islandbass

Just curious about the automatic closing of the bail. Are you closing bail by cranking the handle or manually? Also, your reel might still be under warranty. It's not my intent to take away an excuse to get new gear because I know how the bait monkey rolls, lol. But if it's still under warranty, Shimano should take care of you. Instead of replacing a set up, you'd be adding to your arsenal with a new setup.

That is a good point! I've only used jigs with skirts as is color wise. It didn't dawn on me to consider that possibility. Thanks. You've renewed my vigor in wanting to give it another go.

That was awesome. Bottom line, you didn't lose the fish.

Pretty cool hobbies! * cycling both road and mountain were great passions/hobbies. Now that my kids are older, I've * * gotten back into road riding for now. Love mtn biking a bit more but my mtn bike is out of service that will take time to rebuild. * reading preferably nonfiction but if fiction it would need to be something on the same level as Tolkien * Gotten back into golf but only 3-4 times a year. Love the game but love fishing more. * I like to make lures mostly inline spinners and cranks and jerk baits from scratch, self taught through trial and error. * I can play piano and love all styles from classic to jazz to gospel and some good video game music. They say I have an ear for it, lol. * I also like to dabble in composing music * I learned to play chess as a kid and in 2014, I got back into it to teach seniors to play to help them keep their minds active and sharp. * snowboard - nothing like it Things I want to get into some day 1) track animals and everything about hunting except the final kill. 2) archery and using crossbow 3) skydive 4) maybe play baseball again. Just found out there are adult leagues and bumped into a guy in his mid 60s in a baseball uniform with pin stripes. He was headed to baseball practice.

Fool me once, fool me twice. I bought my brother a rod and reel compre and symetre. Not know anything about vanish, or fishing in general (he was a newbie) he bought 8# vanish. At this point my knowledge of vanish were the horror stories so I was neutral. I tied on a crankbait using an improved clinch knot and tied it carefully. I used a light pull to cinch up the knot and the line broke as if it were sewing thread. It was shocking and stunning. there was no abrasion on the line. I always check the line before I tie a knot. I said sorry bro. I can't let you fish with that line. I like my trilene XL, XT, big game, p line, and inviszx and have no desire to gamble on vanish. Interesting how I could love Berkeley mono and won't touch vanish with a 10' pole. I look forward to seeing testimony positive positive or negative about the current vanish.

I actually did. Reel ess suggested the same thing to me a while back. In my state, it is entirely the call on the warden. He can verify if he wants, or if someone ticked in his oatmeal earlier in the day to put him in a bad mood, he is well within his rights to issue a ticket on the mere grounds of me not having it.

Should be alright. Just double check the difference in diameter to see if it is close or not and choose the appropriate knot. Some joining knots are ideal when the line diameters aren't about the same.

Tell me about it. Ice and snow on the ground and winding roads. Maybe I should have taken my mtn bike lol. Update: Actual distance was 15. 5 on a state hwy and 10 miles of winding road cover with snow and ice. Still probably should have take the bike.

As the subject line says. I'm sure we have such moments. 1) Being so hasty trying to get started fishing, rapidly tying my lure on, trying to be ninja quick and cut the standing line instead of the tag end...twice in a row. ? 2) Teaching someone the mechanics of casting a spinning rig, showing them how to load the rod with the lure's weight, teaching them to close the bail manually, and proceeding to make the cast and forgetting to reopen the bail. ? 3) One day after Christmas I was going to target steelhead on the green river. Put on my lots of layers for toastiness and waders and boots as if it were battle armor. Rod? Check. Reel? Check. Coffee? Check. Wallet, Phone and Keys? Check. Required parking permit? Check. Five miles into a ten mile trip, I felt I was missing something but no amount of mental checking could dispel that thought so I let it go. I get to the spot and parked. I was so prepared dress wise for that the sub 25 degree weather didn't phase me. Bag on shoulder, rod in hand, headed for the river bank. Tied on my lure, and ding, ding, ding .... My license! It was in the other car. ? Tucked my tail and headed home and didn't even get a chance to make one cast. I had about a 3 hour fishing window. Nearly and hour there then another to get at home, the math wasn't in my favor. Down right embarrassing and boneheaded all in one.

Indeed. I call that "controlled slack" you describe "semi-slack" when I try to describe it to people or in pieces I've written about the drop shot but your term seems to me more descriptive and accurate.

Me too. I see local posts with bass caught on black and blue, green pumpkin and every other skirt color combo conceivable and I ask myself, "Why me?" it it makes me wonder if the bass talk amongst themselves saying, "Oh boy. It's islandbass again. Remember, do not take his lure if it's a jig and skirt. We have a reputation to uphold, lol"

I retrieve lefty too. Major bummer. What a disconnect! RH $119 and LH still $179. ?

Nice work! I like the creativity. Because a variety of errant balls make their way into my garage, I had to opt for a horizontal orientation storage that's completely "out of the way" since a vertical storage would make my rods virtual bowling pins.

