islandbass

Just make sure you get the one called "Ultra Soft". The regular type (the one without those words) is rather stiff. I use it on one of my casting reels and I can tell that your spinning reel isn't going to like it. Look for Ultra Soft.

Maltese beat me to it. At the local docks I see the occasssional person with a spinning rig going for trout usually. They cast noramlly, then out of the fricking blue, they turn the rig upside down or right side up and start retrieiving. Yep, holding a spinning rig with the reel on top of the rod. after getting a few minutes of entertainment, I go up to them to start up a conversation and they tell me it is uncomfortable fishing the regular way. Then I tell them that the handle is interchangeable. They thank me after I switch the handle. ;D

If your cover lets you get away with it then 6# fluorocarbon for sure. As one who experimented with the 3 major line types, I have noticed considerably more strikes with fc line. However not all fc lines are equal in terms of limpness and therefore some whill be a better choice than others. Stiffer fc lines do not fare well on spinning gear. Limp lines such as Seguar's invizx are superb for dropshotting and this is what I use. I would like to try RW's exhalted Yozuri Ultrasoft, but I prefer to buy things locally and will have to wait until local shops carry it.

For the sake of practicing, take off that line and use mono. Pline, if it is one of the lines line cxx can be a bit tough to manage for a newbie because of the lack of experience not yet gained. This will definitely help out. Go to mono for now.

The old or the new or both stradics? Mine is the symetre. It is the most expensive spinning I have and the most I care to spend on a spinning reel. Unlike casting reels, $79 buy a whole lot of spinning reel. ;) Both my Stradics are the old style. I know they are in different price points, but I got the Sol off ebay for $130 brand new in the box..... Wow! At that price I too would have been all over that. Congrats of that steal of a deal. 8-)

I broke out my right-handed Abu Garcia 5-Star round reel earlier today. When I last checked it out a couple weeks ago, I discovered that something was wrong with it. The retrieve was uneven and not smooth. However, attempting to fix it was the last thing on my mind with my broken ankle on the mend. Today, I finally had the chance to look into it found out that putting the handle side back in place was difficult to do. The brakes (two little white shoes) were preventing the reel from closing properly. They hung out farther than the rim that contained them. Also, when I managed to close the reel, the brakes rubbed against the same rim at certain times with each revolution of the handle. This was the cause of the uneven and rough retrieve. Without the brakes in place the reel was easily and quickly assembled. The turning of the handle became buttery smooth. Next, I thought, hmm. Can I cast this baby without brakes? I wasn't sure but I was going to try. I gave my thumb one instruction: Stop the spool dead cold if it spins out of control. Do not wait or stare like a deer in the headlights. I mated the reel to a low-end 6' rod, rolled out to the driveway in my office chair with my good foot (won't be able to try walking until August), took a breath, made the cast, and wow! Holy smokes!! I have never seen this reel spin so freely!! It was beautiful. My thumb served as my personal, islandbass DC (digital control - digit comes from the Latin word for finger or toe). J There weren't more than 3 loops of overrun but now my thumb knew the when and where for future casts. I made right and left handed casts from the chair and stood on my good leg to make an occasional pitch to a manhole and other objects. The zero brake setting yielded about the same or slightly farther casts but not by too much versus having 2-3 brakes of a centrifugal system on. I noticed that the thumb is definitely more involved and part of me thinks that is part of the fun I experienced. The other thing I noticed was that it took less effort to make those casts. The less effort just might help out in the long run of a long day of fishing. How many of you fish with zero brakes as the setting on the reel and if you do what are your thoughts about it To be honest, I expected some nasty overruns. I was surprised that they didn't happen. I think I am going to try a zero brake setting on my Curado 101D. If you're willing, if you're daring, give the zero brake setting a whirl.

