DEPS_250

Been wanting to try out FX2 for a while now. Does it absorb a lot of water? Does it stay pretty dry after a long day on the water?

In your experience, does the Xplasma Asegai absorb a lot of water? Does it stay pretty dry after a long day of use? A few weeks ago, I found out about Daiwa J Braid Expedition. It's a new braid that just came out last year. It has a special coating in order to not absorb water. Excellent water repellency is its main selling point because of the coating. Too bad it was only released for the Southeast Asian and Australian markets. Daiwa never released the J Braid Expedition to the US market. I don't think Daiwa is planning on releasing it to the US in the near future. I can only find it on Amazon and on Ebay from Australian retailers and it is SUPER EXPENSIVE! I might bite the bullet and grab a spool to try out. I think it might be the answer to all of my problems. Going to put Sunline Xplasma Asegai on the back burner for now.

I am thinking about upgrading the stock spool bearings on my Daiwa Tatula 300 to aftermarket performance spool bearings. The problem is, the Daiwa Tatula 300 comes with Daiwa's 'base/standard' Magforce braking system. Based on what I have read and researched, the standard Magforce braking system is basically 'ON' all the time and therefore is 'constantly' applying braking force throughout a cast's full length/arc/time. With this in mind, it got me thinking that upgrading the spool bearings would only be worth it if I had a Daiwa reel that came with a higher tier and/or higher tech braking system like Daiwa's Magforce Z. Since the Daiwa Tatula 300 comes with the standard Magforce, I am thinking upgrading the spool bearings might just be a lost cause and I might not even see any performance gains. Essentially, would the constant braking force from the standard Magforce braking system 'negate' any performance gains from aftermarket bearings? Even if there is a slight performance gain, I feel like it would be so minimal/minuscule that I would probably not even feel it. With that said, Has anyone in here ever experimented with aftermarket performance bearings on Daiwa's base/standard Magforce braking system? Did you see and/or feel any noticeable performance gains?

$50 Shipped.

$60 Shipped.

Treble Hook Lot For Sale _ Gamakatsu G Finesse Short Shank MH _ Size 2: 4 of 6 G Finesse Short Shank MH _ Size 2: 6 of 6 _ BKK Fangs BT662-UA _ Size 2: 5 of 7 Feathered Spear 21 SS _ Size 1: 3 White Feathered Spear 21 SS _ Size 1: 3 Red/Black _ Owner Stinger Treble STY-35MF _ Size 2/0: 5 of 5 Stinger Treble ST-36BC _ Size 1/0: 5 of 5 Stinger Treble ST-36BC _ Size 1: 6 of 6 Stinger Treble ST-66TN 4X _ Size 1: 6 of 6 Stinger Treble ST-66TN 4X _ Size 2: 7 of 7 All brand new. Never used. Selling as a lot. Not willing to break up or make new lots. PayPal only. $70 Shipped.

I am slowly finding out that the more aerodynamic a bait is and/or the less air resistance the bait has in the air... The more I feel like I can get away with using a shorter rod, while still achieving some good distance. The more I like to use a rod where the bait’s weight falls on the heavier end of the rod’s ‘sweet spot’ and therefore forces more bend in the back cast in order to achieve more distance. The more I like to use a rod that has a softer and more parabolic action overall and therefore forces more bend in the back cast in order to achieve more distance. I feel like when I have found the right rod for a specific bait, based on the variables above... The more I get a 'dialed in feeI' with the brakes in order to maximize distance, while minimizing backlashes. The more I get a 'dialed in feeI' with the spool tension in order to maximize distance, while minimizing backlashes. With that said, I feel like the bait’s aerodynamics and/or air resistance has a substantial affect on an angler’s rod choice and also on the ease and/or frustration of setting up reel brakes and the spool tension. I have found that when I have reached a good combination of all of the variables above, is when my gear feels 'dialed in' and like I have reached the perfect balance of achieving maximum distance while also minimizing backlashes. When I feel like my gear is dialed in, my casts feel a lot more accurate and a lot more efficient, therefore I make more casts and cover a lot more water and ultimately, I catch more fish. Seems like the less aerodynamic and/or the more air resistance the bait has in the air, the harder it is for me to find that perfect balance of achieving maximum distance while also minimizing backlashes. I was curious to know if anyone else in here also feels the same way about a baits aerodynamics and/or are constantly thinking about how much air resistance a bait has? Or, is it just me? Also, I don't know if it's pure coincidence and/or irony but some of my favorite/confidence baits that get bit the most, are also the baits that have the BEST aerodynamics and/or the least air resistance and that cast the best in all situations! Go figure! I am willing to bet that 100% of all anglers out there are also in the same boat!

