Shimano Curado E Cu201e7 Left Hand Baitcasting Fishing Reel

The high performance Curado reel is ultra smooth, makes effortless casts, and is available in a 7.0:1 high speed, 5.0:1 power versions. The new 200 size is smaller than the previous Curado 100D but holds the same amount of line as the previous 200DHSV. Compact and lightweight with the heart and power of a large reel. The Curado 300 reel will change the way you think about low-profile baitcasting reels. Now you can expect large reel performace in a sleek, comfortable design that offers all of these benefits: * High Speed and Power * Excellent Casting Performace * Comfort and Maneuverability * High Line Capacity * Ability to Handle Large Plugs and Swimbaits

In my opinion the best combo of the '07 season is the Chronarch 100B from Shimano teamed with the Quantum 6'6" medium heavy PT Kevin Van Dam signature series rod. "Now there's a mouth full"! This combination is an excellent match, making it the most memorable from this past season. I have many combos on board in any given outing, but when I put the Chronarch and Quantum combo in my hands it feels right! You never know how good you have it until you try something else! It has something special, a confidence boost, and we all know darn well that confidence plays a major role in success!

The Chronarch and Quantum duo is solid! It can take on anything the Bass can dish out! The Quantum PT Kevin Van Dam series 6'6" medium heavy rod makes an excellent 'meat and potatoes' rod. It gives me that extra confidence in its versatility and its ability to bring the Bass home. I originally was looking for a heavy 6'6" rod for close proximity pitching and flipping, but when this Quantum PT signature rod was put in my hands I knew darn well that with my newly acquired Chronarch 100B it was a match made in heaven! For the money, Quantum makes a good affordable strong and light rod in the PT series. The relatively new Quantum PT Kevin Van Dam 6'6" medium heavy series is all the rod I need for a good reasonable price! I have put this rod to the test, getting big Bass out of heavy cover and the best part of all is I didn't spend a fortune!

I have had good success with the Chronarch family from Shimano so I thought I would try the same make but a different model and sure enough, it was a perfect addition to the family. The cast is magic and for pitching and flipping it is definitely a work horse, but yet smooth. There is no job the Chronarch 100B can't do and that is money well spent in my eyes. With its sleek 'gun blued' look it looks as good as it performs. The Shimanos quick release pivoting spool cover makes it easy and simple to fine tune to my liking without sacrificing precious time. This unique feature is adopted into many of Shimanos bait casting reels because it's simple and practical, not to mention ingenious! The Chronarch 100B is a consistent performer with no fussing every 2nd or 3rd cast or pitch. It stays put to my setting! That alone is what I think makes the difference in a good quality reel.

Nothing is more frustrating than having to constantly fine tune a bait casting reel while using the same bait with the same surrounding scenario. The 'science', if you will or the technology of a reel doesn't mean much to me if it doesn't feel right and perform with that utmost consistency. The dollars spent on a good performing reel doesn't need to be in the hundreds! I still have bait casting reels that, to this day, perform consistently after many years and I spent a little more than a hundred dollars including tax. So basically, you never really know what you get until you are out on the water working it.

That's where I come in! You might say that I am the 'tackle test dummy' of fishing and believe me.... I put them to the test! I experiment constantly with different reels and rod combinations to try to come up with an affordable consistent performer that I think will make a good team to help us get that Bass on the end of our lines. And let's not forget having the ability to land it without mortgaging the house! I do not get exclusive support from one reel or rod company. This gives me the freedom to choose what I think will work best for certain or all fishing situations. I am able to broaden my rod and reel spectrum this way. I have combos of many makes and models ranging from $250.00 to $1500.00 and when tournament fishing or just doing what I do best, experimenting, I don't look at price tags when I reach for them, I go for the right combo for the job!

Shimano's Chronarch 100B teamed up with the Quantum PT Kevin Van Dam 6'6" medium heavy rod is a good buy, in my opinion. This combo is well priced making it a good sound investment for many years of Bass fishing with the all important versatility factors to make this particular combo do what you want!

I am getting geared up for another experimental season with mixes and matches of baits and tackle to help our readers decide what's best for them. It is a passion for me to write about my findings and bring it to anglers like you so that together we can come up with a remedy for the dreaded 'empty well syndrome'! Try out the Chronarch and Quantum combo for yourself and you will see and feel why I named it the combo of the year!

