MickD

The loop knot is more reliable than a small snap, in my opinion. The snap itself, especially in small sizes, is not that reliable, and the knot also can fail. Practice your loop knot sliding the overhand down farther toward the lure to keep it the size you want, then finish it with the overhand knot somewhat small. The Rapala Knot is very easy and reliable for any size hook or lure. If you don't already know it, do an internet search for "Rapala Knot."

I use a dremel, too, and it goes very fast. If you can hold the guides. Losing a micro might take quite a while, trying to find it.

If you want to see what Winn grips feel like without a total rebuild just buy their Winn wrap and put it on an existing grip. You most likely will love it functionally. If you are in love with cork because it is traditional, that's fine, but functionally, Winn is great. The Winns will get dirtly, like cork, and their web site has instructions for cleaning it wiithout destroying the tackiness. One caution, the Winn grips may be damaged by Deet,as will just about anything other than cork. You also have to be careful when reaming the longer Winn grips, as another poster recently mentioned. But don't just write Winn off as a meaningless marketing trend. The grips have definite advantages that far outweigh their possible shortcomings, in my opinion.

I have concluded that the Ned rig gets bitten by just about every bass that sees it. Since there are more little bass than big bass, it catches more little bass than big bass. But, big bass definitely strike the little lure, so don't think it won't catch big bass just because it catches a lot of little bass.

There are too many great spinnerbaits that have open eyes for me to disregard them. So the issue for me is not to avoid open eyes but to make them work. The suggestions are good, another is to buy some rubber O rings of the right size to make the open eye into a closed eye. A split ring will work, but it's hard to get the exact right size. A braid knot probably doesn't work well because braid has no stretch, so it doesn't really tie up tightly on the wire. Mono and FC do stretch, and the suggestion to use a simple cinch knot works for me. If you tie a simple cinch knot with about 6 turns, lube it and help it down into position by pulling alternately the tag and the line, then finally really cinch it down by pulling the line against the lure, you'll most likely have a connection that will not slip. I'm sure other good knots will do the same, but you have to lube them and really get them pulled tightly into position.

You may already know this, but you can usually get a lot more fish out of senkos if you use a band around them and hook them by the band. The fish cannot throw them off the hook, usually. Bands can be rubber O rings, steel split rings, or even tiny cable ties. The split rings will make them sink faster, if that's what you want.

One of the best clear water tactics is to throw 5 inch Zoom Super Flukes on a 4/0 gamagatsu worm hook (lots of videos on rigging, if you are not sure) in white, white/clear with silver sparkle, baby bass. Keep the standby tennessee shad on hand, and even bubble gum works at times in clear water. Small twitches, pauses. Often get hit on the fall. They cast very well, too, so it's easy, fun, and productive.

If you saved the tip section you can do this, or have a custom rodbuilder do it: http://www.rodbuilding.org/library/repair-oquinn.html Previous comment is correct, if done right, you will be hard pressed to tell the difference between the original rod and the repaired rod.

I only use braid that heavy when I'm going saltwater fishing and can hook into big barracuda or similarly powered fish. For my bass fishing I don't go over 15. Braid usually breaks above its advertised strength, so I expect either 10 or 15 will be OK. Lighter braids don't seem to mind being twisted as much as heavier braids or mono/copolymer/flouro. I can see the twist in mine all the time, but it seldom gives me a knot. The swivel is a good idea, but I suggest a quality ball bearing swivel. I really don't think the cheap ones do a lot of swiveling. If your mono leader has a lower test strength, then you won't be losing the swivel with break-offs. If you are new to braid, you may have to learn some new knots. Do some research on line to line knots with braid and line to lure knots (if you are not using a leader).

I really like Suffix on baitcasters. You want to get a hard finish that doesn't unravel easily and doesn't absorb a lot of water. If it absorbs water it will get heavy and "jump" off the spool tangling in itself and bringing the cast to a hard stop.

You got it. when the line looks like that it did not break, but came undone. Lots of posts on here about good knots. Almost all will work fine IF done right, always lubed and always pulled hard to test after tying. The best flouro leader is actual flouro leader material, not flouro line. The leader material will be harder and tougher. But still has to be tied properly.

Not sure what's up, but try a few things to try to sort it out. I've never had a strike king do that. First, try a low rod retrieve, then a low rod slower retrieve. Any different? As previously stated, make sure all connections to the lure are free and even, line attachment eye oriented longitudinally?. Using a snap or snap swivel? Original oval strike king split ring? I use just a light duo lock snap. No need for swivel. Using a leader? I wouldn't think 50 Power Pro would affect the action that way, but maybe.

Sounds like bad flouro. Flouro is temperamental, and doesn't take well to getting kinked. Make sure you are not doing that. what pound test is it? Let me get this straight. You are using 50 # braid with a braid to flouro line and that is not breaking but the flouro to lure knot is?

All knots with fluoro, and to some degree mono, require lubing while they are being finished. It is my opinion that the place where the palomar shines is with braid. The other "easy" knots just won't be reliable. From watching this forum for a few years and seeing the same issues about knots over and over, I have concluded that some people learn to tie knots well, and some do not. EVERY knot has to be learned properly. With flouro and mono lube is required and properly finishing the knots with a solid, careful, "set" is required. If it's going to fail, it will fail as you are finishing and setting the knot.

I have a good contact at Winn if you are interested in discussing it with them. I think they would be very interested. I expect you have tried very high speed reaming so as to increase the material removal at lowest torque? thanks, Mick I expect Winn would like to figure out whether what you have is slipping of the skin or failure of the substrate foam.

