Fishing_Rod

Greetings All, While I don't have personal experience with Daiwa customer service. I can add my $ 0.02 worth that I've not had the need to invoke them. I have a significant number of their products. I've used them for the last 4 decades to great satisfaction. Most if not all of them are considered to be 'high' mileage and have plenty of fair wear and tear. I've got to say they have aged well. I greatly appreciate the build quality across the various product lines. I don't have any of the high end product line offerings. The ones I have are all at the lower, budget, entry level, right up to the lower mid range offerings. These are essentially your big box retail offerings. Each of them has demonstrated good value with great performance. They are on the heavier side which is a consideration to those shopping. I hope this helps. Be well, Cheers!

Greetings All, Arizona has a diverse range of biological habitat with elevations ranging from approximately 900 feet to 12k feet. So with that, the fishing opportunities are wide ranging too. Unfortunately, I have quite a range to go when it comes to finding a fishing spot. I generally have to travel at least an hour to get to a nice fishing destination. It is possible to fish and catch fish during all seasons of the year. You have to make accommodations for safety. The weather can be a significant factor so plan accordingly. We do our best to make the most of all seasons when it comes to angling adventures. Be well, Cheers!

Greetings All, Yes, it happened just after catching and releasing a 3 ish pound LMB. I was not too 'busted up' over it as it was expected. This was one of those low cost name brand telescopic rods from a big box retailer. Due to the build quality I simply was not expecting much. I bought it to reminisce from the days in my youth where we would use those early generation fiberglass (also low cost, low quality) telescopic rods taunting catfish at the hometown river. Those also broke in dramatic form too! So true to form I re-lived the experience, once again. I didn't think the simple loading would weaken it but apparently it did! After releasing the LMB, I steadied up the kayak for another go at the nearby structure to do a kind of a higher angle roll cast when it snapped just post release. I'm an ultra lite angler so we are using a small 2 inch grub on a 1/16 oz jig. So no intense whipping action or exceedingly heavy bait package. Oh well, so it goes, fun while that lasted. BTW: Around the new year I happened to stumble on a better built version of a major name brand telescopic rod. This time they happened to have both casting and spinning configurations. OK, again due to the low cost and nostalgia, I bought one of each. Here during the 'cooler' months we have trout stocking. I happy to report that so far both of those better built telescopic rods have performed rather well on 14 ~ 16 rainbows. I am looking forward to trying them out for a few LMBs soon enough. Be well, Cheers!

Greetings All, Fantastic information helpful to many of all ages. These tips and tools improve the overall experience. I fish for recreation. Good to have information that preserves that recreational focus while taking care of all the other vital aspects of safety and well being! Bravo to each of you for adding to the body of knowledge. I'm taking note and using what I can. THXs! Be well, Cheers!

Greetings All, It was pretty cool to see a big thick catalog sitting on the coffee table when I returned from work the other week. Yes, it brought back many fond memories of my youth spent musing about stuff that I could dream about. Funny growing up in rural areas the retailers had very limited in store offerings so most items required ordering to obtain. These days most things are a mere click away. The nearest BP shop is over 200 miles from me. On occasions I'll venture all the way up to the metro area just to physically shop. I find merit in being able to handle, inspect, before buying certain things. I will also work in some casting during those trips up there too. It wasn't till the other day when I was curious about the catalog since it had been quite some time since I did a BP purchase. Even longer since doing one on-line. So I flipped the catalog over to look at the customer ID used to deliver it. It was addressed to my wife! 😆 Hah! Be well, Cheers!

Greetings All, Great stuff! Frankly speaking, I'm still casting like a madman trying to win that lottery! The recent warm trend does make it more comfortable to be out there casting like a madman. OK, all kidding aside, I do all right when it comes to catching. I do concur with the observed cycles of fish populations associated to the quality of fish caught. One of the regional lakes here is going through a time where finding a significantly larger than typical bass is a real challenge. Getting bit is not. I'm catching a lot of bass but they are mainly yearlings or adolescent sized. Fortunately, all of them appear healthy and seem to be thriving. So it supports the population cycle theme. I am grateful for every fish that is "on-line" so I'll simply keep casting. I'm still trying for that lottery win! Be well, Cheers!

