BobP

Basic crankbait tuning is to make it run straight back to you instead of running off to one side. As crankbait manufacture precision improves, this has become less a problem but it still exists and can also arise after using a crankbait for awhile. A straight running crankbait reaches its max design depth and you can swim it more accurately around cover, and both things catch more fish. Tuning is accomplished by bending the line tie slightly left or right, in the opposite direction from which the bait is running off. Most guys use needle nose pliers. For example, if it's running off to the right, bend the line tie a little to the left until the lure will run straight back on the retrieve. On most plastic crankbaits, that's the most you can do to tune them. It's not guaranteed to fix the problem but will work on most. Some baits will work OK at slow speed but spiral if retrieved too fast. You can tune them to run straight at low speed but the problem persists at high speed. That's just poor bait design or manufacture and there's no help for it. You can try putting heavier treble hooks on the bait. Sometimes that masks the problem, sometimes not. If you can't get a crankbait to run straight, I say throw it away or return it to the seller. It's never gonna catch many fish for you - and that's a waste of precious fishing time/effort.

Yes it does. The oil in your reel has a viscosity measured at room temperature, and higher or lower temps change the viscosity dramatically. You may not notice a difference with hotter temps because the oil will just get thinner, but thinner oil migrates out of important places like your bearings faster in those conditions, and so you will need to relube bearings more often if you fish in a hot climate.. Cold can double the viscosity of many reel oils used in bearings, making them perform quite differently, too. Heat damages copolymer fishing line, too. If we're talking about leaving gear in the boat, outside under a cover, in hot weather, quite a few guys report cracked plastic crankbaits due to daily expansion/contraction of the plastic. Heat also makes the epoxy on your rod guides and under your handle softer, which puts them a more risk during use. All this is apart from the damage that can be caused by large swings in humidity when gear is stored in a boat under the above conditions.

I haven't used an Academy reel so can't comment. But in the general scheme of things, there really is no free lunch in reels. What you pay is almost always reflected in the quality of the reel. And if you luck out with a low cost special, you may find your luck ends if/when the reel needs parts or service. Over time, what has worked best for me is to buy at least a mid-range reel from a major company (I personally like Shimano). They tend to last for years without problems and there are lots of places to get service if you need it. Lastly, if it does break 5 yrs from now, you can bet Shimano will still be selling parts for it, unlike many 'house reels'. I service my own stuff and keep reels 8-10 yrs or longer, and buying known good quality has worked out well in terms of both enjoyment and cost. I can see the attraction of cheap - no harm, no foul - but I'm not into "use it until it breaks and throw it away".

Why not? Well, you can buy most baitcasters in either left or right hand versions so should be able o satisfy yourself. I'm right handed and prefer a right hand handle, as do most users. Having the reel on top of the rod versus on the bottom a la spinning reel makes a big difference. You may want to try both before you make a final decision. If you pitch baits a lot underhanded, a left hand baitcasting reel is a definite advantage if you can get used to it (unfortunately I never have). Extra spools: it's just a matter of expense. Spinning spools are relatively simple and cheap. Baitcaster spools are precision balanced, more complex, often made of expensive light metals, and often contain bearings - so cost much more. Enough more that the companies cannot reasonably include an extra spool that might retail for 1/3 the total cost of the reel.

Don't know if we're still on the topic of reels for C-rigging but I think most guys prefer a high speed reel for this presentation. You use the rod to move the bait and the reel's job is to take up slack between rod pulls and to reel down when ready to set the hook. A high speed reel does that better/faster. JMHO, if you're using a 4.7 gear reel, you're gonna lose some fish.

Yes, I agree about casting distance, to a point. More data from the Precision Casting tests: Although they max out at different depths, different brands and models of crankbaits are very uniform in the shape of their dive profiles. On a long 100 ft cast, a crankbait runs at its max depth between 40 and 10 ft from the boat. On an average 70 ft cast, its 30 and 10 ft at max depth. So you are casting 30 ft longer but the bait is at max depth for 10 ft longer. You're getting diminishing returns for your longer casts. A real-life example. You're throwing a Suspending DD-22 on 10 lb copolymer line and making 100 ft casts, trying to hit an 17 ft deep rockpile. That crankbait, on that line, maxes out at 17 1/2 ft, so it's "reachable". But an important thing to remember is what the dive profile says about boat positioning. If the target is at the crankbait's max depth, you need to position the boat not farther away than 40 ft from the target, and you need to cast 60 ft beyond it to get it to 17 ft. Most guys don't realize that

I think casting a Carolina rig is a whole other deal. I almost always throw a 3/4 oz C-rig and a reel designed for casting 1/4 - 1/2 oz weights is not ideal, especially if it has a low mass perforated spool that works great on light baits. A heavy spool takes more energy to spin up, which the heavy C-rig provides. And when that energy has been stored in its heavy spool, it has much more momentum to keep spinning, making for longer casts. The physics are easy to overlook with all the concentration on light reels with feather light spools these days. But physics are physics. I've been throwing C-rigs on an old Abu C4 4600 with 20 lb Fireline, no braking, and a 7' MH rod for years. I try newer reels like Revo SX or Curados, Chronarchs, etc and none of them can touch the C4 with it's heavy spool. IMO, It's not good for much else but it excels at this one task. I can't recommend a specific reel since my old C4 has been superseded by newer models, but if you want a dedicated C-rig reel for 3/4 oz or heavier, I bet you can find a reel that fits the bill without spending $200.

