Big Hands

My 19 foot Ranger from BITD had a Mercury Thruster . . . 12v @ a whopping 42 lbs of thrust. . . whoa, stand back, LOL. We didn't know what we didn't have. A friend has a 19' Champion with the 24v/36v trolling motor. He just runs it on 24v but with two 100 ah lithium batteries wired in series for 24v. He has another 12v 125 ah lithium to run his Livescope, other fish finders, and other accessories. He has no complaints.

A Creme Scoundrel that had been sitting in my small plastic tackle box for at least a few years. . . . waiting. . . . patiently for that fateful day. It was a 6" grape, pre-rigged with the propellers front and rear. How it came to pass. . . . I regularly fished a local suburban golf course pond, mostly for bluegill and occasionally a catfish. There was a small pocket in the reeds on the shoreline about 6 feet wide, and maybe three feet deep. I (and occasionally someone else would be there too) would fish with worms I dug up, or biscuit dough and catch bluegill. One day, a kid a few years younger than me was sitting on the bank next to me and a solid three pound bass exploded on his worm. His tiny rod was doubled over to the reel seat and the water was splashing all over the place. He finally hollered (screamed?) quite loudly and hoisted it onto the bank and then pounced on top of it like a pit bull on a poodle. I had never seen a bass in person before, but had checked out several books from the library to read tales about anglers that caught them in faraway places. They had intrigued me unlike catching any other type of fish. I saved up my allowance and splurged to purchase the pre-rigged Scoundrel from the local store and kept it in my tackle box, waiting for a day when I felt like I had a chance to catch a fish like that kid had caught that one foggy morning. A few years later, I was at the same golf course pond, and there was another opening in the reeds that was about ten feet wide and was open all the way out to the main part of the pond. As I walked by that opening, I saw a bass that dwarfed the three pounder that the kid had caught years earlier. I'm gonna say 6-8 lbs. I ran back to where my tackle box was sitting (by that same pocket the kid caught the original bass from) and nervously eyed the pre-rigged Creme Scoundrel, in the packaging that was old enough to have started to deteriorate. My hands were shaking as I tied it on, and then headed back to the cut only to find the fish was not there. My heart sank, and I had tied on the worm I had been saving for so long, and it was now out of the package. Finally I thought, "what the heck" and tossed the worm into the water about ten feet from the bank and just let it sit there for several seconds. The monster bass suddenly appeared and swam over directly behind the pre-rigged grape Scoundrel and just stared at it for several seconds. I was paralyzed and didn't know what to do, so I just stayed motionless. Next thing I knew, I noticed the gills of the big bass were moving back and forth, her mouth slightly open. Then, the worm began to vibrate for what seemed like an eternity, and finally, even the little propeller began to spin. In the blink of an eye, the worm disappeared. I reared back and set the hook and the fight was on. The water was splashing like mad since it was only a foot or so deep. After no more than half a minute, the line gave way and it was over as suddenly as it had started. I was gutted that I hadn't landed the behemoth golf course pond bass, but the adrenaline rush from watching what had just taken place (I can honestly say) changed my life.

**draws in a long breath. . . .** Well, realistically, I can only fish three bodies of water without having to quarantine (and undergo a subsequent inspection) my boat before and after I fish other waters. If there is water present when inspected, like even a drop falls from the lower unit when they ask you to lower it. . . . Denied! Come back in a week and try again. Two of those are at the same location (Castaic Lake and Castaic lagoon). The other is Pyramid Lake (about 20 miles away). I live about a 45 minute drive from downtown Los Angeles (a metropolitan area with 11 million inhabitants) which has three boatable lakes in Los Angeles County, and there are some others nearby. The other two are about a quarter of the size for one and smaller than that for the other. Only one of those allows you to get a boat on plane, LOL, not LOL. The lake opens about half an hour after sunrise, and you have to have your boat on the trailer about an hour before sunset. And, unless you have paid $285 for an 'annual parking pass' (that also doesn't get you in on holidays), you have to pay $25 to park and launch your boat with a couple of exceptions: You belong to a local volunteer group and donate a specified number of hours per quarter at the lake, or You are a senior citizen and then you can get a lake pass for $150 Castaic Lake is 2,200 acres when full, and has parking for up to 500 boats when both ramps are open. You do the math. Among those 'boaters' are wake boats which roam much of the lake doing what wake boats do, and then they have an area buoyed off to contain personal watercraft. Much of the shoreline is steep and often solid rock walls, and fishing along the steep bluff walls can be less-than-peaceful. There is a 35 mph speed limit in the main lake. Shoreline access is VERY limited; about 5% to 10% of the shoreline including the face of the dam is accessible. There is no log boom or anything else that protects the launch ramp from wind waves, and it is just to one side of the dam on the largest, widest part of the lake. When the wind howls in from the north, the launch ramp is a disaster waiting to happen. A yearly fishing license costs $61, non-ethanol fuel is all but impossible to get, and regular unleaded with 10% ethanol is usually around $5 or more per gallon. Other than that, it's OK, LOL. It's where I have lived since 1987, and fished longer than that, so it's 'normal' for us.

