deep

You don't like it? Old pic.

The thread on "chairs" reminded me how I prefer to fish spots/ spot-on-spots from several different angles. Let's talk about angles; in my (very) limited experience with bigger fish, certain angles seem to trigger them better into biting. Assume that you're fishing an isolated piece of cover/ structure on a structure, say a brush/ rockpile on a point. Obviously it can be fished from all 360 degrees. Which angle is the best one? Does it depend on the sun, wind direction, forage fish movement? What if it's an overcast day with no wind, and only demersal baitfish? I'm not just talking about spring-up, and fall-down here. Even if I'm fishing downhill, I can present my bait along different paths. Merry Christmas!

Are you serious?

Shimanos in general seem to have a lower bearing count than a comparable (say) Abu Garcia reel.

Didn't read all the replies, but 1. might be difficult casting your 1/8 oz jig on a baitcaster (will depend on the reel and your skills) 2. find a rod with a foregrip, spool your reel with some good fluoro, and hold/ touch/ feel the line while retrieving.

Sounds good. Thanks.

Okuma Guide Select XH, Shimano Cardiff 400/401, 25# Big Game or 30# Pline PF. Good luck.

Chris, what's the sink rate on the 200 size S-Waver?

Are you in college?

Why spend $120 for a new one when you can buy a gently used one for ~$75?

Awesome! Congratulations.

No. Kills fish. Stock jig hook OR a BB-rigged small treble (size 1/2 for 8 inchers, size 2/4 for 6 inchers/ 68s) is plenty.

Yes. Plus, if a fish eats the bait at the end of a long cast, I'd have to crank like mad to catch up to him before I can set the hook.

The 200 size is too small; as in way too small. I can elaborate if you want me to, but it comes down to effective IPT and cadence. A 400 size would be great (for my preferences), a 300 size would do it too (for me). If you like the 300 size better, go for it. The Cardiff is the best bang for the buck, as has been mentioned. Even if price was not a matter of concern, I'll take the Cardiff over the Luna. I've owned and fished both. The Luna is a solid reel of course, but I prefer Shimano's VBS casting. Haven't ever fished a Conquest, but I did own a Calcutta 401TE. The Calcutta seemed to cast lighter baits (~2 oz) better than a comparable Cardiif 401. Maybe because it's narrower (not sure). With heavier baits, there was no difference. The Calcutta of course is way more refined than a Cardiff. All Cardiffs I've fished have/ had a peculiar geary feeling on the retrieve which might take a little getting used to. The Calcutta (or Conquest) is worth the extra money over the Cardiff. I'd rather buy a few baits with the money saved though, but that's just me. EDIT: With the Cardiff's, you have to unscrew the three screws on the handle side to access the brakes. Not so with the Luna, or the Calcutta 401TE (not sure about smaller Calcutta TE's, D's or Conquests).

Difficult to say what you're doing wrong without seeing it. Post a video of you casting.

#banwhinkle

So I guess he'll need another rod. Brace yourselves for a thread on which rod is the best.

Choose the ROF depending on the speed you want to fish the bait at. Fast retrieve with a low ROF => bait planes up on retrieve; slow retrieve with high ROF => bait'll sink down. ROF5 stays on level for about 1.5 secs per reel handle turn for a reel with 22 IPT. If fishing on the bottom, choose your ROF according to whether you want the bait to dig in (12/16), or not (5). I'd be VERY wary of listening to folks who have never caught a fish on a big bait, no matter how well-intentioned they are. Good luck.

What you don't see though are the skunk streaks. Only the real sticks catch big fish often; for regular joes, it's a bunch of long fishless days occasionally punctuated by a bass here and one there.

Nah, I won't. Don't have a spinning rod lol. Sounds like a great deal though. Go for it.

my mistake. You're right.

Thought this was cool.

Not sure what they're called, but it does have several pockets. Seriously though, I don't fish a bunch of different baits.

None of the above. If it doesn't fit in one of my pockets, I don't need it to catch fish.