islandbass

You beat me to it. Some people still think that. J Francho is is 100% right about it being perspective.

That was a great read. Thanks, Glenn!

That would make pretty good odds to win, but I don't/won't Facebook. I'm ineligible. Good luck to the participants.

Given your choices, I would take the Field and Stream. For the price and the components, it is a very tough deal to match/beat at its price point, and they actually feel decent in hand. This is no knock against berkely. I have an older Lightning rod myself as a back up rod and it is solid, but even at twice the price of the F&S, I still think the latter is the better choice. However if budget is a concern and you need two rods for the same money, you would have spent on the F&S, then by all means proceed with the LRs. Bottom line it depends on your needs.

An Unusual Two-for-One Deal Today Personal Doubt Removed Today and Lesson Regrettably Relearned I had been doing pretty good catching pinks with jigs and buzz bombs where ever I targeted them whether in salt water or in the river so I wanted to give another lure type a go that I observed others using - the inline spinner. I've had my doubts about thinking this wasn't a lure for me to use, as it couldn't possibly work very well. Unfounded belief for sure! Sure, I've used them in lakes to catch bass and trout, and pan fish, but never "got" around to trying inline spinners for salmon. I had enough time the make a couple of inline spinners similar to the ones shown below: The ones I used this morning used the same "pink iridescent" bead, a pink French blade about the same size, a brass cone ended cylindrical body, and of course, a single hook instead of treble. (Green River rules – single point hook only on non-buoyant lures) I started with a pink an purple jig and nothing. I got over my doubt and tied on an inline spinner. On the first cast, about 2/3 into the drift, I saw a silver/white colored, torpedo shaped body check it out but not take. The jig was fished in this area with no takers! Hmmm!!!! I started with a ¼ oz jig that looked similar to these jigs that I made. Then a guy with his son who were nearby said, "I see a few of them just hanging out here," as here pointed to a spot. It took a couple of casts to get the spinner to drift into the spot he pointed to and on the right cast, he shouted, "Oh four-letter-word that starts with "s"! He's dashing at it!" It was sight unseen for me, but I did feel a little bump. According to the guy, the fish smacked at it and turned away. I threw it in the same spot and smash!!!! It was on like Donkey Kong!!!!! However, I made a critical mistake and I knew it was going to bite me in my sit down part. I had tied my line to lure knot poorly and even felt the section of line it where I screwed up. Nine times out of ten, I normally take the time to redo a poorly tied knot, but I was running out of time and decided to risk it. It was an absolutely a foolish decision. Back to the story - It was a great hit and a nice but short-lived battle (with a medium powered 7' bass rod). This was a very feisty pink on the other end, probably in the six-pound range, that was strong enough to bust my knot. I just hope that my inline spinner found a way to fall out of its mouth. Sure enough, inspection of the line confirmed the result of a poorly tied knot. Shortly afterward, I did hook into another one also on an inline spinner but it managed to spit it out. I didn't have any time left after the second fight and had to leave. I know I am going to make a few more like the one that worked. The neatest thing I noticed and had a blast observing was trying to find the spot to place the lure so that it drifted into the strike zone in front of them. I'm going to have to invest more time in using and learning more about this technique and make a few more spinners. Lastly, whenever I go fishing I try to learn at least one new thing that was meaningful or helpful, no matter how small. Unfortunately, this time around, what I took away was already learned and discounted. It was akin to someone who went through a serious hangover, who vowed to never ever drink that much again… But you know they will…. Lesson relearned and revisited: Re-tie a poorly made knot – DUH!!!!!! -ib

