Garry2Rs

As has been suggested the number of bearings is largely a sales gimmick. I once owned a Tica baitcasting reel that even had ball bearings in the paddles of the crank handle...grin. When someone replaces their bearings with the best that money can buy, they normally only replace two bearings! These two are the ones that support the spool. I don't know if they come on the new Citica or not, but a fine reel mechanic told me that Shimano's A-RB bearings are as good as stainless steel reel bearings get. Garry2R's

All the reels you mentioned are okay, but ask yourself who fixes them? Will there be parts in two or three years? The world is full of Orphan Reels that were made by third party companies, or are of brands that have no Canadian representation. Many are now only good for paper weights because there are no parts available, or shipping them to the States for service would cost more than they are truly worth. I like Shimano reels because their service is outstanding and their Canadian office is in Peterborough. I read that the new Citica E is built in Japan, using the same dies as the latest Curado. This newest model of the popular and well regarded Citica is supposed to have all the features of the Curado, at a lower price. The Caenan is a bit cheaper, but for the small amount of extra money, I would take the Citica.

First of all everything I have to say is only my considered opinion. Second, for ease of handling I use braid, with leaders most of the time. I truly believe that in most cases, line size, colour or material doesn't matter to the fish, within reason. My evidence... Jig&Pig fishermen routinely win tournaments using Musky weight braided line to present a dead-fall bait to wise old fish in highly pressured waters. This is the ultimate dumb bait...It just lays there on the bottom in front of the fish's nose...If line size mattered these baits would catch nothing! I believe that in most cases, line shyness has more to do with what is called "Drag" than with the line itself. Drag is caused by cross currents pulling on the line so that a bait moves unnaturally. My Evidence... In the past Fly fishermen sometimes used dental floss, which is quite visible, but very small in diameter and very limp, as a tippet on tough trout. Because, a high floating, small diameter line is less susceptible to drag. Visibility might be highly over rated and the invisibility of Fluorocarbon might be largely a function of the advertising media...In a test done by TackleTour a few years ago, fluorocarbon line wasn't particularly less visible underwater, in a swimming pool, than Mono. That doesn't mean we should ignore Fluoro, but let's not sell the farm just yet! As has been pointed out, red is the first colour to fade to black underwater...but we are talking about 15 to 20 feet! Pink Fluoro is supposed to remain "invisible" even after it is nicked...according to the add copy-writers...grin. I believe that with reaction baits, our results have little to do with line size, brand, colour etc. The fish are chasing/attacking what they see as an easy meal, they are not aware of what is pulling the bait along. My evidence... Musky fishermen use poorly painted pieces of shovel handle and hockey sticks, attached to heavy wire leaders to catch the top predator in the lake...Obviously fish are stupid! Drop-shotting, live bait, shaky-head etc...Okay, a case can be made for fine-line, with finesse techniques, but I have caught a lot of Bass on Senko's using 15 and 20 pound braid without a leader! If the bait falls naturally, the fish will bite it to see if it's good to eat...grin. Garry2R's Fishing is my favourite form of loafing.

If you are talking about the lakes along #28 near Apsley, forget about Big Cedar. There are too many fish eaters on that lake. The Musky population has disappeared. I can't help you with Silent Lake PP it's a motor-less lake so I have never been there. Garry2R's

I hope you enjoy the read... Let me see...January nights...Yes...I know...That's when it cools down enough so that you don't need air conditioning in Arizona...HAHAHA. Garry2R's

Here is everything you need to know... Hollow core braid how to Garry2r's

Click here for the knot you need...

I don't use glue. On casting rods, I use 40 pound hollow-core braid and fish heavy leaders. The leaders are inside the braid and there are no knots...PM me if you don't know about this technique. Twenty pound test mono or fluoro is my favourite for cranks and swimbaits. I generally tie a Fishing Fool AKA Double Uni to attach the bait. This is just the regular Uni but the line goes twice through the eye. I have never had it slip. On spinning gear I use 8, 10 and 15 pound solid braid and attach a leader of 6 or 8 pound Mono or Flouro. I am using the Albright knot to join the braid and the Fishing Fool to attache the hook. This is my Senko and Crappie rig. Occasionally I might throw some small spinners or tiny cranks. When I do, I muscle up the leader accordingly. This works for me, where I fish. You might want to do things differently. Garry2R's

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PM our friend Spiel.

