islandbass

Yes, they certainly can to help you achieve your desired braking pattern. My experience is that the default brakes that came stock has covered every situation I face. I've been too lazy to see if adding a few heavier ones could help in throwing 1/8 oz lures better. Curados seem to handle them alright with the defaults.

Defintiely rinse off the exterior of the reel. I just run it under the slow running water of my bathroom or kitchen sink and dry it with a clean towel. In addition, I open the reel to check to see if the salt water or debris (eg, sand) got in. Lastly, do this asap. It is one task with which I will not procrastinate.

Thanks!

The citica e looks better on paper fo sho'. But as an owner of a 101D curado, I would find it hard to depart. Things the 101D won't have: 1) No 1/4 or 1/8 side plate turning. You have to twist it off like the curado bsf. The 201D does. On a 101D you have to twist off completely to access the brakes. No big deal but just thought I'd point it out. 2) No HE gearing. I thought this was a show stopper but shoot, I haven't missed it on the 101D and mine has effortlessly landed large fish. Best of luck on your final decision.

Another vote for siege. Choose the # test of your liking.

Marty, Those look great. BTW, how do you get the dimpled finish on the foil one?

Who do you have to know to get that deal??!! This was a few years back. I was looking in the Shimano section and eyeing the crucials and was surprised to see the $59.00. So I brought it to the manager's attention that these crucials had a clarus priced. Surprised himself, he looked into this and later learned that the price was indeed correct. This rod and a couple others, the same model were on a display at a show and this was the reason for the price. I snatched it up, thinking I had a major steal of a deal which I definitely did. But I didn't think ahead fast enough. I could have purchased the other 2 and still made a sizeable profit on them, even if I sold them for $100 a piece. Doh!!!!!! At this time, crucials were still $129.00. The other two or so rods were gone by my next trip to the shop. :-[

Well, if you have to know, I got mine for $59.00. Besides, sensitivity is subjective. Even an ugly stick in my hands is sufficient for me to feel the take of a 6" bass taking a 5" senko, sight unseen for me.

I like both and therefore, no real preference. I agree with you about how cool and old school round ones look.

I have the same rod and it is mated to either a Curado 101d and it is sweeeeeet. It would probably just as awesome with an E7 on top. Congrats and welcome to Club Crucial. Here's a little story on its sensitivity for me. Picture yourself fishing in the dead of winter, hands beyond frozen and numb even with mitts on, fishing 55' of water. Your fingers are so cold that you can't even bring them together to grab the handle knob to retrieve line. But I felt the subtle take of a smallie down that deep. 'nuff said. 8-)

Definitely cool, but don't let my fish-catching machine daughter see these. ;D

You did good. I was told by a Lamiglas rep that the Excel line is built on their Certified pro blank. The cert pro rods normally go for about $180 so your getting a most excellent blank at a great price. My only problem with the Excels is that I can't decide what niche I need to fill in my arsenal. ;D Congrats! I don't think Lamiglas is known outside the West Coast, and if so, it seems they are known for their crankbait rods. That's too bad because they offer good band for the buck at affordable price points.

I recall doing this awhile back and it was a lot of fun. I am a Got'em kind of person but have been known to vary it. Other popular ones were: There he is There she is Fish On Oh Shi... I got one. ;D

I wholeheartedly agree on the 100% commitment thing. I almost got "trebled" myself this past Saturday, because I didn't give it that needed commitment. I think for me it is more difficult with smaller bass because their mouths are smaller. I have also found that pressing down as described earlier usually does the trick. At least you didn't suffer as badly as this guy! And yes, that it the flesh of fish under the lure. OUCH!

I haven't had that happen with acrylics, but I did have that happen to me with flotural or something like that when I was painting one the my rooms. If pollens and such could be ruled out, you might have had a allergic reaction to something in your new paints. Check with your Dr. or allergist. Are you using the enamel acrylics? I currently use acrylics, but they're water based.

yup! I just had one flying back at me a couple days ago. Sorry to here that you had to go through that. I usually where my sunglasses too and I didn't have them on at the time because it was already too dark. I was lucky that my matrix/ninja reflexes saved me last night, but I might not be so lucky next time. :-[