I just wish Owner would make a ST-35 but with the Zo-Wire materials/construction for guys like me who need a beefier/stronger hook, while also needing a thin diameter and light weight in order to not have a major impact/effect on a bait's action. Or better yet, just make an EWG Short Shank version/variant of the STX-45 Zo-Wire for guys who prefer the compact EWG Short Shank profile/look. I don't know, maybe Owner can call it the STX-44 or STX-46?

The Mustad KVD Elite Triple Grip 2X Short 1X Strong are totally out of the picture. Just did another google search and found a better picture on google images that finally shows that the hook eye is totally perpendicular to 1 of the points and therefore is not going to work for my intended purpose. On the other hand, The Gamakatsu EWG Short Shank Magic Eye trebles will work. Did a google search again and finally found an image that shows the Gamakatsu EWG Short Shank Magic Eye having 1 point inline with the hook eye. For anyone reading this post and trying to figure out how to tell if a treble hook has a point inline with the hook eye... Basically, there is only 2 ways for a hook manufacturer to weld/create a treble hook. They can either... Weld 2 opposing hooks at a set/designated angle/degree to a single hook that already has an inline hook eye. Or... Weld 1 hook to a Double hook that is similar in design/concept to a double frog hook, that has 2 points/hooks created from 1 piece of steel and that has a horizontal hook eye but with the 2 points set at a certain angle/degrees from 90 degrees perpendicular. If you get good at analyzing treble hook pictures/images online, you can clearly see the weld joints/seams and clearly see how the manufacturer welded and/or created the treble hook based on what I outlined above. Treble hooks that have a point inline with the hook eye, like Owners, tend to have a weld that looks really thick and you can kind of make out where they welded the 2 pieces of steel to the 1 hook. Therefore, if you get really good, you can kind of make out where the 2 pieces of steel meet and also where the top of both pieces of steel stop/shuts off and is therefore more parallel/inline with the hook eye. Treble hooks that do not have a point inline with the hook eye, like the Mustad KVDs, tend to have cleaner and thinner looking welds since they only need to weld 1 piece of steel. Therefore, if you get really good, you can kind of make out how the bend in the hook eye created the double frog hook design and where the 1 piece of steel gets welded in the middle of the frog hook and also where the top stops/shuts off and is therefore more perpendicular/pointing straight at the hook eye.

I love treble hooks that have 1 point inline with the hook eye. Makes the belly/front treble hook lay flat against the body of the bait and therefore forces 1 point in front of the bait and 1 point to either side of the bait on the left and right. I have never tried EWG short shank hooks before. I just ordered some Owner Short Shank ST-35's to try out and they are coming tomorrow. I know for a fact the Owner Short Shank ST-35's have 1 point inline with the hook eye. On the other hand, I also wanted to try out the Gamakatsu Short Shank Magic Eye and the Mustad KVD Elite Triple Grip 2X Short 1X Strong. Does anyone know if these 2 treble hook models have 1 of the points inline with the eye of the hook? For some reason, a google images search came up with nothing and I could not find any info or image/photo showcasing whether these hooks have 1 of the points inline with the eye of the hook. All of the local tackle shops by me don't carry both of these hooks.

The thing with the Owner Zowire's that I can't get over is the SHAPE and DESIGN on the bend. The bend on the Owner Zowire's has that aggressive/acute upturned angle at the very bottom. That aggressive/acute upturned angle kind of looks COOL and makes the hook look more modern and 'techy/cyberpunk-ish'. Kind of similar to aggressive angles on a modern sports car. On the other hand, it also just looks weird and kind of 'off' for guys like me, who prefer a traditional round bend.