The old or the new or both stradics? Mine is the symetre. It is the most expensive spinning I have and the most I care to spend on a spinning reel. Unlike casting reels, $79 buy a whole lot of spinning reel. ;)

Sorry to hear that, but you have to make the choices that suit you best. I would be more inclined to think that somebody probably effed the reel before you got to it, much like how people screw up and damage rods and put them back onto the rack and an unwary soul buys it and it snaps on the first cast. Neither Shimano nor Abu spinning reels have ever let me down. Sorry you had a lemon upfront. I too would have been upset with a reel of that caliber, but I would have exchanged it for one that worked after a diligent inspection of everything. I have since learned to inspect any rod or reel before I buy.

Welcome and greetings all the way from the Pacific Northwest. This is one of the best forums hands down, bar none anywhere. 8-) Great screen name!

Welcome and greetings all the way from the Pacific Northwest. This is one of the best forums hands down, bar none anywhere. 8-) Great screen name!

8# if the cover permits, is more than sufficient. You mentioned that it did break at the knot and that seems to be a good indicator the knot was the culprit vs. the line. People in my area target King Salmon on as little as 6# mono. If 6# mono can handle 30+ King Salmon, 8# mono ought to easily handle any sub 10 lb. bass in little to no cover. I too think that the smaller diameter mono would also sink faster.

In my area for me, it seems the other way around. I think bottom line is that it means that neither you nor I have unlocked the puzzle to get them to bite, ie, the presentation that they want vs. what we've been giving them. :'(

Jig Man has got you covered. Albright for sure. The Alberto seems cool too. I think the Albright is the knot designed for combining lines of dissimilar diameters.

Oil and water don't mix and neither do Shimano and Daiwa. ;D Seriously, I'm just kidding. Put the reel of your choice.

Not a bird, but a bat. It was not intentional. I had a pink senko on a jig head wacky rigged and was pulling it out of the water when all of a sudden something latched onto the jig. The hook point caught its wing but it was able to free itself. I guess its echolocation wasn't working. The guy next to me on the dock caught a different bat at the same time in the same way.

That is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth! The first couple of casts might have rainbow trajectories when switching from casting to spinning in the beginning. ;D

Thank you, that's the response I needed And yes, I came from a spinning-reel background. I'll give that a try within the next few days. Next question: How do I fix a bad backlash? I bought a spool of 50lb Power Pro, and one of the backlashes I encountered was so bad that I had to (I think I had to) cut until the problem was solved. Unfortunately the problem was solved when my entire reel was bare and all my line was in 100 pieces. It was only about 75-100 yards. Edit: I forgot to add that the last question was for future knowledge so I don't get aggravated and waste a bunch of line. BTW, now that I'm out of line, what's a decent pound-test for that reel (braided)? Ha! You've got to be kidding! I did the exact same thing when I first was learning with 30# ppro. It was my first time trying braid. One big cast, one major bird's nest, one spool gone, and the fastest $12.00 I ever spent. From that point, I realized the excellent economics of mono for the purposes of learning. ;D Here is a method from Bill Dance that surprisingly works very well, except I suppose for the worst of the worst backlashes but it really does work. This is coming from someone who thought it was a bunch of hooey until I tried it myself. Here is the method to fix a backlash without picking it out: 1. Do not attempt to pick out backlash 2. Tighten drag to the max 3. Place thumb on spool firmly 4. Crank hard a few times 5. Disengage spool and pull line out 6. Repeat if needed. One other thing I've discovered. If the nest is so ugly and you're at home, my solution is to remove the spool from the reel. It is very easy to undo a bird's nest from that point. It would be easier on your wallet if you spooled on 10-14# mono while you learn. Save the braid until you master the mechanics. Thinner lines are harder to learn with in the beginning as is using lighter (1/4 oz or less) weights. Also, keep your spool at optimum capacity. This also helps the learning process.

