It is currently 28 Mar 2024, 16:35


Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5  Next New Topic Add Reply
Author Message
Post 04 Jan 2022, 19:39 • #51 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
You might want to update your profile with your location, so we have context about where you fish.

I didn't mention earlier, AMO spool will substitute for Ray's Studio, and the price is very good:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000730579813.html
this is likely the same spool sold by a Ukraine ebay vendor with a good reputation.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/254570804024
https://www.ebay.com/itm/254912798539

The only Ray's Studio spools still in stock are 30 mm OD for Alphas and CT, but the vendor to follow is aor_411 on ebay.
He seems to be the Thailand link to Ray's Studio stock.

Roro has stock of their deeper X27 (arbor diameter) spool for Steez/ Zillion SV TW - 34 mm OD
and JapanTackle has stock of both the X27 and X30 Roro spools for Steez/ Zillion SV TW
https://japantackle.com/tuning-parts/sp ... daiwa.html

I've only been fishing the baitcaster in my salt XUL niche this year - ok, 2021 - with pretty good success on 3 trips.
Compared to equivalent spinning tackle, it will cast lighter weight farther, and has the advantage of almost never fouling tiny plugs
Image
(A 4th trip, left it at home and could have kicked myself - we found snook stacked in the morning tide pass)
Last month, an 18" snook caught on a tiny 38 mm plug (of course, released).
Plus a whole lot of schoolie specs up to 22"
Image

Two days earlier in the year with short visits to tide passes casting 3 g to 140', picked up my first nursery specs and a rat red.
This fishing will get a lot better winter into spring as both glass minnows and tide passes become more important.
There's a tide I want to catch in 2 weeks if the weather is good...


Image


Top
  
Quote
Post 04 Jan 2022, 21:05 • #52 
Guide
Joined: 07/22/20
Posts: 175
Location: Ancient City, Florida
Updated location to Floriduh :)

Thanks for all the info. I have to say I am enjoying the BFS game so far. What lures are those? We have tons of small glass minnows in my area now.


Top
  
Quote
Post 05 Jan 2022, 06:56 • #53 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
I have built up a supply of Japan stream trout lures, swapped the tiny FW trebles for salty plug singles.
I got in the habit always rounding out Japan carts with lures.
Image
I've bought Jackson, Ito, Smith, caught a few fish, but the hands-down fish-delivering lure is Duo Spearhead Ryuki S.
50 mm, 45 mm, and astounding 38 mm - they cast great, they turn fish.
Unfortunately, Plat has no stock - they have become an instant legend.

You might want to hunt around - FishingShop,kiwi has great stock, 30% price discount across most of the board, but they charge $40 to ship. So put a big cart together there - they sell hooks, split ring tweezers, split rings also.
never pre-order, only buy in stock - pre-order will lock up your order indefinitely across the language barrier.

Those 3 bait sizes need size 4, 6, and 8 singles, respectively. Owner USA can provide size 4 and 6. The best size 8 are Owner SBL-55M from Japan.
You probably want to pick up some size 1 split rings from Japan, and hunt for split ring tweezers.

next best, less expensive, probably ready to go at least with small salt trebles, Duo Tetra Works Toto 48 mm

These little lures tend to get fouled when you cast them on spinning tackle - but they almost never get fouled on BFS.

Easier find in US is YoZuri sinking Pins minnow - 1/16 oz is 50 mm - the flash works well.
Image
The larger 3/16-oz 70 mm lure will work when specs are slashing into bait balls, but redfish and snook seem really picky about low-effort sipping of single baitfish.

Speaking of max flash, Duo Ryuki S Quattro 70 mm
Image


Top
  
Quote
Post 05 Jan 2022, 07:05 • #54 
Guide
Joined: 07/22/20
Posts: 175
Location: Ancient City, Florida
Thanks again, insert gratitude emoji,

I saw something recently recommending Duo (at the time I couldn’t understand what they said, but that would be it) as they are under the Yozuri umbrella and a quality product. I am a fan of singles myself and have been experimenting with tail only hooks on smaller lures.

I have the Diawa rod in hand as well as the Mojo glass crankbait rod. Going to try them this am if the wind holds off.


Top
  
Quote
Post 05 Jan 2022, 08:06 • #55 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
You're in a choice location to be able to fish on a whim.
It's a 3-hr drive for us, which is nothing for Texas, and we'll make occasional winter day-trips, because you don't need to get out early in the winter.
But our normal drill is haul an RV or at least rent a fishing shack for a couple of nights.
Image Image
We plan around good tide swings, avoid neap tides, and where we launch is a 2-mi paddle to the best winter tide pass.
This is Mark (ablecane) visiting me at Estes Flats 3 years ago.
Image Image

The tide I want to fish in 2 weeks looks on paper like it could duplicate this phenomenon last February, both timing and current swing.


