Big Hands

RED ALERT: Did you say mid-September? . . . . UGH. The Bob Sealy Big Bass Splash at Lake Fork is September 15, 16 & 17, 2023. Unless you are into that sort of a dumpster fire, I would stay away that weekend, and the entire previous week too. At that time, my suggestion would be to go anywhere but there unless you want to be in the tournament. If it's not at that time, Lake Fork in the Fall, is mostly TOTALLY WIDE OPEN at night with very few people actually on the water, and most of those that are seem to be crappie anglers fishing under bridges.

I have caught a ten pounder on a 1000 size reel, so they don't generally scare me away from using one to bass fish. . . . if it is balanced with the rod it's on and ultimate casting distance is not needed. If you were only fishing creeks and didn't need casting distance a 1000 could be all you need and great for creek fishing. Daiwa does make a Legalis LT1000S that is around half the price of a Fuego if a 1000 suits you. You certainly don't need a 2500 for creek fishing. On many Daiwa spinning reels, you can interchange a 2000 and 2500 spools with the arbor being the same, but the skirt of the spool is slightly larger. A 2000 with a shallow spool (from the JDM or EU market) would be the biggest I think you could 'need'. Daiwa makes a Tatula LT2000S-XH, but it won't be found in any tackle seller's inventories in the USA. If weight is of less concern than the price, they also make the same reel in the Fuego line. In case you hadn't noticed, I am a fan of shallow spools on spinning reels.

Reminds me of the time I was on Kuai staying at a golf resort in Princeville. A kid was walking down the perimeter road with a bass hanging from the rod and I asked him where he caught it. He replied that he caught it in the bay (salt water) and I told him that I'm pretty certain he was trying to feed me some bovine fecal matter. He finally cracked and admitted he caught it from the golf course pond on his one and only cast after getting skunked in the bay and he lied because he didn't want to get in trouble ?

Most of the trips I have taken to Texas to fish have been in the Fall. I have had several memorable trips at that time of year. Night fishing on Lake Fork is my favorite bass fishing experience. I haven't fished Sam Rayburn or Toledo Bend, but they are on a short-ish list of Texas lakes that I intend to try. If you have the time and would like to be wearing a perma-grin on your flight home, may I suggest both? You can sleep when yer dead.

If you want solid targeted feedback, it would help to know specifically what it is that you are wanting to do, how you like to fish, baits you want to throw, line size/type, capacity, conditions in the bodies of water, etc.

Have you fished with a Curado BFS? Shimano rates the Curado BFS line capacities referencing 8 lb mono and 15 lb braid, which is about the range I would think it would excel at. Totally appropriate for throwing a WW Senko and I wouldn't call that BFS, but since they did paint those letters on the side of it, I try not to let it bother me or prevent me from using it for what we have called finesse fishing since the 80's.

Nor would I. Was it my post you were referring to? I'm just fishing with a reel that has the letters "BFS' painted on the side of it.

Oddly enough, with the ML/F and L/F casting rods with the Curado BFS reels, I couldn't get the distance I wanted, and had to lob them higher than I wanted to to get the distance I did get. Distance is important to me because the lake I fish has been heavily pressured for decades and is relatively small (2,200 acres when full) so I try not to announce my presence staying farther from my targets. I feel that I have pretty good accuracy with the Hair Jig spinning rod and need to. Just so you know what I am doing with Senkos: I fish the Senko right against steep walls, and the smallest notch can hold fish that can hard to coax out from those small notches. From late Spring to early Fall, I am often throwing at the literal edge to 6" from the edge. 12" away is not terrible. Often, I'd rather bounce off of the shoreline than land 24" from it. In a lot of the areas I fish, a boat length from shore is often anywhere from 15-20' to 70' feet deep. Admittedly, I still have some experimenting to do with regards to line choice. I had 15 lb braid with 6-8 mono or fluoro leaders which I didn't really like for anything (line dig issues more than anything, and couple that with less performance than I am able to achieve). I ended up selling the Phenix L/F Feather and one of the Curado BFS reels. I am trying some different lines with the ML/F Feather/Curado BFS that I kept and haven't had the opportunity to fish them much at all, let alone up shallow so we will see soon hopefully. I'll be trying both 6-8 lb mono and 20 lb braid with 6-8 lb leader after that to see if I can get this rig dialed in. I like the Feather/Curado BFS for light Texas rig and shakeyhead fishing more than anything else. To be clear, I am fishing what I think most would classify as more old school 'finesse' than true 'BFS' style presentations. It's interesting to see how much variance there is just in the way others fish weightless Senkos with regard to line, rod and reel choices.

