tying on a Frog or whatever I push down on the free spool and adjust it so that it only drops about 10" at a time if I give the rod tip a couple shakes. I do this with every lure from light to heavy and never touched the setting on the brakes. Casting with this reel is unbelievably smooth and easy. With this set up I don't even have to touch the spool when I cast unless I want to stop it at a certain spot. This is with #12 Cajun Red Cast or even #17. It doesn't make a difference. Have fun and enjoy it! Play with it and set it to your style of casting and you will love it, Mike

My favorite for this type lure is the #12-#14 Cajun Red Cast. This line is strong, smooth, no memory, cast beautifully and high abrasion resistants. For the Lilly pads and casting Frogs or Poppers I like the #17 Cajun Red Cast. It's a little stiff for some people but it works great and it's tuff as nails! Mike

You may want to try Cajun Red Cast in #12 or #14 test. It's about the best mono around in my opinion. Low stretch and no memory to speak of and very strong and low abrasion from rocks and stumps. Mike

If your tying this knot before you place it on the lure how are you passing it through the hook hole and how can you have a loop to place over the spinner??? :-? :-/ Placing the loop over the spinner is just the normal way of tying the knot. Sorry I'm not quite understanding this but I would like to so I can give it a try. Mike

Now that I would like to see too! It sure would be handy to know how to do that, Mike

I tried XT last year, looking for more abrasion resistance, but found that it was so stiff that it cast like baling wire and would spring off the spool. I just spooled up a reel with some Bass Pro Shops XPS fluorocarbon and like it so far. How big is that LMB your dad is holding ? It sure is a beauty! I miss the times I spent fishing and hunting with my Dad as a kid. he has been gone for many years now but I'll always have the memories. Enjoy the time with your Dad now It will mean even more as the years go by, Mike