Garry2Rs

Back in March I wrote about my experiments with knotless leaders and my intention to use them for Bass, Pike and Musky this year. The technology is well proven and was borrowed from west-coast saltwater fishermen.

In short, a Mono. or Fluoro. leader is threaded inside of Hollow Braided line and joined to the running line using a knotless loop-to-loop connection.

The leader is held in place by the "finger-trap" action of the hollow braid. A small flat winding, like those used to hold the guides on a rod, secures the two interlaced lines so that there is no slippage when the line/leader is slack. This doesn't hold the leader inside the line. The leaders is held by the finger trap, just like the Chinese Handcuffs that many of you might remember as prizes at Carnivals and Fall Fairs back in our youth.

While I was "down south" I successfully tested these leaders on Bass. Because the leaders can be any length you desire. They are sometimes called "wind-on leaders." There are no knots and they can be wound right on to the reel. Needless to say, with all the joints being about the same size as the running line, they cast like a dream.

However, I knew that the "acid" test would come when they were subjected to toothy critters...

Last weekend, on the opener, I caught several small pike, but nothing that put any real stress on the leaders.

This weekend I got two that were big enough to indicate whether the system would hold up or not.

These Pike were both 10 pounders. One hit a Sebile Magic Swimmer and the other a medium diving Kopper Live Target Perch. Both were caught on 50 pound mono leaders.

The 50# proved to be too buoyant for shallow running, small billed baits like Rapala Husky Jerks etc. For these baits I have now switched to Fluorocarbon.

Fifty pound seems to be heavy enough, but I have 100 pound Fluoro that I plan to use for Musky, just to be on the safe side.

Garry2R's

I use 50 pound mono joined knotlessly to 40 to 80 pound hollow braid for swimbaits and other shallow running or floating baits.

The 50 # mono is too buoyant for anything but the largest Bass type Jerk and Crankbaits. Equally heavy Fluorocarbon is a better choice with baits under 4 or 5 inches.

This set-up allows you to use any length of leader and it can still be reeled all the way in, because there are no knots.

It works very well...

This might be a safety issue, but it sounds like mis-information to me. Given that you are using reasonable caution, I can't see how recharging in the boat can hurt anything.

About on-board chargers...

Many boats have three or more large heavy batteries. Most guys have on-board chargers that are wired to the batteries. At the end of the day, to recharge, you simply plug-in to a power source.

I am the third house north of the Long Lake Road on Hwy 28 just south of Apsley. If you get here and there are a bunch of trucks and boats in the driveway, I have a map that you can have.

PM me for more info.

Garry2R's

Anyone know where in the hamilton area you can buy carpet

I bought marine carpet at Lowe's in the states.

Why don't you see if they have it in their Hamilton store too?

Garry2R's

Nice looking logo!

I hope you haven't forgotten about coming up for Crappie...

Garry2R's

You Have Mail...

I don't think you can go wrong with this outfit.

The 6wt. rod is light enough for trout or panfish and will still handle Bass.

The line is a weight forward design, which will make longer casts easier for you as a beginner. The leaders, tippet, case and chest bag with the tools etc. are things you would need to buy anyway.

Go for it! If you need help learning to cast PM me.

Garry2R's

The Berkley rod you are probably toast, but you might want to call Shimano in Peterborough 705-745-3232 about the other two.

Garry2R's

Great news!

Congrats to Cliff and the neighborhood watch...grin.

As a part time Yankee, I am suspicious of the generic "American."

Who are these people they are talking about?

Every year I spend six months in the States.

I don't know of anybody down there who wants to travel to Canada to target Panfish!!!

Let's face it, in most of the USA the growing season is longer, so their fish get bigger faster. Add to this the fact that their regulations more angler friendly...IE no closed season on Bass and multi-rod Spider rigs for Crappie etc.

Therefore, I seriously doubt that any significant number of American anglers are crossing the border for Panfish! These visitors now need a passport to return to the US and the inspection lines are an hour long. In Canada everyday items like food, gas, beer and booze is 33% to 50% more expensive, plus we have two taxes on top of an inflated price!!!

If the real issue is reduced tourist revenues, I don't think you can blame it on a reduced size or lower limits on panfish. Better to put the blame on an American economy that is suffering and our high taxes and the artificially high prices created by our various "marketing boards" making everything a visitor buys seem like a huge rip-off!

A few years ago, when our dollar was at 65 or 75 cents US, perhaps it was more acceptable, but with the two dollars at par, I can understand why many Americans might chose to stay closer to home this Summer.

Put the shoe on the other foot....Even at par, would you drive to Rochester to fish for something you have at home? I bet you're saying "No Way!"

Garry2R's

I don't understand this prejudice against braided lines and the dogmatic reciting of the propaganda about the supposed benefits of Fluorocarbon.

Here is a quotation from the Tackle Tour - Fluorocarbon Showdown.