Senior Fishing Trip Monday, September 12, 2011 I had another blessed opportunity to take a couple of seniors fishing today. I was hoping to take them salmon fishing in a fresh water setting somewhere on the Green River but in the sections closest to the center, I could not find any place I thought as not only wheelchair accessible but also safe. As a result, I concluded that my best option was to take them fishing for bass and pan fish on Lake Washington. It was a cool, an overcast day and definitely a relief from last week’s heat. Gene Coulon Park is the name of the place we fished and the quarry was anything that would bite. I spent the first part of the day teaching one of them to use a spinning rod and reel and got her started. The other participant had the experience to carry on independently. Unlike the last trip we had here, we were going to go with artificial baits and fortunately there were no objections. It was pretty dead in the first spot so I recommended moving to another spot. They both decided to stay where they were so I moved on to the next spot and tied on a Marabou jig that I made for pink salmon and thought, “Why not?” I pitched it out and after working it back a bit, I saw a torpedo like silhouette gliding around my jig and my heart stopped, it was the largest trout I had ever seen. It was definitely over 20” and the largest one I ever caught was exactly 20”. I jigged it, I twitched it, and I even dead-stuck it and ripped it, but to no avail. All it did was encircle the jig for a while before nonchalantly swimming away. I told the other two what had just happened but they were stilled inclined to stick to their spots. After realizing that there probably wasn’t anything I could do coax the trout (it never returned or at least stayed out of visual range) I decided to put away my casting rig with the jig and break out my spinning setup, which was ready to drop shot. Overcast or whatever, my gut was telling me that the handy sniper snub and 6# Invizx was going to ensure we weren’t going away empty-handed. Well, it was my hope anyway. I pitched it down not far from where I tossed the jig and didn’t even had to drag it two feet. I felt the take it was at that moment I remembered how awesome fishing for smallmouth bass could be. I haven’t targeted smallmouth since May. While it was hooked and fighting something interesting happened. A smallmouth about twice its size was trying to “steal” what the one that was hooked had gobbled. Score one for the team! Tag it and bag it, Danno! It was pan sized for sure, frying pan sized! I had to catch the second one, which was bigger than the first one, before the two other anglers finally decided to come over. It was about time. The lady in wheelchair tossed her drop shot rig into the spot I told her to put it and before she knew it, she had one on. I got filled with a lot of excitement and thinking about it now, I think I was pulling an Iaconelli. It grabbed the attention of others close by. She was doing fine bringing the smallmouth in, and my polarized glasses gave me a front row seat to the fight. Unfortunately, less than a foot from the water’s surface, the smallmouth came unbuttoned before I could grab the line. This bass was bigger than the second one we caught. I thought I was excited. Despite losing the fish, she was pumped and ready for another round. The loss didn’t even faze her. Now that’s the right attitude! Here fishy, fishy, fishy! She hooked into another one about ten minutes later but unfortunately, but she lost that one too. The rest of the day proved to unfruitful for fishing, but still a relaxing time and great way to spend an afternoon for both of them. They were fishing for keeps and so the two fish caught were taken home to enjoy. I am thankful to have had this opportunity to take them. So while they had a great time, being in their company was a reward in itself. Conditions: Overcast and cool, after a week of temperatures in the mid 80s

DVT, That is good to know. I was hoping that there would be a safe chemical to use, but I didn't want to chance something that risky. I opted for the sand paper and razor chiseling. Jigfishin', that is mighty fine work!

I've done it, and enjoyed doing it. However, it isn't for everyone and I did it with the original cork handle vs. adding a new handle. If you decide to do it, make sure it is a rod that you won't cry over if you screw it up. The most time consuming aspect if you don't chemically remove it is getting the epoxy off that held the original grip in place. I figure there must be a chemical that can do this safely, as I did it with elbow grease. I used a rod I was very disappointed with and hated. However with its split grip, I have found it more palatable to bear. I am not a rod builder nor an expert and I did it my way as I envisioned it in my mind's eye. Rod with original handle Starting to remove the unneeded cork. I hear pliers used with care will make short work for this. Cork and epoxy removed Put my own flare to it as shown. I also did this with a casting rod and I really love it. Unlike other split grips, my palm is actually in contact with the blank. I thought that it might make it uncomfortable but went ahead with it anyway. It turned out to be just fine. Perhaps a rod builder here could tell you what chemical would easily remove the epoxy or possibly heat? Don't know, but I don't have any other rods to try either with.

