SirSnookalot

Regarding your situation..............get what you want. I did something last week that I am normally vehemently opposed to, I bought a rod on line thru Amazon. The rod came in a timely fashion, before I opened the box I knew the rod was broken, and it was. It was not Amazon's fault but the vendor's for doing a poor packaging job. I called Amazon, the rep in India (sounded like it) could not have been more helpful, 11:00 the next morning I had a new one over nighted to me, this one packaged properly. Luckily my only 2 inconveniences was having to call Amazon and taking the broken rod to a shipping outlet.

I've been fairly pleased with my 2 stradic fi 4000, a lot of guys down here complain about the stradics. I've been lucky with mine, a few not too serious problems. The 4 and and 5000 fj are identical except for line capacity, on a different rod it would be a nice set up, 10.8 oz is lighter than I wanted I was at BPS this morning, checked out the saragosa and spinfisher, both pretty nice. Wound up buying a Quantum, I'm happy with my purchase.

I don't see why you can't count a fish caught any time of the year, it's your outing not some else's. I don't bass fish this time of year, with the exception of some community pond fishing once in a while. Snook are my primary fish year round, they are difficult to catch in the winter but it gets better now until the end of the year. Many guys use live bait I do not, I prefer using artificials. I don't take anything away from the bait users, they put a lot of time and effort in catching the live bait.

I had a foldable I was using for snook, lasted 2 days before it broke, don't remember the brand but it wasn't a cheapo. I use a pier net, it's really a must for some of the fish. Offshore I only use a net when I know the fish is going to be released, as I'm using 40# leaders many fish are just picked up by the leader, after you get to 15# or so I use the net, toothy critters are always gaffed or netted.

Just the conversation or thought of breaking a rod creates bad karma. This entire thread should be deleted for everyone's well being.

I'll preface this by saying when it comes to gear recommendations I value what 0119 says. A saltiga, stella or torque is bit more than I'm planning on spending. I'm going to give the Penn spinfisher a good long look. My present quantum has served me quite well, and the new ones are a completely different design, hopefully I'll be happy with whatever I wind up with. All that matters................is the fish! lol.

I pretty much agree with this, I may go a little shorter yet. For most of my fishing I tie my leader on with a swivel, about 20", if I'm freshwater fishing and will be changing lures, I'll use a duolock. When I do tie leader to line it's only for some specific species I'm targeting, at that time it will be about 5' leader and 10# braid with 20# leader, the knot is fine going thru the tip guide, I don't care to do it with a larger mainline and leader line. If my target is toothy critter I will put a 1" duolock on the end, it prevents a few cut offs, not all.

I use the alberto on occasion, I don't see how a knot can eliminate line twist on a spinning reel. Twist is cause by 2 main factors, a lure that is constantly rotating like some spoons or a fluke turning over, try and keep that hook centered. Also the way the line is wrapped around a spinning spool when retrieving does cause twist as well, not nearly as amplified with braid as with mono lines. How to avoid line twist.........you don't, but you can reduce it some. If you are going to use a swivel, use a quality ball bearing, better yet is a ball chain swivel. I've some some crane chain swivels but have not tried them.

I don't know about tv shows because I don't watch them, but in real life some braids do make a sawing noise. I don't find it to be annoying and pay little attention to it, I know some people are bothered. Holding your rod at a different angle seems to remove some of the noise, I use 10-15 or 20#. Knowing what is causing the noise and seeing that no damage is done, just leaves me with 1 less thing to be concerned about. On one set up I'm using 12# super cast, this is my heaviest bass line, this line is very smooth and quite.

I'm not much of a mono or copoly user but on certain outfits I do use it. I fish nothing but spinning gear, a few months ago I loaded up with 14# silver thread on one of my barracuda outfits. My lures spin 360 degrees all the time, plus the normal action of how line loads on a spinning reel causes severe line twist. Normally I limp my line out with hot water, I was lazy and didn't, just spooled it up. Been using silver thread last the few months and catching 20-40# barracuda in inlet current that runs 6-12 knots, that's pretty quick. The line has yet to fail and manages well, the key to catching any larger fish is healthy line and knowing how to use your drag, and the quality of your knot, I use an improved clinch on this set up. I do recommend trolling your line out after each outing.

If I were to use backing for saltwater fishing I would want it at or near the strength of the braid. The backing would be a larger diameter, too much backing less braid or too little and more braid, may as well go braid all the way, that's my preference. A bass sized reel does not hold that much line, it doesn't need to be changed as often as mono and it can be reversed, full spool of braid is inexpensive in the long run. I know a lot of people use backing, but I don't and never will.

