webertime

I had a Smallmouth burst through a cheaper weigh in bag (new bag). We looked at each other like did that just happen?! Same fish bit me at weigh in.

Plastic screw on top coffee containers filled with sand/cement. Rope tied to the handle... done.

"Start the suicide watch." After losing a big one by my own screw up "It's a Sea Beast!!!!!" (ripped off Zona) when netting a rat/dink "oof, ugh!" (Plink! line goes slack) "@#%&@#&! Pike/Bowfin!" "Here you go" When handing net with a Pike/Bowfin in it after it does it's roll and snarls up the whole thing, to the guy that caught it. "Last time I saw something like that, it was in a Playboy from 1984!" When I/a buddy backlash real bad.

The braid is probably wrapped a bit tighter and not as smooth as fluoro. Coming off the spool the friction of the braid on itself is what you are seeing with the shorter casts. I've used identically set up Curado E's on the same rod with Sunline Sniper and Suffix 832 of the same diameter and the Sniper casted further. I further adjusted the reels (spool tension, brakes) and no matter what, as long as I didn't go to extremes with the adjustments, the Sniper outcast the 832. That being said I still prefer braid...

I think he's saying the Cumara is XF.

The stabilizer attaches with two clamps, all you have to do is tighten 4 nuts. There are a bunch of plans to make them on the internet, but I found that there were too many shortcomings (couldn't retract the out riggers, made with PVC/Conduit, ended up being nearly as expensive when all is said and done). If you have access to CNC/aluminum/welding equipment then you can certainly make one, once you see how truly simple they are.

Check Craigslist in NH, VT and Maine. There are a ton of canoes in there for ~$200. Take a lady friend for a drive to check out the foiliage and grab one! 30lb Trust Minnkota TM's are a dime a dozen at $50-$75. Throw it on the roof on basically any car or truck and you are good to go. This is what I did... I added a canoe stabilizer http://store.springcreek.com/Stabilizer-Floats/Stabilizer-Floats/Spring-Creek-Ethafoam-Stabilizer-Floats-Complete-Package-p1588.html (I got mine on CL for $50). I am a big dude and have NO issues standing up in my canoe and flipping into slop or tossing big swimbaits... Sometimes I actually get a big fish in the darned thing! For $250-$700 you can get onto most any waters around you with very little effort and be off the shore. I love that it costs me $27 in registration per year and about a dollar in electircity per charge. PM me if you have any questions on my set up.

796 or 766. I don't think height has anything to do with rod length, I'm 6'5" and prefer a shorter rod... why? I have a 6'8" wingspan so I still smack the tips of my rods in the water as much as anyone else. I've had 7'6", 7'9", 7'10" and 8' rods, I prefer the 7'6"ers. The 766 will balance better (with a 200 sized shimano, just for reference) and 3" will really have a negligible effect on casting distance, ability to keep a fish pinned or anything else for that matter when bio-mechanics, fishing platform, wind, etc. are added to the fishing equation. This is just my opinion though.

NOOOO worries about the tip when a fish buries itself. Plenty of power to pull them out.

I have a Recon 766, and I love it. Not pool cue stiff at all. In one trip I can very effectively throw frogs, flip t-rigs or jigs into junk, drag c-rigs and even toss a 6" Hudd or Shellcracker swimbait. I like the slightly moderate action with braid, it somewhat tempers my jerky style when jiggling a flipped bait. I've held a Cumara and I would never tell anyone to not get one, but I really like my Recon 766.

I've been very fortunate to be a co-angler and fish hundreds of days on Champlain (wind factory) and I have to say the "best" boats I am been in are: The Ranger 522 w/250 SHO (we call it the Freightliner). It's bigger than some apartments, HUGE boat and very stable. Skeeter FX21w/250 SHO, there are a ton of Skeeter's owned by locals up here and they are very capible platforms, fast and a very smooth ride and handle the 2-4 footers with no issue. Ranger 521 w/250 SHO, (me 270lbs, owner 160lbs, and all our gear) got up to 73.8mph! Same very sturdy feel of the 522. Lots of guys are looking at Nitro's now up here. One guy that usually stomps us in the Opens uses a Z8 and loves it.