Google "Tackle Tour Fluorocarbon" to find the whole article...

quote

"Stretch:

Surprisingly, a bi-product of our tensile test was our ability to watch the stretch in each of our line samples before they broke. We stopped short of collecting data on this observation due to a number of questionable variables, but the one thing we can clearly state is, all the fluorocarbon lines we tested have either the same, or in some cases, more stretch than our baseline Trilene XL. We hope to address this at a later date, but for now, as far as we are concerned, the claim that fluorocarbon lines have virtually no stretch is absolutely invalid."unquote.

As a matter of fact, I don't lose fish by using braid on my G.Loomis and Shimano Crucial crankbait rods. In fact the biggest problem with these soft rods is that if I hook a Musky by accident I sometimes have trouble setting the hook, even with braid, because the rods are so soft!

As for casting with soft rods, it is true that the timing is different than on a stiffer rod. However, both these rods are a pleasure to cast with either braided or plastic lines.

I do use some 20# test plastic lines, but I find 10 and 12 pound mono and fluoro useless because it is as dead feeling as fishing with an elastic band.

I see no advantage in throwing mono or fluoro on a crankbait rod, since line visibility is seldom an issue with these reaction baits. If, in a specific circumstance, it is a concern I use a fluoro leader on my braid.

Garry2R's

I have more than a dozen Live Target's in about six patterns.

For me, these highly detailed baits are small swimbaits.

Like other swimbaits, I think they work best when fished slowly.

Garry2R's

You have Mail!

In my opinion, ten and twelve pound mono or fluorocarbon is so stretchy that it's hard to tell if you have a weed or a hit, especially with a soft crankbait rod.

For all around use on my crankbait rods I like 40 pound braid...As you're probably aware, it's about the size of 12 pound mono. I don't think line visibility is an issue because crankbaits hits are generally a reaction strike. On slower moving plugs, like jerkbaits, if I'm worried about the line being visible, I use fluorocarbon leaders.

Your Ranger is hand-laid.

I have a shoot through in mine that works fine.

Garry2R's

It was about 2000 or 2001 that I found this board. I had been reading the Zoo board, but all I remember about them was they were always fighting...grin.

When I came on board every Monday AndyK was writing about his adventures over the weekend. He was so honest about his faux pas and, with his somewhat broken English, I would laugh until tears ran down my face!

I still see Andy and hear from Mikeo and Canadave...

Ah Yes! "Those were the days my friend..."

Hi Ryan;

Abu, Diawa, Quantum and Shimano all make reels in every price range.

I prefer Shimano because of their service and the fact that repairs can be done in Peterborough, which is quite close to where I live.

Others have suggested that you buy the best reel you can afford. I agree, because Baitcasters need tight tolerances, and that costs money. With any of the name brands you will get what you pay for.

If you are on a budget, watch for sales...The Revo Skeet Reese model is being sold off at a $100.00 discount right now at BPS. Speaking of BPS, they have good, cheap reels. In the long run, they might not be repairable, because there might not be any parts available. But, if you get your use out of it, "So What?" If you don't have a lot to spend, I would look at the BPS reels.

If you are right handed I suggest that you buy a right hand cranking reel. Some people, who grew up on spinning reels, believe that left hand reels are better. I think they are wrong! However it is a free country and we are all allowed to make our own mistakes.

Ten years ago most bass reels had about a 5.3 to 1 gear ratio. Five years ago most new reels came with about 6.3 to 1 gears. Today many new reels have a 7 to 1 gear ratio...Reels with high numbers pick-up line faster, but lower numbers are easier to crank. Big baits and deep divers will wear you out with a "Burner" type reel.

I like 40 pound test braid on my baitcasters. I generally use a leader of Fluorocarbon for sinking/diving baits and one of Mono-filament for surface baits. KVD uses mostly 17 and 20 pound BPS fluorocarbon. You should use what you like, but be aware that professional over runs, AKA bird-nests, are easier to pick-out of braid and heavier plastic lines.

Learning to cast is much easier than you think. If you have any trouble, I or anyone else you know around here, will be glad to help you.

Good Luck

Garry2R's

While gear ratio can give you a general idea of the speed of the reel, the actual IPT (Inches Per handle Turn) can vary greatly in any given ratio. This is because of spool size. I have 5:1 reels that bring in anywhere between 20" and 24" of line per turn. Even though it is a 5:1 ratio reel, 24" is too much for me when retrieving deep diving cranks. This is something to take into consideration when looking for application-specific reels.

Inches-Per-Handle-Turn is a very good point, and one that is often overlooked it gear ratio discussions.

Garry2R's

I got this in the E-mail today and thought it was something many people might like to read.

Garry2rs

Would You Tow Your Boat with a Porsche?

Porsche 911 A Porsche 911 is a sweet ride, but you wouldn't use it to haul a 22-foot bass boat. So it is with baitcaster gear ratios. There are tradeoffs, and you need to pick your reel accordingly.

