BobP

When fishing toward the a shallow shoreline I think fluoro has an advantage. With braid, if a fish picks up your bait and swims toward the boat, as many do, braid transmits zero sensation while fluoro will usually let you feel the bite. I use fluoro on dropshots too because I have no trouble handling 6lb line on my spinning reel and just don't want the hassle of tying leaders on braid for that application. Fluoro is heavier than nylon line so you may need to adjust the reel braking to accommodate the extra line weight when casting. Other than that, I really don't see any problem.

I see Ebay has a bunch of new Daiwa Tatulas for sale at $98.

I own a Revo SX which is 5-6 yrs old and like it very much. Solid reel, zero problems so far. I recently got a Daiwa Tatula, which retails for around $150 and really like its easy casting performance and very effective backlash control (magnetic). Honestly, brand loyalty aside (I'm mostly a Shimano guy) there are many good reels in the $100-150 range and I think you can pick based on the features you want and have confidence that the engineering and quality control is decent across the major brands. The PQ seems to have a loyal following. Don't own one because I've always been a little leery of the BPS "contract factory of the year" way of doing business. Maybe I'm just ignorant but that's the way I feel.

I like DT series cranks too but if I wanted a small body crankbait that dives to 10', I'd just get a Normal Deep Little N. Just sayin.

You can divide crankbaits into many categories but the ones I find most useful, in order of importance are: 1. Depth 2. Action wide or tight 3. Size of bait 4. Color and prey representation As to tight action in cool water, wide action in warm - there's something to it but I use tight action baits year round successfully too. Lipless cranks like the Strike King Red Eye Shad have a very tight action, as do all lipless baits, but they catch fish year round. So I wouldn't get too bound up in "crankbait rules of use". Get crankbaits for a range of depths, learn how to fish them effectively and you'll gain confidence as you go along. Shallow 1-4 ft Medium 5-10 ft Med Deep 10-15 ft Deep - 15 ft +

Manufacturers including Abu stamp a number on the bottom of the reel foot that designates the model number of their reels. I suggest you call Abu Garcia service with that info and they will send you the correct part - usually at a cheaper price than second tier suppliers charge. The "Pro Max" reels have been around for 40+ years and there are many different models. You can order parts from the reel schematic if you have one. If you call Abu, I'd suggest asking for one if you don't since it's a handy way to identify a part you might need even if you don't know what the part is called. Please send me one of those "thingamajigs" just doesn't hack it.

For visiting bass boaters, wind state on Erie dictate whether its fishable. Wind over 12-15 mph can be dangerous on Erie unless you are in the right boat, with the right equipment and right skills. But you can truck a few miles to Presque Isle State Park and fish the calmer bay there and still catch plenty of bass - usually not the 5-6 lb variety you find on Erie but 3-4 lb smallies are nothing to sneeze at! We've had some great days on Erie drifting with the wind and simply pulling deep diving jerkbaits behind the boat. On days we had to fish the bay, a dropshot was the most productive. Any smallmouth technique will work.

Yes, instinct is important. But as far as I'm concerned "instinct" (I prefer logic and experience) tells me where the fish SHOULD be. My Humminbird with side scan tells me whether my "instinct" was wrong or whether it was right and it's time to stop the boat and fish a spot. JMHO, anyone who has a good sonar but prefers to wing it with "instinct" just hasn't learned to use his sonar yet. I can't count the times that sonar has found me productive fishing spots on a lake that I thought I knew like the back of my hand. But if you prefer not to use it...great. More fish for the rest of us.

I make two changes when fishing very stained water. I'll go with a darker color plastic, preferably one that moves a lot of water. And I'll fish even closer to cover than usual. Bass tend to position closer to a cover object as water visibility is reduced.

I think it's a valid strategy but I'd rather use a rig that allows me to do it all myself. Two come to mind: a double fluke rig or a walking topwater with a Forerunner crankbait 12-18 in in front of it. The Forerunner (I think made by Norman) was a small bait with line ties on the front and back and one treble hook. Don't think it's made anymore so I whip up something similar - a small light bait with props on the front and rear, with line ties fore and aft. It skips along in front of a Sammy as though it's being chased by the larger bait.

To clean bearings, I spray some ether starting fluid into a shot glass, throw in the bearings, agitate occasionally and let them soak for awhile, then take them out and spin them on the end of a pencil to see whether they run smooth and long. If not, put them back in the glass and repeat. if they haven't become smooth after 3 sessions in the glass, they probably never will and need to be replaced. If they do OK, sit them on a paper towel and let them dry before oiling them. You know they're ready to oil when you spin them and they don't spin as long as they did when first out of the starting fluid. As far as the amount of bearing oil to use, the standard amount is one drop of oil in spool bearings. I usually put a drop in each side of the bearing because I'm more concerned with keeping them oiled than in making them fast, and 2 drops stays in the bearing longer. Bearings don't burn oil, it just migrates out of the bearing eventually. You need to re-oil spool bearings occasionally during the fishing season.

On a baitcaster, you grease anything inside the gear case that requires lubrication, unless it's a bearing which gets oiled.

http://www.smoothdrag.com/

Rapala DT20 and the 3/4 oz Luhr Jensen Hot Lips Express test to past 20'. A DD22 gets to 17-18'. Most other candidates are very large cranks like the Strike King 10XD.

5 minute epoxy will work BUT it will turn ugly brown pretty quick after exposure to sunlight. 30 minute epoxy will not. Just as a stop-gap measure, a little clear fingernail polish on the crack is OK. likewise, superglue is also a quick fix. Looking at the width of the crack, the lure may have already begun absorbing water. Also, the crack originates at the lip. This most often happens when guys slap weeds off the hooks of a balsa bait. Balsa cannot take that kind of abuse, so never do it.

