FishTank
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Viewing Forum: Fishing Rods, Reels, Line, and Knots
Everything posted by FishTank
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Makers of Bass Pro Shop and Johnny Morris Reels??
I found these guys on TT and it just blew me away. Doyo Korea: http://www.doyofishing.co.kr/main/index Banax Korea: http://banax.co.kr/ Haibo China: http://www.haibofishingreel.com/index.php?lan=en
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Latest Catch Pics Thread
I have to ask..... Where was this at? I live in Indy and it sort of looks familiar.
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(Un)official Hoosiers Thread
I have got to try it. Looks like a great spot.
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Vehicle Organization? Mandatory Gear?
2018 F-150 No gear ever is kept in it I keep a back pack with everything I need and rod with a t-rig setup ready to go in the garage Basic safety stuff - flashlight, jacket, first aid kit, and a couple of need to have tools
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Best Shaky Head Weight for Zoom Original trick worm
Owner Stickbait in 1/8oz and 1/4oz.
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What are you giving up on?
I fish with a guy that likes to fish 5-10 feet from the bank. I would like to give that up. Lure wise...... Buzz baits. The whopper plopper has taken its' place.
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megabass 110 vs 110+1 need both?
I use all three, 110, 110+1 and the 110+2. I have caught fish with all three. When to use which one, is up to you. For me, I find it depends on the lake and the depth near the bank. Also, the water temp can be factor. One other thing, for the +2 the brighter colors (chartreuse black, sexy shad, and perch) seem to produce better.
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Pline vs Sufix vs Trilene vs BPS XPS mono Line?
Out of the ones you picked in order >Trilene XL, P-Line Flouroclear (go one weight size heavier though), Sufix (good line no issues), and then I would not use the BPS stuff (good but I have found it inconsistent).
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Ideal reel ratio for jig/frog rod?
A couple of the lakes I fish there is a funnel of swirling wind that pushes the lily pads in to one spot. When fishing a frog, the DC is great at handling the windy conditions. Some of frogs I fish cast like a bullet no matter what but others can turn into a kite. The DC will cast consistently. It makes fishing more fun and less frustrating.
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What lures did you lose the most in 2019?
Ned rig jig heads for me as well. I would loose at least 2 every time I was out.
- Softbait Creatures/Helgramite
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Ideal reel ratio for jig/frog rod?
I have both the K and the DC in the 7.x:1 and both are great. Really for what you are doing the 7.x:1 will be more than fast enough. I think for frogs, the DC would be a better choice but for jigs the K will get the job done.
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Gamakatsu round bend or ewg trebles?
I have not changed out many but I like the Owner Stinger for crankbaits and Gamakatsu EWG for jerkbaits.
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What’s your favourite jighead for swimbaits
I have been using the VMC Ike Swimbait Jig Heads. I usually am not a fan of Ike or VMC but these work.
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SLX DC Problems Galore
You should be good with the 10lb Hybrid. I would set the DC break at 3 and the set the cast control like you would any other baitcaster and start there. I have the Curado DC and pretty much set it at 1 or 2 with a weightless senko. Also, I too had issues with braid but I would definitely not use 8lb. Whoever spooled this reel and/or suggested this line at BPS might need to rethink things.
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DC reel for my brother-in-law?
I have the DC and the K. Both great reels. If you are going to use the DC for flipping and/or pitching, IMHO, ditch the braid and go with FC. I have found braid to be a weird thing with the DC reel especially with pitching. The DC does work great for both flipping and pitching but it shines and amazes when casting into the wind. First thing, I would learn the technique instead of counting on the reel to help (use a regular baitcaster at first). Second, get use to the DC reel before you start flipping/pitching. Last, ignore the settings suggested by Shimano in the manual and figure out what works best for you.
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Looking for a new cranking reel..
I haven't had an issue with casting distance but I use 12lb Suneline Super Natural or 12lb Seaguar Invizx both have a smaller diameter than most other lines at the same test. I would agree that 10lb maybe an issue with both the lines I use but I have yet to use them. The Calcutta mentioned above would also be awesome.
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Reviewing a few Lew's Fishing Reels
After fishing the two with the centrifugal system I am going to kind of disagree. I needed to correct a part of what I said...... The Mach 2 has a magnetic braking system. It should have handled the same as the Carbon Fire but it did not.
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Looking for a new cranking reel..
I like the Curado DC for cranks. It's smooth, casts far, and I have had no issues with anything. One other choice would be the Abu Garcia Winch. It's just a powerhouse for deep cranks.
