Josh Smith

Question: Do these things charge on the cast, or use batteries? Josh

Hello, Grabbed 'em. The bearing measures, looks like 16.10mm flat-to-flat on the outside. It may be 16mm; with the housing busted it looks like elongated by just a bit. ID measures 10mm. Thickness is 8mm to 8.10mm (again, it's a bit off due to the busted housing.) Looks like it should be 16mm OD x 10mm ID x 8mm thick. It's hexagonal and measures about 17mm point-to-point. Points are rounded as most I've seen. Thanks! Josh

Thanks! I'm planning on grabbing it and my digital calipers from the shop today. (The dial calipers get to stay there.) Regards, Josh

Hi Folks, My mother's father was a fisherman on the weekends and had fisherman buddies. By the time I got to know Grandpa, he was downhill enough from mini-strokes (senility) that I only got to go fishing with him once. I recall him letting me sit on his lap and drive the car while he worked the gas and brakes, and I remember him taking me on a merry-go-round at some state fair or other. I do also remember he and the other grownups smoking cigars out by the end of the driveway during family get-togethers, and I recall he had a small bar in his basement. (I had some expensive whiskey from that!) One of Grandpa's fishing buddies was named Gill. When Gill passed, Grandpa inherited his tackle box and rod holder. When grandpa died, I got those things among a few other fishing goodies. I have Gill's tackle box put up as it's far better arranged and more stocked than anything I've ever seen. It's all for live bait, too. I'll never want for hooks again! Gill's rod holder sat, unused, until I got bored. I pulled out a few of my favorite rods and set it up in my bedroom. It drives the wife crazy. It's all tucked out of the way so that the first thing I see in the morning are my rods (on the left) and my wife (on the right). Excuse the poor pics. I was trying to get the indirect lighting to show, and kept the same ISO setting: Gill's Rod Holder. He was a woodworker and I enjoy this and other examples I've seen. Indirect lighting. Nightlight! Irritates the wife even though I turn it off before she goes to bed! Not enough room for attachments to get the pic of the barometer in there, too. I'll have to host these on Photobucket or something. This isn't an excellent job and will probably go through a bunch more improvements before I'm done. Still, as it is, it keeps me hopeful for warmer weather. Josh

Amazing, ain't it? Know what else? Spell check accepts "ain't" as a word. Take that, teachers!

I chuck an old spool in the drill and let it rip. Josh

Hello, I'll toss in: Rat-L-Chunk, chunk only: 110 grains, or about 1/4 oz Mann's 6" Jelly Worm: 70 grains, or about 3/16 oz Yum Dinger, 4": 110 grains, or about 1/4 oz Yum worm, 6" action tail: 100 grains, or a little less than 1/4 oz Yum 3.25" Crawbug: 145 grains, or about 1/3 oz (I consider it 3/8 oz, 0.33143 oz is the decimal) Yum 6" Sallemander: 164 grains, or about 3/8 oz Josh

Yeah, I got it like this. I was in parts in a bag, looked unused, so I bought it for a song and put it back together. It's missing the tension cap and outboard bearing on that side. I should have a parts reel laying around I can use for those things, but it still uses a dog and ratchet. Josh

J Francho, Yes, it's the instant anti-reverse. I didn't use proper terminology there, I guess. It's the metal part of the cage outside the plastic. (I tend to think of that cage as a race and the sleeve as an inner race, though I know they are not called that. Figured ya'll'd know what I mean.) Regards, Josh

Thanks guys. I thought maybe they just used one size. I don't have it with me and was doing some ordering. Will measure when I get back to it! Regards, Josh

Hi Guys, I wound up with a Quantum reel that has a busted IAR bearing (cracked race). It's an easy fix and the reel is in decent condition. Actually looks to have never been used and I'd like to do something with it. Anyone have a part number? Thanks! Josh

Why? What's the advantage? Thanks! Josh

Hello, Look at inches-per-turn more than ratios. Different gears mean different things in different reels. For example, a 6.3:1 5600c4 has about the same lpi as a 7.x:1 low-profile. A good all around reel has 26ipt. I fish three 23ipt reels, one 26ipt reel, and one 31ipt reel. I generally like to fish slowly, but I have speed when I need it! Regards, Josh

Thanks guys! What I'm getting from this is that I should just work it like my frog-colored Zara Spook, only use it in thick stuff? Walk the dog and adjust from there to conditions? Thanks, Josh

Haha! I have that episode downloaded but haven't watched it yet! Great minds think alike! Josh

