Silas

My 2 Dobyns rods! And my 2 Pixies....Orange and Red! What absolute JOY in casting they bring!!

G Loomis CR 721 IMX 6'0 Light, fast action, 6-12lb line, 3/16-12oz baits. Loads well with light baits! Or Quantum Smoke 6'6" Medium, for a tad heavier baits. I don't think any Medium/Heavy rods will load up....unless you are consistently casting 1/4oz to 3/8oz baits. Pixies work well on those 2 also.

I've been using these a couple of weeks and find that they are FANTASTIC!! The Craw bait has been particularly successful: try it with a 2/0 hook, 6 inches line, a plastic Carolina Keeper, a reg glass bead, and a 1/8 oz tungsten bullet weight. Floats off the bottom. Very good personal service from Jim!

Trying to learn to Pitch! Tried several combos and just today found one that seems to work pretty well. Daiwa Sol on a Diesel rod with 1/4oz tungsten and Pit Boss. While "practicing" I caught several bass. Nice to be rewarded for my efforts. I just need to get much better at it! There is SO much hard wood cover here that it would be foolish NOT to do it. I think I have the equipment: now I just need to learn "technique."

I just use round headed screws that I get at Ace Hardware. Cheap, comes in different sizes (weights) and either silver or gold. Makes perfect Neko rigs. I usually rig 4 or 5 Senkos with them and put them in a different plastic bag, ready to tie on. Most of us have a assortment of screws lying around in a drawer somewhere. Start with those.

I tend to "trade" a lot of rods and reels with you forum members! (Wink! Wink!) Also, many of my reels go out "for repair, maintenance, and cleaning." Gotta keep stuff working, don't you. Therefore stuff is always coming in. (And i DO send reel out for maintenance or rare occasions) Like changing the oil in your car. Man, you guys are a bunch of "Tenderfoots!'

I solved the problem years ago! I moved the boat closer and make pretty short casts! Of course, the water here is always stained so spooking fish is not a problem. However, recently, I've been making longer casts with a Pointer 100; thank goodness, fish hook themselves with that one! LOL!

I actually have one of the Brian's Bees I bought used buy perfect that the owner tested and found it ran 17-22 feet. I just measured it and from tip of wide bill to end of bait is 6 inches!! I'm sure it's got to be 2 ounces. Was waiting for a Daiwa US Trails with big handle to cast that sucker! Impressive HUGE bait! I think I'd cry if I hung it up and lost it.

70 degrees as I type this at at 5PM. Ate lunch at Bass Pro today, picked up some Scrounger jigs on sale and some RC 1.5's for $4.88. Home this afternoon to charge my new boat (10months) and go out tomorrow morn after massage. Tinkering with different rod and reel combos and drinking coffee, eating steak and drinking Champagne at night. Aaaaaahh! Just retired!! And for sure guys, you need to do it sooner. Took Social Secuity while I was working and spent it all on fishing stuff. I just don't understand how you guys manage with all that cold. We rarely ever see ice down here in South Louisiana and you can't go 5 miles without crossing water. I passed up jobs in Iowa and South Dakota because I went up there a couple of weeks in the Winter and the temp was around 10 degrees! Heck, the FALLS in Sioux Falls was FROZEN! Never saw something like that. Of course, lots of you guys have never attended a "Hurricane Party" either. Now, that there's a different kind of "fun."

Saw some Lucky Craft RC's at Bass Pro a couple of days ago on clearance rack: $4.88. Best price ever. Not a lot of them, but enough to spend a few bucks!

I tried the Fireline Tracer Braid in 20# with fluoro leader. Put it on a Daiwa Sol. At first I didn't like it.....seemed to want to "bite" into itself a lot. But, after using it for a few weeks, I find it casts MUCH better, not much bite, and is smoother. Don't know what to make of it. However, I am using it for a different technique now. I'm pitching 1/4oz -1/2 oz swim jigs. Handles this technique far better than the shakey head fishing I was doing. Update as of 1/24: Went out today with the swim jig and decided to CAST some distance to work a dropoff. When I tried to do a bit of distance, the line stopped abruptly about 15 yards out....the line had bitten into itself. I pulled a bunch out and cast further....then another "bite" which slowed down the cast. So, I suppose I'm going to Pitch most of the time. Strangely, I like the line "just enough" to NOT change it from the spool. At least for NOW!

