PWE

It all started to get confusing for me when I realized I can't cover a day of fishing with 1 rod and 1 type of lure. So, I figured I need a minimum of 2 rods to cover the need for heavy stuff and another for light stuff. I figured, well sure I can put 20lb test on my spinner but its probably better on a dedicated heavy b/c which gives me experience with both. I really love the b/c but I utterly HATE 20lb line (its the yo-zuri line). My tackle store told me I NEED 20lb test for jigs, which I wanted to try. I think a b/c caster is superior for pitching etc into fall downs, heavy cover, over hanging tree cover etc. I also find the 20lb test and the b/c pull through heavy snags superbly. My comfort though, is with finesse plastics and smaller lures, cranking etc. All that being said, if I could trade both rods and reels in for 1 g-loomis drop shot spinner I would probably do it in a second. I find it hard to believe a well fed bass (stocked trout in Cali reservoirs) will hit a large lure often. I'm sure experience will prove me wrong there. So, how can I setup a single spinning rod rig to cover the options - seems to me I can't? Thoughts?

Ok, so I thought I had it worked out - baitcaster for jigs, spinnerbaits, swimbaits (small ones) and top water frogs etc. Spinner rod for finesse techniques, all soft plastics weightless etc. I see however, some people using jigs on spinner rods - thus I am now confused again. Do I need a heavy rig baitcaster and a light spinner setup or can you use a spinner setup for jigs etc If so are they only light ones? I simply want to focus on a few techniques and have the best setup I can for them. Thanks.

The guys here have been a great help in getting me started too. While I plan on moving to a floating object of some kind next year, this year I am 100% bank fishing. I have climbed, hiked, walked miles already this year - great workout lol. Anyways, I have finally settled on 2 rods - 1 heavy baitcaster and 1 light spinning rig. Baitcaster - jigs, small swimbaits (soon), larger spinnerbaits pretty much. Anything heavy. I have some kind of 20lbs ish line set on this rig and I am probably going to move to a 10lb flouro leader. Spinning rig - this one is where my heart really lies. I use it for all my finesse techniques and I specifically go for drop shotting and split shotting, I also use it for weightless plastics action. If my mood changes I can also quickly change it to run for trout etc. I use a backpack I had laying around and some cheap plastic storage boxes sectioned for tackle. I carry a horde of soft plastics and I only change to the heavy rig in major cover, heavy wind etc. That being said all my recent catches were off a point, in heavy wind using the drop shot and 4" worms. if I could only fish 1 thing it would be plastics, anytime, anyplace. I wear drab clothes and I'm careful when stepping near rocks etc for noise. I try to carry only one of the rigs and leave the other in the jeep when I can.

This is the result of what I have read in another hot topic called "situation senkos." I think its my turn to experience the "senko magic." I am going to pick a day to go out and hit 2-3 different reservoirs 600-1000 acres approx. each. I am going to take only senkos with me - from 3" to 7" sizes in various colors. I have access to a 7' spinning rig spooled with 8lb p-line flouro and a 7' baitcaster spooled with 20lb yo-zuri hybrid. I can fish deep or shallow, cover or open water, rock or grass lines. Water is pretty clear or sightly 'wind-murky.' Recommendations please for me to run this test - size of senko, which rig, t-rig or drop? etc. I feel this is a good test for the hype since I am, for all intents and purposes, someone very new to bass fishing. Thanks. I will post results after.

I find it amazing that you guys all catch with them. I wish I could catch like you guys describe with them. Just to get some experience behind the wheel so to speak. My experience with senkos has been totally negative in respect to catching fish. My roboworm seemed to work where there were clearly fish yesterday and my senkos just got ignored. If I walk a bank here in Cali. I won't go 100 yards without seeing someone's discarded senkos - everyone uses them everyday here. I sort of hate them for that reason. I also think fish here might grow shy to them, if not already. I am experimenting with drop shotting the 3" model today. For worms I just love the action of the roboworms - they look incredible in the water. Rigged in a variety of ways they can do almost amazing actions. As a new guy to bass I still struggle with the idea that a 2lb fish, which seem to be the average daily bass catch size, will actually pick up a 6" or 7" senko - seems just to big. I can't help feeling they want to gobble down a nice small easy pickings worm or grub. Also, right now I would rather catch 12 small fish for experience than go 2 months to catch one 5lber. I do need more experience though.

As far as using them goes, well I love finesse at the moment, so I've got the 3" senkos going. So far the roboworms are working better, but its a limited test since I don't catch much. basically, I hate senkos and any thick heavy worm like a cigar. I try to use everything else I have first. I nothing else works I will grab a senko.

Hmm yea, I can see that problem even after I miss hook it and re set the hook in the worm and feel like its about to fall apart. I thought perhaps it was the style of the lure that the above posters were objecting to rather than the quality of the plastic. I forget that senko is a brand, rather than a style. Since I'm new to bass fishing I have been thinking of it as a lure style rather than brand.

Out of interest - those that stated "never" can you say why? This is such a tried and tested lure - what's the reason you seem to so strongly dislike them?

Can any of you recommend highly, from experience, custom soft plastics vendors (worms, grubs, etc) that really work and deliver something unique and special?

interesting point on the line. I got 8lb test p-line 100% flouro. I have had a few issues with it, well, going crazy and tangling on the cast - nothing major, but odd to me. I love the line though.

My Ray Bans work well for me in almost any water and conditions. I will probably go for a specialist pair at some point, but my RBs are my universal ultra comfort everyday shades. They ran about $200.

This is an important thread - I actually live in California as well, and, coincidentally, I am looking for work and happen to have spent my career in high tech sales and strategy consulting. Anyways, its a pretty rough time for me right now for a variety of reasons and to boot I wasn't catching any bass. I started bass fishing this season and really only picked up fishing again seriously this year having never freshwater fished in my life. To be honest until today (I caught 2 small bass) I was ready to quit because I simply wasn't in the mood to deal with feeling like I couldn't catch anything - you get my drift. Anyways, today I did catch as part of a well thought out and executed strategy for fishing - when will I catch again - no clue, point is I set out to do it and I did - why - because I didn't quit - I worked and worked until I got it. Applying this to life gives me a renewed confidence and removes the skunk from more places than simply fish bragging rights. Fishing, like many other life pursuits teaches us who we are and how to fight for what we want. We should never forget this in what I call our "squishy personality type, self-service dollar menu world." Fish on!

OMG! Finally, the skunk is off. I settled my mind to work finesse style almost exclusively, unless I really can't get a bite on it. So I bougtht a new spinning rig, and a bunch of 3" - 5" soft plastics. Wen out today and bam - 2 in 20 minutes - loved it. small fish - 2lbs about, but I'll take it Now to analyze what I did and repeat it...then improve it. I caught them in high wind off a point on a drop shot rig, 7' med-light action 8lb test p-line fluro. I drop shotted aarons magic roboworms in 4.5" size. About 10am. Was great Thanks for all the support during skunk-stock.

thanks guys - I ended up with a Shimano Clarus 7' med-light fast action spinning rod with shimano sahara reel. I hope this does the job.

I have a baitcaster and enjoy it now the backlashes are getting fewer. I love the idea on having one good all around combo rod - this one is med-heavy action 7' shimano clarus with exceller reel. Its fine for me right now, I don't need a $300 blank just yet. My question is this: if I want to alternate light to heavy rigs can I buy another b/c reel and rig it with lighter line - say 10lb Yo-Zuri hybrid for casting cranks, drop shot etc? Then when I am out fishing I can simply change up the reels instead of having 2 rods with me. Or, do I have to buy a spinning rig for light stuff?