Big Bait Fishing

Duel Hardcore shad (pearl holographic shad ) , they have three sizes , it's best to have all three when on the water as you really need to match the shad size . i use the 50mm ( 2'' ) as the bass in the lake i fish are so keyed on these shad that a fluke does't come anywhere near matching them as the lake i'm fishing is really clear , i love this bait as i like to fish towards the bottom of the shad ball , not the top where there is mostly the smaller bass .

fishing a Hudd on the bottom , you want to reel super slow , trying that with a high gear ratio is pretty hard , with a low gear ratio , you can always speed up . by knowing your reel is pulling in at low IPT's when you have a lot of line out , you reel a tad faster till you know you're about half spool then slow down as far as slack line , fishing a trout imitation bait like a hudd , you don't have excess slack and you keep the rod pointed at the bait with tip down , when you get bit , there is no slack that can't be picked up with 6 1/2'- 7 1/2' of rod in front of you . for the guys who like using round reels , you'll notice most use the calcutta D that has a gear ratio of 5.1:1 ..bottom line is , low IPT reels for swimbaits is where it's at ...

these are money for the lakes i fish , perfect size , worked fast with brief pauses

i currently use Gamma co-poly in 30 & 40 for big baits (7-15 oz.) i have 25 lb. on the reel now for hudds , though i can't get much 40 lb. line on my Revo Toro 51 . Gamma co-poly is very strong , almost to the point of it's difficult to break off 30 &40 lb. line by hand , even wound around a towel in your hand !!! but memory is pretty high as you start getting into higher test lines . might have to start using Izorline XXX by the way Tom , i imagine you'll be going to the Bassathon this year , i'll probally go on the Saturday , maybe i'll see you there

that sounds like a good line and i've been wanting to try it , just wish they made it in 30 & 35 lb. test , but the 25 lb. is probably great for medium sized baits like the hudd 8'' and Deps 250

right on ! it just seems that a smaller pound test flouro gives the bait a lot more natural action . but hey , whatever works !!

are you using this for finnese or regular baits ? , cause that's a pretty stout connection . i bet if you dropped down from 20 lb. braid to 10 or 12 lb. braid you'd notice improver casting distance and the line would flow through guides a lot better ( especially your connection knot ). sounds like a casting set up , is it ?

don't know about perch since there are none where i live but for blue gill , i find that the best bait is raw shrimp ! i go to the seafood counter in my local grocery store and ask them for a dollar or two of medium size peeled shrimp ( about 6 or 7 shrimp) , take them home and dice them into tiny pea sized chunks and throw them in a zip lock , at the end of the day , just throw them in the freezer to use for another day !!

i think Abu is trying to market to a vast array of species - but it is generally a musky reel , designed for use as a reel for small musky blade baits , hence the fast retrieve ratio . seems on TW that Abu is touting it as a swimbait reel,when was the last time you heard of a swimbait fisherman using a 7.1:1 gear ratio .. if you want a Revo for swimbaits with this size reel , the Revo Winch is what you want !, has a 5.4:1 gear ratio , weighs 2+ ozs. lighter and costs $150 less ..

what about using 3.5's instead of 5.5's

probably gonna go 16-10-6-3.5 , my last rod was 20-12-8-6-3.5's

don't know about flouro but a lot of guys used to use the co-poly for big baits . that stuff was super springy !! most people changed it out every other outing , it was really cheap .

these days with most of reels under 7 oz. ,contimplating fishing a 9-10 oz. reel should not be an impulse buy !!

i mostly throw trout imitation baits like hudds , for those i like an IPT somewhere between 21'' - 26'' . so to answer your question , get the 25'' IPT reel ! to make a recommendation , i don't know if you use or like Abu Revo reels , but if i were throwing those size baits you mentioned , i'd get a Revo winch , it has the 5.4:1 gears and can hold plenty of 20 lb. line , plus it weighs a LOT less( at least 3 oz !!!) . and costs a LOT less !!!

wish i could make a short video clip ! i can tie an improved clinch a lot faster than that , maybe i'll work on it (video)

Mike , i was wondering what the smallest reduction guide you've had sucess with , on a spinning rod of course , i've been using size 20 but was contimplating a size 16 ( Fuji KL-H 16H ) as i use a Pflueger 9525 (1000 size ) and 10 lb braid ,

a lot of sites offer it up online . try TW every body has their own preferences but thought i'd throw this out there , for me , the best line combo i've come across is Sunline SX1 in 10 lb. ( braid ) & Sunline Sniper in 6 lb. ( florocarbon ) , best casting , very strong , and super manageable , i see no reason to try anything different ...

try some 6 or 7 lb. Sniper , i use 6 lb. and it is VERY good ...

for the money and quality , it's hard to beat Sunline Sniper !! not much memory ( for a leader it's not a factor ) very strong , and for $20 a 200 yard spool , it's a no brainer ..

flourocarbon line gives your bait a more natural presentation , mostly on the fall ( think wacky rigged stick baits ) and the sinking of the flourocarbon line takes the bow out of the line providing better slack line sensitivity . like Yudo1 said , try a long leader , he suggested 8' , i acctually use a longer one , mostly 10 - 15 feet , as i can take advantage of the flouro benifits i mentioned , plus i can control the line twist and memory issues better by using a leader connected to braid ! as far as strenth , learn to tie good connective knots for the braid to flouro leader , i keep it simple and tie a double uni and it's plenty strong . another benifit is saving a LOT of money by using leaders of flouro making a 200 yard spool last a long time !!!

anytime !!

the revo beast is really a musky reel designed for musky /pike fishing but is marketed also for bass but most bass fisherman have tons of options for reels that weigh a lot less , which most bass fisherman take into account , Abu Garcia is trying to offer different options to Shimano's Tranx reel ....

for swimbait rods , 8'6'' is the minimum , i use a 9' rod and there are lots that use them as quite a few people build of the Phenix 909XH , mine is built off a St. Croix . 8' rods are good for smaller baits , but for big baits you want a longer handle , put a 18'' handle on a 8' rod and you only have 6 1/2' of rod in front of you , not the best situation for slinging big heavy baits and wanting to do it all day .

frog fishing is a technique that always calls for a locked down drag .

you'd be better off with the Revo Rocket , flipping with a 9 oz. reel would be a chore .. if i were looking for a good reel for flipping , pitching , and punching , i'd get a Lew's BB1 in 8.0:1 , but really , the reel you already have would be perfect , if your using it for something else , get another one and save $200 ....