Tim Kelly

Not really. The angle of your rod has a huge bearing on when the drag starts to give. If you point the rod directly at the fish, then yes it would theoretically give drag at 11lb, but you'd probably pull the hook out of the fish. Set the drag by feel. Tug a bit of line out and get a feel for it. If the drag slips when you set the hook with heavy line, you probably want to tighten it a bit, with light line, maybe not. There are no exact ways of doing this as it depends so much on the situation.

Spiderwire smooth 8 does everything I want for finesse spinning stuff, I've tried a huge number of braids over the years and it has a good combination of strength and handling. My two most used spinning outfits have got 0.10mm and 0.12mm on them that has been on for 4 seasons and it's still flawless. It's inexpensive too, so that's a bonus. I have Sufix 131 on another spinning rod, and it's very nice, but I don't see an advantage over smooth 8, especially at 3-4x the price. The trouble with recommending it is that it is sold in Europe with the diameters I've stated, though the lastest batches seem to have changed the diameters! The US labeling will be totally different. Goodness knows what line manufacturers are thinking. If you get 10-15lb US rated smooth 8 I expect you'll be using the same stuff I'm talking about though.

I imagine Tactical makes most of it's money from sales through the links in the description below their videos. They probably get a decent percentage from Tackle Warehouse.

Very sorry to hear about your year and your father. I understand the stresses of looking out for aging parents and the guilt you inevitably feel. I hope things start to get better for you soon. I'm sure your father was very proud of you.

A proper pea souper there guvnor. ? We've been having more wind than anything else this year. I don't like wind. You can dress for rain or cold, but wind just makes everything difficult.

Fantastic pictures Kendrick, what a trip! Glad all went well Andy. Looking forward to hearing about it.

Outstanding! Glad you had a great trip. Look forward to the photos, though you can keep your ribs to yourself.

Tremendous!

Impressive. Our tomatoes and beans are all gone now, some lettuce still going and spinach, kale and a few other tough leafy things in to keep us going through the winter.

Sounds like amazing service to me.

Time to meet Dr Samuel Adams!

Bet you don't sleep worth a d**n tonight. ?? I can't sleep properly if I'm just going for a normal fishing trip the next day, going away for a special trip leaves me sleepless for a week beforehand! Have a great time.

If you can't use a longer rod for practical reasons the other way to increase casting distance is heavier or more aerodynamic baits and or using finer line. A PE 0.6 or 0.8 mainline might make a significant difference for you, especially if you're using some of the thicker "6lb" monos.

Have a fantastic time. Can't wait for the reports and footage.

Great answer, thank you. In Holland I see huge barges, 6 at a time, tied together and powered by the rear barge. A lot of responsibility for the barge captain there, everyone gets out of their way! The damage in rough water makes total sense.

Andy, I'm always intrigued that people tow on a long rope, where barges tie up side by side with the powered vessel slightly back, so it can steer properly. Any reason why towing on a long line is preferable to side by side?

80lb braid on a 200 spool is going to be a problem. Even a moderate cast will see the spool so empty that your retrieve rate will be pitiful for the first 2/3 of the retrieve.

Impressive. We only got as far as filling our Airfix model planes with white spirit, setting light to them and flying them out of the bedroom window. Mind we did turn a toy cap gun into a functioning gun....

I think this is the most likely scenario ^^ . A 1500 size reel is pretty small, 2500 to 4000 is a more usual size range for bass fishing.

Travelling can be a chore. Sam Adams helps.

I was supposed to be going out to sea in a boat today, but the weather foiled that plan. Instead we took my boat on the river. It's been tough this year generally, but today capped it all. Almost impossible to get more than a tap off the fish. By the end of the day the dog gave me this look. I feel like I've let her down.

I have both. I've never particularly liked Shimanos previously, but an quite enjoying the Stradic. It's different to the Daiwas that I usually use. The Daiwas seem free and effortless, where the Shimano feels tighter, but maybe more precise? Just a perception thing really, they're both good. On balance I think I still prefer my daiwas free feel for finesse, the stradic would feel nice for some more power spinning techniques, but really, it doesn't matter. Definitely splitting hairs.

Ours are doing pretty well after a slow start. We always get nervous st this time of year as blight will strike at some point, but if you keep a close eye on them, trim most of the leaves off and harvest them at the first sign of blight it gives them as long as possible to ripen naturally. Any unripe ones when we finally pick them go in paper bags with bananas or ripe tomatoes.

Close to a proper fish. ? Spend most of my time trying to avoid them, after years chasing them. Fickle or what? ?