Steve1357

Anybody got some calipers you can borrow? My old Abu Garcias use 4x10x4mm that means first part is the hole is 4mm, it's 10mm tall, and the width is 4mm. (somebody correct me if I'm wrong)

Is the spool centered? Maybe line is jumping on the shoulder of the spool. Line should never see gap. Braid shouldn't matter...

Just don't tell Glenn the spool tension adjust knob is not the centrifugal brake adjust ok?

I've used centrifugal brakes for over 50 years. Magnetic brakes just ends up ruining a lot of good line...lol The thumb is more important than some may give it credit. But have me try to explain what my thumb is doing during each moment in the cast, is impossible. But the thumb only has one job - prevent the spool from spinning faster than the line is coming off of it. Nothing else imho. You'll just have to stick with it, it will get better every day as long as you maintain a positive attitude.

I use the offset 5/0, not the widegaps. Never had a hawg straighten one out during the spawn; I've had other hooks straighten out. They're heavy enough too, I use them weightless. Wish they had 6/0-10/0 sizes. Try a pack, $1.29 for 5 before you get the 25 pack. https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/h2o-xpress-round-bend-offset-single-worm-hooks-25-pack#repChildCatid=395353

I use to use UglySticks but started getting the Academy Roughneck series lately. Half price of an Ugly Stick or more sometimes. 5' 6" pistol grip and up, several models, casting and spinning. Check their price in store, normally $20, sometimes I've discovered one model will be $15 and not in the sales circular. fwiw

I'm tickled using the inexpensive Sufix Tritanium copolymer you get at Academy. The 10 thru 20lb has worked great for me.

Y'all figured it out. What I remember, in the early 80s, we were buying long spinning rods for jigging or whatever you wanted to drop straight into cover. I still have mine, a surf rod that the rod blank would slide back into the handle to make it shorter for travel. I used it for pig and jigs, the old Uncle Josh pork rind type... Of course a casting reel on top of a spinning rod caught some attention. You'd quietly float into the brush or lily pads and reach in as far as you could and drop the jig straight down....and hold on.

https://www.harborfreight.com/6-in-diagonal-cutters-63816.html some people call them side cutters....

I like the old berkley station also. I do wish they could add a way to mount another reel in addition to the existing spool of line. Sometimes I hate to reload new line (I'm cheap), I'll slowly wind it on another reel while checking the line for bad places and then put it back on my reel. Backlashes tend to create bad places you don't find until it's too late.

Did a search for Rit's dye and didn't see anything. I got a deal on a lot of plastic lizards and creature baits years ago, 25-50c. But whether confidence or just too light, I never could catch anything. They're a translucent, very light colors, some with gold flake. Was in Walmart and saw Rit now makes a "Rit Dye More" for synthetic fabrics. Black was out of stock, but did have a dark green. Grabbed a bottle (almost $5) and tried a package of worms. Instructions said 30 or 60 minutes, didn't happen. I ended up one package four hours and let another batch in overnight. Overnight didn't seem to hurt the "toughness" of the plastics. Tried them out today, didn't fade best I can tell. Done four packs so far with the initial bottle. (7 or 8oz I think) Figure I can do at least 10 or more easily... Didn't wash the oil or attractant or salt off the plastics. Had a pickle jar and dumped the bottle of dye in, add a pack of worms, and maybe 10-20% more water to top them off and added the lid. Didn't try heat either. After a few hours, rinsed them off in cold water, put them back in original packaging, and added a squirt of attractant. Anyway, fun being a kid again....(tie dye T-shirts anyone) (I haven't tried the original Rit dye, it was 2.99 premixed in a bottle. They still have the powder packs you mix up too)

go small smaller line, 4-6lb, 1/0, 2/0 wire worm hooks, smaller worms, rigged weightless.... And slow down. If you wonder if you're going slow enough, you're still going too fast. When things aint happening, this usually works for me...

I grabbed an assortment off ebay of like 80 tips, for a few bucks from china. It's like 5 and 10 each of several different sizes...take a few weeks to get though... edit:I see a few US shippers so maybe wait isn't that long. $6-8 .... fwiw

Growing up in Arkansas, all small game and fish lakes had a ten horsepower limit. Somewhere along the line they dropped it. It is funny to see high powered bass boats running flat out in a WMA lake (flooded swamp really) suddenly not running flat out anymore. Sometimes I have to get in the vehicle so they can't hear me laughing....

yes, when you see the line heading for the surface, I sweep them back, and don't let them jump. when they jump, they use the weight of the lure or sinker as leverage to pull out the hook it was told to me long ago, when you feel them coming up to jump, set the hook sideways again...

Last two weeks have been very hot in the south. I've been running spinnerbaits as slow as I can on bottom while still keeping the blades turning or wobbling at least. (this is a 300 acre shallow lake, average 6 feet) I like the 1/8 and 1/4 oz full size spinnerbaits with colorado blades, helps keep it off the bottom and running slower. The dollar black spinnerbait with single colorado blade at walmart is awesome around here.

Lurenet picked up Norman, dont see any lipless these days... https://www.lurenet.com/brands/norman?p=1

I use old Abu reels almost extensively, I have a few 5501 LH reels I use from time to time with my regulars. I did it for carpal tunnel and arthritis issues more than getting ready for the hit though...

Right on, boat partners look at me bumfuzzled when I swap "thumbs" during the cast. Too many times a bass will hit the jig or worm as it hits the water, I'm ready! lol When I feel a backlash starting, I'll lift my thumb off and more times than not, it'll clear itself before the end. I think the spool tension cap has a lot to do with it, if it's adjusted properly.

I dont know about the new high tech reels, but on my old Abu reels, I tend to touch the edge of my thumb on the spool and not sitting on top of the line. With your thumb on top of the line windings, seems easier to get the line loose or a backlash.

fwiw Yum Bad Jamma a buck off (29%) and free shipping if you buy enough. https://www.lurenet.com/yum-bad-jamma

I found a schematic but not a user manual...

I like to piddle, I get the Walmart dollar spinnerbaits and change the blades around, maybe a skirt. The blade swivel is the weak point, it eventually fails and you put another swivel and blade on. But I usually get them hung in the rocks first. I feel I catch more fish with cheap spinnerbaits because I'm not afraid of losing them.... No trailer but I will use a trailer hook from time. Grab some cheap big eye trotline hooks and aquarium air pump tubing.... jmho

PRIMO119 is $25 off 119 or more... ymmv edit:Duplicate...sorry

imho, It's the mercury and PCB levels you should be worrying about. Our game and fish rulebook outlines all the bodies of water you should not eat fish from, or limit the types, quantities, etc. I assume you have access to something similar. https://www.agfc.com/en/fishing/general-fishing-regulations/