cueball

I assume that he OP is throwing 1/16 to 1/8 oz marabou jigs for smallmouth bass. There are other options than the SCV576MLXF. Get Bit Outdoors has their Liberty Series Drop shot blanks. Mudhole has the NSJ870 and NSJ871 MHX Elite X blanks. Elliott Rod Blanks has 73LF, though it is currently out of stock, and a 73MLF. Rainshadow IMMWS72MLF is another blank, similar in power to a SC ML that would work. NFC also has several options. Blanks that are good for this technique will typically be on pricey side because they are long and to get a lightweight blank that has good recovery they will most often be built with higher modulus material.

Another source of sensitivity is the through the reel. On a casting reel the line tightens and you feel a pulse transmitted by the spool shaft. Similarly on a spinning reel, when the line tightens you feel a pulse through the line roller. One reason fishing is so fun is all of the subjective topics that have no absolute answers.

1. Drop shot 2. Drop shot 3. Drop shot

I dip jig heads in CS Seal Coat and Jig finish. I have also brushed it in. Seems to work great and dries in a half hour or less.

Stick the hook through the eye of the sinker and than use the hook keep.

I would go with the Avid X over the standard Avid. Really nice build for a factory rod.

They do sell blanks, but they don't sell blems or seconds. I just bought a blank there a few weeks ago. You have to ask, they don't have them on display.

Z Man 4" Finesse Worm and Strike King 4" 3X Elaztech finesse worm. They are the same bait, each has some different colors.

Hanging fishing stuff in plain view of the wife sounds like risky business to me.

I would not say either is really better than the other. I think It really comes down to what you prefer for a handle.

I fish for mainly smallmouth. I have at least a Ghost Minnow and a Nishiki in each of the LC series of jerkbaits in my box.

I guess I don't understand the problem. St Croix has split grip and full grip rods. You can choose. What is the problem?

If you want to store the most in the least amount of space, I think the binders with bags work the best.

Black or white. Try both contrasting and matching.

Z-Man 4" Finesse Wormz. Work great and you can fish one worm all day. I also like Robo Worms and Zoom Z Drops, but you go through a lot more of them than the Z-Man worm.

Brent Ehrler uses braid with a fluorocarbon leader on a spinning rod for finesse fishing. It really is not very hard to find many sources of pros discussing using braid with a leader on a spinning rod.

Sometimes the smallies will give you a clue they are interested in top waters. If you are fishing a senko or tube and the fish seem to be hitting it as soon as it hits the water, they will often hit top waters. For whatever reason smallies seem to get very zero'd in to feeding up or down.

I haven't used it yet, because I have not had to drag baits to get bit yet. But, I plan to use it around zebra mussels. I think sinker will get my knot a little higher off the bottom and save line abrasion. Also, I think the sinker will slide through crud on the bottom and keep the lure clean. There is alot of moss type stuff on the bottom in some areas I fish. I am thinking of the Jika rig as a drop shot rig with a really short dropper length.

Foam pipe insulation also works and comes in a few different diameters.

I use the Falcon, now Plano, terminal tackle box to hold a small number of hooks I use a lot. I like to be able to go to one spot and have all of the items I need for any given rigging. I keep the rest stowed away, in either the original package, or small zip lock bags that are labelled with manufacturer, model # and size, stashed in a Plano Worm Wrap. Holds lots of hooks in small space and they are double bagged to keep them away from water.

The Arky has wide nose that helps feel the bottom, woods, rock as you drag the jig. More surface area for contact. This also makes it poor for weeds, where a narrow or pointed nose helps slide through the weeds.

Manns 4" Draggin' Finesse Worm. I bought all the packs I could get when a store went out of business in my area a few years ago. Really soft and awesome action.

Smallmouths will eat any size lure, there are a lot of big ones caught on musky lures. But, most times you do give up some bites the bigger you go. That is personal preference, more bites or larger average size fish. At times smallmouth really get keyed in on certain prey and will ignore about anything else. When they are feeding on small prey, like young of the year perch, bigger baits can be ignored.

I know that many worry about using more knots. However, the only knot to worry about is the weakest one. I really think that an Alberto knot is much stronger than any knot you can tie at the lure. I really cannot remember ever breaking off a snag and having the Alberto knot break instead of the leader or the knot at the lure and I know I have never broke off a fish at the Alberto knot.

Galigas Grubs are being made again by Venom. http://www.galidasgrubz.com/