Hi Folks, I've never had any luck with froggin', mostly because I've never tried much. Dad had a rubber frog in the '70s that I inherited in the '80s because he never had any luck with that one, either. I figure I wasn't using it right. This year my goal will be to master a technique I'm no good at, or not experienced at. Last year I renewed my acquaintance with plastics (love the variety now, but Jelly Worms still work quite well!), and with topwater, divers, and spinners. I've discovered a new love for jerk baits. Now I need to master the frog, or get as close to mastering it as I do mastering anything. There are plenty of weeds on my favorite lake, though it's not matted like it started to get years ago. If I get the boat going by summer as I have planned, I can make it to some concealed lily pads, too. So, I need to know how to use this thing I just ordered. It looks funny to me, but I've heard it works. Any advice is appreciated. Regards, Josh

No doubt you're right. I've never used them and it seems like an added complication to me, but I'm also trying smelly stuff for the first time in years (figure it improved), so who knows? Josh

What I'm getting from this is that I can go lighter but not by a whole lot. When I tie leaders, I like the leader to be slightly larger diameter than the braid. In my experience this just casts better. Thanks, folks! Josh

Hi Folks, So far as I can tell, bass fishing is a bit down in this area. One weekend when I went to "my" lake, I saw a teenager tossing a large frog, but that was it. His buddies were using live bait, and nobody (yous truly included) caught absolutely nothing. I've never seen a day like that when the water seemed totally devoid of any fish activity. Anyway, I've long thought it would be fun to fish with someone who prefers totally opposite techniques than I. For example, I love topwater and plastics, plastics being first. I imagine bass always watching the plastic and therefore fish as I would if I were sight fishing. It produces well for me. Topwater is fun, and in my experience, produces almost as well as plastics. I like to fish anything that's lifelike. I'm still baffled as to why walking the dog works with Spooks and such as I know of nothing that make that motion (sick frog, maybe?) but they work well. I know there are a lot of folks that like the reaction strike, using insane speed reels of 30ipt or more (I have exactly one of these reels; a 5600c4 Mag). I never could get that to produce well. Others can, however. I'd like to see this in person, swap techniques. However, I have absolutely no idea how to find anyone who is into bass fishing around here, let alone those who use specific techniques. Reading only takes one so far, then one has to see the subtle actions of the technique in person to master them, or sometimes even understand why they work beyond the generic "reflex bite." Any ideas? Regards, Josh

Braided cotton -- where can I find this??? Braided Dacron -- I have some old stuff. Need more. Do you have a source for the round (vs old flat) braided stuff? Braided Micron -- What's braided Micron? Braided surgical suture thread -- where can I find this??? Braided Spectra -- This is just another braid along the lines of Firewire, Sufix, Spiderwire, etc, right? Micro Dyneema? What is micro Dyneema? I need to respool the 5500 setting upon the Lew's Speed Stick because the guides are relatively soft. I'd like to go with something with low stretch and very low memory. I'm not into any sort of sprays or line treatment. I'd be tying a mono or fluoro leader. Thanks, Josh

Hi Folks, I'm wondering what diameter line you all use for baitcasting. I generally select line with the same diameter as your average 12 to 17lb mono, whether it be mono, FC, or braid. (Never tried copoly.) I don't like line digging down into itself, thus these larger diameters. Does anyone here use lesser diameters than these on their baitcasters? Regards, Josh

I don't know. I've used them since age 3; started casting age 5 or so. I'd come home from fishing as a teenager feeling the ligaments and tendons, but that went away as I built my arm up. I'm 37 now and experience no problems yet. I did do a lot of Aikido when I was younger, so maybe that's part of it..? Regards, Josh

Hi Guys, I found a reel I think will be perfect. It's a 5500, non-bearing, though I did put bearings in the drive shaft (where you'd usually find the AR bearing) and in the levelwind. For heavier-than-3/8oz lures, I prefer to keep the bronze spool bushings, so that's what I did with this one. In fact, I think it may be the last one I have with bushings. A note on this rod: I was playing with it and for a fiberglass rod, it's very sensitive. I can feel about as much with it as I can on a couple lower-end graphite rods I have. It should be excellent for topwater, or whatever role I use it in. Regards, Josh

Hello, I hate mono. I always have. Before I took my "fishing break" we only had mono. I hate memory. And before anyone says that's on me... no, it's not. Even the XL stuff will have a bit of the spool's memory. Two things about mono and memory: It coils out along the water after a cast. When it coils, it moves the lure, especially if it's a floating lure. I always found it tough to do subtle topwater at long range with mono for this reason. I've had to break off line due to snags, and if it was a tough break, I'd get a nice bird's nest. Running braid with fluoro or mono leader is much, much more forgiving and is just one less thing to mess with my time targeting bass. Yes, mono is excellent for some things, but personally, I'll go with braid. This comes from someone who prefers round baitcasters and pistol-grip rods. Regards, Josh

I see wires.