NOVA Angler

Stop it, this is killing me ! Ike has switched from $400+ Steez rods to $99 budget rods! Of course, if you pay me enough to fish with it I'll fish with a broom handle and tell everyone its great. Next thing you'll see is Ike flippin with a cane pole. If they continue their success I guess Ike and Skeets moves show its not all about having top of the line equipment. Bummer huh? Don't get me wrong, I know money is the driving force behind their decisions but still...it's kind of funny.

I know there are some who apparently don't have problems keeping fish pegged with the 65, but that just isn't the case for me (and apparently others). I wouldn't say most of the fish I hooked came off, but it was enough for me to start looking for answers. For me, the Jr. seems to be the answer. The body of the Jr. is much softer than the 65. I really feel the quality of my hookups has increased significantly because of this. What I mean by that is the fish don't come unbuttoned after I hook them. For me, it was never an issue with waiting long enough to set the hook with the 65. I had plenty of fish hooked, just lost too many to have confidence in it. I also don't believe the quality of fish has suffered with the Jr. I guess you could argue that my setup isn't perfect for frogs (MBR844C and 50lb braid), but right now, that's what I've got to work with and the Jr. is what works with it for me.

The Dobyns glass rods aren't...

I also use the MBR844C and it works great for me...

x2

Catt, What kind of trailer is that and who makes the jig?

Scott Martin Challenge is definetly one of my favorites. Scott is not painful to watch like his Dad. Another show that I haven't heard brought up is Jarett Edwards Outdoors. Not necessarily one of my favorites though.

I'd say 5.0-5.5lbs.

I got told that all the time, I still dont see it though... If you havent caught one yet you're in for a treat when you do get bit, one of the better fighting fish in terms of strength, disposition to lures, striking power, speed, and aerial acrobatics! Once the weather warms up I'm thinking of getting a NOVA Snakehead tourney going, I know of some primo places to catch double digit monsters, I'm sure we can get you hooked up on one! When I caught the one in the pic, it was the first one I had ever caught so it was very unexpected. I was fishing a senko and when I felt the bite and set the hook, all hell broke loose. I thought to myself if this is a bass, it's without a doubt my new personal best. As luck would have it, it was a personal best, just not the one I was looking for.

Had a chance to throw that Dobyns glass rod yet?

x2

Sick video and cool bait. I seriously think the video is just as impressive as the lure. If the lure doesn't work out, he could make some awesome videos for lure companies.

Explain please.

Nice catch! I would say that fish goes more than 4lbs, but it always hard to tell from pics. I caught this snakehead a couple years ago in Kains Creek and it was weighed at 8lbs. I think the shape of their bodies makes their weight a little deceiving...

I was able to pick some up recently as well. Wouldn't mind seeing them hard to find for a while now! I guess that's pretty selfish of me...

Here's some info for ya... http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/topic/371651/gonew/1

So it blocks out dy ke but not boner?

Guess who just ordered two packs of the 41's from TW today? I didn't realize I was missing out...

I don't have any experience fishing swim jigs through pads, but I would think you would want a heavy gauge hook. Another consideration would be the trailer. I could see something like a Kalins grub getting the tail caught on the pads as it goes over them. A paddle tail style trailer might work better. I like the bullet shape heads on my swim jigs because I feel like they come through cover better than other styles. I use both Brovarney and Yank'em swim jigs.

36

Awesome rod...thanks for sharing!

I wonder why they photoshopped the guy in the 9/29/09 picture near the bottom...

That video of the bass coming out of the water to eat that frog is pretty wild. Again I'm not sure that this guy has an accurate perception of fish size, but that was a very nice fish. Give 'em a try and let us know VABasser!

I've caught two. They inhabit water with lower oxygen levels than bass. They aren't eating the bass but the bass are eating them. So far, they haven't seemed to affect the bass population. VDGIF doesn't seem to think they are as bad as previously imagined. Check the "other fish species" section for a couple threads about snakeheads if you want to hear more about what I think about them. I think it's a quick rush to judgement to assume that just because we haven't seen an impact on the bass population so far, there won't be one. They've only been known to inhabit the Potomac for a little over 5 years and now they're in every major creek and yes also some main river grass beds. In my mind that's pretty substantial growth. As for low oxygen water, my buddy and I caught a couple in a main river grass bed just north of Arkendale last year. I'm not concerned about them eating bass, I'm concerned about them eating what bass eat. I don't care so much that they aren't native to the Potomac, but I do care about the impact they could have on the fish I love to catch. What will happen when we have another grass die-off? I guess my point is I don't want to wait until it's a problem to find out. I guess "outta sight outta mind" will always prevail though.

Dan, How do you feel about the Snakehead? Since you also fish the Potomac, I'm sure you've had several encounters with them. My concern is that you now have a new predator competing for a limited amount of prey. The carrying capacity of the Potomac will remain relatively constant so it seems logical to assume we will have fewer bass and more snakeheads. I kill every snakehead I catch.