2019 Fishing - Bent rods and tight lines

[ChickenSandwich 9824]

1 hour ago, Dry Elbows said:

Those DCs are sweet.  I fished with a guide on the Shimano prostaff and he had a Metanium DC on his boat and let me chunk it a few times.  Amazing.

I was around the Pass.  Not a place I would recommend those not familiar with the area venturing.  Not only are you apt to get stuck on a sand flat, but it can be a dangerous place to wade. 

 

I’m told..you need to keep your finger OFF the line when casting to let the computer do it’s thang. True/False?

[fattyflattie 4639]

Was that a custom on a Loomis blank or an off-the-rack rod?  Loomis doesn't sell blanks to the public anymore, so I'm not sure how they would handle it.  If was off-the-rack, I bet they do something to work with you.  If you're game for trying another Loomis product, check out the Conquest; it's a bad bitch.

Off the rack. Crank bait series. I’m not soured on them at all, and I’ll look into the conquest. But likely going to do something custom. I think.




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[Dry Elbows 142]

21 minutes ago, ChickenSandwich said:

I’m told..you need to keep your finger OFF the line when casting to let the computer do it’s thang. True/False?

I don’t recall. But I could see that being the case. Otherwise you would be working against the computer. 

[RMac5 1551]

It’s been a long time since I have sent Loomis a rod for warranty but I’m sure they will still cover it. I want to say It was $100 and they replace it with the same rod. Definitely worth looking into it. 

I just looked at their website, says all their rods come with a limited lifetime warranty. Doesn’t cover abuse, big butts, angry womenz or other shit like that. Goes on to say repaired or replaced at no charge.

Edited April 30, 2019 by RMac5

[Pescado_Rojo 19413]

Are those Curado DCs readily available now? I was going to get my son one for Christmas, but they were out of stock/backordered everywhere. He's just good enough with a baitcaster to be be over confident and dangerous, and 30lb power pro is too expensive to keep having to respool reels. 

[ChickenSandwich 9824]

37 minutes ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

Are those Curado DCs readily available now? I was going to get my son one for Christmas, but they were out of stock/backordered everywhere. He's just good enough with a baitcaster to be be over confident and dangerous, and 30lb power pro is too expensive to keep having to respool reels. 

Amazon was out but good old Academy had all three gear ratios available in stock. Went with the 7.4 over the 6 & 8

bought him this one because 17 years ago we got him a Shimano Curado 150 for Father’s Day that still works like new today and is a joy to cast. Hope we get the same from this one. 

Edited April 30, 2019 by ChickenSandwich

[crash_davis 23096]

previous shimano reel i purchased was the core 50mg.  it's given me nothing but trouble. i've replaced the main gear and the pinion gear but it still reels in rough as hell, to the point where it gets stuck and is unusable.  trying to determine if i want to shell out a few bucks more to replace the worm gear.  

i bought a curado 70 6 months ago.  holy hell what an amazing reel.  outcast my core 50 and curado 50mg by a mile.  i'm thinking of replacing my chronarch 50mg and core 50mg for two curado 70s.  they are incredible for the price.

[ChickenSandwich 9824]

3 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

previous shimano reel i purchased was the core 50mg.  it's given me nothing but trouble. i've replaced the main gear and the pinion gear but it still reels in rough as hell, to the point where it gets stuck and is unusable.  trying to determine if i want to shell out a few bucks more to replace the worm gear.  

i bought a curado 70 6 months ago.  holy hell what an amazing reel.  outcast my core 50 and curado 50mg by a mile.  i'm thinking of replacing my chronarch 50mg and core 50mg for two curado 70s.  they are incredible for the price.

Yeah. Old men at bait shop/dock all wax poetic about how much better the 2000s Curados were vs the previous line before the DC. They search them on eBay and swear by them. Dad still skeptical about new fangled technology when the old one worked perfectly. 

Well I want the old one. My vintage Abu Garcia is a pain in the ass and wind over 3mph will have you fucking with line half of the day. 