You are absolutely right, Stasher! Thanks for the catch! Got the numbers mixed up. I edited my post so as not to confuse anyone! Most of what I said applies to BOTH pistols since the frame is about the same. The P90 is what the guys carried. They found it more accurate than the P95. Both are very reliable. Most of the departments in this area have moved from the 9mm to .40's and .45's.

I have one of those tied on right now and will also try it tomorrow!! Spro Little John!

Man! I haven't heard that name come up in a loooong time! I didn't think many threw it any more. I also throw a couple of "G.. Blades!" ( I had to edit that post.....all I gave was the NAME of the bait!! LOL!!

I have the Curado 50, the Alpha Ito and a Sol also. And I found, like you, the swing and arc of different rods affect these 3 particular reels a lot. Once you put them on the "right" rod, it makes all the difference. "Smooth" is the word for casts with these reels. And they will certainly reward you for your (minimal) effort! I almost bought a Zillion from a board member a couple of weeks ago, but couldn't quite come up with the cash.....and he sold it for $170 almost new, I think! Great buy! But....I have a couple of TDZ's....one upgraded, and the other at Bronzefly's now. I believe, for me, with lighter baits that I usually cast....1/8-5/8 oz, the old TDZ will be better. I could see me using the Zillion for a "frog reel" or a "Red Eyed Shad" flinger....but for the lighter stuff, not so much. But if one came along for a fantastic price, I'd at least like to try it!

Lots of my police buddies carried the P90 Ruger. Usually, those in departments that did not issue a duty weapon and the officers had to buy their own. And as we all know, the pay wasn't going to suggest we buy a Sig (I did) so they went with the best alternative. It was known a "best bang for the buck" in the departments. Reliable, and very accurate for a .45 auto. I've shot a few and found they shoot well. I also had to carry concealed and found the P95 a "blocky" pistol.....it didn't fit the contours of the body well. It simply "dug in" in tender places. Now, if you are not carrying it concealed, but in open holster, it was fine. It was a dependable duty weapon. For that particular weapon, it was mostly "economics" that got it the nod. Some departments were getting them really cheap. For some, it became a "car gun" that fit between the seats.....a Glock 23 also was a great "car gun." When placed between the driver seat and the center console in a black nylon holster, the Glock was almost invisible to everyone, but readily accessable if someone walked up and put a gun to your face.

That little modification enables many to be able to shoot the Glock well. It is a "palm swell" that slips over the standard grip and lets the gun "swell" into the palm of your hand for a more secure platform. Helps many shooters who at first think their Glock is not shooting accurately. A cheap, quick, easy "fix" and doesn't stand out.

Over the years, I've carried a number of pistols concealed: The Sig 239 in .40 cal was mentioned. What a great pistol and perfectly concealable and heavy enough to be able to shoot well. I would imagine they are hard to find today. A rare gun. The "best bang for the buck" was a Glock .23 in .40 cal. Enough rounds to be confident with. (Always carry an extra full magazine) A Mitch Rosen ARG holster was the trick with this one. The Colt Commander (but you have to be proficient with this one....not for beginners) The single action trigger allowed very precise shooting. I liked to carry this for hostage situations. The Para Ordnance P-12.....12 plus one in chamber .45. One of the finest most accurate pistols I've shot.....unmodified. Expensive, but similar in size to Colt Commander. ParaOrdnance now comes with their proprietary trigger....a sort of "single-double action.....very fine indeed. But very expensive. The P-10 was smaller but more difficult to shoot, and not quite reliable enough for police work. I have carried the S@W 642 in my pants pocket in a special holster made for the pocket. But today, that would be a last resort pistol.....I'm not fond of the .38 stopping statistics. In fact we used it as a "back up" because it fit well in the front pants pocket and CAN be fired several times while IN the pocket!! Wouldn't try that with an auto. But......your pants will catch fire! The Glock Model 36, single stack .45 is an excellent choice since it is small enough to carry well, and big enough to handle well. The Glock 27 is also excellent if you have smaller hands. The old Kahr was also a nice concealed carry, although it was a tad heavy....and in 9mm. A long time ago, I thought the Walther PPK in .380 was the "cat's meow!" Now I feel that it was not a good enough "stopper." James Bond may have had one, and this little sucker was super accurate.....but it had a long, hard trigger action, and would slice the top of your thumb is you didn't hold it right. I'm sure James Bond didn't have those issues! However, it DID conceal very well!