I have a book called "Precision Casting" that gives dive profiles and max depths for commercial crankbaits. The data is getting a little outdated since it was published in 2000. There are lots of new crankbaits since 2000 and some of the baits tested are no longer current. But it's worth reading just to learn some truths about how crankbaits really operate when you get rid of the advertising hoopla and have a scuba diver measure their performance over a measured depth/distance course. The guys who did the testing had to establish average and long casts when they set up their crankbait test course so they took a group of experienced fishermen and had them cast various crankbaits, then measured them and averaged them out. When asked to make an "average cast", the distance was 70 ft. When asked to make a long cast, it was 100 ft. You hear lots of off-hand assertions about 75-100 YARD casts by pro fishermen. That's 225-300 ft. Uh- uh. I just don't believe it. I say don't get wrapped around the axle about casting distance. If you wing one out there 150 ft and a fish bites it, you're probably in big trouble anyway. It's not a casting contest, it's about hooking and boating fish. If the target is farther than you can cast accurately and comfortably, and too far away to get a good hookset, MOVE THE BOAT CLOSER. BTW, at casting distances more than 100 ft, max depths reached by crankbaits did not increase, and that was pretty uniform across all types/brands. That's because lift on the line increases as the amount of line out increases, and it offsets the crankbait's effort to dive deeper when about 100 ft of line is out.

I use Suffix 832 20lb on a 2500 size Shimano reel. It handles very well and has a very small diameter for its strength rating. It contains one Gore fiber among 7 or 8 woven Dyneema fibers and they say it sinks. I'd say it doesn't, but neither does it float like other braids. So I wouldn't use it for unweighted plastics but like it for just about anything else. The price for a filler spool is around $20, which is a heck of alot better than the Spider Wire alternative.

If you're concerned about price, BassPro fluorocarbon line is good stuff. I've used it for years with no complaints. Also, Izorline Platinum is an excellent nylon copolymer line. It sells at a very good price for 1/4 lb spools. Izor comes in 2 formulations. Izor Platinum has a hard surface finish, low stretch, and outstanding knot strength, like Trilene XT. Izor XXX is designed for spinning, with a softer surface finish and a little more stretch, like Trilene XL. Both have very consistent diameters. Like all hard finish copolymer lines, the Premium will develop more spool memory in cold weather than the XXX. If you really want to save on line, find one you like and buy it in bulk spools.

Yep, they're in the jewelry making section of Michael's. Indispensable if you want round bends in wire for rigging or bait making.

Yep, they are good baits. Maybe not the best thing since sliced bread... but very good. Bass just seem to like the restrained action and they cast a mile. There are some less expensive jerkbaits with similar action, like the Smithwick Suspending Rogues, but the 110's have both the action and knock-out nice finish.

I say choose to suit the cover situation and how the fish are holding. In open water or on suspended fish, a jerkbait is hard to beat. In grass or wood, or when the fish are holding on the bottom, a crankbait.

I can't say just one color pattern - gotta have 3: something that looks like a shad, a bluegill, and a crawdad. If you fish northern waters for smallmouths, I'd go with brighter versions of the 3 variants.

Half of my rods are spiral, half are not and I've been fishing both for at least 10 yrs. I see differences but not huge ones - casting distance is the same but the spiral rods seem to be a little more sensitive on tip-up "touch" presentations like worms. It's true you normally have one less guide on a spiral rod, which reduces the weight of the rod tip a bit. But that's pretty minor in the overall scheme of rod balance, etc. That said, when I build rods for myself, they are mostly spiral wrapped (Bumper style spiral). The only rod I won't spiral is one I would use for jerkbaits or topwater, fished with the tip down. A little sensitivity gain and paying for one less guide are worthwhile reasons. When I've caught large bass, I haven't feared a guides-up rod would flip over in my grip, nor have I noticed the rod tip torquing around. I was too excited to notice and the rods seemed to survive no worse for the wear. I have no complaints about how spiral rods handle around the boat or in my rod locker. Bottom line is that I would never hesitate to buy a quality rod just because it isn't spiral wrapped, but if I were making or having made a custom rod, I would consider a spiral wrap, depending on the presentation I was planning to use it for.

