islandbass

Unfortunately, the ability to create a bird’s never leaves you, no matter how experienced you are. You’ll be taking this newly acquired skill with you to your grave, lol. You can add the ability to create a bird’s nest to the list of the only two certainties in the Western world: 1) Death 2) Taxes 3) Bird’s nest making Experience generally curbs both the severity and frequency of getting them. To answer your other question, yes but hardly ever.

Memory is just a given with mono and I too am sold on mono and luckily I could care less about memory. my personal experience shows that monos that seem to acquire it the slowest are: #1 Sufix - Elite and Siege. I’ve have not tried the other sufix lines #2 Trilene XL All the others like stren, which I also like in fluorescent blue is okay memory wise and an excellent line for my spinnerbaits. I also noticed memory is also further delayed to some degree the larger the spool. But memory is always a given that I hope someday would trickle to my brain to keep a sharp mind, lol.

That is an evil ? link. I told myself no way, no how am I going to explore BFS. I shouldn’t have clicked on that link. Now I’ve wavered in my resolve and find myself slightly cracking to contemplate about BFS. Thanks, RW! ??

I would agree there is some truth to what you described. However, You’ll know as soon as the line is taut enough to transmit feedback through the line and not a millisecond sooner, lol. I haven’t used this rig yet myself, but what I stated should be a universal tenet regardless of the technique. I wouldn’t worry about your concern for most “deep” bass scenarios. Those vibrations travel fairly quickly through the line so unless you are fishing like 1000’ deep, any delay if any is probably negligible. Just MHO and initial thoughts.

I had always wanted to try fishing since I was a kid but it was always on the back burner because of life and no one in my sphere fished. Fast forward, age 34, I tell myself it’s now or never. I read every book in the local library in fishing. I decided to become a trout angler. So with my new and handy “Walmart special” rod and reel combo, as I called it, I tied on a size 5 floating rapala minnow. I didn’t even know what I was doing, lol. All I believed was that the lure I tied on would catch trout. As I was retrieving, I felt something different, some weird, very soft something or other. It was a hit, but I didn’t know. As my lure came within visual range, I saw a green colored fish on the end, and it was only a few inches bigger than the rapala! That did me in. I dropped trout fishing for now and focused all efforts on bass fishing. It was so cute, lol. I also had the the blessing and wonderful opportunity to turn the tables. I took my dad fishing and he loved it. Every time he would visit, I’d take him. He’s caught smallies, silver and pink salmon ? and trout. I’ve posted reports he about his exploits but the pictures in them might no show up anymore. Memories with him I’ll always cherish.

There definitely some truth to this. I remember back in my glory days a few buddies and I had the itch to go snowboarding but it was middle of summer and as we gazed at Mt Rainier from an apartment balcony, I said, “Guys, you thinking what I’m thinking?” This is a not ski resort so we hiked up the mountain. We were all in good shape back then (hence glory days) but the higher we got, we noticed we started taking breaks to just “catch our breaths” with increasing frequency. It got to a point we stopped to take a break each time we walked barely 30’ or so. Dang, that altitude thing is real. We were high enough to touch the clouds. Okay, maybe it was fog, lol, but one minute it was bluebird skies, then the clouds completely covered us that your barely see your arm stretched out, and then clear skies. Weird. We stopped after we felt we couldn't go any higher. It wasn’t even that fun on the descent because it was so icy that every carve we engaged in was making shave ice for snow cones, lol. We initially planned to do this about 3 times but screw that. We were all one and done.

Greetings from the Pacific Northwest!! Just in case you’re curious, yes, we do have bass this far north, lol. ?

That’s got to be a bummer. Chris Cornell knew a bit about “Looking California, and feeling Minnesota.” (0:50) Reading your post made me recall this Sound Garden song with an appropriate line at 0:50 lol.

Ha! I was going to say it doesn’t do dishes or windows, lol.

Good point. I sometimes do, depending on the situation, but I usually bring another reel ready to go. It beats spooling on the fly, in the field.

