michael1

But is 10 still the "preferred" choice if you are using FC?

I bought a Shimano SLX 6'10" M XF combo to use for jerk bait fishing. I am new to this presentation and going to give it a go this spring. Long story short I bought some 15 Invizx FC and put it on the reel as I thought I was going to use this reel for something else but it turns out I am going to use it for this jerk bait rod. From what I read most people seem to recommend 10# with some also saying 12#. While I am sure 15# would "work" is it so far from ideal I should bite the bullet and strip it off and put 10# on? Being new to this presentation I want to make sure something silly like the wrong # line does not affect my success.

I believe he has a Shimano Expride and a Dobyns 734 champion

You'd have to explain to me the difference between keeping all the plastic/tags on a rod, putting a reel on it and throwing it for 10-15 and ensuring you do not scratch it up versus buying a sweater for your wife, she tries it on and decides it does not fit and therefore decides to return it...

A friend of mine bought two different rods, wants to try them out and return the one he doesn't like as much. He wants to use it for jigs and bottom contact stuff so sensitivity is one of the highest considerations with this rod. To determine which is more sensitive I suggested he just tie on a jig and slowly drag it back along the bottom. He insisted he need to hop a worm where it would jump off the bottom and hit again to get a real sense. I told him either would work but he insisted that is the best way. Again, I am sure either would work but what would you do to compare the sensitivity of two different rods? Specifically choose more or a rock or mud bottom area?

I am not one to normally fawn over some new lure that comes out but today I saw the product video on TW and there were two items that looked particularly "juicy" to me and wanted to see if it was just me. Check out this video and watch 4:26 to 7:00 and share what you think. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pH6Xd3AdAjA&list=WL&index=5&t=421s

Didn't say I was the only one to ever do it this way LOL

I have two identical reels. I know I want exactly 100 yards of main line on and the rest to be filled up with backing. Tonight I went to a local football field that had all the yardages marked. I walked out 100 yards of main line and cut it. I then put all of that on the reel FIRST. I then filled it the rest of the way up with the mono backing. I then cut the mono and walked it back and notated how many yards of backing it was. Then I tied that mono on the second reels open spool and took it completely off the first reel. That gave me a spool that was completely full and had exactly 100 yards of main line on it. Being that I wrote down how much backing that actually is I am going to put that amount on second spool and fill up main line from there.

Are you talking about with your thumb on the spool, meaning physically feeling it? Or do you mean that even though the knot is on the spool you'd feel a lose of sensitivity or something? No matter what your answer is I should be good at 100 yards, correct?

I'm starting to think 66 yards would not safely be enough. If I am going to do 75 yards I might as well do 100 yards. With it being a 200 yard spool that would give me 2 full uses out of what I buy. If I did 75 yards after using it two uses I would have 50 yards back and I have no idea what I would do with that. I have plenty of remnants of extra FC around to use as leader if I wanted so that sounds like the route to go.

I'd think the rubber band would be what would rub more and would be the bigger worry. Am I wrong?

The last few weeks you guys have given me some terrific info about how to put line on my new bait cast reels for myself for the very first time. I think I have one last question to get this done properly and that is the amount of main line to put atop the mono backing I put on first. I've figured out a great and accurate way to put the exact amount of backing on my specific reels to perfectly fit the exact amount of main line I want to use. The question becomes how much main line to choose to use? Two factors I see here, I want enough line to account for bomber casts with a big lipless or something and having to cut a line that gets snagged or something. Also I have to look at how big the spools I buy are. I really like Sunline Sniper and most of the spools I buy are 200 yards. Would 66 yards of main line be enough to account for long casts and if I have to break off a snag or something on a trip out fishing without getting down to the connection knot? If so I could get 3 "uses" out of a single spool of 200 yards obviously. 100 yards seems like too much perhaps and that I would be wasting a good amount which was the whole point of doing all this with backing, to save money and not waste. Just curious what you guys think.

Out of curiosity where do most guys "position" it? If you have the rod in your hand do you normally put it at 12, 3, 6 or 9 o'clock? Something different?

I have a new rod that does not have a hook keeper on it and I am considering a Fuji hook keeper. Certainly cheap enough to try but I have a couple of questions of those of you who have used them. Do they last very long or break fairly often (the rubber band part or the plastic clip) or easily? Also in ANY WAY does it damage the rod be it wearing where the rubber band is holding on the rod tightly or fading the rod from being out in the sun? Anything else to consider? Would you recommend them or not?

I was hoping (and assuming) people have done just that, taken it to USPS/UPS/FedEx and over the years have figured out who seems to have the best rates and could save me the hassle.

I've got a rod I sold online and I need to mail it to the guy. I have plenty of tubes and all that to pack it in. My question for you guys in your experience who is the best/cheapest company to use? USPS/FedEx/UPS? TIA

No knot, just tape? Or knot with tape atop it?

So you are saying instead of running the line down through the guides on the rod, through the eye of the reel and then right into the top little hole on the spool and out of the bottom one you are saying once through the eye on the reel run the line down, under and up the spool and into the bottom hole on the spool first, out the top hole and then tie an arbor knot? Why would this lessen the chance of a sharp edge cutting the line? If the reel has a completely smooth spool should I do it like this too?

I assume if it has a set up like this I should push the line through the 2 holes then tie an arbor knot or what?

I was planning on just using an arbor knot but thought I'd ask first. What in the world is the point of 1 single hole on the spool?

Trying to put line of my new reel for the first time by myself and I have a question. I am going to put mono backing on first but how do you "tie" it to the spool if the spool is completely smooth and has no holes? Or this Curado DC I bought, it has just the 1 hole on the spool. What in the world is the purpose of that?

I was kind of asking because I have a Shimano SLX 6'10" MED EX-FAST rod that I have 10 pound Sunline Sniper on that I use for jerkbaits and I was hoping to use that set up for top waters like poppers and buzz baits. While that line might not be ideal for buzz baits would that rod work or is a medium just not a good idea?

I figured the fact that I'd be using jigs would make it necessary for me to use something more stout like 16 or 18 or something. Is that not the case? Going to try jigs for the first time this year and I'm not sure what to use.

I need a recommendation on what pound FC line I should go with. I want this line to be on my all-around casting rod. With this set up I will throw mostly baits that are 3/8 to 1/2 oz in weight that primarily would be spinner baits, chatterbaits, 6-10 inch plastic worms, jigs and such. I'm a big fan of Sunline Sniper so I am probably going with that. 15-20 pound? Initially I was going to go with the 16 but with the fact I will throw jigs on it I wondered if I should bump it up to 18 or 20. But when I think about that I think that is probably too much to throw trick worms on. Opinion on which I should go with?

Just a standard 3/8 or 1/2 oz buzzbait, what do you throw it on? Size and power of rod, line type and such? Just curious what most of you guys think.