bassbassontherange

Falcon Buccos are seldom talked about on here, but i agree. They're an excellent rod. I have two with $250 Chronarch Ci4's on them. Great setups. I especially like them for jerkbaits and walking baits. Just the right amount of flex in the tip of a MHF for a good presentation and they're remarkably sensitive.

I always spend the most money on my finesse setups, one because they're usually pretty pricey anyway, but two because it's just plain fun. I usually have a pretty good idea what's going to catch fish, but I'm always going to reach for my finesse gear at least once. 50e or Ci4, 10lb fluoro, M or MH fast action rod, weightless fluke, senko, squarebill, or jerkbait. All really fun and versatile.

Great observation! Fluoro is finicky as it is, but that could definitely be a contributing factor considering how smoothly that spool spins. That'd also explain why he said the tension knob helps, but not the brakes. You're a freaking fishing detective... a fishtective!

Drag is something every reel has, and something measurable. Any time you have something that meets those two criteria, you're going to have it marketed to. Weight, ball bearings, material, price, gear ratio, ect. are all similar in that respect. Companies will use anything they can to gain an edge because some people do in fact buy on specs. Drag, like poinsonokie says, really doesn't matter when you're looking at "max drag" specs. This is especially true with bass fishing. Almost any reel you're going to find will snap the line before your drag slips (at max settings), but the reels with a good drag well let it out smoothly when it does slip. One reel I fish with is the Chronarch Ci4, and it has one of the lightest max drags on the market. I will tell you though, when there's a good fighter on the end of the line, having a nice, smooth drag gives you peace of mind that you can fight the fish the way you want, using the line you want, without worrying about losing tension or snapping off. That's what matters to me. Unless you're reeling in a tree with a 10lb bass wrapped around it, you're going to be just fine.

You're not the only person to struggle with fluoro. Many people prefer braid with a leader for this reason as well as others, but you probably won't get finesse presentations exactly right, especially in deep water, unless you go 100% fluoro. The lure just doesn't seem to fall evenly if you've got floating line above the leader. I think you may be on to something with overfilling, especially if you have noticed you cast better with less line on the spool. Fluoro is definitely more sensitive to backlashing. I don't think it makes a huge difference, but some suggest a line conditioner like KDV or Reel Magic. You might try that. Otherwise, I'd say just stick with it and reduce the amount of line on your spool if that eliminates the problem. You definitely have a good reel for that application. Good luck!

All you knuckleheads out on Melvern are making me jealous. I can't get out there, but I might be headed to Cedar Creek/Fort Scott/ Rock Creek next week. The cooler weather next week might heat things up. Anyone fished any of these lakes recently?

I have an sx. It's a very good reel, but even within that price point, you're going to have a lot of people who will debate that statement. I'd argue there are at least three reels that provide better all around performance that can be had for less than what an sx retails for.

Shimano guy here. Get the Speed Spool. IF you're looking to spend a bit more, get the Citica I on an auction site. I think it's worth an extra 15-20 bucks.

Good idea. You can also get a brand new 13 Met for 267 right now from Japan. Curious why you want 12lbs of drag though. Lots of reels will give you that, but one of the best in your price range (if not THE best), the Chronarch Ci4, doesn't meet your drag requirement, but I've brought in BIG channel cats covered in weeds with absolutely no problem. To me and most, a good drag isn't a function of the lb rating, but of the smoothness (and you can't put that on a box). If you're looking for a solid burner, take a hard look at the Ci4+hg. I like it as well as the Mets, it's cheaper, and it has a smoother drag than anything else I've ever used. It has enough power for any bass fishing application.

Does such a thing exist? If you find one, I'd love to see it as well. Headed there the 14th and 15th!

Put the bait on like you normally would, covering the hook eye. Take an extremely stiff line like 30lb flourocarbon, push it into the bait, through the eye, and out the other side, and snip off the excess on both sides. Holds it in place and really increases the strength where you're having problems. Reinforces exactly what you're looking for.

Yeah boyeeee! Let's get it on... In the football sense. In the fake football sense. Okay the fantasy sense. I have an idea. Let's click a mouse, tap a screen, and talk some S!

There's a thread entirely devoted to the Pelican Raiders. I'd look there. You're going to have a tough time not drilling holes, though.

They were really smashing it, I noticed. Looked like miniature killer whales on Planet Earth or something. Jealous. Nice video.

Thanks for the info. I guess I got caught up on you saying the topwater bite was good all day. I haven't fished smallmouth much. My ignorance coming through.

