I Just Couldn't Leave It Alone

[Decker]

I've read the phrase 8&bait several times lately, what on Earth does that mean?
Ron

8 oz of lead sinker.

Yes, it means an 8 oz sinker typically on a fish finder rig, with a large chunk of bait.  The "8" is nominal, could be less or a little more, whatever is needed to hold bottom in the surf.

I wonder how Mo rigs for catfish.

[Decker]

I just can't leave this thread alone. Thinking about the start of the cast.... There are definitely different types of casts. My main reference point here is full-force 8&bait heaver surf casting. Don't much remember the bad casts, only dealing with the aftermath. The good ones are smooth, with plenty of tension on the 50lb Shock leader as the rod loads up, soon followed by a thumb release perfectly synchronized with the end of the rod rotation and extension from the shoulders. Ive gotten away from thumbing the line and instead ride the spool flange.  No magnets on my reel and I havent had the guts to let go of the spool completely.

Everything I have read and tried indicates that smooth acceleration though the cast is the way to go.  But, once you are at the end of your cast and start to release the thumb a bit, the lure is moving at a certain velocity whether or not you got there smoothly or quickly.  So, the smoothness must be more tied into getting the rod to load and to the transfer of that energy.  In other words, if you have a quick jerky cast you probably won't load the rod properly is my guess. 

True.  Jerky cast leads to birdsnest.  Smooth, controlled cast transfers energy to rig.  The weight of the rig against the rod is important in getting the rod to load right.  The rebound of the rod is responsible for most of the acceleration. 

[mo65]

Sorry Mo. I got a bit carried away there. When I think of the complexities of casting a conventional reel, it reminds me of benchrest target shooting.
Once you have your rifle sighted in and your most accurate load worked out, the only thing you need to concentrate on is your breathing.
O K, I will shut up now.
Greg

   Hee hee...sorry Greg...I wasn't singling you out. I was just hoping to learn more about the strengths and weaknesses of the plastic spools, but we're continuing to delve into casting. That's not all bad though, at least I'm learning about something!

[mo65]

I wonder how Mo rigs for catfish.

   Typical catfish rigging in my neck of the woods is very similar to your saltwater bottom fishing rigs Joe. We also use the hi-low rigs you see on the piers. The main difference is the sinker. We use a flat sinker that will vary in weight with the rivers current. In light current we'll use weights as small as 1-3 ounces. In heavy current we'll go as high as 6-8 ounces, but most generally we use 3-5 ounces. Hooks vary too...from as small as 3/0 up to 10/0...but most times 5/0-8/0. Here's a typical catfish rig, a 5oz. flat sinker, two beads(for luck!), heavy swivel, and a 7/0 Gama Octopus.

[Ron Jones]

I've caught 20 pound flathead on #4 hooks, I'd love to see what you can bring up on a #7/0!
Ron

[Rivverrat]

I've caught 20 pound flathead on #4 hooks, I'd love to see what you can bring up on a #7/0!
Ron

Keep in mind while circle hooks can work for Flathead I dont use them when fishing for bigger ones. A flatheads mouth is much different than a blues or channels mouth. Flatheads mouth lacks the well defined corner thats needed for circle hooks to set right with a high dependable success rate... Jeff

[Gfish]

Cool thread.
So, I've learned that plastic spools relative to chrome/brass or stainless, with no other cast controls than a trained thumb, have faster start-up, are easier to control and probably better distance casters, but can break or crack due to stretching effect of lines like mono, and don't corrode. Right?
Anyone ever see a tweaked plastic spool, probably due to heat or UV damage. Kinda like old bakelite swells sometomes making rings not fit?

[Ron Jones]

I've seen several cracked plastic spools, but never a deformed one.
Ron

[oc1]

Ron, I think they can warp before they crack.  The first sign that it's screwed up is the spool rubbing on the frame, and then it goes pop and everything locks up.  It's like slow motion damage.  Guys used to say that you should remove the line as soon as possible after catching a large fish and, supposedly, if it is just starting to rub it can return to normal shape when the line is removed.

Some of the Penn plastic spools had fin-like things on the tail plate flange.  Surfmasters for sure and I think on another model; but it escapes me right now.  Anyway, the fins built up air pressure to slow the spool.  The amount of air pressure increases with the spool speed so it is a proportional braking like you get with centrifugal or magnetic brakes (as opposed to a spool tension knob that applies braking even at slow spool speeds).  People with good thumb control would take a pair of pliers and bust out the fins.

-steve

[Ron Jones]

That makes so much sense! Always wondered why those fins were there. I'm not gonna bust any of mine off, but I'm wondering if a modern synthetic couldn't be made to be as strong and lighter than aluminum.
Ron

[Swami805]

I think the squidders all had fins on the spools. Don't know about any other models. I wonder how much difference it really made?

[Rivverrat]

....but I'm wondering if a modern synthetic couldn't be made to be as strong and lighter than aluminum.
Ron

   Yes, lighter & stronger but at this time cost restrictive. We are not far removed from , I think, from the mass production of newer materials that are lighter, stronger & come from a molding process with high precision with little to no machine work needed.

  But as it was & still is with some regarding the acceptance of the "Plastic" Glock so it could be with reels that break new ground with new materials... Jeff

[Ron Jones]

I think the squidders all had fins on the spools. Don't know about any other models. I wonder how much difference it really made?

I know that the fins on lawn mowers work on the same principle to regulate the throttle and they are effective.
Ron

[RowdyW]

Chief, better recheck your mower. The fins on the flywheel remove the heat radiating off the engine & the governer regulates the engine from overspeeding.  

[Ron Jones]

My mower has a spring loaded baffle that is pushed by the airflow of the cooling fins, that baffle is connected to the throttle. As RPM increases, the baffle is pushed away from the fins by air pressure and that reduces the throttle position. As I understand it, that was the cheapest way to control RPM and incorporate mandatory safety mechanisms.
Ron