[fattyflattie 4639]

37 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

previous shimano reel i purchased was the core 50mg.  it's given me nothing but trouble. i've replaced the main gear and the pinion gear but it still reels in rough as hell, to the point where it gets stuck and is unusable.  trying to determine if i want to shell out a few bucks more to replace the worm gear.  

i bought a curado 70 6 months ago.  holy hell what an amazing reel.  outcast my core 50 and curado 50mg by a mile.  i'm thinking of replacing my chronarch 50mg and core 50mg for two curado 70s.  they are incredible for the price.

My 51mg is still my fave of all time, although I missed the Core. You are the first person I’ve ever seen talk about a bad experience with one. I never had the issues others did with the Mg either, thought. Plenty of people did. I still hunt eBay for a nib Core, but not ever any lefties. 

[Lat22 4010]

10 hours ago, ChickenSandwich said:

I’m told..you need to keep your finger OFF the line when casting to let the computer do it’s thang. True/False?

It’s true if you want max distance. I’ve had mine for several months and it’s easily my favorite reel. 

[BabaYaga 15286]

10 hours ago, ChickenSandwich said:

17 years ago we got him a Shimano Curado 150 for Father’s Day that still works like new today and is a joy to cast. Hope we get the same from this one. 

Lol.  Same here.  Been using mine going on almost 20 years with a Shakespeare rod.  Back when Spiderwire was "the thing".  

Have a number of old, but still fully functional Zebco spincast combos the kids love...and I do too from time to time when I'm fishing topwater rigs on stock tanks.  

[BabaYaga 15286]

10 hours ago, ChickenSandwich said:

will have you fucking with line half of the day. 

[Dry Elbows 142]

11 hours ago, crash_davis said:

previous shimano reel i purchased was the core 50mg.  it's given me nothing but trouble. i've replaced the main gear and the pinion gear but it still reels in rough as hell, to the point where it gets stuck and is unusable.  trying to determine if i want to shell out a few bucks more to replace the worm gear.  

i bought a curado 70 6 months ago.  holy hell what an amazing reel.  outcast my core 50 and curado 50mg by a mile.  i'm thinking of replacing my chronarch 50mg and core 50mg for two curado 70s.  they are incredible for the price.

Have you (1) had it cleaned or (2) tried replacing bearings if cleaning did not work?

 

I never had a Core because all of my buddies had issues with them.  Just kept on using my 50Mgs.  I got a Chronarch G 10-12 months ago.  It's a nice reel.

[crash_davis 23096]

1 hour ago, Dry Elbows said:

Have you (1) had it cleaned or (2) tried replacing bearings if cleaning did not work?

 

I never had a Core because all of my buddies had issues with them.  Just kept on using my 50Mgs.  I got a Chronarch G 10-12 months ago.  It's a nice reel.

i had anal about cleaning my reels.  i break down and clean almost after every trip.  if i don't fish that hard, then i can skip a cleaning.  spool bearings are abec-7.  i grease the pinion bearing and the main gear bearing.  i've replaced the anti reverse bearing.  it can't be the bearings.  the last thing to replace is the worm gear and the guide thing for the worm gear.  if this doesn't work, i'm getting rid of it.

i wondered why they only keep the core design for a couple of years.  now i know.  

but i am absolutely sold on the curado 70.  great compact light reel for about $175 on ebay.  i got my on clearance for $150.  tremendous reel for $175.  i may get the slx 150 next just to test.  i read and saw youtube reviews where that thing can cast a mile.

[Masshole Horn 769]

i had anal

Hope you were pitching.

[Mac8111 2105]

Anal for the win.


I really enjoy my Curado 70. I posted a couple years ago a video of it when the guy put Boca Orange seal bearings in the thing right out of the box (he did for free). It free spun forever.

I love my Lews Team Lite. Right now that is my standard on how reels should feel and cast.

I just got the Curado DC so I can’t really speak to it yet.

I have a Lews Custom Inshore that is fine but I am not in love with it.

[Dry Elbows 142]

Team Lews Lite and the Chronarch G have been my go-to reels lately.  Occasionally I will break out one of my 50Mgs.  For rods, I alternate between my Loomis Conquest (782C MBR) and Waterloo Carbon Mag.  