Disclaimer: I would preface this by saying that this is what worked for me, the water I fish and the way I fish. It's possible that this rod is uniquely effective for only me. I went on a vision quest searching for a weightless Senko rod last year because it turns out that they have been super productive for me at my home lake. I went through eight rods and finally hit what I consider a jackpot on rod #9. Rods I tried: Daiwa Tatula 7' M/F Spinning rod (with various Daiwa 2000 or 2500 reels) Daiwa Kage 6'10" M/F Spinning rod (with various Daiwa 2000 or 2500 reels) Daiwa Fuego 7'2" M/XF Spinning rod (with various Daiwa 2000 or 2500 reels) Shimano Zodias 7' ML/F Spinning rod (with various Daiwa 2000 or 2500 reels) Shimano Expride 7' L/F Spinning rod (with various Daiwa 2000 or 2500 reels) Phenix Feather 7'1" M/F Spinning rod (with various Daiwa 2000 or 2500 reels) Phenix Feather 7'1" L/F Casting rod (with Curado BFS reel) Phenix Feather 7'1" ML Casting rod (with Curado BFS reel) Of these, the Expride 7' L/F came the closest, and I was prepared to call it good enough, but I had been wondering if one of the Daiwa 7'6" ML-M/F hair jig rods might suit me. The problem was that they were in very short supply or sold out everywhere. Then I came across a St. Croix Mojo Bass 7'6" ML/XF rod at my local tackle shop and it felt pretty good, so I clamped down and took it home. It slings them further than anything else I have tried, by a good bit. With the light tip, I know they're there long before they detect me. It's got just the right amount of backbone to set a hook, and then keeps the fish pinned better than any rod I have. I use 10# braid with 7 lb leader and have come to like Finesse Wide Gap, Jungle Wacky (Camo color, with and without the weedguard), and Mosquito (regular and light) hooks, and I generally use o-rings. I throw them anywhere from right on the steeper banks, and up to 15 feet deep. But I get most of my bites near the bank, and in the first 30 seconds after it hits the water. Since Senkos work for me so well, I only use this rod for Senkos, both 4" and 5", but usually fish the 5" model.

Not that you need my permission to do so, but it's your money to spend however you want to. The joy of fishing means different things to different people. Many years ago, I pictured Lake Texoma as a stark cold and windy pit of despair. Not sure why I had that image in my mind, but I did. Then I went there. It was a beautiful lake, full of life and fish. It was a little cold and we had rain off and on, but we fished from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm and caught over 100 fish. Mostly on slabs, poppers and crankbaits. Loved it and can't wait to go back. And make sure you stay on the right section of the lake. The 'line' varies and it might be unpleasant to get caught on the wrong side of the channel. Have fun and be safe.

I think maybe you just need more practice with yer fairy wand ? My first double digit, the 10-10 bass in my avatar pic was caught on a 5'10" spinning rod with a Shimano TX Aero ULS-A reel with 6 lb mono. I caught more bass on that rig than any I have ever owned.

Went down to the Castaic Lagoon late last night to dial in some of the baitcasters I have been servicing. Didn't expect to catch anything, and the evening went mostly according to the plan. The only thing that didn't go to with the plan was having my 15 lb mono main line break way too easily on a Carolina rig. I think maybe the glass bead shattered and cut the line. That's the only explanation I can think of as I don't usually encounter anything too sharp out in front of the 'casting pier'. In case anyone was wondering about the current water quality in the lagoon. . . .

