fissure_man

Now you know where she lives!

Since you have quite a bit of braid left on your spool, and assuming you don't currently have a large amount of backing behind your braid, try this: Instead of pulling the braid off first and then adding backing, first top up your spool to the desired level with a similar diameter mono that will become the backing (can use a uni-uni knot, alberto, or whatever here). Then walk off all the line, go back to where you started, tie on the mono to your now empty spool. Reel it all back in with a bit of tension, and you should have a perfectly filled spool with mono backing, topped with reversed braid (freshest on top), with no waste.

Anyone else find those sun gloves become absolutely disgusting after they've been slimed and then baked in the sun? Do NOT leave a used pair on the dash in your car

It's “dinger” …but really, if it was meant to be pronounced “sinko” they’d have spelled it that way How about this: Fat “ee-ka” or Fat “eye-ka” ?

Thanks Logan S - Let’s be clear, these are not ‘needs’ I guess I’m more just curious why we haven’t seen this tech pushed in the US market reels, and I’d love to see it trickle into the sub-$200 range. $199 Citica DC vs $199 Tatula SV TWS would be a Shimano vs. Daiwa battle for the ages I don’t think very North American anglers are buying JDM reels, and they’re not advertised here at all. How many anglers who might spend $150 plus on a reel even know these other DC models exist? If they put them on the shelves in Bass Pro and marketed a bit, using a beloved name like Citica/Curado/Chronarch, I think they’d sell tons.

Using your numbers, say there are 9 bait anglers and 1 fishing artificials… Artificial guy catches 8, bait anglers (collectively) catch 9. 10% of anglers caught 47% of the fish The artificial guy would’ve had to catch another 73 fish to bring his catch up to 90% of the total that day.

Good replies I love my Shimanos, but to me their last several offerings in the Citica/Curado/Chronarch range left little to get excited about. No doubt they are still high quality reels, but to me they lack any “cool” or “new” factor. I have to search through the specs to even pick out what’s new/different from previous versions, and then translate the marketing mumbo-jumbo (example): “HAGANE is a Shimano reel design concept created to withstand continual use and extreme abuse. HAGANE is an innovation of in-built toughness and durability, working alongside Shimano’s precision engineering. As you evolve, we evolve.” I don’t care about this; I want a cool robot reel! Weren’t the pre-HAGANE Shimanos durable and precise as well? DC braking is ‘cool’ and unique, it would differentiate Shimano at whatever price point they can cram it into. Even though it’s old tech now, it’s still arguably an improvement over anything else available, and remarkably, no one has knocked it off yet. Daiwa is constantly making visible and well-marketed upgrades/variations to their USDM offerings in the $100-$300 range, while Shimano… bleh. My wish list from Shimano includes: Citica DC for $199 Curado DC for $250 50 or 70 size Citica with shallow spool option for $150 Pleeeeeaaaaaaaseee

Now that I have your attention ... Why hasn’t Shimano come out with more USDM DC reels? The originals are over a decade old; I thought we’d see this trickle down into some of their other lines by now. The first models were flagship reels ($$$) but I don’t see why the tech couldn’t be made more affordable. I’m guessing the various Tatula models (including SV) are taking a big bite of the market that might otherwise look at Citicas and Curados. A Citica or Curado DC would be a tantalizing option if they could keep the price competitive. Thoughts?

Hmmm indeed Your rod-reel-line-knot-hook system is only as strong as the weakest link. If we accept there is some variance in achieved knot strength, then each additional variable-strength knot you tie in series increases the likelihood that one of them will be weak enough to fail (like Russian Roulette, how many times do you want to spin and pull the trigger?) That said, 100 well-tied knots in a row are just as strong a single well-tied knot, and are stronger than a single poorly tied knot. So if you tie your knots properly and use appropriate gear and drag setting, knot failure should be a non-issue (salmon/steelhead example). On the other hand, if you’re really bad at tying and QC-ing knots, to the extent that any given knot may be dramatically weaker than the previous (becoming likely to break under normal fishing conditions), then yes, keeping the # of knots to an absolute minimum may technically help you. But that doesn’t address the problem - just tie better knots! ============= In response to the OP: I think there is some pressure on the pros as ‘experts’ to maintain the impression that every part of their presentation is dialed in to the finest, near-scientific detail. Is it really? How often do multiple anglers come in after fishing similar (or the same) areas, each having divined a different ‘best’ presentation/line/lure/color? Even if one caught more than the rest, what was the critical difference? Rarely is it crystal clear. Experimentation happens most when things aren’t working, but even then, how often are variables tested independently (is it even possible?)? Maybe Seth tied on the fluoro leader at the same time as drifting onto an active fish, or it coincided with the fish turning on for some (any) other reason. Maybe it was the line, who knows? 20 lb fluoro is hardly stealthy to me, and much thicker than 40 lb braid. Was it the visibility? Lack of visibility? Stiffness? Effect on fall rate? Water displacement signature? Sound rubbing on the weeds? Would 15 lb have worked better, worse, equal? Would 25 lb have worked at all? There’s no time on tournament day to even try to answer these questions - when you find a system that works, duplicate it. Come interview time, state your best educated guesses as fact, mix in ample sponsor plugs, and you're good to go