As a shore angler myself, I am very happy to dispel those thoughts. Both can be a pain in the you know what, lol. I use both in tight spots because, well, that’s all I have. With that said, the only real plus of a spinning reel over a casting reel in this scenario is zero chance for a show stopping backlash. This type of back lash is the one you get when you manage to get tangled up on the surrounding shrubbery and brush. If one can avoid this backlash, casting set ups will do well. Lastly, learning to cast underhand is a real plus in tight quarters.

I think you are looking at this in not so great a manner. First and foremost, it is NOT necessary, but reels are tools to help YOU. Do you want to get a bc set up because you think it will help you to be a better angler or do you want to get one because “everyone else has one?” If this is your real reason, then don’t get one because you’d be getting one for the wrong reason Do you want to get one because doing so will help you grow and become a more rounded angler and add to your tool arsenal? Then heck yes, get one. Many techniques can be done excellently with both. There is quite a bit of crossover. However, as one approaches the extremes of certain limits, one reel type will serve you better. These extremes can be the line, the weight of the lure, our how you want the line to descend in certain applications. Generally (I ain’t getting into BFS as that’s another subset animal) Lighter lines and weights don’t usually fare well on casting gear. When I say light, I’m talking 1/8oz and less. Any casting real worth its salt IMHO had better be good at tossing 1/4oz or more or it isn’t in my arsenal. To me, 1/4oz is normal, not light, lol. Line type. Don’t expect 10 or 15# braid to behave line 40# braid on a bc reel. Look up the term “line dig” here. This light of braid simply doesn’t farewell on the general casting reel but spinning reels don’t have this issues As you can see, there’s more to consider, but your reasons to not consider is kind of barking up the wrong tree. It behooves an angler to be proficient in the tools in his arsenal. I love and use both reel types. If all you want to do is spinning, more power to you but know you’re limiting yourself. It would somewhat be like a supposed soccer or basketball who can dribble very well with their right hand or leg but not their opposite. If you ask me, they’re basically half a player. This doesn’t translate completely in fishing but you get the point. Reels are tools. Period. ?

If people really heed WRB’s advice, they are bound to improve in the strike detecting considerably. Rich12’s points are what I’ve learned through trial, error and experience. Those are my keys. Almost every time I realize I’m in those situations Rich12 describes, I set the hook 95% of the time. That remaining 5% is the result of being in a funk or slump and even though I feel it, I am in a self imposed denial. It actually almost cost me my biggest bass this season. I fished for about 6 hours straight at a new place and moved to my home lake. Then I felt all those points and convinced myself, “Naw, that ain’t a bite.” I pulled lightly back and my line didn’t even budge and I thought %{*#*{^{*{^{x, this was a bad way to end the day and last cast. So I grab my line, spun around and tugged harder to tighten the line and the whatever was on the end move my line hard enough to jerk my hand holding the line left and right. In the next instant, I let the line go and reeled up at light speed and set the hook while thinking, “You idiot! Don’t ever deny yourself or convince yourself you didn’t feel a bite ever again!” It was grassy but open water so I knew if I could set the hook before she spit it out, I’d have a chance. I was fortunate that the bass held my lure for some time and didn’t spit out my brush hog as that would have been the last nail to secure a long skunk ? out. I won’t ever knock anyone for using high end equipment as such gear would probably make any experience more enjoyable, but that’s not for me. Even an Ugly Stik is sensitive in my hands, lol. Thanks, Tom and Rich12. Very excellent advice.

Agreed. It took 14 some years to get the spinnerbait monkey off of my backed. Granted, I write them off for most of that time but 14 years is 14 years. Finally broke through in 2018 and I’ve been consistently catching bass in them since. I’d recommend trying a double willow version. They have more productive out the gate vs the tandem willow and colorado. ? I don’t know if I have an exclusive favorite lure or lure type. I love a lot if lure types such that it would be playing favorites, lol. However, t-rigs weighted and unweighted have been killing it for me this season, creatures, craws and senko types.

