shanksmare

21farms, Whoops, sorry I didn't get the jist of what you were saying. my mistake! Probably how much line is on the reel (thus reel spool diameter) ... filled, over filled, under filled will have an impact on IPT. Maybe more than the difference between a 6:1 and a 7:1. Maybe?

Really! You can notice the difference in that 1" Per/Turn. I must not be too discerning because I can't tell if I'm using the reel with a 7:1 ratio or the one with the 6:1 ratio unless I look at the markings on the reel. I guess I just subconciously reel a tad faster or a tad slower depending on the reel and what I want the bait to do. Since I never retrieve a spinnerbait straight in at a steady retrieve and I almost never burn a spinnerbait in, I guess it doesn't much matter.

I have used a PQ for 4 or 5 years now. I'm retired so I fish 4 or 5 days a week. I fish off the bank so I try to keep things simple and use 1 rod. I engage 2 of the centrifugal brake tabs on the spool. For spinnerbaits I usually don't set anything else. If the wind is really honking in my face I'll set the spool tension and magnetic brakes like glenn detailed in a video. But as I said I usually don't bother setting those adjustments when fishing spinnerbaits and don't have problems with backlashes. I'm more vigilant with my settings when fishing in the wind with a t-rigged worm and a 1/8 oz weight. I haven't used any of the newer high priced reels so maybe they are better. I just don't feel the need.

As Maxximus and Sirsnook have stated, it doesn't seem like a very good deal. You can buy the Pursuit rod and reel combo from the Penn Fishing Store for $60 to $80 depending on the size. My experiences with the cheaper Penn reels was not too favorable. My son had a $60 or $70 Penn spinning reel (Captiva I think) that was a piece of junk. In less than a year it was in the trash can. I gave him a Daiwa BG30 that I had used for a number of years surf fishing on Cape Cod. He is still using it 5 or 6 years later. The BG30's are a great buy for an $80 or so reel. The Penn Battle is a very nice reel for under $100. I've used one for sometime now. It has performed admirably in saltwater. The only issue I've had was with wind loops. When I reduced the amount of line on the reel, that problem disappeared. An employee at BPS told me to only fill the spool up to the gold rim and that solved the wind loop problem. The line capacity that Penn states on the reels is rather "generous". The 3000 sized reel is supposed to hold over 200 yards of 15# braid. It holds about 125 yards. The 5000 sized reel that I have also has similar capacity issues. Overall the Battle is a good solid reel that is reasonably priced. Several other guys that I regularly ran into fishing here locally also use and like this reel. So I would recommend other options over the Pursuit.

I usually use an Albright Knot for tying mono to braid for saltwater fishing. I usually keep the leader fairly short ( 24 - 30") so I don't have to reel the knot into the guides. With this arrangement, I rarely have any issues with the knot. However, on those occasions when I feel it necessary to use a longer leader which goes into the guides, I have found it prudent to retie the knot periodically. It seems as though the knot takes a beating going through the guides from casting. Retieing every couple of hours or so seems to solve the issue. I wouldn't make the leader so long that it winds up on the reel spool. This seems to create even more problems. I'm sure others have had different experiences. These are mine for what they are worth.

There are rodbuilders and shops that carry rodbuilding supplies that often give classes on building rods. I've seen some of the rods that 1st timers have produced and they are of very high quality. If there is a class somewhere near where you live I would go that route. Many of the tools needed to make rod building easier can be made from scrap wood. For years I've used 4 or 5 V-blocks made from scrap wood and lined with weather stripping felt to protect the rod finish. I made a drying motor from an old barbeque grill rottisiere motor. The first rods I wrapped I used nothing but a coffee cup for the thread and a few books with a bag of lead shot for tensionand a set of very strong fingers. I turned the rod every 5 or 10 minutes for several hours until the finish was tacky enough so it wouldn't run. Not recommended! Most of the rods I've built were for my own use. I've built 20 or so surf rods (spinning and conventional), 10 or so FW baitcasters and 10 or so fly rods (5 wt to 10 wt). They weren't works of art (they weren't supposed to be) but good servicable rods. I found that I could build fly rods that had better components than Sage or Loomis at a fraction of the cost. Over the years I found that plain old Hardaloy guides were just as servicable as SIC at a fraction of the cost. I found that guide placement didn't make that much of a big deal. There are many charts online that give recommended sizes and placement. They seem to work fine. You can always tape the guides on and try the rod to see if any size or placement tweeks are in order. If you are using the rod to pitch lures under docks or into fallen trees, I doubt if it will make much of a difference. Even with a surf rod, where distance is a lot more apparent than with a FW rod, I never noticed any major improvements by tweeking guides. I believe the K concept (or whatever its called) has much more of an effect when using mono or flouro. I think from what I've read, it has minimal effect when using braid. As Papajoe stated, take your time and have fun. It can be addicting. If you have problems seek the advice of a pro. Most are very helpful. You may or may not save any money, but you will have the satisfaction of fishing with a rod you built yourself. That in and of itself is very gratifying.

