Teacher, Jimmie Beaty and his first Cobia. No specifics about the catch available at this time. Still living the dream, lucky guy.
July 23 and I got the reel drag washers replaced with carbontex by Somooth Drag. Pull even from the start with smoothness.
Here it is July 10, 2013 and the effort to get ready for Kiptopeke 2013 continues. Here you see the 9 Shumano Charter Special 2000 LDs that are to be placed on the rods shortly. Only two have mono as the terminal line. Others have mono as backing and loaded with 40# braid. In the background, two 1K meter spools of line color at 10 meter intervals. For now, I'll just change the terminal color of 30 or 40 feet to help deploy baits.
Need a photo of the planer cork I'll be using to help separate the baits that do not have planer boards to pull them apart. Mike Smedley uses planer corks for his fishing and gave me two small ones for Kerr a long time ago. I stopped live baiting with the T.M. and strictly drop live bait on the Stripers heads after finding them with the Ray Jefferson Sonar.
Can a fisherman ever be ready for "living the dream"? Bill Fowler is getting around great after his hip replacement surgery. I'm still trying to get over my lower back pain and now doing physical therapy for my rotator cuff surgery. December is coming on fast and hopefully our healing will be complete before then.
Have the v90 thread, clear vinyl, white canvas, and will shortly purchase 3/4 inch web and buckles so I can have my cousin fabricate a wind/spray screen for the T on my Sea Pro. Very much needed when cold rain and it's needed to get back to the launch as the seas rise.
OK, enough for this moment.
An after thought . . . I found the forum at Shumano Charter Special reel maintenance dealing with reel repair and maintenance (tutorials) to be a great resource for my use maintaining the Shumano charter Special 2000 lever drag. Ordering parts from Shumano seems economical, simple, and delivery is rapid. The shematic makes this possible. Smooth Drag washers and greases offers the upgraded drag washer and special grease mentioned in the forum.
Guess I'll have to fabricate my own planer corks as I don't like the release offered on the commercial products. Something else to ponder over the summer.
New information about RediRig TOS Planer Floats
Well, Mike Smedley sent the RediRig TOS Planer Floats and I'm impressed. Mike says they will pull moderately to the side to separate the eels, yet are large enough to float the eels. The left huge cork was my idea of what would be needed. The red and green Planer Floats are colored for the starboard and port applications. The signal orange cork to the right is just for example and could be used in place of the 3" round corks I usually employ. You can be sure I'll put them in their paces, or is it places?
Still working on reel maintenance and waiting for Shumano to restock pinion gears.
Shumano parts indicates that the gears will be available in mid September. Can't do more than wait. The reels I want to try new pinion gears are usable, but feel like a bit of sand in the gears when cranking. Replaced the end cap spool shaft bearings, so that's not the problem. Gotta be the pinion gear.
Got two more graphite drag washers from SmoothDrag and I'll get the last reel modified shortly.
Will also add TLD 15 crank handles to several of the Shumano Charter Special 2000. Fishing friends tell me that the new crank handles really do make a difference.
Whew, 99 days 'til time to hit Kiptopeke for COWs!
