What are the little things that bother you?

[Senkoman12]

Hook keeper design.

When will all the rod companies adopt a design similar to what's used on the upper-end BPS rods (and some others)? One that will accommodate all types of baits/rigs including tex-posed baits (without "de-posing") and drop-shot weights.

My best rods are Loomis GLX and St. Croix Avid, and they have the same hook keeper design as on my 45 year old rods... :-/

all manufactures should follow suite with this. those hook holders are great. lets what do i hate. line with lots of memory, getting my cork grips wet, and having a fishing buddy who wont shut up about his crappy skeet reese rods

[*Hootie]

I HATE!!!!

[Goose52]

Wow, this thead drifted overnight...

The question posed by the OP was: "On your rods and reels, and even fishing line, what are the little things that bother you? That would make that certain product go from exceptional to perfect in your eyes?."

We went from little things that could create perfection, to hate - hating equipment and hating people.

Sheesh - sounds like a lot of pent-up emotion here - I guess it's good to let it all out though.... :-?

[grimlin]

Backlashes on baitcasters. As much fun it is to use a baitcaster,it bothers me when i get a backlash....I feel like I'm losing fishing time trying to dig it out.

[piscicidal]

On your rods and reels, and even fishing line, what are the little things that bother you? That would make that certain product go from exceptional to perfect in your eyes?

One thing that falls in this category for me is when otherwise exceptional reels (i.e. older chronarch, newer quantum energy PT) have a slight amount of backplay in the reel handle.

This bothers me because the designers/engineers made an obvious decision to favor form over function in trying to hide the hardware which holds the reel to the shaft.  I'm an inventor/mechanical engineer and I work with industrial designers everyday, so I understand how these decisions ultimately end up getting made. I think this understanding adds to the frustration for me...

[senile1]

Wow, this thead drifted overnight...

The question posed by the OP was: "On your rods and reels, and even fishing line, what are the little things that bother you? That would make that certain product go from exceptional to perfect in your eyes?."

We went from little things that could create perfection, to hate - hating equipment and hating people.

Sheesh - sounds like a lot of pent-up emotion here - I guess it's good to let it all out though.... :-?

Just when it was starting to get interesting you have to spoil the fun.  I hate you, Goose!   

Seriously though, I agree with Goose on the hook keepers.   A little re-design would help in that regard. 

I also agree with SirSnookalot.  Right now I am anxious to wet a line but the snow and ice will not relent.  I would gladly trade this weather for the worst equipment available if it would get me on the water.  There's not much to complain about in fishing and fishing equipment when you consider the alternatives.

[BrASSmonkey]

I too hate when line wraps around the guides on missed hooksets, but spiral wrapped rods do not seem to be as prone to this. 

[.ghoti.]

I  hate to say this, but, nothing about fishing bothers me enough to say I hate it.

[Dockhead]

The only thing I don't like about my rods....they are not Champion Extremes.

Other than that I like 'em just fine.

[Fat-G]

Let's not turn this into a "I hate" thread.

The original question was what would you change about a product you LIKE in order for you to like it even more.

[roadwarrior]

I wanted some of the Rage Tails to be softer,

so Big O softened some of his baits!

8-)

[The Rooster]

Let's not turn this into a "I hate" thread.

The original question was what would you change about a product you LIKE in order for you to like it even more.

OK, in keeping with the original theme of things...

Shimano Curado. An awesome reel. Could be better if they offered it in the 200 size and in a 6.3:1 ratio together. Also could be better if it had 2 bearings in each handle knob instead of only one, making it a 9 bearing reel, or even if 2 more could be added, I'd do it myself, but it can't be done. It would be slicker feeling for sure. I added a bearing to each knob of my BPS Extremes and they are now slicker feeling than before, and even feel slicker than my new Curado E7's handle paddles do. I know it isn't necessary but.....I WANNIT ANYWAY. ;D

Shimano Citica. Another awesome reel. Would be better if they had included the bearing on the inside at the end of the driveshaft, same as the Curado, instead of only a bushing. They could skip the bearings in the handles to keep the cost down, but the reel needs the one inside in my opinion. Not just for smoothing it out, but for wear prevention too. I'll be adding this to mine as soon as I order it. That's the single change I'd make to it without otherwise trying to turn it into a Curado. Basically, I think it would be nice if they offered both the Curado and the Citica with different options. Such as a Citica with oversized grips, or a Curado with smaller grips. Some people like features of each reel, and it's obvious there are those who are ordering parts and custom creating their own Citicados and Curiticas. I know it won't happen but it would be nice.

Shimano spinning reels in general. I like them but if you're gonna make an aluminum frame, go all the way. 1/2 of it aluminum and 1/2 of it graphite does nothing for me. I can live with graphite rotors, but both sideplates and stem and housing for the clutch bearings should be aluminum.

There are a couple of fishing items that I'd change NOTHING about.