I have a 5 1/2' custom rod (by me) with a Lew's Fuji Speed Grip handle (pistol grip) sitting in the corner. It has a Shimano Bantam 100 reel on it. It was great for close quarters fishing. I liked it for pitching spinnerbaits and t-rigged worms far under docks. I noticed when I use it now that I have to turn the handle a lot faster to get the same lure speed. I think that the Bantam was a "high speed" reel at the time with a 3 1/2 to 1 gear ratio. I've used it a few times in the backwaters during the winter to catch snook on Zara Spooks. The rod is made of 1st generation graphite so it has a parabolic action somewhat like glass. I remember buying the rod blanks through the mail from a company in Texas. The rod blanks had a butt adapter that fir the Speed Grip handle.

Somewhere on this site there was a video of a seminar given by a biologist who was involved in managing ponds in Texas, I believe. It had a lot of useful observations concerning bass fisheries, just how common DD bass were and perceptions by anglers. I particularly liked his quote, "Bass fishermen spend most of their time trying to outsmart a fish that CANNOT think!". ( or words to that effect) This thread certainly has 'evolved' from the original question.

There are few absolutes when it comes to fishing. All you have to do is read a bunch of articles and it soon becomes apparent that there are many conflicting opinions: one author says you have to use flouro, the next says you must use braid, etc, etc ad infinitum. So who are you to believe? Me of course! (just kidding) When I lived up North I started out using the go to lures for that area and that time. Lures like Jitterbugs, River runts, Darters, Hula Poppers, plastic worms, etc. My success ratio was pretty dismal. I started fishing with a friend who was an accomplished bass fisherman and my success ratio went up a few ticks. I then started reading more about bass fishing and using lures which were successful in the South (not necessarily FLMB). Now I was really cooking, I joined a bass fishing club and started doing well, even winning some club tourneys. Fast forward about 35 years and I found myself living in Florida. After several years of fishing mostly in SW I started fishing for bass again... I used the same lures I used up North and after making a few presentation tweaks, I started catching bass successfully. So are NLMB more aggressive than FLMB? I guess my answer is: "At times!". How's that for a cop out? Perhaps NLMB are more aggressive is due to the fact that in many locations up north no one fishes for them from November to May. Whereas the FLMB are hammered pretty much year round. The NLMB always seemed to be a lot easier to catch in June than in September after they had been pounded anglers for 3 months. All that being said I have noticed that most guides in FL that are targetting larger bass use shiners for bait. So one would assume it is much easier to catch the larger bass with live bait than with lures. Oh ya I'll address the DD bass thingy (to show my credibility or lack there of). I've caught well over a hundred DD bass in a single night ... from shore. Many of which were over 20 pounds! So there you go! Oh you mean striped bass don't count? Aw shucks! So I only caught one DD FLMB. Why is it that so few anglers catch LMB over 10 lbs.? I guess the main reason is that there aren't any LMB over 10 lbs where they are fishing. I could tell you stories of my trip to San Diego (Ocean Beach actually) and my conversations with anglers that I met there but another time. Well my fingers are getting tired from typing, so now you have one more persons opinion for what its worth.

It might have been a gar. I've had them chop swimbaits (of the Skinny Dipper variety) in half. I've never had a snapping turtle chase an artificial lure. However a couple of months ago I was fishing a shallow area with a swim jig when I saw a huge wake behind the lure. There was a sudden strike and the battle was on. It was obvious that it was something of large size by the way it fought. Much to my dismay when I got it near shore it turned out to be about a 15 pound soft shelled turtle (instead of a bass). Luckily the hook opened up enough for it to escape as I attempted to slide it up the bank. I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with it once I landed it!

Back to the original post, if you have lost almost half of your line, there is no need to take all the line off and completely fill the spool. Just strip off enough line so that your 10 or 15 yards past your longest cast (when the spool is full) and tie on your new line and fill the spool from that point. You will save a lot of money just adding line from that point as need be rather than filling the entire spool. If you do this, you can get 5 or 6 refills from a 300 yard spool rather than 2 or 3.

