Crow Horse

I would think that a high quality bearing is superior to a standard bearing generally speaking. Similar to the improvement of changing out the standard bearings in rollerblades to an ABEC 7 bearing. They don't freespool and deliver a huge improvement. It might not be cost effective on a spinning reel but I have a difficult time thinking that upgrading would not be perceptible in terms of smoothness.

Has anyone upgraded the bearings in their spinning reel with Boca bearings? If so, what were the results?

This is my strategy be it right or wrong. I only catch & release and crush the barbs on my hooks. I make sure they are sharpened to perfection, sometimes verifying by using an industrial microscope. The hookset is a tight drag and then I'll loosen it a bit. Being in a yak 'll sometimes be towed around but will work quickly to get it next to the yak. I use a floating net and once netted it'll stay in the water till the hook is removed (which is usually quite quick). If it's a noteworthy fish AND it wasn't really stressed during the fight I'll try to take a pic. If for any reason that taking a pic would jeopardize it's survival upon release it will be released immediately. I've released 5-6# bass without a photo because it was more important to minimize stress and get it on it's way. Most fish never leave the water....

I'm always early almost to the point of being ridiculous. Typically, my fishing buddies meet at my house and I'm always outside early checking things and then double checking them. I've streamlined my prepping for a day of fishing and pretty much have it down to a science. If time allows, I'll triple check. My buddies are usually just on time and I don't have issue with that but I'm not comfortable with being "right on time".

This is great info that has been shared. When I order plastics I tend to "bracket" a particularly successful one and many times they don't pulled into immediate service resulting in a growing inventory. It's good to know that there really isn't a shelf life of plastics.

What about a plastic you used and then returned to the original package? Do you think it would last as long ?

Once a package is opened, how long will the soft plastics last? I have some older soft plastics that are 3-4 years old and I was curious how long they'll be effective being that they were opened. Most if not all plastics have some form of scent and I'm sure they don't last indefinitely. Any thoughts on this? ** Should there be a manufacturers note on the package stating "Best served before 12/2021"?

I use USMC light exposure suit (gore-tex) in the warmer months. When it's colder I use ABU APECS (Gore-Tex) top and bottom. I searched for quite a while on Ebay to find ones that were priced reasonably.....

I apologize in advance if this has been mentioned earlier, but the book "What Fish See - Understanding optics and color shifts for designing lures and flies" by Coli J. Kageyama, O.D, F.C.O.V.D. might prove to be helpful.......

My average day fishing lasts between 5-7 hours. It's not leisurely in the physical sense. It's 5-7 hours of non stop casting. I eat lunch between casts. No breaks unless answering the call of nature. If the bite is off, evaluate location and presentation. Adjust accordingly and repeat.

Thank you for correcting me. Regardless of the mechanism that is employed, my belief is that our perception of this reality isn't complete and that we only see or perceive a small slice of what is. For me, it's a percept and not a concept. I've experienced too many things to know otherwise. Whatever this mechanism is, sometimes physical, emotional trauma, or illness can trigger or reset our perception.

I agree 100%. Every name brand hook (EWG) that I've come across is NOT sharp enough. I've used an industrial microscope to photograph out of the package hook points. Trust me, they aren't sharp enough. I use a Razor Edge's hook sharpener which is a turret style hook sharpener that produces insanely sharp hook points. Pic of a new suture needle point & a Gami used but sharpened hook point....

Thanks guys for confirming my suspicion.....

Thanks. I did see bluegills on beds. I thought I read somewhere that they are the last to spawn, but this is an area that I don't know squat about. The water was a bit murky so it was difficult to observe really well. I'll see what has changed next week when I get back on the water..... For what it's worth, this pond is a small (14 acres) and very shallow. average depth is 3-4 feet with some areas dropping to 7 feet.

Hence my question.....

I routinely fish a small pond in upstate NY that has produced some very big bass. I was on the water yesterday and the water temps were 67° to 70°. I'm guessing that this is a post spawn situation. Fished for nearly 7 1/2 hours, caught and released 6 or 7 3# bass and dropped several others. Would I be correct in saying that the majority of the spawn is over?

Littering leads my list of behaviors that disgust me. Another is hearing other fisherman/boaters drop F bombs at every other word in their drunken stupor. Any behavior that even suggest them having a disrespect for the environment I find repulsive. I'm very lucky that the small pond we almost exclusively fish is usually "fisherman" free and we have the place to ourselves. Adjacent to it is a small camping area and again, the drunken screaming voices of some campers showcases their irresponsible behavior. When the opportunity presents itself, I will try to "educate" them in the hope that they eventually have a moment of self realization and change their behavior. This doesn't happen often. We even got "shot at" although that is somewhat misleading. Youths irresponsibly shooting at turtles in the water and having both my wife and I in the line of fire. I though my days of having lead flying around me were over. Apparently not. Long story short, I took care of the issue without needing any law enforcement involvement. Some basic rules to follow: *Don't litter. Pick up your stuff when you leave. If you packed it in, pack it out. *Have a respect for the environment. Treat it as you would when you enter a place of worship. *Have respect for fellow fisherman or campers. *Speak softly. People in the next county don't need to hear your every waking thought. *Always leave the environment better than when you arrived. Pick up the trash that other ignorant people have left behind. *Leave no trace of your passage. If you employ these basic rules, consider it a code of conduct, you can still have a very enjoyable time. The reality of it is that if you keep your mouth shut and your ears and eyes open, you'll be a witness to the greatest show on Earth.

This isn't a full on review of the Carbon X but rather just my thoughts after using it exclusively this past season. I usually fish frequently and for 5-7 hours at clip but this past year obligations and weather kept me from my usual routine. That said I still can share my impressions of the Piscifun Carbon X3000. It's very light and VERY smooth. Fit and finish are very high, the drag is strong and smooth and aesthetically it's a sharp looking reel. I didn't have any hiccups while it was in service. As a matter of fact, it's now my go to reel and have purchased 2 more. Price wise, they run about $70-$80 but recently I've seen a price drop and if you search around, you could find them in the $60 range. In my opinion, this reel is worth considering at this price point.

I took a gamble and picked up a Piscifun Carbon X (3000) earlier this year. I liked it so much that I bought another one and is now my "go to" reel. Price point is around $80 and is worthy of consideration......

I am not superstitious in the conventional sense, however, I always make a tobacco offerings and silently say a prayer of thanks and that any fish caught can be released without injury....

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How does one go about replacing the tip top when thread ramps over it? The obvious is to delicately cut it away but now it becomes a not so simple repair. Thread, Flex Coat, and a new tip top would be needed. Unless I'm not seeing something.....?

The handling fee is $9.95 and is applied on a case by case basis. In my case they wanted pictures and wanted the rod cut in half but I was luckily able to side step that. You shouldn't have any problem warrantying your rod....

The planets and stars aligned, and I didn't have to cut the rod. I called the number they provided and went through the process of paying the replacement handling fee. No photo of the rod was asked for. On the down side, the replacement rod is backordered till the end of the month. Not a deal breaker for me. Not too shabby. A new Vendetta for $9.95.....

I replied to their request and stated that it was already in half (2 piece) and asked what should I do. They replied for me to call them and pay the $9.95 fee. I'll gladly do that and hopefully they'll overlook the cutting issue.....