phisherman

I only use 2 colors. green pumpkin/watermelon laminate and black/blue laminate.

I haven't tried the Ultra Soft yet but the regular Yo Zuri Hybrid (10-lb test) on my Scorpion reels and it has given me some issues. Main problem I have had with it is that it has too much memory for my liking - Note: I haven't used it with any kind of line conditioner. But it does cast a mile and has very good abrasion resistence. Now if only I could get rid of the memory issue so it can sit tight on my spool like braid does...

Just the regular Hybrid. I haven't tried the Hybrid Ultra Soft yet. I wonder the Ultra Soft would work better for the loose line issue.

I've been using Yozuri Hybrid for a couple of years now. I have mixed reviews on it. I use the 6-8 lb test for spinning reels and it performs well enough for my needs. It's strong and sensitive. However, I spooled up some 10 lb test on my baitcaster and didn't like it too much. It casts great, but I couldn't deal with the memory. I would end up with a spool of loose line no matter how tightly wound I reeled it in. I never used any line conditioner but I heard it would help a lot with that problem on baitcasters.

I think what works best for senkos is... what ever you are comfortable with. There are not too many specifics on how to fish a senko. Although I will say that a spinning rig spooled up w/6 pound mono or fluoro would be ideal for fishing senkos and other finesse baits in areas that don't have a lot of cover. While a casting rig w/braid or higher pound test fluoro or mono would be ideal for fishing areas with cover. And yes, those O-Rings greatly improves the longevity of senkos.

I use spinning gear and 6-pound test mono when targeting Smallmouth with soft plastics, and also for drop shotting for Large/Smallmouth. Other than that, baitcasters all the way. For me nothing beats pitching lures into cover and around docks like a baitcaster. I know some ppl are probably great at pitching with spinning gear, but it's not the same feeling for me when I pitch w/spinning gear. I don't have as much control over the lure as I do when pitching with a baitcasting outfit.

Been fishing this set up for about a month now and wow... It's lethal. I spooled on some 20 lb Sufix braid and used it for practically everything and it handled them like a dream. Only thing I would argue is that I don't see much of a difference in pitching distance between this reel and the Curado E or even the Citica E (when 1/4 oz or heavier lures are used). When pitching a weightless senko the difference FOR ME, is maybe 5 ft or even less. But still, I like this reel and am very satisfied with it's performance.

So I gave the Fat Ika a shot this weekend for smallies. Fished it weightless throughout the trip in 5-10 ft of water on a 4/0 EWG hook. No takers. Well actually, the whole smallmouth bite was slow for artificial lures. I caught a few smaller ones using a shakey head + Yamamoto flat tail worm. But other than that, most of our smallies came off a bobber and live leech. Biggest one coming in at 2.5 lbs. We did however manage to boat some nice 4-pound class largemouth using Senkos and Spro frogs. Still, it wasn't the trophy smallmouth that we were searching for. But I still haven't given up on the Fat Ika yet. Will try it some more throughout the rest of the year.

They sound like what I might be looking for. But that's what I thought when I bought a Daiwa Procyon spinning rod. I ordered it online and when it got here, the part of the rod that goes through the reel seat was a little too thick for my liking. I don't think there are any stores here that sell the VIP Smallmouth rod and I learned my lesson from buying the Procyon that I should hold the rod before buying it. So now my question is, is the reel seat area thick like the Procyon? I like a thinner diameter reel seat, which is more comfortable for me.

I use Yo-Zuri Hybrid 8# test for my spinning gear. I switched over a year ago from Berkley Transition fluorocarbon (not a good line IMO). The YZ Hybrid performed better than I expected and now it's the only other line I will use besides Sufix Braid. Only issue I have with it is it develops memory just like regular mono does. Other than that, +1 for YZ Hybrid.

I'm fishing Lake Vermilion this weekend with some of my buddies. This lake is known for their smallmouth fishery, probably second in the state only to Lake Mille Lacs. I was wondering how the Fat Ika/Palm Tree would produce on smallies. I've never fished these lures before but I figure I'd give them a try since they're similar to tubes and we all know how tubes produce on them smallies. Any pointers on fishing these lures when targeting smallies 20 to 30+ feet deep?

This might be an old post, but I was interested to hear from anyone who has these smallmouth rods how they compare to the St. Croix Premieres and the Shimano Compres. Anyone??

Good ups cwen. I was in the market for either the Curado 201 E7 or the Scorpion 1501-7 XT to put on my Cumara, which will then be used as my new pitching set up. I'm glad to finally hear someone's review on the Scorpion and the differences it bears from the Curado. I think I will be picking up the Scorpion and mounting it on to my Cumara and hopefully it will turn out to be a great pitching set up.

I like Sufix Performance Braid. It's a more round and smoother than Power Pro - my 2nd favorite braid.

Is the 2-piece version of the same rod LESS sensitive than the 1-piece version? Been trying to find the answer to this question for the longest time.

I think the Triumph is made out of SCII graphite as well. So that would make 3 St. Croix rods w/SCII graphite blanks. Only difference is Triumph is made in China, Premier in US, and Mojo in Mexico. I have a Triumph, 1st and only St. Croix rod I've ever owned. Compared to my other rods w/IM9 graphite blanks like the Shimano Crucial, the SCII graphite falls short in sensitivity and weight. But then again, I'm comparing rods from different price points. Just giving you guys some added info and comparison. But I am however interested in the Mojo Bass crankbait rod... An all graphite crankin' rod for $90?- there's nothing wrong with that at all. But I wonder how it compares to the Shimano Compre crankbait rod? Hmmm...

Definitely return it. I got a Symetre 2500FJ and it's smooth casting and retrieving.

Thanks for the input. I will definitely try it out first before I consider purchasing it.

Btech, What lures you'll be using will determine what equipment will best suit your needs. The information I'm about to give you is what most anglers suggest for specific types of fishing applications. Reel size: 2500 is usually the norm when fishing for largemouth, smallmouth and most freshwater game fish. You can go up a notch to a 3000 series or down a notch to a 2000 series, but one of the most important factors is having a reel with a big enough spool to hold a good amount of 6 to 10-pound test fishing line. Since that is what size line most anglers use when targeting game fish. Reel ratios: 5.2:1 is what is recommended for lipped crankbaits and spinnerbaits. You want to retrieve these lures at a slower pace so not to disrupt their "natural" action. 6.2:1 is good for everything else... lipless cranks, buzzbaits and other topwater lures because their action is at it's best when retrieved at a higher speed. For soft plastics, either of these two would suffice.

BTW, it would be used in Freshwater for small to medium-sized crankbaits for targeting bass and what not.

So hey, I was originally looking at the Shimano Crucial Crankbait spinning rod to use for crankbaits. But the price point I was aiming for was about $100. Then I saw that the Teramar inshore rod is also built from TC4 composite material and has the same action as the Crucial Crankbait rod that I was looking at. I was wondering what people's opinion would be for using the Teramar as a crankbait rod? Here are the specs for the two rods (I wish Shimano would list the rod weight for each rod like other companies do, but for some reason they don't): Shimano Crucial Crankbait: TC4HM construction, 6'8", Med power, Med-Fast action Shimano Teramar SE: TC4 construction, 7'0", Med power, Med-fast action Any input would be helpful.