earthworm77

I've got a pair of Stradic Ci4's and a JDM Soare that has eva knobs, I dig them.

Pretty cool stuff. I am no painter but I have started to paint to mess around a bit with a copic airbrush. I have to say, they have come out way above my expectations. Your ayu is one of my favorites.

Go an buy yourself "Finesse Fishing" by Doctor Michael Jones......read that book. You WILL catch fish.

I fish some gin clear water here in Fl and I use the wacky rig a lot. For me personally, I keep in contact with the bait at all times, meaning I control slack line. I would estimate I catch over 600 to 800 fish a season on this rig. I can't remember having a gut hook hooked fish in many years. I watch how people I fish with use the technique and generally, I see them picking up a ton of slack line to keep up with the bait or a bite, I think that is where the issue comes in. They don't realize how long the fish actually was on the bait. They don't instantly swallow it, that takes a few seconds.

I prefer Daiwa braid either Samurai or the J braid x8

I use a lot of wide arbor shallow spools that don't hold much more than 50 or 60yrds of line. i change them out when I can see the spool.

I have a theory about this. You should be ok with the 2500 series reel. I'm not sure a smaller spooled reel would help out much, in fact depending on the type of line you fish, it might be effect it negatively. Say for instance you use 8lb fluoro, I have to think most fluoros on a small spooled reel would tend to coil a bit. If you flip the bail and cast, would the release of that "tension" make the line fly off the spool like opening a can of spring snakes? If it is not going through the guides fast enough, it will hit the blank. If you are fishing a rod that uses micro guides near the tip like alot of the new ones and most of the JDM stuff I prefer to fish, that has to cause line slap. When i was building some of my own rods in the early 2000's, I opted for match raised frame guides. These guides held the ring out significantly farther off the blank than standard guides. With small spool reel and those match guides, line slapping the blank is never an issue. So to remedy your problem, simply look for a more limp line such as InviZX. It is all I use on my light tackle rigs and for good reason.

The bottom line is, on a weightless presentation you just have to really pay attention to what is going on or you will continue to have this issue.

Top photo is a greenie No, that is a smallie. Here is a fail proof way to tell if the fish is a smallmouth......lick one of the gill plates, if it has a faint taste of chocolate, it is a smallmouth. Largemouth taste slightly more like citrus or lime.

I've used 3lb Nano and never had any issues with it getting stuck in the line roller.

It is pretty crazy that you guys catch the regularly on the Potomac but we don't have any in Central Fl.

I use a heat gun also, works great.

You may recall.....................................I used to post on here and write articles way back when. It has been a while B/R. I've been floating around, writing a couple of books, watching my kids grow up. I haven't written an article here in ages but I've been fishing a ton. When I got down to Fl. in 2006, I quickly realized I would be spending a lot of time finesse fishing because my local water was gin clear. That didn't discourage me because that is what I did on NY. Once I got used to how clear the water really was, I started catching a ton of fish. Some of my friends, who have fished this water their whole lives, didn't believe that I was catching 40, 50, 75 even 100 fish a day. They were so intimidated by the clear water they avoided it at all costs. Only when I got them out on the boat did they see that we really could catch that many fish, and some big ones at that. Finesse fishing is the name of the game, 6lb test is the heaviest I employ in the clear water, even when jig fishing. The water comes out of the springs at 72 degrees and doesn't get much past 75 degrees even when the air temp is over 100. Ned Rigs Drop shot rigs Enormous fish on light tackle Shakey head rigs Wacky rigs Neko rigs even small jig n pigs produce good fish. I fish here pretty much at least once a week In the cool weather I throw a hair jig that I tie to resemble a float n fly, on a 1/8oz jig and no float and I drag it on the bottom and just clean up with it. One without the hat.

I think that reel will work out just fine for what you are planning to do with it.

You can't go wrong with a Shimano Curado, I think they are the gold standard of casting reels.

straighten your line tie. That should fix the bait unless a lot of plastic came off.

Exactly what I thought when I saw it.

Not just cheap ones, I throw Jackall's Eruption and it does that too some times.

No they are not worthy of anything more than light duty for a guy who fish's sporadically a few times a year. If you fish 20+ tournaments a year, you likely should be way more interested in a quality reel. If you are willing to spend 50.00 every 12 to 18 months to replace a cheap reel, why not pick up a few Curado I's for about 100 to 120 used each. They will last way longer than that, perform much better and I assure you are not going to break down. I have heard horror stories about these reels, literally having the guts inside fall apart or out when the side plate is opened. It is kind of shocking to me that you wouldn't be using the best you can afford when money is on the line. This is a perfect assessment of the cheap reels. I personally love Kuying light tackle rods, I have 4. They essentially are JDM spec rods assembled in China for cheap. That said, the reels, have a way to go before I could ever recommend them. Pinnacle is just garbage, I had 6 deadbolt reels break down because the gears started to disintegrate within 6 months of each other, they were less than 2 seasons old. Shimano reels only for me fellas. There is no compromise there.

I've written several Major Craft reviews at Tackle Tour, on the BassPara and the Corkish. In both, I talk about how "these ain't my Daddy's 2pc rods". You said "vendetta", I said I had a "loathing" for 2pc rods. With these......you wouldn't know they were 2pc rods, unless you actually knew. http://www.tackletour.net/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=71296 http://www.tackletour.net/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=63420 http://www.tackletour.net/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=74850

I'm a big fan of the smallest Koppers frog. I scored a ton of them a while back and the bass in my pond in NC love those frogs.

I agree, try to find a Volkey 6-9 ULXF or L

I am a Major Craft freak. I own 12 rods from Benkei's and Benyro's to Corzzas to Volkey's and Speedstyles. I've owned Bassparas, Corkish, Traparas, Sol Paras and an MSX. For spinning rods, I own 2 Benkei's and a Corzza. I have the solid tip 652ULSFS and the 672L, and a 692ml Corzza. I think you would be fine with the solid tip Benkei. I don't think it is fragile by any means and I think it would give you a little extra umph in casting really light stuff. I like the 672 as an all around finesse rod but I get the sense you want something lighter. I regularly throw Ned rigs with 1/20oz heads on that rod and the 652. These rods, which you can easily check the stats of, are fast action and are not the slower, moderate whippy style trout or stream game rods like a Trapara. I picked up the Benkei's on ebay for about 120.00 which is a great price. Also check plat tackle, you can find the stats there. I used to hate 2pc rods, then I started fishing Major Craft rods and I haven't looked back since.

I float around Roger. lol

I have a lifetime sub, but the quality has gone down hill since then imho.