PhishLI

I hear ya. I just got a new Zillion yesterday, so I'm dying to get out there. My buddy just called and said he drove by our favorite lake and it's a rink. He suggested stopping down to practice skipping.

Fall was the same way here, and the lakes were very low due to lack of rain during this past summer. Also, we had explosive weed growth accompanied by terrible filamentous algae. This made it very tough to fish. I'm actually glad for the first time that this extended wicked cold and ice came along to flatten it all out. However, several lakes which are typically very weedy never sprouted a strand because of the algae bloom. I'm hoping the extended deeper cold will correct the situation somehow..

Walmart branded or something else?

Nice! Where'd you get that weedless ballhead?

We need an exorcism here, folks. He's been possessed by the spirit of Baitfinesse.

Tom, I understand you have strong feelings about this subject, and you may be right in theory, but you do realize the vast majority of us learn to optimize our casting while using at least some of the available brake? Zero guys I fish with can pick up any one of my rods with my reels set to how I use them and not blow up on the first cast, but I'm still using at least some braking. I'm quite determined, so it's possible I could pull off casting without brakes, but why in the world would I want to fish like that? I imagine this would divert a lot of mental energy constantly minding the spool when I simply want to fish. Maybe in a casting contest, but that's not fishing. These new reels are fast, and life's too short, IMO. Peace

The TP loaded with 10lb Sufix Advance copoly weighs in at just under 20 grams. Let's assume the 70's weight is similar when loaded offsetting nearly 3 grams difference in nude weight. The only thing left is for you to spool both with the same line, use the same rod and baits, then find out which one you prefer. Their braking profile behave differently, so you'll just need to see for yourself.

Without providing any detail, Randall Tharp let on that ARK has a reel(s) in the works. Claimed he was fishing with 1 of 6 in existence.

I use these hooks more than any other. 4/0-6/0. 6/0 in baits like a Skinny Dipper, Champ Swimmer, and most other 5" torpedo shaped swimmers. 5/0 in a 5" Caffeine shad, 4/0 or 5/0 in a Little Dipper, depending, 5/0 in a 4.2" Hazedong Shad, 6/0 in a Bandito Bug, and on and on. The 6/0 in a 6" BPS Stick-O has a great horizontal shimmy on the fall and is a good alternative to a soft jerkbait. Great when you need to launch one far and get through pad fields and junk, and won't get shredded like a GY senko will. However, they will rust very quickly if left in extra salty baits like GYs. I just pull the hook back through those plastics, rinse them in water, then hang them to dry with the spring lock left installed in the nose. This will really extend the life of the hook.

More than likely because they've analyzed that they'll sell far more standard size reels at the $200 price point. Competition is fierce. Probably little more than that.

You need to subtract the bearing's weight from the total weight because it's not part of the equation once the spool is installed in the reel's frame. The TP's spool is actually closer to 10 grams, and yes lighter spools definitely have advantages within a certain range of bait weights. Spool diameter is also a factor, at least during the initial part of a cast which typically results in greater distance compared to a smaller diameter spool. Lighter spools matter more with light baits though. The fact that they start and stop quicker due to their lower weight combined with bearing friction helps here. On the other hand, and all things being equal, with a properly calibrated cast a heavier spool is generally more effective with heavier aerodynamic lures as its rotational mass overcomes bearing friction and line guide friction which helps pay out line without dragging down the heavier lure's acceleration toward the apex of the cast. Increase the diameter of the heavier spool and it starts really walking away from a lighter spool with regard to distance. If you look at all the offerings from Daiwa's high end you'll find spool diameters for ranging from 28mm to 36mm with several sizes in between. Each has its specific wheelhouse and spool weight plays a factor. The smaller and lighter the spool the narrower the useful range. General use reels are less specific with 32mm-34mm diameter spools being the norm. They mostly work well with baits of average weight above 1/4 oz.. All spools in that range will have a sweet spot, but typically have a wider useful range than smaller, lighter spools. Different braking systems have different influences on the whole though. You need to find what fits you best with the baits you typically throw on the rods you use.

Into the next galaxy

No, not really, Silly.

Too bad the bass here are swivel-shy.?

If you know where to be up there you'll find some serious chunks. Search Jesse Bassaholic Hall.

I like 3 different progressively heavier swim jigs tied on. I try the mid weighted one first to see where they are earlier before it warms up. They tend to stay buried longer into the day during cold weather. If nothing's happening with that I'll work the heaviest one through deeper. As the day warms up and the sun is out I'll use the lighter jigs as the fish rise closer to the top of the weeds. You can regulate retrieve speed a lot with trailer choices. Some weed species are misery with lipless cranks. It all depends. You can present similarly with a swim jig with less of a headache as long as the weeds aren't draped in filamentous algae, but that usually isn't an issue until really warm weather kicks in.