I believe that the less line equals a smaller spool diameter which will actually equate to higher spool speeds and most likely more backlashes. At least thats been my experience. I always keep my spools full, nearly full or over full. For me I get better performance and control this way. Your experiences may dictate otherwise.

Whoops, you beat me to it smalljaw. Sorry to duplicate the info in your post. I must have been typing when you submitted your post.

You could try adding weight to your spinnerbaits by clamping a rubber core sinker (naturally w/o the rubber core) to either the hook shank (sort of makes it a hidden weight type spinnerbait) or to the wire shaft where it exits the head. This also allows you to maintain the smaller profile of the 1/4 oz bait but with additional weight.

I got a free spool of Tuf Line Supercast (20# I think). At first it was great on a baitcaster. I could cast 10 or 15 yards further with it than 20# mono and it was super sensitive and handled very well. I bank fish so I only used one outfit (it gets all the usage). I'm retired so I fish 3 or 4 hours a day. So I give my equipment a serious workout. After about a month I noticed what looked like twist in the line. Closer inspection revealed the outer core was slipping on the inner core. Once that happened I got a lot of breakoffs on hooksets. When I tried using a mono or flouro leader using Albright Knots, Bristol Knots and Uni to Uni Knots I was plagued with the line breaking at the knot. I had never experienced this problem using PP and other normal braids. I finally discarded it. Since I had some available I tried 50# Tuf Line XP. The 50# Tuf Line is much thinner diameter than the 20# Supercast. It performed flawlessly and had none of the issues associated with Supercast. I'm still using it now although in a limited capacity since I switched to mono for most of my fishing.

For me the lure of bass fishing is getting the bass to strike. Lets face it, LMB are not near the top of the food chain in terms of fighting ability. Tie a 10 lb bass to a 10 lb snook (tail to tail) and the snook would wear the scales off the bass. Do the same with a 10 lb tarpon and the tarpon would kill the bass. So do as Sirsnook said and set your drag to a reasonable setting and suppliment this drag with the best drag system known to mankind - your left thumb! I have a couple of PQers with no issues with drag. Screw it down all the way so it won't slip at all if you want.

I have two Abu 7000 reels that I used extensively fishing for striped bass from shore in saltwater. One of the reels was a newer model and was equiped with ball bearings the other was equiped with bushings. I never detected a noticable difference in the casting distance between the two. I also used two similar rods. One was 10' and the other was 9'. The 10' rod always outcast the 9' rod by a noticable distance as long as the other variables were the same. (line, lure, wind, etc) I used to bump into Ron Arra, 5 time US Distance Casting Champion, many mornings while fishing the Cape Cod Canal. He duisigned a line of surf rods for Lamiglas which were in favor by Canal regulars, I once asked him what lube he used for his reels. He replied SAE 20 3 and 1 Oil. I was surprised that he used something so common rather than the more exotic (spelled expensive) lubes.

Sirsnook, The knot Jose is tying appears to be a variation of tthe Bristol Knot not the Alberto Knot which is a variation of the Albright Knot. Bristol Knots have a reputation of being the strongest braid to mono connecters for a simple easy to tie knot. ( I'm confused with all the not knots) Here is how the IGFA site ties the Bristol Knot: http://www.igfa.org/About/Bristol-Knot-Video-Tutorial.aspx

I've used the Z-man elastech baits as well as the baits they make for Strike King for 7 or 8 years. I used them here in south Florida all year round. I never had an issue with them melting from the heat. As was stated above it is always prudent to store these baits in their original packages. This will eliminate the possibility of them coming in contact with other types of plastics which results in a mess. They are indeed very durable. One day I caught 14 or 15 redfish, 3 snook, 4 seatrout and a baby tarpon all on the same Strike King Elastech Glass Minnow. I then used it the next day to catch more fish. A drop of super glue fixed any tears which occurred. Of course they are prone to losing their tails to the sharp teeth of puffer fish (like all other baits). But by and large I don't think their durability can be questioned. The only downside that I experienced with the elastech paddle tails was the inability of the tail to operate at slow speeds. So if you use them as a swim jig trailer and use a stop and go technique or slow retrieve, other swimbaits constructed out of conventional plastics may be a better choice.

Wow, I stand corrected. There are tiny little springs there. I never noticed them before. Couldn't see them w/o good light and glasses. As others have said take it back or call customer service to see if they will send you a replacement spool. I wouldn't try to fix those little parts.

