Big Bait Fishing

i think alot of people would be better off with , in my opinion, the best sub $100.00 rod out there wich is the Okuma evx-a !! has excellent components -alps zichronium guides , FUJI ACS reel seat , IM-8 blank , split grips , and a lifetime warranty !!! and the rod only costs $90.00 with that being said , the MOJO rods have out dated guides that i could never find myself wanting , sorry , just MY opinion ... BTW , i am NOT sponsored in ANY way by Okuma .. i like St.Criox rods alot , gonna buy one or two of their blanks soon to make some sick swimbait rods . just think that St.Croix could of used better guides and charged a couple of dollars more if they had too ......

for mono - Izorline XXX (10 and 12 lb) , Gamma co-poly (10 and 12 lb.), and in lower lb. test lines i go with P-line CXX.(6 and 8 lb.) for braid- Izorline premium spectra and Power Pro.(both in 30 lb. line) for floro - Sunline Shooter Metan Invisible (16 and 20 lb.)

i only use spectra lines . with that being said , all braids are not very abrasion resistant to rocks and mussels .so maybe find out what is causing the fraying . I used to use power pro only , now i have been switching over to Izorline premium spectra braid , doesn't have as much coating as power pro , i hate new power pro line , so by buying Izorline spectra , it's like buying brand new broken in power pro !!! kinda like buying pre-faded jeans , and not having to worry about color fade !!!!! btw , if your flipping in and around rocks or other highly abrasive stuff , you might think about using a good floro leader in 20 or 25 lb. line . try Seaguar AbrazX , Trilene 100% , Sunline shooter , Toray super hard , etc....

it all depends on the rods tip , my 2-6 oz. rated swimbait rod ( rainshadow iswb945) has a pretty stiff tip , excellent for hooking a fish in close and getting it moving towards you . some other swimbait rods like the Dobyns 795mlsb and the G.Loomis 953 and 955 have too soft of tip (for flipping and pitching). so , this is in my own opinion , choose a swimbait stick that has a stiffer rod tip , or just get a flipping stick (at least 7'6''-8') and check out the tip action of it first to make sure that it can cast the swimbaits you want with it . kinda sounds like an oxy moron of having a swimbait rod doing flipping duty and the oppisite , but i believe with a little research , you can come up with a rod that will do both very well btw , the swimbait rod that i mentioned was wrapped (made) by GBLANKS , cost around $180.00 or so , shipped to my door . so well worth it her is a pic of the rod , the bottom one with the REVO SX on it , BTW, i also use for frogs ( the one above it is rated for 3-8 oz. baits)

i've said it before and i'll say it again , in my opinion , the Canyon Plastics 4.5" frog is the best frog on the market , period

good concept , but sure-sets are some weak hooks , if you are serious about your lures and want the best hooks on them , replace them with Owner ST-41's , simply the best money can buy ...........

you want the best fish catchin' swimbait for under $40.00 , get your self a 6" lunker punker !!! i can't belive no one has mentioned them :

lake mission veijo in CA. .......

i love these frogs , all i use !!! they are a "buzz" style frog . when i cast them out over mats i keep the rod up high and buzz them slowly over the mat and when i come up to a opening , i'll jump them in and let it slowly sink then twitch it like a fluke . get alot of bites that way , and you can reel them slowly and the legs will still churn . i think the frog is very versitile , have caught some pretty big fish on them . by the way , i only use the 4.5" frogs , they cast really far . i rig them with 5/0 Owner twist locks with the 1/4" centering pin springs . i throw them on 30 or 50 lb. power pro ( gonna switch to Izorline premium Spectra braid , actually better than power pro , shhh , don't let it get out )

thanks for posting the link , Gamma co-poly is VERY STRONG !!! i don't know how it rates to P-line CXX , but it is definetly stronger than Yo-zuri hybrid .......

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. he fished with the light and tough rods more than he fished with the steez rods :

a rod that i think you would be more than happy with is the Shimano Crucial drop shot rod , 7'2'' medium , extra fast . nice light weight rod that has good backbone and balance . at 160.00 bucks , very worth it ...http://www.***.com/Shimano_Crucial_Drop_Shot_Spinning_Rods/descpage-SCRDSR.html

put some of that 8 lb. line on the bait caster , if it is not strong enough , move up to 10 or 12 lb. line . go with a good co-poly line like IZORLINE XXX or P-LINE CXX or CX .

that reel will work , put some P-LINE CXX in 12# on it , i throw up to 2.5 oz. lures on that line with no problem , 17 and 20 lb. line is a bit overkill with CXX . i throw my smaller swimbaits with my REVO INSHORE , wich has more line capacity (12/175) but is the same size as the SX, STX ,etc..and i use 12 lb. CXX ... btw, for those size lures , a decent flippin' stick will work , some times i use my 7' XH carrot stix .......

mostly any swimbait rod rated up to 4-6 oz. , will throw frogs also . i have a rod that is rated for 2-6 oz. baits ( the rod is built on a Rainshadow blank (ISWB945) and is a medium heavy powered , moderate fast action rod) i also use it to throw frogs and deep diving crankbaits .

detecting soft bites on a jig , well, jig fishing period !!! :-[

Daiwa's answer to the Revo Toro ,Revo Toro Winch and the Shimano Curado 300e .it is 1 oz. lighter than the toro and curado 300 but that could never justify spending 300 more dollars (more than twice the cost )

i have a custom color male bluegill in slow sink . i fish it in clear and stained water . it has good action from a super slow retrieve - moderate fast retrieve . it pushes alot of water with it's action and definetly gets noticed even in stained water . avery durable bait , well worth the money ..

after uicdent11 pm'ed me about this , i went to my garage and did a test , 5 times actually , and i got 32" per turn . btw , the line was 30 lb. power pro , if that matters .

i am putting a REVO Skeet Reese handle on my REVO SX . i like a longer handle on my reels , my SX is the 7.1:1 high speed , so now with the longer handle it is more like a 7.3:1 -7.4:1 . i had had a bass pro shops "power handle" on the reel , but it did not fit as good as i wanted it , plus i went to tighten it up when the bps handlke was on and i stripped the main shaft and mainshaft nut so i just got all the parts (the skeet reese handle , main shaft , handle nut , handle nut locking ring and the screw for it ) it cost me $31.00 shipped to the door !!! as far as the BASSTAR and ZPI handles go , maybe if i was putting the reel in a collection , i can think of plenty of baits i would rather get than buy a $100.00 handle !!!! btw, the Skeet Reese handle has the same paddle handles as the REVO TORO (bigger than the stock paddles )

OWNER ST-41's ...... there was just a topic on this last week or so , try using the search

x2 , that's what it said in the link ........

browning jumbo binder , in the binder i keep baits in the original bag , yup , my binder is stufffed

i find that the best way to determine how to work a bait is to fish them in a swimming pool , if you have access to one , i practice jigs , texas-rigged plastics , crankbaits , swimbaits , etc.. in the pool to see exactly how the bait is reacting and get the action down so when i fish it for real , i have that action perfect ....