That is looking really good! If my first crankbait came out that good, I would be making more! ;D

A side arm cast from a right handed person going left means that the angler is letting go of the spool TOO late. You ought to consider yourself lucky that you didn't cast overhand. The lure might smash into the ground 10' in front of you. ;D If you are coming from a spinning background, you are going to need to train your thumb to release the spool ever so much earlier that your fore finger leaves the rod on a spinning rig. Trust is letting go earlier. It will feel initially uncomfortable, but that will soon end. Also, try to practice with at least 1/2 oz. Going lighter than that is going to make it harder for a newbie. Practice the overhand cast first. If you master that, the side arm (easier to learn) cast will come naturally. Remember, the release time is earlier in the cast than with a spinning reel. Good luck and don't give up.

It does not turn invisible. It turns darker, if anything, black. This is with our eyes. I think they are assuming the fish "see" the way we do, but they don't. Check out the book called, "What Fish See," by Dr. Colin Kata.. Dang, I can't remember his last name, but is a Japanese like Katayama or Katagama.

Ah, I see you have discovered one tradeoffs of bc reels in general. Generally speaking, the lighter the weight, say less than 1/4 oz, the greater the potential for difficulty in casting. Also, not all bc reels are equal. Some are more capable of casting lighter weights than others. It's not such a bad thing, because that's where spinning reels excel or you can get bc reels capable of tossing the lighter weights. Those must have been some nice catches. Congrats!

The cabela's link is alright, but you might want to visit SHimano's site and download the catalog for free. http://fish.shimano.com/publish/content/global_fish/en/us/index/customer_service0/catalogs.html The Cabela's link while helpful, does not give the full picture. For example, at Cabela's it says that the CRC-X610MH rod, which I have is recommended for buzzbaits. That is true, but the rod is also designed for spinnerbaits, Texas rigs, jigs and Flukes. Love my crucial!

You just about got me covered! ;D When I catch a dink, I look it straight in the eyes and tell it to tell her bigger siblings to bite my line with a pretty please, beggin' on my knees. -A Dinkmaster

