I never did finish my series on Mexico..the last part was left out, about a guide
The Guide
Really, the lowly guide? What can be so special about a guide you might ask?
Aha, I thought you’d never ask. Now I am sure some of your you are familiar with these ” recoil” guides but I am convinced that most surfcasters are not. These guides are made out of titanium and don’t have ceramic inserts that can crack or chip and ruin your trip. Not only that, but you can literally bend them 90 degrees flush against the rod and they will “recoil” back into their original shape! Brilliant if you ask me, as you don’t need to worry about your guides ruining your trip ever again.
Is there downsides?
Well, now sure if I would call them downsides but it’s something you should be aware. First, I was told that hey are much more expensive then most guides on the market today, and number 2 , they are a little “noisier” when you cast or retrieve a line. Nothing great, but noting is as smooth as ceramic guides when it comes to line running thought the guides.
Something else I should mention..and I’ll do this in the context of the trip. The two weeks prior to our arrival, fishing was not great but it was solid. Each crew had few jacks each day and at least a rooster or two. On one particular day, they had a crazy good day with giant rooster but for the most part it was a solid pick in the morning. I now have a better understanding that your best shot at landing one of these things is from just before dawn till about nine or ten o’clock. After that’s it’s a crapshoot. In addition, the wind will kick up around noon each day making for much shorter casts and different water condition, wave action and clarity.
I should also mention that the waves can be GYNORMOUS!!! !…..one second you are standing in rolling surf, less then five seconds later you might be staring into a 9 to 15 foot sweet ready to pummel you. And if it does, a) you will NOT outrun it and b) you will regret coming to Mexico. I am going to stress this again, these waves are no joke even when they break 15 yards ahead of you and with great force push onto the beach for 50 yards or more!
Anyway, for Ryan and I, the trip went downhill after the second day as fish developed either a lockjaw or completely disappeared. Where we seen bait and small jacks, Sierra mackerel and other species all over the place the first two days, now the bait and fish completely disappeared. It was quite disappointing after few days when your expectations deflate but we still got the up every morning with renewed enthusiasm, knowing this could be the day when fishing lights up. We used all kinds of poppers from custom jobs, Line Stretcher lures to Super strike and everything in between.
And yes, in the morning , particularly from the hours of darkness and into dawn I was tossing Sebille sticks.
I returned to NY with blisters on my hands from reeling poppers all day ling at high speed AND in a hundred degree heat, yet every single fish I caught came on Sebile stick shads. I know it’s weird and I do know it does not mean nothing to you but it does to me. Particularly to my confidence level when it comes to using these , to me, new lures. I am really looking forward to putting stick shads though a whole season on Long Island
And yeah, even this cover shot ate a small stick shad
Will the titanium guides develop a groove from braid ?
↓What was old is new again? I have some really old rods with this guide type on them. might not be Titanium, but I too would worry of the braid cutting them enough that they cut the braid.
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