Nice fish, nice day! When you say you were using a tube, I'm confused. Were you walking it weightless on topwater? I haven't fished plastic tubes before (if that's even what you're calling a "tube"). When do you use them as opposed to say a football jig or a t-rigged senko?

First-I think it's most important to ask the question you're asking if you're really looking to expand how you fish. The most experienced people on here will tell you different types of lines give you better chances of catching fish because they give you the best presentation or are best in certain types of cover. If you're looking for an all around line, you'll have to admit to yourself that it's going to limit what you can do. However, if you use primarily one setup, you're asking about the best all around option. In my opinion, the best all around option for a spinning setup is NOT flouro. It's going to give you poor presentation for most topwater lures. It's also going to be a pain in your butt managing in windy conditions or when line twist comes into play. In my opinion, braid or mono are going to be better as all around lines.. I'd recommend a good braid, but if you're fishing weightless plastics you're going to have a poor presentation, and there are sooo many times where that's the best option. Mono does most things pretty well, excels at cranking and topwater, but can knick and fray and isn't the strongest, so it's poor in heavy weedy cover. I feel like I'm talking in a circle because I guess I am here. Don't pick one. Save 50 bucks, get a second setup, and cover more bases by having multiple options. Otherwise, you're going to spend too much on line, waste too much time changing line to fit the situation, and still not be able to quickly adapt. Two rigs, one with braid, the other with fluoro, will tackle almost any situation. If you don't have two setups, go with mono. I believe it's the most versatile. People caught fish on mono almost exclusively for half a century.

Are there electric hookups at Cedar Valley?

I'm not in the STL area, but generally speaking, in the heat of the summer you find the smaller fish more active in the shallows, especially during the day. To catch big bass in the heat, get up early and fish in the morning (or late in the evening as the sun is going down) around structure in deep water, even top water over it, or deep by cranking over it or jigging in it. That's not to say you won't hook into something nice in shallower water, it's just that generally speaking the bigger fish move deeper this time of year. It can be hard to find what they want, especially in clearer water, so be patient and try different baits. Don't give up! In another month or so it'll pick up in your neck of the woods. Fall bass fishing, when you find the fish, can be some of the most fun you'll have all year.

So... I'm not a freak? I'm not the biggest guy in the world and as a kid fishing the old Curado's, I held my rigs like you describe, but with four fingers underneath and my left hand thumb on the line going into the reel. I couldn't get leverage for a hook set otherwise. Fast forward fifteen years, I picked up new reels. They're smaller and easier to palm, so now I fish more traditionally. Every once in awhile though, I catch myself holding my gear my old way. Both feel comfortable, but after the old way ( like you WRB), I HAVE to have a finger on the line. You miss out on so much sensitivity otherwise. I'm might prefer holding my rig in front of the reel, actually. I guess I feel like it just doesn't LOOK right, so I don't.

There's not much to maintenance at all on the Curado I. Lube the racetrack and you're good to go. I've had mine for over a year, fished them heavily, and that's all they've needed. This literally takes 30 seconds, tops, to do. Sure, there are people who say the reels are packed with too much oil and grease coming from the factory. Those require a little more work, maybe 15-30 min to get right, but that's not specific to the Curado or Shimano. In fact, Shimano reels are not known for being packed that way. I've owned every series of Curado since the 200B's. The D's and E's are killer reels, but I think the I is a marginally better performer, and one reason to me is the braking system. I'll give you it requires more maintenance, but I'll definitely take the sacrifice of time being that it's approx 1 min/year. I know you're not arguing it's a bad reel, but to others reading, there's not much at all you have to do. Fantastic reel for the money.

Edit: added a few more reels that have received positive reviews.

It seems like this topic comes up once every two weeks or so. You'll find the consensus for a reel under 200 is the Curado I. I agree. Other excellent reels in that price range are the Tatula type R, Revo S, BPS Pro Qualifier, older Curado's and Chronarch's, ect. Whatever you do, if you're looking to save some green, check out the auction sites. Especially with Shimano, you can pick up a used reel at a great price. New reels are 25-35% less as well. Or.... be a good guy and support your local bait store:)

Pretty freaking BA lineup. I'm jealous! I've been eyeing an Exsence. What can you tell me about that reel? How do you use it, and what does it compare to with regard to the rest of Shimano's lineup?

I get what you're saying, but I also think that when you have a smoother casting reel, it's much more predictable, and more effortless. If you're putting more effort into casting, chances are you're less accurate. Compare it to throwing a football, kicking a soccer ball, hitting a golf ball... when you have to put too much force into it, you get less accurate. With excellent casting reels, you can cast more smoothly, improving accuracy.