hooah212002

This is probably my main problem. My rods are not that sensitive and I don't have a dedicated cranking rig.

How do you guys rip crankbaits through weeds? All I ever get is a crankbait full of weeds. A common suggestion is to knick the tops of a weedbed, but by the time I feel the weed, it is too late and I'm either hung up or get a treble hook full of them, thus killing the action of the bait. I'll admit that I don't fish crankbaits very often, nor do I have a dedicated rig for them.

I've been meaning to try some of this. It's wicked cheap, too. About $10 shipped for a 300 yard spool on fleabay. It's comparable to Yo-Zuri, right? I mean it's the same type of line with the same characteristics.

Another vote for Elite. it does have a bit of stretch to it, though. That is offset by just how supple it is. It is really good line. Cheap too.

That's what it's all about. Great entry, great trip. Congrats.

Don't forget the Rage Toad (or similar bait). Just burn it along the top like a buzzbait.

I'm a broke SOB and I picked up the even cheaper Berkley's (on my 3rd pair because I keep losing them). They seem to work fine, but they scratch pretty easily. I'm curious if the more expensive ones work better in low light conditions.

I started throwing the super flukes on my baitcast gear this weekend and like it better, but that's because I like my baitcast gear better lol. It's just near impossible if there is any wind. I'll see if anywhere near me has the caffeine shads and give them a whirl. Thanks.

This has been a test of my patience (using flukes on spinning gear, that is). Like I said, I switched over to Power Pro (all I had was 30# and I took it off a BC reel. I can't afford to buy new spools of line when I feel like it) and I used a swivel with a FC leader. I had to continually chop off line in huge swaths due to it getting all kinds of twisted, resulting yesterday in me getting to the end of my braid (a decent cast would go past my knot and onto the backing). What have I learned? Don't re-use line off old reels. I'd love to say this was the only culprit, but I had this problem with the Senshi I tried as well. Granted, that is FAR from a sufficient number of controls for this "test", but all the lines were doused heavily in KVD. Stop using junky cheap reels (my spinning rig is a $20 Pinnacle combo from Wally World). I have a kidney I am willing to trade a Pflueger President for. I have wasted more line trying to sort this mess out than I ever have even learning how to use a baitcaster. I went back to the 6# Sufix Elite because it is oh so supple, but oh so stretchy. I'll chalk this one up to operator error. Hopefully, though, I can get it right. For now I will throw them on my BC rigs but that limits their usage to non-windy days.

I am going and I already plan on a detailed write up. I was just hoping someone here knew something about it so I had an idea what I am getting into. There are a few aspects that I am leery about, but my investigation of them leads nowhere. We shall see, I suppose.

I have one of those silica packages (that comes with new shoes or the like. They say something like "not safe for consumption" or whatever. The hard plastic ones are better) in each of my plano boxes. I have fished in the rain with them open, then put them back in my backpack all wet and I have yet to encounter rusty hooks.

It's called: better safe than sorry. Is it an exact science? Not by a long shot. But it IS better than giving yourself the false illusion that the fish is quite fine being out of the water for 5 minutes "because it's cold blooded with slower metabolism than a mammal". Remember, you just yanked this thing from the water with a hook in it's face so it's plenty stressed, thus meaning it's not going to have adequate time to acclimate to getting out of the water (like you getting yourself ready to dunk your head under water to see how long you can do it). Maybe we should stop worrying about fish care altogether since they are such simple creatures?

Is anyone at Bassresource involved with this program? Just curious if I will see anyone there in a couple weeks or better yet, get paired up with one of you guys. http://takeavetfishing.com/

I am truly sorry you had to experience that. Safety has got to be a number one priority even if it comes at the expense of "fun".

Dicks has a Chomper brand 3 pack for 10 bucks. I bought them and they seem ok. I mean, there's nothing fancy about them but they have yet to break and I am a bank fisherman so they get tossed in a backpack and tossed around on the ground. http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12466815&lmdn=Brand

Good to know. Thanks. Will it hurt to switch to something thicker without cleaning the bearings out?

Oh no, I don't either. I simply followed the quick guide that came with it. I picked up some Rem Oil for the bearings since it was easier on my pocket book than is Ardent, as well as some Abu Garcia reel lube (used that on the level wind). I did no where close to a tear down because my dexterity isn't the greatest when it comes to putting stuff back together.

The colors don't bleed together? Or do you use them soon enough as to not matter?

That's the thing though: I was going from hand me down older reels or clearance bin stuff, so a $50 brand new reel is a good investment to me ($50 isn't exactly couch money where I'm at, let alone the $80 I plunked down for the PQ). I can't imagine how well a $200 reel fishes, but it will be quite a long time before I can drop that kind of cheddar on one lol.

That's very true. I had a couple, but they were user error (trying to throw a weightless fluke a mile in the wind), but there were far more times were I thought I should have had a backlash but didn't.

I finally got to use my Pro Qualifier today and all I can say is WOW. This is the first high price tag reel I've ever used and i can see why everyone recommends spending a bit more and getting pricier stuff. I did lube it up before using it, so maybe that helped, but either way it is smooth as butter. The other reels I own make reeling in crank baits seem like a chore by comparison. I say this because I have been on record as saying that it's perfectly fine to just get a cheap-ish reel and you'll be fine. I changed my mind after today. Quality gear makes a difference. Fishing is much more enjoyable and comfortable.

Abu Garcia Black Max = $50 H2O Mettle (Academy) = $50 (can be had for $30 when on sale) BPS Pro Qualifier = $80 (right now due to sale) Lews Speed Spool = $100 Abu Garcia Revo S = $120 There is a quick list of probably every option you'll hear, in order, with a variety of price points.

I cast side arm all the time. I either backlash or my bait goes straight down if I cast overhand. I also throw sidearm as well, though. I have noticed that it is better in the wind, but I never really think about it because it comes natural for me to sling it sidearm.

It definitely is fun. Sometimes I stop actually fishing for a bit just to watch the fish.

I've heard a number of people suggest that you should soak a new spool of line in hot water just prior to spooling up in an effort to make it more supple. My question is: is it ok to do this multiple times to larger spools of line? I just got a 1 lb spool of Yo Zuri and want to do this (as well as a slathering of KVD), but I don't know if multiple hot water dunks will break down the line over time. If not Yo-Zuri because it is a hybrid, what about pure fluoro? Yes, yes, before you say " why would you ask such a question? you throw your line in water repeatedly". That is true, but I don't fish in hot water springs. Who knows if the repeated heating and cooling will cause long term damage.