Certified Public Angler

I don't like braid on a baitcaster, I just don't think it cast very well. That being said I don't like fluorocarbon or at least Trilene's FC. It was not resistant to stretch or abrasion and it seems to have a nasty line memory. I'm not a fan. In conclusion I don't like any lines and I'm waiting for the next big thing. The castablilty of mono, the sensitivity of braid, the invisibility of flouro, and the strength to diameter ratio of braid. That would be the perfect line. XD.

Here is a video I watched to learn how to set up the baitcaster. I don't find his explanation of casting to be very helpful though. Essentially if you take your arm and make a motion like you are throwing a baseball in slow motion you will notice that you will flick your wrist to really propel the ball. A baitcaster is cast using a flick of the wrist and it relates to a baseball throw. It doesn't take much, practice with a slow snap of the wrist and gradually work your way up. For beginning just use a slow lobbing arm motion with a slow flick of the wrist near the arch of the arm motion. Once you become more comfortable start making the motion faster. When you flick your wrist you will get more power by turning the reel 90 degrees in mid cast, or in towards your body. Now once the bait is in the air you need to practice using your thumb to slow down the speed that the spool is spinning at. Just keep your thumb barely touching the spool while in the air, and right before it hits the water tighten your grip up. I don't know if any of that made sense because I just got back from the bar... the biggest thing is Practice.

Big O said he recommended 5/0 for the 10 inch and 4/0 for the 7 inch. He made a detailed post about it recently. Ill see if I can find the link. EDIT* http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1221743721/2#2 Also see this post for details: http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1221275213/21#21

Those are cookie cutters!!!! O_O I want to visit your bakery! Very nice fish.

I am under the impression that you guide the stick marsh? Is that correct? If so, was this a customer with you or just a fishing buddy? Always love reading your reports, my grandparents live relatively close to the marsh and one holiday trip I will HAVE to make a trip down.

My goals were to learn to use a baitcaster, which I am more efficient with than my spinning rod now. Also to learn to fish more baits then a senko. I now have a huge bag of different kinds of plastics and have caught fish on all of them, my go to is a lizard or a U-vibe worm these days. I also have started catching fish with topwater trebles and crank baits! Not very many but I will continue to throw em and learn when and where to use them effectively.

so you are to blame for all the colors going missing. ' I got a pack of green pumpkin and bama bug coming my way.

Nice fatty there.

After a long wait and a lot of drooling I finally got myself a nice baitcast set up! When I first learned how to cast a BC'r about a month ago and first started looking into purchasing one the Citica E caught my eye. About 2 weeks ago I put myself on the waiting list at our local fishing shop. Well on the same day I went Sportsman Warehouse this morning and found a deal on a rod, Kevin's sports called me to let me know the citicas were here. I had been waiting patiently and saving for a long time and I don't think I absorb one word of the lecture in class today. ;D Here is my set up, I think I got a good deal: Compre 6'6 Power: Medium Heavy Action: Fast - 59.99 Shimano Citica 200E - 109.90 Spooled with Suffix 14# mono for free I took my new set up to the lake this afternoon. It is incredibly smooth, and my casts are sailing! I had a couple small birdnests to start off while adjusting the brakes and control knob, but after that it was money. Ended up catching 7 bass and I definitely noticed a sensitivity difference with the new rod. Here are a couple pics of the set up. Can't wait to get out there Saturday! Thanks BR members for putting up with 1000 questions about equipment from me over the last month or so.

I don't see why braid would cause you to lose your lures when they get caught up. I got a lipless crank's trebles caught in the lilly pads once and I just tightened down the drag and tore the pads out of the ground. I was shore fishing and there was no way I was losing a new 5$ lure. I did have to replace the hooks though as they were bent like crazy.

Wow, how am I supposed to pay 4.88 for that much line and think that I'm using quality line? The bait monkey won't allow it. ;D jk, awesome news.

Well I was going to get a 6'6MH fast action crucial for 115$ that was on ebay. But I went to the Sportsman Warehouse today and held a MH crucial and it seemed bulky and heavy. Then I started looking at the compre's right next to them and I found a 6'6MH fast action compre for 59.99. I don't know why it was marked that low, maybe it is last years model, but I had to go for it. Now I'm just waiting on those darn Citica E's to make it here.

very impressive.

man this stuff is so cheap...? 11.99 for 600 yards. I pay more then that for 150 yards of powerpro or suffix. I also bought spiderwire mono for more then that and only 150 yrds. It is surprising that something RW(mr.shimano, g.loomis) so adamantly endorses is priced this well. That is not a jab at RW at all, I trust his opinion and I will definitely be trying it since it is no huge investment.

I am purchasing a new rod. I fish T-rigged plastic worms, lizards, craws, and senkos MOST of the time. But I am also trying every time I go out to try and learn to use new baits. (cranks, spinner, buzz, jerk, & topwater) I want this to serve as an all-around rod as I am trying to teach myself all applications. But just know my go to and majority fishing will be plastics. If you are wondering specifically I am looking at a 6'6 crucial MH fast action or a 6'6 compre MH/XF and am curious whether this will be best.

I caught one yesterday that was more blue then green...it was interesting.

man that sucks.

I would say get a mix if you don't have 1 that you have used and loved. That way you can know which you like better and even though you won't buy one immediately, in 6 months you can save another 70$ pretty easily if you put your mind to it. Hope that doesn't offend you as I can't know your economic position, but I think it is obtainable by most. I cut out buying tobacco for a month to upgrade the rod I could afford.

They are definitely the same. If it says E it is new. The difference comes because like a car manufacturer the 2009 reel is released in 2008 so some ebay sellers or internet people may have written 2008 in the description.

Zoom - U-vibe worm green pumpkin or Zoom - 6" watermelon seed lizard 4/0 Gamakatsu hook and 1/16 lead bullet weight. Fished slow and in contact with the bottom.

Im on the waiting list for the citica. I'm dying seeing all these pics and seeing the reels pop up on ebay.

yeah i know. I would just rather buy a reel from a store in my hometown. That way if I have any problems and can go to them for answers.

thanks for the explanation.

well they aren't here yet >

I just tried to use that for a rod but it didn't work. Maybe it doesn't qualify or I just did it wrong.