ClackerBuzz

even cheap line casts fine. casting has nothing to do with oil. the spool is a fixed/stationary object. a grind/un-smooth retrieve means oil and maintenance. that many tangles on a spinning reel makes me think you have a nick on the spool or on one of the guides of ur rod. in addition to closing the bail by hand....close it early. 10ft before ur lure hits the water. is there is a chance ur waiting to long and have 20" of slack line hanging between ur reel and 1st guide on the rod? always make sure the line in that area is taunt before reeling up line. and don't have tons of slack line laying all over the water. all these scenarios together will cause major problems. you can get away cheating on one or two.

nothing better than looking at a glass of beer as half full

i'm sure the best way to get the thread pinned again or keeping it a hot topic is by posting relevant bank fishing info. ie not making it a debate page. so start posting and stop debating? snags are a headache when bank fishing and i have a bunch of ways i go about avoiding them. i'll post a write up when i get time. anyone have any specific bank fishing problems they want addressed?

i buy alot of reels from TW too and oil is hit or miss. call Shimano. i'm sure they will send some out for you. do it now b/c they get overwhelmed with free oil/grease requests in the winter (just gets back ordered a few weeks).

i usually carry 2 rods when bank fishing. i like to have reaction baits. and finesse baits. reaction can be bladed or silent as long as they are moving. finesse can be big (10" ribbontail) or small (4.5" finesse worm) as long as they are worked slowly. a chatterbait is my goto bank fishing reaction lure. it comes thru weeds like butter and literally vibrates the weeds right off so you don't waste casts 1/2 way back b/c a 12" weed is tangled like with a spinnerbait. stroke it as soon as you feel a tangled weed and 90% of the time it comes right off. don't be shy, rip it hard and fast. sometimes it even provokes a strike. however i do not like a chatterbait around chunk rock b/c it wedges in them to easily. a spinnerbait is better here b/c the head bounces off the rocks better. most ponds have weeds and sediment so 90% of the time i have a chatter tied on. rivers and reservoirs have rocks so 90% i'll use a spinnerbait. i also like a jig b/c i can swim it like a reaction bait (at any dept in the water column from topwater, burned under the surface, count down 4-10 ft, bang it thru lily stalks, bounced off the bottom). a jig is my eye's and I can learn the contour of the lake with it. it is also my "silent" reaction/swimjig bait. i step down quickly to a silent reaction if the bass aren't taking a loud/bladed/shiny/vibration lure. also i can pitch, dead stick, and lightly hop a jig and don't have to change out rods to slow way down for finiky bass. like sam said shore fishing is very limited with casting angles so i'm VERY quick to pick up and put down lures, and equally quick to speed up or slow wayyyy down my retrieve. i don't like a jig if the pond has lots of weeds or scum b/c the weed guard collects too much junk. i'll switch to a pegged texas rig b/c the bullet weight comes thru weeds much better. i stopped buying jigs and i'm becoming a t-rig guy. and punch rigs for heavy cover. i just read a great post about using a bead head in front of ur senko/brush hog etc (or any weightless plastic) b/c it comes thru the weeds so much easier. it works great b/c you can slowly inch ur plastic thru the weeds much better. i don't like getting 'hung up on weeds and having to pop my senko free. that senko pop has never yielded a reaction strike for me (unlike a chatter or lipless trap). its b/c of shore fishing i'm now switching to beaver trailers and beaver t-rigs. i was at a pond the other day where you had to cast over 20 ft of pennywort to access open water. just so happened i had a beaver t-rig already on my rod so i used it. i pulled that one beaver thru endless feet of weeds, wort, cast for 2hrs, pulled it thru sticks and tree branches, caught a 3lb bass and never once changed it out. i would have gone thru a pack or two of regular craws b/c the appendages would have ripped off so many. i use the same MH baitcaster rod for my chatterbaits/ jigs/texas rigs and larger weightless plastics/meals like a 6" senko or 1/16oz t-rig 10" ribbon tail worm. (michang5, ur spinning set up sounds perfect. you don't 'need' a BC. it is not a magic bullet that will guarantee more fish. only buy one if you feel inspired to learn it. be prepared for a long and possibly hard learning curve that might not fit recreational needs. as opposed to BC being more suited for tourny/competitive fishing. or from a boat where you can possibly cast 1000+ times a day from many different angles. a BC is less stressful on ur hands with that many casts per day.) my second rod is usually a M spinning for lighter/finesse lures. if i'm in fairly open water I use 6-8lb test b/c it casts farther (10-20ft leaders to 20lb braid; i like the advantage of being able to cut the leader off and go straight braid when i encounter some nasty cover or lily pad field; and love the sensitivity plus solid hook sets). if the reaction bite isn't on I go finesse. 99% of the time bank fishing is for fun and recreation (non-tournaments). a good rule to remember is: lighter weights and/or smaller lures= more bites. also lighter weights=snag less. i usually start with a 5" senko for finesse. a 4.5" zoom finesse worm on split shot usually is a sure thing. it catches fish big and small. if ur getting too many small its time to up size. BPS has 'clam shot' which is split shot w/o ears. they come thru weeds beautifully. i will also use a bobber stop to peg a 1/32oz rooster tail/in-line spinner body (cheap on e bay). i love split shot/mini carolina rigs from shore b/c you can craw over and thru just about anything w/o getting hung up or collecting junk. a roostertail or mepps spinner is usually a good finesse reaction lure. (good panic box stuff). a good thing to be aware of with soft plastics is not only size but rate of fall. somedays a 5" senko just falls to fast for the fish's taste. but i might be catching too many dinks on zoom finesse worms. then i love to switch to a fluke. its got a slower rate of fall that is erratic but still has a large profile. i don't really use them as a jerkbait. i do very well just dead stick/slow drag them like a senko. just like a weightless beaver has a bulky profile but a very slow rate of fall compared to a standard 1/4oz jig. soft plastics flat out catch fish. b/c casts and angles are limited from shore i fish alot of weightless plastics and i'm quick to experiment with rate of fall. i'll move quickly from a 4.5" finesse worm to a tube to a 5" senko to a beaver to a fluke. they all can be worked on the same rod/split shot rig with a 2/0 hook. and they all have a different profile and rate of fall so i can usually get a pattern going fast. don't use ur rod to break baid...or ur hand b/c you'll eventually get cut. set down the rod and pick up a stick. wrap the braid around the stick and pull slowly like ur water skiing. alot of times you can bend out the hooks.