Hey guys, I just put this together a bit hurriedly. I want to make it as clear as possible so if you have any input that would maximize clarity, I would appreciate it. Thanks! Tutorial below: By Alexander Arceo (islandbass) This purpose of this tutorial is to demonstrate how I dress treble hooks with feathers and other materials such as bucktail, flashabou, or other materials. I am not an expert. I am a relative newbie to making them. This tutorial was put together to with the hope of sharing with the reader the steps I take to make dressed trebles based on my experience making them to date. Tools Used: Fly Tying Vise Nothing fancy. The one I use is a cheap, low-tech sub $20 vise From Left to Right: Hair Stacker (Optional) Bobbin Threader Bodkin Trebles Dressing Materials Used and Other Items: Head Cement (glue) Dressing Items: Feathers (chicken feathers preferred), Flashabou, Bucktail*, etc. Thread for tying (size 6/0) Small plastic grocery bag Napkin *Only flashabou and feathers were used in this tutorial. Preparation of Tools and Hook 1) Securing Vise to Table and Treble to Vise Now that you have everything you need, set up your vise and secure the hook. The hook should be fastened to the vise in the bend somewhere between the hook's shank and the barb. The jaws of the vise should not cover the barb. Note: If you are married and value the hard work that your wife does to keep the house clean, I highly recommend you do this in the garage. Dressing trebles and other fly tying materials is a guaranteed way to make a mess. 2) Preparing Bobbin with Thread Add the spool of thread to the bobbin. Then insert the threader through the bobbin's long narrow cylinder. Put the thread between the wires of the threader and pull the threader out of the cylinder. If done correctly, the thread will have been pulled through the bobbin. Preparation of the Materials 3) Sizing the Materials I like to cut the materials to size that I am going to tie first. In this case it means cutting the feathers and flashabou to length. I won't go into detail, but the alternative would take up more time There is no real science as to what length you should cut the materials. As a rule of thumb, the bigger the hook the longer the material should or could be. I eyeball everything I cut. This is something that you will gain through experience. Preparing the feathers Once again there is no real science for preparing the feathers. I have learned that it is best to cut the thickest part of the feather's stem off. It is easier to work with the part of the feather where the stem is thinner. The length of the feather is up to the tier. The feathers in this tutorial were cut to approximately twice the length of the treble. In the picture above, you can see that the bottom of the feather's stem is clear of feathers. This is the part of the feather that will be tied to the treble. While you can use scissors to trim unwanted feathers, I find it easier to tear off the feathers by hand. It also looks cleaner. When the feather is laid on the treble, make sure that this stem does not extend passed the hook's shank and eye meet. The thread will not cover any part of the feather's stem above the shank. Preparing the Flashabou The Hair Stacker is not necessary but it can come in handy to help put the bucktail or flashabou tips on the same plane. In the picture below, I am placing the flashabou in the hair stacker Place the flashabou into the barrel of the hair stacker and bang the base of the stacker on the table a few times. The material will slide down the stacker until it reaches bottom of the stacker. Turn the stacker on its side and remove the base. The exposed hair tips will be even. Let's Get to Tying 4) Adding Thread to the Hook Hold the thread in one hand and place it on top of the shank about one-third of the way from the bottom hook's eye. While holding the thread to the shank (pull thread downward), take the bobbin with the other hand and begin wrapping the thread onto the shank toward the eye of the hook about 10-15 times. Then, start wrapping the thread back to the point where you started the wrap. The thread should be fairly secure to the shank. Cut off the excess. 5) Adding the Materials to the Hook Take just a little of the flashabou and place it between two of the treble's bend. The end of the flashabou should not extend past the eye of the hook. You will not be able to cover any material passing the shank with the thread. Grab the bobbin and carefully begin wrapping the thread around the shank toward the hook's eye. Next, wrap back to the starting point. If you have realized that wrapping toward the hook's eye and back is the basic procedure to follow when tying, you're definitely correct! In the picture below you can see that the flashabou has been tied on and the bobbin is back in the starting position. Repeat this process to add the flashabou to the two remaining sides. Note: Not all vises are equal. More expensive vises can rotate the treble to tie the other sides without removing the hook. I do not have this luxury with my vise so I rotate the treble by removing it from the vise and fastening the next side. Repeat the same procedure to tie on the feathers Above, the flashabou has been tied to all three sides and the first feather. After you finish tying the materials in, complete the wrapping process by bringing the thread to the point just under the hook's eye as shown in the photo above. The next step is to tie the Whip Finish by hand. It is actually very easy to tie. Unfortunately, it is very difficult for me to describe. So please refer to the link below and watch the Hand Whip Finish video. I believe it is also downloadable. I would like to thank the folks at flyfisherman.com for what I believe is the finest how to video in tying the Whip Finish. http://www.flyfisherman.com/ftb/jbwhip/ After you tie the Whip Finish, cut off the unneeded thread. 6) Sealing the Deal The last step is to add the Head Cement (glue) to secure the knot and wrapped thread. Add some glue to the bodkin's tip. The bodkin is the thin, long, pointed shaft I am holding in my right hand. I start by applying cement to the area where the whip finish was tied. The image below is a close up of this area. Next, I cover the thread inside the hook's eye. Finally, the rest of the thread is covered with cement. Use the napkin to wipe off the excess glue from the bodkin. Spread the cement carefully and evenly with the bodkin. Allow the cement to dry. It will take just a few minutes. You may place the treble back into the vise to dry. Congratulations, you are finished!! I thank my daughter and son for their help in putting this together. They were instrumental in helping me cut the materials and taking the photos. Thank you for reading. Hope this helps you to get started in making your own dressed trebles. Now go on and shake your tail feather! -Alexander Arceo

Line is also another important factor as you probably already know. If I were you, since you are new at this, is take of that braid and put on 10-14# mono for practicing. Thinner braids can be harder to handle for the less experienced and newbies. Just a suggestion unless you already bird's nested. ;D When I first learned how to use a bc reel, I spooled on 20# stealth. That was the fastest $11.50 I ever spent. One cast, one bird's nest, one spool. ;D