I had initially been interested in the Okuma raw 2, haven't seen it in person but wanted to. After thinking about it and handling a few other Okumas with round knobs I was turned off, not that there is anything wrong with their reels, but I prefer a t or paddle knob, it that's the correct term. The Quantums seem to have what I'm looking for and my eye loves them. I did go to buy one this morning and the store was out of stock, which worked out better as I'll be close to BPS tomorrow, they have both models in stock and I'll have another day and another visual to decide. I'll check out the spinfisher again as well as a few others, but my mind is pretty made up, any thing I decide should work well, I'll have my rod with me. My 5 yr old Cabo 30 has served me well. Thanks for the input. If I were looking for a lighter duty inshore or freshwater reel, that Daiwa lexa is really really nice. http://saltwateredge.com/blog/2013/02/06/new-quantum-cabo-and-boca-fishing-reels-for-2013/

I don't get heartbroken. Getting the strike and fighting the fish is good enough, I want them to jump, that's the fun of bass fishing, I'm going to release them anyway. I've landed my share.

For bass fishing no adjustment is needed on spinning gear. As mentioned palming the spool will add drag, in the case of a fish buried in vegetation grab the spool with your hand and pull the fish out of cover into open water, then reel in as normal. Another little trick is to grab the rod a little higher up on the shaft and again pull the fish out of cover.

The 2 top water lures I use in fresh water are a Matzuo (hooks do get replaced) and 3/8 Storm chug bug, both lures move water well and stay suspended on the pause, no doctoring is needed. I have no preference one over the other.

What ever you do is personal preference, it all works just fine. I personally never use backing on spinning reels, just the way I like it, many people do use backing and there isn't anything wrong in doing so. Most of the time I'm using a ball bearing swivels to connect my leaders, but when I do use an alberto knot there is no problem with it.

I wouldn't like any one telling me how to raise my children. My own common sense tells me a fishing rod for a 5 year old is one thing, a rifle is a totally different issue, I'd be waiting a few years. What some one else does with their kids is their business not mine, I don't see a trip to the backwoods of Alabama for me any time in the near future......lol.

A sheath with tethered a lanyard will remedy that.

Welcome aboard !!

Fishing with a heavier leader than the braid is quite the norm down here. We have fish with razor sharp gill plates that will sever lighter leaders. If by chance we are cut off from coral, rocks or barnacles, the cut point is usually the leader or very close to it, not much loss of line. For an example and it would be the same for different leader and line combinations, 20# braid does not break too far from the breaking point of a 40# leader, what happens much of the time is the fish spitting the hook or loosing it on a jump. Also using the drag properly and letting the fish take out line takes tension off the line, leader and knots, less of chance for any breakage. Different tactics for different areas and fish species.

The reel isn't the problem, the spool stays in a fixed position while casting. About all it can be is the way the line comes off the spool or the line itself. The only other reason (very remote) is the line hitting hitting the first guide, but that still is a line problem and not rod or reel IMO.

Never know without being there, but sounds like the line is coiling a bit. I would remove the spool from the reel, soak in water tepid to hot 10 minutes (some prefer a line conditioner if you have it), I then would troll your line out before fishing to remove the twist. Reel feel ok on retrieve?

Bought an 8' mh inshore rod, just luv it. For the time being I put my 7 year old Shimano spheros 4000 on it, more than adequate, 12.6 oz, 22# drag, but it's nearing the end of it's life and getting a new reel for a new rod is mandatory, lol, but I'm in no rush. I'm looking to go a bit heavier not lighter to balance the rod out better. Penn battle, nice feeling reel, good knob, line capacity ok, good price but lacks punch. Stradic fj, good reel but lighter than what I want, the 6000 is too heavy. Sargasso, pretty much same as above. Daiwa lexa 4000, beautiful reel, tad light that I can get a way with it, good line capacity, but I don't like the dinky knob. Any reel with a round knob is not in consideration..........period ! Stradic 5000 fi might fit the bill if I can find one, own 2 4000 fi's at present, IMO not the most durable but I like the reels. Quantum Cabo or Boca, new series, is kind of where I'm leaning, take my rod in and see how it feels.

My formula for inshore leaders is to double my braid rating, for 20# I use Big Game 40# and it's worked out quite well. Once it's in the water it limps out pretty good but the one negative is my alberto knots do not come out well, it isn't that big a deal for me as I mainly use swivels. I've used Big Game either 20 or 25# can't remember for offshore species on a conventional reel, no issue to be concerned about, that being said not used in a cast and retrieve situation, but drifting and trolling.

I got some spots on my back a few years ago and Selsun Blue was recommended, helped a little bit. Once a year I go for a physical, I also get a skin cancer screening and the health of my eyes checked at the appropriate specialists.