PhishLI

Here's my first entry and a tip. There're so many good places to throw a rat. One situation where I really like to chuck it is when there's some wind, but there's also a natural wind break. I always try to throw it as far as I can into the ripple and retrieve back into calm water. So many strikes come at that boundary. Sometimes it's just inside the ripple and sometimes just outside of it. Give it a whirl. Tonight's Rat 40 fish came in at 12:20 am with 15 mph headwinds, so total chop. 45 degree water temp. I retrieved it just outside of an emerging pad field and hooked up. Nice runs and a great fight. 7'3" 13 Defy Black Crankbait/Plfueger Supreme XT/Sufix Siege 17lb.

It's dense and heavy enough to be very cast-able without a weighted hook, Rigged this way it can be run higher in the column at slower speeds. Just an option.

The magnum SK Caffeine Shad has great action too, just like the regular size. I run it with an unweighted 6/0 superline or an Owner Beast 1/4oz 6/0. 3/4 oz with the unweighted hook. Casts great.

No toilet paper in today's delivery, but Jackhammers were!

You've gotten good responses so far. For me it's efficiency and feel. I'm not a hand switcher, so I'm casting and reeling instantly. No bail flipping. Palming a baitcaster with fingers wrapped around the rod transmits vibrations and hits differently than a spinning reel/rod. Please note that I said differently, not better. I use spinning gear when I have no choice, which is rare. It comes down to personal preference. You can fish effectively with either type just about anywhere in any cover.

If you're set on Shimano then get a Chronarch instead. I use mine all the time for light jerks and cranks. Or pick up a Curado 70 on sale right now. They're both better suited for lighter baits than the K. If you want to be really happy get an Alde MGL. It's great down to just shy of BFS size baits. If you're not committed to Shimano take a good look at the Lew's Tournament Pro LFS. It's tiny, has a great braking system, and can throw light baits with ease because it has a 10 gram spool. I own or have fished with all of these reels, so unless I'm just lame with a baitcaster, or clinically insane, they're all better than the K with lighter baits. BTW, I almost always have a rod with the K on it with me when I'm out. Aside from the stupid brake dial I like it quite a bit. So smooth on the retrieve.

I doubt that's the case because they come out of the box slicked up nicely with clear grease. Both mine and my brother's did. While there are "self lubricating" or infused thermoplastics, I'm not buying that they're optimal under wet, gritty , service loads, or don't require lubrication used in this situation. Shimano obviously feels that the material they chose is acceptable pulling duty as a worm gear. Anyone concerned about it can easily order a few spares. I'm not worried about it personally.

Snuck out of self quarantine to wet a line for a spell. No drama tonight, and I stayed dry. A skinny guy wrecked my Miyagi, then his bodyguard blasted my chatterbait. The prespawn bite's in full effect.

An internal conversation between me and myself: me: A chrome rat? Get outta here! Myself: BlueBasser's legit you big dummy. me: Eh, I guess you're right. A chrome rat, hmmm? BRILLIANT! Myself: Remember, we're hitting a smallie lake on Saturday, and there's no way to get that rat before then with the Corona. me: MY GOD what are we gonna do? Hmmmmm? Myself: Well, we have a chrome spook and we have some rats. me: So What! How in the name of dancing monkeys does that help us, you idiot? I don't get it. Myself: Put a rat tail on a spook. FRANKEN-RAT-SPOOK!!!!! me: EUREKA!

That color's called Nasty Shad. My brother's fav and his best producing rat in the BBZ series. Morning Dawn is mine though.