Visit Nic DiGravio at http://www.probassfishing.ca

shimano fishing

Rapala Limited 1st Edition Fishing Santa Figurine 'Tonttu Wader'

Rapala Collectible First Edition Figurine named 'Tonttu Wader'. 'Tonttu Wader' is part of the Angler Series. This figurine comes with it's own Certificate of Authenticity and in it's original box. It can stand on it's own or on the wooden holder. It stands 7 inches tall not on the wooded holder. This work is issued in a strictly limited edition of 3000 after which the master mold will be destroyed to preserve the integrity of the edition. Get them while you still can, before it's too late!

When summer approaches bringing those summer doldrums a small silver fish called the kissu makes themselves commonly found around beaches, harbors and bays. Since Japan is simply covered with these types of environments fishing for these oishi fish is a great way to spend a day on the beach with family and friends. Kids can easily master how to catch some and it will certainly bring a smile to their faces. As we all know young ones are easily bored if there are no fish being caught and they will soon develop a non interest in sport fishing. So this type of action is great for their self confidence........remember it's not the size that counts for kids it's just the fun in catching them.

Lets get started with some key information you are going to need to start your kissu fishing. The bait is very simple, worms or as we say in Japanese gokae.

The fishing rod can be as simple as you make it. I myself just use a short 7 foot bass rod that is usually used for boat sea bass fishing. Some anglers in Japan like using 10 foot plus rods but I much prefer the light hit and the battle that will persist.

My reel of choice is a Shimano NAVI 4000 series. Now you may wonder why I use such a large reel. The reason is simple, the spool is larger so I can make longer casts. If you use a smaller reel you will not be able to spool off large amounts line as quickly as a larger one. Keep your main line nice and light with some braided line of 10-15lbs.

For the leaders I use store bought ones that are specially designed for this type of fishing. Depending on what type of area you will be fishing you might have to experiment with different types of packaged leaders. In Japanese harisu means leader so choosing the right strength is important. Using a lower numbered one like a 1 or 2 could result in many break offs from puffer fish. (god I hate those things) Puffer fish are your enemy at times because they can bite off your hook or leader in one fowl swoop. Many times you will have the choice between a leader with 2-5 hooks, it's really just personal so choose one that best fits your style. Also in the stores in can be quite confusing, so make sure to just look for the package that has a kissu on it. Do not forget to always ask for help when choosing the right leader package.....it has always worked for me.

Next you are going to need to add a weight and a metal wire rig. For the weight I have become very fond of #8's. They seem to get out far and do not put too much stress on the rod making it perfect for feeling those bites. For the rigs you can choose just about any size but do not go too long.

For technique it is actually quite simple. Let your set up hit the bottom of the beach or sand and slowly reel in. Place your rod on a side ways position ready to slightly twitch when you feel a hit. Try to stay clear of rocky or points that constantly snag you up, if you do run into these problem areas move onto somewhere else where you will not loose your gear every cast.

Some x-tra things that are important are tripod rod holders, a pair of scissors to cut off the heads of those nasty worms, folding plastic buckets, a fish towel, a sun hat, suntan lotion, chairs, a sun umbrella for the wife to keep her cool and happy, a cooler which can filled with ice for 100 yen at just about any fishing port, of course a few beers with the cell phone turned onto manner mode.....and a crazy friend to keep you entertained!

Tight lines, Nigel Paquin.

shimano fishing

Shimano Tiagra 30 Big Game Fishing Reel Cover New

Keeping your tackle safe and secure is very important to fisherman. This gear was designed to help you prevent any unnecessary loss of tackle during a day on the water. Protect your reels with Shiamno's new neoprene reel covers. All sides made of neoprene to help absorb the bumps and scratches. Design allows for reel covers to be mounted while the reel is on or off the rod. All sides made out of 5mm neoprene # Gold logo and stitches over shiny black fabric match the color of Tiagra reels and Tallus rods.# All reel covers fit perfectly to specific size of Tiagra reels.

Before I get into this, lets just understand that I consider any jig 1/4oz or larger to be heavy. Catch 10,000 bass or so on a 1/16, 1/8 and 3/16oz jigs and you would also. When fishing heavy jigs, I abandon the realm of spinning tackle and move up to stout bait casting gear. This is necessary to transport your offering to nasty places and to get it back. I normally do not skip with a bait casting rod. It can be done but you must have an extremely educated thumb to prevent backlashes. I use Shimano reels exclusively. I go with either a Scorpion 1001 or a Calais Antares 101.

