bigbill

I'm going to have to get a line station for sure. I'm upgrading everything else anyway. Thanks. Bill

I'm in the process of installing braided line on one of my older baitcasting reels. My question is do I install it with the same tention as I install my copolymer? I run the line thru the pages of the phone book so it's not too loose on the spools. If the phone book is thin then I may stack weight on the phone book. I been installing new line like this for over 40+ years. Just don't run the line thru the "P" pages where your local pizza places are listed. Kidding.

I have the bait gorilla on my back. I just spent my last three s/s checks on fishing tackle prepping for next season's bass fishing. I want to try everything that's new to me. I can wait till the prespawn. I'm going to wrap up this season getting better with baitcasting and stay bass fishing till the ice is on. I been dusting off my ice fishing gear too.

Don Barone came to my house today to pick up my extra new rods I never used today. It's for an awesome cause and I'm glad I could give back to support this great cause. It's all about restoring faith in kids at the time of there need when they have lost everything. Natural disasters can happen to any of us no matter where we live. Going fishing as a kid kept me from getting into trouble from a teen to my early twenties. Plus its a great sport and I feel the need to give something back to our sport. In helping kids I know of no better way to give back. Don Barone and the ones who run and support the tackle the storm foundation are awesome too. My hats off to them. God bless, bigbill It's always the season for giving.

Moby Bass? You should reach down to pick up one in the twilite? I never seen a bass that big before till now. The only place I ever seen fish that big was in the saltwater. My mentor, my older brother before he passed away always told me to stay going and sooner or later they would turn on. He never talked to me about whales.

Guys, gals, kids, I been seeing bigger bass swimming by me than my PB of 10#. If I see and have bigger bass here than you have to have them where you are too. You need to fish for them different. These bigger gals don't do the 9 to 5pm shift. My PB was caught around 5am in the twilite two feet from shore. I was making parallel to the shoreline casts along side the drop off. After fishing from the springtime prespawn everyday for 3months till I get burned out. I was eating, sleeping and fishing. I'd be up at 3:00am fishing by 3:30/4:00am when it's still dark. In bed by 8pm then repeat it 24/7 for three months+ till I can't drag myself out of bed anymore. I feel sometimes I caught this bigger bass too soon. I never expected to catch this big gal nor lose two more in the process. Then I'm a water watcher too besides watching behind my lure all the time too. I notice these big bass appear like ghosts then there gone. Now why do we have bigger bass? There not being caught because I feel in the smaller bodies I fish at no me really targets bass correctly anyway. I see everyone throwing one spinner bait for hours for nothing. Or live night crawlers being used knotted up on a hook. Most bass fisherman don't know to hook the nightcrawler by the head and let the length dangle the way it would if it was dropped in the water naturally not knotted up. These big bass didn't get big by being stupid. There very smart. To back up my we have bigger bass here story is we have a lake in Lakeville with an Indian name. They have a weed chopper there they use when the weeds get out of have. The chopper killed a 12# bass. No one person caught on that we have big bass here too and there not being caught. I started fishing in the early morning to get away from the crowds of fishermen at one of my spots at night. I just couldn't catch anything bigger than 4# to 5# bass at night. I figured all the noise was driving and keeping the bigger fish away. Fishing in the early am I got rid of the drinks and started catching the larger bass. I was averaging more numbers of 2#, 3#, 4, 5#, 6# bass. With some smaller ones inbetween but not that many like at night. You need to look for the right combination of conditions to fish at. One spot that has open water or a channel, near weeds for cover or a rocky point, or the flats, etc. In one spot or area were you can cast to these spots from shore or a boat. But I prefer to fish from shore. Where I can be very stealthy. Plus there's nothing disturbing the water. I handle my rod setups and tackle box very quiet making no noise. I'm so quiet it's like I'm not there. Once you find your place and spot to fish at fish it hard. Your fishing more often will pay off. Keep going, stay motivated, never day never just have fun fishing. Sooner or later you will get a surprise. I start with topwater lures in the dark. Then it's deeper cranks since my channel is 10' deep. Then I go to shallow cranks next. After that it's any different lure, size and color. Throw a variety of lures and practice your presentations too with each different lure. Keep on honing all the different presentations. The bass will interrupt you more and more. Try all your lures that's why we have them. Each one is unique to its own presentation too. Whether it's a slow reel, a twitch, a 1, 2, 3, pause etc. Try every presentation till you learn what's the best presentation for success with that lure. It's our skill level that matters. Never give up. Bigbill I leave my ego at home. Remember your polarized glass and scan the water too. Don't beat yourself up inbetween, keep your eye on the prize. From the bigger bass I'm seeing here you have to have bigger bass where you are too. All these many baby bass aren't coming from the smaller bass the bass population is kept up from the bigger bass.