10# fluorocarbon on a 2500 spinning, if it isn't invizx and even that might be tough, isn't going to fly well as you have discovered. If you need to use 10# test, I would think that underfilling is perhaps your best bet to manage the line. But personally I don't like to fish with reels that aren't filled to optimum capacity. I use 6# test myself. If you can get away with 8# test, you might find a middle of the road solution to meet your needs.

When I caught wind of this story, I wondered if the co-angler might be a member here. Bronze, I tip my hat to you with the greatest of respect. I also think you did the right thing. As for the punishment, it seems the rules have a loop hole as to why he might have been dq'd. rule 3(vii). In the Official Opens rules, it states that "Failure to report violations, or suggestions to another competitor that they violated these rules, or false verification of weigh-in forms, will be cause for disqualification." Cause, as opposed to will result in a disqualification, the latter, which some people have interpreted the rule. BASS definitely left themselves some wiggle room.

I just love how this subject appears every once in a while. I can tell you you will get replies from all three camps Those who: 1) Use Casting reels exclusively 2) Use Spinning reels exclusively 3) Use both Casting and Spinning reels. I am in category 3. While both reel types can perform adequately for a variety of applications, there will be a few in which one might excel over the other. Spinning reels make things more convenient for the angler when dealing with lures that weigh about 3/16 oz and less and if you are using line from 6# test and less. One thing I love about spinning reels is their ability to effortlessly enable you to drop a bait vertically without having to manually strip line off the reel (with lighter weights). I don't know why, but it is a personal peeve to have to do that. This doesn't mean you can't use a casting reel, but you might not have a lot of fun throwing a 1/16oz rooster tail with 4# mono-filament. Casting reels excel with heavier weights (although there isn't much a spinning reel couldn't cast either) and heavier lines. Another special case I prefer casting reels is when dealing with current. I just love the convenience of a casting rod because I don't have to deal with a bail to make drifting line out with an open bail. If anything, it would behoove an angler to be skilled in using both. There is no right or wrong when it comes to reel choice. You have the crowd who would "never" ever use a spinning reel and vice versa. That's cool, that how they prefer to fish.

Learning to properly load the rod during the casting motion is always going to be superior and more efficient with less effort than snap casting. Are you saying that brakes that are off turn on after your snap cast? That shouldn't happen but dang, you must be very strong. That is not how centrifugal works work. The more your spool spins, the more the weight of the brake shoes that are on are going to influence the spinning of the spool. This actually spoils the angler and that is a good thing. With this braking system, assuming the reel is set to the lure, you won't even need to thumb it. Perhaps focusing on allowing the lure's weight and the rod's ability to store and release energy should be your focus.

That was awesome to watch! Nice job, but sorry about the rod. I bet the warranty has you covered.

Nice! I bet that makes up for it partially.

Sounds like a good all around single hook lure rod as long as the lure's weight is within the limits of the rod.

