Fishing_Rod

Greetings All, There are those times where one must try, just to see if it can be done and in doing so you might as well catch some fish while trying, right? OK, so I have recently invested in a low cost BFS reel. Yes, it is much easier to cast lighter lures using it. I am the first to admit I am still in the learning phase when it comes to using any bait casing reel. I did not have much experience with them in my youth and I am pretty much learning as I go these days. Yes, it is possible for an old dog to learn. My non-BFS bait cast reel is simply a low cost $40 reel from a popular brand sold at a very familiar big box retailer. I spooled it with 6 pound mono and have been learning how to best use it in a way better suited for my style of lighter weight angling. By lighter weight, I'm using a TRD soft plastic bait rigged weedless on a 1/0 offset shank worm hook with a 1/16 oz bullet weight. The reel is mounted to a 5.5 foot medium action rod, which in total is a very inexpensive rig. While it is low in cost it actually does perform reasonably well. It is not really comparable to high quality gear. It is comfortably within my budget and I intend to make the most of it for my recreational angling aspirations. I am finding that a gentle lobbing cast does not do particularly well for me. I struggle to get consistent results. I suspect it is a combination of many things, mainly me in getting a graceful launch, never mind trying to get the bait anywhere near where I intend. My not so graceful swinging approach appears to not consistently overcome the spool inertia which results in frequent angler irritation and frustration. Through research and many practice casts in the front yard, I rely on the loaded fishing rod in a rebound action cast that does particularly well for me. The flick / flip rebounding type casts work better for this lighter weight bait setup. That initial loading of the rod to fling the bait does a better job of overcoming the spool inertia in a graceful way which is less troublesome. The spool tension brake is set just to where I have a slight bit of detectable lateral play, so basically no resistance contributed by the tension knob. I am mainly using the magnetic brakes along with the reflex cast to get the job done for me. Yes, there is thumb braking to arrest the spool as the bait hits the water. I am also finding this flick / flip rebounding type cast works well with the BFS reel too. I have been practicing when I can to develop a reasonable level of proficiency. Since our regional weather is varied with not helpful winds and a high potential for thunderstorms, I opted for land based angling opportunities. I could fish from shore with a nearby reasonably quick safety shelter access. Also the temperatures are lower due to the overcast skies. Nice to get a break from that full strength sunshine. Using the non-BFS bait cast rig, I find I can easily and consistently make casts of 50 ft. (15 m) without too much fuss, even in the 20 mph winds that worked up today. The low angle rebound type casts easily presented the soft plastic bait across the span. My practice was interrupted on several occasions where I had a bass take interest in the slow moving bait. So my concept of using lighter weight soft plastics can be accomplished on a non-BFS reel. My goal is simply to develop some level of mastery in using bait cast reels, while using the lighter weight baits that I prefer. Today's angling experience confirmed I can indeed cast and catch using the non-BFS lighter weight rig. Yeah, the rebound casting technique produced far fewer reel issues, backlashes, over runs, even when dealing with the sustained and gusty winds out there today. Usually by adding a click more or less magnetic input was all the adjustment necessary. I also found by using that casting style, it brought my accuracy level almost in parody to my casting accuracy with spinning gear. I was generally successful in targeting a 1.5 foot area. A bit more practice casting and catching is in order. I'll still be using the BFS reel too. I mainly needed this opportunity as a personal challenge just to see if I could. I found my answer on-line of course! I bid each of you well. I hope you each get an opportunity for some gratuitous goofing off. Cheers!

Greetings and Happy Friday All, Interesting topic. I have a dinghy and kayaks. I use the yaks more. They are just easier overall. Since the kayaks weigh less they are easier to deploy and stow, also maneuver too. Since I have a pickup truck loading either is not much fuss. Also since PU bed is lower there is less of a lift involved. I would emphasize if you are roof racking be aware of the load limits. Most vehicles specify the roof rack load limits. Realize any load positioned up high will alter the handling characteristics. It only gets worse when the load is greater. Personally I have a general safety limit of winds under 15 mph. Mainly because I want to do casting and catching rather than just paddling. Also I'm a recreational angler that just doesn't want too much effort to recreate. Borrow one of both and try them out. I hope you find something that works for you. Be well and Cheers!