Since I've retired from police work, I find I have quite a few concealed carry holsters. I taught a few classes in what to carry in concealed carry a few years ago. My thoughts are that the best option (in my opinion) was to get a custom holster maker and have the holster made for that specific gun. I have holsters that are over 20 years old, some barely used, some not at all. The big names then were Milt Sparks and Kramer and Mitch Rosen(ARG), Don Hume, Bianchi, Pro Line. I used to deal with these people and ordered custom holsters. True, they are expensive, but definitely worth the money. I'm just going through my inventory and will soon be putting some up for sale. They mostly will fit a Colt Commander or Govt., a Glock 23, Sig 239, or Sig 220.Just been sitting around for awhile. As to "plastic holsters" I have a SideArmor inside the pants for a Glock 36 that is perfect! I was skeptical of that one at first but found it to be very reliable. My first post on the gun forum.....didn't even know it was here!! Lots of posts on fishing one!

Here's how you do it as I did just today. Called a friend and said we should get together and see each other.....will meet you at Bass Pro for lunch. Have lunch at the Islamorada Restaurant (order their Mahi Mahi burger.....great! Ask for the fresh baked bread, it's hot and wonderful. Top it off with a brew! Then, tell your friend it was nice seeing them, watch them leave, as you turn around on a full stomach and a brew, and "browse" to your delight. Later, if you "significant other" asks how it went, say, "had a great visit!! We'll do it again soon! But......leave the stuff you got in the trunk to take out tomorrow! You guys been "finnesse fishing" before haven't you? Same principle!!

I,too, have used this rig years ago with the little Rapala floaters.....worked very well, except the little Rapala could hook any bit of debris within 3 feet of it!!

Have found a Powell Diesel, 723.....7'2" Med Heavy at $69 to be perfect......sometimes I put the round reel....Calcutta 200GTB, and sometimes an old Daiwa TD-X on it. Both can "wang" them frogs out there.....with 65# braid. If I break that rod, I won't be heartbroken. I'll just rig up my Falcon Coastal ($119) I got from Academy for $30! They still have a few.

I've really enjoyed the Owner welded snaps!! They seem lighter than the others and don't have much affect on baits. Use them on Pointers and squarebill cranks. Much easier to employ then Berkely Crossnaps. Those things drive me crazy getting them on and off. But....once they are on, they DO work well. But WOW, the Owners are expensive!!

That's exactly how I fish cranks down here in La. I've found if I get the crank to run just a tad deeper than the water is (when it's shallow....about 4-6 feet) and ram it into the bottom, pause and let it float up about a foot, then ram it down again, I get lots of bites. And the part about deflecting them off something seems to be the key lots of times. Sometimes, even an oversize squarebill crank, gets more bites.....favorite color here is dark green back, chartreuse side, and orange belly. Deeper water here is the 8-10 foot depth.

Tackle Warehouse, with its wide selection of fishing gear and Bass Tackle Depot, with its timely sales.......and both with outstanding customer service (I've had personal calls from both of them) have spoiled me for Bass Pro, with its seemingly inflated prices, and as another forum member puts it......sales on stuff people don't want. Bass Pro is 25 miles away....so, time, gas, taxes, and retail prices have done them in for me. (I've had good food at their Islamorada Restaurant, but not consistent....NOW you have to ASK for the fresh baked bread....the waitress told me that's how they save money...used to be served before each meal, complimentary) The other 2 are a computer click away, no taxes, sometimes no shipping charges.....great service. I believe in 10 years, ONLINE stores will decimate storefronts and make them almost obsolete. And, of course, the sponsors here....Bobby at Megastrike, along with our Jig sponsors...have made shopping for fishing tackle actually "pleasant."