Greetings All, Bravo @papajoe222 well said! Those characterizations parallel much of what I've experienced through the years of taunting fish. OK much of that was simply casting practice, hee...hee... Through information I'm doing what I can to change that towards the trend of more catching fish than simply casting at fish. I will add that as an angler, my mood definitely changes depending whether or not I'm at the water taunting fish. Heck if I'm out goofing off my mood has already improved. My family will occasionally suggest I need to go fishing because I'm frumpy. OK, why argue, right? I'm grateful to you for sharing insights and observations. Appreciate your time and effort to annotate it, then being willing to share it. Be well, Cheers!

Greetings Katie, and et al., What a wonderful find! Thanks for sharing as we can join in the fun of an era gone by. Growing up in rural America, catalogs were extremely significant. That was the principle way to shop. Many of the local retailers just didn't have the inventory. Ordering what you wanted / needed was a big part of life back then. It was the material dreams were made of! Those were also the foundations of learning much of the English language and fostering an interest for technology. The specifications and details provided helped me to learn about the world through the catalogs. Even in adult life as a professional, I'm still reading through catalogs to shop well. It is via a high resolution screen these days. Thankfully there is the ability to zoom to see those all important details. Tools helpful for those aging eyes! The photography and art work of that era was impressive. It all comes together to help tell the story or promote the theme and product. I appreciate the narratives that fostered the utility of why you needed to use these products. The timing of this thread along with recently receiving a large physical fishing catalog in the mail bring me back to those youthful times of late evening sessions sitting on the floor with my hound at my side musing through the pages and thinking about "what if?" Over the decades I've managed to realize many of those ambitions. There is always room for more adventure, right? So appreciative of this conversation, it has been fun! Be well, Cheers!

Greetings All, The thought of repeat catches is interesting for sure. My personal experience this topic is limited but I'll share. When the regional weather is too windy to be on the water I'll seek alternate angling destinations such as the urban lakes / ponds where shore fishing is the alternative. At one of the urban lakes there are rock features that typically hold bass and a properly presented soft plastic will do the job at this popular location. I recall catching a young adult bass with a unique busted right side jaw. During the three consecutive weekends I managed to find this fish in a 10 meter area. While not deliberately seeking it out, I was gratified to find it for each of those times. The second time I caught it encouraged me to realize why it is important to respect and handle with care. Be well, Cheers!

Greetings All, @WRB Thank You for sharing your experience and wisdom! I and others are grateful for your efforts to improve understanding with knowledge! It is a new year and I've got my new annual fishing license. I've even actually managed to catch a few bass too! OK, nothing of size but all have been fun. I hope to someday fish where the water is clear enough. For now, I'll emphasize the awareness aspect and how helpful that is to taunting bass. It is important to take inventory of what is before you and make the most of it along with the indicators. When in my small kayak or even when approaching from shore, a modest survey before casting can be very telling to make the most of those initial casts. Wishing all well for 2025, Cheers!

Greetings and Happy Holidays All, @Tim Kelly I have experience with what you describe regarding the Shimano spinning reels. Some details of my situation. First, the reels I use are generally the ones at the very low cost end of the Shimano product line. These are the Sienna or lower cost models. I will add that I have only experienced this situation on the larger reel sizes. I mainly use the 500 series and those have not exhibited this. I suspect a couple of things. The spring tension based on the mass of the bail for the smaller reels is sufficient to keep it in place even with a spirited cast. Less inertia and more spring tension. The 1000 and larger have more bail mass and probably not as much spring holding tension. It doesn't happen frequently, but it is always annoying when it does happen. I have simply taken to palming the larger reels during the cast to aid in preventing the bail from tripping. Usually just a light application of holding near the lower hinge point is all that is needed. It seems there is more of a tendency with an over head cast motion. I don't recall much of the lateral casting to cause it. So just $ 0.02 USD tossed in for consideration on the matter. Be well, and Cheers!

Greetings and Happy Holidays All, I'm gratified to review all the information presented. It is interesting that the chart presented in the original post, there is mention of a jig that is common to all conditions. I use a jig frequently and find it successful throughout the year. While there is not much deliberate change to the jig configuration I use, there are presentation considerations, adaptations, based on environment. The general water temperature is a significant factor for the character of my presentation. During the colder times a much relaxed pace with more pause than movement is helpful. This is just a general pattern that has been successful. Mainly to make the jig (bait) a convenient, easy, target for a strike. Wishing all much angling success. Also, Happy Holidays! Be well, and Cheers!