Greetings All, Yes, I strongly suspect I have caught the same fish. I did not extensively examine it but my rationale is that the small lake (park pond) is only about 200 m across at the longest aspect. So it is rather easy to simply work your way around the lake. This particular bass was a modest sized 15 inch bass that was hanging around a cluster of reeds. So by the time I made my way back to that area I noticed the similar scarred jaw on this particular bass. Being that there are triple digit (F, or mid 40s C) temperatures out in central AZ this time of year are rough on humans and critters, I choose to minimize exposure time out of the water for the fish. (I should jump in the water too!) Much of the time simply release the hook and back in to be on their way. However, with a scar on the jawbone it is tough to miss that detail. Interesting observation, always glad they are willing to play. Be well and cheers!

Greetings @ol'crickety and et al., I add my $0.02 worth of personal experience to changing my mono fishing line "as needed". Others have made some very good and relatable points on the matter so I'm echoing some that apply in my case. I simply do my mono line changes as needed because I'm using different fishing gear at different times of the year. So some get used frequently while others don't. Things that compel me to change out mono: - Low level of line on the spool. This affects casting distance and accuracy which can be bothersome. - Line degraded in some way. Kinked up, dragged over a branch/rocks, and such. Since most of my gear is ultra-lite there is just not much in the way of tolerance for the lighter thin lines so I need it in reasonably good shape. Most of the time if it is damaged I'll simply cut it off but because I'm using smaller reels you can only cut off so much before the low spool condition triggers a line change. Much of the time if there are line loops or wind knots the recommendation for dragging the line out in the water is very helpful. I have found that I can do something similar in the yard too. I'll basically pull a good amount of line out across the yard and I'll be generous in pulling out the line and simply let it lie out on the ground. Nothing is tied at the end of the line. Then from across the yard, I'll reel it back up while making sure there is reasonable tension on the line as it goes back on the reel. I put tension on by using running the line through a very wet hand towel or shop rag (occasional a old sock converted to a shop rag). You don't need to add too much resistance, just enough so that the line packs on the reel smoothly. Usually this only takes one session every so often if your not able to do the water drag. Again I'm using light line so it is not as stiff. If you're using heavier line say 8 pound or greater then you may have to repeat to achieve success. The wet rag serves to reduce friction (damage) and the water helps to relax the line some as it gets packed on the spool. It also serves to clean your line of debris too, again helping with casting distance and accuracy. I hope this helps! Be well and cheers!

Greetings Glen and et al., BRAVO! Well done. Great to have new alternatives to consider. Thanks!

Greetings All, Yes, getting older definitely slows many things down. My reaction time was always best measured using a sun dial, so additional response time is not all that significant. I have not found a notable difference in the "missing" fish. Because of my style of angling I have not found reaction time to be a factor for me. If anything a slower response has been beneficial. When using larger soft plastics a slower approach was helpful. I wasn't able to confirm this till I was using some of the more durable elastic baits. I would find an rapid response would usually result in some felt resistance with disappointment as the bait would come flying out. The bait would not be ripped off but slid down the hook which leads me to believe it got chompped on when I responded the hook did not engage but the bait got pulled. So after that trend was observed frequently I would simply wait till I could register the fish on line before responding. This resulted in more positive connections. Even when I migrated to using more compact baits, I found by simply confirming activity on the other end my connection ratio was better. Now this is not to say wait a long time. Just long enough to confirm activity. Waiting longer than that appeared to promote deeper hooking that I was doing what I could to prevent. These days, I'm getting predominately jaw hookups without involving the sphincter area. Just my $0.02 worth of observations with a no hurry to worry about slowing down due to age. I'm not old, yet. I do have some "experience". Be well and cheers!

Greetings @Darth-Baiter and et al., They say no part of a production is insignificant. I believe this to be true in pretty much every aspect of our world. I took a moment to see what you were referencing with the hitch minnow. So a search showed this article for me to reference. https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2022-12-06/a-minnow-sacred-to-some-native-americans-nears-extinction Wow, with everything going on in the SW region, from weather, fire, drought, developments (construction and other related changes) are all factors that affect all. It is is unfortunate to see just how the water conditions are leading to a severe threat in reproduction for the hitch minnows. Most certainly there will be some level of influence to bass and other species that forage on the previously abundant hitch minnows. I will hope for a timely return to more favorable conditions. I got a first hand example this weekend of how important each part of a system is. I was working an area of a city park where there is an input flow (overflow channel from an upper elevation lake) was providing churn for minnows who were in turn being foraged on by bass and crappie. I was not the only angler making use of this concentrating feature. Adjacent to me were a larger blue heron and a smaller youthful white crane. Both seeking an easy meal from the abundant collection of minnows. Since I had my ultra-lite rig I could easily yield the optimum location to them as I'm only recreating they are foraging. There are always going to be a variation in any system. Most systems tolerate the skew and eventually recover. Let's hope the future holds some level of recovery from these critical conditions. Be well and Cheers!