T-Rick, I'm sort of puzzled by your question. I have a couple of BPS PQers. As far as I can tell the internal brakes or pins do not use springs. They either snap inwards towards the spool axis or outwards towards the spool rim. In the out position the outer part of the the pin can move outward, due to centrifical force, and contact the housing which surrounds this assembly when the side plate is on the reel. This causes friction which slows the spool down. The more pins engaged in the out position, the more friction and the more control of the spool.

Masterbait'r, I'm not sure if there is any definitive research that that substantiates your claims about lead. If you don't breath in lead fumes or eat it, I'm not sure if it is all that dangerous a substance. I believe that small lead sinkers were banned in MA due to an effort spearheaded by the "loonies" (you know, the save the Loon nuts) although they really had no case. It makes a lot of sense to have a statewide ban on lead sinkers because loons, which only inhabit 3 or 4 ponds in the whole state, might eat a lead sinker off the bottom and die. They probably have more of a chance of flying into a power line or windmill and dying, but I don't see anyone trying to ban power lines or windmills. In fact power generating windmills are popping up all over MA with more to come. Perhaps it would also be prudent to destroy all homes in MA that are more than 50 years old. Why? Because most of those homes probably have lead pipes in them as well as lead traps. So all water going through those homes will be subject to lead pollution pass through waste water treatment plants and dumped into rivrers or the ocean. So you have a lot of work ahead of you Masterbait'r. You might need a bigger soap box. PS - If I decide to return to MA in my old age, I won't be discarding my lead sinkers along the way.

Weld, My suggestion to you would be to keep that spinnerbait tied on and to throw it in all the places you wouldn't dare throw a crankbait for fear of losing it. In some of the ponds down here in South FL the bass become sort of lethargic when the summer water temps get into the 90's. They sort of act like the northern bass act when the water temps drop into the 40's and 50's. Getting them to hit a moving bait is somewhat of a challenge. But you can often get them to commit to sb's early in the morning and late in the evening. However up North I've found that they will hit sb's all summer long, all day long. Once the sun is up high I would (and did) look for places with shade and tried to cast my sb there. I also always tried to be hitting something with it (fallen trees, bullrushes, dock legs, etc). I'd usually pause the sb when I hit something and let it fall a few inches. Alternatively you can twitch your rod while retrieving the bait. This also changes the rotation of the blades. Most hits seem to occur when your change the rotation od the blades either by stopping or speeding up the retrieve. Have fun!

Bluebasser86, Very nice! It is probably the closest I've ever seen to an actual baby bluegill. I realize that there are regional differences in coloration. But the bluegills here in Florida, my granson catches, are very close in coloration to the ones in Massachusetts that I caught as a kid. You have all the necessary colors for a close imitation: the light blue, the pale darker green, the hints of violet and chartreuse. I would lose the orange. I see it in mature bluegills but not the immature ones. I know its difficult with silicons skirting material to get the colors to go where you want to achieve the counter shading of the natural. Maybe tying the materials in place using fly tying thread and bobbin would help. Then you could wire tie the skirt once the materials were secured in place. Those are just babbling suggestions. Great job at a realistic copy of the baby bluegill.

Things are not always the way they seem to be or the way others would have you believe they are. In an earlier post I referenced a test done by Glenn Lau which showed that braided line was actually less visible to fish than mono or flouro (at least in clear water with sunny skies). I haven't been able to find the actual picture of the test but here is an article that details the test: http://www.oklahomabassfishing.com/vic701.html Here is the meat of the article: We do a lot of things to make our line seem to disappear when it enters the water. From the different colored monofilaments to the use of a water-proof marking pen on the last two or three feet of line before the lure, there are many ways anglers try to hide the most important tool of the trade. But is it really necessary? Actually? No. Mentally? It can't hurt. If you think it helps, then by all means do it. Confidence catches as many fish as skill. And if you think it will help, then it probably will, just by adding to your confidence. When I started using braided line (Spiderwire to be exact.), one of the main reasons was the line's ability to disappear underwater. Especially under a bright, sunny sky. The video tape that was enclosed with the line showed renowned videographer, Glenn Lau, with a board underwater. Attached to the board were many different sizes and colors of mono line and one strand of Spiderwire. No matter which way the board was turned, towards or away from the sunlight, the monos glistened like a laser beam. The braid was unseen. It had no reflectivity whatsoever. Do I think it helps me catch fish? Yes, but not because of its reflective properties, but because of its sensitivity. Though it doesn't hurt because the fish can't see it as well as mono. So next time you're out, do what makes you feel best. Heavy line or light line. It doesn't matter to the fish.....but it does to you! I can think of anecdotal evidence that both supports and contradicts the article, so .... Food for thought!