tmier

I used snaps on everything until my cousin moved back up here to NW Ohio from Florida. He explained that fishing with snaps and swivels on high pressure lakes will kill my presentation most of the time. I ditched the swivels and snaps and started using flouro leaders, and started to catch fish regularly.

Also, if you're on a small john boat or even a kayak, you don't have the same leverage as if you were standing. On my kayak I use a 7' heavy rod with 15# yozuri, but I trim my weed guards off by at least half and resharpen the hooks often. When you feel a strike, lower your rod tip all the way down to the water as you reel in some slack, then WHAM.

I removed all three bearings on each reel. I used reel cleaner on EVERYTHING I could reach and wiped every part clean with swabs. Adding grease to a reel that is dirty isn't going to clean it. Clean them then grease them and you will be more than satisfied for a reel in that price range.

Try any color you can. This past weekend I caught more fish on my 3/4 oz pb & j jig after i switched to a blue speckle trailer from bama bug rage tails. Go figure...

http://www.realdealcustomtackle.com/real_deal_custom_tackle1_027.htm Here's an example, if he can make them, so can you.

Post in the tackle making section. I'm sure there are member that pour their own jigs that have tried buzzbaits. You could find ones they have made or try pouring your own. My local shop sells jig forms that could make any size jig or spinner or buzzbait I could imagine. I'm just too lazy to try it.

For sure. I bought them all used and never bothered to do proper maintenance before using them this summer.

Problem solved. I stopped being lazy and went to quantum's FAQ page. I disassembled all three reels and cleaned every bearing, nook and crany with Ardent's cleaner thoroughly. I then reassembled everything greased well with Ardent's reel butter, embarrassing how well everything works now. Casts nearly tripled in length and my pitches coasted more than twice as far. How obvious it is to maintain the equipment we love and depend on regularly. Lesson learned.

I plan on sending these to quantum in case the issues can be covered under warranty. My cousin brought up an Abu black max combo that cost less than one of these reels and its a joke how bad my reels cast in comparison.

I have three codes. On the cast, the brakes make a really bad grinding chatter. Even on a long pitch they click bad. Distance is great and the bearings and brakes are clean and greased. Is this something I should bring up with Quantum?

'Round here, those are not natural and some folks get VERY defensive about what goes into our water. I know PVC and other sources won't leach chemicals fluke but these guys still fish with real worms on walleye harnesses. I wish I could drop a dozen of those into my lake but I won't upset good people over these.

GoTakeANap is on point 100%. I wanted to try the "sputnik" DIY structures using PVC and bowling balls, but after asking neighbors the idea was turned down because it wasn't natural. Since then I've been adding rock piles and broken cinder blocks near our docks and plan to use natural non plastic sources this fall. Our lake bottom is a muck mix of leaves and mud.

Another idea, http://www.fishinglightsetc.com/ We got a smaller one and it does attract a lot of baitfish. The company suggests making any fishing lamp permanent to be effective. Every ten minutes or so we can see a monster sw over the light.

I've tried a few spiderwire lines and was not impressed. The lines dug into themselves even with mono backing, snapping knots on the cast. If I ever switch back from yozuri im trying suffix 832 or p-line.

I love my mojo cranking rod, you should talk to St Croix and try another one.