I fish at one place where it gets runoff from a large lake from a flowing stream. I caught a 5lb salmon one day to good size trout the next. They did stock trout on one afternoon just before a big thunder storm hit. There's been trout down stream ever since. There's another place I fish at that has good size bass by now. Though the many years they have gone from 1 pound to 3 pounders and probably 5 pounders by now. This is a drainage pond for a parking lot for a complex of businesses. We think the ducks transference the bass and panfish eggs there on there legs or bodies. I have no clue how the fish got there. I caught them as they were growing up. Bass weren't native anyway we had bass hatcheries here and they stocked bass here many years ago. Now it's up to the bigger gals to keep the population of bass up in numbers.

Answer to the poll; BOTH I don't mind the drinks in numbers there telling us the body of water is healthy and the bass population is being maintained. I'll take catching the many numbers of smaller bass too it's all good. If a few larger bass find there way to my hook that's ok too. I a new state record shows up that's ok, if not I get to fish more. If I can't break the state record I hope and pray some little kid using a tackle the storm outfit does it. That would make me very happy too. Going fishing and being able to breathe fresh air and being one with nature is what it's all about. Everyday we go out, relax and fish is a plus.

I find when throwing SB I fish below the sight line and get more action when the lure is where the fish are. I'm reeling much slower to keep it below the sight line. I reel faster to stay above the sight line and In the topwater area. I did purchase a faster spinning reel for spinnerbaits to burn them but it's tiring me out too. I'm hoping my new 7.0:1 baitcaster reel is easier to use over the spinning outfit. I have been tempted to purchase a slower baitcaster reel in 5.0:1 if I could find one. Just for slower moving lures. I already have baitcasting reels in 7.0:1 and In 6.3:1. Isn't the faster ratio reels made to get the lure faster to us after a strike and a miss?

Lately I been interested in the 10mm auto. Either in the CZ or the colt 1911. Since the ballastics is close to the 41 magnum. The 357 SIG is another good round that's similarity to the 125gr JHP in the 357mag ballastics wise. The 357 Sig was copied from the speedy Russian Tokarev 7,62x25 round. This is one very fast little light weight bullets. Reeds ammo offers these in there line up of loaded ammo. I believe some of his ammo is loaded around + or - 2,000fps. I believe it goes thru the vests too. For a 90gr bullet in a handgun that's flying. There are a few tokarev pistols around from different countries. China offers there norinco manufactured tokarevs in 7,62x25 tokarev and in 9mm luger/parabellium. That's enough of history for now. Bigbill

Thanks to everyone for your help. I have a better starting point now. A while back I purchased a few baitcaster New rods that are 5'6" long. Now I'm looking at New bait caster rods and don't see anything shorter than 6'6"? The longer rods are for making longer casts. And more power on the hook sets right?

This is why I ccw carried a 44mag for all these many years. Now I ccw a s&w 41mag.

I just finished my 1911 build using the Chinese norinco 1911 as my build platform because of its quality forged frame and slide. It's our own railroad track steel being sold back to us. I installed and fitted a Surplus USGI New barrel in 45acp, a national match barrel bushing, a full length guide rod kit w/18# recoil spring and the full wrap around rubber grips. I did the feed ramp, the disconnection ramp and fitting the barrel/ barrel bushing myself. I never seen a 1911 cycle this fast and smooth before. It's like a race gun. Now even with a loose slide to frame fit she shoots one clover leaf per 8rd mag. Using Russian wolf 45acp fmj ball ammo at 25 yds. I'm sure it will shoot better with target loads. I wanted to do a build using a surplus New barrel, IAI barrel bushing and a FLGR kit. Using all affordable parts to see how good could a low budget build could shoot. I wanted a cheap 1911 for ccw but this norc turned out better than that. I purchased all the dvds, vhs videos and the Jerry k book on how to repair, build and modify the 1911s. I purchased all the 1911 gun Smith tools I needed from brownells. I originally got fed up owning two brand new colt 1911s in the past that had quality problems. I figured if I'm going to shoot and own the 1911 pistols I better know how to repair them. After doing this build I remembered I had a new SA series 90 1911 in the safe tucked away since I purchased it brand new since 1990 because of it jamming one round per mag. Upon inspecting it I found out the extractor needed tuning. It wouldn't hold the spent case firmly. After using my extractor tuning tools from brownells she functions the way a brand new 1911 should. I kept it in the safe for all these many years because it came with some optional items from the factory. Plus the black parkerized finish looked awesome too. If your going to own and shoot the 1911 you better learn and know everything about them. Only feed the chamber from the magazine. If you want to put a round in the chamber then install the full magazine. Load the first round from the mag then add another round in the mag. By putting a round in the chamber by hand then closing the slide over the round can detune the extractor. It takes the spring tention out of the extractor. Only feed any pistol from the magazine why beat up the extractor for nothing. I do all my own gun Smith work to learn. I changed barrels in a 98k German mauser so far too. I checked the headspace and it's dead on. My point is we have everything at our finger tips if we want to learn the learning tool is right in front of us its our puter.