Greetings All, Yes, another weekend of crazy 114 F temperatures in both TUS and PHX metro areas. Us down here in Southeastern AZ got a smattering of scattered isolated storms. Those area that got storms were lucky, the rest of us just got a few drops. Not enough to even consider the ground "wet". Hopefully today brings a significant change in the regional weather pattern. It is a good start to have mostly cloudy skies. All of the region's water shed could use a good recharge. My very dirty and bug covered truck could use a good rinse job too. Hey, it is a truck, so it should look the part, right? @WRB The safety pin type spinner bait I remember were the what I knew as the "Beatle Spin" where you could attach either a hook or jig. I coveted those in my youth. Growing up in a small rural town shopping for fishing tackle was tough when budget was very limited and selection was too. I learned to tie good knots and cast carefully. It has been some time since I used on and probably should consider using one just for this time of year. Thanks for the memory and recommendation. I sure could have put it use this weekend for sure. There were bass and crappie going nuts slashing at minnows at every bit of water I visited. Me, I decided to travel light and only carried the essentials, a package of curly tailed grubs, jigs, tube baits, and some EWG hooks. I basically swam those near the activity and hooked up a number of times. Bass from a few ozs to several pounds, a few nice surprises. It was fun to see the crappie on-line too. Both black and white. Still amazed to see that lovely black line all along the dorsal edge. Of course the 114 F took a toll on this old guy too. Shade trees are very helpful to aid in recovery from full sun exposure sessions. Just me and the geese milling about the shade. They did not seem to care that I was there amongst them. I'm glad as I really did not care to yield from the shade until I was ready to take on the exposure again. I had a previous thread regarding the low cost $9 spinning combo from Wally World that I'm using casually. Well, I though I had broke or worn it out as there was a developing hitch from catching a number of larger bass and putting the spurs to them in hauling them out of snag city. It turns out after hauling another multi-pound bass out of a canal, I decided to really examine the reel during a rest break. It turns out all that happened was the shaft nut holding the spool arbor worked loose. I got the nut snugged and then torqued using my multi-tool enough to finish out the adventure. I'll look closer today after work and see if there are any other things needing attention. The fiberglass fishing rod has more flex than I prefer for my use with the soft plastics. It would be better suited to working dynamic lures like crankbaits. Still the low cost rig is working out better than I envisioned and has withstood everything I've put it through. Not a bad value as a very basic general utility rig. Yeah, I've been deliberately aggressive using it just to see if it is durable enough as a casual experiment. Just something of a back to basics revival. Fun for sure. Yes, a bit cooler would be nice for this angler. However, the fish catching action lately has been outrageous as I'm catching quality and quantity at all the various locations. Hoping to share the successful vibes to the rest of the angling adventures out there. Just make sure you've got plenty of liquids and shelter from the heat, whew! Who knew recreating would require such effort! Yeah, it is all good! Cheers!

Greetings All, Sorry I have no definitive advise to share. If I did, I would apply it too! I will simply cheer you on towards success. A good example is the lottery motto, "you can't win if you don't play". I believe just time on the water to get a better understanding and keep working those areas that appear "interesting". Just my personal approach is to simply slow down and provide opportunities for the strikes. Through the years of goofing off, I find the larger fish simply need more time to commit to an available bait in their area. By using subtle actions my catch quality has improved. The other aspect other than a very slow presentation is a compact soft plastic bait size. The use of smaller, typically between 4 ~ 2 inch sized baits has improved my catch quantities and qualities. So by catching more I am simply raising the odds in my favor, I think. Again Bonne Chance! I'll be looking for your success photos! Cheers!

