fishnkamp

First welcome to the board. You will have a chance to learn a lot from many helpful members here. Now lets talk a little about your fishing. I know you like to fish lightweight baits, since you said it in your post. If you would be kind enough to answer a few more questions we will try to be more specific in our answers. I see you said you fish a lake. Is this a small lake or a big huge lake? Are you fishing from shore or a boat?Do you ever fish in larger faster rivers or big lakes? Do you ever fish from shore at ponds, streams, and small rivers? Do you chase bass, bluegill, crappie, or other fish? Fishing light baits like that sorta leans me towards a nice medium heavy power fast action baitcaster, but your answers will determine the correct setup for you. The combos you have now are any of them spinning combos What type of combo is the one breaking down on you. If you are thinking about a baitcasting combo, then I think a Daiwa Tatula CT might be a good reel for you. It casts well and is built very reliably. It runs around $100 online in many places. Check Amazon. For a rod I would look at a Dobyns Fury FR 703C. They build a fantastic rod and it will run you $110 from places like Tackle Warehouse. Another great rod to consider is a Powell Max 3D CEF. I fish one of these and love it for an all purpose setup. Mine is not a 3D version, I have the older model, but they are virtually the same. The 723 is the longer version of that if you feel you must have a longer rod. I prefer their 6'8 version myself. Take a look at the Tackletour review of my rod. http://www.tackletour.com/reviewpowell683cxfast.html

I would probably set your rod up with braid or a good copolymer line.

Hey Chris at Tech I own some Dobyns Champion XPs and some Sierras. That was the first Extreme I had a chance to cast, boy that rod felt nice! Billy I am glad it worked out. That combo of that rod and your Daiwa reel felt so good. It will be a joy to get it back together.

Now you just have to go out and make memories! He will remember his first fish caught on that rod and reel and how great it felt! You are the greatest grandpa ever! Take lots of pictures! I am over 50 and remember very little about my youngest years, but I remember my first fishing trip with my dad and my grandpa. I also remember catching my first bluegill and also catching my own jacket hood with a poor back cast! LOL. These are the things they will remember all the time.

I have a friend that guides professionally for big flat head and channel cats. For many years before she became a guide she used to meet with a dozen or so friends on friday nights to catfish and cookout on the Susqy river banks. She is awesome. I know she is connected with Bass Pro Shops and gives catfish seminars there. During these she oftens makes equipment suggestions (just give her a budget to work within). Also, she uses some specific brand catfish baits for the channels, and live bluegill for the flatheads. Not all cats will eat "stinky" baits. Now if you have blue cats in your area. like I do here on the Chesapeake Bay, well those chase anything including my rattle traps LOL. I catch some big ones up to about 20 pounds while chasing fall stripers. The rattle traps look like the alewives that all the fish gorge themselves on at that time.

I am not sure who that number belongs to, but if they can not help check with The Tackle Trap http://tackletrap.com/

I use rods with both standard and micro guides on them. I use mono backing with braid and a leader on many of these rigs. i use the uni to uni exclusively without any issues, but I am going to share a few things to look at. First I always tie my uni to uni knots by going thru the loop 5 times on each knot. Also be sure as you wind the tag end thru the loop so each pass thru lays next to the last one, avoid letting them overlap. When you pull the uni to knot tight wet the line and only pull the first one down to a small but not tight knot. Next do the same on the second knot. Pull the main lines to cinch the two knots next to each other. Now I pull all four lines alternately so each knot pulls tight to the other and pull tight on the main lines. If you do this and clip your tag ends down close to the knot I think you will be more successful. I was taught this way by a FLW angler and guide about 7 years ago and have had little trouble ever since.

Doug Hannon "the Bass Professor" designed them.

I would say it this way. I know guys that are fishing them on spinning gear and love them. My next rod will be built using them. The Microwave guides are built a little differently for baitcasters. I am not sure they are as beneficial as they are on spinning rods since the line comes off straighter on a baitcasting reel. Unfortunately i have never had an opportunity to cast a baitcasting rod with them on it. If you would like to you could give Tom an email or call and get his opinion since he uses these guides I am sure he has built someone a rod with them. Here is Tom's website. http://www.tomscustomrods.com/ i am sure he would be happy to give you his opinion. Of course I would also think about getting one of his rods. They are awesome to look at and to fish. He will build you anything you want.

