surfer

I received the G. Loomis SJR842S IMX about two weeks ago. The MH is amazingly stiff for its weight. I haven't been able to catch anything over 1.5 # on it yet so I haven't met a decent fight yet. The first few minutes I was using it a bream was tugging on the tail of my worm and it was so loud in my hand compared to anything I had felt before. Really nice. I noticed the third eyelet form the tip (counting the tip) was 1/8 inch lower than the tip two and lower than the fourth. These seamed to break the smooth curve relation between all the eyelets. I Called Reed's and they confirmed it was a problem, but said I needed to ship it back to them if they were to help me. I let them know I wasn't interested in paying for shipping and waiting longer and that they should ship me another and let me fish with the misaligned rod that was still much better than any of my other rods. They said they couldn't. Loomis on the other hand said no problem and included a pre paid shipping label with the second new rod. They trusted me with one of their rods without collateral. The second rod arrives with the same eyelet alignment. What? Two in a row? Is this part of the design? I talked with Loomis and their customer service person didn't know any better than I did so I thanked her for the return shipping label and attempt to satisfy and returned the second rod unused. If I find out in the future that the third eyelet is misaligned it will still fall under a defect and be replaced for shipping. That's some good customer service. Is an eyelet being out of align vertically by 1/8 normal for a $200+ rod? I know 1/8 sound small, but the eye opening is only 1/4 so that's half its own width. Another new rod. Now out of coincidence I broke my oldest and first rod right after I received the Loomis. Darn subconscious bate monkey broke it on purpose in my opinion. So I am in the market for another rod. I take a list of rods with me to BPS to so I can see, touch, feel. I collected the list from everyone's comments on here. I am looking for a 7ft M Fast spinning rod. The list is Falcon Cara Falcon Lowrider Shimano Crucial Fenwick Techna St Croix Avid St Croix Premier G Loomis BPS had only the St Coix Premier, Shimano Crucial, and Loomis that fit the requirements. So comparing these and prices I got the Crucial. I am as pleased with it as I am the Loomis I got. My novice hands can't tell which rod is actually better, but I do know I don't need to buy any rods for a few years. Hopefully by then I will have a more discerning hand. I think the Crucial is a little more sensitive, but I attribute that the M vs MH. The Crucial has IM9 stamped on the side. I remember reading a thread saying the sweet spot for modulus was closer to IM6. Am I looking at any problems here? Caught 9 under 2# yesterday in the three hours before sunset. Good times. Thanks again everyone for your rod recommendations and everything else I have been able to read about. My fishing is improving.

I have done the same thing with a Magic Marker stripe every 5 ft. single stripe =5ft double stripe =10 triple stripe =15 and so on. I dont have to count knots on the way down.

I just remember a trip to Garcia Reservoir back in January that consolidated my belief in Floro. Bait: live shiners Conditions: Cold and windy after a strong cold front. Water: clear Bite: stubborn My Braid w/ 3ft Floro leader: 4 bass His mono with no leader: 0 bass I am sold that mono can make the difference in some cases. I have also never heard that it deters bites in any cases. How will you predetermine when it will and it won't help? You won't. So always use it.

I live in Central Florida. If the bass here waited two days after a storm to eat they would starve as we can have 2 months straight with a thunderstorm everyday. I enjoy fishing the two hours after a storm and even during if the lighting isn't bad. It can be very calm right afterwards and the fish are already wet. I also theorize the rain knocking bugs out of the air and washing bugs down ditches and banks into the water. This would be a food source the are accustomed to right after a rain. Like ringing a dinner bell they should be ready to eat. A cold front storm is a different beast. I would fish the front of that storm. The following two days I wont fish.

I heard Cabelas has a monopoly on the Ultra Soft?

If your friend's battery is noticeably slower in just a few months I am going to guess he doesn't charge the battery until the night before. Or has done some other damage. Battery maintenance is more important than brand name. In order of importance. 1 what Team Dougherty said 2 alway recharge ASAP after use. 3 dont run it down to 0% stay within 80% to 30% 4 check the acid level. Only refill with DISTILED water not acid or anything else. Do a Google search for deep cycle battery maintenance if you want to know more.

I really like that triple pallet idea. Pretty much anything will work though. Just be careful you don't create a hazard for other boaters.

Nice procedure ghoti. I will remember that next time I am trying to remove the hook. Below are two procedures I use in order of what I try first. I think I will put the string out the gill procedure as my second procedure. The second technique below is what I have had to do when it's deep. 1. Pulling the hook forward then pushing it out of the lowest gill if it will reach. Take into acount barb position and direction of pressure applied. I think it makes sense when you try it. 2. Pushing the hook deeper till I hear the barb release from whatever it's hooked in. Again take into acount barb position and direction of pressure applied to help get unhooked. At this point the hook and the tip of my pliers are past the throat, but the hook it's in anything. I then tilt the hook so the wire edge is pressing against the outside of the bass and the point of the hook is centered with the throat. Mind you I can't see the hook I am visualizing it inside the bass's stomach. Then I slowly pull it forward and pray I don't rehook him. I was shocked the first time I tried this as it worked. So far I am 8 out of 8 with this technique. The action of a circle hook made me think of this.

As long as you are throwing the dice I will cheer you on.

Is super glue to fishermen what duct tape is to a do-it-yourselfer. I havent tried it yet, but I think I will get a tube.

