Josh Smith

Could be. Thanks for the model number! The one I see on the auction site is a 1003 and is indeed graphite. Will look for the 3003! Josh

Really..? The Tornos I've seen were graphite. I'll totally have to look into this. I have a bid in on a MagTrax 1 semi-low profile. If I win it, not sure what I'll do with it. I'm considering a few things, but replacing the EON is one of them. Josh

That really could be it. Or maybe the balance is off with the light reel. I know that on these rods, the center of gravity is right over where my middle and pointer fingers rest when I'm palming the 4600 and 5500 Ambassadeur reels, given full spools. The balance is different with the lighter reel. Josh

Hi Guys, I need some advice here. I simply can't seem to hook up with a jerkbait. It's not always been like this. Two of my most memorable fishing experiences were with jerkbaits. First, the first time I ever outfished my dad was with a jerkbait, and I had a witness! Dad and I took a friend of mine fishing in the boat. I started targeting cover -- stuff folks generally didn't consider trying back before braid unless they were very, very good. I threw a jerkbait to that cover, twitched it, and a bass blew it up! Tried again in different spots with the same results. Later, sometime in my 20s, I went fishing on the river. I generally didn't fish during that time and went to get away. I tossed that same Rapala out, let it float down in front of a rock, and twitched it. A sauger blew it up -- my first sauger! Recently, though, I've had no luck. This evening was typical. I tried using a jerkbait on the combo I purpose-built for fishing jerkbaits: A 4600c3 (modified) on an 80 million modulus rod, very light and very stiff. Line is light braid (8lb eq diameter) with an 8lb fluoro leader. I spent the first half hour trying different jerkbaits with different cadences and counts, and nothing. When I started tossing a squarebill, I hooked up three times; landed two. I mean, they were there. They just didn't want the jerkbait, or what I was doing with it. I jerked on slack line and didn't reel until I was ready to jerk the bait. I'm about ready to put the slower gears (26ipt) back into the 4600c3 and use it on my squarebill combo, replacing the EON 3600 I currently have on it. Does anyone have any idea what I might be doing wrong? I simply don't know. Maybe the water where I fish isn't clear enough? The lake has a pretty good green stain going on, but I can see pretty deep if it's not rained. The river is generally muddy/clay suspension if it's rained. However, I can also usually see fairly deep into the river if it's not rained a while. But maybe I'm not doing anything wrong except using jerkbaits in the wrong situations? Any help? Thanks! Josh

Right. I get that. There's just something about the feel that's not doing it for me. It seems to have evolved into a good reel after they got the bugs worked out. I just wish I could pinpoint what is off. Regards, Josh

... gar! And smallie of the year. This evening I made it out to the Wabash for a couple hours after work. It seems that squarebill crankbaits work best there, so I ran one for the majority of the time I was out. I hooked up with something that had a long nose, first. It got free. Next, I did reel in a gar. I've never caught one and I wasn't impressed. It didn't want to fight until I landed it, and I wasn't equipped to deal with it on this trip, so I shook the hook with a needle-nosed pliers until the critter fell off back into the water. The bright spot was a little 1lb smallie. After my first smallmouth of the year threw the lure right before I landed it, this one was most welcome. It wasn't big, just 12" and not what I'd come to expect from that stretch of the river, but it was a smallie. Usually, along there, they run with the lure several times, but this one wasn't large enough. It made one good run, jumped, and let itself be reeled in. Actually those fish along there all acted sorta' lethargic, and I'm wondering if it was because there was dissolved clay in the water. My fluorocarbon and mono both are clay colored now, and my long crankbait rod looks spray painted with the stuff! I seem to recall dissolved clay causing problems with oxygen absorption. Even with the gar and the clay, today was much better than any I've had yet this year! Regards, Josh

So I've been playing with this thing. It works; it's light, and it works. Just caught a smallmouth on it earlier this evening. The drag drags like it should; its new handle has bearings and the entire setup is very, very smooth due to the planetary gears and bearings. I'm not liking it. I'm not sure why. Part of it is, I'm sure, that the frame is graphite. Further than that, though, I don't know what the turnoff is. It certainly hasn't given me any reason to dislike it. I'm finding myself considering replacing it with a 4500 or 4600 for the lipless and squarebill setup. Josh

Well guys, I finally landed a couple. I went to the Wabash, found it muddy/filled with clay, and started fishing squarebills. The first was a gar. Now, I'd not even mention this except for the fact I've never caught one before. Another had hooked but threw the lure earlier, and I'd been hoping that I'd not actually land one. Well, I did, and I didn't have any of the gear I use for walleye, so I shook the hook until it fell off. Ugly thing. The last fish was a smallie. It looked to have been deep/under cover a lot; it was pretty pale. It wasn't brown yet. Also, it didn't feel like fighting a whole lot. Just a run, then a jump, and I reeled it in. I'm not great with muddy water. I hope it clears up soon. Kinda' hoping for a dry summer, not so much crops will suffer of course, but enough to lower the rivers some. Josh

