FishTank

I had one of the spinning models. I bought it around 1998. I remember it being heavy and not sensitive. I paid somewhere between $50 and $65 for it new. I only fished it for a year or less. It snapped right in the middle when I was bringing in a big catfish. Might have been my fault.

Thanks. I set in a bucket when I got home and hosed it down. I let it soak over night and then I sprayed it down in the kitchen sink with my wife's heavy duty sink sprayer. I slowly started to chip away the gunk on the outside. Once cleaned I started to take it apart and sprayed the insides down. I used the Lucas reel cleaner on it and it sort of dissolved all the gunk. Then I used a dremel toll with a sponge polish tip to clean and remove the rust where I could. A few parts then went into an ultrasonic cleaner. I couldn't believe how much gunk came out of the bearings. Luckily most of the gunk you see in the pics above is a mix of a lot of grease, sand and mud. For once, too much grease saved this reel. Oil and grease and then reassembled, ready to fish.

I was a big fan of a few co-poly's over the years but have since moved on. The negatives started to out weigh the positives when compared to a few regular mono lines, fluorocarbons, and braids. With that said, line, like most fishing things, is ever evolving and I like trying new lines from time to time. As far as co-poly with crankbaits goes (these are generalizations of various lines)...... I was getting break offs in the middle of the line, the abrasion resistance was not that great, it didn't last long for me, it became brittle quickly, memory and it didn't seem to cast as far as other lines. These days I use fluorocarbon for most of my cranking but I still use mono on a few set ups, Sufix Siege or Elite and Sunline Deifer Armilo. Here is a short, general list of what I am currently using and this will probably change next year..... Crankbaits - 5, 10, and 14lb Sunline Sniper Invizible, Sufix Seige 10lb, and Sunline Deifer Armilo 13lb Jerkbaits - 10lb Sunline Sniper Invizible Soft Plastic Casting - 12lb Seaguar R18 Limited, 12lb Sunline Sniper BMS, 10lb Seaguar Tatsu Spinnerbaits and Bladed Jigs - Varivas AAA Fluorocarbon Jigs - 16lb Sunline Invizible, YGK Ollitolos WX Lure Special 70lb (40lb US diamater), 8lb Invizix (small jigs), YGK Super Jigman 50lb Topwater - YGK Upgrade 50lb, 14lb Sunline Machine Guncast Soft Plastic Spinning - YGK Ohdragon 18lb to 10lb FC leader, YGK Upgrade 20lb BFS - 5lb Sunline Sniper Invizible, Sunline Almight 16lb to 10lb leader, 5lb Sunline BMS This is what I remember of the top of my head. There is probably something I am forgetting but this is pretty close.

If you saw the pic of rod and reel I pulled from 20 feet deep, here is what it started out as and how it ended after 3-4 hours of cleaning, soaking and oiling/greasing. So it works surprisingly well. It was a lot of work but in the end, I didn't replace any parts. The bearings are so so, the drag washers are some sort of plastic and the AR bearing after soaking in a ultrasonic cleaner with Simple Orange, works fine. This reel isn't a super smooth high dollar reel to start with but with some TLC it performs much better than I thought it would. It casts OK, it's pretty smooth and it brings in fish. I can see why people speak so highly of it.

Nope. Just depends on the lure weight, line and how the rod loads. All things equal you shouldn't loose any distance.

Use a crankbait slow. Once it's on, cut the line and kiss your crankbait goodbye. 😁

Anyone need an Abu Garcia Black Max. Its crappie friendly.

I noticed this as well. I took something all the way to check out for a buddy and the price never changed. It can be found at another JDM site for about the same price. I don't get how this is a sale.

I like using 5lb fluorocarbon on most of my BFS reels but I do have one setup know with Sunline Almight and a leader. I've really liked it so far. I don't use backing on my BFS reels. I've found with these light lines even the best machine drilled holes can cut it when you try to tie the line. So I use tape. Another thing I learned is to take the spool out and tie the line on. I do a three loop over hand knot going one direction and then tie the same knot going the opposite direction, followed by a small piece of tape over the knot.

