Darth-Baiter

I kinda think some of it must be for drama. those lean back, load up hook-sets. maybe not so much finesse stuff, but yea. monster hook-sets. my favorite kayak dude, yanked so hard on a sponsor video, he sent the fish flying. I think the camera man actually asked if the fish landed on land or water. here is the question: you all preach about proper drag setting. some of you use a scale. on any hard hook-set, (like the ones in the videos) the drag must slip, and all your dramatic effort is wasted. the spool slips?. do you all instinctively thumb the spool on hook-sets. I fought a smaller fish yesterday and loosened the drag somewhat. on the next fish, even my moderate jam, moved the spool. sorry for my very rookie question. (oh, I kinda grimaced typing out the word "influencer". not my favorite title to use :D)

it is QUIET!! if I didnt see my bait flying away from me, I wouldn't know. it makes ZERO noise casting, ZERO noise cranking. sadly, I didnt get a big enough bass yesterday to make the drag sing. it is almost perfect for my regular sized hands. it allows me to put my fingers in the right spots on the rod. it feels like I am gonna break the reel. it feels so whimsical, but sturdy if that makes sense. I have it filled with 12lb Sniper Flouro, and it is perched onto a Megabass X-bites. I wanted a light reel, because my Curado 150MGL felt hefty on that rod. (could be my imagination). I backlashed it once when I went the wrong way with the brake setting. I never touched the spool tension from what it is out of the box. couple of loose spool, semi lashes when I got wild with it. it casts great, and intuitively I am very very accurate with the set up. it never feels like the spool is going to unravel at the launch of a cast, i pay attention at the end of the cast, but I didnt feel in any backlash danger at the launch. here is the honest part. my old Curado 150 casts further. by comparison, all noisy out and in, but further. since the bass were not cooperating, I had time to swap baits. exact baits: can fling a zero-weight senko further on the Shimano. I am much more familiar with the Shimano, so I like the drag better. playing a 14" bass and trying to keep it exciting, adjusting the drag on the zillion felt very on/off almost. I dont plan on messing with the spool tension. I figured some Japanese engineer set it where it is supposed to be. right? there is no side to side play in the spool like there was on my Tatula SV TW. did you all go looser? in only own those two Daiwa reels, so I am not familiar with everything. I have only monkeyed with the drag knob. and those numbers are always so tiny and same colored (to read)!! (I'll save up some money and buy a Shimano Bantam to compare...you know, for science) I'm going out Monday. maybe the Delta, maybe Clearlake. I need to test it on a bigger angrier fish.

K

Dang, the magic is over. Yesterday I pulled out of my driveway at 2;45am. I got to the lake in the dark. No flat tire this time. I’m standing in an empty parking lot and I hear elk screaming. An awesome sound. I went to boat ramp and look out. I see elk wading in the area I got some bass last time! They were eating aquatic plants! 200 elk. I estimated the water was five feet deep now using my rough eyeball of a Tule Elk. (They are smaller). What ever. I launch and slip thru weed lines to find clear water and 5 13” bass! I couldnt find them. Not sure wher bigger fish went. My body hurts from my 12 mile kayak day. My knees click! Haha. No pics. here are the elk. Crappy pic. I didn’t want to get to close. Only me and one bass boat guy the entire day. We were both stumped.

Today was brutal. I should have gone to work.

Kinda heavy for the fish, no?

i think presentation first..color further down the line. by presentation i mean mostly..speed. slow, fast or stop.

you are correct. hookie was the only word that jumped into my mind.

sounds like a plan. i tried casting with the foam in place and it is awkward. i play the odds at that point. i take the foam off the rod i am actively using. then put it back when it goes into storage. the rod is only in danger when i am using it.

simple question. my career is nuts. crazy. my entire office and boss know i use fishing as my mental detox. i dont even hide it. i tell everyone, "i am not coming tomorrow, the Delta Tide is perfect". you all? for the record, i am detoxing tomorrow!!!!

i find things i found delicious, not so much now. like a Twinkie..i loved those things. now, they are not swallowable. oh..BREAKFAST cereal. when was the last time you tried a bowl of fruitloops. YUCK!!

my wife wants me to put you on my ignore list great write up. my next three rods are in your post!

that is one superstition i dont subscribe to. i have taken fish on the first cast two days. i crushed them both days. then again, i have lucky fishing undewear.

what defines a shallow spool?

i am far from any expert. but in my feeble mind, ,my goal is to use the lightest weight possible in any application. what governs is what gets the bait into the strike zone. if there is current, i up my weights to try to get my bait to what i am casting at. no sense casting to a tree stump only have have tidal currents whisk it away before it drops in on a bass. even punching, i target just enough weight to penetrate the canopy.

really. i take that opportunity to upplay everything. hahah.. just kidding.

to be clear. this is the stuff i used. my friend thru his rods into his pool and they floated.

i dont either. i tried some, and one my practice flip, i noted they really added to the excitement. i got kinda tangled. i put plumbers pipe insulation on the rods. i only need about a 6" section on the rod and it all floats. my practice flip was in a swimming poles so it was pretty harmless.

I use a light rod and I’m basically slapping slack line. Anything all day, is a chore.

Since I see more moving stuff. dark sleeper.

i dont think anyone likes to skunk. we can all speak to the mental well being of just being out there, and having fun. that line about the worst day of fishing being better than the best day of work...hmmm, i have had some REALLY good days at work. and some BAAAADDD fishing days. but that first fish is almost magical to me. i cant even put it into words. when i push off into the water..i always whisper a prayer for a safe fishing trip, and if there is any leftover..maybe a first fish. hahah...

i'm screwed. i have 3, but only one in the P5 flavor. i have 2 more P5's on the wish list. no..3. darn!! 3! that is like a million dollars!!

you lost me at Quantum. but for the love of all things holy..someone please clear my browser history!!

leukotape can go weeks. it gets gross, and i change it. but it lasts and lasts. i had it covering feet blisters for a 10 day backpack trip. that stuff is magic. i am headed to brazil. it was the first thing i put in my "things to pack" list. full submersion lifting and releasing fish. no issues. MAGIC!

1oz would turn a Fury 733/703 into a noodle.