@XF15-Loader Your fingernail is a better check on hook sharpness than internet opinions (as helpful as those may be )... Before changing hooks, have you confirmed that your hooks are actually dull? @beginningfisherman yes you can sharpen them. Downside is you may end up with a weaker point that will roll or dull more easily, and you might have trouble getting them as sharp as a new, premium hook.

Do you always surf the net shirtless and with shades on?

Two words: Brand Recognition If the target customer sees TV pros or other anglers fishing with particular gear, they are more likely to recognize those products on store shelves or online if there is something distinct about it. That’s not so much the case for all the generic, black/grey/cork rods, although functionally those products may be just fine. I was at an outdoors show this year where Carrot Stix rods were being offered at some kind of discount; lots of folks were buying. By the end of the day, having all those people walking around with the bright orange rods in bright orange sleeves would have been tremendous marketing for them; it was pretty clear to make the connection to the booth where all these folks were buying rods. The trade-off is that some customers will be turned off by the loud colors. But generally all these companies offer muted-color options too.

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/catpage-SNAGPROOF.html?from=basres Colors: "Cristyl" "Platinum Plus"

@MickD - lots of folks palm their casting reels, gripping pretty close to the center of gravity of the reel. If the reel is sitting right on the pivot point where you’re seeking balance, the weight of the reel doesn't really matter (it’s like piling bricks onto the center of a see-saw). In the original post I mentioned that I was referring to balance about the center of the reel seat, where reel weight has minimal influence. The ‘balance point’ usually changes when you add a reel, and often it changes a lot (this is because essentially zero rods are balanced at the reel seat to start with). But IMO discussing ‘balance point’ is more misleading – it doesn’t tell you the whole story. If a rod + 10 oz reel balances at 2” ahead of the reel, is it as well-balanced as a rod + 5 oz reel that also balances at 2" ahead of the reel? I wouldn’t say so, unless you are actually gripping the rod at 2” ahead of the reel (like some do). In that case both would be neutrally balanced, though one is much heavier. If you’re gripping ahead of or behind the center of gravity of the reel, then reel weight will start to affect the balance you feel a lot. This is another reason why (IMO) some enterprising rod maker should add a slick system for custom balancing – we all use different grips, reels, and have different balance preferences (tip-heavy, tip-light, neutral). Let us decide

Rod makers have a few more options, but not many, right? Unless the rod or handle length is changing, it essentially comes down to adding/removing weight in one form or another. A long, heavy power rod is going to take some mass-y components to balance even with a light blank and guides; I wonder what is the best strategy finish the handle end, keeping in mind weight, comfort, sensitivity, balance, inertia/momentum, …. ? It’s a good point that adding ‘concentrated’ mass to the butt might cause some unwanted inertial effects. But looking at simple rotation around the hand grip, achieving the same balance with more mass distributed further up the handle would also cause similar (but somewhat less severe) inertial effects and would increase the overall weight added to the blank (it’s a ‘balancing act’ ). Momentum might be worse, depending on the motion we're talking about. I’d expect the felt inertia when you pivot a casting rod/reel in your hand is dominated by the mass of the rod ahead of the handle, being distributed further from the pivot, but I don’t really know… And I have no idea how noticeable the difference would be between say 1/2 oz at the butt vs. 1 oz halfway between the butt and grip (to achieve equal balance). It’s would be individual too, depending on casting/retrieving mechanics…

