Brackish Angler 228

I'm a veteran at angling for my own flesh (check the profile pic..). And to whoever said a sharper hook would push right through is dead wrong. Even brand new GOOD hooks don't want to push through because of how how dense human flesh is and how it works against the barb. The deeper it goes, the harder it gets to push. If the hook had no barb it would be easy to push through. You don't realize how tough you really are until you've sat in a boat biting down on something and using all your mental and physical strength to push a hook through your skin. Only to keep fishing with a hook in your hand for the rest of the day because you forgot dykes.

If you're fishing where pedestrian traffic is prohibited, like an interstate, I understand why they would ask you to leave. That or parking on a shoulder that's meant for emergencies. Other than that, if you're sure it's public land, try and politely ask the officer why you aren't allowed to fish there. The hard part about that is a lot of cops hear "asking politely" and think "getting smart".

This is exactly dead on. You're using massive baits for a pond. You shouldn't need anything over 1/2 oz EVER for a small, calm pond. You definitely don't need a 10" worm. 4" - 6.5" worms on either shakey heads or light T-rigs with either 2/0 or 3/0 light-wire hooks (round bend for actual worms, EWG for thicker baits like senkos, craws, etc.) Dip in JJs, cast and set your rod down (not litterally, just don't move the bait for at least 30s). Then fish painfully slow and stop and shake or doodle for a second then let sit for another 30s. You want your bait to sit still more than it moves.

What river are you on? That's an important thing to know. If you're fishing a river with mostly redeye and you're throwing 8" worms on 5/0 hooks that's a problem. Give us some real details. I fish rivers in my yak and pull big spots, but it depends on what river you're fishing. You might also want to check out a forum called "Alabama River Fishing" they'll know more than these guys on such specific rivers.

You won't be disappointed. I wish I would have bought a JDM 100

Chronarch 50E, Curado 50e, Scorpion 1000XT, TD-Z 105H, Conquest 50, etc.

I use 7'6" rods for flats fishing for specs and reds, but that's clear open water and I'm sight fishing so I need the casting distance. Honestly I can't imagine using a rod that long for bass fishing off banks or near cover. If I'm not mistaken, I think most long (over 7'3") bass rods are to give you leverage when setting the hook in really deep water. I would suggest getting a 6'10" to 7'1" rod. Those are my favorite freshwater rod lengths.

While I won't just come out and say JDM tackle is "worth the money" the quality and technology they boast is unsurpassed by any other market. You can't compare many reels to JDM Daiwas and Shimanos... Buy the JDM one if you get a D series.. They're the same price USDM and JDM and you can get a 100 series in Japan where 200D is the smallest for the US. I have a USDM 200D and it absolutely blows that you cannot access the VBS... The JDM D series has a swinging sideplate like the B series Calcuttas. Worth the $20 shipping IMO.

I meant a "new" frame from the old Chronarch, whoops! Thanks for clarifying. That's just simply not true. It's a huge misconception; especially in the automotive industry. I work in automotive manufacturing and I know first hand that parts quality has improved and tolerances are tighter and tighter every model change. Now, as far as Shimano's reels, I cannot say. But, as someone who works in manufacturing and deals with suppliers, I will say that if something undergoes a minor model change and uses a lot of the last model's exact parts, those parts are most likely created using the same process and tooling. For a supplier (may or may not be Shimano) to re-cut tools and dies in order to create new parts is ridiculously expensive. So to do so to create lower quality parts would be illogical. I'm not saying it can't, won't or doesn't happen, I'm only saying it doesn't make sense.

Short answer: Shimano enthusiasts believe the older Curado E is superior to the newer Chronarch E despite it being the same exact reel (with minor upgrades) in a different color. In my opinion it's a preference thing, not a performance thing.. Long answer: The Curado G and Chronarch E were both technically downgrades, but only within their own model name. The Curado G is now in between the Citica E/G and the Castaic SF, borrowing its bearing count from the Castaic SF and it's tech from the Citica E/G. The new Chronarch E is mechanically equivalent to the old Curado E with more ratios. So effectively the price of a new Curado E has gone up to $200 (Chronarch E), and the Chronarch D has ceased to exist for the USDM. The Scorpion XT has been termed the "Japanese Curado E" but, honestly, it's more similar, mechanically, to the Chronarch D. The Chronarch E got a titanium line guide and Dartanium II drag: upgrades from the Curado E. The real question is why Shimano didn't perform the upgrades under the Curado name and keep the Chronarch untouched. Even with the price increases people would buy a $200 Curado G knowing that it was an upgrade from the E rather than buying a Chronarch E that was a downgrade from the D. With the Chronarch D gone from the line, there's now a gap for people who wanted a Core with its 7 A-RB bearings, but liked the brass gears of the Chronarch (over the Core's aluminum) and didn't mind the added weight of the aluminum frame. I suspect (maybe hope?) that Shimano will fill the gap at iCast 2013. EDIT: I hope you weren't referring to the 300E.. Because that's a completely different story..

