Big Bait Fishing

don't know if you like Fuji SK2 split reel seats but Mudhole has a gloss black painted version , they list it as gunmetal ....

i'll post some better pictures tomorrow

my swimbait rod - St.Croix Big Nasty , 9' H/F - # 5 lowrider surf guidedouble foot stripper guide 11 American Tackle Artus heavy duty micro guides , size 4 American Tackle ringlock micro tip top ,size 7/4

i imagine once you use smaller micro guides in a spiral wrap , your transition path will slow down and have less severe transitions than say a rod with larger guides . all my rods(baitcasting) are micro guides ( 3 & 4 sized guides ) with a spiral wrap . even my swimbait rod .

next time try a low rider stripper guide ..

word of caution , be easy on the bill of the bait , i've had a few luck-e-strike baits break where the bill meets the body ...

they might even replace single tail grubs !! let me know how they fish when you get them wet !!

i'm gonna pick some up too , rigged on a finesse jig head is gonna slay crappie !!!, the chartruse '' hot flash & '' baitfish '' are the colors i think are the ticket . i know those two colors are sold out but i'll get some when in stock , spring awaits !!!

the Phenix 7' H & the 7'3' XH blanks are sweet jig blanks , light, nice tip with a good backbone !!

the micro ones look to be a heck of a crappie bait !!

you should just have the tip guide replaced , beats having to wait for a new rod from china ....

countdown minnow

i use two brands of blanks , Phenix for my spinning and baitcasting , and St. Croix for my swimbait rod ... have'nt needed to look elsewhere for blanks , St. Croix makes the absolute best blanks for throwing big swimbaits ! one of these days i might even add a Legend Elite custom for another swimbait rod ...

mudhole , getbit, acidrod , and other places pretty much have the same stuff . if you truly want different stuff , you're gonna have to research other custom rods to find things you want to incorperate into your build . as for carbon grips , check out RileyRods ...

you must have got a bad one , should of called Lew's and they would of sent you a new reel , they have great reels and awesome customer service

i used to use nothing but Revo reels , made the change to Lew's and am quite happy !! Lew's reels are built with more exact tolerances , they feel more smooth , have a better braking system , and have a LOT less slop between the handle and body of the reel , Lew's are hands down a lot better reel though both have excellent customer service ...

custom micro guided Phenix M1 7'8'' M/XF spinning rod paired with a Pflueger Patriarch Magnesium 40 spooled with 4 lb. Gamma Poly Flex copolymer line ....

if you are needing a BFS rod , this would be a good one !! sic guides and the rod is really light ..

tackle store manager in my area has two , pretty sure they are from Japan ,here's a link http://www.saltywatertackle.com/high-end-jigging-surfing-casting-and-popping-rods/valley-hill-black-scale-custom-bass-rod-701.html

4 lb. Gamma poly flex in moss green

tried 8 lb. ultra green and it had a LOT of stretch , used it one time then threw it away ...

stick with the stock jig hook , i do on my 8'' Hudds and soon to be 10'' Hudds !!

give Gamma Poly Flex a try . the strongest line on the market and stretch is very minimal . Izorline XXX is good and minimal stretch in higher lb. lines but in 6-12 lb. line it does stretch quite a bit , it's what i use to use for swimbaits till i had an issue with some spools i purchased , got some Gamma and never looked back !!! ..... my line uses -- 4 lb. on my spinning set up 8 lb. on my baitcasting set up 20,25, & 30 lb. on my swimbait set up

i use a spinning set up when i'm fishing deeper than 10-12 ft. Shallow water (1-10 ft.) areas i prefer a baitcasting set up because i don't have to manually peel line off the spool like you can do with an open bail on a spinning set up . after a long cast i like to leave slack line on the fall .

that's what BFS rods are all about , finnese casting rods .......