The Lucky Craft Pointer 48SP is a pretty awesome little suspending jerkbait. EDIT: I'm not sure how this 5 year old thread came up for me. . . Maybe searching for info on reels suited for jerkbait fishing to see if my Tatula SV TWS is something folks use for that. Doh!

This is why the reel is a bit of an enigma for me. It's built pretty sturdy, like it could be more for pitching and flipping, but throwing light-ish baits is one area it supposedly stands out. Previous to this, I used it as my Carolina rig reel more than anything. But I have discovered that many of my reels cast as well or better than it does with 1/2 to 3/4 oz sinkers on a C-Rig. Previous to this, I used it as my Carolina rig reel more than anything. As for slowing down, I would take three to five minutes per cast to retrieve a Carolina rig, so I definitely have the ability and inclination to do that. But I have discovered that many of my reels cast as well or better than it does with 1/2 to 3/4 oz sinkers on a C-Rig. I had a small amount of mono backing and then filled with 40 lb Smackdown. With a Carolina Rig I could cast far enough that part of the backing was exposed by the time the rig hit bottom if I used a 1 oz sinker. My SLX MGL 70 cast almost as far with a 3/4 oz sinker and if I used a 3/4 oz sinker on the SV TW, the SLX MGL would outcast it. I guess I am trying to see if this reel has a 'superpower' that I can leverage in the water I fish. Maybe I'll put this into the steel cage against the Curado BFS to see who emerges victorious. You're not wrong, but this did give me a chuckle. I can say there is no dock or other man-made structure that a bait can be cast under here. When the lake is stuffed full of water, there are a few trees at the bank, but this is our cover and structure for most of the lake:

I suspect many of us build up our arsenal of rods and reels one piece at a time, only contemplating one or two niches at a time, and not really knowing specifically what we will end up with as the quiver fills out. At least that's where I find myself. I updated my collection over the past few years from what would now be called 'vintage' gear to most of it being new within the past three or four years. Over that time, there has been some trying this or that, but not really thinking of the collection as a whole. Since this winter has been tough or impossible to even go fishing, I have taken the time to go through my equipment, do some maintenance, upgrades, and I'm now trying to purposefully match rods and reel together to take advantage of their strengths and mitigate their weaknesses. I have a collection of spinning rods from L, (2) ML, (2) M, and a MH, five casting rods from ML, M, (2) MH, and one H, a collection of three crankbait rods (M, MH and H), and three more swimbait rods. The one piece I am struggling most to find a relatively dedicated purpose for is the Daiwa (MY17) Tatula SV TWS (XS - 8.1:1). It's a nicely made reel, but I can't quite nail down what it is best suited for. Currently, I am thinking it might be OK for throwing jerkbaits (on my 6'10" SLX M/XF) with 8-10 lb monofilament with it's supposedly well controlled casting with lighter baits and a fast retrieve. Anything I am missing or is there another area where it might excel?

Winter is slower fishing, with the water temps getting ALL THE WAY down to the low 50's here at the one lake I am basically forced to fish due to "Q" issues (LOL), but I usually enjoy fishing in the winter. I say usually because this winter has been a fishing disaster here at Castaic. Between the rain, wind, ramp conditions, the whole lake TBH being clogged with debris, and the water itself looking like a Yoohoo factory, it's either been closed outright or not worth the bother. This is some of the debris they managed to remove from the ramp. The transition periods give me the most trouble. Once they settle into a seasonal pattern, it is generally consistent.

My $0.02: I'd throw 4 oz with any of them. If I wanted to throw 4 oz a lot, I'd go with a 300 size reel. I'd throw 8 oz with the Tranx 300, but up to 2 oz is probably the sweet spot for the Zillion and Antares and up to 4 oz for the Tranx 300. If you want to throw much more than that regularly, you're probably not in their ideal wheelhouse. I wouldn't throw 20 oz with any of those reels. Even if I wanted to throw 8 oz a lot, I would go with a 400 size reel. If I wanted to throw swimbaits approaching 20 oz, I'd be eating raw liver, injecting steroids, and spending a lot of time each day in the weight room.