That's awesome. Check this out. . . . You'll thank me one day, but you won't know why.

Asking a rod to be (that) versatile, to me, is like looking for an excellent spork. A spork will function as a fork, and as a spoon, but it is not ideal for either function. While a rod that will work for one could work for the other, I think most wouldn't lump those two techniques together and ideally would prefer a separate rod for each technique if they used both techniques frequently. I would rather have two $150 to $200 rods that were more strictly suited to each of those two techniques rather than one $300 to $400 rod that tried to split the difference. If the budget doesn't allow for that, I'd probably get a rod that is suited for whichever technique I used more frequently sooner, and get the other later. If there are other limitations (like not having room either on your craft or at home, or maybe you're a shore angler that can only have a limited number of rods along, you'll have to contemplate where you're willing to compromise. I know that Bait Monkey will not be happy to read this, but most of us have to compromise on our gear in some ways. . . . . admittedly, some more than others. The G Loomis website has an article about bladed jigs by Jeff Gustafson that states: "The perfect rod for fishing bladed jigs has a fast tip to launch the bait, acute sensitivity to let me know what my lure is doing, and a parabolic action to absorb the fish's power to prevent it from jumping off." Of course, G Loomis has a rod they claim to fit this description, but I am struggling to imagine how a rod can have a fast tip AND a parabolic bend, especially a rod that is heavy enough to bury a chatterbait hook. Seems like a paradox to be able to have both qualities in such a rod. Maybe I'm just not thinking about it the right way.

I have owned two Phenix Feather rods (7'1" L/F and 7'1" ML/F), and still own the ML/F. Neither of those rods are, or ever were my first choice for a jerkbait rod. The ML/F would be more suitable than the L/F IMHO, but they are both on the long side depending on how you want to fish a jerkbait. I'm over 6'4" and like to fish jerkbaits with the tip down more than up, and for me, rods in the 6'8" to 6'10" range are what I prefer to use. I also prefer an XF tip on a meduim power rod. I think it controls the bait the way that allows me to stop the forward movement of a jerkbait with a minimum of movement, and still have the forgiveness that one needs to keep fish pinned on treble hook hardbaits.

For deep cranking: Tatula TTU721MHRB-G is on sale on the jungle site for $120 St. Croix MGC74MHM "Big Cranker" is on sale from St. Croix directly for $125. And, there are Daiwa 100/150 (Tatula or Fuego) or Shimano SLX 150 reels that would do well enough for this, if it was me, I would look for a good deal on a lightly used Curado 200K with a 6.2:1 gear ratio. For Jerkbait fishing on a budget, the Shimano SLXCX610MA retails for $99. An SLX 70 MGL from Japan is about $125 and would pair very nicely with this rod for throwing jerkbaits.

I have the Expride (A) 7' L+ (the only Expride I own).Great rod for medium to smaller Neds and similar baits as it is definitely not a light action and IMHO is closer to a ML. Great little rod that I use for a variety of lighter spinning appropriate (the lighter side of finesse) presentations since I have two ML (one F and one XF), one M-/F and two M/F spinning rods for my 'higher power' finesse needs. They're all just a little different from each other, but have some overlap. For medium to heavier Neds (still finesse IMHO), I use a Zodias 7' ML/F or a Phenix Feather 7'1' M/F casting rod. Oddly enough, I use 0.15 mm (what I am trying not to call "10 lbs") chartreuse J-Braid on all of 'em with various 6-8 lbs leader material.

