islandbass

Hat’s off to you for wanting to add a casting reel to your Arsenal. With that said, if you truly are a newbie to casting reels, I cannot emphasize using braid to learn with is a great way to waste money. However, if you insist on learning with braid, then do not use braid that thin. It will hinder your learning. Braid that thin greatly increases the likelihood of what we call line dig. Proceed as you originally intended if you want to find out what that is, lol. I still advise against it, but use at least 40# braid to minimize line dig. I would suggest using 10-14# mono for learning to use a baitcaster. Best of luck to you. ?

Absolutely. Removing the rod and reel from the lure removing equation is what I do. If I can’t find my dowel or a stick, I will use the metal head of my pliers to wrap my line around and pull. Either the line breaks or the hook gives.

Glad you noticed. I love mine too. This rod has caught everything from blue gill to bass to salmon, lol.

Nice fish! Congrats. ?

Actually, I have thought about it many times in the past. My only fear is that I might like it so much that my conventional gear would start collecting dust, lol. Some day for sure.

I got my license a few days ago and although I hadn’t planned to fishing yesterday but suddenly I was left with nothing to do. I happened to have of of my casting rods in the trunk so I tied on a senko. There is only one spot to fish for bass at this lake and since it was unoccupied, I proceeded to rig up. After tying my palomar knot, cutting the tag and putting on the senko, I look at my rod by the reel seat and notice this. I wasn’t even being hasty, lol but this is so aggravating because I seem to do this more often I should. The real cost was that someone happened to grab the spot while I correctly threaded the line. DOH, DOH, DOH ? So I leave and go to another lake, and after 30 minutes of bass fishing, nothing. I decided to turn my attention to trout fishing and although I knew that my medium powered bass rod was overkill, it was all I had with me. I tied on a homemade inline spinner with a bell body and shiny black French blade and a barbless siwash hook. I did miss the first strike but after that, I started catching trout. The barbless hook made releasing so easy that as I got them close to me on the dock, all I had to do was let my line go slack to let them go. It was awesome. The first one jump out of the water and onto the dock and played dead so I took a quick picture and got it back in the water. it swam away like a torpedo. Whew! These trout couldn’t get enough of my inline spinner. It was awesome. I might not have started the season right but I sure ended the first session well. Whew!

Spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and senkos. Started fishing in 2004. I bought these thinking these were magic and bass killers 24/7, because Shaw G, Roland M, and Jimmy H and Bill D and Italo and those guys from infisherman made it look so easy. Keep in mind that when I take on something new, I go the extra mile to learn everything about it. And it was so humbling and frustrating that my self acclaimed powers of analysis and trouble shooting, attacking problems from every angle, could not even conjure let alone buy a charitable strike from a bass. The senkos let me down first. Back then I could practically recite from memory all of Bass Dozers articles, lol. Not one ding dang strike from a 5” senko. I wrote them off, but still kept a few. Then the spinnerbaits and buzzbaits. Didn’t matter where I threw them or the depth for the SBs. Zero, zip, nada. They all stayed in my mental back burner for 14 years. On a periodic basis, I mentally revisit them. Then in 2018, I finally unlocked the spinnerbait and buzzbait. I couldn’t keep the bass off of them. It was awesome. These two accounted for most of my bass caught. This gave me the confidence to revisit senkos in 2019. I used a two-pronged attack on both spinning gear and casting gear. I was unusually successful with both. This was incredible. I was looking forward to trying the tried and true jig and trailer in 2020 but the pandemic shot that down cold turkey. In retrospect, it seems to me that although it took awhile, everything I did on the water and off the water, the investment of time and thought eventually paid dividends. And I’ll take that to the bank since I fish soley from the bank, lol. So for those who have written off certain baits, may you find the inspiration to revisit and re-examine those lures and get that monkey ? off your back. ? I’m coming for you jigs (npigs specifically) next, lol.

