wickyman

Hey, that reel looks awfully familiar! *Looks over at daiwa spitfire 2000A* How do you like that reel? I like that pole! It's dead sexy! I want to do something like that, but in royal red! Maybe crimson red! What did you use for the blue on the handle? Oh, and sorry for bringing this back from the dead... Just thought it was neat!

I really like that gold one on the upper left! What color is that? Could I make a suggestion for the stripes? I really like this method myself... If you take some tape, cut different shaped diamonds in a line, make it look really lifelike, then fish will strike it a lot quicker. I like the randomness you can get also. If you flip the tape, also, it makes the same design on the reverse side. Plus, by that time, the paint on the tape, makes it harder, and it conforms to the contours so you can line it up! Just an idea. Looking good though! Very clean baits!

I have been making some crank baits a week now, and was curious how to make a jointed bait. This is a very informative thread, and I appreciate the pictures, more than anything! It really put a new perspective on things, for me! I just need to get me some of those i-bolts...

Try using an old, or new, fishnet stocking, put the lure down into the bottom of the foot area, and use a clothes pin to hold it tight... That is the only way I can see doing it, simply!

Best advice that can be given, is to keep at them. Sometimes it just takes some practice with a specific item, to figure out how it works best. You will get it, eventually.

Think of it this way. If the boat is in good physical condition, and it looks great, it would be worth the money. To me a ranger bass boat only gets better with age, unless kept horribly. They are the Ferrari of bass boats, and they show it! The craftsmanship is outstanding, including the older boats! 6500 is a little high for me, but it's worth it in the long haul! If you can talk him down, try that! If not, then it would be worth it, either way! Especially in that color combo! I love that color combo!

Amazing work. I like that little boat. Very good project. You are quite the craftsman! You get a cookie from the cookie monster! You did a fantastic job on the floors, and storage, along with the carpet, and vinyl coverings! Very nice job!

My main concerns are that the boat can float, and it will get me back to shore if I need to. I don't have a casting deck in my kayak, but it gets me to the spots around shorelines, and does so quietly. Quiet, to me, is the only key factor. If I can, I will use a trolling motor, just in case I get tired. That comes later on though, money is tight!

They produce very well. Next to the pepper jigz, I fish these with much success. Brown and purple, or similar produces very well out here on Clear Lake.

I like the pepper jigz football head, in brown and purple. It produces very well with a black with blue flake zoom chunk. I have caught 5 nice fish, in 2 days on it. I lost it soon after that last fish... I need to get another, but they are pricey at $3.50...

That is a beautiful boat! I want to see it when you get it done! PM me the finished product. I just got a free kayak, and I am in the same boat as you, no pun intended! lol I have to basically restore the wood, and repaint the canvas. Should be just as fun to restore! I saved myself 1200 bucks, and was lucky enough to have friends whom own 10 kayaks! I just wish that it was simpler to do, like an aluminum boat, but it will be in the water, soon, all the same!

I prefer a brown and purple pepper jig, with a zoom mini chunk in black and blue. It is friggin' amazing when you try it! I caught 5 really nice fish. I lost it soon after that when a huge fish decided to wrap it around some underwater structure... I now have a cheap renegade 3/8 ounce jig, with a worm trailer. The color is brown and orange, and I had to modify the hook guard, by shortening it a bit, at an angle. It got a lot of hits, but not as many as I had previously! I will be getting more brown and purple pepper jigs, as they seemed the big ticket! JMHO, and my experiences. Hope it helps!

Ok, that answered my questions there. Now next up, what is a great, if not excellent lubricant for oiling up a reel? Is there a specific grease, and oil that I should get a hold of? I have heard that extreme lubricant is great, but I heard that it isn't the best for older reels... An comments?

Ok, I got the dimensions back from abu garcia, for the bearings I need. They are 3mm x 10mm x 4mm. I looked it up on boca, and it came up with this list... http://www.bocabearings.com/main1.aspx?p=quicksearchbearing Does it matter which ones I choose? I would assume the bearings with the highest RPMs would allow for a smoother action? This is the set that I was looking at. http://www.bocabearings.com/main1.aspx?p=product&id=7302&n=SMR103C-YZZ_#5_NB2 Does this seem like a better idea, than getting a set much lower on the abec scale? Thanks for the help reel mech!

Very good to know. I have loved abu garcia since I got my first spinning reel. I was just curious as to why everyone seems to enjoy everything else. With technology as it stands, how can they not control the quality of their products?! lol It seems that they are using machinery far out of their time, and they need to upgrade, if this is the case. Ok, enough of me ruining this thread for the guy who started it.

I have noticed, that a lot of the fish that I catch, are larger on a wacky rig! I threw it successfully a couple days ago, even from a dock, which I have never done before. I casted out, and was saying that I had never caught a fish, just standing on a dock, and WHAM! I got a huge 6lber, and lost him trying to get him out of the water... He jerked a little, and the hook slipped out of his mouth. I am one of the few anglers, that prefers to run a barbless hook, and I lose a lot of fish at the boat. It's all good, I am just out there for fun, and the fight, not to win any tournaments. I want to fish a tournament, but it would be for fun, and to see where I would sit, as far as my catches go.