The hook in question that I am having problems with, is the BKK Spear 21 SS. I decided to grab some size 2's a few weeks ago to play around with. I am currently experimenting with the size 2 BKK Spear 21 SS on 3oz glide baits. My main setup for fishing 3oz glide baits... Megabass Orochi XX Leviathan _ 8' _ 20-40lb _ 2-8oz Daiwa Tatula 300 40LB Sufix 832 Mainline 20LB Fluoro Leader [6-10' long depending on depth I want to fish] 15-20LB Mono Leader [6-10' long depending on depth I want to fish] I set my drag about 2/3 to 3/4 full depending on which type of leader and the length of leader I am currently using. The problem is...I am having the hooks bend out on SNAGS! I haven't even caught a fish on these hooks yet! I don't even lock my drag to FULL when dislodging my baits from snags and I am still bending out hooks! With that said, they definitely feel a 1/2 to almost a FULL strength weaker compared to my Owner Stinger STX-36's. Owner STX 36's are considered a 1X strong hook by Owner's strength rating. I don't bend out the Owner STX 36's running this exact rod, reel and line setup. The only time I bend out Owner STX-36's, is when I am snagged and have to completely LOCK DOWN my drag to FULL. I believe the BKK Spear 21 SS are a 1X strong. Don't quote me though. I don't see any strength rating for the BKK Spear 21 SS anywhere online. Product descriptions with online retailers are no help, since they don't list or describe what the strength rating is either. Even BKK's own website does not list or say what the strength rating is. With that said, I don't believe the BKK Spear 21 SS hooks are a 1X hook after bending out the hooks so easily. I think they are just a stock/standard run-of-the-mill strength. I think they were only meant for upgrading small conventional bass baits like crank baits, topwaters and jerk baits. Also, I think an 8' 20-40lb rod and braid to leader setup is just OVERKILL for the BKK Spear 21 SS. I probably shouldn't be using this type of hook for an 8' 20-40lb rod, running braid to leader. I should probably down grade to a lighter power rod and no braid. On the other hand, this is the only rod I currently have available for fishing 3oz glide baits. I also prefer fishing braid to leader, since the braid is thinner and lets me pack more line onto my reel, therefore keeping my inches per turn fairly high after an above average length cast and therefore extending the strike zone and working time. The problem is... I LOVE the color of the BKK Spear 21 SS hooks! The matte gunmetal finish looks so STEALTHY! No other hook manufacturer makes a treble hook with this color. I also LOVE the shape of the hook. It has the perfect amount of shank length and bend/throat gap for cigar/torpedo shaped glide baits. One ADVANTAGE to the weak hook - I easily get my baits back from snags! That is a lot of money saved when you're fishing with $100+ swimbaits. With stronger hooks that don't bend out, I usually lose expensive swimbaits to snags. It's a lot cheaper to replace a hook, than it is to replace a $100+ swimbait. I am all confused. I don't know what to do. Haha LOL.

Yeah, I am seriously thinking about going with the Owner STX Zowire treble hooks. I have heard nothing but positive feedback and reviews on the Owner STX Zowire hooks. No negative reviews what so ever. With strength being its main selling point too. I have also heard that it's pretty thin and light weight for its size and strength. Therefore, not really affecting the action of more sensitive baits like glide baits. Do you find this to be true and/or correct?

Y Yeah, I can definitely see that the larger hook is a little thicker. It's not much though, I mean, we're probably talking about less than .50mm. On the other hand, I don't know how much more strength that would mean over the smaller hook though. In the end though, I guess it's always better to just go with a stronger hook series/model, if you're really needing the extra strength.

On a side note, is it possible to compromise the integrity and/or lessen the strength of a hook point even further, if your repeatedly bending the same treble hook point back into alignment using pliers? I am assuming a treble hook point can only take an 'x' amount of bends and or torsional force before it would fail, right? I mean, if your repeatedly bending back the same point multiple times, it's bound to fail at a certain point, right? And by failing, I mean, having the point completely breaking off.

I have been having issues with some of my treble hooks bending out. I have heard that upsizing your hooks will usually offer a little more strength. In theory, will upgrading a smaller hook to a bigger hook offer more strength? For example, if I upgrade size 2 treble hooks to a size 1 or 1/0, will I be able to avoid hooks from bending and/or straightening out on bigger hard fighting fish? FYI, I am not referring to upgrading the hook strength from a 1x to a 2x, 3x, 4x etc. I know for a fact that you can avoid bending out hooks by buying and upgrading to stronger hooks. On the other hand, I wanted to know if it was possible to gain a little more strength by upgrading the actual hook size within the same hook model/series.

Does Sunline FX2 absorb a lot of water after a few hours of fishing? I guess I could start using a line conditioner, if I am looking for the easiest and cheapest option for minimizing backlashes. Therefore, Do line conditioners help braided fishing lines from absorbing too much water? Tried line conditioners many years ago but ended up not liking them at all. They make fishing maintenance feel tedious and they are a mess to deal with.

- Casting, if you couldn't tell by the description of my problems with backlashing from turning down my spool tension knob and my brakes. I am mainly looking for a 50-60lb braid that is around .37-.40mm in diameter. I am planning on putting the braid on a Daiwa Tatula 300, casting 3-6oz swimbaits. The Japanese/JDM YGK X-braid 50lb is too thin. It is .285mm. YGK came out with an American/USDM off shoot brand earlier this year at ICAST called X-Braid. As far as I can tell, it is the same exact Japanese/YGK x-braid. Only difference is, they are providing bigger/thicker diameters that cater more towards a North American style of fishing where power and durability take more precedence over being finesse and stealthy. They have a 50lb that is .36mm. The WX weaving technology looks very promising as far as providing good water repellency properties. I am assuming if the WX weaving technology is very tight and results in 'no gaps' between the individual strands, than that would ultimately mean no water getting inside the individual strands and therefore avoiding that 'water logged' feeling you get after fishing a few hours with cheaper braids that use a standard/typical weave pattern.

