n8casCT

Thanks for the reply... I guess I was looking to see what people throw most of the time-- including jighead Weight, shape, hook, gear, line, etc...

I do a lot of SHAKEYHEAD fishing up here in CT. This year, one of my goals is to make SHAKEYHEAD fishing a strength of mine. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! I know there are many factors that go into making these decisions but, let's just say generally speaking (or most of the time): 1/8 or 3/16 ? On spinning set up... I don't like going below 6lb diameter Flourocarbon line ( I usually use 8lb). Should your weight of the jig head be mostly determined by 'feel' on the bottom? Different jighead shapes? I use football head in rocky areas stand up jig heads in hard bottom structure, same with ballhead. I use straight inline eye for grass (the yamamoto jig head with the eyelet inline with the shank -- it pulls through grass better than any other jig head I use where there's grass on the bottom) Soft plastic set up? Use a jig head with a spring mount, run it down the shank to put a little 's' in the plastic, use a spring loosely attached to jig eyelet so it moves more freely ? Hook? Thin wire -- texposed, exposed, t-rigged? soft-plastic? Floating tail? Thin soft plastic finesse worm, modified creature ( I like cutting the head off an ozmo and using it with a 3/16 ballhead) Obviously I'm not looking for all the answers here, any advice would be very helpful.

I tried getting my thinnest flathead underneath but only bent one side and I bent the thin washer underneath too. Your right about "walking away" from time to time. I put it back together and it works, so that's a plus. Maybe tomorrow I will try to get at the worm shaft. The needle nose pliers I have are pretty small, but I could use a scribing tool like you had mentioned. thx

Currently working on my 2 yr old Shimano Citica and besides a hair-brain moment (with removing the sideplate) I'm doing okay. But now I'm stuck at removing the retaining clip from the worm shaft I've tried using thin needle-nose pliers but I think I bent both the washer AND the retainer clip and have made no progress - If this was one of my better reels, I would be real ticked off - thanks to whomever said try it on an older reel first. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I've already ruined this reel (it will be my backup reel this year on the water - not mounted on any set up)

Okay, I actually sit down and get all my tools out and I'm all set to go to clean on of my symetre spinning reels and all I have to help is this...http://fish.shimano.com/publish/content/global_fish/en/us/index/customer_service0/reel_maintenance_instructions.download.-mainParsys-000100-downloadFile.html/Maintenance%20Tips-%20Spinning%20Reels%20(1%20page).pdf Is there a better DIY for spinning reels out there???

Thanks. I got these DIY pdf files, but couldn't find the videos?

Should I send my symetre spinning reels to SHIMANO to get cleaned ? Do they offer this service? Is there a fee? Or should I service them myself ( I have the PDF download from the SHIMANO website and all the tools to do it myself - it'd just be my first time ) I'm going to send out some of my bait casters to DVT and try to clean my old CITICA baitcaster.

Thanks again for such good advice. I got one reply on another site, that's it. I think I'm going to brave it on my 2 year old SHIMANO CITICA first and maybe try my higher end reels afterwards. OR, I might send the zillion or CHRONARCH for super-tuning with the Delaware guy. Is the super-tuning worth the upgrade? The zillion is almost brand new the CHRONARCH is a few years old but in really good shape.

You might be right.....thx for the heads up, but this is helpful for my junk reels...

This week I am going to try to do maintenance on my reels for the first time and I wanted some advice before starting. First off my reels are pretty dirty. A few of my spinning reels sound a little more 'geary -- gears grinding louder than they should' and a few of my baitcasters started to slow up and make noise (especially when it's raining out) I bought a big jug of simple green and wanted to know what I could and could not submerge in simple green. I have basic instructions for reel maintenance on shimanos and DAIWA bait casters but was looking for any advice before starting. Could I just send my SHIMANO reels to SHIMANO for maintenance (I heard sometimes if you do, they send you back the same model reel but it's not the exact original you sent them)? There are a ton of bad DIY reel maintenance sites and youtube videos, does anyone have some links to some good ones? Thanks.

black hair jigs to imitate.... Hellgrammites?

