Big Bait Fishing

Phenix Recon 2 , 7'1'' ML with a lure rating of 1/8-1/2 oz.

i use the improved clinch knot tying all baits to a hook except when i tie a hook on a drop shot , then i use a palomar knot . all my line to line connections i use a uni-to-uni knot or an albright knot. i rarely if ever have my knot fail with an improved clinch , i use for baits from 1/4 oz. up to 14 oz.

Pflueger Patriarch's are the best spinning reels i have ever fished , they are very light , smooth retrieve , and buttery drag at any setting . i had a 9240(4000 size) but just got a 9225 (1000 size) and let me tell you it's SWEET !! reel weighs 5.6 oz. and the drag is amazing ....

co-poly = Gamma PolyFlex Flouro = Toray Super Hard Strong Braid = Gamma Torque

if you are gonna use CXX , buy a big spool as you have to respool after every other outing ...

don't worry if your braid dia. matches your flouro dia. , your flouro leader is for abrasion resistance , use what ever size dia flouro leader you need for it .

Owner Oversize Worm Hook in 7/0 , i like to throw them either weightless in 3-10 ft. of water or if going deeper i use up to a 1/4 ounce weight as i like to keep the worm horizontal , fishing it slowly with subtle jerks letting it slither through grass .

if you're gonna be using the rod for dorado's , you might look into in inshore rod , not a bass rod ! maybe look into a heavier powered rod with a soft tip , a rod only rated to 1 ounce lure rating is generally a medium heavy bass rod . an inshore rod rated 1-3 oz. is more what you should be considering ...

my favorite bait for night fishing is a buzz frog reeled slowly .

if you wouldn't mind a three-piece rod , Phenix makes a nice one in a built rod or you could buy the blank , they have a 7' MH / F rated 3/8-1 oz. the rod is around $300 and comes with a felt lined hard case . the blank goes for $129 . heres a pic of the built rod and a link http://www.phenixrods.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=82

i use 25 & 30 lb. Gamma co-poly for my swimbait rod cause it's the strongest line on the market and for these heavier test lines i use it has the least amount of memory for a harder line with not that much stretch . i used to use Izorline XXX till i got a couple of bad batch spools that Izorlines customer service didn't want to make right so i stopped using it , must say it's a great line when it's good but awful when it's not ...

i think a lot of people believe that one uses flouro just for line visibility ( lack of ) , but i myself use it because it sinks and takes the bow out of your line , making a straight path to your bait , increasing sensitivity making the line transmit more info to you . i hate stretchy line no matter what bait/lure i'm using. braid is great for top water and shallow depth fishing and aslo short line applications . deep water , finesse, jigs , crank baits , and drop shot i use flouro main line ...

the Sassy sticks are very good ! great shimmy on the fall , i like the shiny , smooth finish on them , and they look great in the water . oh yeah , they catch fish !!! gonna put together another order in the next couple of days ...

my favorite flourocarbon line is Toray Super Hard Strong , just can't get it anymore . that line is very strong and as much stretch as braid ..... best flouro i've ever used !

Tatsu might be your gold standard if you don't mind a stretchy line , to me the gold standard is a tie between Sunline Shooter and Toray SHU , both these lines don't stretch near as much as Tatsu , and they are both a little more sensitive as to both being stiffer , more dense lines . I just got a spool of Sunline Structure in 14 lb , gonna spool it on tomorrow, will write a mini review when I get it in the water.

i have , on the same bait (watermelon red flake 5'' yum dinger) 3 casts previous , i hooked up on a bass but got broke off . made another cast using the same bait , i hook up with another bass , reel it in and go to unhook it and look in the bass's mouth and there is my broke off bait and hook in the back of it's mouth . heres a pic , look close and you'll see the other yum dinger !!!

way to many options for line out there then to try to settle for a mediocre hybrid line when you can either buy a good flouro or buy a good copoly ...

pretty acurate review in my opinion

seems like Okuma hooked up the moderators with rods and reels ! hopefully people interested in the guide select swimbait rods will see this , hope fully bluebasser86 will catch something and do a follow up review .

take time to re-tie ....

just spooled a new Patriarch 1000 (9325) with Gamma Torque 8 lb. braid , casts great and is very strong and it's only .003 in diameter !!! less than half the diameter of 832 10 lb. braid !! actually it's about 1/3 ....

with Owner cutting point hooks , you don't need a hard hook set , just a quick snap then pressure on the line .

thanks , need new eyes for my Natesbaits shad . if i were you , i'd mount it like a deer head !!

recomend some that work the same but are cheaper

are those eyes glass or part of the bait ??