CybrSlydr

Today started out with us leaving around 7. Plan was to go north and hit up a few lakes in succession and make a day of it. Stop one was Salt Fork lake. Been there a few times but no luck thus far. Started up by the dam and fished for an hour or so with no luck. Along rt 22 on the way to the other lakes were some bits the road cut off from the main lake and decided to try fishing there. Didn't have any luck for the first half hour or so until I felt luke my hook was caught in some grass. So I cranked down and tried reeling it in. Then it wouldn't budge. So I started to pull on the rod horizontally to dislodge the hook and I felt the rod shake - I had hooked a fish! So I kept reeling and finally got it close to shore and when I first saw it, I yelled to my brother, "Holy ****, its huge!!!" It wasn't until I got it on land I saw how truly massive it was! I was shaking with excitement and adrenaline. I guesstimate it was a 4-5lb fish. I could d**n near put my fist inside its mouth. Our first ever lunker!!! Not 30min later, my brother landed his. So we decided to break for lunch at Bdubs. Went back after lunch for an hour with no luck and went on to Piedmont dam to try for some smallies. No luck. Bit too windy and we were tired, so we called it a day after about an hour there and went home.

My brother and I both caught our new PERSONAL BESTS today!!! I caught mine on a 3/0 EWG screw lock Trokar with a BioSpawn Black/Blue worm with a 1/4oz bullet weight. Tail looked bloody and was mutilated like it was spawning. Absolute MONSTER and no way it was any less than 5lbs! Brother landed one on a belly-weighted 3/0 hook with the same BioSpawn black/blue worm as me. I'm estimating his was a good 3.5-4lb fish! We were both shaking with adrenaline and excitement afterwards - they were SO d**n BIG!!!

Once I get home I'm going to do a proper write-uo, but I couldn't wait to tell you guys any longer!!! We aren't sure on weiggt but mine was absolutely MASSIVE. I think it was a 4-5lb fish and my brothers easily 3.5-4. Our new Persona Bests!!! OMG!!!

I'm a big fan of snaps. I've never had a knot break off with a fish before. Then again, I've never caught many fish. Lol. Always use the DuoLock snaps.

How much is a big mono line like that going to affect casting distance?

Before I purchased this reel, I did some looking and while tackle tour and another site or two had some write-ups on this reel, I didn't find a whole lot out there. So I'm going to do a little write-up to help those who were in my position. I decided I wanted to move to a baitcaster from my spinning setup. Being me, I wanted to make sure I bought good equipment. The plan was to swap out my Dobyns Sierra 692SF for a Sierra 734C. Well, that didn't happen (yet). At the time, I was trying to decide between the Curado K and the Curado 70. Well, my paycheck was a bit more than I expected, so I decided to splurge on the reel and picked up a Curado DC 151XG. Packaging I was surprised how plain the box is. When I'm spending this kind of money on a reel, I figured the box would be a little less non-descript than it is. Just a plain, black cardboard box with the name and model in silver font on top with typical reel info on the back. Inside, it was packaged well with a nice bubble-wrap pouch and assorted information such as warranty, exploded parts view and instructions as well as a little bottle of lube. Reel This is my first baitcaster, so I wasn't really sure what to expect. Shimano lists the reel specs as the following: Model PwrPro (lb/capacity) Mono (lb/capacity) Oz Brngs Ratio Drag CUDC151XG 20/150,30/135,40/105 10/120,12/110,14/90 7.9 6+1 8.5:1 11 Right away, I realize this reel is super, super light! Granted, I'm used to a 4000-series Penn Battle II at 12.8oz and metal construction, but wow - very nice! The reel feels super, super smooth as well. The left side has the star drag, which has a very satisfying "click" when you spin it, however something I wasn't prepared for was the lack of a sound when you pull line out against the drag. Coming from my spinning rod, I found that surprising. This side also has the spool tensioner, which is the knob next to the handle. On the right side we have the sideplate that houses the switch for the DC brake. The brake has 4 settings - 0 is Open, 1 is for minimal braking on the spool, 2 is for braided line, three is for fluorocarbon lines and 4 is max brake for windy days or other situations where you want max braking. I settled on 3 for my first use as I was using Berkley Super8 in 8lb (had to take it off my old Penn - long story...). I have to say, the DC system works! Granted, it takes some getting used to. It's neat to watch the spool and watch the line start to overrun but then magically it backs back down. Now, this doesn't work all the time - there certainly is a "sweet spot" when you cast as to how hard you can cast without immediately overrunning. I found that out the hard way. This was Suffix 832 15lb braid that I completely ruined by hitting the thumb release and letting the lure hit the ground. Had to cut the entire spool off and never got to cast it. -sigh- $16 down the drain... Performance I also really like the gear ratio. I typically use bullet weights with Senkos and Whopper Ploppers, so this fast retrieve actually helps me out. I can slow down my retrieve a lot easier than I can speed it up - also lets me collect line slack a lot quicker to prevent loose line on the spool. As for the drag, it worked well! Well enough that it helped me catch my first ever smallmouth on a Whopper Plopper 90! So, is it worth the $250? To me... I don't think so. Maybe if I had more experience with a baitcaster that I could see how well the DC system was working, I might appreciate it more and see more value in it. Is it a nice reel? Oh yes, no doubt! It's light, sturdy, smooth and everything you'd want - I just don't think I have the perspective to really appreciate what it does. For now, I'm reserving my total judgement until I can put it on the Sierra 734C in a few weeks. I cannot wait!

