BobP

Whenever I've seen a creek arm turn over, it's obvious due to the chocolate colored water and all the trash floating on the water. It's unmistakable. The inversion picks up the dead leaves and other detritus and brings them to the surface. If the creek is shallower than the thermoclines in the rest of the lake, it may never have a thermocline, especially if there is a current in the creek.

X2 with Franco on the levelwind. Most reels have the opening for the levelwind facing forward and as you reel in line any crap on the line can get flung into the worm gear. Grease makes it stick in there, oil less so. I use the same bearing oil on my levelwind worm gear and it doesn't get gummed up as fast.

OK! I know zip about Rockets. But I'd still oil the levelwind.

Sounds like you have dry/dirty spool bearings. If the Rocket level wind runs back and forth like some other Abu reels during the cast, that could also be the problem. Take out the 2 spool bearings, soak them in some ether based starting fluid, put them on the point of a pencil and spin them. If they are quiet and spin for a reasonable time, they are clean. If not, soak them again and retest. Put them on a paper towel to allow the ether to evaporate for 15 minutes. One or two drops of bearing oil and they're ready. Put a few drops of the oil on the level wind worm gear. If the reel has a centrifugal brake system, clean the brake drum with a Q-tip with 2 drops of the oil. These are the parts of your reel that spin at high speed during the cast. One of them is causing the problem. All of this takes about half an hour. Careful when removing the little wire clips that hold in the bearings. Keep a finger on them while removing so they don't fly off to Neverland. I'd also oil the bearings (leave them in place while you do it) and level wind, and clean the brake drum in your other Rocket

I've been a Shimano fan for 25 years but have to admit I got a Tatula last year and frankly find it easier to cast with fewer backlashes than any of my various A, B, and E series Simanos. Don't think you'll be disappointed with a Tatula CT.

There are plenty of instructional videos on YouTube and you might find one specific to your reel on the manufacturers website too. You must have a parts assembly diagram. One came with the reel. If it's lost, you can get one online from the manufacturer or other websites. If the reel is making noise when you cast its spool bearings probably just need some oil, which is a five minute job to do. If the noise occurs when retrieving, it needs a more complete disassembly, cleaning, and lubrication including greasing the gears. That ideally should be done annually. Reels are precision machines with a lot of small parts. Service can be done by anyone with basic mechanical aptitude but if that really isn't your thing do yourself a favor and send it to a reel service. The cost is reasonable and can save you lots of frustration and maybe a non-working reel with misassembled or lost parts.

Aren't all baits "situational"?

Actually, I prefer using regular mono vs fluoro for C-rig leader. Mono will tend to float your bait up a little when you pull the rig. fluoro being heavier than water will tend to keep the bait on the bottom. I think I get more bites with mono. The modified Albright knot is easy to tie and has a small diameter and lasts well to connect fluoro leader to a braid mainline.

I installed my SI transducer on the lowest transom step with its bottom edge 1/8" below the planing surface of the boat, as per the instructions. About 12-14" away from the motor while avoiding any of the bottom strakes. It has worked flawlessly for 8 years and has never been kicked up or damaged. It will show depth at any speed up to the WOT of 62mph.

I find that If you try to cut stock Gamy eyes with wire snips they usually break because the temper is so hard. You can cut regular black Vmc hooks and pinch them back together. That's what I do.

I think Sufix 832 has one strand of Gore fiber while Fluorobraid has more. I like Sufix a lot but don't think it sinks of and by itself, while Fluorobraid actually does. However Sufix is thin enough that it will sink with almost any lure you use with it and it's less buoyant than pure Dyneema braids.

The best, longest acting, least smelly bug spay as tested by Consumer Reports are those based on picardin, and the best among those tested is Sawyer repellent with 20% picardin. DEET works, sure, if you can stand the smell. But picardin works much better and much longer.

Most sonars are powered by the boat's starting battery which is connected to the motor - which serves as the boat's ground to the water. Don't know what kind of boat you have or how it's wired, whether there's also a trolling motor, etc. but if you have interference problems coming from the engine or the TM after trying the direct to stand-alone battery, check YouTube for possible fixes.