Maybe fish El Salto. I don’t know if it’s possible to just go there and fish it without some kind of tourist arrangement so my research is cut out for me. Also, Mazatlsn is my wife’s hometown but when I’m there, I have no inkling even to freshwater fish. Talk about weird and being disconnected to bass fishing at a bass fishing haven. ??

Heck yes!! It is so much fun. Just note for the record that when pursuing bass with this, I am not aiming for bass in heavy cover. As my shop teacher told me, “Use the right tool for the job,” lol. lures run a wide range. Small plastics, light drop shot, inline spinners, spoons, small cranks and floaters, live bait with a float or off the bottom*, pretty much normal bass lures but their smaller counter parts. Honestly, I’ve caught more fish and bass with this than my bass rods combined. When you can get away with light line, you just might be surprised if your catch rate is high. ? * this is usually pan fish mode, so blue gills, crappie, pumpkin seed, and possibly trout. However, the incidental bass gets caught too.

Got it! I’ve dealt with current like that so now the picture you made is clearer. That bow does take up extra line and in my experience makes detecting feedback at the end of the line a bit challenging and pans out more line. With all that bow in the line, it makes me wonder if I should bring a few arrows, lol. ( bad dad joke ?)

Sorry for your loss. I don’t look forward to this day with our dog.

If your original estimate is accurate, 80/255 = 0.313 x 100% or 31.3% of your line and not 85% of your line. If MN’s calculation of 67 yds. is correct, then 39.8% of your line is out. ?

I do not snug it until after I put the loop through but I also make sure each and every time that all line that should be on the tugging side before I even think on making the snug move. If the snug move is done before that, you’ll run the risk of having a bit of the knot on the wrong side of the eye and further tightening will not get rid of that what ever remains of the loop. Most of you will know what I’m trying to describe. You’re practically forced to start over, lol. One thing I do before I pull the line snug — This is more essential the bigger the loop is on account of the lure’s size. I will pull on the tag end solo to decrease the size of the loop considerably. And I mean small. Then I snug the standing and tag ends together gently. Fool and idiot proof. I should have mentioned this earlier. Make sure the lines opposite the loop are not crossed. Do so at your own peril. That is fool and idiot sure. Lastly, I laugh my rear off (and practically cringe) when I see people form the loop and try to insert the loop into the hook eye when the hook eye is small. And they work so hard to get that loop through. HELLOOOOOOH!!! ? Insert the line through the eye and bring it back through. DOH! ? I’ve seen people do this live and in “instructional” videos on YouTube. I just want to put my hands through the screen and ring their necks, lol. It’s almost as awful as watching someone work a spinning reel inverted. ? okay, I feel much better now, after getting skunked today during a 40 minute fishing stint. ?

Good old YHB. Glad you discovered it and glad I can finally buy it locally, lol. ?

Hold up. What type on line is on it? Braid perhaps? And if it is braid, do you use a backing or something like tape to prevent the line from spinning around the spool? If it isn’t braid without a backing, then I’d try the other recommendations next.

I have VMC, Owner, Mustad and Gamakatsu trebles. They are all excellent and I use the them as replacements and stock inline spinners if I ever feel the need to use a treble. As far as I know VMCs are have been stock on Rapala lures and they are a lure I do not need to replace out of the box. Owners and Gammies are seem to have a nice sense of refinement and aire about them that you know aren’t going to fail you. If Mustad still makes them, their triple grips just look sick, but definitely functional, lol.

Heddon torpedo tiny torpedo. I like this cute lure but I ain’t never caught anything on it yet, lol.

That is good to hear. I was scheduled for one because of my age. I filled out the questionnaire my doc sent my and to make a short story shorter, I was told I didn’t need one given my current health and family history. I was actually kind of shocked. I am wondering now if I should insist on it even if it’s out of pocket. Anyone else experience this?