retiredbosn

yeah that's why I got the Academy bait, you worked it effortlessly. So I'm tying to learn again, I tried before with a spook. I think your right I'm taking up to much line and I had direct tied with out a loop knot or a clip. I think I may have had the yozuri line on that reel which sinks. I know that I should be using a floating line.

A question, but don't all transducers transmit sounds, that's how they work? Its sonar right? I think I remember reading somewhere that the frequency is audible to fish and that there is some data that supports a higher catch rate with the depth finder off. I typically find the structures and cover that I want to fish and then turn the fish finder off, under the assumption that the fish may actually become atuned to my presence by the sonar.

I have a bad back and can't reach my toes to trim them, I've been in a back brace with toenails cutting holes in the sheets at night and she won't touch them, lol. I have neuropathy in my lower extremities and my feet don't sweat, I have to take a sand paper to the bottom of my feet to remove the dead skin. I wish I could get some help, too cheap to pay for a pedicure. As far as hair goes it's like Jeff Foxworthy says, men do not loose any hair. Our head sucks it up and it shoots out somewhere else, ears, nose, backs, I even have hair growing in the creases of my elbows; and no I'm not like sasquatch, no unibrow or hairy back.

Ok first of all, I'm uncoordinated, I have actually fallen going up stairs!!! Anyway I am trying to learn how to fish a walking bait, I'm using a sammy style from Academy. I can get it right occasionally, but typically it will go to my left, I can get it to start to the right but typically it will end up going left again. I can do it properly if I go really slow and do not cast very far. I'm using a Convergence MH cranking rod with a Pro Qualifer reel, 6.4:1. So basically I have four questions. Am I taking all the slack out before I snap the rod? The lure doesn't have a split ring, should I direct tie, direct tie with a loop knot, use a clip? Use a slower reel so I can manage the line I take up better? Is it harder to get the right action with a long cast v/s a short one? I've watched ppl work baits properly but I'm having difficulty getting it right. If I can do it slowly, so slow I doubt any fish would hit it, I'm thinking with practice I'll be able to speed up. Any advise would be appreciated.

hello and welcome, I recently moved out of the great mountain state. Good to see you on board.

I had the same problem, switched to a crankbait rod, and viola hook up and landing rates skyrocketed. It's amazing how a bass can suck a crankbait into its mouth fully and spit it out without a scratch. A fast action rod just jerks the bait out of the fishes mouth, or due to lack of flexibility the fish throws it.

I'm glad there are people here that know the name of parts instead of just babbling like I do.

Just happened over the weekend with me. The main gear is slotted and only sits on the shaft a certain way. I also had the two tension springs behind the drag click thing turned wrong, I had to make sure the main gear was seated on the shaft correctly, hold it in place while reassembling, works fine now. Was fishing with Bass Ninja, he can tell you I tore it down right on the boat and couldn't figure it out. Got home and really took my time with it, works fine.

An unrelated question but you guys are up to the task I believe. A boat manufacturer who makes jet bass boats, a small and not widely well known. Anyway he advertises his hull material which is aluminum as 6061 T651 pre-stressed aluminum. I'm assuming the number identify the alloy, but what is pre-stressed?

Catt, Your definitions make sense, I can see how when adding metal to the casting under pressure would create a strong product. It would remove any voids in between the metal and the casting, Thanks. I don't know if anyone else is learning anything, but I am and I appreciate all of the replies.

No I mean extruded, that is how it is described in the literature advertising the reel, here is a short clip by Hank Parker describing the reel, he describes the frame as ".... x frame extruded aluminum ....." #!

Some air escaping is normal, doesn't take much to make it float a little. I used to float worms for trout fishing, I would recommend not trying to put all the air in one place, and also insert the needle at an angle, put a little air in, then move the needle down a little and do it again. Worked better for me that way, good luck

I don't know what extrusion process is used by Abu Garcia, but I have three EXT Pro series that the frames are extruded. I know you can do cold, warm and hot extrusion, and it is supposed to result in a really strong metal. The frames on these reels are extremely thin, but I have caught stripers and LM bass over 8lbs without problem. Don't know if the PQ's are machined die cast or what, but all frames must have screw holes machined it seems that there would be a difference in the reels that are advertised die cast, die cast machined, and just machined. This has been an interesting thread and I appreciate the information that has been shared. BTW do you think that any manufacturer will ever be able to develop a carbon fiber reel. I know boeing is using carbon fiber in the wings of their new jumbo jet, and that carbon fiber can be incredibly stong, but other than maybe side plates and obviously handles if carbon fiber will ever be on reels

Biggest largemouth, Buzzbait caught the same fish different trip on a square bill, small farm pond still had the buzzbait hook injury 8lb 14 ounces, scale weight. Just reinforces the its the location instead of the bait. Biggest small mouth 4.2, black blue chatterbait with a craw trailer (zoom ultravibe) was fishing it like a jig, wanted the vibration when I lifted the bait and when it fluttered back. All of my big smallies have come from platic craw's t-rigged or a jig with a craw trailer. The smallies were all caught out of a river where the main forage was creek chub and crawfish. BTW I think after location comes confidence, I "know" buzzbaits catch big fish, I also "know" that a jig catches big fish. I have caught several largemouth over 5lbs, they have been caught on buzzbaits, jigs, plastic lizards, craws, senkos, worms and live bait. I have also caught about 100 times more dinks on the same lures. I once caught a LM on a 12 inch worm that wasn't as long as the worm. I have also witnessed catfish being caught on a shaky head. FWIW for a long time I thought a senko was a gimmick bait, never caught anything on it, since reading the senko section and numerous people telling me they work I finally caught a fish. Now when a take a youngster fishing and they want to try a lure, I tie a senko on their line. Why? I "know" they work, and also as far as I know you can't fish them wrong. Confidence is key.