This is great stuff.... Thanks a lot!

Hairjigs are a big deal early in the season at my home waters here in CT (especially candlewood). They usually win the tourneys in April. I have never caught a fish on a hair jig! I need some help... What rod length and action should I be using? Line? (4 lb FC?) Spinning gear is a must - does it matter if it's a larger (3000) or smaller (2000 series) reel? Most of my spinning reels are 2500. They say 1/8 oz is the way to go, But I'm not used to throwing something that light without a shakeyhead plastic or small trailer attached. I'm guessing that dragging slowly through rough structure and cover is the technique but maybe someone has a different approach? Different types of hair have different types of action... It can be a bit overwhelming! The only thing I'm confident in is my choice of color -- black/ dark colors ... Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks, Raul! Very good info. What if I get one of those airtight/ waterproof utility box from Plano...that takes care of all that can damage, right?

how bout this?

I need to get organized and I don't have much space to do it. All my gear is organized into plano 3700 series boxes. What's the best way to store line and keep it in great condition... I've heard of the coleman cooler ideas - but I don't have the space for that...any suggestions? What works for you? thanks in advance...

just to add to the thread... which of the brands has the most splash during retrieve? And why do some toad hooks have weight in the front? - does it help with casting distance? cadence? running correctly belly down?

well, I got a first-hand look at the BPS tackle bag today and it is monstrous! I think I'm not going to upgrade my tackle organization this year. I'm sticking with my current flambeau tackle bag that carries 3600's. Non-boaters, what bags do you use?

so the key is to keep it all together and on the seat or under / in front of legs when running the boat. I'm glad to see some are okay with those bags... I'm wondering how everyone else feels or if they can share a bad experience with a non-boater - so I can avoid being 'that guy' in the future.

wait a sec.. are you saying all I need is a fish binder when I go out for a tourney?

I researched this site and others before posting. However, I did not find specific info. that I was looking for. First, I wanted to ask boaters how much space they allot for non-boaters. For me, I have a backpack with raingear and food that goes in the non-boater under-the-deck compartment. As for the tackle bag, this is what I wanted some info on: The tackle bag goes underneath the non-boaters legs when running and goes on the non-boater seat when not running - is that the norm? With that said, anything that fits on the seat is okay? I ask because the bags I have narrowed my choices down to are pretty big. I'd like to hear from non-boaters who use these or similar bags. But more importantly, I'd like to hear from the boaters who have seen tons of non-boaters and their bags. I'd like to get away with the biggest bag without offending the boater. I have a ton of gear and I'm switchin' from 3600's to 3700's. I know some might say you don't need that much, but that's not me - I have confidence if I'm prepared and well-equipped.

type ctfisherman.com go to their forum and see the Sportman's Alliance of CT sub forum and you'll get some good info on what is currently being done. I've been on the wood only a few times as I just began tourney fishing - great smallies. Twin is my favorite lake(s) in CT. That 4lb largemouth in my avatar is from Candlewood.

awesome advice. I do understand the basics, but fishing in trees - that detail is really informative to me, thanks. I do fish in a club where I am competing against my boater. However, I do four fed tourney's a year where I am up against other co-anglers. I don't think I'm ready to team up with someone as I would hate to let my teammate down b/c of my lack of experience. I can see where competing against your boater could lead to some situations out on the water. I brought six rods with me to the last tournament and I would like to bring more, but I know the space for co-angler rods on the side gets limited. I'll have to use some rods for double duty - like you had mentioned - any other rods that can serve two purposes?

With 5 or 6, they do get tangled if you don't take the time to properly store it next to your other 4 or 5 rods. I would like to bring 8 this season myself, and I think I could do it with some rod jackets and lure wraps (for some - not all). It would be a pain to take the rod jackets on and off, but if it meant bringing the amount of rods I feel confident with, then I'm going to do it. Any boater who asks or tells me to take some back to my car is a DB in my opinion. My rods in the back should have no affect on you in the front.

thanks BLee, I was waiting to see if I would get any other responses. Maybe I'll try posting this in a different forum.