Probably not what you're hoping to read (hear?). Deep diving crankbaits and jerkbaits. . . . Personally, I would rather have two separate rods that don't cost that much, but each would be better suited to the task being performed. For me, the overlap of function isn't there. Deep diving crankbaits: longer than 7' (much longer for me, like 7'6" to 7'11"), MH power, moderate or mod-fast action. 6:1 or 7:1 gear ratio. 10 lbs line would be the minimum for throwing deep diving crankbaits for me, but normally 15 lbs line is where I am most comfortable throwing baits with multiple trebles deep into Davey Jones' locker. Jerkbaits: less than 7' rod (6'10"), medium power and fast or even extra fast action. The medium power will add some more bend to keep fish treble hooks in place once a fish is hooked. I prefer 8-10 lbs test line for this most of the time for baits like the Vision 110. Some folks are OK with mod or mod-fast rods for jerkbaits, but I am not among those folks. Maybe you are. Throwing a jerkbait on a spinning rod would be more preferrable than a deep diving crankbait, and a deep diving crankbait would be a pretty good bait to learn to use a baitcaster with. Spinning reels for chucking and winding. . . . certainly not ideal. There will be tradeoffs for the convenience of using a spinning rod for this purpose. Line twist being one of them. If you're in a boat you can alleviate this as needed. So, basically, IMHO, a rod that would be pretty good for one wouldn't be good for the other, and a rod that shoots for the middle ground wouldn't really be great for either, and I'd rather avoid that if I could.

A friend of mine raided the tackle shop at OH Ivie last October and sent me some 5" models and this 9" 'thing'. I've had this sitting on my desk at home for over 6 months, and haven't found the perfect time (and figured out the perfect rigging) yet. So, here it sits.

Since I have no reason to doubt your assertion, I'll just tuck that c-note away in my spool of imported hard coated PE 1.0 savings account.

I have five spinning combos: Expride Light + Zodias ML/F Mojo Bass ML/XF Kage M/F Tatula M/F All have either 2000 or 2500 size reels with 10 lb braid, and I use 6 lbs mono or 6, 7, or 8 lbs fluoro for leaders. My reasons are (in no particular order): 1) virtually eliminates line twist 2) casts a mile 3) very sensitive, even on semi-slack line 4) easier for me to see, especially brightly colored braid 5) I get at least a couple years of 40-60 days/year use before even considering the need to respool, so it very economical for me. I can use use/lose a 10-15 foot section of leader and need less than a foot of braid to tie on a new leader. At one time, I went all in on braid on casting reels too, but have mostly returned to Big Game monofilament on most of them. I have braid on one or two reels that rarely get used because I don't have much vegetation to fish in. I am trying to make a well informed decision on some braid for a BFS casting combo, but trying to pick the fly poop out of the pepper (in the locating, selection and buying part of the equation) that I haven't committed yet.

A Curado 200K on a ML rod? Is the other friend also using a ML rod with the 200K? I love my 200K on a 7'4" MH/MF rod.

Certainly the lowest hanging fruit on that tree.

Daiwa makes: 1) a Tatula 7'4" (TTU741HRB-G) heavy power composite spinnerbait, bladed jig rod rated for 12-20 lbs line and 1/2 to 1-1/2 ounce lure weights. 2) a Tatula Elite 7'4" Brent Ehrler TTEL741MHRB-G; rated as a MH for use with 10-20 lbs line and 1/2 to 2 ounce lures 3) the Tatula Elite 7'4" Randy Howell TTEL741MHRB; this version is rated for 12-25 lbs line, but only 1/4 to 1-3/8 ounce lures (SMALL SWIMBAT/CRANKBAIT/TOPWATER). Yes, the Daiwa website actually says "SWIMBAT", LOL. And, then on the rod itself, it says "BIG TOPWATER/SWIMBAIT/BLADED JIG". I have the Randy Howell version of the Daiwa Tatula Elite 7'4" (TTEL741MHRB). The Brent Ehrler version is a composite, hence the "-G" in the model name. The Randy Howell . . . Typical Daiwa oddity when trying to comparison shop. I have mine paired with a Curado 200K (6.2:1) loaded with 15 lbs Big Game. It's become one of my favorite rods. It's definitely not a fast action; more like a mod-fast IMHO, and it handles it's business. I have caught nice bass out of the tules with it on 5/0 Flashy Swimmers with 4.8" Swing Impact plastics (and others) and scads of stripers on Gunfish, Sammy's, Pop-Max and Zara Spooks. I have another rod that is in the same category, and that is the Phenix X-13. It's a composite 7'6" rod rated for 12-25 lbs line and 1/2 to 3 ounce lures. LOL, I'd throw 2 ounce baits with it, but not sure about 3 ounce baits, but mostly because I also have an X-14, which is 7'11" and a bit beefier.