good suggestion wayne. i'm guilty of posting the same questions...and of answering 'use the search function'. to be perfectly honest, this the first site where i really 'learned' how to search forums. i don't know how it's powered glenn but the forum search function works AMAZING. it yields result that get me side tracked reading good posts for hours. search functions and websites back in the day never yielded such relevant information. i've always known to search creatively on google. but I literally had to learned how to search creatively here on BR. getting members to understand that our search function works as good as googles might help flip the switch. it took working thru it for it the light to go off for me. coming right out and saying might cut the chase. BR search function: like Google but only better b/c it's all about fishing. or Use the search function just like you would Google. Direct examples always work well for people. How about suggestion people type the exact title of their potential post directly into the search bar: "Baitcaster under $100" "Best $100 rod" "Hook set help!" "Night fishing" Also try leaving off words to compare one object to many: "Curado vs" "Avid vs" "Mono vs" And a little creativity goes along way with search results. Try using verbs, adjectives (I had to look up how to spell that) etc "Confidence" "Crimp" "Invasive" "Panic Box" The 'two' search bars is confusion though. The homepage search bar yields article results and the forum search bar yields post results. The forum search is where all the magic happens. Don't believe me? Just type toilet paper Maybe a fast easy fix would be a Pop-up screen before u are allowed to post a new thread. It could suggestion something like: "Before you post please take some time and try our search bar. Search for the title of ur proposed post and/or it's related subject: 'Baitcaster under $100' 'Curado vs ' 'Connection knot' 'Pond lures' Think of our forum search bar just like Google. Be creative.

i'm like speedbead i use a lure as my eye's under water, specifically a jig. but i'm very interested in what comes back on ANY hook. i learned it shore fishing and now apply it to boating as well. I like when vibrant green weeds come back on my hook b/c i know i am in a 'fishy area'. the healthy weeds mean lots of oxygen and aquatic life for bass to feed on and live in. i also like dead leaves. it usually means the area has good oxygen and is a deeper pocket. i've caught many nice fish where i find decomposing leaves. and i like the jig to feel rocks, pebbles, wood etc. fountains are awesome b/c they provide cover and oxygen but they eat lures so stick I with weedless and weightless senkos. or a very light bullet/texas rig if i need casting distance. on the opposite end i don't like slimy green algae coming back. i'll toss a frog and quickly more on.

I think it's the best suggestion I've read in a long time BuffaloBass. Bank vs boat is 2 different universes. But I don't think a "Boat fishing" forum is need. It's the exact reason we have a dedicated "Tournament" forum. Fishing Tourny's is a whole different ball game. New anglers fishing small ponds from shore don't need to get swept into advanced post, youtube videos or fight off the bait monkey buying lures that realistically need to be cast on an underwater point, from a boat, using a sonar unit, in 20 FOW. Bank fishing is a genre of it's own that many new anglers find themselves in. We can help save them tons of time and money by offering them a place to start. And there are tons of veteran fisherman who spend their whole lives on the banks that have tons of information to share. And there are anglers who have made the transition from shore to boat and have that perspective to offer new guys. I think comparing it to specific techniques like top-water, crankbaits etc is comparing apples to oranges. Side note: The "Search" function on this site is confusing and ineffective depending on the page ur search from. The are really 2 search bars on this site. #1 Article Search bar on the homepage which searches past written articles. #2 Forum Search bar which searches posts. There should only be one search bar that yields all results. From an IT perspective BR is current and a pleasure to navigate. But the split personality search bars remind me of back in the 1990's when you'd search Best Buy for "CD player" and they used Google to power the search so articles on CD players would come up instead of their product for sale.

i'm assuming ur using snaps b/c its quicker to change out lures. they have their time and place with other species but not much in bass fishing. they reduce lure action and collect weeds. u might also want to look at: are you too lazy to tie knots? or u still use snaps b/c that's what u were taught as a child?

x2. ditch the snap.