When I read this, I was thinking, what? I don’t recall ever writing that post. Oh no. Someone’s hacked my account and is making posts in my name. Then, I saw the date: 6/13/2008 and I start laughing. I wrote it nearly 13 years ago, lol. Awe, the wonders of resurrected posts. ?

Welcome. Decide what species you would want to target first. I first targeted trout when I first started in 2004 but the first fish I really caught happened to be a bass. This is somewhat important because the gear for the 3 species you want to catch will require different rods for optimum performance. For example, a typical UL rod for trout will not be ideal to target pike and a powerful rod for pike used to target trout just won’t be fun or sporting. I’ll predict that before you’ll know it, you’ll have 10-12 rods sooner than you think. ?

Or be turned into a pillar of salt, lol. “Fly, you fools!” (LOTR reference) To the topic, would there be a way to know we aren’t local? Signed. It was at 95 before I did and by the time I finished, it bumped up to 102.

Or be turned into a pillar of salt, lol. “Fly, you fools!” (LOTR reference) To the topic, would there be a way to know we aren’t local? Update: They will know I’m not local. Hope it doesn’t matter.

Don’t shoot me, but the all hallowed jig-n-pig. ??? Carolina rig too.

I was thinking that too but compared to the Shimano rod in the link, the legend trek is cheaper at $400! ?

You can really put it anywhere the blank is “beefy” enough to accommodate it. As a general rule, somewhere between the first guide and the reel seat is good. There will be exceptions. For example on my salmon rods, the blank between the first guide and the reel seat is just too thick. So I put it between the first two guides. Also, if buy chance it gets in the way of casting, the 3 or 9 o’clock position is a good option. Or, 180 degrees from where the line is. Both work. I see you have a tendency like me to overthink simple things like this, lol.

That probably pertains more to going “full spool”. Since it appears you’re using the mono as backing, I see absolutely no need to waste that time. Winter is over, lol. I wouldn’t even do that if I full spooled mono and I use mono a lot and I go full spool. I have not come across any mono that would ever make me consider trying that. Save yourself the time and what I perceive, the trouble.

I’ve personally considered them to be a top water lure. But it’s not a top water bait that floats without angler influence. Your retrieve must be fast enough to keep it on the surface.

I hope it ain’t the original flavor bottle. I shudder at the thought of being thirsty thinking it might be real Gatorade, lol.

Sufficient tension must be kept at all times. If they were able to shake it off and you know you had a good hook set, then the tension on the line wasn’t sufficient. Also, sometimes they win. ?

Never. Something must not be right without. You should exchange it. Sammys are very easy to animate. IMHO, they’re easier to walk than spooks.

Sorry to hear that. Did you already notify St Croix? The thing is, those rods could have been damaged by the last idiot that handled them where you bought them from so I would not immediately blame St croix first. You just never know. With that said, they’re probably both still under warranty.

Welcome! Sounds like you have a winner. Light ain’t ultra light as you deduced, and if you learn anything about this site, you’ll soon discover what is called the bait monkey. I won’t say any more about yours. We all have one but I will predict that you’ll be acquiring more rods to cover different niches. ??

Tape is added weight for weight weenies, lol. I’m direct tie to the spool with the arbor knot. It’s super easy to tie but you all need to keep in mind that it is a very weak knot. I wouldn’t expect it to hold any better that a piece of tape holding the line to the spool. If a fish spools you, then jimini shimimini, tip your hat to the fish with respect. They won this battle, you lost. To be honest, I don’t think a bass is going to spool you unless you had so little line on your spool to begin with. In that case, you ought to kick your own sit-down part. 100% foolish user error. ?

What blue said, and what # braid you using? 20# test or less? That would explain the line dig and the loose wraps formed from line coming off the spooled when it has been “dug” into itself.

You’re fine with what you have. DTs have excellent castibility. To me, it shouldn’t matter brake type. It’s the angler that is a more crucial factor. One last thing. Not all cbs are equal in their casting. Some are better than others in castibility. Good luck!

Congrats, Glenn! Like Western WA has a chance compared to other parts of the country, lol. I’ll just kick back and enjoy reading the posts in this thread.