Bass Junkie

Well, first of all a tighter, more subtle action can be good in a few situations, especially in colder water or pressured lakes where the fish are less aggressive. As for cranks vs. stickbaits, stickbaits tend to suspend, and therefore are hard to work through cover such as downed timber, etc. without hanging up. they also do not deflect nearly as well as crankbaits, again leading to more snags. The stickbait is generally meant to be fished with a stop-and-go retrieve, mimicking a wounded minnow and pulling fish in from a distance, especially under less than ideal conditions, while crankbaits are used either as search tools to cover water and find fish, or as a lure to dissect pieces of structure and pick off active fish that are stationed on the structure. In the end, both are parts of an effective arsenal, but no necessarily interchangeable ones.

It really depends on the situation. In warmer water when the fish are feeding I like a wide wobble, which is usually indicative of a higher buoyancy. When it is colder and I'm fishing baits slower I like a tighter wobble, which usually accompanies slower rising or suspending baits.

My experiences line up with yours. For as much as a reel costs, the $10-$12 for a bottle of oil that will last for a while is pretty reasonable.

Suggestions such as: Boca Abec 7 Orange Seal spool bearings (Increases ease of casting, as well as casting distance) TD-Z 100M spool (Lighter, quicker start-up, and just looks flat out cool in a Fuego) TD-Z 103H handle assembly (has removable knobs, and a ball bearing under each knob, as opposed to riveted bushings) Bearing Level-Wind upgrade (upgrades the levelwind from bushing supported to bearing supported) Sending it off to a Super-Tuner to have the internals (clutch-plate, spool ends, gears) polished.

I'd flush them again and add the Boca oil. And if you're thinking of buying the tool, consider the fact that the tool will last for a long time, and is around half the cost of a OEM spool, should you nick the spool or bend the shaft while removing the spool pin.

If TW doesn't have the color, you don't need it In all seriousness, they do have some of the best selection I've seen, but if you are looking for other options I'd try Hi's Tackle Box, The Tackle Trap, Chad's Megabass Warehouse, or Bass Tackle Depot. That auction site has some online etailers that have good selections on certain lures as well. Edit: Forgot about another site as well.

If you've had this issue on every Daiwa reel you've ever owned, including the Fuego, then you are doing something wrong my friend. I have a Gen2 Revo Premier that is barely smoother, if at all, than the Fuego. And the Fuego is certainly smoother than my Gen2 Revo STX. The Fuego does have a slightly different feel, due to the fact that it is a Magnesium framed reel, but it is still a very smooth reel. And I wouldn't discount someone's opinion without knowing them first, they just might have some experience themselves

Before I was rescued from Quantums, the only setting I tended to use was the 3rd. It slowed down the spool adequately in the last part of the cast, and I simply adjusted the tension knob to fit the lure's weight.

I had the misfortune of owning two Quantum's that came with it already inside, both of which are no longer in my rotation, for multiple reasons. I also own a Shimano Cardiff 100A that has been out twice, and it is lubed with Hot Sauce. It will not be so equipped for long. I tend to put long hours on my reels, and therefore they tend to get re-oiled every two trips and re-lubed around two times a year, some more, some less. For lighter fishing in moderate climates, it should last until you break the reel down at the end of the year.

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As had been said before, make sure your hooks are sharp, and that you don't have too much slack in the line. As soon as you feel that tell-tale tap, swing through the fish, and start reeling.

I personally would have a Jerkbait, a Jig, and either a lipless crank or a squarebill tied on, depending on the cover at hand.

They work, and for the MSRP are standard quality. They don't perform like the Sebile, but that can't be expected for the price. I personally haven't been overly impressed with either lure myself.

Great looking bait, glad to hear it's producing! There's something good about catching fish on something you made.

I've had no issues with the stock hooks or rings on the LC's, or XCaliburs XCS100's and XCS Real Craws.

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Lucky Craft Rick Clunn, and now the RTO series. Same great baits, different names. I have yet to find a bait that can touch them.

This is an inline spinner: https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSiidTL_ImYP63jRDGoE-62A-XXosUjEnXj3J_cTldnvXRBFojKkA This is a spinnerbait: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS-SBZf-0VNNGvPJfeK31gJIdYld5kd44RciV0E7mY79dJogZvGEA This is a horse head spinner: https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQPHMP94E2pHTe4O2GxzQS4V5QcC9eenFb0fMmykpz6aB284aAM This is a tail spin: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQpf1Q94vIgyu1irylVlzCRV3M_uNAvqn6TK_qEVTr598_uJiHVqw Are any of these what you're looking for?

On the contrary, I'm willing to bet that it more than comes close to it. It is probably well into the weight range of his rod. As for the OP's issues, it's very unlikely you have your reel over-spooled. If you can see any of the spool's inside edge, you're fine. Flippin' and Pitchin' nailed a good part of you're issue. A rod that heavey, and that short, is going to have a lot of backbone and a very stiff tip. When you go to cast, to rod tip does not flex a lot, and therefor generates a lot of kinetic energy. When you reach the release point of the cast and remove your thumb from the spool all that energy is released into the spool. This means that you have a fairly thick ( .38mm for 17lb. Berkley Sensation) line trying like crazy to get out of it's own way on a spool that's spinning higher than any other situation you likely encounter. Since you are not used to having this high of RPM's, you have your spool tension set, as you said earlier, similar to all your other reels. You are also not used to thumbing this cast profile, and henceforth, you are getting backlashes. I would first decrease the Mag setting to around 6-7, and up the spool tension to where the lure just lowly creeps downward, or even does not move. Then, put less snap and more muscle into your casts, creating a smoother cast profile. This should calm things down considerably, and you can fine-tune from there. Another thing I personally would do is re-spool with some thin diameter line, such as Sunline Super Natural. It measures in at around .33mm at 16lb. test, the same as 12lb. sensation. If you want to take it a step further, condition the line with the line conditioner of your choice.

You're spool tension knob was too tight.... And although the Curado 51E is slightly lighter, a good part of that is because it employs graphite sideplates on both sides of the reel.

Start with this: http://www.japantackle.com/Shimano/Shimano_13Metanium_z.jpg Add this:http://www.japantackle.com/Tuning_parts/Studiocomp_RCSCEVA.jpg And this: https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT986xXGxcM4mhNRU559FVYhYuJwOXbv15BNdgimgH8Ogbe7OmO And this: http://samuraitackle.com/fishing/images/FullComp-AldSkyBlueLeft.jpg And this :http://samuraitackle.com/fishing/images/BFC710LB.jpg And you should be set!

It will stain practically any material capable of being stained, from your clothes, to the cork on the rod. It is especially annoying on some Shimano's, which you have to partially disassemble to adjust the breaks. And it deteriorates the Septon knobs, and makes them sticky.

Don't... It might be a good grease, but it's red dye will taint everything, and it had a nasty effect on Shimano's Septon knobs.

They'll eat it. A lot of people have the misconception that smallmouth eat small baits. They do, but they also hammer larger baits, especially since many fisherman don't throw them. Try throwing it around rip-rap or a creek mouth in the morning, or on an overcast day. But never, NEVER try it in the middle of a sunny day.... Just a total waste of time....

Frogging 10/10. I prefer it from the bank in a clear water pond with good vegetation. There is no feeling in the world like sitting down on the bank to keep your profile low and having a 5+ fish blow up on the frog right in front of you. Cardiac Arrest is a very likely side-effect