Greetings and Happy Holidays All, @Scherbacj Hi from Southern AZ! I'll be taunting fish in your part of AZ soon enough. I'm counting on this warming trend to facilitate success. The old phrase, "your mileage may vary" does come to mind and applies to seasonal, regional, and local influences. Much like with cooking recipes as a guide towards a successful outcome, there are adaptations involved. The various water impoundments on the Salt river provide a different fishing experience than at other locations about AZ for many different reasons. Most are due to the conditions and environments. Down here the differences at Patagonia, Pena Blanca, and Arivaca make things interesting. Sure, dragging a ball and chain contraption is often a good approach. Finding the better places to put that ball and chain can be the difference between simply just casting vs catching. Those lakes don't have the flows like those mentioned on the Salt river. Thus, the fish holding areas appear to be more consistent because of the different environment. My casual recreational style, no electronics, compels me to focus more on what I can see and what is recommended by the volumes of information shared by folks on BassResource and other publications. All that is a guide to facilitate the search. However, there are those times where you find things in places where you didn't expect. I have a short article regarding a LMB found during trout taunting and general goofing off with a spin cast reel. (not a configuration I use frequently, but it was fun to return back to how I started fishing all those many years ago) With that data point I'll expand my understanding and hope to find more colder weather bass. My recent antics have found many small, sub 8 inch bass that were willing to play in the cool waters. I've not found too many of the larger ones that have been motivated. The high desert lakes are on the colder side and then there is the distraction with the recent trout stockings too. The cloud of trout passing by tends to capture my attention from the methodical low and slow pursuit of bass. I end up grabbing the other fishing rig and swimming a soft plastic to hookup on a few trout. Being distracted prevents me finding those bigger bass. I hope to make a focused effort in the days to come, without that work thing getting in the way! Several of the AZ anglers have recent on-line posting, to include YouTube, on their experiences at Alamo, Roosevelt, and Bartlett. Others are simply shifting focus to stripped bass at places like Lake Pleasant. Those are always fun to hookup. I'm a UL angler so any on line is fun! Best fishes to ya in the Holiday season. Enjoy the warm weather while we have it. Be well, and Cheers!

Greetings and Happy Holidays All, The morning brew is typically Pete’s Major Dickason’s using a french press. Simply good and rather simple too! Yes, just a proper brew time and enjoy as it is. A great way to prepare for a angling adventure! Be well and cheers!

Greetings All, Wishing each of you well and Happy Thanksgiving. This past weekend brought some gusty winds to the region so I decided to find a place to fish from the shore easily. Because we are in the cooler months they have begun trout stocking. So I've shifted focus and have simply been determined to taunt trout as they are also great fun on-line and for a meal too. OK, so many of the nearby angling destinations are pretty steep and not suited to shore fish. So I decided to travel to the Gila River Valley and have my angling adventure there. I had a simple objective and that was simply to do a bunch of catch and release. While doing so I would investigate the handling characteristics of several fishing rigs under real use conditions. Hey, these are stocker sized trout so just how much stress can come from an 8 - 12 inch trout, right? Yeah, none of the rigs were intended for larger fish. One of the reels I was going to put to good use was my recently refurbished now smoother Zebco Omega Pro Z02. It got cleaned and lubricated so things are pretty nice. As an alternative to my BFS reel I did not struggle with any backlash in the gusty conditions. The premium Zebco reel was mounted on a basic Zebco fiberglass rod, both ends of the Zebco product line. It was a great time casting, catching and releasing trout like an exuberant angler. As I was doing so I decided to probe the deeper water areas. I made a long bomb cast, as far as I could with the 1/48 oz jig head with a small soft plastic worm segment. Nothing happened as the bait settled to the bottom. OK, the water is a bit cool so I'll give it a few seconds before beginning the slow crawl back. A few slow winds and I feel a slight tap, then another tap, then nothing. Much like trout as they either try to kill it or sample it without committing. Ok, no real action resulting so we are moving again. A few more cranks and this time there is a TAP! Wow, that didn't feel like a trout. Let me see what is going to happen, I simply hold still to monitor for anything. Nothing...OK, that was fun while it lasted. So I cautiously began to reel in. This time there was a heavy but mushy resistance felt. Much like when you hang a plant versus a rock. There was some give to it. Odd, then it responded. Much like a train locomotive it starts slow but strong and gains speed gradually. There was not much slack to begin with, so the new cleaned drag responded quickly and loudly. I raced to lower the drag setting. The thing about spin cast reels is the line pickup pin is usually a very small diameter so the line has to bend about this pin and that bend puts a focused amount of stress there. 4 pound mono can only handle so much stress. The fish makes a direct line towards deeper water and is not deterred much by the line resistance. Golly! Not knowing what I just connected with, I was thinking I hooked into some catfish as those are stocked frequently too. Regardless I've got to do what I need to and stay connected so lower the drag tension setting should buy me some forgiveness. I'm simply holding on and letting the line peel out for some time. Eventually the fish showed signs of getting tired. I managed to work in a bit of line before the next surge. Over time I did manage to work the fish in slowly and I simply kept things at a modest tension level. I didn't feel any head shakes so I was still of the opinion it was a catfish. Eventually it got in close and eventually came up towards the surface where it made a roll over and I finally got to the bass profile. Not huge, but also not what I expected to tie into either. Great fun and it made the day just that bit more special. Rather fun on the hybrid Zebco rig. Also good to know that I can target nicer sized fish in that location. Whaaahoo, Whoopee! Please enjoy the Thanksgiving Holiday. Be well and Cheers!