River 2 sea bully wa, has a new name. I haven't used it myself, but my father in law has one, and does very well with it.

This is probably a stupid question on my behalf, so I will make it short and to the point. I was wondering, why everyone uses shimano, and daiwa, when Abu Garcia is a really good company, also? I see so few suggestions towards their company, and it makes me wonder if I am the only person using their products, new and old! lol I have a cardinal spinning, and a couple ambassadeurs. I have an ambassadeur maxxar from 1993, in very good condition, and I also have a newer 5600cl rocket. Both are excellent reels, and I feel that the company is belittled here on there forums? Don't get me wrong, I love shimano, and daiwa, I own a daiwa also, but It seems that Abu is always over looked, and I am curious as to, why?

It's not really that bad, when you think about it, to just buy a used reel, and replace certain items. If you can get a hold of any super cheap, and replace parts, you are still spending less than new, and it's practically new... I want to just replace bearings, and washers and such in my reel, only because I am anal about that kind of stuff. But really, if you buy used from anyone, make sure that it is someone that you know, and trust...

Trout makes a valid point. Also, how much did you use that one particular reel? I don't lube the reels I have, unless I use them, or pull them out after a long winter. I won't just go out after 5 months and use them, they need to be lubed first! I have one older reel that needs to be lubed properly, and would work fine, but it's like 10 years old, and has been neglected. It was my first reel when I was a kid... lol I need to get into the habit of lubing more...

That happens a lot with them. I personally am not dealing with them anymore. Unless I absolutely, need to. I never need to do anything when it comes to fishing, but the bait monkey usually tells me to do it because it is, "ON SALE MAN". lol I flick the monkey off my shoulder every time I hit the pro shop here... lol Yesterday I was itching to get a couple pepper jigs and some trixie 4:20 in spring break for trailers... I flicked that evil monkey off my shoulder, and the guy at the shop ended up just giving me a pro football pepper jig. It pays off. But yes, BPS is becoming a horrible retailer lately. It almost makes a 5 hour drive worth it! At least then you will have what you want, when you want, and F shipping! lol

The thing I hate about any cast longer than 10 yards, is the fact that once that fish takes your bait, they tend to swim off before you know it, and you have to break water with the line, to set the hook properly! Any pole, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if you cast 10 yards, or less, but once you get up in the 15 yards or so, then you are catching a lot of problems! I try to keep my casts in the 5-8 yards, as that is about how far I am from timber, and such when I fish out here on Clear Lake. I find a lot of channels where they are no wider than 40 feet at the most, from bank to bank, so I cast parallel to the banks. Still, casting any further requires too much extra muscle to get it out there, so it's pointless. I began using a 3/8th ounce pepper jig last night, in brown and purple, and it hit well, but after a while I became tired, and now I am feeling it in between my shoulder blades... I work out in my spare time, but this is a place that I rarely work, and you too will begin to feel it on longer casting... lol JMO.

I buy many things through ebay, though I would prefer to buy my items new from a local shop, just to make sure that it works correctly. I like to see what I am buying, and feel it. If I buy anything from ebay, it's because I can't get it locally! I recently bought a, "LNIB" Abu Garcia ambassadeur Maxxar reel, at a yard sale. I only bought it because I liked the way it looked and felt. That wasn't an impulse buy, but more of a, "I like the way this thing feels!". It needs a little oil, and to be gone through, but almost as perfect as the day it was bought!. Yard sales are great, you find some great things! If you know what you are looking for. To make a long story short, this yard sale had all sorts of newer items also, I just felt that this older low profile reel needed a new home on my rack. I am buying a brand new shimano pole for it at a local shop. I can't wait to get this thing in the water!

Most people will tell you that a bait casting rod/reel is overkill for a senko. My father in law throws everything on his abu garcia revo s. I personally think that, unless you are throwing a 3/8 spinner, or something heavier, you should use a spinning rod. I have 2 spinning rods set up for senko style worms, and my top water lures... Jigs and such are thrown on my abu garcia reels. I use a 7ft MH shakespeare Intrepid IM-7. It is a quality rod, for the price. It competes, in my eyes, with many more expensive rods! It is a little heavy for my liking though, and the length is something left to be desired... I prefer a shorter rod usually, but it handles itself very well!

I have been noticing a lot of complaints from them lately. It seems as though they don't know how to update their information, pertaining to specific items. If it doesn't change, I am going elsewhere for my higher end gear! I think it is a joke when you can't even get what you want, when it is, "supposedly" on back order... GL getting your gear from them, if this is the case! I would go to a local pro shop, even if it costs you 10 bucks more... At least that way you don't have to wait to take it back if something is wrong with the set. I plan on buying another baitcasting here in a week or so. I also plan on doing that locally, so that if I have any problems, I can have it replaced that day, not several weeks later, and the money I spend there, will actually save me for shipping!