shimmy

Thanks for the insight with your experience concerning this reel. I really didn't want to watch a video of it. I'm well aware of how to tie the knots, just pullin what's his buckets leg. I appreciate your advice. So, it seems the best line choice to do without a leader thus far is using seaguar invizx type line or possibly P-line CXX as JFrancho mentioned. Just love those 51's though, and am kinda bummed about the line problem.

unbelievable as always.

This is what i expected you would look like in a video, a little less harrier though which caught me by surprise.

i do, i always start light and then move heavier. Just kind of a habit. And obviously in wind i go heavier but i already have a set up for heavier jigs.

still waiting for the video response. Maybe your quick draw of the hands is what caught you that 10 pounder in your profile pic...

On the contrary, it does. Anything less than 15 and you will lose a lot of jigs. Put on 20 pound triline and it is very hard to get broke off. Fishing on 20 pound triline, i usually break off 2-4 jigs in a week to northern. Using 15 pound makes me lose around 15 jigs. The thicker diameter allows me to get my jig back, have half of the line cut away and luckily get the jiggy back. Yes, there is a huge forgiveness factor between 15 and 20 pound line with those nasty things.

I would like to see someone post a video from start to finish of tying braided line to a fluorocarbon leader, taking the line out from the bag, the whole shabang in less than a minute while being 100% confident in their line not separating. Please post a video. If it took less than a minute than i'd agree with you. Large mouth Gambler, your suggestion is a possibility. Wonder how that would hold up with the toothy critters. the .The .13 diameter is slightly smaller than .15 of the 15 pound test and i have found that 15 pound test trilene fluoro is about the width that can survive most hooksets on a northern, while there are some bites that no line can stop from a break off, i have found the 15 pound forgiving.

yeh, i am still considering a 200 type but want something that can launch 1/4 ounce jigs a mile. After a few times of using a 51 curado, i was sold that 200's can not launch a jig of that type weight as far. I would get a chronarch D in a heart beat but they are as you say impossible and you have to put a mortage on the home to pay for it.

i think my main problem is i am not a braid type of guy. Never really like the stuff. Furthermore, with the high amount of fish we catch due to the lakes sheer awesomeness, we have to retie much more than usual so having a tag end of 15 pound of a few feet would run out within a few hours of fishing and i'd have to put on another tag end constantly. Just a lot of time not fishing.

Since these are obviously great reels, i had a few questions concerning their use with thicker line like 15 pound fluoro trilene. I know the dimensions are 12/85 for the chronarch and was wondering if anyone has put thicker line on them and fished jigs. Obviously i know it can cast them and fish them, my question is this, i fish a lot of 1/4 ounce jigs but often in a boat with 3-4 people. Casting distance is an advantage with this many people since even if you are last in the boat, you can still hit spots others cannot. So, with 15 pound test, would i unspool on every cast and how would this affect the gear ratio with this particular reel since other reels have more drastic effects when low on lines compare to others. Any thoughts? I know there are a lot who own the 50/51 series so your input would be great. I have to use 15 pound test due to northern pike infested waters. Anything less, even thin diameter like seaguar invizx 15 pound is too thin for some of the lakes and with so many people in the boat, having your lure snipped off consistently means someone else is going to take your spot. Thoughts?

These are the guys we should talk about in the professional circuit. Thank you Don.

x2 Great fish man! just awesome

if i'm fishing a jig, then, i will ocassionally toss something else out for a few minutes but have seen way too many times the consequences of when i put a jig down after several hours of nothing while someone else in the boat continues to use it and catches a monster. Not worth it. So, depends on the lure of choice.

your profile pic is of your 8 pounder i see. Wish i was able to get the picture of my PB.

Caught a 4 pounder this spring that spit up an 8 inch bird in the livewell. Scared the crap out of me just looking at the thing. Didn't weigh the fish afterwards, wanted it to still be over 4 pounds.

never missed a fish on my spook using 15 pound mono. OBviously luck is involved, but i guess it does say something. Then again, i am usually not fishing around too heavy of cover.

Read somewhere that bass consider the boat at times to be no different than regular structure and will use the blockade of the boat as a wall and will run the baitfish into it like it would a wall and attack at the last second when there is no more room for the baitfish to go. This would explain why we get so many heart attack bites right next to the boat or the shore when we are fishing.

beautiful brown Dwight. Big browns are some of the prettiest fish in my opinion. Just awesome.

I always think this is such a sound experiment. It is just so hard to do, especially when you don't get to go out that much. For me, i'd have a hard time letting go of GY though. Just can't do it. Have absolutely no idea if it is better than the others, but i just have too much confidence in that brand. This technique has taught me to finally utilize crankbaits as a main way of fishing. Still have to make the jump to swimbaiting. That will be a hard jump. I love that color of a senko you got there.

my word those are beautiful.

quick question for the serious jig fisherman, i have found that i never down size my jig when fishing. I was wondering if some of you actually downsize yourself or stick with the bigger jig. Obviously conventional wisdom always says to downsize when the bite is tough, but it reminds me of the swimbait mentality of staying big no matter what for that one big bite. I tend to keep the latter and wonder how serious jig fisherman decide what size to use as well. The main lake i fish i would guess does not have crawdads as big as the jigs i am fishing, but i still seem to catch a nice one most outings, limiting all small bites and catching some big bites. Curious for some real life advice on the matter. Troy

rental kayaks for a 20 acre lake? where are you fishing at in Maryland?

can always use the jig as stated or carolina rig the senko, heavy spinnerbait etc. to launch that bait out there. I was out in Northern VA yesterday and the wind kicked my trash as well as it never let up, but had a great day on the water catching a fair amount and some good ones too. Just go heavier with whatever you choose to do. If you are limited to shore, i would focus on the side that has the wind blowing into it amongst all the other variables, structure, points, channels blah blah blah. Go heavier so at least you have a fighting chance.

You have actually outdone yourself. You are the new Chuck Norris.

The other day i got a bite and set the hook into a decent sized largemouth bass. When it came closer, i noticed there was something attached to outer side of the fishes mouth. Once i got it in, it turned out to be my custom made jig and monster trailer i had tied on when i missed the fish in a similar location 4 months earlier this year in May. That was crazy. Did you know that a regular sized lobster rage craw almost doubles it's size when left in the water for 4 months??? The thing was huge! I found that to be very odd. Thought about reusing the thing but the trailer was comically huge at this point and the thick jig hook had almost rusted away through the portion that was attached to the fishes outer side of the mouth. Just crazy.