Top
  
Quote
Post 05 Jan 2022, 16:34 • #56 
Guide
Joined: 07/22/20
Posts: 175
Location: Ancient City, Florida
Well the Diawa 642B is rated 1/16-5/8, but it is crazy fast. Listed as fast, but is XF to me. Very poor distance with 1/15 oz worm-hook and finesse Zman TRD and baby goat. It is very light and well made. Moving up to 1/4 hits it’s firmly in its sweet spot.

The Mojo Bass Glass casts only a foot or so short of the ultimate trout. 29 paces on dry ground. About 90’. One arm looping cast. I don’t know that a two handed cast would have improved much. Mojo has way more backbone than the Falcon trout rod. Tomorrow is a noon high tide, ugh, but I’ll take the yak out a bit and try for a red to see how it handles. The Curado BFS is a nice match for it. The rod looks a bit odd with the large diameter, but it is much lighter than it looks. Not an all day blind caster, but a great feeling sight caster.



Top
  
Quote
Post 06 Jan 2022, 08:34 • #57 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Thanks for the report.
6'4" is short to be useful as an inshore rod, and even with my Valleyhill 6'7" all-range BFS bass rod, you get the feeling of needing to refine your accuracy for the rod speed.
However, the distance is still in my reel - swapping in the reel, the bass rod casts toe-to-toe with the YB 82.




The YB, though, is like surf casting in miniature - your cast is a slow lob, even though the reel is screaming fast.
Like every YB rod, the light weight - 73 g - is shocking for the long rod length.
It doesn't feel anything like a bass rod - but like a light spinning rod, or even more like a fly rod.
Very typical of Japanese shore light game rods.

btw, check your board pm - I sent you a note about Plat stock.


Top
  
Quote
Post 06 Jan 2022, 18:27 • #58 
Guide
Joined: 07/22/20
Posts: 175
Location: Ancient City, Florida
Depending on time of year, my inshore gets tight. I have been looking for a few shorter rods so that with the but under the seat, the tips are shorter than than the yak. Docks (I love sheepshead) or pushing through bushes to get to an inshore flat.
Didn’t realize a cold front was moving through today, it was cold, like 50 this am, big tide had way to much water during my slot. At least I got a couple rat reds and a few trout.
The Diawa 19 Bass does have some backbone and performed well. The Mojo Glass, while heavier, was much nicer to cast. It reminds me a bit of a jigging rod when reeling in a fish. It flexes to a point and then locks up the fish comes to visit. Hopefully next week I can find an upper slot to better test it. But it is a keeper and glass!




Top
  
Quote
Post 07 Jan 2022, 09:28 • #59 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Again, thanks for the rod reports - and photos. Glad the Mojo Glass found a home.
I normally don't think about fishing sloughs in winter or summer, because our sloughs are normally dry in winter, and oxygen depleted in summer. Ours fish well on big spring and fall tides.
I've been considering a shorter ML rod for sloughs, though that's exactly why I bought CGR 7/8 for a kayak sit-down fly rod.

Instead, most recently bought a flats MH for the other side of winter fishing - big mullet imitations -
- up to 1 oz lures like 5" neutral-density Corky's.

My Christmas rod was a newly introduced solid tip boat rockfish MHS from Valleyhill - casts 1/4-oz with aplomb.
Neutral-density TSL Grasswalker - bread and butter for balance-of-year finger mullet imitation.

The Valleyhill "Hard Rockfish" boat has microguides, Ti-SiC, the solid tip gives the light lure end and has the glass feel, and the rod is very light-in-hand compared to my IM6 Crowder MM.
I still think I would take this rod or my YB 82 into sloughs for accurate short casts, even though 140' casts are the dial-in for both rods.

I'm closely watching YB and expecting him to introduce a 1-pc bait rod to fill the niche of the Triceptor 3-pc line - he currently offers a 1-pc spinning ML that weighs a shocking 75 g - would like to see a bait rod like that.


Top
  
Quote
Post 10 Jan 2022, 16:58 • #60 
Master Guide
Joined: 04/12/18
Posts: 457
Just a note for you guys looking for the Smith Split Ring Pincettes that Ron has mentioned a few times...

A domestic bait finesse specialty shop (Bait Finesse Empire in Phoenix) has them in stock here in the states for less than ten bucks. They have a lot of BFS stuff and I found it pretty easy to find enough other items to make the eight dollar shipping worthwhile.


