BFBoy

I took my grandson out, this afternoon, so he could catch a few bluegils. I set him up with a slip bobber and some Gulp maggots. I tied on a 4/0 EWG Gammy hook and a Watermelon Zoom Trick worm on my spinning outfit. He caught three 9"+ gills that were as wide as they were long, and I caught 4 LMB. Unfortunately, two of the bass swallowed the hook and I wasn't able to save them. :'( The other two were hooked in the top lip. These were the first fish I caught with the Trick Worm, and, in the heat of the afternoon sun, it was a bit surprising. I'll be using this lure more often.

This may sound like a stupid question, and don't be offended by it, but, are you opening the bail before you cast it out? If so, are your casts going very high, like a popup in the infield. That could be caused by releasing the line early. That was the main problem I had when I first went to an open face reel.

A great casting, inexpensive outfit, (and one of my favorites), sold at Dick's is the Daiwa Capricorn 100 XTC reel. This one has 8 bearings and one of the best magnetic cast controls on the market. It sells for $59.99. My rod is a medium action Shimano Convergence rod, 6'6". Mine was a clearance rod that I paid <$20 for. I see them for $29.99, there. I have the reel spooled with 12# Hybrid US line. This outfit effortlessly casts unweighted super flukes and like lures. The rod has plenty of backbone and feel. I really like the Daiwa Magforce system, (I still have a PMA 10 from the 80s that I love). It is easy to learn on, as the highest mag setting makes it almost unbacklashable, (is that a word, it should be ). As you come to know the reel, backing down on the cast control will give you very long distances. Targeting is much more precise with a baitcaster than a spinning outfit, for me, so I prefer this type of setup. Good luck, and welcome to the world of baitcasting. 8-)

I fished the 1minus, last night, for about a half an hour. The second cast produced one of the biggest bluegills I've ever seen. I have rather large hands, and it completely covered my hand. It was as deep as it was long and more than an inch thick. Two bass were also landed, one while stop and go cranking, and one while twitching on top. (I had missed three others on top before hooking that one). Last week, I caught 6 on the same lure. This was one of the elite series in Ghost Minnow. It casts like a rocket. Good bait.

Good video. I noticed on the website that MegaStrike is now in Dick's Sporting Goods. I rushed right out and picked some up. I can't wait to try it out.

Good article, RW.

The other evening, while fishing the Super Fluke, the nose got torn off by the 4th bass. Since I was leaving, shortly, and rather than rig up a new one, I just turned the hook and buried the point in the center and cast out. I got the most vicious bit of the evening, and the largest bass. Now I know what to do when my flukes get torn up.

x2.

Daiwa. But my Quantums, Abus, and Shimanos are great, too.

x3. Sometimes with a bit of a chartreuse tip.

14. I really cut down. Not too many years back I had more than 35.

I'm using 30# PowerPro with a 25# Gamma Fluorocarbon leader.

I use a blood knot. I made a simple jig to help tie these, and it works great. I get very consistent knots that hold extremely well.

Tried some Super Flukes, tonight, for the first time, (Green Pumpkin) T-rigged weightless with a Gamakatsu 4/0 EWG red hook. It was some tough fishing as another heavy storm had gone trough about 3 hours before. This is the fourth straight day of severe thunderstorms, in Mid-Ohio. As it was, I caught three bass in about 45 minutes, all on the super fluke. I lost four more before getting them into shore. I was really impressed with the action of these lures. I can't wait to use them again.

My first thought to downsize is after a front has come through. When the bite stops, it's time to downsize.