BrASSmonkey

Beaver got to the rod...

Here is a general top water tip: Feel the weight before setting the hook. I am guilty of setting the hook into air on more than one occassion. There is that tenedency to pull the bait out of the fish' mouth when we see the splash.

I shudder at the thought of adding weight to the tip of any rod. With that said, i can see the idea behind adding weight to load the tip on casts. But the rest of the time, it is just dead weight on the rod tip.

Simply painting over the existing finish will increase weight significantly. If you want to do the best job of this possible, you would be best served by removing all of the guides, stripping the finish, lightly scuffing to promote paint adhesion, then spraying with the paint and coating with a clear coat. If it sounds like a lot of work to do it properly, it's because it will be.

I actually like to look for the negative reviews. I then filter out reviews that I do not think are based on any substance (ie - have not actually used the product). I then tend to look for common complaints or issues with a particular product. If there are enough of the same issues, then it is not likely user bias; a lemon; or too small of a sample for me to develop an initial opinion. I try to ignore the obvious biased reviews in favour of any brand, and dig until I find the grain of truth, if there even is one. It has worked for me thus far.

Great deal on a reel that fishes above it's MSRP imo. At $90, it's a steal!

That looks great! Nice MacGuyver job!

I had a similar experience with these. I could not get them to swim at the desired speed. If I have to burn these, then they are useless to me.

I use a modified Ambassadeur 4600 c3 for crankbaits. I added some bearings to several parts of the reel to improve casting distance. The c3 has a 5.1:1 gear ratio and tons of line capacity. I put a cranking handle on it, and am very happy with it. It casts a mile and the cranking, even with deep crankbaits, is effortless. It is definitely a tank, and it shows in the weight. It is heavier and bulkier than a low profile reel, but it gets the job done, and well. Many simply prefer the ergonomics of low profile reels to the round reels. I personally enjoy pulling out the round Abu.

I too am liking the Spear and the wide load. The spear looks like it would be a great leech or baitfish imitation - especailly with the way the lure undulates in the water.

Hey all, For my brother's bachelor party, we went on a cruise to the Bahamas that ported out of Port Canaveral. We drove down to Florida and stayed in Orlando. The morning of the cruise we went fishing with a bass guide on Lake Toho and got into some largemouth bass. The area had had a cold front not too long ago, which shut down the fish. Using golden shiners, we were still able to get some fish. Here are some pics. And of course, this 9 lb monster! It was a great time, punctuated by a Florida giant! Hope you liked the pics.

1) Flipping - see 10) 2) Carolina rig - 7' MH F Okuma C3, TD Advantage HSTA, 30 lb PowerPro green 3) Spinnerbait/Lipless Crankbaits - 7' MH F MHX MB844, Daiwa Zillion HA, 30lb Sufix Performance Braid orange 4) Frogging - See 10) 5) Drop shotting - see 12) 6) Shaky head - see 12) 7) Swimbait - see 3) 8) Crankbait - 7' MH MF Premier, Abu Garcia 4600 c6, 30lb Daiwa Samurai Green 9) Weightless plasics - see 11) and 12) 10) Jig fishing - 7'2" MH XF Rapala R-Type, Daiwa Fuego, 50lb PowerPro yellow 11) Texas rig - 7' M F MHX MB843, Daiwa Viento, 20lb Sufix Performance Braid orange 12) Finesse - 6'6" L F MHX SJ781, Daiwa Sol, 10lb Sufix Performance Braid orange 13) Jerkbaits/Shallow Crankbaits - 6'6" M F Browning Midas, Daiwa Fuego, 30lb Sufix Performance Braid green

I think it would depend on the depth of the lipped crankbaits and the cover around which you plan on fishing the lipless and lipped crankbaits. I find that a medium powered rod may not be stout enough to rip these baits through the grass. I prefer a fast action for my lipless crankbaits, also to facilitate ripping these baits free of the weeds; however, moderate action is more appropriate for deep crankbaits and treble hooked baits in general for fighting the fish. For your purposes, I would recommend something along the lines of St. Croix Premiere PC70MHM (7' MH mod-fast) for the best of both worlds. The rod is a graphite blend to achieve a moderate fast action without having too much give, for ripping the baits through the weeds. I prefer to fish mine with braid to further this ability. I find the moderate fast action good for deep baits as well.

This is one of those personal preference questions. I have heard from many rod builders on both sides of the argument. Some prefer as light a rod as possible, and balance is secondary, if even that; whereas others will sacrifice some weight in order to achieve the 'perfect' balance. In the end, it is up to what the customer prefers and values as to which is better. Some like the reduce torque on the wrist associated with balancing a rod below the reel seat. Others prefer going for as light a rod as possible, with less regard for the exact balance point. I prefer to build my contact bait rods for balance since I use much more wrist action with those presentations. Where I chuck and wind, slightly tip heavy is not too bad for me. The science suggests that any additional weight reduces the transfer of vibrations through a rod. Whether this reduction is noticeable to an angler is dependant on the angler, the added weight and the resultant reduction in vibration.

I own a Browning Midas 6'6" Medium Fast baitcasting rod, and it is by far, my favourite rod of the manufactured rods that I own. Mind you, I do not own any high end rods such as G.Loomis. I do own an Okuma C3 and a St. Croix Premier. However, the balance, crispness and sensitivity of the Midas is fantastic for me. I tend to use it for small crankbaits and jerkbaits due to the length and action.

I too hate when line wraps around the guides on missed hooksets, but spiral wrapped rods do not seem to be as prone to this.

I have the Falcon spinnerbait/buzzbait tackle organizer and I could not be happier with it I used to have the cube spinner boxes and was not satisfied with how bulky they, how the cooks tangled and the rather limited capacity. I find that the Falcon holds many mor spinnerbaits in a form factorthat suits me well. Ihave not noticed any negative impacts on the spinnerbaits either. Great system.

I am not sure if it would work. The newer Pure Fishing reels, which share the same frame can swap gears. I am not sure whether the Summit falls in that category. I also know that the Summits came in the standard spool and wide spool versions. If one fits, then the other will nto likely fit. I am sorry I cannot be of more help with that one.

With Quantum, You would have to go to Quantum and see if they have a gearset that ould be dropped into a Code. I am not familiar enough with Quantum to know if this would work.

You could contact Pure Fishing. Or you could try Mike's Reel Repair. Depending on the model, the gearset of an Abu Revo could drop in.

I have seen red blaid bleed when really wet, which can stain cork. It is on my brother's rods, and the cork on his rods is pink in places. I don't know if this is common or has happened to anyone else. I am just sharing my experience. The braid in this situation was PowerPro.

Hey all, I have the following reels, purchased from various membes from various message boards, and I was wondering which techniques you would apply each reel to. I currently have: 1 x TD Sol 1 x TD Viento 2 x TD Fuego 1 x TD Advantage HSTA 1 x TD Zillon HA I already also have an Abu Garcia c3 4600 modded to a c6 that I use for deep crankbaits, so deep crankbaits is out of the question for the above reels, not that their gear ratios were conducive to the technique anyways. Throw out any recommendations you may have. I am open to any and all suggestions. Thanks!

I use a leader primarily because most of the waters I fish have pike in them, and I am afraid of getting bit off without a leader.

If you take apart your reel, you can measure the washers with a caliper and let Dawn at Smooth Drag know what sizes you need.

Looks like a San Diego Jam knot to me. http://www.netknots.com/html/san_diego_jam_knot.html