Greetings All and Happy Friday! @Darth-Baiter Now that is a full on bigger bass attack location in Southern AZ. Yes, I'd love more opportunities to yak attack on Pena Blanca. After the extensive mucking out of the lake bottom the catching there is RIGHT ON! I have had many occasions of double digit quantities of bass to be had just floating and working the shorelines. Regrettably, my last visit was early spring time this year. In past years I would visit often as time permitted. It is a bit over an hour drive on a good road as long as you don't mind the hills and twists along Ruby Road. They have rebuilt the parking and boat launch a few years back so things are better there. I'm not all that crazy about that steep stroll up to the parking lot from the boat ramp. So it goes. That angling adventure is great for me cause I swing by downtown Nogales to pick up greasy chicken before continuing to Pena Blanca. I have every confidence in greasy chicken as an attractant for me and bass! Yeah, PB lake is one of those places that is a great challenge when using UL gear. It is still a challenge using heavier gear as there are some healthy big fish in there! The lake has awesome features that help those bass thrive. During late summer the weeds might be too much for boats but great in a yak. I've never really needed to use a punch rig. Just some careful pitches. I am usually able to hit the openings. If not some gentle rod action will usually get the weedless rig to slide off the emergent weed and slip in for the monsters to chomp on, then it is total GAME ON! Golly, I may have to reconsider the weekend plans after thinking about PB lake. Yeah, it is another weekend of excessive heat warnings so the conditions may be favorable as most will not want to be out there. Fine by me, I'm good to goof off. Just a reminder for others,, please prepare for the conditions or reconsider cause it can be difficult. The current seasonal weather situation is not to be taken lightly or with reckless abandon. The heat, and lightning (yes, still some monsoon activity in the region) are seriously bad so let's be careful out there. I am glad to hear from everyone that is, was, a neighbor. I think it is awesome to be able to share experience and info. You all Rock Da Casbah! Enjoy the weekend! Cheers!

Greetings! @WRB Tom, again you are Da Man! Similar appreciation, you simply had a slight head start on me. Yes, so many memories of San Carlos, crappie, bass, bluegills, and those monster catfish. I lived, grew up, up stream a bit on the Gila so I know the area well. Back in the day waterdogs were a big hit in that big reservoir. There are still a few archive videos on YouTube of the older days of San Carlos. While I was up there a good friend would occasionally take a poor college student fishing up at Bartlett, Horseshoe in his old flat bottom jon boat. I don't recall all the prop shear pins we went through from debris in the "dirty" Verde. Yeah, really tough choice, let's see do calculus, physics, chemistry, or go fishing! YaY! Have a good day! Cheers!

Greetings All, @Woody B Right on! I have used dextron mercon (sp?) ATF with good results. Other than the red color no other issues using it on the spool bearings. I have found the sewing machine oil to be a bit lower in drag when compared to the ATF. It also migrates quicker too. Keep in mind these are just my casual observations from goofing off just to learn. ATF is also very helpful as a penetrating oil too. Just $0.02 worth added. Cheers!

Greetings All, @Arizona_bass_21 I appreciate your most gracious offer. I am over three hours from PHX. So I'm only up there when I have to run errands that require my presence. I will reach out if I've got sufficient time on upcoming opportunities. I am familiar with most of the metro area as I attended university up there and lived up there as a young adult. So my adventures up there are limited to those travel occasions. After rolling along the freeway for over three hours catching fish is GREAT! It is nice there are more angling opportunities than when I lived there. Have fun exploring. Chandler was a fun community back then and looks to be full of good stuff these days too. A whole lot busier! I did a search on the SRP canal map and then referenced the satellite views from online maps to find places to park nearby and that also had some structures (dams, gates, connecting features). That is what I did in preparation to explore. Oh, realize there are plenty of fish in the straight seemingly featureless sections too. I had a large channel cat chomp down on the grub in a straight section on a previous trip. Keep in mind the conditions, water level and flows, are always changing. So keep a positive attitude and don't persist in one location for too long. I did not find it helpful to do so. Which is why I had several alternate locations to try in Chandler, Mesa, Gilbert, and Tempe. I also keep things rather simple as there are lure eating shopping carts and other snag hazards. Small soft plastics, a hook, and a weight, works great! I did the grub on a jig but a small, 4 inches or less, weedless worm rig worked great on previous adventures. By the way I'm recommending the weedless worm route to keep things successful and simply minimize the snag hazard. Next visit up there I intend to down size my gear. I finally found a handle extension for my landing net. The long handled landing net is helpful as there is not often an easy way to reach the fish, other than using the net to assist in the lift or a straight line pull (not good for your equipment or fish). Now the crappie was about fifteen minutes away in Scottsdale from where I was in Mesa (later in the day). A sort of quick run up north on the 101. It was a spontaneous urge to try something different than continue to work the canals. It payed off in very limited time I had remaining before departing. It was one of those situations where I just wanted to catch a few more fish. Also, I've never caught a crappie in any of the park lakes in the SE valley, so I can't say where to go down in that area if you seek them. Funny I used to have to drive across the construction site of what now is the 101. That was a while ago. I used to use the exercise course at the newly constructed ASU Research park. Back then they didn't allow angling. I understand it is permitted these days and I have confirmed there are bass in several of the lakes there. Again smaller soft plastic achieved angling success for me there. @WRB Tom, you are the da Man when it comes to thoughtful comments. Great recommendation to escape the heat and be up in the pines. I've had many a memorable adventure in most of the central AZ rim lakes and streams. The new community water in Payson is a good time if you don't have a weekend or holiday schedule. Growing up in AZ qualifies me as a desert dawg. Many, many, adventures in triple digit temps. It does keep the riff raff down at my angling destinations. It is very important to be careful and remain vigilant. Heat exhaustion, heat stroke, lighting are all not helpful in making a happy angling adventure. @Arizona_bass_21 I hope you're able to explore and possibly share your findings. Keep it simple and have a great time! Since your in Chandler there are miles of fish holding canals. Some of the tilapia on light gear are fierce! I almost got spooled on a couple of occasions. You can simply sit there and hold on till the fish runs out of steam or there's no hurry to worry as you can also jog along the canal to keep the line managed while fighting the fish too. I keep that as an option as the line payed out. I thought it was a carp or catfish. Nope, what a surprise to see the big tilapia. I glanced at the regional weather weekend forecast down here in SE AZ and I might have an opportunity at near by Parker Canyon Lake. The catching down there has been outstanding. Usually if I catch quantities of fish in the double digits it is rather good. I'm usually not fussy about fish size, anything on-line is good fun. Even better when the double digit criteria applies to bass 1.5 pounds and bigger. Yeah, the heat has really got them amped up! Be well and Cheers!