Marty, You are the man!!! I took the minnow out for a spin and final trial. I cannot thank you enough. Update 08-07-10 Success! August 7, 2010 In One Word Unbelievable! I got the green light to go fishing and headed out to the lake. It rained all day before which was a few steady days of dry, weather. I arrived at about 7:50 p.m. but didn't break it out until it was much closer to sunset. I chatted with folks on the dock as I worked a Rapala Skitter Walk. At 8:30 p.m., I put down the rig with the skitter walk and grabbed the one with the minnow lure. It was time for the trial. A couple I was talking to was hoping to see it catch something before they left. When, they were leaving, the lady said, Just wait, you're going to catch one right before we leave. I was hopeful, but also just a wee bit doubtful. This is going to be hard to believe, but right when they got to their car, I felt a hit. I didn't take any chances, so I winched it in as if I were pulling a pig from the pads and swung it over the dock's rail as you would into a bass boat. They saw the whole thing and were polite enough to cheer and send kind words my way before taking off. I am glad she was right and I was wrong. I also just remembered just how sharp VMC hooks are. My effort to remove the treble from the bass' mouth and it's wriggling combined to make me drop the bass onto the dock. Yikes! Unfortunately, it caught the rear treble on the way down as shown in the picture. It stayed still long enough for this shot and for me to grab my pliers to remove the treble. I am relieved that it was not bleeding. Bass number two came a few casts later, and it was much bigger. However, I reacted way too quickly and yanked it out of its mouth. Although the lure was a good 60 ft. or so away, it came flying back right at me. I moved to the side to avoid it and watched it whiz by me. You know those sentiments you feel and thoughts that run through your mind when you screw up and lost a fish is the result? Then I need not say more. Argh! Bass number three came a few minutes later. This little, bad boy slammed the living dickens out of the minnow. Upon reeling him in, I found the belly treble in its mouth and tail treble right where you see it. This one preferred to play dead and that made it much easier to remove the hook and release him. I was in a state of utter disbelief. I could not comprehend the minnow's productivity. The little minnow went two for three. In baseball, that is a nice statistic, and on my home lake, where catching just one bass is the norm, going two for three is practically unheard of. I will concede that until now, the black back, silver body, and red splotch throat color scheme has not been a player in my arsenal, despite the reputation that precedes it, as it is well affirmed by so many. After today, you can bet that I am now a member of that group. Thanks to everyone who recommended that color scheme and a very big thanks to Big M (Marty) for his help. I still can't get over the whole experience. Thanks and praise the Lord! -ib

July 30, 2010 Initial Field Test and Painting Went to a local lake to make sure it worked properly or there would be no point in completing the paint job and top coat. Relieved to see that it works just fine. The action is pretty lively. Not as lively as a Rapala Floating Original, but still very nice. The black back, silver body color scheme was the recommendation that received the most votes, so I went with it. Big M suggested using the foil method, which I tried to the best of my ability. Throw in the paint and a substandard airbrush and my minimal, practically non-existent painting skills, I managed to produce another ugly lure. August 6, 2010 Project Completed I used Dev Con 2-Ton Epoxy as the topcoat and I can say that this task is done. I hope to fish with it today but the honey-do list is long this weekend. I need to give a well-deserved and huge thanks to Big M for his help. He gave me a step-by-step process to do this.

I do something very similar and I don't think I've bought a drop shot specific weight in quite a while. I used pencil lead commonly used by river anglers that has the same shape as these. I use a special pliers that flatten one end of a piece I can cut to any length I wish. These pliers can also "punch" and hole through the flattened section I just made to which I can add the snap swivel. Sometimes I forego the swivel snap when I get impatient. ;D Scrutch that is a good idea. If I ever use a drop shot weight again, I just might do that. Incidentally, I tried putting a rattle around the weight for drop shotting is less clear water. It worked pretty well.

It helps to insert the tag end through the hook eye before attaching the weight. The 4 1/2" robos float for the most part, so I think it is the weight of the hook that is influencing what you observed. Actually a slowly sinking or hovering bait is my preferred type. Why? because when it slowly sinks, it is far easier to twitch and re-twitch your semi-slack line with the weight remaining in contact with the bottom. That is practically a ringing dinner bell. If it isn't catching fish, the fish aren't there. ;D

Not only do they look nice, that is a killer name. Well done, Marty!