I agree with Turtle135. I have a friend that builds custom rods and he swear by them on spinning rods. Kris, one of our members and a friend of mine, fishes one of Tom's custom rods with those guides and loves them. I definitely would pay the upcharge. Try watching this video.

Yes I use a single uni knot to tie the mono to the reel. I use a uni to uni knot to tie the mono and braid together. I almost always use the 4 to 5 foot leader and tie the leader and braid together again using the uni to uni knot. One work of advice on tying the double uni knots. I always make 5 turns thru the loop and I always try to keep the next turn going outwards so it does not overlap the previous turn. once I make the 5 turns I pull it down partially tight ( not all the way as it will need to slide after the second uni knot is made. Once both knots are pulled down almost tight pull the running lines so the knots slide together. By the way spit always helps knots work best. Wet the knots. The last part is to pull all four lines and tighten up the knot. Check this video out.

I agree with the Dobyns Fury suggestion.

I use that setup on many of my 12 baitcasters and all of my spinning setups. I use Stren Original Clear Blue mono in 12 or 14 pound test as my backing on every reel I own. It does several things. Mono will allow you to get a good tight knot on the arbor, and if you spool it under good even pressure it will spool on nice and smooth. This will give you a good surface to lay the braid on as well. Another thing this does is cut the cost of spooling multiple reels since much less is needed to fill each one. Good braid and Fluorocarbon line is expensive. The mono works out to cost less than 3 cents a yard. Lastly if you have a terrible backlash or if you decide you want to change the line you only need to change a partial reels worth of line. I never need to change my backing. For spinning reels I really like Berkley Original fused FireLine in 14 pound test. It is the same as 6 pound mono in diameter. For my baitcasters I like Suffix 832 and Power Pro Spectra. If I was setting up one baitcaster for doing most things I would choose the 832 in 30or 40 pound test. I would then add a 5 foot leader made up of P Line Halo in 8 pound test for bottom bouncing baits and P Line CXX in 8 pound test for moving baits like topwaters and maybe even things like spinnerbaits and chatterbaits. To make that change is minor and takes only minutes. I suggest you learn the double uni or uni to uni knot. It is the knot i rely on. I always go thru the loop 5 times on each side.

After years of fishing and trying different lines my preference for line on my spinning reels is Berkley Original fused FireLine in 14 pound test. It is the same diameter as 6 pound mono. I always start by spooling all my reels half way up with Stren Original Clear Blue mono in 12 or 14 pound test. This cuts the cost of braid down and gives me a nice smooth backing. Next I spool the remaining amount of room on the spool with the FireLine. I almost always tie on a 5 foot leader made up of either 8 pound mono or P Line CXX in 8 pound test. This combo fishes great, and has caused me almost no line issues. One important thing is to remember to always flip the bail over by hand when using any spinning reel. This helps eliminates any line twist too.

Thanks bholtzinger14. When you get your Tat make sure to run it with side play on the spool. These reels like to be run much more loose compared to any other reel made out there. The normal adjust the spool so the lure drops slowly has no place in the Tatula setup. Start with the brake dial set to 10 of 20. Tighten up the drag star as you would normally do. Your reel should fly and the brakes should work great. You still want an educated thumb at the end but it should work great. I have no idea if you are located near MD, but if you are and you would like to cast one I would be happy to give you a chance with my stuff.