That is exact rod I bought for my spinning setup and I love it. Put 1/4oz on that thing with some 8lb Berkley Super8 or 10lb Sufix 832 and you can absolutely bomb those casts. Sends the 1/8oz ones pretty d**n far too - important for me since I fish from shore. Tip is nice and sensitive, makes for good feeling out of the bottom. Love using a 1/8oz bullet and a Texas rigged senko or similar. Great, great rod!

So far I like it. This is the first baitcaster I've ever used so a comparison is difficult. However, I like what I see thus far. Once I use it a little more, I was going to do a write-up about it.

Well hell yeah!!! There it is folks - my first ever smallie! Thank you Blue!

No ****?? The pic doesn't do it justice, but it looked more green to me - plus it doesn't have red eyes, so I figured it was a largie. Here's a link to the full-sized photo. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1944/45077117342_6565af2d66_o.jpg

Boy, today was a day. Couple weeks ago I broke my Dobyns rod. Thanks to their awesome no fault warranty, all I need to do is show up to a retailer, pay $80 and I get a replacement, no questions asked. Only real problem is the only retailer in the state is about 2.5hr drive away. -sigh- Brother didn't have class so he decides to come with me and wait for my class to end. We then have lunch at Taco Bell. Well, my thought was I'd switch from a spinning setup to a baitcaster. So I asked folks here and, thanks to a larger than expected paycheck, splurged on a Shimano Curado 150 DC with 8.5:1 gearing, left hand retrieve. I figured the DC would be a boon for my learning how to operate a baitcaster. So I then ask about the rod - apparently they can only give an exact replacement and only if in stock. Despite being the same price and series, I cannot switch from a spinning rod to a baitcaster. To do that, I have to send in in to Dobyns and spend another $20. **** me. Just drove over two hours to be told that. Should have called first. I'm a little steamed because I had wanted to go fishing after we got my new rod/reel. So after walking around the store, I ask for a cheap rod in the 1/4-1oz range. Dammit, I'm gonna use this freaking reel today!!! I'm thinking Ugly Stick. Guy says no and hands me a 6'6" Berkley Cherrystick HD. $25. BINGO. I head over and get a 150yd spool of Suffix 832 in 15lb. Guy spools it for me while I go pay for everything. So I walk out with two rods and a new reel along with some hooks, snaps and some Bio worms. It's an hour and a half drive to Piedmont Lake, so we take off. Get there around 430p. Nice. I grab the reel and put it on the rod and tie on a 1/8oz bullet weight with a swimbait hook with screw keeper and a blue/black Bio worm. I get the instruction manual and start to figure out the settings. I hit the spool release and the lure drops. Not thinking, I let it hit the ground and BEFORE I EVEN CAST THE d**n THING, have a MASSIVE overrun that I have to completely cut off the spool. Never even used it and I lose an entire spool of braid. I'm ticked. VERY ticked. So I grab my spinning reel and tie on the Berkley Super8 to my Curado and spool it up. Manage to make a few casts before I manage to get another overrun. This time I manage to only have to cut off about 1/3 of it because I discovered the side plate and pull the spool out. By now, I think I've got this thing figured out and only encounter a few more minor birdnests that I can pull out. Having had no luck with the bullet weight Texas rig, I switch to a Spook. No go. I then try a whopper plopper. By now, it's getting late and there are lots of little fish jumping the surface. I work my way down the shore and about 15ft out, I GET A BITE!!! I set the hook and haul in a decent sized largemouth! I had another fish go after the whopper later - saw it follow in and open its mouth and attempt to go but I yanked too soon and it missed Shortly after that, I get sick of being eaten alive by bugs and we call it a night and head home. 9pm rolls around and we pull in. Managed to go from Marietta to Akron to Piedmont to Beverly on a single tank of gas in my Jeep. Once home, bro goes and makes us some Mac & Cheese. [/img] Mmmm... So, all in all, not a bad day. Pics to come shortly.