Greetings All, I pretty much use those curly tailed grubs on a jig all year long for multi-species success. The jig size is a bit smaller as 1/8 oz is typically as large as I use. Most of the time it is 1/48, 1/32, or 1/16 oz. I swim the 1/8 oz jig, grub combo when using the BFS reel when I need a dynamic presentation. Otherwise it is generally a low and slow approach with spinning gear. The curly tailed grub on a jig works great in the various lakes, ponds, streams (rivers), and canals. The only modification I do to customize is to mash down the barb on the jig. It presents a smaller cross section for the hook, and it appears to help with staying connected when I need it to, and it really helps when I need to release too. I do find that curly tail down does tend to work better for me as I don't get as much of the hook tail binding on those long bomb casts. Be well, and Cheers!

Greetings All, All the equipment that i've caught fish with have been and continue to be significant to me. I continue to use legacy equipment along with my newer gear. Many of the historic pieces remain very functional as I've maintained them over the many decades of fish catching fun. Many have intrinsic value to me as they are associated with dear family members. Many were gifts from special individuals throughout my life and each is important to me. Yes, these days we do have better options and I also use those too. Those historic pieces continue to bring joy to me and are a tribute to honor those special people associated to the history of each piece. Many of those special people helped foster my passion for angling and by using the old gear I am reminded of their gift and kindness. As I approach retirement I'm encouraged by the prospect of using each piece even more frequently! Enjoy all those special moments with good gear and wonderful people. Be well and Cheers!

Greetings All, Oh lots of Zebco love in my angling history. My first reel was a Zebco 202 combo. Many fond memories from using that beloved gift. Years later a dear uncle who realized my passion for angling gifted me an upgrade to a Zebco 33. Even more history using that upgraded reel on the original fiberglass rod with the off set and angled cork grip. Both reel and rod still get occasionally used as a tribute to my dear uncles who helped foster my angling passion. That fishing rig continues to be a wonderful fish catching tool. Yes, I've got even better upgrades since then. My current Zebco is the Z02 Omega Pro which is impressive in performance and value. Yes, for my style of angling the investment of this premium reel is worth the enjoyment of use. Yes, this top tier reel brings my angling enjoyment to a very high level. The build quality does not disappoint as it works flawlessly. The line management system controls the line lay so well that I've not experienced line bind at all with this particular reel. The same goes for the next lower tier Zebco Omega Z02 which also uses the same inter-changeable spools. I've got a fleet of historic Zebcos that are all part of my angling history. At the smaller end I've got the Zebco 11, and also the trigger underspin version. Also the more recent 33 Micro Gold and trigger spin version. Moving to the mid-sized 33, 33 platinum which is well built too. My rather old larger Zebco Omega 191 which was a catfish catching tool. So smooth with ample torque to fight both the river current and those large flatheads, and channel cats. Plenty of happy memories when talking about and using my Zebcos. I always have a grin on when pushing that button! The sound of that drag is also something to grin about too. I hope you get to fully enjoy any investment in Zebco products. They have been good to me and good for me. Be well, and Cheers!