Nemesis #1 - Spinnerbaits. I couldn't catch a fish of any species with them. Shocking but true. Over 10 years of fishing under my belt, and not even a strike. Inline spinners? Certainly. If my next dinner were dependent of catching a fish on a spinnerbait, I am going to starve. Nemesis #2 - Jig with the traditional rubber trailer, not one largemouth and only one smallie in that same time. Jig with a plastic body has been alright. Nemesis #3 - Myself. Not all the time, but sometimes I get in my own way, in thought - sometimes too little = act first, think later leads to some regrettable situations OR sometimes too much = information constipation, analysis paralysis, thinking too much and not acting.

Right on! Senkos are a fish catching bait. 3" senkos are my smallie killers on the drop shot. With regard to mono, unless you don't have the appropriate rod, I would not readily blame the use of mono. For example, if you set the hook and there was too much slack in the line, it probably wasn't the mono. If you were trying to set the hook from a country mile away, it probably wasn't the mono either. The culprit might even be the type or size of hook. Or when you set the hook the bass might not have even had the hook in its mouth yet. Then, if you switch to braid and have never used it, you'll be messing up on the hookset because you'll likely be yanking the entire bait from them (pure excitement reaction) prematurely, lol. I'm guilty as charged at one time or another myself. A little tongue and cheek and go figure ?humor. Sometimes we miss the hookset because we miss the hookset. It's part of the deal when fishing. What color were you using?

Thanks. I am going to enjoy reading with a cup of coffee. Reminds me of a Star Trek episode where Scotty's idea of a relaxing time was reading a technical manual and capt. Kirk was dumbfounded, lol.

Welcome. That is subliminal messaging from your bait monkey. He's always been with you even if you never were aware. Buy yourself 1-2 spinning rods to go with the reels you already have. There will come a time in the near future that you will feel the desire try casting reels since you're in the US now and you'll be ready since you have two casting rods.

Absolutely. The last decent sized one I caught a few weeks ago behaved similar like that, no fight. The only exception is I knew it wasn't a snag because my line slowly went limp, which meant it was coming toward me. Another type of behavior I expeirence with larger LM bass Mike L described but I'll throw a little bit of possum too, playing dead ? Sensing the type of fish comes with experience and paying attention to how the fish caught fight.

As fun as wading can be, I don't think I'd wade in Florida either. ?

Prayers coming from the pacific nw.

I sure would love to add a size 70 reel, but one of my personal needs is to ensure my reels be dual function for bass and salmon, hence the preference to 200/201 sized reels. That curado 70 is one bad looking mamma jamma though.

Congrats, and welcome to "Club Curado", lol. ?The only thing I can see that is a problem is that the handle is on the "wrong"side, lol. My curado 201 DHSV can cast a 1/8th inline spinner fairly well. I like trilene xt and xl. If your cover allows it, try XL.

Now that's one heck of an excellent idea. Not to look around my garage and find my vice, lol. I haven't used it since I made feathered trebles for poppers and palmered style jigs with marabou feathers for salmon quite a few years ago, lol.

Did you need to go with a two-piece casting rod so it fits in the trunk? That is a narrow field but you should be able to find such a rod. Shimano used to make and still might have a 2-piece casting rod in the their lower to middle lines (Compre and Convergence lines - both lines are very good and excellent value for rod with good components) and Cabela's rods too. I have a 2-piece Cabelas mag touch (they don't make it anymore) and it is a fantastic rod for it's price. Since you're willing to spend up to $300, I'd spend up to $120 on the rod and the remainder for the casting reel. Since you're going to be throwing spinnerbaits, I think a MH at a length as long as you can get away with is what I'd choose. Round reels are awesome, but perhaps you'd consider trying an Low profile casting reel this time around.

It is was completely submerged, I'd at least remove the spool to see if any saltwater got into that area. Shimano has on their page somewhere basic minor maintenance for casting and spinning reels. I'd search for their spinning. Fortunately, it's not that difficult, even for their spinning reels and you won't need to completely take it apart to the point to get worried. I don't think you need to go as far as taking it into a shop yet. Shimano's basic main for spinning reels is here: http://fish.shimano.com/content/sac-fish/en/home/customer-service/reel-maintenance-instructions/_jcr_content/bodycontent/download_2/downloadFile/file.res/Maintenance Tips- Spinning Reels.pdf This is just for maintenance purposes, not an overhaul and this is what i follow. It is just me, but I clean my reels after every saltwater outing as soon as possible. I used my curado and cardiff this passed Saturday but because of other things on the honey do it, I couldn't get to cleaning them until Sunday afternoon. So even though I washed them down after the outing, I was mentally "stressing out" , as horrible images of corrosion on my reels came in my mind, lol . I despise, self-imposed worries, but at the same time, it was hard to not do so for my reels, lol.