Is there a place where it'd be guaranteed that I'd catch crappie from the bank? My boy love's to fish for 'em and I'd like to take him out crappie fishing sometime. Josh

Bucket fishermen were out in force and dug in today, so I took my son to a spot where he could hook up with various fish using a worm and bobber. He still only caught one and I caught nothing (I was running lures only.) This hasn't been a good year for me at all. Lost the first fish I hooked up with and haven't hooked up since. It's not my skills; not sure what's off. Josh

Hello, I was trying a MH/F 80 million modulus rod for squarebills and lipless cranks. Though it was rated MH/F, the lure rating is more along the lines of what most folks would consider a M. Whatever, it's a stiff, light rod. I hooked up with a smallie; good, solid hookup. I didn't feel like there was enough give while I was fighting the fish, though, and gave it just a little more drag. It felt better. Still, it managed to throw the lure back at me in a last valiant effort to free itself. The rod felt like it was pulling too hard, and I'm pretty sure that's what did it. I am now using that rod for jerkbaits and have gone back to my 6'6" Daiwa for light crankbaits. The Daiwa, rated by them as a M/F, has a softer tip than I'd expect from a fast action and is pretty good with light crankbaits. Just some recent experience I've had... Regards, Josh

Thank you. I think I may have to modify that 5500c3 a bit more. Need to find a shallow wiffle spool, or a V-spool. Both are somewhat rare. I don't want to slap a 4600 on it because, at the distances I want to throw -- which are the same as yours, by the way -- I like to maintain a relatively even IPT from start to finish. This means I need a wide, shallow spool as opposed to a deep, narrower spool. Sure, the 4600c3 is much easier to start up, but it doesn't have that wide spool I want. Heck, with certain lures on certain days and using 30lb braid, I strip an appreciable amount off that spool. That's OK for jerkbaits, but not for moving lures. I'll see what I can find spool-wise, and go from there. Regards, Josh

What reel do you have? And how far do you expect it to throw? I don't know what 1.5 and 1.0 squarebills are. Growing up we went by weight, not series. Can you help out? Thanks, Josh

Sam, Line is something like 17lb fluoro. It's some stuff I wanted to use up. Maybe a bit heavy? SmallJaw, It may be that the 5500 is a bit heavy. I really like them for crankbaits, though, for consistent ipt at distance. Thanks! Josh

Hello, I bought a Quantum KVD crankbait rod for this year. It's rated as a MH, but the lure weight range is stated as 1/4 to 1/2 ounce. I mounted an Ambassadeur 5500c3 (modified). 1/4 oz isn't going to start it up well, but 3/8 up should. When I tried it this evening, I found that it struggled below 1/2 oz and didn't seem to load with less than that. The rod feels, to me, to be a 1/2 to 1 oz rod. Any idea why this is? Thanks, Josh

PennBass, You may have your man card back upon the purchase of your first pocket knife. A belt knife earns extra points. Josh

+1 I personally like the XT or XL if I'm using mono, depending on where I'm fishing. Haven't tried Big Game, though. Josh

What cover, if any? Water clarity? Lure types? Josh

So, guys, my wife and I just finished up Season 4. The one thing that's really bugging me is this: Friggin' Daryl is using a crossbow, and that's cool -- but it has a rail and no sight! The sight was on there at the beginning, I'm sure. Did he lose it at some point that I missed? Or did the prop guys just forget it? I have a hard time believing he wouldn't run across some BUIS at least given all the ARs laying around. Also, during the final shootout at the prison, it looks like at least one guy was using a flat top AR without any sort of sights, but that was a quick scene and I could be wrong. Still, if I'm right, those rifles had been stored and maintained. I'm a gun guy and this stuff bugs me. Josh

Get an Abu Garcia and install the stainless gears... Josh

My wife says nobody else's husband does this. At the end of the day, I'll sometimes lay in bed and crank a fishing reel, or might change a handle laying down, or maybe arrange the tackle box. She says this isn't normal. Not in bed. She crochets in bed and I don't see the difference. Any of you all find tackle or reels or whatever relaxing bedtime fare? Josh

ETT would have limited value with bass, I think. Posture is likely more significant. A bass's pupils cannot dilate, and pupil dilation indicates adrenaline etc. Josh

The wife and I are working on The Walking Dead. When we're caught up we're starting on Fear. Josh

This rain is killing my river smallie action!

Over on Amazon there's some feller named "RAIDER" trash talking the Kalex. Josh