Fair enough. I guess that’s the original question – “Balance vs. Overall Weight” – is it ever better to add weight? My line of reasoning is like this – seems that many people place some value in a balanced rod, even avoiding or selling certain rods if the balance doesn’t suit them. When those folks find a stock rod that is balanced to their liking, I would ask what’s different about that rod (say for the same length/power/handle length)? A rod maker can adjust the balance by removing weight up front, but only to a point, especially on a long rod. So differences in balance between rods also have to do with how much weight is behind the reel seat, right? That’s what I was getting at in asking if any mainstream rod makers add weights (which @WRB gave an example of). Some of the folks who like balanced rods, but would never add weight to a rood - I wonder how they'd like the feel of a Dobyns rod before telling them it was counter-weighted? Does it matter if balance is achieved with the use of actual ‘weights’ or just different component weights? To me, using counterweights would allow the design to focus on minimizing weight everywhere first, then using a minimal amount of weight in the most effective location to achieve the desired balance. Like an F1 car, designed to be light, then strategically ballasted as needed to a minimum weight regulation. This approach would result in the lightest overall weight for a balanced rod, and if one preferred the rod to be simply as light as possible, it could be run it without weights (or anywhere in between). Sounds like Dobyns uses a similar approach, but they decide how their rods will balance. Having a slick system to do this kind of customizing yourself would be cool IMO, even if only on some long/powerful rods which tend to be the furthest out of balance. True, but often the lure is in the water, sitting on bottom or falling on a semi-slack line and you're not really feeling its weight.

I wouldn't put much stock in the posted original price. It's a bit misleading for them to suggest it's a $175 reel when MSRP is $129, and their blog/press release from last winter even said: "Another outstanding feature of the KastKing Speed Demon baitcasting reel is its retail selling price, which is scheduled to be in the high $60 range,..." http://www.eposeidon.com/blog/?p=3253 Was this a slip? I'm guessing they're pretty comfortable selling these at $69, and even better for them if the customer thinks they're getting 60% off That said, you'd be hard pressed to match many of those features in a reel for $69 + 15% off... What's the IPT on this bad boy?

So clearly the best way to get a balanced rod is to just buy a balanced rod and not bother with any tweaking… duh . Seems like balance is important to many, but few will go to the length of counterweighting an unbalanced rod to improve it. I wonder if any of the mainstream (not custom) rod makers use butt weights in their off the shelf rods to adjust balance. For certain specs I imagine it’s going to be pretty tough to achieve near-neutral balance at the reel seat (if desired) only by using light guides and blank, at any price point. Can such a beast be created without counterweighting or using abnormally heavy butt components in say a 7’6” or 8’0” XHeavy flipping rod? You can always put a sleeve on with some quarters but people don’t want to do that on a higher end rod. To me it would be a cool option to see customizable butt weighting systems as described in the original post, especially on long flipping rods which are notoriously unbalanced. I think it would sell; the people who are buying mid-to-high-end fishing rods love to overanalyze and tweak their gear. Include some fancy colored tungsten washers at varying weights and get pro endorsement… Thoughts? The rod could be designed to minimize weight everywhere (not caring about balance), then the angler could add a minimal amount of weight, concentrated where it's most effective to achieve the balance they want. Would this just be a gimmick that nobody would value?

Casting and reeling with the same hand is best, but not everyone has the skill/coordination to manage swapping hands. For these troglodytes, it’s easier keep each hand focused on a specific task to avoid confusion. No worries – although they’re technically wrong, the disadvantage is minor. It’s best not to give them too hard a time about it and just enjoy catching an average of 6.43% more fish by using the correct gear.

In a casting setup, how important is balance to you? Is there a point where decreasing overall weight becomes a negative, because it throws off balance? Is adding weight ever justifiable? Seems like virtually all rods are "tip heavy" off the shelf, with the balance point ahead of the reel seat. I palm a casting reel, so using a heavier reel (as is often recommended) doesn’t actually do much to affect the balance, and just makes the whole deal heavier. The best solution would be to reduce weight ahead of the reel seat with lighter guides, better blank ($$$). Next best would be stick with a light reel and add weight where it’s most effective – the butt end. I have a couple older BPS rods with threaded-in butt caps that can be removed to add washers and balance the rod. I thought this was a pretty cool option but it never became very popular I guess. You can add a sleeve to the butt of any rod but it won't necessarily fit well on the smaller split grips, and it looks dumb Is rod balance something that people even care about anymore? If it is, where/when/why/how do you achieve it?

