bigbill

I just started disassembling baitcasting reels. I use a cookie sheet that has sides all the way around. Some of these small screws, springs and parts seek freedom. I put down paper towels and place the parts I remove from the right to the left. Then to reassemble it I go from the left to the right. We also can snap pictures using our cell phones as we go too. I find them pretty simple to work on. My next project is to super tune an old Shakespeare bait caster I have here to learn what parts to polish. I'm sure about what to do once I look at it. I can tell on some reels the casting button is a tad stiff to engage. I figure the cam that engages the free spool mode needs polishing. Once I inspect the reel up close I'm sure I'll figure it out.

The spinning reels or baitcasters? The baitcasters aren't big at all. With the spinning reels the #2000 size reel body the put on a #5000 diameter spool. With the #3000 size reel body the put on a #6000 diameter spool. The larger diameter allows the line to come off it smoother and faster for those super long casts. I have seen guys fishing with soda cans with the line wrapped around them. They would twirl the line then let it go making a long cast. The soda can is a larger diameter than most spools. I like the super caster baitcaster reels they feel ok on the rod in my hand. I have some Lilly pads that are about 15' to 25' farther away from shore and it's all open water to them. I just need that 15' to 25' more distance. I see action all the time and if I can get my topnocker a tad closer to where I can get a hookup. This super caster spinning reel will earn it's keep. I'm thinking what about my saltwater fishing too. I know where my brothers spot was where he caught 50" strippers from shore. Talk about a honey hole. Now I wonder with these super casters and the larger spools can I use a heavier copolymer line test or just go with a 50# braid.

I have been gathering my ice fishing equipment I'm thinking the tractor with the snowblower can pull my ice fishing sled on the ice. I may even build me a grumpy old men hut? A little heat with some hot coffee or hot chocolate and some burgers/dogs could be the hot ticket. Ice fishing could be enjoyable. I could whip up a little Woodstove in a heart beat. It could make the cabin fever go away. The affordable insulated guide gear hunting camp clothes keeps me very warm. It's from sportsmans guide. I also bought more insulated camp gear from BPS ON Clearance too. I have a one piece insulated suit that's good for 40 below. I never got to use my really warm stuff because the past few hunting seasons have been warm. The 1,000gram thinsulate boots are awesome too. My feet are toasty warm even on the ice without heat snap packs. Ice fishing sounds like a good idea. My first time ice fishing we had 24" of ice in two weeks. My two body builder son's used my Swedish hand operated ice drill.

I just found out why the US Reel Super Caster spinning and baitcasters are being offered at such low prices. The US Reel company is actually up for sale. I'm not sure if that's good or bad but I purchased a few for a really great price. The Super caster spinning reel ultra lite is very smooth in its operation. I have three of there super caster baitcasters too. The cost is cheap enough. Bigbill

Years ago when we caught catfish we gutted them and rolled them across a wood fire. I'm going to take any catfish they catch and take them home and cook them for the ladies. With a little salt n pepper with a sprinkle of lemon juice my cooking should impress them with there catch.

I wacky rig my senko type baits on a Carolina rig using a 1/8 ounce brass bullet weight. Now you guys are mentioning a bobber of float. I wonder if using a rattle bobber could call the bass in better?

Glenn here helped me with how to use spinnerbaits and I'm glad I listened to him and never gave up throwing them. If I'm having success from shore you can too.

I mainly use a 1/8 ounce brass bullet weight on my c rigs in up to 10' of water. With a eagle claw weedless hook. I never lost any c rig yet to date. Has anyone tried those meatless weights yet? I purchased some but I never tried then yet. I think there called Lindy Snagless weights.

I'm sticking with our sponcer Siebert Outdoors for all my jig needs. Mike does make awesome quality jigs.

If we don't use it we lose it. I still staying reading and watching videos on bass fishing. To me losing any bass fishing skills right now will take a while to get back. I'd rather stay going forward with learning more New things. I need to take more notes and write it all down. This way I can refresh if needed. I have a picture in my mind where each area is where I have had success in the past. I need to make notes of this.

This why I throw a variety of different lures and colors too. When I fan cast I don't make my casts so close to each other I tend to jump around with my casts. On my tough days the firetiger color has come threw for me. Pay close attention to the water conditions the clarity will tell you what lure color and size to use plus the presentation too. Do you use scents? Don't be afraid to throw lures you don't use that often. We're like a baseball pitcher and we need to do change ups till we get a strike. Then we nailed down the patterns. Remember to vary your speed on the presentation too. Keep every cast at that one speed. You need to make each presentation an Oscar winning one.

Never, till I can't get out of the bed to go, till I'm completely burned out. But this year has been different with my cancer and the radiation treatments. I have an extended life now but I still have on and off side effects from the radiation. This is giving me time to clean and arrange my tackle boxes in order and to upgrade my rods and reels plus get into bait casting more. This down time has made me think more about life and what I'm going to do next. My bucket list as of now is to fish, fish and fish more, non stop in the springtime. I'm ordering more tackle so I'm not out of stock on anything. I have a few extra reels and rods. I hope to wear some out. The second thing on my bucket list is to hunt coyotes. I lost two of my cats to yotes. One I had all trained she was so smart. The first time she went outside I lost her. Im going to cash in on the pelts too. It's time to cut back on the population. They say here we lost this past generation of fawns here this year to the predators, we need to correct this. Soon it's payback time.

I just tie on ball bearing quality locking snap swivels but I have learned to wet my line for a tighter knot. I have a hard time retying my knots in the daytime forget tying them in the dark.

