curls00

I've used this knot dozens of ties and it has never once failed. I do 5 turns up, 5 down, and it holds really tight with no slipping at all. I did have it slip ONCE (during my post-tying pull test) when connecting 20# braid to 8# mono, but it was because I accidentally only did 3 loops back instead of 5. The key is to make sure the braid wraps are even and make an XXXXXX pattern over the looped mono/fluoro. Try to not let the wraps double up up or down... make the overlaps even and alternating as in the XXXXXX pattern, it'll hold every time!

I really like these for weighted wacky rig hooks: http://www.northlandtackle.com/Page.taf?page=News/20051201LipStickWackyWormHook&title=Lip-Stick%C2%AE%20Wacky-Worm%20Hook%20NEW%20PRODUCT%20RELEASE The Kahle-style hook provides excellent hookup ratios, but ONLY if you use a subtle sweep-set and NOT a hammer-it-home hookset. I've caught hundreds of bass with this hook and its never once failed me in any way. If rigging weightless, I use a 2/0 Gamagatsu finesse hook, or, the weightless version of the above Northland hook.

As a guy without a boat who still fishes 10-12 tourneys a year (with 2-4 different boaters), I have found this setup works for me: BPS Extreme boat bag, 24"x12"x12". This will hold all of the following (except the plastics binder, but it does carry that too on occasion - see my 2nd last paragraph). http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_10205325_999043012_100000000_999043012_100-22-0 4-5 Plano 3700-size trays (they sit vertically and have labels ("Cranks", "Spinnerbaits", "Jigs", "Trailers", "Topwater"). I often leave the Cranks one at home on some of the shallowest lakes as I rarely throw 'em from a boat. My rain gear, lunch, pliers, knife, scent, and a spool or two of leader material all fit here as well. 2 small organizers (about 5x6", from the dollar store) - one for hooks, one for weights. My Fin-Tech jigs and tube jig heads also go in these. Worm/plastics bag. http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_10200096_999043012_100000000_999043012_100-22-0 I use this as follows: One side contains senko-style baits and typical worms. The other side contains creatures/flippin'/pitchin' baits like Kreatures, Brush Hogs, skirted grubs, etc. I try to only take one style in each colour (so in senko-tyle baits, I'll only take 8-10 of black w/ blue flake, not 3 packs of different brands in the same colour style). I replenish from the original packages every week or two, to compensate for what has been lost to fish/tearing. Now, I am travelling by air to fish a 2-day tournament with my brother up in NW Ontario this week. I have pared everything down to fit inside the BPS Extreme boat bag. I removed a lot of the flippin' plastics to save weight (won't be flippin' there), I combined the topwater and jigs into one 3700 tray as I won't be froggin' but will throw spooks and jitterbugs and poppers, and won't be throwing big 3/4oz largemouth jigs for the smallmouth bass up there. I kept the topwaters and smaller jigs I wanted, and am leaving the rest here at home. Really, it's all about PREPARATION and THINKING AHEAD about the lake/area you're fishing. If you need something, take it, but think twice about taking stuff that you won't throw. That extra space can often be put to better use (extra frozen bottles of water that thaw throughout the day and are refreshingly cold even at 2 or 3pm on a sweltering tournament day!). FWIW, I typically use 5 combos during a tournament but am only bringing 4 with me 'up north' as I don't need my froggin' rig. Also, my travel rod case (hard shell) holds 4 combos, not 5, and I'll be fishing in a smaller 16' Lund tiller instead of a true bass boat -- we need the room without snapping tips!

I'd swap those around, personally. As topwater.va mentioned, the Dobyns is a fantastic froggin' rod. I own the same Vendetta (7'3" HXF) and its my pitchin' / flippin' rod and does a great job of it, IMO. (Note: I'd go with something longer for flipping specifically, but I can't use longer than 7'3" due to my rod travel case and my car as well.)

The Alberto knot is AWESOME - easy to tie, very strong, and has never failed me at all. However, its only good for joining line to line. The OP was asking about fluoro to hook eye, in which case I recommend a palomar knot but double the line through the eye (twice instead of once). Also, slobber all over the knot before cinching it down. It works just fine with anything 8# and up in my books! Anything less and I will usually just tie the improved cinch knot, but its rare I fish with anything less than 8# at the business end of the line.

Wait a sec, do you want a spinning rod and reel, or a baitcast rod and reel? Your last sentence of the post indicates you want baitcasting, but all suggestions, and your existing equipment, have been spinning. If spinning, the Compre line is great. 6'6" MH Fast taper is a great all-around rod, IMO, and is really sensitive and avail. for about $100. Lifetime warranty, too.

I'm still concerned that the smallies have been pressured heavily, especially leading up to that tournament, and might have lockjaw if anything looks 'odd' to them. I don't believe that fluorocarbon is 100% invisible, although its close I'm sure. I guess if the bite is really 'on' I could try a bit of 20# Maxima fluoro leader material and see how it impacts the bite, but I'm not sure I want to risk having the jig (War Eagle heavy finesse jigs) in front of the 'big one' and having it shy away from the bait during my test-run of the heavier leader. Maybe this is all in my head and I'm wrong - maybe 20# fluoro would be better than 12# fluoroclear or even better than no leader. Are smallies THAT line-shy or am I just full of myths that I need to disspell in my own head before heading out there in just over a week?