Top
  
Quote
Post 10 Jan 2022, 19:06 • #61 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
didn't know that Bob, thanks for the heads-up.
That's a good vendor - I've bought some lures there.


Top
  
Quote
Post 10 Jan 2022, 21:18 • #62 
Master Guide
Joined: 04/12/18
Posts: 457
No, Ron... thank you for making folks aware of the Smith tool for small split rings!

I've made a few orders from Bait Finesse Empire in the past and have been happy with their service.

They carry a lot of JDM items. The prices on those items might seem high but you have to consider the domestic shipping costs vs. what you might pay to have some of these items shipped from Japan. As always, it depends on the size of your order, your preferred vendors, etc.

At the very least, it's a fun place to look around if you enjoy BFS.


Top
  
Quote
Post 10 Jan 2022, 21:33 • #63 
Guide
Joined: 07/22/20
Posts: 175
Location: Ancient City, Florida
Just got a package from Bait Finesse Empire today. Fast shipping. Got two of the Duo hardbaits to try out


Top
  
Quote
Post 18 Jan 2022, 10:24 • #64 
Sport
Joined: 12/07/11
Posts: 78
Location: US-GA
re split ring tweezers, stumbled across some on ebay (Fishing Pliers Split Ring Removal) while looking for something else … pair I ordered were 6cm / ~2½" long, for some reason checked later via google, now see them on etsy, amazon, some jewelry sites, and anywhere from the 2½" to 4½"" long


Top
  
Quote
Post 19 Jan 2022, 08:50 • #65 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
I bought the jeweler's split ring pliers before finding the Smith tweezers - they're good to about #2,
but nothing works on Everything like the split-ring tweezers.
The Bait Finesse Empire on-shore inventory of the Smith tweezers should be considered a boon by anyone with an interest here.

Image top to bottom, Smith, jeweler, TTF

ps - our good tide last weekend crapped out for the weather and long NNW blow - everyone bailed one-by-one, deciding not to make the trip.
Good thing - the water level was 6 inches lower than our trip with Donny last Feb.
__________________________________________

While I'm here, new lures to show off - these are all handmade wood lures from Japan.
The Heddon Zaragossas are made by Smith, along with the Hutley's Mercury.
Mostly topwater, the propeller lure is Haneda Craft Barrel II.
Those are not finesse lures, 1/2 oz, but will fish with the 4600C and Falcon Glass.

Image

The tiny lures, also wood, are for limestone creek endemic bass (Texas brook trout) on my finesse 1500C and Troutia rod.
The Lure Rep on the left floats, the Ito Craft Bowie and smaller Lure Rep both sink - small trebles will get single plug hooks.


Top
  
Quote
Post 19 Jan 2022, 15:03 • #66 
Guide
Joined: 07/22/20
Posts: 175
Location: Ancient City, Florida
Very nice lures!

I also tried the jewelry tweezers of A. They are well made, but way too large. The Smith tweezers, on the other hand, are perfect.

Got the Roro X27 spool for the Zillion and put 100 yards of 10lb 832 on it. Wow! Completely changed the reel and really casy the Duo spearhead 50. Only had a limited window and didn’t take any lighter baits.

Also got about 10 minutes with the CGR 7\8 before the wind kicked up. Hopefully fish tomorrow


Top
  
Quote
Post 21 Jan 2022, 10:10 • #67 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Yes, Daiwa plus Roro-X makes the very best light-lure baitcaster extant, and the one that is able to cast 2 grams past 100'
Again, I bought mine because I first bought the 2-g-capable bait rod, and wanted the reel to match that low end.
First post on this page, I don't worry about casting mine in the dark.
Sufix 832 is also a great choice, and the best-behaved braid on baitcaster.

I'm jealous of your ability to take it out and fish whenever you choose - give us a report when you can.

I added some salt lures also, some of these just backing-up my favorite Ryuki small sizes, glow for night-lite dock-fishing,
and the other winter bait - big mullet (MH combo). Tackle House K-Ten floating minnows on top.
After I do some hook swapping, I'll take some good detail photos.
The little Yuri stick-bait shrimp is gorgeous, and what I read, its best attribute is swimming on the fall.
Might be a good choice for sight-casting big reds in sloughs.