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Shimano casitas bearings
If it's the spool shaft, $14 is pretty much the going price. It would probably be more expensive from Boca than Shimano. If you order from Boca it would not be a major upgrade on the over all performance with this particular bearing. If you need the actual spool bearings, Boca's are great. I like the ABEC 5 ceramics.
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Reviewing a few Lew's Fishing Reels
After fishing the two with the centrifugal system I am going to kind of disagree. I would say that it is one of the most finicky systems I have used. With all the available breaking adjustments, I was changing and adjusting the cast constantly. It felt like a 23 speed manual transmission I was controlling with my thumb. Personally, the best system is one that I don't have to adjust or worry about. On the plus side, at least I didn't have to open the side plate to adjust the breaks. And one other thing I did like is how the side plate just snaps back into place when I did take it off and the easy to use button that makes it come off. This is to me the easiest I have seen so far.
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Curado K
I have the K and the Curado DC both have been fantastic. I have not had any issues as of yet. The K is being used for jigs and weighted soft plastic. The DC is being used for crankbaits. The DC has seen probably more casts than I can count and I have caught tons of fish with it. It probably saw the most abuse out any reel I own. It's feels the same, casts the same and looks the same as the day I got it. The K has been used quite a bit but not a ton. I have several other reels I use for the same purpose and they all kind of share the load.
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Reviewing a few Lew's Fishing Reels
I think if I went down that road, I would start with the BB1 and go from there. It seems to be a safe pick but the ones you mention are definitely interesting.
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Reviewing a few Lew's Fishing Reels
I have been lucky to be able to have fished a lot of different reels this past two years and as cabin fever has started to set in, despite it being almost 60 degrees today, I wanted to start writing a few reviews. So I decided for whatever reason to start with Lew's. First off I wanted to add a little disclaimer...... I am not a big fan of Lew's reels in general prior to getting my hands on a few. So I know that sounds biased but I did approach this with sort of an opened mind. First reel I tried was a the Hyper Mag. One of the guys I work on reels for bought it at the beginning of the year and asked if I would clean the excess oil and grease (which there was a lot of oil but no grease) off of it and spool it up with some 12lb Stren. He said he was not in a hurry to get it back since he was headed into surgery and I could fish at my leisure until he recovered. So prior to working on it, I fished it for a few hours just to see what it felt like. And it was just OK. I like how it was light weight and felt awesome in hand. It was sort of smooth but just different. I hated the handles though but they were good in the rain. I really wanted to like this reel but it just didn't do it for me compared to other reels well below it's price point. What I expected this reel to be was a light weight finesse powerhouse but it wasn't. I struggled to get good casting distance with this reel on a weightless senko but it did well with heavier jigs and baits. The thing that disturbed me the most was the breaking. I found I was constantly adjusting it to stop it from backlashing. It would be fine one minute and backlash the next. If I am messing with the breaks, I am missing out on fishing. After cleaning, lubing and fishing for about 10 more hours, things improved some but not much. Overall, this is a good reel if you like Lew's reels. I liked the feel of it, it was easy to work on, the cast control knob with the line weight is a nice touch and the hook keeper is genius but it just was not my taste. It was just too different from what I have fished in the past. I gave it back to the owner and wished him the best. Second was the Mach 2, the greenish one that comes with the combo. I bought this at DSG for $50 on clearance. I thought since I liked the way the Hyper Mag felt in hand, I would try one. It felt pretty much the same as the above reel but worse and heavier. I returned it after one use. Last, and strangely my favorite, is the Carbon Fire. I bought this at DSG as well for $12 ($45 clearance + 75% off) back in May. I have to say I was blown away at how good this reel is. Not because of what I paid for it but because it just worked well and felt good in hand. It's surprisingly smooth and it cast as well if not better than the two above. The breaking system (magnetic) works well (very similar to Quantum reels). I think it would make for a great beginner reel. On a side note, I would put it pretty close to the Shimano SLX. I guess I can see why people like Lew's reels but to me all the ones I fished still feel a lot like BPS and Pflueger's offerings (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). They just don't break away from that feel of a mass produced product where all the reels in the line up feel the same. It, to me, boils down to personal preference. I think I will continue to enjoy the Carbon Fiber for years to come though.
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Heavy spinning rod for a kid
Just for comparison and I will let it go. Doesn't really matter what it is though, it's great you are getting out and fishing with your kid and it will be an awesome set up no matter what you get.