Yeah after thinking about it some more, I just know I'll be snapping that line like there's no tomorrow, just to load up the rod even a little bit when the smallie is fighting. I might take my chances with some 12# Fluoroclear as the leader -- it's been good (enough) to me that I'm not too concerned with it breaking. Its also somewhat invisible and at least it matches the min. line rating of the rod. Drag will be backed off a LOT and my thumb will replace it for hooksets.

I have a tournament coming up in a few weeks that is waaaaay outside my normal waters. Its a smallmouth tournament in NW Ontario -- there is no largemouth within 300 miles of there. Water can be really clear and the smallmouth can be quite finnicky about seeing the line. Anyhow, I am bringing 4 rods with me, 3 of which I am OK for line ratings (40# braid tipped with 8-10# fluoro or mono leaders, on MH rods). However, my 4th rod I am bringing "just because", and it is a 7'3" Vendetta, Heavy X-fast action. I plan to use this one for deep jiggin in 40+ feet of water, as the extra length and its good sensitivity help. Now, the line rating is 12-25#, and the reel currnetly has 70# Samurai braid on it (~12 or 14# diameter). I cannot and will not re-spool this line for one tournament as its brand new and I don't want to waste the $ if it were not to go back on right. MY QUESTION: If I tipped this line with 8# Seaguar fluoro leader material, would the 8# line break before the backbone of the rod kicked in? In other words, is the line rating of 12# (on the low end) the amount of force that the rod needs to reach its initial backbone? If this is the case, I guess I can grab some 12# leader line but I really want to keep this leader as thin and invisible as possible in the ultra-clear water. Will I be OK (if I don't set the hook like a madman) using the 8# leader on a rod rated for 12-25# line? Thanks.

I have a 201DHSV and absolutely love it. The catch is that I have large hands (I'm 6'2" and have big hands for my size). So really the bulkiness doesn't bother me at all -- in fact that reel fits my hand better than most baitcasters (even the newest small ones) do. However, if you have normal-sized hands, or a $120+ budget, get the Citica E. Its a smaller reel, performs as well as the Curado D's, and has better features than the Curado 100D's (mentioned above in another post). Plus it'll be new so you won't have to worry about how it was treated, and, you'll have a warranty.

Thanks everyone. Pretty much what I expected was the problem, you confirmed it to be. I'll be picking up some 40 or 50# Samurai braid this week before this weekends' club tournament. Cheers, Eric

I can get a good deal on Daiwa Samurai Braid, 40#. I run 70# Samurai braid on my other 2 rods (my heavy cover jig rod, and my frog/slop rod). I love this stuff -- so soft and ROUND! I think the Spiderwire has flattened out. Maybe 50#... will research a bit and see what would work best. Thanks!

On my Curado (201DHSV) I currently have some Spiderwire 25lb (maybe 20 but I think 25) green braid. It was originally put on last spring but this spring I "reversed" it so the less-used stuff is at the top now. However, I've noticed that every time I set the hook or give the rod a jerk to free the lure/bait from weeds, the next pitch or cast will result in a backlash and a lot of swearing. The braid is seemingly digging into itself on the hookset/jerk and is causing problems. Is this mainly due to the thin diameter, or is it because the braid is old and may have "flattened out" on the spool? If anything I guess I could go up to 40# on this rod and use a fluoro leader (as I do with this Spiderwire anyhow). What are your suggestions and explanations as to what to use, and why this is happening? Thanks!

Shimano has numerous lines with 2-pc rods in them. My recommendation for a good 2-pc rod would be in the Compre lineup. Good sensitivity, lifetime warranty, good components, and the price ain't bad, either. Sure its more expensive than walmart or BPS combos, but its a quality rod that should last you and have no major disadvantages over a 1-pc. The only drawbacks to a 2-pc rod is the slight added weight, and the care you must take to ensure the joint is TIGHT and STRAIGHT before using it each time. The benefits are, obviously, portability (great when going camping with the family and you can't take a bunc of 1-pc rods due to lack of space or lack of willingness to lug them through the forest to good shore fishing spots!).

My vote goes to the Quantum Accurist PT "new" reels (the gunmetal color ones). They are a nice small profile, cast a MILE, have external braking adjustment, a good drag, and they are in Quantum's "PT" (performance tuned) series, which uses higher quality components and has aluminum frames (stronger) as opposed to their Code and Burst and all non-PT Quantum reels. Now, I like my Pfleuger President (lefty), and my Curado 201DHSV better, but the Accurist, especially for the price, is right up there in terms of performance and feel. It's great! Available in Left or right handed, and in 6.2:1 and 7:1 (Burner) gear ratios. They're small and light and perform very well for <$100.

