bigfruits

tie a good knot on undamaged line and keep them out of the trees and they should last you a very long time. replacing a $7 crankbait ends up being more expensive in the long run in my experience. jigs and soft plastics? $$$

proof they walk! its easier if you make the sound effects like he does at 0:55 mins.

yes, ive tried both. the pop max is indeed easier to walk but the pop x is not difficult. the pop max is more consistent. actions are similar, I use a smaller diameter line on the pop x. youtube is blocked here at work but you should be able to find some videos. ive pretty much stopped using other popper style baits since fishing with the pop x and pop max. I probably have the pop-x tied on 80% of the time vs 20% with pop max. might just be a confidence thing. youre going to have to get both. and they wont be your last!

nothing wakes me up like a hard jig bite

pop-x is a walking popper as well and its very easy to do.

I keep reading that the 845 GLX is the way to go. I love the expeditor program. Ive had to use it a couple of times unfortunately. I dont fish cranks enough to justify it. If you plan on fishing a lot of shallow cranks with it, I'd probably look elsewhere. Again I have not used the rod but a Google search for the 845 CBR GLX should bring up plenty of personal reviews.

when you have more combos than lures.

Thanks for the tip. I wont try to cut baby trees down with mine. I used to bag them and keep them in one of the 3600 size boxes with the extra square compartment normally used for fishing line. You can fit quite a few in there but the bags take up some space. putting little holes in the bag or leaving it sightly open helps with that. without bags can be a nightmare when hooks find their way into the split rings. I now use that compartment for hooks in packaging, bobber stops, worm nails and my license. I cant believe im taking pictures of my tackle boxes and pocket knife today. Its going to be a long winter...

just did my brother's dividers with it. i got him a small set up for xmas. he wants to start fishing. present for both of us! edit: ok, im bored. this is what i got him. as well as fishing for LMB on lakes with me, he will be canoeing with his friends on a slow shallow river so i went with smaller lures. maybe if he sticks with it ill give him my beloved MH/F 843 baitcaster next yr with some 1/2oz baits. Not giving up the 783! M/F spinning rod and reel from my collection (this hurt a bit) 1/4oz white War Eagle spinnerbait 1/4oz black Cavitron buzzbait 1/4oz white chatterbait 1/4oz Meps inline spinnerbait 1/4oz RatLTrap and 1/4oz SK Red Eye lipless Wigglewart 2 of the small KVD squarebills 1 pop-x (accept no substitute) 1/4oz BBZ-1 shad (not sure how well this will work but looks cool!) 2 1/4oz frogs 4"senkos, gamakatsu finesse wide gap hooks, zman TRD and mushroom jigheads ill prob get him some small jigs and trig stuff before spring. sorry about the pointless edit.

that might work. even melting a 3mm slot with a hot wire might work. i go french at room temp.

There are 5 spinnerbaits in the right section. The left section is not full but I could carry 4 spinnerbaits and 3-4 buzzbaits. Plenty for me and leaves real estate in the box for chatterbaits and swimjigs. I have some poppers, spooks and frogs in there as well. If on a bass boat, a dedicated spinnerbait box is def the way to go.

ive found keeping the blades and hooks separate they dont tangle and you can stack quite a few on each other. even getting to the bottom bait is not too much of a hassle as they all go in and out easily.

That looks like a better solution if I carried more spinner/buzzbaits. I carry 3 3600s and two smaller boxes so a dedicated spinnerbait box does not make it onboard. The Plano Elite looks a lot more narrow than my Falcon spinnerbait box which is a good thing. Are the wires being squeezed down or are the baits laying at a angle? If the former, I assume it doesnt deform the wires?

I fish from a kayak often and I am limited to the amount of tackle boxes I can carry. What I do to carry buzzbaits and spinnerbaits is cut notches in a 3600 size box as you can see below. Using a sharp knife I cut straight down on the bottom side of the notch. The second cut is a slight diagonal that meets the first cut near the bottom of the box. Cut slow or you will crack the plastic. Watch your fingers! (sorry about the picture quality)

OP - i recommend finding a rod you think is ideal for your intended purposes and ask on this forum and other places for advice from people who have fished it. as a general rule i aim for the middle range of the lure rating for ideal casting weight. describe the lures and weights you want to throw and the action you desire. if you cant get your hands on the rod, thats the best way to get a good feel for the rods characteristics IMO. nothing to do with the post and you probably know this but its good to note that an XF or F action does not necessarily mean a softer or stiffer tip.

it really depends on the manufacturer. for example, my megabass MH rod is rated up to 1oz. it does not feel right with 1oz baits. one of my loomis MH rods is rated up to 3/4oz but can handle more easily. The megabass does feel a bit more powerful but not as much as the lure rating suggests. the best measurements of power ive seen are deflection graphs that TT provides in their rod reviews. its basically hanging different weights off a rod and measuring the bend. not perfect but great when comparing rods for a general idea. tip stiffness is totally different from the power of a rod.

wow, you must have a pretty heavy weight on that.

walking through brush? 1 rod walking on trail? 2 rods in hand or 4 with a rod carrier car nearby? all of them

try fishing with all of your fingers above the reel seat and 99% of spinning rods will balance.

a 8.x:1 gear ratio is nice to have for a jig/frog rod but far from necessary. Curado or Scorpion 70/71 XG comes to mind in your price range but I cant vouch for 1 oz jigs on it as I have not fished those on the reel.

The Metanium DC is my favorite reel. Its just plain fun to use. I have the Met13 but haven't tried the MGL.

it depends on several variables but i generally like something a little faster than a typical moderate crankbait rod for lipless and squarebills. i prefer 7'-7'4" MH graphite rod with a 7.x:1 ratio reel.

I do not but if the lower IPT of your winch doesn't bother you, you are at an advantage in power to get the fish out of the vegetation.

bluefish and striped bass