[Lat22 4010]

I soak my bearings in acetone, put them on a scratch awl (wrapped in masking tape), and spin them with a can of compressed air. Reinstall and spin the spool with the compressed air. That sucker will spin for minutes and minutes before stopping.

[4th and 5 4914]

I just mount my Stradic on the OG All Star titanium and cast a quarter mile in to the wind. I don’t need to finger it, upgrade the bearings, Boca Orange it, soak it in compressed air, or know what a scratch awl is.

[crash_davis 23096]

10 hours ago, 4th and 5 said:

I just mount my Stradic on the OG All Star titanium and cast a quarter mile in to the wind. I don’t need to finger it, upgrade the bearings, Boca Orange it, soak it in compressed air, or know what a scratch awl is.

[crash_davis 23096]

mother of god.  say goodbye to a few hours.  she knows how to camera angle.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg5sMglHaFmYYn9vSfb7J3g

 

nsfw

[crash_davis 23096]

vicky stark and fishing with luiza are my two new favorite youtube channels.

nsfw.  i'm spent.

Spoiler

 

 

[4th and 5 4914]

dat ass....dat snapper 

[Mac8111 2105]

[DougO 5243]

10 hours ago, crash_davis said:

vicky stark and fishing with luiza are my two new favorite youtube channels.

nsfw.  i'm spent.

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

Looks like she specializes in artificials.

[davidg 4036]

1 hour ago, Mac8111 said:

 

[Braff Zacklin 13552]

2 hours ago, Mac8111 said:

 

[DCA_HORN 725]

Strong to quite strong. What's the recipe for the stuffed portion? And please tell me those aren't store bought.

[fattyflattie 4639]

47 minutes ago, DCA_HORN said:

And please tell me those aren't store bought.

Mac was giggin POC last week, upthread. 

[DCA_HORN 725]

I'll put it to this thread gigging seems like cheating to me. Go.

[fattyflattie 4639]

13 hours ago, crash_davis said:

vicky stark and fishing with luiza are my two new favorite youtube channels.

nsfw.  i'm spent.

  Hide contents

 

 

Man. Straight built for speed. And fishing, apparently.  

[fattyflattie 4639]

1 minute ago, DCA_HORN said:

I'll put it to this thread gigging seems like cheating to me. Go.

Have you ever done it much?  It’s not nearly as easy as it would seem.  Easier to catch flounder on gulps than gigging imo. 

[DCA_HORN 725]

No I haven't. Also think fishing with anything under a cork is amateur hour as well.

[fattyflattie 4639]

I agree. But gigging really is harder than it looks. I’ve been only a handful of times, but at least out of a boat, it’s not simple.  Wading is easier but still challenging. I’m confident I could catch as many flounder fan casting guts with curly tail gulps. It is fun though. More like hunting than fishing. 

[3shot 139]

I have gigged a lot of flounder over the last 30 years.  Not over a 1,000, but certainly over 500.  I've caught less than 100 keeper flounder on rod and reel, but I don't specifically target them either.  To me, gigging is more of a cultural thing than anything else.  I like to drink beer and walk around with a coleman lantern (old school) or pvc pipe with a bulb at the end (current setup).  You see a lot more out there than just flounder.  In my opinion, it is a fantastic way to spend a couple hours on a summer or fall night on the Texas coast and my actual gigging success is secondary to just being out there and experiencing the bay in a different way than most people do.  I've also caught a whole bunch of reds and trout during these "flounder gigging trips" when I've stumbled across a bunch of bait and feeding fish...always keep some rods rigged back at the boat while out gigging.

Is gigging "cheating?"  I don't think so, but then again, I shoot deer under a feeder, ducks and turkeys that come to my calls/decoys, etc.  I don't think gigging flounder is hard, but I don't think the taking or catching of any fish or animals by any other method is particularly difficult either.  I love to fly fish in rivers and streams from Alaska to Texas, and in our bays and behind shrimp boats in the Gulf.  I also love to crappie fish with a minnow under a cork.  And sometimes in the spring, I even drift various Texas bays with a cork and live shrimp.  

DCA, I feel sorry for you that you apparently have some interest in the outdoors, but have never been flounder gigging or watched a cork go under, but feel the need to denigrate that kind of outdoors experience that many others enjoy.  It kind of seems like you suck.  Go.  