The lakes I fish not many guys use FFS for off shore deep fishing. They usually are 150 or so feet from the bank just cruising a long. If they see something, they move in on it. Most guys though are still beating the bank year round. The area where it has really changed is crappie fishing. You see guys just sitting in the middle of the lake all over the place with multiple deep rigs. This has hit the crappie population hard on my lakes, especially the ones with motor restrictions.

If you ever wonder how to catch fish off shore using mapping, side scan and 2D, this video shows one of the best ways to do it. I have been catching fish the past few years this way. It doesn't always work but its just like cruising the bank up close. I have found some high percentage spots on a few of the lakes I fish and have pulled some nice fish from these spots all year round. The nice thing is once you mark the them, you can go back and hit them anytime. I'm not always using a jig though, sometimes it's a deep crank that I know hits the correct depth I want. I also use small swimbaits. I always enjoy the looks I get when I pull a big one from 20 feet deep and 300+ feet shore. It's like I just pulled off a magic trick or something.

Bummer. Sure looks that way. There are a few sites that still have it but great rod though. I caught these two on it a couple of weeks ago with an Evergreen CR-16.

I use the G Loomis 864C IMX Pro Deep Flex for deep cranks. It's the only rod I have used that doesn't wear my arm out when I'm throwing some big deep divers. It doesn't appear to have as much power as it does but it will launch a bait into another zip code. It also does a great job of pinning fish and getting them in the boat. I have 7'4'' St. Croix LTB Mod. and it's a great rod but the 864C Loomis does a better job for deep cranks.

Chartreuse Blue Back, Silver (something reflective), and a bright craw color. Usually one of these three will get bit but the action of the lure sometimes plays a bigger part than the color. Sound, or the lack thereof, can make a difference as well. Also, a white or bone colored crank will git bit in shallow dirty water for me.

Use their online chat feature and explain what happened. I have had good luck with getting issues like this resolved and they are usually in my favor.

That's a cool idea. I will have to try the ring. I agree the 4in gets better quality fish. You should try The Hook Up Tackle's exclusive color, Jelly Craw. I used them as a jig trailer the last time I was out. I was intending to jig fish most of the day and I forgot to bring my usual bag of trailers. The DoLive Craws were all I had. I caught several keepers with it. The hits were viscous too.

Light hooks, light line, light rods = light drag I adjust mine by hand and feel. I also adjust it on the fly based on the fish I am fighting.

Sunline Sniper Invizible.

I have two I use OSP Dolive Craw 3in and a Jackall Cover Craw 3in. Both bring them in but both rip pretty easy. I use an EWG head either a 1/16 or 1/8oz.

5in Senko Wacky rigged with 1/8oz Berkley Fusion wacky head in black with blue flake and Smoke Hologram Blue Silver Laminate.

I picked up a Megabass P5 Whippet and a Shimano Twin Power C2000S for this technique and so far it's been a blast. Dispite being a 6'6'' rod, it casts a long way and is also super sensitive. The Twin Power might as well be the previous Stella. It's just a pleasure to fish. I use this combo for all finesse swimbaits. There just seems to be a time and place where the fish hone in on the smaller swimbaits and minnows. I don't get caught up in the specific technique names but I use four different approaches with the correct bait and head.... a straight retrieve, a darting action, a rolling side to side action, and a bait that is meant to fall and be popped.

I can check off another one for the Senko. I'm not sayin a 5in Senko will catch everything in a lake but come on... really.

I use 5lb Sunline Sniper Invisible. No issues.

Many years ago when I bought my first baitcaster, I struggled using a right handed reel. I ended up returning my first two to BPS and was ready to give up but a Bass Pro Shop old timer stepped in and gave me a left handed reel to try out. Problem solved. I have been using left handed reels ever since, even though I am right handed. I can now use both but prefer left handed reels. I like casting and setting the hook with my right strong hand.

I have the Calcutta Conquest 31HG. I use it for jerkbaits (1/4oz to 1/2oz) and square bills. I have it on a Megabass P5 Z-Crank. Like any Conquest it's powerhouse but in a really small package, think the 50 size of old.