Greetings All, Sharing my recent angling adventures in the metro Phoenix Arizona area. It has been hot, well over 110 F, but expected for this time of year in PHX, also known as "The Valley of the Sun", an appropriate moniker. I had a few errands to accomplish in person up there, which compelled me to make the 3 + hour drive to get it all done. Of course the rest of the trip is structured to permit goofing off angling time. In the PHX metro there are many miles of Salt River Project canals where angling is permitted. The water levels and flows vary as the water is managed for delivery to different locations. So you just don't know what you'll find till you arrive. So for me a simple up-size change to my typical soft plastic bait was necessary. Here I used a three inch curly tailed grub on either a 1/8 or 1/16 oz jig head which was selected to deal with different flow conditions. It is soft plastic package that is low cost, very available, and effective. When it is crazy hot simply look for shade where you can find it. It holds fish, is good for angler, and others too. The ducks found a lovely landing spot in the shade and near the water's edge. Pretty comfortable and safe. Just outside a cast's distance from the ducks I managed to find this bass interested in my soft plastic offering. So much fun, and not being in the sun too was rather nice. I am amazed as the water level was on the lower side of things, approximately 2 feet deep. I am not accustom to fishing in a current. So when the bast struck I was astonished how much the current contributed to the struggle. Now the canals are not the only fishing waters. There are a number of city park ponds, and lakes. Many of these parks serve as water management features to help deal with storm run off. When I arrived you could see the many dead young fish along the rocks. I'm guessing there was a drastic water level change that apparently stranding all these young fish. They were about 1 ~ 2 inches in size. Since I was the only one angling in the heat the lake was pretty quiet and still. I could see fish activity as something was chasing the minnows. I sent the grub in and eventually connected through a violent strike on the slowly moving grub. It was about 14 inches and put up a spirited struggle peeling drag and straining the light action rod. Always fun to have a full bend in the fishing rod. A few casts later there came another more traditional strike. It was a thump that came just after I paused the grub's motion. I applied quick tension only to feel a heavy dragging resistance. Like that of a panfish holding laterally against your efforts. Wow, this struggle does not feel like that of a bass. Yup, initially I though it might be a big sunfish. Naawh, this is my first time ever finding crappie in a park lake. Cool, so glad I did not do a hard violent hook set. The sweep set for a win! Fishing and catching in metro PHX summer time heat. Wow, who would have thought it possible. Yeah, be considerate of the weather conditions. The heat can really get to you quick if you are not reasonable or prepared. Similarly during the monsoon season, the storms build quick, like within minutes. The intense storms can catch you if you are not vigilant. The lightning is crazy too. So let's be careful out there and have some good fun! Be well, and Cheers!

Have a splendid time on your Birthday! Enjoy to the fullest. Then you can celebrate with your wife after you're done fishing too! Cheers!