I am using 10# braid also, but i use 6# or 10# floro leader about 8 or 10ft long. I use Owner hooks and have never had the problem you discribed. I have broken the line to line Uni-Uni knot when i go to hard on my hookset with the 6# floro. I think that was related to using a new MH rod that didnt give much. I dont break that knot much anymore. I believe in the visibility factor of floro. It sounds like switching hooks is your quickest fix.

I like this scale. Im at 18% of Floridas record. And it only took me 6 months of learning. If i keep up that rate i could have the new record in 3 years.

Screw the good advice. I want to hear how many fish you catch wihtout retieing and about the one that got away.

I use Floro leader based on what everyone here and the tackle tour test says. Abrasion resistance, More sensitive, and usually less visible. I am not experienced enough to know any better and I don't feel like reinventing the wheel so I use Floro. The fact that it stretches as much as mono and doesn't recoil fully doesn't necessarily weaken it's break strength. It may though. So I don't consider this a huge drawback. Alan, This link will give you lots to read about a test that Tackle Tour did with floro. http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1180621267 Broke I think this is the write up you are talking about. It helped me lots and i was already using the backer-braid-leader system for two months. http://www.insideline.net/articles/spooling-spinning.htm

Rapalas Tail Dancer series boasts a wide tail wobble. Is this the action you guys are talking about?

That might be illegal. Or worse, it might spread diseases.

Test it in the water for an hour before you buy it. Put a piece of plywood across the front two seats and stand up there and fish. If your comfortable with that and titling isn't a headache then go for it. Its only $175. Being on the water is better than not being on the water.

Since you are going electric only the V is less important. The V is for cutting through waves at speed to prevent a harsh bouncing/ slapping effect. With a 45 lb trolling you will be at 2mph (guesstimate). And the slap / bounce won't be that bad. I would prefer the flat if all else was apples to apples. I don't think you would need two trolling motors either. Put the 45lb up front and use something as a rudder to hold the back straight (not necessary, but helpful). At 2mph you can drive from the front just fine and have the extra thrust up front while fishing. I upgraded to a 14ft McKee craft with a 60hp. It's basically a Boston Whaler knock off. Got it used for $1200 boat, motor and trailer. Probably worth $1700. It is old and ugly and heavy, but 5 steps up in comfort compared to my 1236 john. It being heavy makes it rock slower and two people can stand on one corner without it dunking that corner. It having 60 hp makes it very convenient to run 2 miles across my chain of lakes. I have spent more time on the water in the last six month than the prior two years do to the added ease and comfort of this boat.

I just Googled the boat you mentioned. It's basically a Guenue (spelling). That sounds like a lot to put in a boat that size. If you are flying solo I can understand it. If you have a shipmate who is clumsy it could be a cluster muck quickly. You didn't mention a trolling motor. Other than that it sounds lie you have put a lot of thought into this boat.

I am assuming it is aluminum and light weight. If you put a deck in that boat I would keep it as low as possible. The v hull is less stable than the flat hull for standing up in. You probably weigh as much as that boat so every move you make that boat will react to. Try standing on the seat and fishing first. If that feels comfortable than build a deck at that height. I built a deck at the rail height of my 1236 john and had to tear it out because I couldn't fish from it without paying all my attention to not tipping the boat. That price sounds good, but if getting a boat titled is anything like it is here in Florida I would find a boat with a title.

I know what you are talking about. When your go to lures aren't producing what do you do? I usually decide weather I want to stay on the lake and fish and not catch or call it a day. If I am staying I remind myself I am there for the scenery and try not to expect any fish. Then I try one of the many nonconfident lures I have and rarely use. Right now that would be Dropshot and C-rig. I try to dedicate a fair amount of time to it. About an hour or two just so I can learn more about it and develop some confidence in them. If you do catch something without confidence when your go to lures cant, it builds confidence. Sometimes it is better to call it a day.

I will keep those Rapalas in mind for when my blue NNP take a swim. So far i have had 0 casualties and still dont know what bass tasts like.

Here are the two tools to help any bass survive a gut hooking. The first one I am sure is not new to most of you. Plain old Needle Nose Pliers (NNP). Unless all the bass you catch are big enough to put your whole hand in their mouth you will need these at some point. The second is a pair of cutters I lucked upon in an Auto Zone or Discount Auto Parts. They can cut through a hook with ease and are as long as the standard NNP. Sometimes you just can't get that gut hook out without tearing up the bass so you have to leave the hook in and let him go. These cutters add the option of cutting your hook in half and pulling it through. The very first week I had gotten the cutters I gut hooked a bass on a Shad Rap. He must have inhaled it because one of the hooks of the back treble was in his gut. No problem. I tried for 10 seconds with NNP with no hope and then used the cutters to cut one hook off of the treble and the bass was back in the water in about 30 seconds total. I continued to fish the Shad Rap with the treble minus a hook. I had never gut hooked a bass with a treble before and I don't know how I would have handled that without the cutters.

Putting the anchor on the front will help sum. Putting a second anchor on the other end of your boat will help lots. If putting an anchor off of both ends interferes with fishing then use two in a V formation off of the two back corners. When you say slow retrieve are you pausing and letting it sit for at least as much as you are retrieving? i have heard from lots of members on here and had lots of success letting my bait sit about 90% of the time and moving it only 10%.

Thanks for that link shellback. I had overlooked some of the finer details and was able to apply them yesterday. Primarily making sure the not joining the backing and braid was kept low on the real. This made a huge improvement for me as my line was catching that knot and keeping me a little short on my casts.