RockvilleMDAngler

I use baitcasters for everything except really light lures. The advantage of a baitcaster over spinning is the bc has NO line twist. I can usually cast much more accurately with a baitcaster than a spinning reel since I can put my thumb on the spool during a cast and stop the lure mid-flight, this comes in handy when I want to hit a specific target because I cast past it and then stop at the target. Baitcasters generally have more power than spinning reels too.

I got the article from a local muskie board that I post on often. I thought it was really good info and the fluorocarbon debates are always on this board so I figured you guys could use it. I hope they continue this comparison with a memory aspect since I think low memory is what gives lines line PLine an advantage over a lot of the more expensive lines.

Oops my mistake I was looking at the wrong bar on some of those tests I still don't like the line though. I found it interesting that they found FC to have a lot of stretch.

When I was starting out with a BC I had plenty of problems until someone told me to make smooth casts. Be sure to use one fluid motion and let the reel do the work, if you snap cast or try to wing it you will backlash (until you REALLY get the hang of it). Just cast the lure in one fluid smooth motion and you are set.

I bought a Daiwa TDZ when they were on sale at Cabelas and it is really nice but I still like my Chronarch better. Actually my favorite reel is still my new Curado 101, it casts like a dream and is smooth as silk.

This is a great comparison of some fluorocarbon lines: http://www.tackletour.com/reviewfluorocarbontest.html I was not surprised to see that Gamma had some issues, I personally hate that line and find it unmanageable and relatively weak, for the price I will stick with PLine Fluoroclear.

I think P-Line fluoroclear is great for the $. It casts well has little/no memory and is pretty darn strong. I have used a lot of Gamma recently and it is better but is REALLY expensive.

OK I succumbed to temptation and bought a TDZ for $199 although I had no rod to pair it with and don't really NEED another setup. Here are my current setups, please tell me what YOU think I should get and for which technique: - Shimano Chronarch 100 with a 7' G-Loomis MBR843C IMX Medium-Heavy for worms/senkos/ikas/jigs - Shimano Curado 201D with a 7'6" BPS Pro Qualifier PRQ76HT-T Flippin Stick - Shimano Curado 101D with a 7' G-Loomis CBR843 Medium for crankbaits - Shimano Curado 201BSF with a 6'6" Falcon FC-5-F66 MH for spinnerbaits (I got the rod for $19 when it was usually $90 because the checkout lady screwed up ;D ) - Quantum Energy Pti Spinning reel with a 6' G-Loomis SJR 722 Medium for jerkbaits and topwater (also used for various techniques by friends who don't know how to use a baitcaster) - Shimano Sahara 1500FB Spinning reel with a 6'6" St. Croix Avid AS66MLF for dropshots and lightweight finesse tactics I am pretty happy with all of these setups and for the life of me I can't think of another rod I need to get. Since I got the nice TDZ (And what a price ;D ) I would like to match it up to something lightweight (but I have no problem with a MH or H action) and very sensitive. I think the spinnerbait setup is weak but I don't want to buy a high-end rod for spinnerbaits since I don't think I need a ultra-sensitive rod for the technique. I keep thinking I should get a dedicated Senko rod (like the GLX 893) but I have no problems with my 7' IMX and I usually see the line move on a senko before I feel it anyway (because I fish with a slack line). I don't do a lot of cranking but I really like my new crankbait rod (got it for XMas) and I find myself doing it more and more but I haven't used it for deep cranks much, would a deep crank rod be a big difference or is this ok? As you can tell I like Loomis stuff and I have been waiting for fatfishfarmer to update his inventory on Ebay. If you were in my shoes what would you get and why. Thanks a lot, I am totally stumped!

If you can get your hands on the old SF Curados then buy them and never look back, they are an amazing bang for the buck reel. I own two newer ones (a 101 and a 201) and they are superior reels by all accounts but they are more expensive and their reliability has not been tested to the extent of the older ones (but that is only because they haven't been around as long). Both are great but if you want to spend an extra $100 for an extra 3-4 feet in casting distance then go for it.

This is the inherent problem with Spinning gear. The only known solution (and it is not a PERFECT solution) is to use a swivel. Try learning a baitcaster, after the first few trips you will find yourself wondering why you ever fished a spinning rig to begin with (unless it is for ultra lightweight baits).

You mentioned that much of the lake is "unfishable" well those "unfishable" parts would be the place to start... the more weeds and logs etc. the more bass. Try throwing a fat ika into the densest part of the cover and be very slow with your movements and I guarantee you will get to the bigger fish in that lake.