Anyone in here use Sunline Xplasma Asegai Braided Line? Looking for some general reviews and experiences. Reviews on Tackle Warehouse are mostly positive and very good. It says it has excellent water repellency. It's the only braided line on the market I know of, that actually advertises excellent water repellency as a main feature/advantage over other braids. I am interested in this claim and wanted to know what other's experiences are on this line and its water repellency. With that said, I am currently using Daiwa J Braid X8 and it's been giving me a lot of problems with backlashing by absorbing a lot of water. After a few hours on the water, it starts to absorb a lot of water and makes the spool feel slow and 'sticky'. The line feels like its sticking to itself and feels like its coming off slower after absorbing a lot of water. Therefore, it forces me to lower my spool tension knob and/or lower my brakes in order to overcome the stickiness and slowness after absorbing water. That then, sometimes leads to backlashes when I am trying to achieve some distance. The Daiwa J Braid x8 absorbing water and constantly causing me backlashes is making me very annoyed, frustrated and infuriating. I need to upgrade to a newer braid. I am looking/hoping to minimize and/or eliminate the braid absorbing water all together. Did a lot of research and that is how I came across the Sunline Xplasma Asegai braided line. Also, does anyone else know of any other braided lines on the market that exhibit excellent water repellency properties and therefore help minimize backlashes? Most all braids I have tried so far, absorb a lot of water. I have yet to come across a braid that does not absorb a lot of water. Which is another reason why the Sunline Xplasma Asegai piqued my interest so much. I am hoping it will be the 'silver bullet' to my line problems and hopefully be the last braid I will ever have to purchase again.

Do feathered treble hooks create 'some' resistance in the water? If they do... That means they will make a bait sink a bit slower, correct? Even if it's a minuscule/indiscernible amount to say the least. That means they will 'restrict' a baits action a bit correct? Therefore, if I put feathered treble hooks on something like a glide bait, it should make the bait glide a little 'less' for each glide/turn of the reel handle, correct? I fish a Japanese bait called a DRT Klash 9. I tested it out with feathered treble hooks and regular treble hooks. I noticed the glide wasn't as far and fluid with the feathered treble hooks vs regular treble hooks. Therefore, why I had to ask.

There is some fishing theory that I am really confused on and that has been tugging at my mind lately and I need some answers/clarification on. A lot of veteran/semi-pro/pro anglers will tell you that the Summer is the 'HARDEST' season to catch fish. On the other hand, a lot of veteran/semi-pro/pro anglers will also tell you that the bass's metabolism is highest/at its peak in the Summer. The million dollar question is...If the bass's metabolism is highest in the Summer and they are constantly 'WANTING' to eat...Shouldn't that make fishing 'EASIER' and not harder? I'm all confused on the theory. Why is it so hard to get bites in the Summer when it should be easier since the fish's metabolism is at its highest? Does it have something to do with a Thermocline? Does it have something to do with the water having less oxygen in the Summer? Does it have to do with the bass suspending in the water and not being attached to any kind of structure and/or cover?

Creeks make a lot of sense. Especially, If the bass can find a creek with a relatively flat/gradual topography that does not have a very rapid/fast change in water level due to the tides. These areas would make a lot of sense, since the eggs would probably have a lower probability of ending up high and dry at low tide.

I mainly fish lakes where the water level stays pretty constant throughout the year. I have never fished a river/tidal system before, where the water level is constantly fluctuating hour to hour, day to day due to tides. Therefore, it got me thinking, how do the bass spawn in a river/tidal system where the water level is constantly fluctuating hour to hour, day to day due to tides? Specifically... What is the general pattern and/or how do the bass 'setup' to spawn, when they know that the water levels are always fluctuating? How do they figure out where to put the bed, so the eggs don't end up 'high and dry' at low tide? Therefore, do the bass tend to spawn 'deeper' so the eggs don't end up high and dry at low tide? Does the constant changing water level have an effect on the bass's timing? Do they tend to spawn sooner? Later? Does the constant changing water level have an effect on how long the bass stay on a bed/spawn? I would think that the constant water level fluctuations would tend to make the bass stay for a pretty 'short/quick' amount of time and therefore would make the bass have a more 'let's hurry up and get in and get out' kind of mentality, right?

Hollywood Reservoir? Last time I checked, Hollywood Reservoir was off limits/not fishable just like Lake Mathews. I have always wanted to try and fish it ever since I saw it on Google Maps a few years ago. With that said, can anyone confirm if you can actually 'legally' fish in Hollywood Reservoir? If it just so happens that you can fish it legally, I want to try and hit it up now. On the other hand, if no one can confirm, I don't want to try and fish it and possibly get a trespassing ticket.

Get a FISH GRIPPER! They are so useful and have saved me from a few bad situations. I never leave home without one.