Just_Old_Fisherman

I have had good luck with 3:16 Soft Bait glue. Hard to find, but is much better than Super Glue and was recommended to me over Mend-It. Had a bottle 2-3 months and hasn't dried out. Bottle has a brush like on finger nail polish. The glue actually melts the plastic so when you put it together it welds it back together. Won't stick to your fingers and dries soft with no residue. Got mine from Anglers Lodge Tackle shop in Del Rio, Tx.

Used the BPS XPS Fluoro for about a year, but switched to Vicious Fluoro about 6-8 months ago. Can't tell much difference between the BPS & Vicious, but the Vicious cost less and I can get it locally. I also think KVD line & lure is a requirement for any Fluoro or mono for that matter. I use some 20 LB Vicious and with the KVD Line & Lure, I have no problems with memory.

Island does your 5-star ABU have spool bearings or just bushings? The Curado is probably much smoother and freer than the ABU. If the ABU has spool bushings as with the older Ambassador 5000's then the bushing serve some what as a "brake" when compared to a good bearing. I could tell a difference in my Citica's when I upgraded to ABEC 7 bearings versus the stock bearings that came in them.

Have used Fluoro for Rage Tail Toad and similar top water plastic baits with no problem. Usually most of the line is above the water any way. I still tend to like braid better for these baits,not so much because of the weeds but just the lack of stretch.

If you can find some of the Mend-It or 3:16 soft bait glue, they work much better than super glue to repair the Rage Toads or any soft plastic. Super glue dries hard. The soft bait glue's melt the soft plastic and "weld" it together leaving it soft and flexible. Much better results.

Have not tried the soft plastic baits. Did use their regular Jigx jig and Jigx football head a lot last winter with good results. Really like the 1/2 and 3/4 oz jigs in the Pumpkin Pepper Green. The Chunkx Sling is pretty unique and really helps keep any soft plastic trailer from sliding down the hook.

Been using it over a year and would not be without it. Best deal I have if you live in the sticks like me with no local source is direct from mfr. You can get 2 bottles for $15.95+$4.75 shipping or 4 bottles for $25.95+$6.50 shipping. They include some decals and samples of other stuff. To find their site Google "clever innovations Line and lure". Would post the website but I keep getting moderators dinging me for doing it.

If you are looking to get a faster sink rate, why not try some Fluorocarbon line. It sinks, does not float. Cranks go deeper and weightless worms will sink slightly faster.

Been using 14# Gamma Copoly about 2 years with no problems. Good line.

Like others I have some of these, but prefer the Gamakatsu better. These are just too small for my use.

Suggest you contact Eagle Claw via their Contact Us link on their website. Maybe you can get someone there that knows. http://eagleclawclassic.com/contact/index.php

I use the P-Line CX Premium 20#. While it and all Mono, Copoly, Fluoro in the heavier test have some memory, I control it with the KVD Line & Lure. Give each reel 2-3 squirts before I load them in the boat and they are good for the day. While I also use braid for some applications, there are places for mono and fluoro.

I have had mine for nearly 2 years and would not use any other that I have seen---Or that I already had. Well made and function as they are supposed to.

I found mine at my local Academy store. Google it to find online stores.

I have had good luck with an o-ring and rigged similar to the top picture. Had no problems with hookups

Not free, but Navionics Hot Map Explorer is a good tool for $20. Runs on your PC, has 10,000 lake maps with contours. You can print any you need to take along with you. Also, has a plug in for Google Earth, allows split screen view of topo map on half and Google Earth on other half. Stores/backs up your waypoints and displays them on the topo, can convert to Google Earth format and allows concurrent displat there.

I like the 3/0 EWG hooks for anything up to about 8". Above that, 4/0 or 5/0 EWG depending on the bulk of the bait. This is for soft plastic worm and lizard type baits and not the hollow soft plastic swim baits.

I had tried the Gammakatsu Weedless Finesse hook, but the weedguard was too flimsy for the heavy cover I fish. It was always coming open and hanging up. Also wanted something larger than 2/0. Here is a Gammakasu Wide Gap Finesse that I started tieing my own weedguard on. I make the loop with cheap 50LB mono. Works much better and have no problem with hookups. Normally I use 3/0 and 4/0 hooks.

Check out the Navionics Hot Maps Explorer. Software and files for your PC of 10,000 lake contour maps. Cost $20. You get 1 free download of a "High Def" lake with 1' contour intervals. Additional HD lakes can be downloaded for $20 each. Their website shows the 10,000 lakes and list of HD lakes. You can print out maps of areas you want to fish. Does take a pretty good chunk of disk space, 7-10 GB for the full download. You can reduce that some by only downloading maps in the area you are really interested in and skip the road maps and 3D downloads.

Had that tool about a year, works good. I get my o-rings at the local Lowes or Home Depot in the plumbing section.

I am at the other extreme from most of these. My lake is wall to wall salt cedar and mequite---thick tough stuff. I use 15# Vicious Fluoro, 14# Gamma Copoly, 20# Vicious Fluoro and 50# & 65# Power Pro. Depends on the bait/technique I am fishing. Even with the heavy stuff I have lines broken and hooks straightened.

Ft Knox is the cheapest place to get tungsten weights since it is same price as gold. JK---I have looked all over the web and locally and tungsten has gotten high as you know what. Seems to run about $6/oz everywhere. Never have done a scientific study, but I like colored weights. I paint mine with powder paint---usually Green Pumpkin.

I use the Gremlin oblong Rubber Core sinkers. Pull the rubber insert out and the gap fits around a hook very well. Just crimp it lightly to the hook and you have a good weighted swimbait hook. Plus you can get most any weight and they are easy to change if you want to change weights on a hook.

I go with what the others have said. For any body of water I am fishing, I am always looking for something different. Whether it is that bigger bush among the other smaller ones, that narrow cut entering the main channel, that brush I sank near the channel. Unless the lake is a smooth bowl with no channels or brush, it has cover and structure. Find the structure & cover that is different.

The Navionics Explorer that fishfordollars mentioned also allows you split your screen and view Google earth and Hot Maps countour maps concurrently. Product looks good and for $20 I ordered a copy. Oops, just went back and looked at their list of 10,000 included lakes and none for Oregon!