A few bucks more and you can have an Abu Garcia Vendetta rod. Plenty of choice in that line, and they are solid rods that should serve you well for your first (or 2nd or 6th) baitcaster. I'd recommend something around 7'0" and Medium-Heavy, Fast or Extra-Fast action. Should work for most applications including spinnerbaits, jigs, pitching plastics, topwater, etc. About the only thing I wouldn't recommend on it would be crankbaits, but you can use a slightly-whippier spinning setup from your existing arsenal to chuck crankbaits. I personally have the 7'3" H XF Vendetta and use it for my heavy cover jig fishing. Its quite sensitive (it's no Loomis but its certainly respectable!). Its got plenty of backbone. It casts a mile if I want it to. It was $72 (Canadian!) so I'm extremely pleased that it performs like a few of my $150+ rods.

I use braid on everything except my cranking setup (fluoroclear on that one). With the braid, I add a leader if the water is clear or lightly stained, but run straight braid on my flippin rod as there's usually so much vegetation or junk that the line is nearly camoflauged anyhow. (Daiwa Samurai 70#.. this stuff is awesome!). With the leaders, I use only Seaguar fluorocarbon leader material (comes in 25yrd spools). I make the leader approx 6-7' long but that depends on what rod its on. If its on my pitchin' rods, I make the leader just short enough that the knot where it meets the braid is past the tip (out of the guides) when the lure is in my hand at the reel. So on a 7'0 rod, the leader is about 6'6" long. This way, the knot never interferes with the pitch/cast. I really think the fluoro leaders have increased my hit percentages compared to straight braid, but they also keep the sensitivity of the braid on 95% of the line, so there's really no significant loss of sensitivity when using the leader. The fact that the fluoro is nearly invisible underwater is its biggest benefit in gin-clear lakes -- less chance of spooking the fish. FWIW, My leaders range from 15# to 25# test depending on the application.

I was out fishing a few weeks ago with my usually-reliable Curado 201D, and upon casting, I went to engage the spool and heard the typical "click", but when I went to reel in, the spool wasn't turning -- it was like the handle didn't engage the spool 100%. I heard a grinding noise, the spool was reversing (as the lure was sinking, pulling out more line), and I was wondering -- what the....?!?! I removed the sideplate, jiggled the spool and braking area a bit, replaced the sideplate, disengaged and re-engaged the spool, and everything was fine again. Should I be worried? What might have happened to cause this? I last had the reel apart about 6 weeks ago to do some minor cleaning and lubrication (just the basic worm gear, spool, and the other easily-accessible bearings). Thanks for any help you can provide!

You can only buy them in Canada, or from a Canadian dealer.

From what I know, the Rapala reels are only available in the Canadian market. I have a good friend who is a Pure Fishing rep and he thinks the new Rapala reel (the higher end one, not the Volt) is really good. It sall he has on his rods now (partly because he gets them at a discount, but partly because he knows they're good reels). The Rapala Shift rods are REALLY nice for the price. Comparable to anything even 25-50% more expensive in my experience (and his). I own a Rapala R-Type rod (6'7" MH-XF spinning) and its been really good. Its sensitive and light, good backbone. The Shift rods are even better!

My frog and my flippin reels have 70 yards and 40 yards, respectively, of 70# Daiwa Samurai Braid. The backing is some old 17# CXX or whatever the tackle shop had lying around from last year (they spool my reels for REALLY cheap!). My pitchin' reel has some 12# mono backing with about 100+ yards of 25# braid on top. (I occasionally use this for trolling cranks in the spring for walleyes before bass season opens, hence the high amount of main line). Spinning reel #1 has some backing (electrical tape) and then 20# braid. I use this for trolling for walleye or pike so I need the full 175+ yards of line sometimes -- can't have transitions to 'old' line midway through the line in this case. Spinning reel #2 is straight P-Line Fluoroclear (fluoro coated mono). No backing, since its really just mono w/ a higher price tag.

Look into the new Quantum Accurist PT reels. The lefties are available in 6.3:1 and 7.0:1, include a flippin' switch, they're nice and small, all-aluminum frame and sideplates, metal star drag, and fel really nice in the hand.

I have a Compre 6'6" 1-pc MH Fast action that I use for tubes and senkos and it's really nice. Casts lightweight plastics a mile and the sensitivity is great! It's my wacky-rig / open-water tube rig (with a Sonora reel and 8# fluoroclear). I have no experience with the Falcon, but wanted to share my experience with the Compre with you. I'd recommend the Compre to a friend so take that for what its worth!

Abu Vendetta 7'3" Heavy X-Fast. Picked one up locally here in Canada for $72. Other options are what was already mentioned - Kistler Carbon Steel "Frog'n'Slop". I have the 7'3" one from 2009 and its a great rod -- tons of backbone and its relatively light, too.

Thanks for the opinions everyone. Sounds like the setup for frogs vs flipping is a toss up between the two I listed (aside from the slightly faster 7.0:1 curado vs 6.3:1 President). As pgersumky said, both are fast reels so maybe its not quite as big an issue as I thought. I'll test it out before my first tournament this season and see how it goes. Thanks for the food for thought!