Greetings All, Aah, the drama of the, "monster" hookset in fashion? I suppose it depends on the gear involved. The visual of a hookset using one of those broom stick jig rods vs something with a supple action like an ultra lite or even a lower weight fly rod would be dramatically different and with different results too. Although I did mange to launch a small fish out of the water and into the yak over the weekend. Right now in our regional waters there are plenty of small yearling bass all over. I had one strike my curly tailed gub on a jig just as I was concluding a retrieve. I was already in progress of lifting when the little bass struck and loaded up the pole just enough for the rebound to launch it out of the water and into my lap. I was not expecting that. Over the years I just couldn't get myself to really put on the, "hit it out of the park" style hook sets. Just too much to go wrong in breaking things under that level of shock loading. Understanding the limits of my gear and my style of angling is what moderates my response which is more suitable to how I angle. Your mileage may differ. Hooks have always been sharp as I've demonstrated to myself on several occasions. These days many if not all are exceptionally sharp and I continue to demonstrate that. I don't recall needing to apply a huge amount of leverage for a hookset. Also as mentioned my drag setting yields to limit how much leverage is applied. My drag is not locked, it is at a modest rod loading limit which I found to be sufficient for my applications and my location. Years ago back when nanofil and spiderwire were new and readily available, I realized how well my inputs were transferred resulting in a lot of pull outs, ripped lips of sorts. There were a number of reasons compelling me to return back to using mono for my UL applications. I simply caught more fish using mono, and I attribute it to the relaxed overall system action involved. The line, the rod all in the UL category simply had more systematic give helping to keep things well connected. Pull too hard on braid and there is a direct result. You'll generally rip or break something. I found a direct comparison when snagging reeds. I've got plenty of experience, sadly. When using braid you can simply rip it out of there or break something through the spirited effort. The line, hook, rod, something is going to give. This happens less to me when using mono. Yes, it is frustrating as you have to go in there to release the wayward bait. However, the lesson learned is, it all stayed connected even when thrashing about. Just my $0.02 worth of observation. YouTube = Theatrical antics & performances, usually with a promotional theme of one sort or another. I simply enjoy it for the entertainment value. Then there are those that intend and do a fine job of imparting knowledge. I'm grateful to them for making information available. Keep up the good work Glen and all those associated to BR. Bravo and Well done! Cheers!

Greetings and Happy Friday All, Fantastic responses! @badfish79 Bravo! Being budget constrained my lower cost BFS reel basically only came with the MFR sticker. As angling is not my only hobby where lubricants are a concern. Since I don't have a huge investment in angling equipment so I'm comfortable experimenting and exploring, within reason. Also being an engineer I've referenced some of the material safety sheets published on various lubricants available to better understand what most of the lubricants consist of and their intended application. I have used in the past the Daiwa reel oil in the precision oil package, the one with the needle tip. That stuff is really nice, just apply reasonably frequently due to the low viscosity of all the various reel oils you'll need to do that depending on your use profile. Especially so if you are making spirited casts. I've also used with reasonably good results too sewing machine oil, and other light grade mineral oils. I made a capillary tube which makes dispensing a bit easier. You can do something similar with a commercially available medicine dropper or similar. The plastic spray tubes also work, just not as precise due to the diameter. Through this experience it is more about using the oil rather than a specific oil as most bearing used are compatible with most lubricants. Still I fully appreciate your concerns in protecting your investment. My example has been my vehicles' engine oil. Through decades of comparing different oils I've seen the difference which has guided my choice for motor oil. By the way since the newer vehicles use such low viscosity oils, I've also tried that on reel bearings too just to see. Yes, there are a couple of very smooth spinning reels. Not so good for the high speed bearing application. Although I've got some of that newish 0-16w that is a candidate for other hobby applications. I hope you find your desired oil soon enough just like that fish on-line too! Cheers!

Good on you @NYWayfarer! Time on the water is great! Hoping you get that fish on experience soon. I am really impressed with the drag on my low cost BFS. Someday hope to try a better reel to know what the differences are. For now I'm working to add that time on the water with this unit and better understand all it offers. Since I'm smiling already it is very encouraging. Have a great weekend!