I would second the Daiwa Tatula CTs. I fished with one a friend had ( one of the larger bodied original Tatulas). I fell in love with them. I sold of my Shimanos. I now own 7 total including 2 of the CTs. These are a little smaller body but cast exactly the same. As for rods the Dobyns Fury rods offer a rod that fishes like a $200 rod in other brands, but only costs $110. The Fuego is a reel built on the CT body minus the TWS system. This is a nice system, but may not really be as important to someone like yourself that is upgrading equipment but on a budget. The Fuego will be a major upgrade as is. That reel replaced a reel called an Exceler. I fish one of those as well. It casts just as good as my Tatulas. Now for the "which Fury model" question. If you are looking for an all around multi purpose rod consider the Fury FR 734C. It is a workhorse. Now lets talk spinning reels. I have fished for 40 years and have tried plenty of reels and rods. If you NEED to spend $100 on a reel, then I would say a Pflueger Supreme would be my choice. My wife fishes with one all the time. She loves it. However, in your position I would make a much different choice. Along with that Supreme she and I both fish a total of 5 or 6 Pflueger President reels. If I had you close your eyes and had you test cast each one you would have a hard time telling them apart. We have size 30 reels on our G Loomis Medium Light action rods and size 35 on our heavier medium action rods. You may agree with lots of other anglers and prefer the smaller size reels. Just personal preference. Right now Dicks Sporting Goods has the Presidents on sale ( regularly $59.99) for $49.99. They have a $10 off rebate as well. It gets better.. If you stop in and purchase anything you can use that receipt to answer the online customer survey and print a $10 off anything coupon. That makes a $59.99 reel cost $30. I really like using Berkley original FireLine Fused braid in 14 pound test and a 5 foot leader made up of 8 pound mono or copolymer line. The FireLine in 14 pound test is equal to 6 pound mono in diameter. It casts well and has no memory so line twist is not an issue. Always remember to close the bail by hand with any spinning reel in order to reduce line twist issues.

Heads up on the Pflueger President. Go to Dicks Sporting Goods. Purchase some line or anything cheap. Often I go in and buy 1 $3.00 jig. Go home and go on their website. Follow the info on the back of your receipt. Finish the online customer survey. Then print out a $10 off coupon. Normally a President 6935 would go for $59.99. They are on sale and there is a rebate so it makes it $39.98. Using the coupon you just purchased a super reliable reel that normally sells for $60 for 1/2 that price. Match that with whatever rod you choose. Since you want to backpack and do some beach or salt water I might suggest a 2 piece & foot medium Abu Garcia Veritas. All Veritas rods run a tad bit heavier than they spec but I think it would fit your needs well. If you can find one of the older models online still it should run around $79. That would be a good combo for $110. Next I would go for a Daiwa Tatula CT in a 7.3-1 ratio. Match that up with a Dobyns Fury FR 734C. The 734C is the most versatile rod in all of the Dobyns lines. That combo will coast you roughly $210. That makes it way under your budget with two very usable combos. There are better spinning rods out there but the Veritas rods are very good for their price and not that many good blanks are being made in 2 pieces any more. Actually if you wanted you could pick up a second Tatula CT in 6.3-1 for your crankbait rod. Rattle traps work great not only on bass but stripers as well. Make sure you play with some Flukes, Bass Assassins, and Skinny dippers on lead headed swimbait jig heads. They work on bass and saltwater fish. They actually look like the head of a fish.

I do not know if you have ever taken a guide fishing before, but I have a friend that guides on a 24 foot jet boat. She is the only female captain in PA and her specialty is late night catfish trips. She also guides for bass as well. She actually sold me my current bass boat. She worked for Big baee Boats back in 2010. Check out BreakLine Charters. Her name is Jaime. Tell her Bob and Linda sent you. By the way my wife landed a 34 1/2 pound flathead on our first trip with her! We finished up our trip at 2:00 AM. She runs night catfish and day bass trips. Give her a call and you could catch a fish of a lifetime and experience the jet boat thing. Obviously you would not be looking for an aircraft carrier like hers.

If you want to check something out look up Snyder's jet boats. i knew him back in the day when he was Snyder's air boats. These are custom made jet boats. He is located in Millersburg PA. Go talk to him and test run one of his boats. Even if they are too expensive for you spend a little time learning from Tom. He has been making river boats from scratch for over 30 years.