Image

The camera doesn't do justice to the colors of the Ima B-Ta (lower left). Blue on top, fading into purple, dark on bottom, and translucent purple - perfect mullet sheen.
The Blazeye Evoroots, lower right, is a neutral-density wakebait for low-angle morning sun.

ok, here's the Jungle Gym Yuri stick bait with Vanfook plug drift hooks (#6 - big enough to hook a redfish).
Remember, the way to fish this is snap the rod and let it fall. The apparent double-ended design is actually pretty smart. Shrimp swim slowly head-first using their legs, and they evade with a snap of their tail, shooting backwards. Most shrimp lures and, especially, flies duplicate the look of a static shrimp - gotta love lures and flies that duplicate the action of a live shrimp.
Middle is Duo Tetra Works Ebikko glow shrimp with a micro lip
Bottom is Jackson Bottom Magic, which only purpose is making mudballs (also good in sloughs and passes)

Image


Top
  
Quote
Post 21 Jan 2022, 14:44 • #68 
Guide
Joined: 07/22/20
Posts: 175
Location: Ancient City, Florida
The wind forecast was way off yesterday, supposed to be 4-10, actually 12-25….. today is worse with a cold front passing through.

Trying the 1.8g Yo-Zuri pin Minnow 50 was an exercise in futility. Keep them low or they would come back. :) I don’t think either the Zillion or the Curado did that great at the light weight but advantage Curado. I didn’t take the Air GekkaBijin to test but it is much more castable at those weights.

Surprisingly the Mojo Glass was the slight winner with both reels at that weight. Distance with the Pin 50 was short but spool related. I would get a slight side pull or minor over runs. As I said, conditions were tough but I gave it a shot. Didn’t even launch the kayak. Just casted.

The 4g (3.8) Pin’s 70 was a much better performer and the Spearhead 50 (4.4g) was an arrow. The spearhead was actually very fishable even with the wind. I ran everything with just a rear single #4 for testing.

You really have to watch the brakes with the roro spool. It is fast! put on a 3/16 spoon to try and it was a lazer.

If the Mojo glass had a bit lighter tip it would be perfect. It is still darn good around 5g+-. St Croix tend to be a little stiffer than their ratings. Will probably drive up to the big city to see if I can handle a few different rods with lighter tips. Shimano and Diawa each have glass crankbait rods rated under a 1/4 at 1/8 and 3/16


Top
  
Quote
Post 22 Jan 2022, 08:36 • #69 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
My back acre is 150' wide, and one path across the middle is a perfect casting range, also bracketed with structure at convenient distances.
I set up all my baitcasters here - I may have to make a wind adjustment at the coast, never more than one or two more clicks on the mag brake.
You set the mag brake with the lightest thing you're going to throw, to eliminate mid-cast wind backlash. Everything heavier, the lure will cover it for you.
Again, Roro-X will have an upper weight limit for start-up backlash, which you won't find with an SV moving-rotor spool.

If you're getting start-up backlash with heavier weights, there's no help there on the Roro spool (strictly linear mag), and your best approach is remove all jerk from your cast stroke, and concentrate on smooth start up. Jerk on spinning tackle may load the rod heavier and get more start-up speed. Jerk on baitcaster has to be taken out by centrifugal brake, anyway, and the Roro spool gets its start speed from smooth acceleration in your cast.
The literal couple of casts that caused start up jerk and incipient backlash fishing Arroyo dock in the dark, I simply told myself, don't try so hard, and the next cast with less effort was out of sight.

I posted on a BR thread, lures for multi-species fishing, that Spearhead Ryuki S may prove to be the crankbait equivalent of cats whisker on Teeny line.


Top
  
Quote
Post 22 Jan 2022, 09:04 • #70 
Guide
Joined: 07/22/20
Posts: 175
Location: Ancient City, Florida
It was all mid cast over runs, but I was pushing things to see what was possible. BFE did tell me the X29 would cast lighter with more close in control, but the X27 would give me more distance. No complaints on the spool at all, just different. It is very satisfying when working on close stuff, just a slight flick and the little lure goes right where you pointed it.
Hopefully I will get out in a couple days after this front. I want to get a fish on that little spearhead.

How is the abrasion resistance of the PE lines you are using and any comments on stiffness compared to suffix?

Thanks again for all your comments.


Top
  
Quote
Post 22 Jan 2022, 10:18 • #71 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
The small braids are pretty much totally limp. I fish PE#0.8 on my Roro-X30 (34 mm OD).
Duel X-Wire has excellent abrasion resistance, and remarkable strength in PE#1 and #1.2, (Duel and YoZuri are the same company)
These are all smaller diameter than 10-lb 832, so you may not want to make this move.
I fish the PE#1.2 full-time on my salt ML, Ray's Studio SV spool, astounded with the performance, and never had a backlash.