Greetings All, I am definitely on the low end of the hookset intensity scale. This is by preference, experience, and on purpose. @Swamp Girl to address your inquiry, at or below your level identified. I'm gauging the amount of tension based on the amount of bend in the rod at all times. I try to maintain a 1/3 to 2/3 loading on the fishing rod. I'm a recreational angler that mainly uses ultra lite gear for multiple species year around. So the 4 pound mono and UL fishing rods are my successful solution to angling fun. This involves bass, bluegills, shell crackers, crappie, catfish, and in the cooler months trout. On those special occasions when up in northern AZ, pike, walleye, and perch. I have tried the send it to the moon approach with plenty of disappointment and inconsistent results which is why I've migrated to UL gear and simple keep them pinned approach. Yes, they swim about a bit but they also don't have the explosive startle response when slammed by an aggressive, rude, hookset evoking a panic event. I'm sure some folks deliberately seek that response based on marketing to bass anglers. I'm happy simply catching fish so I'm good just sharing my $0.02 worth of experience. Not trying to change anyone's approach with this information. While my response is not sensational or "intense", it is timely. It is pretty rare I have a deep hook situation as I'm responding as soon as activity is appropriately detected. I simply reel in with a tension enhancement with graceful rod sweep. Because it is a UL rod there is only so much leverage imparted via the rod action and 4 pound mono. The sharp hook (frequently with a smashed barb), good knot, and cooperative fish are the rest of the factors. It is fortunate that most of the bass bites start with them swimming towards the deeper water and generally away from structure so I'll tension up things gradually with enough holding and allow them to continue working in that general direction. As they tire, I'll input more to guide them about to where I can get to yak or in my hands for a hook removal. Also to minimize the loss of support from being in the water, I do what I can to keep them in the water as much as possible. I find the inversion technique also helps keep them from thrashing as I remove the hook. This is a great discussion on a wonderful forum. Good to read and hear of each approach. Be well, and Cheers!

Greetings All, You are on the path towards your aspirations, by simply asking the question. Now it is up to you to listen and learn, figuratively. The location you are at can tell you a great deal if you are willing to listen. Start somewhere where you are comfortable and enjoy the surroundings. While doing that pay attention to what is before you. Are the waves churning the shoreline? Do you see signs of baitfish, weeds, etc. If food is in the area then you have one of the necessary elements. Because right now is the fall season. I will look at the conditions of the weeds as a simple decision point. Are they green or brown. Basically are they providing a place to thrive or simply a structure to hide in? Of course temperament / determination come into play too. How determined are you? Doctor, Doctor, it hurts when I do this! (Doctor replies: Then don't do that...) At some point if you seek results and what you are doing is not producing, then a different approach is recommended. Information published is a helpful guide as a plausible approach, it still benefits from paying attention to your environment and applying those considerations for your own approach. A theme that has been helpful to me for angling and off-road travel has been "As slow as possible, as fast as necessary." Observing fish and animal responses in general has demonstrated to me when using that theme, it gets them captivated on what you are offering and provides them ample opportunity for a strike. Being on-line is good, right? (An angler's perspective) Be well, and Cheers!

Greetings All, The fall fishing fun complements this topic rather well. I hope all of you are able to get out and enjoy. I mainly use mono for all my angling adventures. It does have a number of virtues I appreciate. That being said I did have a flirtation period where I investigated braid as it was new and different. So through that time I did learn a good deal about it and formulated my opinions of it. Yes, the stretch characteristics are different between the two. Understanding that aspect is helpful to get the most advantage when using either line types. A big deal? It depends, as your own experience with it is based on a number of factors and it is "your" opinion on the matter. @A-Jay makes a good recommendation for the sweeping hookset with sufficient duration holding that elevated tension for more successful results. This is helpful with any type of line, it also leverages the most from your setup (line, rod, and you). There are contributing factors involved so it is difficult to isolate line stretch to a single important factor. How are you holding the rod (angles), how much line is involved in the process, type of rod used will affect the amount of tension possible and necessary. The line stretch is only a contributing aspect to the overall outcome. Hopefully this helps to frame the understanding that there is a lot going on. Keep in mind the overall goal of keeping adequate (a helpful amount) tension for the full duration of the retrieve till you have the fish in hand. Line stretch is only a factor in it all. I pay more attention to the aspects because I use ultra light gear, 4 pound mono with almost all my angling. The thresholds are tighter for successful angling as you have to maximize your advantages to be successful. My intention is no to advocate this style of angling. I'm just pointing out you have to have everything working well for you when catching fish near or above the line tension rating. The hook, line, knot, rod, reel, and your technique all make a difference in your success. When using heavier gear there are more allowances in the whole system that add to the overall tolerance before things let go. Line stretch is just one of those things I work with and keep in mind. I deal with it. It is not a big deal. I hope the $0.02 helps in some way. Be well and Cheers!