My local tackle shop has stopped taking in customer's rods for warranty/replacement service, and is advising them to deal directly with Phenix CS. When replacement rods are handled through a shop, the customer doesn't have to pay for shipping. When they have to deal directly with Phenix, the customer is responsible for shipping charges. I hope they get their CS issues resolved soon, and I hope that Dobyns avoids the same situation. Phenix used to have a pretty good reputation for their CS. That is not presently the case at Phenix from what I have heard. On the other hand, Gary has a very solid reputation, and I will continue to respect that unless something happens to change that.

12 lbs - 14 ounces: Fenwick Hooksetter Graphite 6'6" MH/F with a Daiwa PT10ZX on 10 lbs Ande monofilament tied to a shad color Poe's (either a #300 or a #400) crankbait.

The Curado BFS only comes with an 8.2:1 gear ratio, but you can choose a right or left hand model.

I recently picked a line spooling device that has a way to adjust tension. I also have a force gauge that I used to employ when adjusting door closers in a previous life. Sounds like I could use those two tools together for spooling line. That is the issue I was initially having with Smackdown, and the 'bumps' were sometimes little, and other times, not-so-little, and the reason I abandoned my BFS/braid experiment until I could figure it out. Nice of Shimano to (not) acknowledge this when they specifically use the trade name POWERPRO in the specs for the Curado BFS (yes, I am being sarcastic here). PowerPro and J-Braid are the two braids I use most on my spinning reels, so although not perfect, it's hard to know that there are better solutions out there without being willing to fork out a lot of money and time to try all of the options available for both reel types. Thank you for being willing to provide useful feedback. I am here to learn as I have obviously been doing things in a way that has made braid untenable for me on BFS rigs. I meant to include a disclaimer regarding my reference to braid and test strength being that I referred to it in that way, but I was only doing so for line I have used , and intend to convert to line diameter or PE going forward. That is why I included this quip in my OP (I should have made that clear): That is why I am here, hat in hand, looking for solutions. This is useful information, and maybe worthy of it's own 'thread'. . . I'm going to have to mull this one over. Backlash seems like one of those ever present facts of life inherent to any baitcasting reel. I can cast most of my reels most of the time without backlashing, but if I have a moment when I forget about casting certain baits into the wind or I'm not mindful to make adjustments when the weight of a bait changes significantly (on a BFS combo, that can be a 1/16 ounce change that suddenly becomes more challenging). If you're saying that you are able to set up a reel, and then get maximum distance and then not be concerned again about backlash, then I applaud that, and that is what I am always hoping to achieve. We all have to start somewhere and be willing to go through the learning process to get there. Thank you to both of you for taking the time to respond thoughtfully.

Initially filling the spool, I usually hold a rag over the line and pinch it between my thumb and forefinger to apply tension. I think the problems might begin when I actually fish. Retrieving line while fishing, I am not applying pressure to the line. Then, I get bit, set the hook, reel the fish in and this is when the 'reel' fun begins. I go to make my next cast and the line has dug in (probably from setting the hook). 6 lbs mono gives me no such issues. Smackdown, whatever it is, is very supple to say the least. I have no idea if it is coated or not (doesn't seem like it, but what do I know?). Shimano Curado BFS has a very shallow spool. I can cast far enough to see a little bare spool or close to it. It truly has a capacity of 45 yards of 15 lb braid (Smackdown) at most. The other two BFS reels I have are the KastKing Zephyr BFS and the Kestrel BFS, which have similarly shallow spools. I'm willing to try it. I really feel like the Curado BFS is more of a BFS-ish reel than true BFS. I agree that I never feel good about breaking off a fish and leaving a hook in 'em. I have five spinning combos with 10 # braid with 6-8 lbs fluorocarbon leader, but I like fishing Texas rigs and shakeyheads on casting gear.