Contrary to many other anglers, I do not use a very heavy line 10 or 12lb line fills the bill for me and can handle most situations. I like Hybrid line. Gamakatsu G-Lock is also very good for flipping. I have used Vanish fluorocarbon and I like it also. It has great abrasion resistance. I only tie my jigs on with a palomar knot. I feel this is the strongest most reliable knot anyone can tie. I rely on Kistler Helium rods. I prefer a medium action rod. The lighter line and medium action rod make this a light line method when compared to the 25 and 20lb test many guys are using. Ive been doing a ton of flipping with a 6-6 ML rod and Scorpion 1001 reel. I usually do not go above a 3/16oz jig but it is a dynamite combo. It is sheer fun. Ive never broken a rod while fishing jigs.

Targeting Bass

I can flip, I can Skip, I can pitch. Which is best? Do what works for you. I am more effective skipping with a spinning rod so I usually do not skip with bait casting rods. My presentation is a cross between flipping and pitching. It is a kind of under hand lob low to the water that may be skipping-like in reality. When the bait hits the water, there is very little disturbance.

I am always searching for targets to hit. I will drop jigs into places many guys wont. You cant worry about losing a bait. If you do, you will handicap yourself mentally. Putting jigs in tough places can mean the difference between catching a horse and casting practice. I hit my targets from many different angles. This gives the fish a presentation it may not have seen. I see far too many guys drop a jig on a stump once or twice only to move on. I do not fish my jig back to the boat. Once I feel I have saturated the target, I reel in and cast again.

Strikes range from a mushy weighty feeling to an unmistakable chomp. I learned to fish jigs by forcing myself to only take them with me while fishing. I learned early on to discern what the jig felt like on the end of my line. Anything lighter or heavier was surely a bass. This is what I have come to name Weighing the line. I learned what a 3/16oz jig feels like in the water. This strategy has helped me learn complex techniques and has definitely made me a better, more consistent angler.

Lets talk about hook sets. If you are fishing a jig correctly, you will have very little slack line. It is a contact bait in which an angler must know what it is doing at all times. This makes for instantaneous hook sets and excellent sensitivity. If you feel something out of the ordinary, swing on it, hook sets are free. I set my hook hard over my right shoulder. It is violent, it is lightning quick and it gets the job done. I notice that very few anglers get the gist of the hook set in most applications. There is no pussy footing around here, set it like you mean it or go home empty handed. There really is no style to it, just speed and power.

Detecting a strike will come as a natural feeling in time and with practice. The time it takes you to detect a strike and swing on it is the difference between hooking up and getting beaned in the head by your jig. A jig is made of metal and silicone. A bass will rarely hold on to it for a long period of time. Scent and salt may help increase the odds by a half second or so but it is important to set up as soon as you detect the strike.

Rattles

Rattles may give the angler an advantage when the water is murky or cold. I prefer to fish without rattles 95% of the time. When I use them, I prefer the strap type of collar so the rattles hang down in the skirt. This way they do not impede with my hook set. One little trick I employ is to add a small piece of sponge on the hook shank. I spray it with a bit of garlic or craw scent. I think it at least gives me the confidence to be more effective.

A jig is a contact bait. It is built be used in nasty places and it is strong enough to wrestle big bass out of them. Many guys make the mistake of not attempting to penetrate deep into cover with them. By failing to do this, they decrease their chances for success. Youve got to get into the places where these fish live.

Although I am a light tackle jig guy by nature, Im smart enough to realize that heavy jigs definitely have a place in my arsenal. On the other side of it, dont just use heavier baits. You will be pleasantly surprised when you tie on a light jig n pig.

Craig DeFronzo has written over 300 articles that are bass fishing related within the past decade for several of the top bass fishing web sites and periodicals. He is the author of over 12 books and eBooks on bass fishing and is the creator of Micro Munch Tackle. He started a small bait company based on the belief that unique custom tackle would be more appealing to bass that are continuously bombarded by the same commercial baits every day. Custom baits and lighter tackle have helped him achieve success in competition. For more information on custom handmade baits and more articles and Craig's ebooks visit http://micromunchtackle.com/

shimano fishing