Where we came from... Before WWII the best fishing lines were made from Linen and Silk. These lines required a lot of TLC. They had to be removed from the reel and dried after use, on large open spools, to prevent deterioration. Around 1940 Nylon and Dacron were invented. Dacron soon became the preferred fishing line and held that place for the next 20 years. Nylon monofilament was introduced about the same time but people didn't like this line because it was too stiff and wiry, which made it hard to handle and cast...Knots also slipped out...Does this sound familiar? Monofilament... In 1958 DuPont, who had invented Nylon, released a new fishing line they called Stren. This was a thinner, softer mono-filament line that could be used on all types of reels, including the newly introduced spinning and spin-casting tackle. This new line was very inexpensive and riding on the coat-tails of the new spinning tackle craze, it swept the market. Fluorocarbon... In 1972 Kureha Chemical of Japan, introduced the worlds first Fluorocarbon fishing line at the Osaka Fishing Tackle Exhibition. They sold there new line under the name Seaguar. To this day they have kept everything in house, refusing to sell there line to outside companies. The fishing public found this new fluorocarbon line too stiff and wiry, which made it hard to handle, and knots slipped...Is there an echo in here? Here is what you need to know... Fluorocarbon is not invisible underwater, but it's close, nicks don`t make it more visible. Fluorocarbon is stiffer than mono. Fluorocarbon is less knot friendly than mono. Fluorocarbon is slightly less stretchy than mono. Fluorocarbon is harder, thus more abrasion resistant than mono. These attributes can be diminished by softening the line to make it more reel friendly. Only Seaguar claims to make and sell there own line and leader material without any other outside companies being involved. In other words some companies are buying other peoples product, and re-spooling it, under there own name. Taming fluorocarbon may in fact only turn it into expensive mono! In the end, as many here have suggested, the best way to get the benefits of Fluorocarbon might be to use the stiffer, leader material attached to Braid via a Uni-Uni or an Albright Special knot. Super Braid... Braided fishing line never actually went away, even after the introduction of the softer Stren type mono lines many Saltwater and Musky fishermen continued to use braided Dacron line. When exactly, and by whom, the first Superline was introduced is something I am still working on. I know that one of the first Spectra lines offered for sale was Spider-Wire. Interestingly, this company didn't make any fishing line. They only made the boxes! The actual braiding and spooling was done by big textile outfits like Western Filament. I also know that in 1991 the Recreational Product division of Western Filament (Tuf-Line) introduced a Spectra® fishing line. Here is what you need to know... All of the different brands are made from one of two fibres, Spectra (made by Honeywell) or Dyneema (made by a company in the Netherlands called DSM), and these materials are so incredibly similar that they’re known in the industry as “sister” lines. Both are made from gel-spun polyethylene. Both offer the same characteristics, and both cost about the same. It's worth noting that neither Spectra/Dyneema fibres will hold dye. No matter what brand of line you choose the finish will wash away quite quickly. So, what’s the difference? There really isn’t any. Most commonly these fibres are used to make lines with a 4 strand braid, like PowerPro or an 8 strand braid like the new Fireline, SpiderWire, Stren etc. The 8 strand braids are rounder and feel smoother, but in use I find little to choose between them. There are still a couple of fused superlines available, like the original Fireline. These lines are supposed to be somewhat more abrasion resistant than braids of the same strength, but they are also thicker and have a quite flat profile. These lines get very fuzzy looking as the finish wears off. In a couple of month Sufix will introduce their new 832 braid with Goretex. Adding a new fibre to the braid might be the next evolution in superlines. We will have to stay tuned to see what happens next! Garry2R's Fishing is my favourite form of loafing.

I have been looking at the calendar. The way the dates fall I think I will be here until October 16th. That's only 8 more weeks...Let's try and get out again before then! Garry2R's

Please add my X2 on all of the above re: Food Saver. As a pensioner I basically shop once a month and always double down on specials. The Food saver makes it easy to store bulk purchases in handy size packages. If you are near Milton, there is a store called Bomar that gets Costco's returns and damaged packages. They are located on Steeles just east of HWY 25...I bought my unit there at about half price. Garry2R's

There is a threaded plug on the reservoir. Put the motor all the way up and fill it up using a hypodermic. You can get one from a hospital, doctor's office, friendly nurse or at the drug store. Garry2R's

No sane person wants to fish in those high wind, thunder and lightning type storms, but a slow steady rain or drizzle can make for great fishing. July 2008 and 2009 were very rainy, and they were two of the best months of bass fishing I have ever had. Use the same baits that you always use, it isn't raining where the bass are!

Both companies make fine reels. I have never accidentally change the settings on my Quantum reels either, but on the Abu Mag 5, with the adjuster on the edge of the sideplate, it was a nightmare!