Here's a trick. On the small -1's, take the silicone collar for a jig or spinnerbait and slip it over the rear split ring after you put #6 trebles on the bait. That way, the hooks won't tangle with the larger hooks.

I don't care about the brand but they have to be cylinder shaped if I'm gonna be fishing in rocks, which I usually am. They just snag less often. Tungsten!? Too pricey for weights you're gonna lose regularly if fishing any kind of cover, imo. I like 1/8, 3/16, and 3/8 only for really deep fish.

If you want a tight action you should be thinking flat sided baits and not fat bodied baits. For no rattles, I'd be looking at wooden flat siders regardless of the lip shape. Jmho, Tennessee Tuffy makes some nice ones that have good action and sell for a reasonable price for a custom bait.

I used older green Curados for many years and recently added a few newer - Scorpion 1000, Chronarch 50MG, Curado 50E, Abu Revo SX. I love the durability and reliability of Shimano but are they inherently the least backlashing reels? I don't think so. For me, that honor goes to the old round Ambassadeur Promax and Black Max 1600 and 3600 reels. And that's a very specific choice - for me, most Abu reels I've tried were Backlash City until the Revo's came in. There's just something about the old Promax that makes it an non-backlashing wonder. All for around $75 on Ebay! Install 2 black (lightest) brakes, adjust the cast control so that there's actually a bit of side to side spool freeplay and it will zip lures all day long, wind or no wind, long distance without a backlash and with little if any thumbing of the spool. And once adjusted, you don't have to re-adjust for different lure weights. Do the same with most low profile reels, including Shimano, and you'll be picking backlashes out on every cast. Every baitcast reel has anti-backlash technology but there's more to it than just a braking system. Spool design/weight, frame design, level wind, and everything in the reel figures into the final determination of how well the reel casts and how prone it is to backlash. Among my modern reels, the Shimano Scorpion 1000 with its slick SVS braking system gets my nod as the most reliable caster. My Revo SX (don't know which "generation" it is) rarely if ever backlashes. As a generalization, most modern low profile reels require setting the cast control properly for each lure you throw. Forget and you get bit. And they work best with a consistent smooth casting stroke, which guys who are transitioning from spinning gear find it hard to learn sometimes.

Lack of sensitivity is the big reason I don't use a glass rod for crankbaits. Nor do I like the increased tip weight of fiberglass rods. There are graphite based crankbait rods which have much more sensitivity and to me, feeling what a crankbait is doing is critical to catching fish with one. The same model replacement rod would give you exactly the same results, so I'd consider returning the rod to the shop, trading it in for a different rod, or selling it online. I use a medium heavy power Rogue graphite rod with a soft tip for crankbaits. It has a MH power body with a M power tip section. There are a few rod blanks with S-Glass that are sort of intermediate between graphite and E-Glass in weight and action. One is the Seeker BS-804 which is surprisingly light and has a fairly fast tip section. I can't remember losing a crankbait fish due to the faster graphite action so I stick with graphite. Some guys love glass rods, some hate them. You sound like the latter.

A spinning rod with lighter tip and good front/rear balance is most sensitive. A heavier power rod will give you less sensitivity. Braid is super sensitive to pull due to its lack of stretch. However sensing bites is not always a matter of feeling pull. If you're bank fishing and a fish swims toward you after inhaling your bait, braid will supply zero sensation while fluoro, the line with highest density, will often transmit a clue to you. So choosing the type of line is always a mix of tradeoffs among sensitivity, durability, manageability, and cost.

I wouldn't do it all at once on the tackle. Choose a few baits you like to fish and have had success with, fish them and then build a new tackle box slowly from the bottom up. It can actually be a good thing to start over - you know what didn't work for you in the past and can avoid those mistakes and end up with a better fish-catching selection based on experience and tailored to how you personally fish.

Just a note to clarify, where it says "plaster of Paris", substitute the word "pop". The word processing program at tackleunderground.com screwed it up. I also use Devcon Two Ton 30 minute epoxy. After mixing it, I often add a FEW drops of denatured alcohol into the mix to thin it slightly, extend the brush time a little, and help it expel bubbles. Don't try other solvents like lacquer thinner or acetone - they will cause problems. You can't always topcoat lures in perfect temperature and humidity conditions. I've done it many times in my garage in 50-90 degree temps and in varying humidity, without problems. 99% of problem epoxy topcoats were caused either by failure to measure the resin/hardener exactly or by failure to mix the parts thoroughly enough. Too much resin = failure to harden. Too much hardener = failure to harden and/or a topcoat that will yellow more quickly. There are lots of slow cure epoxies around and most of them work perfectly well for topcoating crankbaits. They generally fall into 3 categories: glue epoxies like Devcon, table top/decoupage epoxies like Envirotex Lite, and rod guide epoxies like Flexcoat. All of them work but each variety requires slightly different application methods and different cure times.

Larger line companies sell 2 kinds of mono/copolymer, hard and soft. Hard line have better knot strength, less stretch, but more line memory. Soft lines are the opposite. Trilene XT hard, XL soft. Suffix siege hard, elite soft. Izorline Premium hard, XXX soft. If you want inexpensive, Trilene Big Game is good and available at most Walmarts. Yozuri Hybrid has moderate line memory and is liked by many. But any of the soft lines will get it done. I think now that we are in warmer weather, your problems with line memory will be less.

Anytime the bass are shallow, a Super Fluke will catch them.