Greetings All, Great responses! I'm with @Catt as I'm enjoying the angling adventures all year round here in AZ. As long as the weather conditions are safe we are good for taunting fish! Each season has virtues to enjoy. The warm weather does bring out many others out to enjoy the lake. I admit I am looking forward to when I won't have a work schedule to limit my goof-off time taunting fish. @WRB shares a great seasonal guide to help with the different approaches. Greatly appreciate the information provided by all! Me, I do what I can to have a good time. Always good to be "on-line". Be well, and Cheers!

Greetings All, Just $0.02 additional tossed in for consideration. I will typically approach the situation in a similar way whether using ultra lite gear or heavier gear in that I'm doing what I can to maintain a certain minimum of line tension throughout the whole encounter. From the time I detect the fish activity at the other end till I've got my hand on it, I'll do what I need to so the line tension doesn't drop. That can involve adjusting up my reeling speed, and or adjusting the rod to keep that modest bend. All that is done to simply keep a modest line tension on. Because I'm frequently using UL gear I'm not always certain of significant hook penetration so I'm simply counting on keeping tension to keep the hook pinned and the fish moving towards me. I also have to mention my approach when "adjusting the rod". When I adjust the rod, my goal is to simply maintain the modest line tension. I'm not seeking any dramatic line angle change. I minimize any line angle change, that way the hook tip moves as little as possible, again the goal is simply to hold that line tension as I work the fish towards me. This keeps the energy concentrated on connection point and not contributing to a slip in a different direction. Others have mentioned and I have observed, the amount of resistance a fish presents is based on how much input you provide during the hookset and also during the retrieve. Having hammered a few hooksets and seen the fish response versus pinning them (example: sweeping with reel set) and gradually working them in does create a different response situation. You can to determine what is appropriate and use the approach that is suitable for you and the situation you are in. Considerations such as gear you are using, snag hazards in the area and such. It has been gratifying to do the fish catching research to try these different approaches and build an understanding. This past weekend I went fishing using a heavier rig with 10 pound mono with similar success to that of my typical 4 pound mono UL gear. I managed to keep things connected maintaining line tension even with a few jumps. It was a very different feel due to the different rod action and larger reel that I am accustom to. Adjusting for the rod flex difference and line retrieve rate was good to try for mixing things up. I got a good workout using the heavier rig for most of the day. I hope this helps in some way. Be well and Cheers!

Greetings All, @C.Rig21 The answer you seek is best determined by your situation and observations. This is in regards to the hooks you are using and how close the fishing line is to that jagged area of the hook eye. Because the snell knot and other knots are cinched down there is a limited amount of line movement. Based on simply "wiggling" the line at extreme angles are you able to get the line close to the hazard? That should help you determine what level of risk you are willing to accept. In the past I've had concerns with the jagged opening on the hook eyes too. On a few rare occasions I've had times where after successfully catching a fish I find the knot loop slid all the way over to that open area of the eye. So I simply retie rather than risk simply repositioning a possibly compromised knot loop. BTW: I'm generally using 4 pound mono so both the hooks and line are on the small size. I'm encouraging keeping a keen eye on things. If there is a concern retie, or try a different hook. Be well and cheers!

Greetings All, I prefer using an exposed hook where possible, especially when dealing with dynamic (moving) baits. Better to have a higher probability of hook engagement. That being said, you can consider adding a stinger hook to the belly of the EWG hook. See example below: This may bring things more in your favor with faster moving baits where you can improve the hookup potential. Easy to do, just be sure to check local regulations regarding allowable number of hooks. Be well, and Cheers!