Since I have no experience with a real bass boat I probably would have done the exact same thing(s)... but that was still pretty darn funny!

Shimano and Daiwa make very nice gear and you can't really go wrong unless you spend too much money expecting the gear to make you a better fisherman.

NICE FISH! Next time be sure to hold the fish like in the 2nd picture and not hanging like the first pic. Muskies are very vulnerable out of water and holding them vertically can damage their spines very easily.

Mike check this out http://fish.shimano.com/publish/content/fish/sac/us/en/why_shimano/take_me_fishing.html and this http://fish.shimano.com/publish/content/fish/sac/us/en/why_shimano/charitable_guidelines.html Good find! I knew that Shimano wouldn't just ignore a promotion to avoid losing 20% on a very few purchases.

I recently purchased a Loomis crankbait rod, 7' medium action (I forget the model # but there aren't many dedicated crankbait rods made by loomis so it shouldn't be hard to figure out) and I matched it with a new Curado 100 series and boy is it amazing. I can cast easily 50 yards and the sensitivity is phenomenal. The rod is very light and matches up great with the small curado, I am sure that a Chronarch MG would work great too. Whatever you do be sure to get a lighter reel to match with the crankbait rod for casting distance, it makes a huge difference.

While I know that passing on a charitable situation like that might seem heartless, it is stupid to instantly bash the company for not participating unless you know what their charitable donations are. Virtually every large company in the US does charitable donation (if only for the tax breaks) so I imagine that Shimano is doing something on their own. It's also silly to assume that BPS (or whoever was running this promotion) wasn't profiting in some way from it and perhaps Shimano didn't feel that the program was being run properly or being correctly distributed. If Sally Struthers organized every tackle company except one to give 75 cents a day for poor African children it would be silly to blame the one company since perhaps they didn't like that their donations ALSO went to paying Sally for her time along with the salaries of everyone who is working for this organization and that only 15 cents of their donation ACTUALLY went to a starving child. If the company would rather just give money to the poor directly then great. The bottom line is that it is naeive to think that BPS or Cabelas or Daiwa etc. was doing this promotion ONLY to help young kids get into the sport.... because the more young kids who fish the more who get bitten by the bait monkey and spend TONS of money on gear they don't really need. ;D

The most important part of baitcasting (for beginners) is to use a gentle casting motion. DO NOT SNAP the rod or you will certainly backlash. Get used to a steady smooth casting motion and let the reel do the work. If you snap or try to launch it you will backlash and backlashing itself can be VERY confusing and frustrating to clean up for a beginner. After a few days you should be able to pick one out in a few minutes but at first you will probably be cutting line. It took me a solid week to be comfortable with baitcasters but now they are all I use.

Having just bought a new Chronarch (which is supposed to arrive tomorrow) I don't think I can justify this but I REALLY want to pull the trigger.... MUST BE STRONG!!!!! :-/

When my Premier broke last year I sent it back to St. Croix and withing 4 days someone called me from St. Croix saying that for about $50 I could upgrade to the Avid and that's what I did. Try that and save some serious $, those Avids are sweeeeeeet.

I have never had any luck with jerkbaits but I haven't used them much either. I intend to throw one for a while on Saturday. What areas do you fish with a jerkbait? Should I target stumps and wood like a crankbait or should I be targeting beds or something else? Thanks!

Mine: 1 Bantam Curado 201BSF (I had 2 but one went overboard on Saturday :'( ) 1 Curado 201D 1 Curado 101D 1 Chronarch 101

I used spinning gear for years and reeled with my left even though I am right handed. The first baitcaster I bought was right handed and I just couldn't get used to switching hands. Now I only use LH baitcasters and many of my fish come when the lure hits the water and I am ready since I don't have to switch.

I own a Sea Eagle SE-9 and I love the thing but I always have one issue when it comes to setup/storage: it won't fit well in a huge duffel bag/suitcase. I have an enormous bag that should hold it but I can never seem to get every last bit of air out of the thing in order to roll it up so that it will fit, when I had an SE-8 this was not a problem but since I upgraded for free (long story) I can't get the thing in the bag. Does the Sea Eagle bag that they sell on the website hold the boat comfortably or is it still a pain to get it in the bag? If you are using a different bag what type is it and how do you fold the boat? I am only talking about the rubber boat itself, not the floorboards or anything like that. Thanks.

I had a Pirranha MAX20 and it was alright but I upgraded because I couldn't ever see baitfish schools with any reliability. The Lowrance is much better at showing baitfish and even Thermoclines.