 

[DCA_HORN 725]

The last time I saw a bobber go under I was probably eight. A tail hooked croaker? Child please.

[davidg 4036]

I feel sorry for you if you never had the experience of slipping of the side of the boat on a late summer evening armed with just a gig, a white gas coleman latern, a stringer basket and a couple of beers stuffed in your back pockets.  You've missed out on a truly Texas saltwater experience.

[Pescado_Rojo 19413]

A lot of what 3 shot said...

I LOVE to fly fish, and given my preference I'd do that all day every day, but sometimes it's fun to do something different with a group of buddies or your kids. I've also got several friends that love to fish but don't fly fish, and I'm not going to make them try just for the privilege of hanging out with me on the water. Flounder are delicious, so it's not like they are going to go to waste, and I do my best not to talk shit about anyone's preferred method of fishing as long as it's legal....except bow fisherman who target big gar only to leave them to rot on the riverbank. Fuck those guys, and the guys that run the POC shark tournament that takes the dead sharks and dumps them back in the bay.  

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

someone asked me awhile back what my single favorite thing about fishing is and it caught me off guard and i wasn't sure what to say. i've spent a lot of time thinking about my answer to that since then, but i'm curious what it is for y'all...so many facets to it all, but you have to pick one favorite...?

 

[Brew 3049]

7 minutes ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

someone asked me awhile back what my single favorite thing about fishing is and it caught me off guard and i wasn't sure what to say. i've spent a lot of time thinking about my answer to that since then, but i'm curious what it is for y'all...so many facets to it all, but you have to pick one favorite...?

 

Being on the water, usually by myself. I deal with people all day every day, so that solitude is appreciated.

I was out yesterday and ended up just watching the mullet run and jump for part of the trip. The fishing has been terrible this spring where we’re at with the after effects of the red tide, but I’m still going to go out there and throw something.

[Brisketexan 105051]

19 minutes ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

someone asked me awhile back what my single favorite thing about fishing is and it caught me off guard and i wasn't sure what to say. i've spent a lot of time thinking about my answer to that since then, but i'm curious what it is for y'all...so many facets to it all, but you have to pick one favorite...?

 

My mind runs at 4,000 rpms pretty much all the time, working complex multi-faceted problems.  It's what I'm called upon to do professionally, and I'm just wired that way.  It's the same way in my personal life, hell, it drives me nuts when I'm trying to go to sleep.

But when I'm on the water, my mind hums along with a single focus.  Cast.  Visualize.  Feel.  Drift the fly/bounce the lure/pop the cork.  It doesn't matter.  I just know that I can get out of the water, and for X hours, all I've thought about is the act of fishing.  It's the most meditative experience that I have.  And I don't do it NEARLY enough.

[Johnny Sack 8397]

20 minutes ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

someone asked me awhile back what my single favorite thing about fishing is and it caught me off guard and i wasn't sure what to say. i've spent a lot of time thinking about my answer to that since then, but i'm curious what it is for y'all...so many facets to it all, but you have to pick one favorite...?

 

I love being on the water -- either fly fishing out west or in the bay or offshore.  Keeping lines in the water.  Having beers and listening to music with friends while drifting in the bay or trolling pelagics at weedlines or the floaters.

And of course eating the catch and vacuum sealing the rest.  I absolutely love having all different kinds of fish in my deep freezer -- reds, trout, snapper, grouper, dorado, swordfish, ling, wahoo, etc.  I usually have at least 3 different species in my deep freezer.  We tend to catch swords every year or two.  Properly handled and vacuum sealed in deep freezer, the fish is just as good 18 months later than it was fresh.  Only thing I won't freeze is tuna.  I love it.  But only raw.  So end up giving a lot of it a way when he go on a big meat haul. 

[Johnny Sack 8397]

6 hours ago, DCA_HORN said:

The last time I saw a bobber go under I was probably eight. A tail hooked croaker? Child please.

I like to fly fish also.  But never do it in the marsh.  I pretty much throw two things.  A gulp under a popping cork and a strike pro hunchback wake bait.  Both catch fish.

