OnthePotomac

Curados and Citicas have aluminum frames and graphite side plates. The Curado 300 has an aluminum side plate on the handle side.

Here is another handy oiler for reels and bearings. http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=1200/Product/NEEDLE_OILER_BOTTLES

I use a 5/0 in my Fat Ika to insure a hook up. These things are thick and 5/0 goes through on the bottom and skin hooks nicely on the other side. Never lost a bass with this set up.

Round bend treble hooks and a medium soft tip rod.

Dick's and Gander Mountain sell the Fat IKA, or you can order them from Yamamoto Baits. The Fat Ika has tenacles and can be fished weightless, Texas rigged, because it is so heavy. I also rig mine upside down with a 5/0 EWG hook with the tenacles on top and bass love the presentation. Just throw it out, let it settle to the bottom and pop it a few times. I use 14lb BPS floro on a MH baitcast rod.

In addition to switching to ABEC 7 pinion and spool bearings, I changed out the drive gear, pinion gear and key washer from a Curado 200DHSV to make my reel a 7:1. I upgraded the drag washers to Carbon Tec for the Curado DHSV size. This is an incredible reel.

You will have no problem. Store your rods in a rod rack so that they stand straight up with no bend in them and I recommend you invest in rod and reel covers to keep the dust off of them. In my case I use Cabela's rod covers (there are many others out there) and BPS low profile reel covers. I like the Cabela's rod covers because I can adjust the length of the cover I need (the unused tip folds over and velcro down) and they are inexpensive. Mine are 5 years old now and still look new. My boat is stored five miles from my home and the covers makes moving the rods in my pickup bed easy with no scatches on the rods or reels. Finally, remove the line from your reels and put on fresh line in the spring. The plastics will be fine.

Mustad, Mustad and Mustad. Triple grip and round bend.

A great product. I go through two bottles a season on mono, floro and braid. It works great and my line is always ready to go. No kinks, no breaks no anything. I hose down my spools with it after my spools have dried out and before I go out again. It has to be applied to dried spools to be most effective. Shake before using.

Something is terribly wrong with this picture. I have two 2-pc Bionic Blades I have fished with for 8 years and have never had them come apart while fishing.

Just curious if anyone has fished the new Skeet Reese Rods? I notice Dick's has them.

Regarding your comment on Viscious floro. I use Viscious 10lb floro on two of my Citicas and worm fish with both. I treet it with KVd Line and Lure and have had no problems. It will throw a Senko a mile. Do not use it on a spinning reel.

I bought a set of German fine markers and they are better than Sharpie. I print on the belly near the lip and it will not come off. I think I found them at Target in pens and pencils. Look for a small, clear, plastic case with 4 pens, red, blue, black and green.

I fish really murky water, so it is green pumpkin/black flake and black/blue flake. For great action, rig the Ika upside down, weightless, with a 5/0 EWG Gammie. It drives them crazy. Let it sink to the bottom, pop it up and let it sink again. I guess the bass don't see this much so they can resist.

You can travel with a full size rod tube, but check with the airline, because some charge a bunch for the long tube and it does go into luggage.

BPS was having a sale on Rick Clunn rods for $70 (from 99.99). I picked up a topwater specific and it is really nice for frogs. Mine is 6'6", MH, 10-20lb, 3/8-1 1/2 oz lures. it also has SiC (Silicon Carbide) guides.

A great product I have used for two years now. Line & Lure was developed strictly as a fishing line conditioner. Line & Lure is a special polymer blend that becomes part of the fishing line it is applied to. Other line treatments you find on the market are primarily silicone oil (Reel Magic) and solvents . Silicone oil only temporarily coats the line and solvents can damage line. Silicone oil rapidly comes off the line (on your hands and in the water), requiring re-treatment of the line after just a few casts. Comments above are correct regarding spraying/wiping your line and allowing it to dry. Do not spray it over another conditioner like Reel Magic. It is used on braid and I always do. My braid (Power Pro) performs a whole lot better treated with it.

I have two Citica 200D's, I modified to 7:1, three Citica 100DSV's, I put ABEC 7 bearings in, and one Citica 200E, as is. All are superb reels for the money. I have never had a minute of trouble with any of them and I fish the daylights out of all of them . In my book they are excellent performing reels for $120. I clean and lube my own reels.

New angler, you will be completely safe in Aquia Creek in that boat with a trolling motor. Actually, you will benefit by being able to go into the upper reaches of the creek in the marsh area. The lower end toward the Potomac is wide and can get hairy on a windy day. Just stay up creek and safe.

I have had a Berkley Spooling Station now for 6 years and it is the best $20 I ever invested in fishing equipment. It is fast and works great. Every reel is a perfect line spool.

I have used both braid and 20lb mono on my soft swimbaits, and in the Potomac (not clear water) it makes no difference. I moved to mono to provide a little more give when the bass hits the swimbait.

With the flipping switch on, when you throw the bait out with your thumb depressed, as soon as you let up on the thumb bar, the reel locks. I have an older Johnnie Morris with one and never use it, just my thumb to control the spool.

If this will help you, I use a 6/0 Eagle Claw 1/4 oz swimbait hook in my 4.5" Shadalicious. I like the Eagle Caw hook because it has such a wide bend it does not get in the way of the swimbait on a bite. You don't want anything smaller than that in a 4.5" swimbait. It comes with a cork screw for the nose.

I would not start out someone with braid on a spinning reel. Buy any quality 8lb mono until he get a feel for the reel and how to use it. It is inexpensive and easy to use. I still use 8lb mono for some worm fishng and it works just fine. Braid moves you into proper drag settings and hook stting because there is no stretch. It requires more experience.

I have stuck with the Palomar for floro. tied very carefully and wet while tightening. So far no failures. Best rule is use what you have confidence in.