Ima btw I fixed my reel, I put two washers in the wrong way, didn't put enough pressure on the drag, lol.

please follow this link, will answer all your senko questions http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/12401-senko-faq-%c2%a0look-here-first/

Had the opportunity to meet up with imabassninja today, he was kind enough to show me around his home lake. I recently moved to the area and he was more than willing to show me around the lake today. Had a good time, good conversation a real treat. Recommend others to take a look around the forum here, might find a new fishing partner in your area. I want to mention that I have another invite for another lake in the area from another member, this is an great site with quality members and advice. And yes I left my handheld gps at home and didn't mark his honey holes to raid later. Well as far as he knows. If you can't make the road trip you can still at least meet some good people through this site.

Being that it is 7' 11" the rod's specs are probably more in line with a medium as far as lure and line weights recommended say 1/4-3/4 and 10-16pound test. My ml is 6'4" specs are 1/8 thru 3/8 line specs 6-10, if you are using it for square bills and not ripping bait out of grass you should be fine.

thanks for the maching comments, I hadn't thought about that yet, Lew's advertises their Speed Sppol as die cast and the next one up from that as machined. It's like the graphite content in rods, how much material does it take to earn the rating. Good info

yeah IMA I was thinking more about a stretchy line if he decided against getting a cranking rod. Although I think I read some article about the stretch of line that floro stretches more than what is commonly believed. For deep crankin you can use braid easy, I would want the fish pretty tired before it got to the boat though, a head shake at the end of a fight will throw a crankbait quickly. I know that I noticed a real increased rate of hook ups and landed fish after I started using a crankin rod. Personally I use yozuri hybrid for just about everything, I wait til I can get it for about 7 bucks for 600yds then buy a few spools. Man I'm cheap

not a $600 reel, the Pro Qualifier is advertised as a machined frame. Yeah, I think you are DVC we tend to overanalysis alot in this sport, sometimes I wonder if I was having more fun with my old glass rods with spinning reels and was completely oblivious to the new advances.

Are you disadvantaged in a word absolutely. Do you have a rod for a carolina rig? If so that would be adequate for deep cranks, shallow cranking demands a rod designed for treble hooks, you can adjust your drag way down, to the point that it will slip when the fish hits and get by to a point. It's harder to get a hook set with treble hooks than single hooks like on a t-rig or jigs, treble hooks demand a smooth tightening to get a good hook set, that's the reason crankbait rods are so limber, the less line you have out, the shallower the crank and the more important you have a limber rod. Otherwise you will just end up pulling the hooks out of the fish's mouth without hooking up. The best line for cranking is mono, then a hybrid, floro and last braid, braid and floro are not recommended for crankin. There are several articles on this site that explain the proper set up and the reasons behind the recommendations. Good luck

Had the oil filter cap on my car break today, made out of die cast aluminum, got me to thinking about reel frames. Now we all know that the best reels have aluminum frames, but not all aluminum is the same. For those starting out we routinely get questions about what to buy, naturally the advice goes make sure it has an aluminum frame, quality bearings (its not the bearing count but the quality that counts), brass gearing, etc. I'm starting to question a portion of that formula, we should; I believe encourage, newbies to buy either a machined or extruded aluminum frame. I know it is something that I make sure of, if the reel has a die cast aluminum frame I pass. Die cast aluminum is not as strong as machined or extruded aluminum, in fact it could be weaker than graphite. Many of us may remember metal that was called "pot metal", it was weak and soft, pot metal is die casted. The die cast process can not guarantee uniform density of the metal throughout the frame, and nearly all has weak spots where the metal didn't cool correctly or has impurities, graphite on the other hand is at least uniform in density and strength. If I had to pick between the two graphite or die cast I think I would go with the graphite if it is from a reputable manufacturer. For example most manufacturers bottom line reels are graphite framed, the next step is die cast, the die cast frame reels cost more, but because of the manufacturing process they may not be as strong as the graphite, the next step is either machined or extruded aluminum. If your budget allows always pick an aluminum frame that is either machined or extruded, doing less and you are short changing yourself in quality and durability.

So they got it out??? I can see my buddies saying "hey just pull the string". yeah they would even hold me down and call me a wimp, lol

expensive??? I didn't even know you could buy them. When I was a kid half of the fun was going to the creek, kickin over rocks and catching helgramites and lizards. Crazy thing is I never had much luck using live crawfish but wear them out with plastic ones!