Wednesday, October 31, 2012

10/31 - Who's "stir crazy"...I am!

Good Gawd. This wind is just relentless isn't it?  Where is that storm now...almost Canada and it's blowing like all HELL here still?

Just like summer's heat, and sweaty to the oldies, "stick a fork in my ass, I'm over this wind!"

Supposedly, as of tommarrow. The wind is going to start taking a break. And I just gotta go. Even if I sit in my boat anchored up watching the tide flow in. It's better than sitting here doing squatola.
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Ya'll may know that I am in love with my Shimano TRN-100G reels that I use for bottom fishing. When I had that good run of customers and great weather from the 18th thru the 21st. They really proved themselves on all those big Redbass we caught.


Ya' just can't seem to hurt these reels. Simple, non-corosive, decent gear ratio, slick drags. Of course this comes from a guy with a 26' welded boat aluminum alloy boat..."You can tell I like things that are tough and simple!"

High maintenance, and glitzy, just isn't for me.


I've been squeaking out the last few years using my low profile Shimano Citica's for float-rig fishing. Their drags aren't what they used to be, and corosion issues is something I have to stay on top of all the time. Because let's face it, do people on my boat really take care of the tackle I give them. NOT REALLY!

Instead of using a rod holder in which I have many, all over. The rods get dropped against the side of the boat, even attempts at laying the rods on the deck happens, all the time. The reels, have sun screened hands all over them. They get good and wet, and banged around.

So, I have searched long and hard for a reel for my float-rig fishing needs that fit my scrutiny. And I'm not real happy with what's out there. If I came up with a Tackle Company, it would be called "Charter-Tough-Tackle". And all I'd sell would be simple, tough and very proven durable rods and reels, that met up to my personal approval.

And since I have to buy in minimums of four, that's how the tackle would be sold, also. But, I came close to finding a  person just like me. He's in Michigan, not the "deep south".

So, I went out on a limb, and am going to try out Okuma's 200L Classic reel, for Float-rig fishing this year.
The reels are very similar, but much smaller than the famed Shimano TRN-100G's I love so much. Which is what I wanted. have bushings rather than bearings, which means it's not a big time casting reel.  I couldn't get from Shimano, a "SMALLER" reel.  If only they made a TRN-50G, Oh damn would have that made my search simpler! Half the size, would have been nice.

But with float-rig fishing a MINIMUM of a 5:1 gear ratio is needed. Because the faster the reel, the faster you can take up "belly" and/or "slack" in your line, as the float drifts, and then disappears under water, with a BITE! 

The only thing that would make these reels almost perfect would be an "auto-engage" so when the handle is turned a 1/4 turn, the reel would go from casting to engaged. That's what I've given up, over using more low profile reels. But, I'll see. Might be a unseen benefit. Because customers who aren't super savvy have a way of sometimes "pulling the trigger" too quick when the float bobs in the water, and not letting the fish take the float completely down under the water.

The mili-second that it'll take to flip the reel to "engage" may give the fish just that much more time to eat the bait. As I said......"we'll see."

Is all this too in depth?
If so, let me know. (post a comment about this below)
These are the kind of details that matter, to me.
I'll do the in-depth tackle thinking. You as a customer, just do the fishing.

That's why you're hiring me, RIGHT.

Now go and try and find this same info on another fishing guides web site.


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Here's a quick reference guide to PowerPro Braided line diameter, versus Mono.

Power Pro
US Sizes

SIZE (lb.) DIAMETER (in) ~ Mono Equivalent
8 / 1
10 / 2
15 / 4
20 / 6
30 / 8
40 / 10
50 / 12
65 / 16
80 / 18
100 / 20
150 / 30
200 / 50
250 / 80