[crash_davis 23096]

like what brew said, it's the solitude and singularity of it all.  i kayak fish with arties on flats so it's sorta like stop and stalk hunting.  when i'm on the water, i never look at the phone.  i enjoy watching the sunrise, the calmness of my settings, the focused attention on reading the water and looking for signs, the stalk, the presentation of the lure, and then the thrill of everything working out and landing a keeper.  and then i enjoy the kill to table process of fishing, catching, cleaning, and cooking the fish.  

and fresh grilled redfish tastes fucking good.

last night, i cleaned my reels from saturday's fishing trip.  it got all all excited about the next trip knowing that my gear is fucking awesome.

 

btw, 

kayak fishing on flats with arties = stop and stalk hunting

fishing by soaking dead/live bait = hunting from a blind

[crash_davis 23096]

and then i watch the videos of hot chics in bikinis fishing from boats and i think i have fishing all wrong....

[Pescado_Rojo 19413]

24 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

My mind runs at 4,000 rpms pretty much all the time, working complex multi-faceted problems.  It's what I'm called upon to do professionally, and I'm just wired that way.  It's the same way in my personal life, hell, it drives me nuts when I'm trying to go to sleep.

But when I'm on the water, my mind hums along with a single focus.  Cast.  Visualize.  Feel.  Drift the fly/bounce the lure/pop the cork.  It doesn't matter.  I just know that I can get out of the water, and for X hours, all I've thought about is the act of fishing.  It's the most meditative experience that I have.  And I don't do it NEARLY enough.

This right here. The ability to completely lose track of time and focus on one single (enjoyable) thing is not something I get to do nearly enough. 

[Johnny Sack 8397]

I am not too proud to fish with live bait, but I hate messing with it.  Messy, keeping bait alive is a pain, and catch a bunch of trash fish I don't want to fool with, etc.  Gulps were a great invention.

[crash_davis 23096]

4 minutes ago, Johnny Sack said:

I am not too proud to fish with live bait, but I hate messing with it.  Messy, keeping bait alive is a pain, and catch a bunch of trash fish I don't want to fool with, etc.  Gulps were a great invention.

there's no shame with fishing with live or dead bait.  the only opinion that matters is yours.  i would love to fish with dead or live, but i had ADD when i'm fishing, always moving reading water.  i don't have the patience to throw out a lure and sit waiting for something to happen.

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

49 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

My mind runs at 4,000 rpms pretty much all the time, working complex multi-faceted problems.  It's what I'm called upon to do professionally, and I'm just wired that way.  It's the same way in my personal life, hell, it drives me nuts when I'm trying to go to sleep.

But when I'm on the water, my mind hums along with a single focus.  Cast.  Visualize.  Feel.  Drift the fly/bounce the lure/pop the cork.  It doesn't matter.  I just know that I can get out of the water, and for X hours, all I've thought about is the act of fishing.  It's the most meditative experience that I have.  And I don't do it NEARLY enough.

i always tell people it's the only calming thing I do that forces me to be completely present. all the other noise in life fades away. 

for me, it's the anticipation. whether it's the time spent at the boat ramp rigging up for a float, or the weeks or even months prior to a destination trip, i'm consumed with the possibilities of the experience. on other (non-fishing) trips, the day before the trip will arrive and haven't even thought about the trip. but the second i book a fishing trip, i can't stop thinking about what might happen on that trip. the same with a day of fishing locally...what's the weather going to do? will they be eating streamers? will it finally be the day i catch the fish of a lifetime? what flies should i tie?

every time i go fishing, i have no idea what to expect, and that unknown is like a drug for me.

side note: as i've been trying to answer the question i posed, i was surprised at just how far down the list actually catching the fish is.

[Ollie Slatt 289]

7 minutes ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

 

side note: as i've been trying to answer the question i posed, i was surprised at just how far down the list actually catching the fish is.

Its way down the list for me.  I still enjoy the catching part, but it is secondary. 

I once fished with a guy in Wyoming that had literally clipped the lower part of the hook off his flies.  He only fished dries and just liked watching native cuts rise to a fly.  Don't think I will ever go that far, but I thought it was an interesting approach.