Verbosity and details are my blessing as well as my curse. If they are not your thing I understand. I was reading another thread here about one angler's BFS-ish/Finesse line choice dilemma, and although the thought of glomming my situation onto his thread crossed my mind, I decided not to complicate their thread with my issues. So. . . . I now have three BFS casting reels and have been enjoying this style of fishing, but as with many things, when things get toward the extremes, things can get complicated more than straight vanilla middle of the road gear. I started with a Curado BFS casting reel and thought fifteen pound braid would be a smart choice, so I picked up a spool of Smackdown 15 lb braid and was off to the races. Or, so I thought. With me at the controls, I was having issues, especially with line dig after boating a fish, so I abandoned braid and tried some 7 lb Daiwa fluorocarbon line that worked much better for me than the Smackdown braid. Lately, I have simply reverted to the devil I know, which is 6 lb monofilament. It's not perfect, but I make it work for what I do. There is a bit more to it than I would prefer. I am also finding that, on a long cast (even with a 1/8 ounce weight), when I have the rod tip up higher than horizontal, the weight of the monofilament will often drag the bait towards me. I am theorizing that it is the weight of the monofilament (and perhaps any weight from the water that the monofilament has absorbed) that is causing this. In my perfect world, I would be able to use braid (which weighs less than monofilament) with a fluorocarbon leader to maximize sensitivity, still have a relatively low degree of stretch, and would not have the tendency of dragging the bait towards me once I stop moving the rod and/or turning the reel handle. It wouldn't get line dig, and the knot would flow through the guides without hanging up (my two biggest issues with braid to fluorocarbon on my BFS setups). . . . In my perfect world. My perfect world might only exist in my head. Or there might be a solution that requires more understanding of the tools and materials I am working with that would allow me to more effectively use the right materials with the tools I have, or get the right tools for the job. I noticed that @bulldog1935 mentioned that it would be in our best interest to think about braid in terms of line diameter rather than 'xx' lbs test as that would allow for better accuracy and consistency when comparing lines. . . . At least that is my interpretation of what he suggested and that seems like a logical first step so we are comparing apples to apples. I might even be willing to have a (PE-lbs test-line diameter in mm and inches) comparison chart tattooed on my arm so i can refer to it quickly and easily. I noticed that 15 lbs Smackdown has a claimed line diameter of .235 mm, whereas 15 lbs Power Pro has a claimed line diameter of .190 mm (20 lbs Power Pro has a claimed diameter of .230 mm). I have also discovered that Shimano owns Power Pro, and in the specs for the Curado BFS reel, the line capacity refers to Power Pro by name and states that the line capacity is 45 yards of 15 lbs Power Pro braid. Part of me is also wondering if the line lay characteristics of the reels I am using work best with certain types and sizes of line. I would love to have 1,000 yard spools of all the different braids neatly arranged in my super-secret underground lair, but such is not my lot in life and it these days, it would cost a small fortune in time and money to conduct my own independent investigation into the secrets and tricks of the BFS world. So, I am trying the next best thing I know to do and that is to try to find shortcuts by tapping into the collective BFS wisdom and experience of my meticulous BR angling friends in order to separate the fly poop from the pepper so to speak.

I try not to have too many "rules" to follow. I may have a plan when I head out, yet be fine if and when the plan changes. Or maybe I feel like sticking to the plan. Move, stay, power fish, hunker down and work thoroughly, fish history, try new areas, try different baits in the same area, try new areas with the same bait. . . . It's all on the table when I am by myself, in my own boat, and I get to choose. And it's subject to change at any time. About the only thing you won't see me do is to travel down the bank so fast that my bottom contact bait barely settles and I have to pull it up to cast it again. That has never constituted being a fun way to fish for me. Ever. And, I doubt it ever will.

The San Diego Jam can be tied to leave a very short tag in that situation too. It doesn't seem like it will until you cinch it up.