Thanks for the clarification, I didn't know smallmouths were really aggressive. Sheephead = creephead... Those scoundrels freak me out. TIL they were freshwater, though; thought they were only found in the Gulf!

Well put. The rod tapers, lengths, and powers make sense now. G Loomis also makes smallmouth rods; "Bronzeback" I think they're called. All of those techniques seem to require a sensitive rod, so whats with the cork inside the reel seat? It seems to contradict the solid blank-to-reel and exposed blank connection that so many companies seek to increase sensitivity. G Loomis Bronzeback Spinning Fenwick Elite Tech Smallmouth Casting

I don't live near or fished for smallmouth bass, but I see smallmouth rods on different sites and I was wondering: What exactly makes a smallmouth rod special? The reel seat on the ones I've seen look odd; with cork embedded and huge triggers. Why is that?

Seeing how long the spool can spin means absolutely nothing. I used to think the same thing. I bought a Calcutta 200GTB for saltwater fishing and when buying a freshwater reel I was spinning every spool in my local tackle store comparing them to my Calcutta. I bought a Revo SX because of how "fast" everything would move on it. I fish my Calcutta alongside my Revo all the time and with the same baits the casting distance is almost identical. Now, I do have a Chronarch 50e and I love it, but I can't comment on how it was new. I bought it here on the flea market and the seller said it was fished 5 times but I can't tell you if he stripped and relubed it. I will say my family owns around 30 Shimanos (mostly Calcuttas and original Bantams) and none of them were "bad" straight out of the box. The Chronarch will not disappoint you. I'm incredible impressed with the quality of the reel and its performance. It will cast weightless worms no problem with only 2 brakes on and hardly any spool tension. I can't say that about any other reels I own.

Yes, I own one and had problems. I explained what the problem is and why it happens.

+1 for Carbonlite and Pro Qualifier. A buddy of mine wins tournaments with almost exclusively those rods and reels.

First let's cover purpose. The 50 series are a light line, light bait type of reel: 10-12lb test mono/fluoro or 20-30lb braid and baits 3/4oz and under. The lighter spool and smaller frame provides a finesse platform as well for people who don't want to use a spinning reel. It's a very versatile reel for someone like me who throws a lot of different types of baits from the bank or a kayak/canoe. It allows you to go from floating worms, to 1/2 jigs, to 3/8 spinners, to 1/2 spooks, to 3/4 jigs all on the same reel. The lighter spool on the 50e handles those weightless worms (and flipping, since you asked) much better than the 200e with its heavier spool filled with more line. Next is the line capacity. I don't know what you like to fish, but I fish 12lb full fluorocarbon. The lakes and rivers I fish don't have much heavy cover and the water can get pretty clear, so it works very well for me. I can fill the spool a tad over 85 yds (and 10lb/105yds). If you were running braid you could spool 20lb/115yds or 30lb/105yds. Line capacity really isn't an issue. You're throwing relatively light baits so average cast is going to be 50-75ft (17-25yds) with this reel (rough numbers). With almost every bait, you're engaging the reel as so as the bait hits the water so no more line is going to come out. It's not a deep cranking reel, obviously, so were not talking about crazy casts with lots of line out. You've still got a lot of line on your reel (40-60 yds). I'm not really sure what you meant by losing "speed" so I can't help you on that one, but you surely do not lose any casting distance. The casting distance is going to be dependent on the rod and bait. The 50e and 200e are the same reels with different spool sizes and weights. If anything the 50e's lighter spool is going to aid in casting distance. I do wish that Shimano offered the 50e in different ratios, but what can you do? All I can say is the Chronarch 50e -- or any 50 series reel -- is not "useless" by any means. There's a reason Shimano makes so many 50 sized reels; rarely do you need more than 255ft of line.