Improved clinch should work fine on flouro if 1. you wet it as you pull the knot tight and 2. You "set" the knot well by pushing the column of twists into position as you pull the tag end, then pull very hard on the main line to really set the column of twists tightly into position. Hard to explain, but you want that knot to be really tight, and don't forget wetting as all this is going on. Wetting is important on any knot, especially true with flouro.

Look at the Z-man storage posts in this forum, covers it very well.

I think that in the totality of the fishing I do for bass, artificials are more effective than live bait. Same for pike. Walleyes and panfish, probably a tossup. The advantages of artificials are better presentation, controllable movement, tremendous variety of options to better match the mood of the fish, cleaner boat without all that black nightcrawler crap all over the place, no problems keeping the bait alive, nothing to dispose of or keep in the fridge, easy to cover a lot of water to find fish, more interesting than watching a bobber (although that can be fun, too), lures are always available, any time, any place. The last time I tried bait we were fishing for smallmouths and found that we could get lots of crawfish at the boat launch at night. We got plenty and were set to kill the smallies the next day. Total shutout. Went to tubes and did well. We catch a lot of bass on the fall, before imparting any action. It is not unusual at all. Jigs, tubes, super flukes, senkos, even surface lures like chug bugs.

Thank you for the tip. The Pantone color for the blue Winn grips is 281C , per Winn. http://rgb.to/pantone/281-c If you go here and try to find 281-c, it looks pretty good to me. But I don't have blue grips with me. Keep in mind that the colors will vary with computer calibration AND the angle you're viewing the screen with. If you look at 293, the pantone reference to the Pro Wrap Wildberry 449, you can see how it looks. I suggest putting your blue grips near the computer image of 293 and see how it looks. It looks too light to me. Bluegill is 2945 and looks too light. This site gives Madeira polyneon color match to Pantone numbers. Closest to 281c seems to be Madeira 1767, according to Madeira rep. http://www.madeiramart.com/index.cfm? Mudhole sells Madeira. Your local thread shop will, too. Best solution is IMHO to take the grips and one of your rod wrapping spools (to get weight match) to the thread shop and find 1767 Polyneon in the right weight. Or another color that may look better. With CP the color should not shift much. You HAVE to use CP with Madeira to avoid any problems with lube that may be on the thread and cause fisheyes. I would use two coats, but usually one will do. two always works. That's about it from here.

.ghoti, please elaborate on reaming problems. I've not noticed on grips up to their long tapered casting grip, (less than 8.5 inches) but if there is a way to wreck them, I'd rather be warned in detail than find a way on my own. I don't understand how the skin gets damaged. Damage coming from the reaming at the ends? thanks

I agree on not trying to match; it's very difficult. One combination that looks good is using the "same color" but a signficantly different shade. That isn't a piece of cake either, especially if you're buying thread rather than looking over your stock, but it can be done and looks very good. If you can get the RGB info from Winn and the thread-makers, you can hit the color very closely, but I don't know if Winn will give it to you, or if you can get it for the thread. Pro Wrap does provide the closest Pantone color numbers to their colors. Prowrap nylon Pantone number is 293, and here is an image with RGB for 293. http://search.aol.com/aol/search?enabled_terms=&s_it=client97_searchbox&q=pantone+color+293 If I were trying to match a Winn Grip exactly, I would email Winn and ask for either the RGB values of the grip, or the Pantone color. With that info you stand a good chance of achieving a pretty good match. If you find other Pantone numbers you want to evaluate, just do an internet search for "Pantone color xxxx."

I fished the second of the point blanks, the one with the Winn Grips, yesterday. I did not catch any fish, but cast various lures to get a feel for it. Regarding sensitivity, since during the retrieve most hold the reel and not the grip, the grip material is a moot point. However, I did force myself to hold the grip while retrieving a lipless crank and I could feel the action of the lure about the same through the grip as when holding just the reel. It appears that the Winn Grips are very sensitive. Usually light means sensitive, and the core of the Winn grips is rigid foam, so they should be quite sensitive. Regarding casting, I think I like a slower action for casting ease and comfort, but these rods were built with a specific task in mind, and that was to allow the very fast twitch on a hard jerkbait that Lake St Clair smallies respond best to. They do that very well. My son uses both of them for all kinds of lures and likes the XF action. He is a better baitcaster than I. Any other questions, just ask.

Don't bother, McCoy is highly overrated. IMHO Don't bother, McCoy is highly overrated. IMHO I have tried Yozuri Ultra Soft and found it a very good line for castability. What is the primary attribute you want in a co-polymer, beyond the absoloute necessity for it to be fundamentally as strong as its rating? You want it to cast well, assuming bait casting here. And McCoy's is nothing special. Yozuri Ultra Soft is. And P Line CX is. If it casts like a flourocarbon, and it sinks like a flourocarbon, then I don't want it.

I would go with the best color l could find in the non color fast thread. And use two coats of CP on it. Keep in mind that an absolutely perfect match is not necessary for a great looking rod. Abosolute matches are probably impossible since the Winn grips are a flat finish and your guides will be gloss. I have no idea whether the Pro Wrap metallics fade or not, but there have been a lot of comments on blue metallics changing color with exposure to sun, so I would keep that in mind before doing metallic as the primary wrap. My experience with other products, like flags, in the sun, is that the blue fades the fastest.

I wouldn't give up so easily. Overlap of an inch and a half is likely to work OK. The stress on the blank at the tip is not that high. If it were my rod , I'd give it a shot. I have rods I've broken an inch off, and I never thought they were really right after that. Could be my imagination, but imagination can be powerful. The challenge is always to find the right piece of another rod to use as the sleeve. If you try to repair it, and the repair doesn't work, where are you? Back where you started, and you can put a tiptop on at the fracture.