PressuredFishing

Ya know didn't even think about them, I live in socal coastal region so alot of these are for sale from the Upper rich coastal guys going out for yellowtail n stuff that buy em for one time trips, end up on Craigslist and stuff for $150-200, perhaps may just be better to buy a used Calcutta and buy extra parts if they die Found a Calcutta 100 for 50, and a Calcutta 250 for 80, which would you get, looking for a smaller sized swimbait reel for the swimbaits above, 2-5 oz max, what would you reccomend

I'm looking for a conventional swimbait reel so I don't get blowing the gears out of my flipping and pitching reel. I'm looking in that 200 size range to throw some waver 168s gantarels+gantarel Jr's, and of corse Hudson and Hudson style baits like the Castaic baits trout. I have seen good reviews and heard good things about the shimano cardiff for only 120, but also was curious if anyone has experience with the kastking rover, because it's under half the price. Haven't had the best of luck with kastking/piscifun/CDM products but there are some beautiful gems such as my sword2 fly reel and tsurinoya bfs reel.

Odd, I have had this happen when fishing with hooks I have found, never with my own hooks. From what I understand when they make hooks too quick to cool=hard but brittle and to slow to cool=softer and can be bent out but not as hard. Could of been a bad batch, most companies including vmc test the hook machine before they make an entire batch, not sure about that company though When fishing light wire hooks you don't want your drag tight, usually loose, let the fish run, if spinning backreel, fighting the fish well will prevent straightening hooks. I use eagle Claws (cheapy hooks) when slip shooting and dropshotting in riprap, because I'm not wasting Gammies or owners/mustads. Have had no issues bending out in open water, in cover with tight drag have lost a few. I get away with lightest line and lightest wire in open water.

Next time you are fishing open structure, try some light wire hooks, I loose alot less fish on a light wire hook than a heavier wire hook. Perhaps it could also be because I fish them exposed compared to t rig, but once you hook them they usually don't come off unless you take pressure off or they where hooked on the skin of the lip

Not sure which Strike king bitsy flip you are using, they have a bitsy bug that's even smaller. Enough said, dirty jigs are a good option, Baby Boo may be a little on the cheaper side like Strike king (personally I use Strike king bitsy flip in rocks so I don't care if I loose them. Alot of guys here use siebart, have heard good things about them, you will have to pay shipping but from what I hear they are good.

Yeah my grandfather doesn't fish heavy Gear anymore light casting equipment with fine wire hooks or spinning equipment, he just leans into the fish and usually sticks em. I have found light wire+light line=higher catch ratio in open water. Big baits and heavy hooks scare me, don't bring up any fish I've lost on a hud.... I have never had a big issue with 6+lb line for bass, but I spybait with 2lb line and an ultralight for winter bass, and I have to retire every catch. Because they have sandpaper mouths

I use 12lb for most my techniques, it's a great all around size, of corse I may change to floro for bottom rigs, or copolymer for topwater, but usually 12lb unless I'm finesse fishing, then 6lb If I can get away with it, but usually 8lb.

Legitimate question, I was thinking same thing, perhaps he was using his thumb on the spool, perhaps the fish didn't pull hard enough. Not sure

May have to look into a new reel other than my revo stx, drag May just be tired.

Very interesting, your explanation makes a ton of sense, thanks for this information as always.

I'm Color blind too, bass are colorblind too (only seeing red green blue and chartruse) is it only me but when I'm fishing certain colors the guy in the boat with me thinks I'm crazy. One time I was fishing a light baby blue with silver sparkle and mistook it as junebug. Worked even better than junebug, perhaps because nobody has thrown that shade color. Sometimes imo us that are colorblind may have more insight to how bass see, perhaps on darkness shades rather than actual color.

You add plastic trailers to your hair jigs? What types? Interesting

Thanks that makes alot of sense, yeah my reels in heavy cover give so much with 60+ pound braid and 5lb bass I usually have to get close to the cover with the boat to unhook them because I cannot pull them out even with my hands in 65+ pound braid.