So, I know you guys said a 7.*:1 gearing is what I should get. What if they only have the reel I want in an 8.2:1?

I want a minimalist wallet, but I can't find what I'm looking for. I like the Trayvax Armored Summit - it's the closest I've found but still not what I want. What I want is a dedicated slot on the outside for my ID so I can display it without removing it. Then I want expandable space for 5 or so credit-card sized cards and a strong money clip on the back of that with RFID protection. Do any of you know where I can find such a thing??? This is close, but no money clip. https://decadentminimalist.com/

One of my classes was cancelled tomorrow so I'm going to head up tomorrow instead of Saturday. Wooo! Kinda excited for this!

Sounds to me like they're a great buy if they have them on hand but if you're placing an order, don't expect it anytime soon. According to the FB page post I saw, they're taking orders now for a December delivery.

Price looks pretty sweet. https://edgerods.com/delta

I'm curious - just out of curiosity's sake... Anyone have experience with the Shimano Curado 150 DC?...

I'm going to be making a trip up to Akron to pick up a new rod and baitcasting reel. On the way home, I'm going to swing by Piedmont Lake in Ohio. I was wondering if anyone in the area would like to head out with me? Due to distances traveled, I anticipate this would be a late morning/early afternoon start time as Akron is a good 2hr drive for me and I want to get to Fisherman's Central when they open. Mostly want to hit up Piedmont as I'm still trying to catch my first smallmouth - unless any one else has a suggestion for a lake in NE Ohio for smallmouth? Something like LaDue?

P-line CXX comes in fluorescent green. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/P-Line_CXX_Fluorescent_Green/descpage-PLFG.html

Well, I think what I'm going to do is on Saturday head up to the store I linked to (it's a bit of a drive to get there...) as they do in-store returns on Dobyns rods since they're an official retailer (I sent my last rod back through them) and buy the reel from them as well. This way I'll get a chance to try them out in-store. I'm looking at left-retrieve simply because that's what I'm used to with my spinning setup - figured it'd be an easier transition if I stuck with the same-side retrieve. Plus it means I'm utilizing leverage on the rod with my stronger, dominant hand/arm. I was looking at the Curados simply because I didn't want to buy a cheap reel and regret it. I'd rather spend a bit more up-front on the first go than to cheap out and regret it later. The Curado K has almost universally great reviews so I figured it was the natural starting point and I could also grow into it.

I think I've changed my mind again. Looking at cost I believe I'm just going to replace the rod with a Sierra 734 casting rod rather than spend the $$$ right now on the ChampionXP. I really liked the Sierra spinning rod so I'll limit my expense and give the caster a go. Since I'll be saving some money on the rod I think I'm going to go with the Curado 200k. My question now is what gear ratio should I be looking at? Here is where I'm probably going has to offer. Left-hand retrieve. https://www.fishermanscentral.com/shimano-curado-200-k-casting-reel.html OR Would I be better off with the ChampionXP rod and the Daiwa Tatula CT? It'd be about the same price.

As few fish as I catch, drags rarely come into play. Lmao

My rod experience is very limited so if you think a 734 would be better, I'll listen. As for Daiwa, I hadn't looked much, which one would you suggest? I'm a fan of Uni/Uni for my leaders.

I find I tend to prefer throwing weedless senkos Texas rigged nine times out of ten. I've got a bunch of EWG hooks with screws, weighted EWGs with screws and some 1/8 bullet weights that I use with Texas rigs. Should I consider just the 1/4-1oz instead?

I've decided to finally try out a baitcaster. Since I broke my Dobyn's spinning rod, I'm going to use this opportunity to upgrade to their Champion XP rod for a good price ($60 to replace my old rod plus the difference in retail price to upgrade to the Champion XP and $20 shipping). I'm thinking of going with their 735C F/H rod as it sounds like an excellent all-rounder rod with a lure range of 1/4 - 1 1/2oz. That'll cover Senkos, Texas rigs, cranks, jerks, tops, frogs, etc. http://dobynsrods.com/rod/735c-fh/ The other question I'm mulling is do I want to go with the Shimano Curado 200k or the Curado 70? There's such a small difference in price, I think I could justify the Curado 70 if there's sufficient reason. Thoughts? They just seem so similar aside from spool size. From what I've read, it seems that heavier, thicker braid is a better choice for baitcasting, correct? So should I be looking at something like... 20lb Suffix 832, maybe some 15lb Berkley Fireline Super8? Maybe something else?