I use the Swing Impact (not Fat) all year, but especially in the Winter in sizes from 2" to 4" depending on conditions. Mostly 3.5" and 4". Yea, I can mow through them too.

I see they assigned the 7'6" ML-M spinning rod to Chris Johnston and it's no longer sports the AGS guide train and instead comes with Fuji Alconite guides now, but that model now costs $100 less. I do like the cork instead of EVA (at least as far as being functionally more to my liking). If the silver color rod is for letting anyone around you know that you're fishing with Tatula Elite rods, I don't think we should be doing their marketing for them and pay extra for them to make the rods stand out like they do. If it has a functional advantage, I'm willing to listen. Reminds me of Canon "L" lenses being white. It has been suggested that it is a marketing thing, but I also know from first hand experience that a white lens stays MUCH cooler in bright sunlight than a black lens does and the difference is quite dramatic. Not saying that fishing rods act the same because I haven't had dark colored rods feel like they were getting too warm being in direct sunlight.

I have one leftover from a reel I sold a while back.

There are so many good choices out there that are not particularly gaudy or hideous that I don't feel like I have to purchase and use something that is gaudy or hideous to my aesthetic sensibilities. . . but I wouldn't promise that I won't. There is one particular rod that I have been interested in that is pretty much all silver, and that isn't aesthetically pleasing to me. It's somewhat unique and by all accounts is well made and fishes very well for it's intended purpose. I'd consider the silver, but I don't like it. If I am being honest, if it was a pastel or neon anything, I would likely pass no matter how good it was. There is bound to be something else that will do the job that I don't hate to have in my hands. Form follows function, and then it needs to fit my needs and then finally my wants. Function Form Fit Needs Wants - aesthetic qualities are considered here If it doesn't pass the criteria before it, it isn't being considered beyond that. If it fails aesthetically, it could still be a deal killer for me. Aesthetics are dealt with in the 'wants' part of the process. If it doesn't pass muster for the previous considerations, aesthetics are not getting considered no matter the color, style, etc.. I tried making rod and reel purchases based primarily on looks a few times, and those were not my best purchases. The ABU Garcia 1021 Plus comes to mind. I just knew that was going to be an amazing reel because it was expensive and looked very futuristic at the time. Turned out to be the most mediocre reel I have ever owned. The build quality seemed less-than-stellar, and it was the worst casting reel I have ever owned. It was even more frustrating since I paid more for it than I ever paid for any reel up to that point. I purchased a Fenwick Hooksetter rod BITD that was also very expensive for my sensibilities at the time and it was a mixed bag. It flares out and get pretty fat just before it gets to the integrated reel seat that is cut into the blank so a reel sits very low in the rod. An excellent idea that was rather poorly executed. I blew out the piece that holds the reel foot down setting the hook on a calico bass on the Long Beach Federal breakwall one night and the reel came off into my hands. It's a weak piece and I broke the replacement part as well. I replaced the part again, but now I keep the back of the reel foot lashed tightly to the rod with a zip-tie so I don't blow it out again. It's a great rod other than that and I caught my PB on it. The Fenwick Hooksetter is a love/hate thing for me, but that ABU Garcia 1021 Plus just turned to 100% disdain and disappointment.

While pacing my super secret underground lair, anxiously awaiting the arrival of the new bearings for this reel, I did a dry run of removing the existing bearing from it's perch using my new BFF. When I saw the tools being sold to remove reel bearings on the 'Ali' site, I recalled having saved a tool similar to that which came with a drapery restring kit and scavenged from the miscellaneous drawer on one of my rollaway chests. It worked perfectly after slightly altering the shape of the hook. I thought about chucking something up in a drill or a Dremel to 'polish' the bore where the bearing rests, but honestly, after removing the bearing fairly easily (compared to the first time) I think I'm good to go moving forward. I did find a parts reel that I could get if I wanted to have that around for spares as parts for this exact version are getting very scarce. I will wait and see how this next phase goes before committing more resources to this resurrection.

Ordered new bearings for all three bearings that support the spool shaft so I can start fresh with all new bearings. Thanks for all of the thoughtfully considered replies.