Bass Junke

So I was on https://www.mikesreelrepair.com/ He has Lews parts but Lews doesn't have part numbers. So finding that spring might require some searching. I believe folks on here have a better site for spare parts. This is the only link I have saved.

That was incorrect. There is a 4 spring listed on this reel. #39 which is actually the anti-reverse spring. #36 is just called a spring.

There are only 3 springs listed on that model reel. I am going to take a wild guess that it is the anti-reverse spring. #36. I have had one of those fly on me. Didn't have to order one as by some miracle I found it. I do not have this reel. I just looked up the exploded view and have some experience stripping spinning reels.

I can make my reel feel geary or smooth under load depending on the angle I am holding it at. Can anyone relate to this or is it just my imagination?

Yes @Boomstick at about 65lbs. the Sea Ghost is pretty easy to transport and maneuver. Pretty awesome I can stand and fish in a kayak that light. Great kayak for Mass. Depending on the length of my outing I will take between 4 and 8 rods. I can actually mount two rod holders and get to 11 rods but it becomes difficult to grab certain rods. 9 would be my limit. I have an open rod tube on my crate with 8. @Boomstick I fish a few weedy places and like you and the 3/4oz punch rig seems a bit overkill. This year I switched to a 1/2 jig and that gets me down to where I need to get to.

We have very similar setups. Although, you have a much nicer kayak than I. I am running a Vibe Sea ghost 110. I'm in southeastern MA. Pretty much on the boarder of RI. I also carry around 8 rods. I bring 1 6'10" spinning rod usually has dropshot, hair jig under 3/16, weightless fluke. 7' 2" BFS XF rod- light inline spinner, ned, shakey, keel weighted soft plastic swim bait. 7' Med/BFS XF- mojo, or whatever is heavier from the above BFS rod 6'8" Med F- Texas rigged ??? usually a worm. 6'8" Med hvy F- jig 6'8" Med hvy F- swim jig Everything above always come with me. 7'2" med XF- This was my jerk bait rod. I have sworn off treble hooks. So now it has a soft body jerk bait usually on it. 7'2" Med hvy F- C-rig, spinner bait, buzz bait. If I am fishing weeds/pads then the two above stay home and these come along. 6'8" heavy fast- soft plastic toad or frog. 7'0" xtra heavy F- punch rig, heavy jig If I am fishing a new body of water, between online info, Google earth pro, and other sources, we can usually figure out if the heavy gear is needed and depending on the time of year, I will pack accordingly.

It is line stretching time. I use a lot of mono/ co-poly. I find that walking off a hundred feet of line and stretching it out every few months is more beneficial than any time I tried KVD L&L. I went the Flouro route last year. Decided to give it one more try. I bought some 8 and 10 lb Tatsu and some 15 lb Invisix. No KVD L&L. No casting issues. No real change in catch rate either.(going back to mono/co-poly). I still have a bottle of KVD. I have no reason to use it.

Z Man Razor Shadz. Very similar fat body, same segmented tail.

Don't forget about fishingskirts.com https://fishingskirts.com/ It has been mentioned here before, check out the builds section. Inspiring.

22-24 gauge craft wire and an O-ring is really all you need to tie jigs. I have a jig vise that I bought last year to tie bucktail and marabou jigs. I still wire tie silicone skirts using just an O-ring. Easier than using the vise and easier to adjust.

Correct no toaster oven really needed. Baking them at 325-350F for 15-20min increases the paint's durability. Correct no toaster oven really needed. Baking them at 325-350F for 15-20min increases the paint's durability.

You can build an unpainted Boss jig for about 1.40$. If you build all the same color it can get even cheaper. A 55 strand skirt costs as much if not more than the jig. Unpainted Seibert jigs are in the 2.50-3.00$ range last time I bought them.

Even cheaper is unpainted. Powder painting is practically brainless and really just requires a toaster oven. (you needed a new for the kitchen anyways) It is inexpensive, fairly safe, and the results you get are as good or better than what you buy in a tackle shop.

All the rage is is that flap at the end of the claw, tail, arm. Whatever SK happens to be imitating. A scroll down Tackle Warehouses soft plastic craw offerings and there are at least 10 other companies that offer a similar mold. Bait companies have been copying each other since the dawn of marketing. IMO while not built exactly like rage products and some of the other knockoffs, the Yum Christie Craw has some funky claws that catch a lot of water. They are obviously priced right.

I usually go a step further. Take the rod and reel totally out of the picture and wrap my line either around a stick if on the bank or my assault paddle and pull out the snag that way. BTW snags usually come out much easier with a straight pull and no shock absorption.