$7.19 for 6 craws? you gotta be kiddin' me

i guess you haven't paid much attention to Reaction Innovations. its seems they've made it their mission to combine fishing and porn lingo. personally it doesn't work for me. its like trying to combine ice cream flavors with text message lingo. i'll take a double scoop of LOL. no wait make that 1 scoop LOL, 1 scoop IMHO and 1 scoop BWT...with some BRB sprinkles.

my customer service philosophy applies to all companies: if you can't get an answer or don't like the answer you get, call back another time and/or day. ask 10 people the same question and you'll get 10 different answers.

just make sure you take advantage of the affordable care act before hand.

let us know how it goes. i'm curious how to see how many people are going to start utilizing stem cells now that they are available. http://www.wtae.com/news/health/stem-cells-being-used-to-repair-knees/-/9680940/22028630/-/5b4wf2z/-/index.html

this is a great point. some guys need 70% exercise and 30% healthy diet. some need 70% healthy diet and 30% exercise. the key is to make sure you utilize a combination of both food and exercise. And to find the combination that works best for ur body's metabolism. i like my buddies attitude on supplements: women buy make-up to feel younger. men buy supplements to feel stronger. unless ur going to compete as a professional body builder spend the cash on fishing.

i jumped from mid to higher end rods this season and while i did gain some sensitivity (10-20%) i don't think its worth it over all. i use braid to fluoro on most of my rigs which adds a ton of sensitivity to average rods. plus some of the high end rods had major down falls i didn't like ie the guides do not 'work' well with braid=it tangles horribly around the top three guides. i'm surprised they aren't designed to better work with braid. some aren't balanced well. some high end rods have handles that are just too short. so i prefer to fish with most of my mid range over the high end. i'm a huge fan of powell's which have the best of all worlds-sensitivity, balance, guides that work well with multiple lines, warranty. i also really like my fenwick tech smallmouth for $129. its sensitive, ultra light, balanced and love the handle. it feels better than a $385 rod. i just got a shimano compre off a member and it has really impressed me. if you want to test 'high end' rods just buy them on sale ie discontinued or when they upgrade their line. st croix has a bargain room and rods are 40% off when they roll out a new line. TW also has Dobyns Champion for $185 during upgrades. i thought i was going to be happy with more sensitivity but overall it's not worth it if the rod is miserable to cast ie isn't balanced, constantly gets tangled and the handle is too short for ur taste.

sounds like u just skinned hooked the roof of their mouths ie no hook penetration. i love braid and helps overcome many things but you had a triple whammy so even braid couldn't help: 1 not enough drag 2 soft hook set 3 light rod with not enough back bone to compensate for light hook set. fix one or more of these issues and you will be good to go. **you can keep using ur rod just make sure to swinging/sweeping the hook set very far back until you have a full parabolic bend in the rod.

fluoro on spinning gear braid line to fluoro leader or keeping using the fluoro u have but spay with KVD line conditioner

shore fishing will lead you to some revelations (especially in chunk rock): 1-light wire hooks. you can bend them out 2-light weights. light weight bounces, floats and slides across the tops of chunk rock. heavy weight wedges down in it. 3-tie straight braid. you can get away with straight braid in many places including stained water; with reaction baits; and in current. braid helps you bend out hooks and get ur lures back. lots of guys change out their hooks before they are good enough anglers to benefit from it so they just wash money down river. i went thru a serious cotton cordell rattletraps faze while shore fishing. braid to 15lb fluoro leader allowed me to bend out the hook (and seriously tested my connection knot skills). i can't tell you how many times i got the same lure back. then i bought a kayak and all these problems went away

just buy a new reel. but first look at Line recovery per turn and not gear ration. often times you'll only gain a few inches per handle turn. ur reel only gains 3" per turn by jumping from 6:4 (26" per turn) to 7:1 (29" per turn). if you do some calculation you might only gain 6 ft uptake of line on a 100 ft cast. so you gotta turn ur handle 2.5 more times. realistically ur casts are probably around 50-75ft. is it worth spending the money or can you just turn the handle 1.5 more times? Its late can you verify I explained/calculated that right Mike? lol

i've gone thru lots of changes over the years and somehow every spare rod/reel has made it's way back into my line up. i'm glad i didn't get rid of anything. i fish so many different lakes. each has it's own personality and requires a different set of tools.