Around here when a Northern takes a crankbait we go into look out mode. Very often you'll see a fish break the surface near where you were bit off. Or just keep an eye on the surface nearby, often a crank will be floating nearby. It's the Pike shaking it out (trying). I've got back several bit off cranks this way.

8lb Sunline Sniper. Spray KVD line and lure on the spool a couple times during spooling and you will love it.

I have a bunch of really nice rods and I LOVE that model Extreme with a 2500 sized reel and some light braid for Ika/Senko and smaller Topwater. I use that rod about 40% of the time I can't help myself! Too bad they stopped making it.

Touchdown! Boca Grip Megastrike Fin Clips Fizzing Needle Line Clipper with Jig eye cleaner hook file Pliers

Take the model name off the reel... At ~$200 you have a reel that has XYZ bearings, spool, drag, etc. Who cares if one year that $200 reel is a Curado and the next it's a Chronarch, IT'S STILL A $200 REEL THAT HAS XYZ AND DOES WHAT YOU'D EXPECT A ~$200 REEL TO DO... Next year I hope the call it something new just so I can hear peoples heads exploding over it. I'm not trying to be snarky, I think people just get caught up in names/paint/"History" and lose sight of the fact that for a $200 reel it's a darn fine product regardless of the name. Nobody is freaking out over Daiwa's reusing the Cielo name on a MUCH inferior newer rod. Or the Aird, or the Legalis or the Presso...

1 Backwards Fat Ika 2 T-Rigged Pit Boss 3 Senko 4 C-Rigged Rage Shrimp 5 Keitech Fat Impact 6 Drop Shot a Whiskey River Bait Company Whiptail 7 3.5" Tube with a 3/16 to 3/8 jighead 8 Fluke 9 Floating Stanley Ribbit 10 Rage Shad

Gambler 4/0 or make my own with mustard Denny Brauer and shrink tubing.

50lb Tufline and lots of slop for ~ 2 months now... not an issue.

Diesel

I'm being 100% serious, give this a shot and you'd be pretty amazed at how fast you can adapt. Just do everything you do with your right hand normally, with your left (brushing teeth, fork and knife, "wipe", open doors, use keys, computer mouse, etc.) for 2-3 weeks. It takes no time or real effort and if nothing else you are creating new pathways and connections in your brain, which is good to do anyway.

Last week a buddy got a 3.5 on a little Spro Popper in 1 fow up in the weeds on Champlain. Our hypothesis was that it was adopted by the Largemouths and never told that it was adopted or shown a mirror.

They make some sick stuff and some junk, same as everyone. While the do make some "innovative" stuff a lot of those innovations end up with issues. (Twitchin Bar mechanisms breaking or having to be being removed, or getting line wrapped around them). (T-3's where fluro and braid are grooving the nose plate when used on some rods).

They are the same weight (2500 and 3000 at 9.7 and 9.9oz.). They are actually identical save for the spools, which are interchangable. I have a Sahara 3000 and a spare 2500 spool from a Saros and go back and forth all the time. The ONLY thing that I found with my Sahara was that the handle is only supported with 1 bearing. In the body of the reel, if you have the handle on the left the bearing is just under the left sideplate. Under the right sideplate is a bushing (on a Symetre it's a bearing). Now mine got VERY VERY gritty and locked up a bunch I think due to the bushing getting a little sloppy and knocking the gears out of alignment. I sent it off to DVT and had him rebuild and put a bearing in and now she feels like a Rolex.

PIKE love them... I had some hit mine and actually spin me around. Use a 5/0-6/0 weighted EWG hook. They're sort of like a Fluke that turns on it's side at the end of the jerk and start to fall/flutter like a spoon. I've caught some really nice LM's on them. Mine lost their eyes rather easily.