I'd say you are 100% right. Not much "fighting the fish" now days in bass fishing, perhaps because tournament guys want the fish in the boat as fast as possible. The only time I have fought fish is offshore in salt or using spybaits with 2lb line for bass or like I said above fishing 2lb line and catching a 9 and 7lb trout. Very fun, backreeling and light enough drag yet pressure is key I have found. So Ajay, did your reel hold up in getting that fish out of cover? Or did you have to pull the line with your hands? Or was it just open water. Thanks for the reply and nice fish Nice fish must have been a nice catch! So I have cheaper reels so forgive me if I don't quite understand, but I fish that type of cover somewhat often and I have found when flipping with 60+ pound braid my reel can't pull the fish out of cover on max drag and it keeps slipping. I have to pull with my hands. Do your reels do the same thing?

That makes alot of sense for abrasion resistance. When fishing inshore at our bay we have riprap with alot of barnacles. Even though the calicos only get 4lbs big, I run 15lb abrasx because you loose alot of rigs not by snags but the barnacles cutting your line. Yeah I agree 100% drag is a food way to prevent snapping your line as well. So when you guys fish the heavier line I'm getting that you use it for abrasion resistance, and if the fish gets stuck in thick cover and you can't pull it out with your reel because your reels drag Is slipping you can pull it out with your hands+the fish won't get deeper into the cover This actually makes a ton of sense with presentation. Here in socal we have grass flats 2-3 feet below the surface, and I met this guy that would run 20lb mono and he said it runs the baits perfectly above the grass without them getting into the weeds.

Yeah, most of my fish are lost by rushed knots in a hurry. I have learned to fish with light line for large fish. I have played a 7lb trout on 2lb line and a 9lb trout on 2lb line. Both had ultralight wire hooks. Both fish where caught. Both fish didn't bend out hooks and where caught backreeling. Light wire hooks are disgustingly good at keeping high catch ratios if you play them right.

Well personally I don't lock my drag down unless I'm pitching and flipping, I usually set my drag to where line can pull out about 80% of its breaking strength. I understand what you are saying though, because it's good to have a few safeguards in place in case some people are flipping and pitching with locked down drag and the drag locks up from a 17 to 23 for a second because it's not smooth.

Of corse of corse but if the drag gives out at 20, why not just use 25lb instead of 60. Both give out over what your reel can handle, I just don't see the point unless your pulling the line out with your hands

So I use 20+ pound line, but really just because I've heard it reccomended for those specialty techniques. But my legitimate question is, why have 20+ pound line when some of the heaviest duty low profile baitcast reels have a Max drag of 17-20 pounds. Anything more seems kind of pointless because a bass reel cannot handle it. The one thing I see benefiting heavy line is abrasion resistance, am I missing something, why flip with 60 pound braid when my reel can only handle 18 pounds of drag?

You can go two routes, hire a guy to do it via graphic design or get a pre made logo with your own writing over the design, then go to one of the many custom sticker websites.

Pheonix rods are super light, I mean super light, expensive but light, don't have much experience with big bear rods, although to be completely honest, black friday is like, a month away so if you wait you may be able to find something similar to what you want for a better price.

Now, I've heard rumors of guys getting huge bites on 7 inch ribbon tailed worms on football or atkie style jigs on bottom dragging, worth a shot perhaps

Ribbon tails are great and versatile. Flip it (personally I've found issues flipping big worms) and drag it.

Yeah but braid to floro doesn't knot as well as braid to mono not saying you can't do it but mono knots and grips better to braid imo than floro

Depends on what ya wanna do closest lake to me is 15 minutes, next one is about 25, and two others are 45 minutes away, if I'm only going fishing for an hour I just go to the closest one, if I go all day I go to whichever one I think I'll catch more fish, or explore