@bulldog1935 NICE! Glad you're able to put that space to good use in characterizing how you and equipment are together. Yes, totally agree with making the most of it all. In my case by back yard has all the overhead utilities to fuss with, power, internet, phone. My front yard has all the lovely garden features (measured distance targets) available for my practice casts as I try all the different equipment combinations. Since I'm not quite to that retired status I use that limited work week time to prep me and gear for those all too precious goofing-off opportunities. Besides I believe my neighbors secretly enjoy watching me pick through backlashes from snagging a low branches or other obstacle. They are also probably learning all the colorful metaphors in multiple languages too! Hey, my casting accuracy is motivated towards improvement for sure. There are a few of the plastic flower pots that make a lovely thump when I do score a hit. I do my best to avoid the ceramic pieces. I just missed one yesterday as I was trying to cast that curly tailed grub on the 1/32 oz jig. Still I wouldn't want that little BB to cause grief for anyone. Amazing just how much a single click on the magnetic brakes influence casting azimuth. It can totally jimmy jack things! Same goes for my aging index finger release point too when using spinning gear. Somehow those reflexes are not a sharp as they used to be. So a more graceful approach is needed. I have to mention it too. There are times where the robins, finches, and thrashers will swoop down and assault the curly tailed grub dragging across the lawn. Yes, the strike feels similar to that of bluegills. Again when using UL gear there is a lot of sensitivity. I am grateful for never having to do a catch and release on a bird. Be well and Cheers!

Greetings and Happy Friday All, @Darth-Baiter all fish on-line to me are great, and yes that first one is awesome. I try to enjoy each of those special moments. I do what I can to avoid a skunk. Not too difficult when you have the low bar to simply catch fish and enjoy the experience. Since I'm using that UL gear and small soft plastics I can generally find something interested to chomp down on it. At my local waters that typically is large mouth bass, green sunfish, bluegills, catfish, and trout during the winter months or up in the alpine waters of AZ. @Bankbeater I fully agree, scoring that first fish and getting the slimy treatment is GOOD. Somehow it makes the experience that much more robust. I know for me getting to fish-able water requires some travel and prep due to the AZ weather. Be nice to be able to simply grab the rig and go but never quite that easy, at least not for me here. Usually there involves safety gear needed to deal with the too hot, too cold, too windy, too wet, and etc. Also hauling a good supply of water is a must. Hydration pack with me at all times, with more in vehicle. Catching fish make all that effort worth it! Be well and Cheers!

Greetings and Happy Friday All, Tempted, always. As an engineer, I aspire to escape document purgatory when it is practical and possible. I do what I can to limit carry over leave too. When I'm on leave I want to be goofing off. As long as all the responsibilities as a Dad are managed, I'll goof-off by going fishing. As our young adults blossom I've managed to have more goof-off time. Yes, I have arranged days off just to go fishing. Out here there is a significant difference in the angling experience being out on the water during a traditional workday. Aaah, so nice not having all the detracting aspects that are there during the precious weekends or Holidays. Heck, based on the catch quality and quantity the fish are more agreeable too on those quiet days. Special moments for sure. For those taking care of business, we salute you all for doing what needs doing. It is permissible to make quality time to help with that work / life balance. Gosh I hope to change my balance in the near future by reaching that retirement transition. So ready to abandon the work portion! Be well and Cheers!

Greetings and Happy Friday! I typically use UL spinning gear with 4 pound mono, so my drag setting is focused on slipping when the rod achieves a reasonable loading as a starting point. Because the combination of UL rod action with 4 pound mono, there is only so much leverage you can impart without disappointment. Depending on the gear you are using, you'll have to consider just how much leverage you are willing to apply. Grass or no grass, you'll have to establish your upper limit of tension, again to avoid disappointment. With that understanding along with some angling techniques it is possible to achieve success. Regarding the angling technique, it has been mentioned in other threads where it is possible to moderate the amount of leverage applied to get compliance from the fish and guide it from potential hazard areas. You can adjust the amount of tension you contribute to the struggle and the fish responds when you yield to a lesser tension. You can experiment when you get a fish on-line, ease up on the tension after the initial set and get a feel for what happens as you adjust the amount of tension on the line. It does depend on your approach and equipment used for angling. There are those who simply want to impart as much positive control as possible through equipment and brute strength. Then there are those at different perspectives from that. You can choose what has merit for you. Good Luck and be well.