At the slow end of the spectrum, reels in the 5:1 range generate torque and do the heavy lifting. The spool rotates five times for every full turn of the reel, which means you can fish big Colorado-blade spinnerbaits and deep-diving cranks without wearing your arm out.

On the opposite end are reels with ratios that exceed 7:1. These speed machines are bred for burning fast-moving baits like willow-leaf spinnerbaits and buzzbaits. Some anglers like 'em for flippin', because they wind up about three feet of line per crank and can pull bass out of the junk in a hurry.

The middle-of-the-road ratio is about 6:1. Reels with this versatile gearing let you fish a variety of small crankbaits and plastics.

But if you're flush with cash, the best route is to buy a reel from each category—plus the Porsche.

I bought 300 yards of 30 pound test in 2008 when it first came out.

Spiderwire Invisabraid has a very loose weave. I found that every sharp hook that came near it got snagged on the line.

After a few weeks of fishing in dirty water the line started to break on the cast or if I was pulling a snag off. When it broke, it broke between the rod and the lure!!!

Thinking that it was faulty I sent the line, with a note, back to Pure Fishing. They replaced the whole 300 yard spool, but sadly, the second spool was no better.

I have had old power pro, where the colour was washed out, start breaking like that. These lines had been used in very dirty water down south. Since the Spectra fibers are so tiny, I wondered if the silt might be getting into the braid and weakening it over a long period of time???

When you are trying to get the most for your money, BPS frequently has combos on sale. That might be the best place for you to start. In the lower price ranges you won't find 7:1 gear ratio's, but you don't need them. Ratios of 5.3 used to be standard for bass size cranks, but take what you can get, it won't matter. Whatever you decide on, buy the best reel you can afford, the rod isn't that big a concern.

I would start with a 6.5 or 7 foot "medium" graphite rod. Medium heavy might be a better all around rod, but we are talking crankbaits...There are special Crankbait rods, which will combine some glass with the graphite to make it softer, but I doubt you will find one within your price range.

If you are only using one rod and reel, I recommend that you start with 40 pound braid. It's the diameter of 12 pound mono, it casts well, is easy to pick tangles out, while your learning, and it's strong enough that you can pull most snags free. Using braid you can add a mono, fluoro or wire leader to suit specific conditions.

Because Cranks are reaction baits leaders are often optional. Line visibility isn't usually an issue with fast moving baits. However it's easy to tie on a leader if you want one.

I don't like straight mono because it is so stretchy that I don't feel like I'm "in-touch" with the bait. Tangles are also hard to deal with.

Straight fluorocarbon is okay, but it sinks and isn't tangle friendly either. It's good for deep divers, jerkbait and other twitch and stop presentations. However, it's not that great an all around line, in my opinion.

Garry2R's

Glad to hear Sheri is okay.

My next door neighbour is the visiting Nurse up here. She drives thousands of km. on back roads every month. Usually she hits one deer a year.

Last year she had a "Bush Bar" installed hoping to reduce the damage her truck sustains.

Garry

There is a story kicking around the Internet that Tinted Fluorocarbon is "weaker" than Clear Fluorocarbon.

My question is; "If a Fluorocarbon line tests 100 pounds and is pink, how is it weaker than a clear line also labeled 100 pound test?"

I found this on Seaguar's Website:

"Actually adding color to 100% fluorocarbon makes it weaker, as the dye pigments mix with the fluorocarbon resins."

So it appears that the source of this "tinted is weaker story" is Seaguar...A company who is a direct competitor of Yo-Zuri, who is the manufacturer of a pink tinted Fluorocarbon line.

Here is Yo-Zuri's version of the Tint vs. Clear issue:

"Fluorocarbon is only invisible until it gets nicked or scraped up. If this happens, that section of the leader actually lights up from the sunlight. The color pink added to the line helps reduce this problem keeping an anglers invisibility intact. Ultimately the combination of fluorocarbon and the color pink will double your invisibility advantage and increase your chance for hookups!"

Personally, I think all of this is just the opposing views of two advertising departments...GRIN.

Obviously if there were any great advantages, either company could make tinted or clear line!

If Seaguar is right, about the dye, then this might be where another opinion, that I have seen, was born. That opinion suggests that tinted 100 pound might really only 90 or 95 pound test while 100 pound clear could actually be 105 or 110 pound test.

I reject this on the grounds that all lines are intentionally under-rated.

(Except for special Saltwater lines where World Records are based on "pound-test line classes.")

Perhaps this is because it would be sudden death, for any line company, to have their line exposed as not meeting their stated strength.

Therefore if the 100 pound pink is 105 or 108 vs clear's 108 or110 so what?!

I contracted for 100 pound test and got more than what I paid for either way!

If we can agree that all lines are under-rated isn't this stronger - weaker issue irrelevant?

Please tell me, what you think?

Garry2R's