Just out of curiosity, could you give me an example of one of those old reels without brakes? I'm a nerd about reel mechanics old and new.

The entire braking system is the problem. It has nothing to do with catching fish; I've caught a lot of fish on mine too with no problems. Magnetic brakes (the type on the SX) by themselves have a linear braking curve. Meaning the speed of the spool is directly proportional to the braking force (cast control is constant) throughout the cast. Adjusting the mag brakes has no effect on the beginning of the cast vs the middle of the cast vs the end. This is bad because the bait is accelerating at the beginning of the cast, then stops accelerating through the middle and end of the cast. Magnetic brakes, having a linear braking curve, don't address the initial acceleration. So the countermeasures that are taken are either (or both) tightening the cast control or letting your thumb ride heavier on the spool than it would with a centrifugal brake (alone like the S or assisting like the STX). The consequence of both countermeasures are a loss in overall casting distance. Since the cast control is constant throughout the cast, attempting to adjust it to ONLY control initial spool speed will not work and will slow the spool speed throughout the entire cast. You can see here how adjusting the mag brake does nothing to address acceleration of the spool. A centrifugal braking system does not have a linear braking curve. At the beginning of the cast it slows the spool to counteract the acceleration of the bait, then when the spool needs no braking (because its speed now matches the speed of the bait), the brakes don't affect the spool. Here's a graph of the braking curves:

The Aura Elite is a limited edition JDM Abu that employs the same mag brakes as the SX and old Premier. 1.) Abus reels with mag-only brakes suck. 2.) It's a collectors' reel; it's not really meant to be fished.

The smoothest braid I've ever used is Power Pro Super Slick.

I know an F tip isn't necessarily ideal for treble hooks, but an F would be better than an XF for trebles. I don't crank really, but I use an F tip for topwaters with trebles without a problem. With topwaters you can set the hook with an F tip you just have to wait longer. I'd like a mod tip, but for people like me who fish mostly banks and small water in a kayak, a cranking rod isn't absolutely necessary.

I really don't know what to believe because my Calcutta runs braid and I saw a lot more action when I started using fluoro leaders. Most of the time I fish stained/dingy water but when I fish rivers they're usually crystal clear to about 12 feet. I don't know if using fluoro (or leader) is a confidence thing for me or what, I just prefer it.

My opinions: Stay away from the Revo SX unless you flip/pitch. The solo mag brakes are terrible for casting. Stay away from Abu rods. In my experience the quality is sub-par. The performance is there, just not for the money. That said the S and STX are fine reels. There are good deals on a few STXs in the Flea MArket section. I wouldn't buy the rod Arv suggested. The xf tip will work well for jigs and worms and that's it. A fast tip will be more versatile for topwaters, spinners and shallow squarebills (very limited cranking). I would buy that Chonarch 200e7 (7:1 not very good for cranking, though). I bought the 50e from that same seller and the reel and jbsooner fan are amazing. Can't help much on rods or brands other than I loved my 7' MH F Cashion before it broke on a 4lb... Amazing sensitivity but it had weakness problem and unresponsive customer support. My temporary rod is a 6'6" MH F Falcon Bucoo Micro. I would say it's a little softer than a fast taper, but that might be good for your application. I fish spooks, wakebaits/ shallow cranks, and buzzbaits with it but mostly T-rigged worms. I'd say it's sensitive, but way less so than my Cashion ($50 cheaper though). My buddy is sponsored by Duckett rods and he loves the Micro Magics. From what I've heard, their softer than advertised(ex. MH feels more like M) but really sensitive. They might be something to look into if you want kind of a mix between a sensitive worm/jig rod and a semi-limber topwater rod. I'd love to give you a first hand review, but I'm still waiting on my 7' MH Duckett Micro Magic.

I love the way braid casts and the sensitivity is AMAZING! The problem is, I'm just terrible at leader tying apparently. I have had too many break-offs at the uni-uni connection to my fluoro. I set the hook in a fish just to get some braid flying back at me the other day. I'm a highly conservationist-type angler and it made me sick to think there's a fish out there with a 3/0 hook and trickworm stuck in his lip . I've switched to pure fluoro unfortunately.