I use a 6'8" Shimano Crucial dropshot rod and it works great. Think they also come in 7' size.

I just repaint cranks that catch fish and need a new finish, or proven brands/models I like but find in odd/unpopular colors for reduced prices in the "bargain bin". A junk lure + new paint = a junk lure. New paint will never make a bad lure into a good one.

I think it depends on the circumstance: what you are fishing and how the fish are biting. Braid is more sensitive to pull as long as your line is in tension, as when fishing a T-rigged plastic, jig, or Carolina rig and the fish pulls on the line. But if a fish picks up your bait and swims toward the boat, you have a better chance of sensing it with fluorocarbon because most braid will collapse when tension is taken off it and will not transmit a push like fluorocarbon will. JMHO, if you fish shallow banks from a boat, many bites will be fish picking up your bait and swimming toward the boat and deeper water, so I prefer Fluoro in that circumstance. I think fluoro is also better for unweighted plastics like Senkos, etc because braid floats and as the bait sinks, it puts a bow in braided line. I only take braid along when I know I'll be fishing heavy vegetation and need a line that can cut through weeds. But if you like it for other situations, hey, go for it...

You don't have to use airbrush paint but it makes thing a lot easier. The cheapo craft paints will work if the tip on your airbrush is large enough to pass the particles in the paint and if you thin them with water every time. Airbrush paints contain finely ground paint particles, plus flow enhancers. I order paint from various online sources. One good one is Coast Airbrush. You can also check http://www.taxidermy.net/suppliers/airbrush.php for specialized paint for wildlife (including fish). If you think this is going to become a hobby, it definitely pays to order paint in 4 oz or larger bottles.

One thing that helps Super Flukes last longer is to lube them up with an oil based fish attractant like Kick'n Bass. Instead of tearing up, they will slide right up the line.

I'll use any 4 1/2 - 6" finesse worm. Roboworm is excellent but Zoom and Netbait worms work fine too. The 2 1/2 or 3" Berkley Gulp minnows are outstanding when the fish want something small. I use size 1 (not 1/0) dropshot hooks.

5.5 doesn't sound especially heavy for a Mag Hvy action rod but Flywatersmallie is right. 7' or longer rods are usually tip heavy unless you counterweight them with added weight in the butt. I have a 7'6" Shikari flipping stick that weighs 6.9 oz but that includes an ounce of lead in the butt section to counterbalance the rod. I can flip all day and never notice the weight - and I'm usually a freak about light rods. Especially if the Powell is going to be used for still presentations like jigs or C-rigs, I'd clamp on the reel to be used and counterweight the butt to get a neutral balance. That's less important if you'll use it for frogs or swimbaits since the rod will always be tip heavy during those presentations anyway. IMO, a balanced rod/reel combo for still presentations is really important for 2 reasons. 1st, it will be much less tiring. 2nd, your touch sensitivity will not be degraded from hand muscle fatigue if your rig is balanced, so you will sense bites much better. Yes, it seems a shame to load an expensive high end graphite rod with extra weight, but try it and you will see the advantages.

Fluoro is a little more dense and heavier than copolymer so may require a little more cast control. But it shouldn't be such a difference that you can't control it on most baitcasters and the casting distance should be virtually the same. Maybe your thumb will need to be re-educated slightly but I think you'll like fluoro when you get used to throwing it.

I've finished hundreds of crankbaits and assure you that no clearcoat will protect a crankbait against smacking it off rocks, including Devcon Two Ton epoxy. Ask yourself what you are trying to accomplish. The paint is chipped off the plastic. Fishing it "as-is" will not hurt it further and the bass will not care about the chip. Adding a 2nd clearcoat will not prevent future chip damage of this type. Using epoxy takes a little skill and you need to put the bait on a lure turner (I'm guessing you don't have one) so the epoxy doesn't run while it hardens. Sorry to say but the only true fix would be to have the crankbait stripped, repainted and re-clearcoated by a pro. For as much as that costs, you can buy 2 Switchback Shads. I catch lots of bass on them and think the finish is pretty durable. I say mark it up to experience and try to aim better next time. If the chip makes you lose confidence in the bait and you want to turn a a sow's ear into a silk purse, send it to a pro repaint service like Tim Hughes Custom Baits.

I also like a high speed reel. You are feeling your way through cover with the rod held at 10 o'clock. When you get a bite, you have to reel down to get the line tight and set the hook. The faster the gearing, the faster you can do that. As far as castability, that depends on what weight C-rig you throw. I almost always use 3/4 oz, so a reel with a heavy spool will actually cast farther than a one with a light spool designed for throwing light baits. I've used an Abu 4600C4 with 6.4 gears for a decade now. With minimal cast control applied, a hard cast spins up that heavy spool and it diesels out 20lb Fireline farther than any of the much more expensive Abus and Shimanos I use for other presentations.