I was just thinking that one rod setup for punching and the heavier jigs. My two sons(39yo & 32yo) are looking at my new jigs as I'm telling them that jigs are another hot lure for bass. Sounds like maybe Santa will bring them this year.

I have an older Berkley cherrywood med action spinning rod that I use for my lighter carolina rigs and plastics/worms. It's has the perfect action and feel to it. Now I'm looking for a baitcasting setup for the heavier weighted c rigs? I'm going to need advise as I buy new rods for making setups for each lure combinations. I'm going to an area I never done before. Roadwarrior you can help me too. I want a few bait casting setups for each style of fishing/baits.

I cant make I silk purse out of a sows ear but.....I made this reel a tad smoother. I have a new Quantum Bill Dance DR 301 CX bait caster reel. I noticed it had a brass or bronze bushing bearing on the mag brake housing. Now in purchasing some higher priced reels I noticed they had ball bearings on the brake side. These bare spools with the ball bearing and the mag brake on zero spun faster and longer than my reel with the bushing bearing. My new quantum code red bait caster brake side ball bearing looked similar in the outside diameter as the bushing bearing in the bill dance reel. Both spools have the same diameter shaft. I went to "tackle service" and ordered the code red ball bearing and the retaining clip incase I lost the original clip. The bearing & clip numbers are, HV080-01 & QV017-01 This is for the ball bearing upgrade on the Mag brake side. I installed it and it works. I think it was $10 or $15. Sorry I just have to tinker with stuff. Bigbill Warning, Be careful there is or can be a "U" shaped shim under the plate that holds the magnets that moves out and In to adjust the magnets. To reassemble this shim between the spring and the mag plate I put some reel grease to hold it in place while you install the screws to mount it. I guess they install a shim to make the mag plate parallel to the spool. I'm thinking some reels have it and some don't. Make sure when you disassemble any reel that you have a cookie sheet pan so your little parts a can't go MIA. Be careful with those little screws, clips and springs if we give them any freedom they seem to wander off.

Everyone has some awesome sales right now.

Is accepted, were like a family so let's move on. Bigbill I'm still learning went for a quantum KVD tour crankbait bait caster rod medium heavy fast action and I'm looking at another Garcia V, Lews or a quantum bait casting rod, i'm torn between them. Being new to bait casting I look to you guys and gals for answers just bear with me I'll get it right and I understand where your coming from.

As my lure is being reeled in if I can see it above the sight line(crankbait) or on the top(topwater) I'm 100% focusing behind my lure to look for the short strikes. Then I can adjust my speed or change lure color next. Once these two changes are tried I adjust the size of my lure. I think not watching behind our lures is the biggest mistake we can make.

I match the size and color of the baitfish to an original floating rapala and mimic the movement of the baitfish.

Do you guys think a heavier action rod in this quantum KVD tour casting would make a nice addition to my first one? On your boat how many baitcaster setups do you have on deck?

I guess I need to dedicate one rod setup to punching jigs.

I missed out on a better rod for $30. I have to order a hoveround this week so I can into the stores again for the great buys. I limit my walking to only fishing now.

Her back was out of the water when she hit my topnocker. She was a big'un. I'm 4' above the water fishing off a low bridge having I birds eye view of the action. She was working over the surface area when I casted near her. I seen her back out of the water when she first hit it trying to knock it silly then did a 180 and took my lure to Davy Jones locker. I'm standing a few feet away from where my PB of 10lbs was caught. My buddy hooked the same fish before. He broke his rod trying to horse her out of the weeds. It's like catfish Hunter in grumpy old men but no one landed it yet. But it's a big bass. I also like to make longer casts parallel to the shoreline when I can too. At this same spot I have a channel that flows under the bridge along side a weedline to my right. I make a long cast at the weedline/channels edge with a topwater lure first. Next I run a deeper 10' crankbait along this same edge trying to attract a bass out of the weeds.