Fishing with Dad at Dash Point Dock – Saturday, August 27, 2011 5:49A.M. - Oops!!!! I can’t believe I woke up “late” with regard to fishing at Dash Point. The general rule is that if you’re not in line by 5:15A.M., you will be hard pressed to find a place to park, and parking is very limited here. 6:20A.M. – We arrived at Dash Point and much to my surprise, there were quite a few empty parking spaces. Shortly after parking, I got our gear ready and taught my dad the ropes of combat fishing from a dock. He seemed to adapt fairly quickly after he made a few underhand casts. He chose to start off with a buzz bomb and I chose a homemade jig. Learning the ropes of jigging a buzz bomb. Fishing was pretty good from the start, as I saw school after school pass by. However, our initial luck was not too good. Despite having the benefit of polarized glasses to see approaching schools of pinks before others could, and strategically placing our lures, we just couldn’t make the final connection. The pinks were ignoring my dad’s buzz bomb and I kept blowing every opportunity from the strike to the hook up, and to fish on. It was not a fun place to be when folks on either side of you are hooking up and catching fish successfully. I was 0 for 5 before I knew it. Talk about pathetic! 8:30A.M. – The tide was still rolling out and we had hit the doldrums if you were fishing the side of the dock facing the wading anglers. Most of the action was now taking place at the front of the dock facing the deeper water. 11:00A.M. – I was ready to call it quits and bummed that I didn’t get him into fish. However, my dad didn’t feel like giving up just yet. It was shortly after this that I finally hooked and landed our first pink. This renewed his vigor and fueled determination to catch at least one because he didn’t want to go home skunked. I love that attitude and spirit! He continued fishing while I cleaned the fish I caught. 12:00P.M. – At the stroke of the bell at noon, he threw down in front of a school and got his first hook up. The salmon he had at the other end of the line was very feisty and was pulling out a lot of line. By the way it fought and surged, you would have thought it was a chum. The entire battle from fish on to fish landed had my dad’s heart beating quickly and pumping hard. Thankfully, my dad brought her in successfully. Dad with his first saltwater Pink off the dock at Dash Point. We had to leave after that and were home soon afterward. All in all it was a great time spent together. Way to go, dad! Dash Point, WA

Yes. I hold it by the middle dowel and somewhere between parallel to the earth and about 45 degrees up. Gravity holds the rods down. I love it when I make gravity work for me vs. the other way around. I agree on the price and would also buy it if I needed it. It is however, just a few too many rods than I need when I fish. Four is my limit from the shore as I fish. I've taken more and have come to learn that in effect, only 2-3 of the rods are used most of the time and others didn't even get used. Muffin man is more than welcome to send me a pm. Thanks!

Very nice!!!!! You might want to "check" to make sure your ballast weight is the right amount. It could be just right (always my first hope), a little too much or not enough. The reason I recommend it is because it would be a tragedy to bust your phanny getting all the way to painting and finishing it and then it lists to one side (speaking from experience) Lastly, if these are your first attempts, and they already look good, your future ones are going to be even cooler. Well done and keep us posted on your progress!

I've made one, designed to hold three but the shape chosen can be made to hold just about any number of rods. Ex: a triangle shape could hold three, a trapezoid could hold four or five, etc. The canvas one in the pics above is really nice IMHO, but if indeed you are driven to build one, by all means proceed. It's price is very tough to beat. That is about the cost of making mine. A gent on another forum improved on my design and if I were to ever make another one, I would adopt his change. Mine is basic and no frills, and while there is room for improvement in its design,it really does its job. It can stand alone on level ground or prop it up on your bag or a bench and your rigs will never touch the ground to get either dirty or scratched up.

Dang! If you didn't need all of them you could like two of them for like $80-95 or so. It would be a deal for the buyer and a profit for you. I don't have deals like that in my area either.

If it "pitches" well it ought to cast just as well. Is your cast control too tight? Just a thought. Perhaps a thorough clean/overhaul could help. I have that model and it casts many things a country mile. Hope you get the kinks in yours ironed out.

Thanks! I figured rod selection would also be a factor. I know an ultralight casting setup for me is definitely on the list of things to acquire.

Do you know how light a weight they can toss and does it go a fair distance, say for example, how far would it cast a 1/16th rooster tail on say 6# line? Thanks!

You can pull out as many brakes as you want to turn them "on". However, many people, myself included prefer to set up the brakes such that the brakes are configured symmetrically. Here is an image of a great configuration to start with, 3 brakes off and 3 brakes on: It is not a citica but the image is still a good one. As you gain confidence and trust in the reel, I am sure it won't be long before you settle down to 2 on and 4 off, which is my prefer configuration for most conditions. Once you settle down, you really won't need to open up the side to make further adjustments. Set it and forget it! Congrats on your new reel!

Nice work! Big M is right. I was foolish to think that the bait monkey didn't have relatives.