@LokiDawg the best advise you got was from @VolFan "A PFD and a good paddle. If paddling is your main mode of propulsion, I suggest a great KAYAK paddle. Canoe paddles, one-handed paddling, and stand-up paddleboarding are all valid techniques. IMO for 30 dollars this is the best option. I will often paddle to a destination, stow my main paddle, and fish, drift, "troll" all the way back to the boat ramp with the assault paddle. https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/yakgear-assault-hand-kayak-paddle-22kiaasslthndpddlpsk/22kiaasslthndpddlpsk?sku=19246860&camp=CSE:DSG_92700080069002239_pla_pla-2300792636048_58700008711410661_71700000118496813&segment=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21254183888&gbraid=0AAAAADv4bTZMhLNiF2Zfzwb-40z2fUliZ&gclid=Cj0KCQjwpf7CBhCfARIsANIETVqD5vfMZ9uafHlmH0VJP-K_Da9XGt3ceshBQe2SB_SKBzuxEWq1cPEaAqljEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Yes exactly like that😁. 100% agree with you, the worst rig to cast. However, I catch a lot of big bass using a C-rig. Learn the "C-rig sling" and you will still backlash just not as bad or often. Usually just a couple of loops. The good thing about the C-rig is it probably one of the best techniques to just let sit while you pick out a backlash. Some things that help me. I put a bobber stop above the sinker, just to limit its movement a bit. If you see a cast start to helicopter, stop it ASAP. Rig it up as a Mojo rig. The sinker is pegged, a bit easier to cast.

@Delaware Valley Tackle, yup. When I first started building rods someone mentioned ACS seats as being the most comfortable. I think I built 4 rods with that seat. It was fine. At some point I am reading a post that mentions ECS seats being the most comfortable. Well, at much cheaper price I tried the ECS seat which was also fine. I have been using ECS seat simply because of the cost and I'm guessing it is a little lighter. @alphv buy custom rods or build your own and you can have a Fuji ACS seat on every rod you own.

This is something I have pondered much on. I have noticed it for years and have been trying my best to minimize. I have found that no matter how "loose" you leave your bait on the keeper, it inevitably tightens up through travel, transport, ect. @Mike L method sounds interesting, I will play around with that. The good news is I don't think it has ever resulted in a breakoff. I even have a couple reels spooled with floro. I do retie often. Like @MN Fisher I have the line clips. They are awesome between trips, and for the off-season.

It is close, but I have a couple of extra rods. It is nice to have a couple of back ups. Rods tend to break. Reels generally just need attention.

I have a few knots in my arsenal but I generally tie a uni. If I rig a drop shot, then it is a palomar. I don't tie leaders. The only line to line knot I tie is for backing. I tie a uni to the spool and a uni to uni for the backing. A few things I like about the uni knot that doesn't get mentioned. Once you start the knot it doesn't come apart, it works for everything line to line, spool, and terminal, and the way the knot finishes. I think some knots finish horribly. The Palomar is a good example, it just doesn't finish as clean as other knots. With the uni, you pull the tag end and get the knot about 80% then finish by pulling the main line. I can do it in the dark, finishes perfect just about every time.

If it is your main mode of propulsion, you get more power, less blade flex, less fatigue, which equals paddling for longer periods/distances. If you have peddles, I wouldn't bother spending what I spent on a Werner Camano. It was under 300 when I bought the Werner. It is well over 300 now, Zowie! Totally worth it though. @Darth-Baiter Considering what you do with it, that might be too much money also. I was thinking a paddle in the 150 range. @casts_by_fly the only thing with a paddle board paddle is if you get into a jam with your peddles, then getting back to the ramp might be more of a chore. I stand up and paddle board around all the time. you are not inconvenienced that much with a standard kayak paddle. I wouldn't want to have to paddleboard back to the ramp. If that makes sense.

If it is your main mode of propulsion, you get more power, less blade flex, less fatigue, which equals paddling for longer periods/distances. If you have peddles, I wouldn't bother spending what I spent on a Werner Camano. It was under 300 when I bought the Werner. It is well over 300 now, Zowie! Totally worth it though.

For me, taking pics didn't really help much. What worked for me is the exploded view and repetition. Watched a couple of vids just to see what I was getting into. The first few reels I broke down were so over-greased I felt I had to do a deep clean and start from scratch. Don't be surprised if you like your reels better after you have tuned them , I do. This year I took down my Curado BFS. I didn't like this reel much. I don't really like aluminum main gears. This was my first reel with an aluminum main gear. After tuning it, I like it more now. What is a deep cleaning? How often do you remove and soak the worm gear? How often do you pull the spool bearings? How do you know if it's enough grease? Enough to barely make a fingerprint. Maybe slightly less. I do know that this is way too much. Below is the body of my Pfleuger Supreme XT spinning reel.