Bull Gill Glide is on the bottom.

agree

Reading your first post in this thread, I made the assumption because your son is 10, and you didn't mention the XT, that this was his 1st and only baitcaster. I mean really, how many 10 year olds are on their second! I like this kid already! Anyway, thinking that, I'd recommend a reel that had a broader range. I have a K. I like it for what it does well. Nobody can say with a straight face that it's a good light bait reel, cause it's not. The XT is better here. The Tatula is even better yet "for light baits". Not talking about the SV either, just the regular Tat 100, "for light baits" like small jerks, cranks, and 5" unweighted senkos. If I'm going to the lake with one rod/one reel to throw light baits the last thing I'm bringing is a Curado K. So, as a one and only all arounder a Tatula is the better choice than the K, IMO. Far less touchy with lighter baits than the K and easy to adjust to conditions like wind. Way easier.

I did a scouting mission during daylight yesterday in search of emerging pad fields. I found a pretty good stretch in an area I usually don't do well in, but it's near the deep spot, so why not. Plus, I wanted to try out my new hip waders. Until the other day I've only had fulls. I talked to my bud about 8pm. He'd just wrapped up a quick dusk sesh, but was frozen and done for the night. Told him that I was heading up to a juicy spot I'd found earlier at about 10:30 'cause I had a feeling. He paused, but then said "I'm in". It was 37F with 10mph NE winds when we got there, and naturally the spot I chose was on the west bank. That didn't matter though because on my 3rd cast down the bank of the Keitech Noisy Flapper I got a nice scrapper. A few minutes later my bud got one too on a twitching fluke, and the cold didn't matter much anymore. I worked my way north throwing a few wakes and glides, but found nothing. I just got a new Quantum Tour S3 and was hoping to hook up with it. It's always nice getting that first fish on new gear. It doesn't always happen right away for me, so I was pumped when a nice chunk slammed my Berkley Champ swimmer. Great fight! I got a 3rd a few minutes later, but in the moment somehow forgot I wasn't in chest waders. It was a shock when the 45 degree water poured in and hit my foot. Wet foot, wet leg, and cool and the gang were soaked and frozen too. It was a mere 1000 ft. trek through the woods and a creek sloshing all the way back to my truck, no biggie. Miserable and happy at the same time, I was just glad I had the sense to have spare socks in the glove compartment. I started practicing my explanation immediately as to why I was driving naked from the waist down in tube socks and sneakers. I wasn't pulled over thankfully. It felt good to make it home without a rap sheet.

If you've got the gear, sure. Like I said, it's big. The Bull Gill is 2 oz. This bait is 4.5. There's a big difference side by side, but the Bull Glide isn't a giant bait by big bait standards. If you can only have one to start I'd suggest the Bull Gill.

It's chunky. 4.5 OZs

The gill glide is huge

Don't forget Morning Dawn, AJ. Killer. Everything bites it.

That may be part of the equation/challenge for some dedicated big bait guys. They only want to catch fish on those baits or nothing, even if it means getting skunked. I understand it. There's a lake I fish with my son in law where catching bass with a wacky worm is almost guaranteed. Not a bass, but 15-20, and some 5-6 LBers too. By the third trip there I refused to throw a wacky worm. It just got boring.

Red lights really help here for retying.

No need for a Tat if he has the SLX XT already. It's a good lighter bait reel. The K and XT will cover his bases nicely.

Pick up some chartreuse and pink tails. Sometimes it's a difference maker. I keep a small tool in the box to drive the toothpick out. Makes swapping tails a breeze.

In my local spots where no boats are allowed I wade with either full body or hip waders. Those lakes are a nightmare of trees and bushes right up to the water's edge. It's best to do daylight scouting with a wading staff in order to identify go and no-go zones. At my favorite spot wading is a game changer. There are so many juicy areas that are otherwise inaccessible, meaning low pressure. Those spots never see lures as other's can never hit them from the occasional cuts in the tree lines. It's a little spooky at night, but I got over it. If your lake's depth near the shoreline allows you to get out far enough safely, then you can avoid overhanging limbs on the backswing.

The Tat is a more well rounded reel, IMO, as you can throw a wider range of lures with it. The K doesn't do lighter baits well. Otherwise its a fine reel if you use it in it's wheelhouse. Throw 1/4 oz jerkbaits.

Much more success on the 7" around here. Even dinks bite it.