The concept reels get great reviews but the drag is no selling point for me, even for punching. 20+ lbs max drag is far more than you’ll ever need IMO; those high numbers must do well for marketing but they offer no real benefit. If you’re often in situations where you’re putting 20 lbs force through the reel (ie: dead lifting a world record ), then you’re likely to damage the reel, not to mention your rod. Sounds like you're focusing on the heavy stuff/punching, and for that you don't need anything too fancy in a reel. I'd look for comfort, durability, high speed, and a clear out sale (discontinued model). I use a Daiwa Lexa 100 7.2:1 with no complaints (~$50 clear-out). Then put the savings toward a killer combo for general purpose and lighter-duty t-rig/jig use.

Agreed. Critical thinking is... critical.

Comparing pro vs. amateur fishing is nowhere close to pro racing vs. driving on public roads. Even the professional drivers wouldn’t use those racing techniques off the track. Regardless of skill or budget, when there’s no race, the objective of driving changes completely. In contrast, when an amateur goes fun fishing, the basic objective is generally pretty similar to that of a pro bass fisherman in a tournament (catch a bunch of big bass). Many of the things that help pros catch bass will also help amateurs. A better comparison would be pro/am bass fisherman vs. pro/am racing drivers. In either case, an amateur looking to improve their skills might do well to glean some techniques from the more experienced pros that have proven their mastery of the sport. I’d even say this tends to be truer with bass fishing than most sports – amateurs can fish for the same bass on the same lakes (same spots, even) that the pros do. Everyone works within different budgets and has different preferences, even among the pros. So doing everything ‘like the pros’ isn’t even possible (which pro will you pick?). A-Mart offers his justification for using high speed reels, others disagree. Everyone gets to pick what works for them. Reel speed has nothing to do with budget, and everything to do with preference. If regular Joes tend to be more budget-constrained, that’s further justification to consider the opinions of more experienced anglers (including pros) before shelling out for a reel purchase. Consider the reasons why those anglers make the choices they do, consider how your constraints/priorities might be different than theirs, and then choose what’s most likely to work for your personal preferences/style/budget/etc. To me this seems like a sound, ‘responsible adult’ approach ~ Hasn’t been mentioned in this thread yet, but ‘reel speed’ is better defined in terms of IPT rather than gear ratio. IPT gives a more direct measure of how the reel speed will affect your fishing, and is a better way to compare reel speed between different reels. A large-spooled 6.3:1 reel might take in as much or more line per crank as a smaller-spooled 7.1:1, especially at the end of a long cast. Just something else to consider.

I can understand the frustration, but it’s the organizers of ICAST that choose who gets to attend. If ICAST deems someone sufficiently qualified and they buy a ticket, then it’s fair game for them to show up. The elitist part comes from suggesting that “vloggers”, “distracting amateurs”, and “people who know nothing about your job” (all of whom ICAST deemed qualified to attend) should bow out of participating to thin the crowds and make life easier for the likes of bassresource.com. Why would they? I’m not advocating for unprofessionalism or theft, but to an extent I’d say dealing with trade show crowds is PART of the job, not something that prevents the job from being done. ICAST has clear rules about filming and photography, if you’re unhappy with the enforcement then that’s something to take up with ICAST (or confront the offender directly). Being annoyed at inappropriate behavior is different than requesting that the “little fish” politely stay home while the “big kids” get their work done. The latter is how the first post came across to me, maybe I got it wrong.

Maybe I’m the only one, but the last two posts leave a sour taste for me. @Glenn the tone of your post comes across as pretty elitist. Why shouldn’t anyone who qualifies to buy a ticket be allowed to participate? The rules are on ICAST’s site, and ultimately ICAST gets to decide who is allowed in. “Pirating” interviews and other unprofessional behaviour is not cool, and so there are written and unwritten rules against it. Otherwise, attending a show like ICAST is probably a great place for the ‘distracting amateurs’ to make some connections and grow. Like it or not, vloggers are an increasingly important part of sport fishing media, and I’m sure the exhibitors are happy to have their interest and support. If it’s crowded, that means there’s a lot of interest, and that’s a good thing for you. @Bobby Uhrig You make some great products, but come on There are plenty of other innovators out there. Stick to wowing us with your creations and you won’t have to toot your own horn, your customers will do it for you.