MontclairDave

Indeed! Caught 20 fish today on mini max chatterbait, spinnerbait, super fluke and worm. A junk-fishing party! Only lost a few, drag working fine. I think my biggest problem was an over-filled spool. Peeled off some line, leaving about an 1/8 of space from the edge of spool, voila, casting and retrieve felt 100% better. Still getting used to how ultra smooth this reel is—and using straight fluoro for the first time, which definitely feels different than braid—but it casts a mile and I’m definitely seeing what the hype is all about.

Thanks! This weekend I’m up in the Berkshires but if you are near my neck of the woods (West Orange) I’ll let you know next time I go out and we can meet up.

Update: ordered a replacement tension knob from Quantum, voila, problem solved and reel works fine. Darn good reel for the $.

Hope so. A bit more info if it helps: Rod is a Kistler Argon MH with 12 lb Seagar Red Label. I was throwing mostly 3/8 ounce baits (chatterbait, spinner bait). Never adjusted the “zero adjust” spool tension knob, so it’s set like it came from the factory. Bait had a pretty fast drop. And I was wrong in previous post: I just rechecked and I can hear the clicker drag when I pull out line with the thumb bar disengaged. It’s subtle but I can hear it. I guess it’s possible that this is an insanely smooth reel and I am just not used to how that feels on the retrieve? And the fish not keeping pinned could be the Kistler. I’ve had that problem before with it, although usually with braid; it’s a stiff rod and definitely needs softer line, especially for chatterbaits. That’s why I tried straight fluorocarbon on it. I’m going out this weekend and will give it another shot. Will let you all know how it goes. Thanks!

When I pull out the line, I don’t hear the drag clicking. When I reel, it feels mushy, as though the reel isn’t engaging all the time. And when I spin the handle just to test out how smooth the reel is, it the spool doesn’t really spin all that much. Basically it feels like something is just off. I am 100% clueless when it comes to reel maintenance, so apologies if I can’t be more specific than that. But I have a bunch of Curados and I can tell what a quality reel feels like. This ain’t it. Casting isn’t an issue—getting pretty impressive distance. Reeling in and keeping fish pinned is definitely wonky.

Bought a JDM Daiwa Zillion from Japan Lure Shop with a bum drag. Emailed them 3 times, no response. I actually thought I had bought it from Digitaka because I was on that site so much when tracking this reel and the yen conversion rate. So I emailed Digitaka first. They responded within 6 hours and let me know they had no record of purchase. Then I remembered I had bought it from Japan Lure Shop. So, lesson learned for me so far: if I ever decide to buy JDM again, Digitaka will get my money. Japan Lure Shop won’t. Next adventure: finding someone willing to service a JDM Daiwa reel. This should be fun. ?

X3. I came to baitcasters late, after decades of spinning reels. Tried a right-handed baitcaster in a local tackle shop and it felt incredibly awkward and weird. I guess I could have gotten used to it but why? Bought a leftie and have loved baitcasters ever since. I’d suggest a Shimano SLX XT. For $130, hard to beat.

Interesting! So, you are not of the camp that fish are line-shy to braid? Or they can “hear” braid under water? Frankly, I’ve not seen a big difference in hookups with moving baits and leaders vs straight braid either; if I use leaders it’s because I’m around rocks and I’ve lost too many fish to cut braid on rocks that I finally learned my lesson. (Sorry to OP for the thread hijack!)

I have that Falcon. Great for smaller cranks, topwaters. Also great for 1/4 ounce chatterbaits, small Keitechs. It’s sweet spot is anything around a 1/2 ounce. My favorite for pond fishing. Just remember you can’t winch fish out of heavy cover with it—I know from experience. Hooked into a hog with a small swim jig along a bank and I didn’t move that fish an inch—reeled my kayak over to her and 7 lb later had my PB, total luck I landed that fish. So use it for stuff it CAN handle and you’ll love it. Of course keep it!

Crazy how there are so many differences of opinion on this. Some say only certain small (FG etc) knots will pass through, others say any knot will pass through, others say most if not all braid to leader knots will occasionally catch on T wing. I have a new Zillion I haven’t yet spooled up so I guess I’ll find out soon enough. But because of posts saying knots will be an issue, I’ve been considering just going with straight fluorocarbon.

I know the channel you are referring to and I think the video. It was a rundown of the best Megabass rods for “junk fishing”—i.e., all-purpose rods that handle so many different baits that it takes at least a bit of the sting out of the high $$ for the rod. Brilliant vid. Made me start a Madbull fund!

Get off my lawn!

New in box JDM Daiwa Zillion SV TW 8.5 speed, never fished. Trade with same but 7.1 or 6.3 speed.