The Abu Garcial Soron STX spinning reel. This reel is about as perfect as it can get. 11 bearings in all the right places, solid aluminum everywhere, frame, sideplate, rotor, and even the bail arm connecting to the bail wire. Comes with 2 spools, both aluminum, one ready for braid with no backing required. Sealed Carbon Matrix drag. Brass gears inside, drive gear and pinion both. It's light weight enough to bass fish with and solid and rugged enough for extreme saltwater fishing. Offered in a variety of sizes, and it's NOT ugly to look at either. They left nothing out.

Then, also the Shimano Crucial rods. Particularly the spinning rods. It's about as flawless as it can get. It has the perfect grip for the way I hold one, a moderately sized foregrip which is where I hold it at, the hookkeeper is positioned up the blank out of the way so I can keep a couple of fingers directly in contact with the blank and have a lot of clear blank to be in contact with (unlike on the Compre spinning rods with the small cutout in the foregrip and the hookkeeper too close to the grip as well). There are also no exposed threads on the Crucial's handle at all when the reel is seated down. IM-9 graphite blanks, Alconite guide rings, very light weight, and beautiful to look at. Shimano Crucials are perfect in every way. Pricewise, they are worth it too, but......just recently I discovered the Lew's Speed Sticks and they look to be just about as good for less money. Lifetime warranty and all. There are a few tradeoffs compared directly to the Crucial, but not $30 worth which is what the price difference is from the Crucial to the Lew's Speed Stick Tournament series. The Lew's rods look basically like Compres with better handles in terms of features of the rod as a whole.  There is also a cheaper version as well, the SG series.  At way under $100, it's about as good as it can get.

Drifted somewhat off topic, but not too bad.

[*Hootie]

I hate to say this, but, nothing about fishing bothers me enough to say I hate it.

AMEN ghoti

[21farms]

Let's not turn this into a "I hate" thread.

The original question was what would you change about a product you LIKE in order for you to like it even more.

okay, i edited my post to remove the word "hate"   

[Georgia Jeff]

All of these listed below are slight adjustments that I would make to the equipment that I have and love.

The Shimano Chronarch 50MG is as close to perfect as a reel can get in my opinion.  The only thing that I would change would be to add a slightly longer handle.

I wish PowerPro was quieter when going through the recoil guides on my BPS JM Extreme rods.

I wish my older BPS rods had the cool new hook keepers that the new rods do.

I wish BPS would bring back the BPS Pro Finesse rods and make one in a MH.  The Carbonite rods are not half the rod the old BPS Pro Finesse rods were.

I wish BPS made a solid black stick-o.

I wish they made a Curado with a 28 in retrieve per handle turn.

I wish Minn Kota made a 4 1/2 gear between gears 4 and 5 on there Minn Kota 40lb thrust 5 speed motor.  4 is too slow in the river I fish and 5 is freaking wide open.  They never did fix this so I bought a Motorguide Tour edition 55lb thrust motor with variable speed.  This was the best decision I have ever made.  The batteries last longer and you can always dial in just the speed you want.

[Hammer 4]

I LOVE my green Curado's.. 8-)

[Primus]

I hate split grips and anything that's not a cork handle. I do not like my rods painted Orange, Yellow, White or some other goofy color I just want the plain Matte finish. Also, I hate it when hook keepers are placed on the side where they sometimes grab your line.

[lynyrdsky1]

I wish zoom made baits that lasted more than 3 to 5 fish.

wish Champion didn't merge with Stratos.

Silver Minnow's still had the same sharp hooks they used to. The new ones won't even puncture paper.

[trevor]

Most of all i hate getting water on my just cleaned glasses! AHHHHHH!

[lightsout]

Id love to see a senko type bait with the mann's hardnose matierial on the end...but then they'd sell alot less so that aint happening.

[lynyrdsky1]

Id love to see a senko type bait with the mann's hardnose matierial on the end...but then they'd sell alot less so that aint happening.

Where can you find the manns hardnose? I havn't seen them in so long and really wanted few more bags.

[21farms]

Id love to see a senko type bait with the mann's hardnose matierial on the end...but then they'd sell alot less so that aint happening.

they DO have that. it's called the 'freefall worm'...i have a few bags.

http://www.mannsbait.com/index.asp?Pagename=Hardnose

[lightsout]

Snoopy,

How would you describe the rest of the plastic? I have a few other baits in the hardnose series and the main body of the lure is REALLY stiff, so I wonder about the action on em'.

[21farms]

Snoopy,

How would you describe the rest of the plastic? I have a few other baits in the hardnose series and the main body of the lure is REALLY stiff, so I wonder about the action on em'.

yeah, they're nowhere as soft as real senkos nor do they sink as fast (less salt content?). still, i don't that i'd call them *really* stiff. i have a zillion stick baits though so i think i've only fished the freefall worms once that i can remember.

[georgiaken]

When casting with my Quantum PT Reels, the magnetic bail will often times swing around and close on the cast, the line will snap, and you get to watch $3.00-$15.00 fly across the water.

This often happens if you try to cast "too hard" or you don't use perfect form or if they are greased just a little too much (so that they feel buttery when reeling).

Several of my friends have experienced this with the magnetic bails as well.

But I love that the bails are titanium...you can bend them back into place if they get crushed.