papajoe222

Power determines how heavy of line, lure and fish weight the rod can handle Action refers to how quickly the rod recovers and is determined by the stiffness of the blank from the tip down Taper is exactly what the word describes; how quickly the rod tapers from butt to tip. Mag taper being an example of a thick butt tapering to a thin tip section. This description is rarely used unless the blank is at one extreme or the other.

Sounds like you did one or two things wrong, maybe three. Over filling the spool, not filling with the line under tension, or you had the line coming off the filler spool in the wrong direction. Glen did a video on spooling reels that will address all three.

On moving baits, no. Topwater is the exception. For slow moving, bottom presentations, yes. I feel that the fish focus on the bait when it's moving fast, whereas something that sits on the bottom or moves very slowly, the higher visibility of braid could be the reason for not getting bit.

Daiwa Tatula 150 is available in a 5.5:1 gearing and sells for around $160. You could go with a Fuego in 6.3:1 for around $100 and if you want to go lower in gear ratio you can order the 5.5 gears for around $30. It's an easy swap. I don't have experience with other brands, but Shimano offers a Curado in 5.0:1, I think.

WoodChopper topwater prop bait. I still have and use one.

How deep do you start picking up vegetation? With your current combo, you have a lot of options in baits that will run from just under the surface down to 8ft.-10ft. I'm talking hard bodied lures like spinnerbaits and cranks. With a float, you should be able to pin-point the depth that the weeds top out and pick something that runs just above them and occasionally catches the tops. One suggestion; Use a weedless hook when wacky rigging to reduce the problem with catching the weeds.

Daiwa Tatula CT Casting Reel - Tackle Warehouse 6.3:1 or 7.3:1 will handle just about anything.

If it works for you, yes, it's acceptable. I'm the same way with lures, terminal tackle and soft plastics. Not so much with rods and reels. Daiwa and St. Croix make up a big majority of those two items. I'm contemplating picking up another Daiwa with some casino winnings I came into last week.

I've been fishing one local lake for almost 40yrs. I still stumble upon 'new' spots, but the majority of time, I'm fishing known producers. I love trying out new techniques on this lake. I never put any faith in the Ned rig until I did just that. There are other local lakes that I'll hit a couple of times a month and with them it's known spots with techniques based on conditions almost 100% of the time.

Loose line prior to the cast will cause backlashes like that. The line will dig in to the spool during the casting motion and catch momentarily causing the line behind it to roll up on itself. Add some tension to the line the final few reel turns of a cast and see if that doesn't cure the issue.

It's very doubtful that the vegetation is the culprit. I would check to see if zebra mussels are present in the body of water you fish as they will play havoc on braid. I also doubt if it is your knot as even a poorly tied Palomar will retain decent knot strength.

Sorry, but I disagree. I've caught as many 12in. bass as I have fish in the 6lb. range on 10in.+ worms and 8in. paddle tail swimbaits. If the fish are active, size really doesn't matter to them. That's why I totally agree with Tom; It's all about location. The more time you spend on the water, the better the chance of you 'lucking' into one. Big bass are very territorial and smaller fish give them a wide berth. You're not going to catch big fish consistently if you don't search them out.

I carried a S&W 642 daily,when I worked. It's now my back-up, in an ankle holser, when I'm wearing pants. In the summer, it's a Glock 43 in a cross draw (I drive a lot) otherwise, it's a 19 under a light jacket and the wheel gun on my ankle.

I have a BPS Micro Lite that I've been using for years. It handles a wide range of baits up to 1/4oz. and I believe it is still offered. Very sensitive and the cork is still like new. I just checked their site and it is still offered in different lengths. The 6ft. graphite version is $59

I don't know if they've been mentioned already, but finesse/cylinder weights work well in rip rap. Bass Pro Shops XPS Finesse Weights | Bass Pro Shops Another option that also works fairly well is a Lindy style/ walleye weight. Bass Pro Shops Walleye Sinker | Bass Pro Shops

My favorite cranking combo is a custom MHX CB843 stick paired with a TD Sol. I got hung on a deadfall, set the combo on deck and was extending my lure retriever when the wind kicked up and pushed the boat. The combo went overboard and was slowly sinking. I caught it with the lure retriever and it's no worse for the experience. I, however, needed a blood pressure check. I'm contemplating getting rod floats in case I'm not so lucky next time. I don't like the butt cap style and am wondering if anyone uses the ones that wrap around the blank in front of the foregrip? Recommendations please.

I also grew up with spinning gear. I switched over to casting back in the early '70s and thought I'd never pick up another spinning combo. I've added three over the past 5yrs. I dislike them for the same reasons, but I won't go as far as to say I hate them.

Never had a problem with three knots on a drop shot, or a C-rig for that matter. It's just the way I've always tied it. For adding the drop line to a braid main line, it's a heck of a lot easier than tying a connecting knot.

Stanley VibraShaft and Terminators (titanium shaft) are my confidence spinnerbaits. They give out more vibration than most and that's important to me.

Ever since I was introduced to this technique, I've always attached a ball bearing swivel above the hook. Not only does it help a lot in avoiding line twist, it makes it much easier to use different lines and tests. I mainly run high viz braid as a mainline on my drop shot combo and attaching a swivel to the end and then a drop line of 6lb. test mono is a breeze. I actually keep a couple of droppers with hooks tied on, in my box. If I break off, or bend out a hook, it's one knot and done. Other than using Spin-Shot hooks, does anyone else still do this?

Introducing kids to the sport. I'll set them up with one of two combos I keep just for this. If they show interest, afterward I'll take them to a store and get them a combo and a small tacklebox that we'll add some terminal tackle to. I started doing this when my wife and I started baby sitting over 20yrs. ago and still get a charge out of the excitement the kids display when they catch a fish.

Bank fishing, or from a boat? Pond, or lake? I'm going to assume that you're fishing from the bank and have no idea as to the depth of the water. Tie on a decent sized weight (3/8oz. is good) and start fan casting the area. When the weight hits the water, start counting. When it hits the bottom, stop. Picture the water as a clock laying face up and work your way casting around the clock from 8:00 to 2:00. was the water deeper, or shallower at any point? Now pick your presentations to target the top middle and bottom of the water column. A weightless Senko will hit all three as long as you allow it to fall all the way. If you get a bite, remember the depth (count down number). If you get another bite at that same depth, switch to a faster moving bait that runs at that depth.

This season, it's been the Bagley Balsa Pro Sunny B Squarebill and the Rapala BX Brat (the deeper running one). I ran through a few of the Bagleys before I found a couple that ran the way I like. That's the way it is with mass produced lures. I can't afford the hand carved ones.

I carry markers in chartreuse, red, blue and orange. Dips in red, chartreuse and lime. I also carry Sharpies in those same colors for adding dots, or stripes.