Here we go again. Rod setups are like potato chips we can't have just one.

I can't fish with one setup. Even while fishing from shore I carry five rod setups for all the different lures, the depths they run at and the different actions. The line test does influence how each different lure will run plus what depth and action it will have. My topwater setup, my jig setup, my plastics setup, my crankbait setup and my small lure setup are all different rod actions and different line tests. There is no way I can fish using one setup. I owe part of my success to matching the lure to the correct setup to use it. These are my spinning outfits. I'm putting together my bait caster setups now as we speak. I'm upgrading to better action rods more suited to my style of fishing. Little by little I dialed in my spinning setups now I'm working on the baitcasters. There is no way one rod setup can do it all I would say bare minimum I'd go with two setups. A medium and a med/lite for smaller lures. As my fishing knowledge and skills advanced so did my rod setups. If you would of told me at the start of bass fishing that my one rod setup wouldn't cover all the different styles of lures that are offered today I'd say your crazy. I found out the difference when I upgraded my line test I caught less fish to my lures having less wobble and action to the heavier line. Once I switched back the bite was back with my cranks.

I been bass fishing at a local lake were I seen a really big nothern pike feeding in the shallows. This place is stocked with trout so this pike has plenty to eat. The trout fishermen haven't figured out where all the stocked trout are going. I caught a pickerel there but it didn't look like a chain pickerel with its markings. It's teeth were very large on the sides of its mouth it had rippers. Baby pike? The state put great northern pike in one big lake to control the over population of white perch. Well here we are many bodies of water down stream that all have great northern pike populations now. I'll give it a try it's suppose to warm up soon. I'm hoping the winter is a mild one and it goes by as fast as the summer did.

I think next summer when the weather heats up I'm going to target the great northern pike we have here. After catching the 29" to 32" chain pickerel going for its next sized cousin must be a hoot to have on the line. I have three heavy duty bait caster setups all ready to go. With a soft bag full of pike/Muskie lures too.

Enjoy them for they grow up before we know it. We have to teach them all about life with the respect and love for each other too. And don't forget to pass on the fishing knowledge too. God bless, bigbill Your going to enjoy them now but wait till the grandkids come. My first grandson is interested in tractors, dirtbikes and quads at 3yo. He likes fishing too. My point is we enjoy or children but we get a repeat with the grandchildren too.

Nice. My skill with spinnerbaits turned around when I started tweeting them. I found out to use the gold Colorado/Indiana blades. Mann's classic spinnerbaits come with these two blades. They come with the blue glimmer skirt too on there white spinnerbaits. I add a mister twister split 4" double tail grub as a trailer and a trailer hook too. One shot of YUM Shad scent and your good to go. My first casts are reeled faster so the spinner bait is above the sight line where we can see it. Then I slow it down so it's below the sight line were the bass are out of our sight. I use a white spinner bait in clear to slightly stained water conditions. I use a hot chartreuse spinner bait in stained to muddy water conditions. The mister twister 4" split double tail grub actually looks alive and real when it's swimming behind my spinner bait. The bass can't resist its action. When there is no action above the sight line when I slow it down below the sight line is when I get action. Above the sight line you can see your spinner bait and the bass and they can see you. Do not wear bright color clothes. Below the sight line you can't see your spinner bait. If you can still see your spinner bait slow it down more till your spinner bait is fully out of sight. There's nothing hard about using spinnerbaits but like any other lure the bass don't strike them all the time. But I try them all the time.

I know the feeling one pass at my newly tweaked spinner bait and it was gone I had no time to do anything. I need to use the 12" steel leaders at that spot. I don't think there is a more aggressive predator than these.

For chain pickerel I use the same bass lures. They seem to like chartreuse colors too. Mepps inline spinners, joesfly's, spinnerbaits, crankbaits in citrus, chartreuse colors. I've caught some bigger ones here too what an awesome fight. We do have the larger lakes that have the great northern pike in them too. I did purchase all the lures for pike and the rod setups too. I just haven't found the time to go yet. If the fight from the pickerel is awesome I wonder what the fight from the pike and Muskies feels like. I don't mind catching a pickerel every now and then. The best fighting fish for me is the blue fish down at our shoreline. We also have striped bass in our saltwater too.

My wife's girlfriend/co-worker asked me to take her and my wife fishing. I'm putting together two light casting rods with two ultra-lite zebco spincast reels for them. I'm thinking some nightcrawlers and bobbers will get them started. I'm thinking down the road after a few trips pan fishing I may get them hooked on bass fishing. I'm thinking one more plus to get a bass boat. I'm hoping they have an awesome time. They want me to take them target shooting with 22's too. I said sure no problem. I'm hoping they have a great time outdoors fishing and enjoy the wildlife as I have too. Bill My misses has just finished her ccw course. To conceal carry a handgun. She just needs to wrap up the finger printing. Since she walks the dog all the time I worry about her running into a rabid animal or a coyote. We still have a 350/400# black bear who just ate all the fruit on my Apple, peach and pear trees. With all these predators making a comeback I worry about her when walking the dog.

I did notice there is more money required to ship the one piece rods.

I have a 110 D.A.M and a still brand new 110N D.A.M Quick spinning reel too. I seen my 110 in an antique shop for $70.

I fish for bass to see what lure and presentation will fool them today. If I'm catching pickerel, which I enjoy there fight too, plus I'm feeling really good that I'm fooling more fish than the bass and that's a good thing. When any fish interrupts my picture perfect Oscar winning presentation I feel great about it. Sometimes were the windshield and sometimes were the bug being the windshield is much better. Better to win than lose.