I definitely like X-wire over YGK braids on baitcaster (YGK braids are over the top on shallow-spool spinning reels - Bornrush is the absolute limp and slickest line I've ever handled - beauty Allbright knots)

The cost-effective Yamatoyo Resin Sheller hardcoat, which meets all of Jun Sonada's recommendations for baitcaster, has a little more stiffness,
but just from tying Allbright knots to leader, I can tell it doesn't have the abrasion resistance of X-wire.
It casts beautifully in PE#1.2 on baitcaster.


btw, a very handy tool, this Pataya line capacity calculator for different line diameters is flawless
https://www.pattayafishing.net/fishing- ... estimator/
It links to the advanced version for stacking different diameters.
One thing I've noticed, though, 832 is always slightly larger diameter than reported, and YGK and Duel are both smaller diameter than reported. The Yamatoyo appears to be spot-on its reported diameter, and so is Varivas.
I haven't tried Varivas on a baitcaster, but on a couple of spinning spools, and it seems to be very tough and abrasion resistant.
Varivas also leans to salt application, and I believed they provided the very good lines to Florida Fishing Products (OOS).
FFP was the first X-braid I stumbled onto with my inshore Stradic


Top
  
Quote
Post 26 Jan 2022, 09:48 • #72 
Guide
Joined: 07/22/20
Posts: 175
Location: Ancient City, Florida
Thanks for the braid info. In general, I prefer a bit stiffer braid. I’ll maybe try some of the X-wire on my small creek set up.
Just a note, I took an UL spinning setup with 4lb copolymer line with me yesterday for just some casting. No distance difference than my casting setups. With the breeze we have in the winter, any little puff takes that 1.8 gram pins minnow off track. I will relegate those for a different use. The pins 70 casts much nicer, but the Duo Spearhead 50 is still the winner. Very different action between the two. Pins has a lot more side to side action.

The Zman trd craws on a 1/16 texas eye finesse has been the slow mo bait of choice lately.

I noticed NFC has fiberglass standard blanks now and pretty cheap. I might try one to see how the action is.



Top
  
Quote
Post 27 Jan 2022, 08:48 • #73 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
https://www.raytune.com/products/details/6
I wouldn't consider these salty, but check out this line of gorgeous baits from Japan.

you'd be proud to hold their parr-marked trout in you hand for a photo.

There are just a couple of ebay vendors selling Raytune lures - none of the tackle shops that ship offshore stock them.
These are resin lures that duplicate the action of balsa, and certainly look like they'd stand close inspection by any game fish.
They're also priced the same as handmade balsa lures, and with pretty good reason.
The designer of these lures passed away recently. https://www.raytune.com/about/2014/09/a ... ne-him.php


Top
  
Quote
Post 14 Feb 2022, 13:57 • #74 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 05/22/16
Posts: 1760
Location: SJC
I decided to take the plunge, and bought a "beginner" setup: Kastking Zephyr BFS 5'6" rod and reel, spooled with 4# ultragreen.

I've been reading and re-reading, studying baitcaster casting videos, etc. I have some test weights I use with spinning rods, about 11g, 6g, and 4g. Probably I should also try one of my 2.5g kastmasters (with hook removed for the casting pools). I see there is a quite a learning curve ahead of me ...

I've been making all the newbie mistakes. Seriously, the way I learn always seems to be the hard way ;) Tweaking the mag brake and the spool tension knob, and seeing how much overrun I get. Practicing with clearing up bird's nests. So far I'm just working on sidearm casts.

I am wondering at this stage if replacing the bearings with ceramics will be a hindrance or a help in learning baitcaster casting basics. I suspect the former.


Top
  
Quote
Post 14 Feb 2022, 14:59 • #75 
Guide
Joined: 07/22/20
Posts: 175
Location: Ancient City, Florida
I don’t do well with any over head cast with shorter rods. Big hitch in my shoulder from old surgeries. Or poor technique.
With the bfs stuff, you have to harness the how light can you cast with that big lever ;) I always try and do a “looping” or circular cast to keep the line tight. A pause that induces slack line pickup is not your friend. I rarely ever touch the spool tension, adjust it to barely allow any side to side movement and forget it. Everything else comes from the brakes.

If you are bringing too much heat early or getting a jerk in the line, brakes won’t help you much. To me, baitcasters are like the flyrod, start slow and easy and then accelerate to flick it the direction you want it to go. The 11g should be able to sail with just a flick.

Good luck and welcome


Top
  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  

Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5  Next New Topic Add Reply



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Jump to:  
Google
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group