BobP

I have reels from the 1970's which are good to go and also have sentimental value. Would a $200 Calcutta be better to use? Sure would. But if the reel is a pleasure to use and functions properly there's really no reason to go that route unless a new reel would have enhanced performance - and that would depend on what you use the old reel for.

I'd start with a Carolina rig, 3/4-1 oz, with live bait or Gulp. I'd also try a standard bottom rig, with 2 hooks and a pyramid sinker and live bait. The right bait depends on what species are near shore when you go fishing. Check some surf fishing and pier fishing sites to get an update on what's biting. Then stop at a local fishing gear store to get an update and maybe the exact lures you will need. Some of the species that are fun to catch have very particular feeding habits and it's no use fishing for them unless you have the right gear and baits. You may also want to upsize your gear and line diameter to accommodate critters like rays, sharks, and bluefish.

Kevin, first, I look for any concentrations of baitfish in the pond. Where they are, bass will be. If the sun is shining, bass will often stick close to shaded cover. If it's cloudy, bass are more likely to roam. That fact can point you to which kind of lure to use to find them.

A guy named Crankenstein years ago on another site kept a bass aquarium and fed them threadfin shad. He noted that dying shad began to sink backwards and they were the first baitfish the bass would attack - an easy meal. His mod (The Deadfall Rogue) was to take a suspending Smithwick Pro Rogue and apply suspendots (or any lead adhesive tape) behind the 2nd treble until the bait sank slowly backward. Deadstick the bait in front of a bass and it's game on. I've done this through the years with several Rogues and it works great. Bass are very susceptible to this presentation in the fall when shad are stunned by a cold snap, but it really works year round. I liked it enough that I stripped the finish on a couple of Rogues, applied the lead tape, then refinished the baits in a shad pattern so the mod is invisible.

If you want to produce crankbaits in volume, it really takes a dedicated shop full of power machines and a bunch of custom jigs to do it with consistent quality. Power tools make it go faster but they can't make it go better until after you learn how to build a good crankbait - and that's the real challenge. I recommend you start with the power tools you can afford and build baits for a few years. See if you like the process: the amount of detail work it requires, the design knowledge you need to have, the artistic ability, the amount of patience required. I've been building crankbaits as a hobby for 17 years with a scroll saw, a Dremel tool, a power disk sander, a carving knife, sand paper, and an airbrush. I enjoy the process. I'm still learning. If I weren't, I'd become bored and give it up. I know guys who use many power tools and guys who use no power tools. The tools don't determine how good you can build a crankbait, only how fast.

x2 with Jaw1. Balsa is easy to cut and shape....maybe too easy! But it makes for a very lively bait due to its high buoyancy. If you want something that is harder and more dense, I like basswood or cedar. Of the 2, basswood sands beautifully to a buttery smooth finish while cedar can sometimes be difficult to hand sand due to its hard and soft grain structure. Choose a material and stick with it until you get the hang of working with it. Each wood wants different techniques to make a good bait. For shallow running baits, balsa is hard to beat. If you want to build deep divers, harder more dense woods are better. Tackleunderground.com has more info on building hardbaits than you'll ever be able to read.

I ignore getting epoxy in the hook hangers and line tie. It's dead simple to drill it out with a Dremel tool and a micro drill bit or a piece of stainless steel wire after it cures.

When you buy from China, you get what you get. The quality is often uneven and though they are good at copying the external shape of a lure, they often fall down when it comes to the critical internals. I've seen decent crankbaits ffom there and I've seen others that were completely worthless. Try to find some that are molded in Japan - they are a better bet. But don't expect a knockoff of any popular crankbait to be just like the original. They almost never are.

There are 2 'best choice' materials for making lips: polycarbonate (aka Lexan) and G-10 circuit board (usually translucent white in color). I use 1/16" thick polycarbonate or 1/32" thick G-10 for any size bass bait.

I'm a Shimano fan but have to admit the Daiwa Tatula with its mag brakes makes casting easier. Nice reel for around $100. I'd pair it with a 6.5 or 7 ft medium power casting rod, one with enough flex to load easily when casting. Other than the combo, I'd start with something relatively heavy to throw and encourage her to use a smooth compact medium speed casting motion. Folks used to spinning outfits often try to use a whippy casting motion that backlashes a baitcaster. A smooth controlled casting motion gets it done.

I think 10 and 20 lb lines of the same mono will stretch the same before breaking. But the 20 lb mono will take twice as much force to begin stretching.

I use high modulus blanks where sensitivity is important - worms, jigs, dropshots, etc. For other presentations, a lower modulus graphite may serve just as well or better

How you shape and finish out a lure body is purely up to what tools you use or are willing to buy. You can go all power or all manual depending on how fast you want to do it and what your pocketbook will stand. I've made hundreds of crankbaits in the last 20 years using a small band saw to cut out the basic shape, a carving knife to begin rounding over the lure, a Dremel tool to do final shaping, and sandpaper to finish the surface. Paint them with a brush or an airbrush. What you use only determines how fast the job will go, not how well you can do it. I suggest you peruse some crankbait building videos on You Tube and start following the Hardbait forum on tackleunderground.com, which is the premier crankbait building site on the internet.