Use them? You bet and I make my own. This is one of the first lure types I tried making since you don't really have to paint them. I usually have a few in different sizes in my "Save me from going home skunked" pack. ;D

In addition to the great advice, don't overlook inspecting your hook. Make sure it is sharp. Also, as cool as it looks to see a fish jump into the air, it is also the way larger fish can throw your lure. Every time you allow them to jump you will usually give them enough slack for them to throw it off. The key to fighting the fish is to maintain tension on the line 100% of the time. Other times, they win and get off fair and square.

5lbs or not that is still a nice fish. Congrats. I definitely need to add the C-rig to my arsenal.

Senior Fishing Trip In Seattle July 23, 2010 I had the wonderful privilege to take some seniors fishing today. I had taken some members of the Southeast Seattle Senior Center on fishing trips in the past to trout farms and each outing was loaded with fun and fish. This time however, taking their stories of how they used to fish for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and crappie into consideration, I tried my best to find the best balance of access and percentage chance of success getting them onto fish. At a trout farm, success is pretty much guaranteed as compared to fishing from the shore where the chances of going home skunked can be much greater. Destination and Arrival After giving it some thought, I decided that Lake Union was probably one place to give them their best shot at getting into smallmouth bass from the shore. Roughly 75 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny, one could not ask for a better day. Absolutely stunning! We arrived at the lake at about 10:30 am and headed to a clearing to settle in. A few of the anglers were ready to start fishing almost immediately, and they did not delay. There were probably three lines already in the water before I could string a rod and tie the first Palomar knot for one of the seniors. Getting Started and Early Success Aside from teaching simple bass fishing techniques, tying knots, baiting hooks, untangling line and stringing rods with line, my primary goal was to get them into fish. Luckily for me I did not have to wait too long. Ten minutes we started fishing, one of the members hooked into one and brought in the first bass of the day. Wow! This is the first fish of the day caught in the first few minutes. Everyone in the group took that as a very good sign of things to come. It hastened me to get the others rigged up as soon as possible. Unfortunately, it was going to be a while for more success. We were fishing riprap (material, typically rocks, used to protect shoreline), and for anyone who doesn't know, getting your hook or weight snagged or stuck amid the rocks is a given and the group was getting snagged faster than I could free or replace their rigs. Consequently, it led to frustration for some. I took this time to teach them ways that could free their tackle from the rocks and more importantly to accept the simple fact that occasionally getting gear stuck in the riprap was simply part of the game and therefore should be expected. After all, we have to put our baits and weights where the fish reside. I love the concentration on her face, as she focuses on getting a bite. She had a decent tug on her first cast but the fish came off. You should have seen the sidearm roll cast he just made. Kevin Van Dam would have been proud. The first two hours were filled with many tugs and nibbles but no landed fish. I suppose that is why we call it fishing and not catching. At about 12:30 pm, the chauffeur caught the next smallmouth bass. Despite all the hits and misses this day was shaping up to be one where things fall into place. Well, for one member at least. Doris' Day Shortly after the chauffeur's bass was caught, one of the members, Doris hooked into a smallmouth bass. With youthful and hurried excitement, she called out to me for assistance. When I looked toward her, I saw her fishing rod bent over pretty well and heard that bait clicking sound that is made when the drag is too loose and the angler is trying to recover line. I adjusted the drag and coached her through playing the fish. The smallmouth bass fought like a bulldog and for a while it seemed that it wasn't going to quit. During this time I threw in a silent, Dear Lord, don't let Doris lose this one, prayer, and the good Lord answered it! The smallmouth yielded long enough for me to grab and hand it to Doris. To see the smile on her face was all the reward I needed to make my day and hers too. The picture does not give justice to the rich and vibrant color this bass possessed nor to Doris' joy. Only three more bass were caught and Doris caught them all. We started packing up at about 3:00 pm and headed back to the senior center. Everyone was bushed but also happy. I was relieved that every one had a good time. It would have been nice to catch more fish, but I guess we'll just have to wait for the next trip and all of them cannot wait for the next one. Until then, the next time you drop a line, try to take a senior with you. I assure you, that you will not regret it. Take care and may God bless you. For Those Who Might Be Curious Total Number of Fish Caught: 6 Productive Baits - Live bait, exclusively earthworms, stole the show and day. They were responsible for five of the six bass caught. Productive Tactics The Drop Shot rig caught five bass and the Carolina rig caught one. No other methods worked for the group this day. Conditions Clear and Sunny skies, about 75 degrees Fahrenheit. -ib