Greetings and Happy Friday All, @bulldog1935 and others for sharing in this thread, I greatly appreciate the information and adventure exchange. I aspire to someday experience the famous "TX Brook Trout". They look be a grand adventure. Through this research on BFS, I realize it brings the casting experience closer to what seek, simple as that. Another option to enhance the angling experience. Thank You for providing details and images on the bits of equipment used and reference. It is helpful both for those with and without experience in BFS. The narrative and photos are great! I find it useful when considering purchases. It is great to know what am I getting for the money. I also want to know how others find utility with this piece of gear or that other piece. Please keep up the information exchange. My personal experiences with telescopic fishing rods has been mixed. Back in the day, mid late 70s was my initial encounter with some no-name brand general purpose fishing rod. It was great for those bike and motor bike adventures deep into the creeks and canyons. Much better to have that compact unit for travel in my backpack. I realized just how important it was not to loose the plastic protector to keep things from breaking in transport. I ended up creating an alternate using a segment of garden hose split down the middle. My most prominent memory of using telescopic poles was with my dear uncle catching large, 3 ~ 30 pound catfish (channels and flatheads), in the Gila river. One nite the catching action was great and we went well into the night and early morning struggling with these strong catfish. Well, that was too much for one of the poles. As my uncle connected with a strong catfish, each of the segments popped, one at a time in a slow several second progression. We both laughed as it broke down to the last guide. Then it was basically on to just the reel, and when that bound up we had to walk the remain line backwards out of the water. What an adventure! Currently I'm simply using a casting crappie pole with my BFS reel. That has provided enough action to work my casts with accuracy and distance. Yesterday evening I did experiment tossing a two inch curly tailed grub on a 1/32 oz jig. I always wonder about the impressions my neighbors have of me practicing casts in the front yard. While doable it is not all that easy. I'm having to impart that early release point again to get it sent properly. Hey, it is all good learning for me. I will eventually change the line to four pound mono and then try and see how that goes. For now I'm just going to work that bait package on a 1/16 oz jig and simply have some more fun using the new reel. Time on the water, right! My current challenge is the weather. Sun, wind, rain, it is all good. Lightning, well that is a no go. Shocking, ain't it? I'm enjoying the "Better Fishing System", at least that is how I see it. My gratitude to all for information shared. Be well and Cheers!

Greetings and Happy Friday All, I concur with @Fishingmickey with regard to how significant things are at the local level. We live in a smaller modest sized community. When we do treat ourselves to a meal out, we generally seek the locally owned establishments over chain organizations. This is not to say that we avoid them. Since OG was mentioned prominently in this thread, I'll share our recent experience the other evening. Our local OG did a splendid job at assembling and preparing our four take away dinner meals. It was prompt, accurate, prepared well for transport, and reasonably well made. So we were able to enjoy a relaxed dinner. Our local OG has been consistently a good performer both for dine in and take out experiences. I attribute that quality not to the corporate organization but more to the staff running our local establishment. Being a smaller sized metro (if that is appropriate as we are the largest municipality in our vast rural county) folks remain familiar with their neighbors. We see each other often, so there is a sense of pride involved. Similarly, it is that way with the locally owned restaurants too. There is pride in what they have to offer and appreciate support they receive. It is really great to be appreciated and acknowledged by name (reference greetings in the situation comedy "Cheers", where everybody knows your name) when entering their establishment. It is a welcoming touch that endears. In my youth, I remember my immigrant grandfather who was a chef and part owner of restaurant (diner style) on old main street. He had freedom to adjust and prepare meals to better suit his clients. Through that experience, I can see how there are corporate restrictions involved limiting how meals are prepared to optimize production and for other reasons too. Thus probably not the optimum dining experience for some who may have greater expectations. Similarly, this theme is there when making other retail purchases too. It all depends on what your aspirations are as a customer. I prefer sourcing from locally owned establishments but not to the exclusion of corporate opportunities. I do this as I appreciate the support from our locally owned providers. They are important to our community. Still, there are times where I seek alternatives. Those are simply consumer driven selections. We all appreciate good value. I have found that value is not limited to just what is represented by a $ sign. Just my $0.02 put in. Be well, and cheers!

Greetings FishTank, and et al., Golly, @FishTank your post is significant to me. I have several generations and continue to use the Daiwa Mini-spin and Mini-cast outfits. Mine are from the mid 70s through to ones purchased within the last 10 years. I have greatly enjoyed them throughout the decades. Although these days I don't hike around as much for my angling adventures. Still, I prefer using lighter weight gear that is well built. I managed to connect with many modest size fish using the small angling outfits. I generally preferred the spinning version due to the better drag. The mini-cast did not have a drag that was what I wanted. I found the drag did not have a gradual adjustment. It was either not enogh or simply too much. It was also not that smooth either. That is until my recent discovery of lubricating the drag elements on the spincast reel. A drop of oil was all that was needed for the drag to match the quality of the spinning reel. Yes, it took several decades but I got there. It is possible for an old dog to learn. So now I'm happier using the mini-casters in taunting fish. My only remaining wish is to figure out how to get the stink out of the plastic pistol grip handle. Even after all these years there is still a chemical smell when handling it. The spinning model has a foam grip, no offensive odor there, except for old fish slime. Appreciate the discussion. Be well and cheers!