Big "O" is a shallow running Cotton Cordell bait of the tear drop style. Most lure companies make a similar bait. Flippin is a cast named for a town in Arkansas, where the technique was supposedly invented. Most of us first did this quite naturally, as kids, to get our bait close to a target. Basically it is an underhand cast using a pendulum motion to swing the bait back-and-forth before dropping it almost silently into a small opening in cover. You pull about a rod length of line off the reel with your free hand, and have the bait hanging at about the level of the reel. Casting distance is limited to about twice the length of the rod. Pitching is a slightly longer underhand cast where the bait is held in the free hand. The rod tip is first lowered, then raised sharply, at the same time the bait is dropped. Done with the proper timing, the bait sails out in a smooth arch just above the water. This cast is limited to about 30 feet. These techniques are mainly used in dirty water where you can get close to cover without spooking the fish. Garry2R's

Quantum uses both Magnetic and Centrifugal systems on different priced reels. As far as I know, these are all adjustable from the outside...BUT...Only the top couple of reels actually have more than a few settings. On mid priced reels, although the scale reads 0 to 10, in-fact there are only OFF and three working settings. Other makers may do the same, I don't know, but I have three Quantum reels from cheap to Oh-my-God and that's how they work. The Shimano system has 7 settings from 0 to six brakes on. I don't know about every reel in the line-up, but on the better reels the side plate is attached and swivels out of the way when a locking-screw is loosened. This isn't quite as fast as the external dial system, but you never accidentally change it either... Garry2R's

I got out yesterday with Gonefishin and his girlfriend Lee. It was typical tough, late-summer fishing day with bluebird skies. Of course it was sandwiched between two rainy days...Welcome to Ontario. We talked about dragging Carolina rigs in deep water, for big fish, but in the end we opted to cruise the shallow bays, tossing solid body plastic frogs/toads under trees and into open spots. Later we moved to rocks and docks with worms, then worked open areas with swimbaits and cranks. All in all it was a the kind of day on the water that I love best. Good company, easy talk, casting our way along shorelines, plus we caught enough to keep us interested. Around lunchtime I witnessed something that I have never seen before. A family of Loons was swimming in the area we were casting. Rick caught a SMBass as one of the birds dove. In the clear water we could see that the Loon was instantly on the struggling fish...It chased the hooked fish staying in "hot pursuit" inches behind the darting fish. These birds are very agile underwater, capable of turning on a dime at high speed. This one was also very tenacious, not willing to give up the chase until the fish came out of the water and into the boat. What a show! Rick, it was a pleasure meeting you-two, I hope we can do it again when the Fall bite turns on! Garry2R's

There are two controls on a bait cast reel. One is a friction brake that presses on the end of the spool axle. This brake slows and stops the spool at the end of the cast so that there isn't an over run. Once you learn to stop the spool with your thumb you can loosen this knob off completely, you won't need it anymore. The second control is a centrifugal or magnetic brake on the spool itself. This brake acts to control the rapid acceleration of the spool at the start of the cast. At the start of the cast the rod imparts energy to the bait, and in those first milliseconds the sudden jerk on the spool can cause it to be turning faster that the line is actually going out. When this happens loose coils of line form on the spool. If these loose coils should foul each other, the baits stops dead in the air and crashes to the water. The spool continues to spin, loosening many more wraps of line and you have a major birds nest. The proper setting for this brake will change when casting with or against the wind, or with big light weight baits that slow down quickly in the air. It will also change between rods, if the reel isn't dedicated to one rod. Some reels allow this brake to be adjusted from the outside, some require the side plate to be opened, or removed from the reel and some require the reel to be partially disassembled. Obviously the easier it is to make these adjustments the better. Not dropping the spare parts overboard is the operators responsibility! In recent times many reels have fixed the side plate to the reel in a fashion that allows it to pivot or swivel, but not come off of the reel frame. This seems to be a good idea to me. If you are looking at a quality reel the tolerances are tight enough that I'm sure you will never have a problem with the side plate loosening up etc. Garry2R's

Great stuff Mike. I hope you have a good Fall season too! Garry2R's

I fish Crappy, Bass, Pike and Musky in the Kawarthas. I use casting rods 80% of the time. Musky/Pike baits, Bass size crank baits, rattle baits, jerkbaits, poppers, spinner baits, frogs, toads, rats, spoons, swimbaits and jigs all seem to work better on a casting rod. I throw Crappy jigs, Senko's and most Flukes on a ML spinning rod. Garry2R's

There are several versions of the Yucatan knot. The strongest is a salt water knot based on tying a 30-40 turn Bimini Twist to form a double line in the braid, then adding a 15 turn Yucatan. This is a big strong, complicated knot! The version shown in Field and Stream is a much simplified version that eliminates the Bimini Twist. The braid is simply doubled without being tied. It tested well when joining Mono to Fluoro...But remember that these plastic lines will bite into each other making a strong union. When joining Fluoro or Mono to Braid, the problem is the braid is slick and the second line can't get a grip on it. For joining mono or fluoro to braid I still like the Uni-Uni or for a smaller knot, the Albright Special. On the other hand the F&S version is easy to tie and if it works for you, great. G2R's

Here's a new link to Knot Wars where the 8X8 Albright just won the leader to leader wars... Albright 8X8 Knot The Albright Special featured in my original post might not be quite as strong as the knot shown here. However, it's very small, can be wound through the guides onto the reel and it can be cast. Garry2R's

Great looking fish! Congratulations on a new PB. Garry2rs