J.Vincent

There are a lot of really good colors on the market and I own about 12 too many colors, because Green Pumpkin, Watermelon/Red Flake, Junebug, Black/Blue Flake and Gray Shad covers most of the bases

Well this reel was definitely way over lubed from the factory, and it's mind boggling why any manufacturer would over lube like this. But anyway, the interesting thing is, once I wiped out the excess and applied a new thin layer of some old discount Gander Mountain Reel lubricant; it's now consistently casting 20 feet further then before and the screeching went away ! So thank you to everyone for your advice

Okay , I opened up the reel to check the brake ring and applied some thin Reel oil and I'm hoping this solves the problem. However, I decided to pull the spool to also check the spool bearing. And the spool shaft is caked in dirty grease. Does this seem normal for a Reel that's been used about 30 times ?

Today I was fishing a 3/8 oz Sammy style bait on a new (2 months old) Origin BaitCasting reel. The centrifugal brake system is a dial on the inside of the spool, and it's set to 1. The spool tension knob is set for a slow to medium fall rate.....everything is tuned properly and yet I was getting a screeching sound at the very end of my casts. The spool spins freely and smoothly for about 60+ feet , but about 10 to 15 feet before the lure enters the water, the reel begins screeching and the spool slows dramatically ? What could be causing this aside from a faulty braking system ?

Interesting topic, and I've found its better to slow the retrieve speed on my spinnerbaits and tweak the color, instead of adding an insurance hook. However, for my BuzzBaits in dirty water, I almost always rig a trailer hook.

Spiderwire makes good braided line, and you shouldn't be breaking off during the cast, unless one of your line guides are cracked and that could definitely cause line breakage or maybe your knots are pulling ?

I think it depends on the type and size of jerkbait. In a tournament scenario I like to have two rods for JerkBait fishing, the preferred Rod is a 6ft6 Medium Fast Spinning Setup with 8lb mono or copolymer for 1/4oz to 3/8oz and the 2nd Rod is a 6ft6 Medium Moderate Fast Casting Setup with 10 or 12lb Mono or Copolymer for 3/8 and above. Both of these rods can also pull double duty with Sammy style Topwaters and Poppers.

I like the Abu Garcia Veritas 6 Foot 6 Inch Medium Heavy Moderate Fast with 6.6 Gear Ratio spooled with 14 to 17lb Monofilament. The shorter Rod offers precision in close quarters, and this is where I'm casting ChatterBaits 90% of the time. I'd recommend a longer Rod in the same action to cover greater amounts of water and if you are using the ChatterBait as a search bait.

I personally like: white, chrome, bronze and Firetiger . And I like Poppers to be 3.25" or longer, I rarely throw anything smaller. I've found the longer poppers can be walked and chugged, and this offers a varying presentation with the same bait.

Okay this sounds like something I would try , simple and easy to apply. Does the wax melt in warmer temperatures ?

Great article, Thanks for sharing this information !

Garlic, Baitfish, Crawfish or Anise Oil

If you have tried standard plastics on the bedding site and it's not provoking a strike or pickup, then try moving a ChatterBait over the bedding site a few times. Those blades make a lot of noise and move a lot of water, and I've found this really puts the bass in a more aggressive mood. After 1 or 2 casts of the ChatterBait , you can usually see the mood of the bass change, they may even chase the ChatterBait away. If you can get them to chase a bait, then you have them prepped for the next step. Go back to the plastic tube approach and dead stick it on the bedding site. Eventually the bass will pick up the bait and move it. This can take 30 seconds or 30 minutes of alternating between these two baits, but I guarantee it will work. Yes , this is also a very good method probably one of the best, I like a ChatterBait in place of the swim bait , but the idea of provoking a defensive instinct is very similar.

That sounds like a pretty awesome experience....and I really like this format of weighing, recording, releasing. I watched the live coverage and this just seems like a classier style of tournament competition. I hope it catches on and more tournaments are conducted in this manner. But I'm wondering if you Were you able to get the Pros opinions for this format ?

Sunny Clear Blue skies, 1-2 pm in the afternoon , 10-12 foot water visibility, Bubblegum and Methiolate Trick Worms twitched at the surface 2 or 3 feet outside the edge of Pad fields. I've also caught Bass on a Zara Spook Pattern with the same conditions. It may not be considered a weird pattern, but it goes against many schools of thought.

Also, 4 and 5lb smallmouth on the Great Lakes have extremely hard jawbones , and there are times, I just know from experience when the hook point didn't penetrate into the fishes jawbone far enough. So in deep water when the fish is way under the surface, there is constant pressure the fish is putting on the line already, so the half set I'm referring to is really more of an extended pull of the Rod blank and Rod handle back towards your body, not actually a 2nd full sweeping of the Rod tip. In this instance there is no discernible slack being put back into the line and the goal is to insure the hook point has properly set. I never do this when fishing Largemouth and I never do this when fishing less then 15-20 feet of water and I never do this when fishing braided line. Also, I believe it's actually called a Pump set, because the Rod is already under load. But yes it does work, but I wouldn't use this method for spinnerbaits or treble hook lures....only occasionally with deep water tubes and sometimes Carolina rigs.

Yes, sometimes if I'm fishing tubes for Smallmouth in 20 foot of water, with monofilament and the initial Hookset didn't feel solid, I may give the Rod another half powered set along with a quick crank of the reel handle. Not technically another full Hookset as sometimes this can do more harm than good.

Zara Spook Puppy or Zara Spook Jr (Translucent Clear)

Braid frays really bad around rocks because it's composed of strands or fibers and it also wedges itself into wood because of the thinner diameter. This is primarily the reason I would use a Fluoro leader; as I know in a real world scenario, Fluoro will slide over rock or rugged timber much easier. But with braid that same rock or timber would fray and discolor the line , making it more prone to future snags as the fibers separate. So really I think Fluoro is more snag resistant for certain situations; but heck I've gone back to using Monofilament and Copolymers for 99% of my fishing; so I can eliminate this variable except when frog fishing

Okay rookie mistake, I figured it out; I added one drop of oil on side plate bearing and spool bearing; and backed off my magnetic control to around 3 and the performance is buttery smooth !

I've tried dead sticking Senkos and Slug-os and Hula Grubs, but I never have enough patience to wait longer then 10-15 seconds. I've heard about and read about anglers who will let a bait soak motionless for 5 minutes or more. Just not my cup of tea or at least it's not yet in my confidence techniques.

Yes, I would love to read more information regarding this topic and I agree with you, not all bass released after a tournament will survive. I've seen as many as 5% floating at the release tank on Great Lakes tournaments in July. But I was always under the impression, that most tournament bass mortality had more to do with catching Bass in deeper 20 and 30 foot water and the air in their swim bladder.

Always go #2 before you launch the boat

I agree in some situations or ponds, this can be a problem

100% Mortality rate for Bass caught and released in 90 degree or warmer water ? Is this accurate, or a typo ?