Having flipped my kayak and experienced the nausea and self-hatred of losing a $500 combo, I hear you. I now use pool noodle sections to avoid a repeat occurrence. Which I hate because the line often binds on the noodle. So I find myself often leaving my high-end rods at home while I kayak. So, what’s the point? I’m gonna get a thinner solution to rod savers or use leashes. Maybe that will help. Or I’ll just keep yakking with my $80 Falcon HDs. Have to say, though, after watching a recent Hookup Tackle vid on best Megabass rods for “junk fishing”—meaning, best rods in each line for multiple fishing techniques so you get the most bang for your buck—I am now LUSTING after a P5 Dark Sleeper or Mad Bull. The bait monkey is back…

I have the Falcon Head Turner and I agree it’s great for swim jigs in the grass and also pitching lighter jigs into moderate cover. Great for open-water/weed line frogging as well. I also throw chatterbaits on it because of its MF action and it keeps em pinned pretty well. I’d say it’s a great “junk fishing” rod—handles about 80% of all the lures I throw. (Cranks/topwaters/swimbaits/jerkbaits go on other more specific rods.) But yes, for the OP, sounds like a Heavy Fast would be best for what/where he wants to fish.

Thanks Glenn, I’ve learned so much from this site and all of your videos. Much appreciated!

Interesting! I’ll try and pick up a few. Thanks!

Thanks! I read all of the info and I actually don’t see anything that suggests I can’t make references to the names of other bass fishing info sites, or tackle dealers having sales for the latest sales thread, unless those sites have violated the guidelines of this site regarding spam, etc., in which case the name will be automatically blocked or obscured. Or have I missed something?

Can someone send me a link or summary of what URLs, website mentions etc are prohibited? I think one of my posts got deleted and I have no idea why. For example, in the latest sale thread, I assume we are allowed to mention sites we found the sale by name and/or include URL? Or is that not allowed? Similarly, if we want to recommend a helpful/useful site about a piece of tackle or technique, are we allowed to name that site? Or is that prohibited because the site is considered a competitor to this one? I tried finding posting guidelines on this and failed. I’m sure they are there, just eluded me. Thanks, love this site and don’t want to run afoul of any of its rules.

Got a pack of 18 off fleabay. Found a $5 coupon so $21 shipped. Not bad and frankly I’d pay double to keep my LC Pointer 65s in tiptop shape. 100% biggest confidence bait for me. Outfishes every crankbait in my shallow crank box. Very light so definitely gotta use the spinning rod which is fine. Thanks for the tip!!

From Midway: Just got a Temple Fork Outfitters Tactical Mag Bass 7’ 3” HF, rated up to 1.5 ounce, retails for about $160, got it for $80. The only hole in my arsenal, gonna use it for flipping into heavy stuff with big jigs. Their fast rods have moderate tips so it also may work with some treble-hook moving baits but I expect it’s gonna primarily be for single-hook presentations, we’ll see. They have a few left in other sizes, including a 7’3” MHF that I would have JUMPED on if it didn’t repeat what I have in several other rods. 1 left so grab it now if you’re interested. Blanks are about the same as the TFO Elites without the lighter titanium guides. Plus the one I got has cork handles which I prefer; elites have Winn grips, which I’ve never used.

Listen to the end of the newest TB video. Matt Allen talks about catching an 11-lb bass on a Chatterbait using the Expride 6’10” MH/F and how well it handled that fish and how you can throw lots of different baits on it. I do a lot of bank and kayak angling and prefer shorter rods so if I was gonna get an Expride it would be this one.

So, if you were gonna get replacements for the Pointer 65, you’d recommend short shank #8, if I can find em? Or something else? Any particular brand? By far my favorite crankbait. BE Gill slays in local ponds.

All of my LC Pointer 65s have hooks in need of replacement after catching tons of fish and either getting a bit bent out or rusted from being in kayak and me not being great at drying them out before storing them back in box. So, what size and brand replacement trebles do you recommend? also thinking of buying a bunch of different sizes for my other jerkbaits, squarebills and Rapalas because a lot of em are battered as well. Suggestion on a range of sizes I should get to cover most baits? Most are shallow to mid divers less than 1/2 ounce; I don’t really throw any deep divers or other bigger crankbAits. Also: anyone prefer EWG trebles for this? Short shank? What would be most universal to keep it simple? Or does it really depend on the bait? Thanks!

The new Shimano SLX A Swimbait rod 7’ 3”MH F rated 1-4 ounces. Went for the smaller rod cause I fish out of a kayak most of the time. I am getting it mostly for throwing glide baits up to 2 ounces like the S Waiver 168 and Gantarel Jr but hoping it will be stout enough to do double duty for single-hook soft-plastic swimbaits like the 6” or even 8” Megabass Freestyle on Beast Hook. Backordered from TW till June.