I actually got that wind knot out at home using dental picks. Took about 20 minutes. 15lb PP SS. I was throwing an elaztech french fry with one tiny split shot. It was bound to happen. Honestly, I haven't seriously backlashed on a cast in ages, unless I clip a branch while the lure's on the ascent or if I snag something on the back cast. I already have a few reels that are kissing BFS territory with 10 gram spools. I'll be playing with real BFS soon. I'm not worried one bit.

With this order I learned that I hate waiting on backordered items. Paid during the BF sale and watched the dates get pushed back several times. On Friday TW updated again in the morning and the date was set at October 27th! Because of the paypal fluff up I ordered mine from ALF, so I checked with them. 30-45 days out! TW actually revised it up to Feb. 8th by Friday afternoon, but I was done rolling the dice. Bass season here closes for the spawn on May 1st, so no bueno. Cancelled, then ordered from Tackle Trap Friday afternoon. Got it today. Fast! Joy!

Losing certain fish bothers me. I had a pretty good night during the 2nd week of this past December. I caught the best fish of the night, 6lb+ easy, on a G2 Shellcracker. My buddy saw it jump and ran down to get a pic. The water was deep right off the bank where I was wading, and the bank was steep. I swung her in close to the shore, but overwound my line. I used my grippers to secure her, then held her up with the line, then handed off my rod and asked my friend to click my thumbar. I didn't want to snap my rod. He did, but didn't thumb release my line. Then he engaged the reel again. Tried again, but still no line. He said he was trying not to blow up my spool. My temperature was rising, so I told him to forget it and went about trying to remove the back treble from behind her eye without blinding her. It took nearly a minute. I kept her in the water the whole time. Problem was that the gripper was clamped over the treble in her bottom lip, so when I released the clamp to readjust it she thrashed hard, and seeya later, so that was that. My friend said it counted, but it doesn't feel that way, and I'm haunted by it. The real truth about it is if I hadn't been so concerned about getting the stupid glory pic and simply dropped my rig in the dirt or dunked it, I probably would've remained calm enough to have executed the catch. I actually had a second pair of grippers on me which would've sealed the deal. Oh well.

The best big bass lakes in my area have a no boats policy, so it's the bank or wade where you can. None are loaded, but I rarely catch dinks in them. 2lb + is average, but up to 8lbers live there. That's a monster up here. They're tough waters for anyone I know, and the bucket brigades are relentless, but the juice is worth the squeeze, even if that means getting skunked sometimes. However, we have a few hidden spots that are very difficult to get into by any means, but they have stunted populations. No problem knocking off 20 during a quick session with the best being maybe 3lbs. My buddy calls these "Mental Health" spots. He uses them as therapy more than I do. I'd rather fail big with the chance of winning big.

That's understandable. It changes the dynamic. Betting on sports does something similar., so I don't.

I focused on two individual sports growing up. Both required extreme discipline, time, and dedication in order to become truly proficient. Gravity was the most consistently dangerous component of one, and in the other it was literally getting beaten up and humbled for many years by people with greater strength, size, and skill. The only people who lasted were the ones who understood completely that steel hardens steel, and fully accepted that fact. This requires a hardness of mind that either exists in a person or it doesn't. It must be present somewhere in your head before you even walk through the door. Clearly no person needs to have put themselves through anything like I've described above in order to have the head for bass fishing, but it does require a dose of mental steeliness, especially if you live near tough fisheries. If you view bass fishing as a fight with endless rounds, we as bass fisherman lose rounds, and sometimes many in a row. Some people smile through it, and others don't do as well. Two guys I fish with occasionally don't do well with getting skunked. No yelling, screaming, or throwing themselves, but they really wear it on their faces. It really, really kills them. With one, he gets really quiet and stops laughing at anything funny. Almost pouty. No, actually pouty. The other gets seriously PO'd and hides it best as he can, but he mumbles his discontent under his breath with pursed lips. I can tell he's outraged. LOL! Personally, I take the skunk in stride. Grinding is simply part of the equation and, for me, it's just another round in an endless fight. I know I'm going to win my fair share, and win big sometimes, so it bounces right off. I've been here before doing other things, and I know for a fact that I'm getting better and better over time. Bumps, bruises, and the occasional black eye are simply the price paid to play the game, even if the pain is manifested only between one's ears. So, how about you? Are you Zen about getting skunked, or do you go full Iaconelli, or somewhere in between? Tell the truth.

Because teardrop heads with vertical line ties come through weeds and soft muck much more cleanly, but can wedge in rocks, etc. Differently shaped heads/line tie orientations are out there for a reason.

Enjoy!

...and that makes you angry?