Sounds like a throttle linkage or fuel delivery problem. Some problems are just better diagnosed and corrected by a qualified marine mech.

I don't use thru-wire anymore. I use hand wound screw eyes epoxied into drilled holes and never had one pull out.

Yes it will strengthen a knot. But it also makes the knot bigger and hard, which may cause it to stick in the rod's tip top guide when reeling line in. So no, I just tie good knot and leave it at that.

Cutting the lip slot in a preformed balsa bait is finnacky. I use a thick rubber band that comes on grocery produce. Stretch it over the nose so an edge is where you want the slot and mark it with a Sharpie. Then use a thin kerf hand saw or a reinforced cutting disk in a Dremel to cut the slot. If the slot is not symmetrical, you can hog it out a little then fill the slot with epoxy putty and press in the lip so it is straight.

You can get open screw eyes from lurepartsonline.com and other suppliers. Crimp in the split ring you like and screw it in with a little epoxy or superglue.

I started out in a Nitro 750/90 hp Merc and it was a nice boat but cramped for two fishermen. It had the advantage of being a simple boat with simple wiring, etc. I upgraded to a Triton Tr19/150 Merc Efi a few years later and have kept the boat for 15 years. It's a lot more advanced boat in every way and nicer to fish, but also a lot more complicated and requires a lot more upkeep. It will definitely chine walk at high speed approaching WOT at 62 mph until you learn how to drive it. A couple of comments. A seller telling you this or that broke and has been replaced does not increase the value of the boat. That is normal wear and tear and the boat would be unsalable without fixing existing problems. Sonar upgrades, new motor, motor setback/jacks added to the boat yes. Replacing a lower unit no. Don't buy a boat without comparing the price to the NADA guide and taking it out on the water for a test, plus have a mechanic go over the motor and do a compression test if you can arrange it. You need to do those things to have a realistic price baseline for negotiation. Won't do it? Doesn't have the time? Pressing you with tales of how many other are just waiting to plunk down their money? Walk away and be glad you avoided buying somebody else's problem boat.

There's nothing wrong with sticking with the split ring that comes with the crankbait, except you have to re-tie to change lures. Snaps are fine but can be a hassle or even impossible to use on many cranks, especially ones that contain their line ties in a dimple on the lip's surface. And some snap brands have a habit of coming undone. I often use Norman Speed Clips on my baits after removing the original split rings. They are small clips that end in a split ring and you open the ring with finger pressure on the arms of the clip to change baits. I've never lost a fish or a lure while using them so they work for me. But the safest and surest thing to use is the split ring that comes on the bait. You probably need to re-tie occasionally anyway due to line wear. Player's choice.

If you are oiling your own stuff, choose what you like and you can fix any lube problems as they arise later. If you're doing stuff for others, I'd tend to be more conservative and use oil of a little higher viscosity that will stay working longer than the very thin oil I use on my own reels. You don't know how long those reels will be used before they get another shot of lube, but it's almost certainly until a bearing starts screaming. Otherwise they'd be servicing their own stuff to start with. I like Superlube grease and Shimano Drag grease for drags and use them for my own and friends reels. They last a long time and work great.

I bought several Cu200's about 1999 and they're still going strong. The original retail was $119. I'd be looking in the $60-70 price range for a decent used Cu200. Reel technology has improved since then and honestly, I'd rather pay $100 or so for a Daiwa Tatula 100h for the better performance. But the Cu200B5 with 5:1 gears is still a great reel for big crankbaits

I fish "typical" southern lakes. Rocks, but not too many. Weeds, the same. I always use a braided or fused superline mainline and 90% of the time a 3/4 oz bullet or egg weight and a 3-4 ft mono (not fluoro) leader. The braid allows longer casts, more sensitivity and better hook sets. The fact that it floats is irrelevant because it goes to a 3/4oz weight and you want tension on the rig at all times. A Zoom lizard does it for me most of the time. There are no hard and fast C-rig rules and you can adapt any part of it to the conditions you fish.

That's right on both counts but I prefer to use a few yards of mono instead of tape because the tape can lose its adhesive over time and bang, slipping braid.

I'd use the 3M sealant too. Btw, silicone sealants can leach chemicals out of plastic fittings over several years and make them brittle.