I feel there are 2 basic reasons to use different leaders with braid. leader same diameter or smaller - if you are concerned with braid line visibility and/or lure action. greater diameter leader - if you are concerned with braid cutting off on sharp objects like shells or rocks But no way does a smaller diameter leader increase sensitivity of a heavy braid

If the braid is now too short, how much unused braid remains in the box? Most braid comes in 150 or 200 yd spools so maybe the best thing to do is take the braid off your reel, put on the correct amount of backing and then spool on a new, longer length of braid from the box. Duh

I build crankbaits for a hobby and occasionally buy knockoffs to paint too. Of the many suppliers I've tried, two stand out for higher quality plastic blanks: Predator Bass and Bustin' Bass. Maybe you have to pay a dollar more per bait. But that's way better than paying a dollar less, going to all the trouble to paint a bait, and then finding that it is utterly useless the first time you fish with it. Plastic blanks are not all created equal! Many are made in China by factories that have no idea whatsoever about how to make a bait that runs correctly and catches fish. Just because they look like an expensive commercial bait they were copied from, it doesn't mean they have the internal structure and weighting system of the original, or that the mold was straight and accurate. On the cheaper KO's you often see lots of sanding on the seam to get the mismatched halves of the bait to match each other; gaps in the joints that leak water into the bait; stuck ballast balls that are supposed to move; etc, etc. If they don't run right and won't catch fish, how much are they worth? LESS THAN NOTHING.

I used BPS fluoro in the white box for years with zero problems, not because I thought it was the greatest fluoro but because it worked fine for me and I could stock up on it during their 50% off spring sales. Otherwise, I'd buy Seguar or Sunline fluoro whenever I see them on sale. As far as the BPS mono, I think it has a huge amount of stretch so I prefer a different brand (Izor Platinum, Yozuri Hybrid, Trilene XT, McCoy's are all fine on baitcasters).

Actually, a lot of guys wish they had your problem. Most right handers cast with that hand and then have to switch the rod to their left hand while cranking with the right - less than ideal if a bass bites the lure as soon as it touches down. Not all reels come in both left and right hand versions but in the long run it will benefit you to buy only left handed reels if that is most comfortable to you.

First, make sure your trebles are truly sticky sharp. Then consider your rod and line. A rod with a stiff tip section + braided line = good hook sets but some lost fish if you're throwing crankbaits. A softer rod and/or stretchy nylon line might work better. But some days, the fish will just nip at the bait instead of fully taking it and that will result in lightly hooked fish that pull off easily. Maybe a change in bait color or size might help. But maybe they're in a very negative mood and you're throwing such an enticing crankbait that they just can't resist giving it a swat. We don't know. All you can do is try to deduce an answer by experimenting over several trips/several days.

Predator is one of the few sellers that actually tests lures and he has some lures designed overseas from classic baits like the original Wiggle Wart that get very good reviews. So he's not just a mindless re-seller of Chinese knockoffs. Whether a particular bait meets your expectations is up to you but if it doesn't, you can send it back for a refund, no problem. You can't expect a retailer of inexpensive Asian baits to be expert about all styles of baits but Predator is better than most. That said, no Chinese or other Asian source "knockoff" is going to be the same bait as the original bait it is based upon. Some of them are good baits in their own right, though.

I have the same reel as Anantha, used for saltwater over 20 years of hard use. It held up just fine with its resin body and one or two bearings. Refined reel? NO. But it has never given me one problem in all that time. I like my much more expensive reels better but there is something to be said for simplicity.

Seeker makes a 7' S-Glass blank SBS706 that works great for crankbaits and spinnerbaits if you plan on building your own rod. Light weight unlike most other glass blanks. Fast action tip with plenty of backbone. $70

A thinner rod blank can be more powerful than a much thicker blank, just depending on what it is made from and how the blank was formed, so I wouldn't get wrapped up in blank diameter too much. That said, there's no accepted standard for rod power ratings so it varies from company to company. St Croix rods have traditionally been a half step more powerful than most other brands with the same rating. JMHO, you can't really depend on rod power and action labels across brands. You have to try them and get familiar with a rods series from one company if you want to predict what another rod from the same series will be like.

Yeah, the blank extends to the butt cap. That doesn't say anything about how long the blank is in front of the handle.

Reels don't outfish reels, fishermen outfish fishermen. I have a couple of these bought 20 years ago that I use for pier fishing on the coast. Not much metal in them to corrode in sea water. I see that they haven't changed much in 2 decades, including the price! Good value for little $$. But will they "outfish" a more expensive Shimano or Daiwa spinning reel in fresh water? Definitely not if we're talking quality of components, design, smoothness, ergonomics, durability, etc. But I've caught a lot of bluefish, sea trout, spots, etc, etc with them and have zero complaints. Glad you like the reel Anantha. But let's not get carried away