I will try to help with some info. I lived up in Duncannon PA and ran the river for 5 years . First jets run much slower than you think. The bigger boat will be much more stable. One other thing is you never mentioned your budget. Are you looking to buy a new one or a used one? There are several dealers that are very good at setting up jet boats in central PA. Look at Robbins Marine, Lakeside Marine PA ( located near Harrisburg PA), Towne Marine and sometimes Big Bee Boats and RV. To assemble a good working jet boat forget having it look like the typical aluminum bass boat with a side console. The typical jet boat down here in MD is a stick steer panfish style boat but for decades that has not been the preference in PA. The PA boys choose a forward console model. Either way you drive the boat from up towards the front where you can see best. The hull should not be the typical mod vee but rather be a tunnel hull! You WILL NEED a 24 volt or 36 volt trolling motor to deal with current! Here is a typical well setup jet boat. This is currently available from Towne Marine. Notice the boat is a tunnel hull and has a Yamaha 90 hp outboard powerhead that prives 65 horsepower at the jet. This is a typical rig. This is a 2013 boat they want $19,995 for that boat. I am not saying that you will have to spend that much on a used jet boat but it is setup the way you need it to be. This is a 18 foot boat. http://www.townemarine.com/new_vehicle_detail.asp?veh=326054&pov=4868532

Hey anytime you intend to purchase something at a Dicks I always do it in two trips. Stop in and buy something cheap. I always pick up a Jawbone Jig which fish well but also make great casting plugs at $3.00. Ity is hard to find a 3/4 or even 1/2 ounce casting plug. Anyway go buy your line or a lure or even a pack of gum. Return home, fill out their online customer survey in order to print out a $10 off coupon. That will make that reel only cost $30. The associate at the checkout counter is supposed to make every shopper aware of the survey but not many go home and fill them out. Hey $10 off is worth a few minutes of my time.

Take a look at this video. I like a shorter handled rod for jerkbaits. It allows you to jerk the bait without hitting my wrist. I own this exact rod and throw Pop Rs and jerkbaits on it all the time. I catch not only bass but stripers as well with it. As for a reel look at a Daiwa Tatula CT in a 7.3-1. i personally like my reel for this to be a left handed one since I want my dominate hand on the rod. That is personal preference.

First Hello and welcome. What reel are we talking about? What line are you trying to spool on it? You may want to take it into Bass Pro Shops and have someone look at it. It maybe defective. Also did you tighten up the drag star a bit as well as the spool tension. I would suggest watching some of the baitcasting videos Glenn has on this site. Lastly did you make sure your arbor knot was tight. If the knot you use to attach the line to the spool is loose it can allow the line to spin and not spool correctly. Just a few ideas.

PanfishBass You are correct that the internet has an influence for sure. However you must realize Bass Pro competes not just in its brick and mortar stores but online and with phone in orders as well. Bass Pro started changing its inventory as Bass Pro started copying everyone's lures and selling them under their own name. They then started slowly lowering their inventory of other brand's lures. This also coinsided with buying Ranger Triton, and Stratos boats which was done partially to consume the competition. I am not trying to start debate over that, but it plays into the cash flow available to stock other brands within Johnny's empire. Perhaps the additional cash held up over the Cabelas purchase was a major impact as well. That merger has been held up for quite a while, mostly due to legal issues and the US Government approval.

I use several different lines on my baitcasters. For crankbaits/ traps etc I use P Line FloroClear ( a copolymer line with a fluoro coating) in12 pound test. I have P Line Halo in 10 # on my Jerkbait rod ( still in testing not sure I like it enough yet) I really like Suffix 832 on things like jigs, spinnerbaits, chaterbaits etc. I use 30 pound for this use. Sometimes I have a 4 foot leader on this setup. For rough and tough fishing like pitching and frogs there is no better line than Power Pro 65 pound test. That stuff casts really well and cuts through weeds, lily Pads etc, it acts like a weed eater. I have nothing against using Power Pro for all of my braid needs. I just like the 832 for my lighter braid needs. Both will work well. I must say I only fish with Power Pro Spectra, not the other versions. I have never tried the Maxcuatro or Slick 8.