Hammer 4

6" Huddelston...but it's more than 10.00, about 17.00..but you get a Proven bait..

The biggest fish I got on brush hogs usually just inhale the bait it seem like, could hardly feel anything except, what felt like a very slight bump on my line, rather than the bait..When in doubt, set that hook..

I use to spool mine of the 275 yd filler spools..I'm guessing you must have had a kink or something in the line when it was packaged.

Another that agrees with Speed..for about 20.00 you can get a 6" BBZ hard bait, or for about 17.00 you can get the Huddelston 6" softbait, which is also available in a weedless version..but hooks set can be a problem. These baits while not the super spendy baits, will and do catch fish..you just have to Commit to them.

Seaguar InvisX in 8 lb...for baitcasters, 12lb AbrasX..

I bought some Diawa grease today, as my reels are getting kinda dry. On the little sqeeze bottle, it says for gears, and drag...It's that blue grease, I was in a pinch and used it rather than risk damage. Oh, I used on my bps extreme..kinda reluctant to use it on my Chronarch..

You didn't mention what lb test you were using.. I have thrown 2 1/2 oz swimbaits on 12lb yozuri ultrasoft...never had it snap..However, if the line at some point bent/folded, or a nick was in there that would create a weak point, and at some point it will break, just as a fluro line will. If that wasn't the case, you want to check your guides, just to be safe.

RW...I like the way you think. As I've spooled my reels with the exact same, except on one of my spinning reels, I spooled up 6 lb InvizX.. These Seaguar lines run a tad over 20.00 for 200 yds, and imho, well worth it, and yes you can spend even more for top of the line fluro, try 40.00 for 160 yds.. So, tese lines will stay on my reels until something better in the 20.00 price range come along..

True, there is no standard. If you compare the samuri 55 lb braid with a dia. of 0.14..and that of big game mono in 12lb it is also 0.14..so I goofed, I should have said 12lb mono.. What is the diameter of 10 lb. mono? Or 12 lb? There is no standard.

I've had really good luck smackin tree stumps with a spinnerbait..one time, a bass came out of the water and inhaled my spinnerbait before it hit the water.. Was pretty neat to see that.

Hey Z, let me know when your going to El D..I'll show you a few spots. I just hate paying to get in there, and then catch nothing but a big ole skunk..lol ;D

Geez, how simple is it to use a spining rig..? Sometimes, small baits, get big fish..

Most lines, including braid, will have the diameter printed on the box ect..the 55lb braid I use has the same diameter as 10 lb mono..

I fill mine up to within a 1/16 th..no problems..I use 55lb braid, light braid will backlash easier imho, the key is your Thumb. Also different brands behave differently, my braid is really limp, no wax..and cast's pretty well.

Including this thread, there are currently 3 threads about Braid...As for brands, everyone has their fave..and No, I won't mention mine... Dan, I think I see how you feel at this point.. ;D

No worries, and anytime.. Best to have a good assorment of colors, that way, you have a better chance..

I get mine from TW... I prefer the Pure Poisons too but they are difficult to find. BPS and Cabelas don't sell them and there's only one local place that does (Sportsman's Warehouse.)

Can be..re: conditions. Example..at a local lake I fish at, during the prespawn, about the only thing that will catch bass is a white jig, with a brown colored trailer, the trailer can be a sweetbeaver, a craw, or a creature..During othere times, the Only color worm, or plastic's they will hit with any degree of regularity is ..you guessed it..Brown, it can have other colors, but has to be mostly brown.. In other lakes, plastic's get bit better on purple colors..go figure.. ;D

Even though color shouldn't make a difference, sometimes it does. What I would try, is buy some plastic's other tahn lizards in pumkinseed..try some Senko's, and creature baits..If you don't already, I would have some good flurocarbon line in 6 to 8 lb test. Try throwing the above baits weightless if possible, and let them Sit, give you bait a Slight twitch, if you do crawl it, do it Very slow. As was said, it's possible the fish have moved off, as they may be staging at this point, so deeper water may prove to be better. Then again sometimes ther bass are more focused on the spawn, and refuse to strike anything. I have fished conditions like that a few times..It's very frustrating when you can see schools of bass, or single fish just cruising, that refuse to take any baits what so ever, Fishing from shore limits us, sometimes we just can't reach them in deeper water, but we try. Experiment, nothing is written in stone that says you have to fish a certain way, the fish will let you know when you get it right.. Good Luck out there.

Knowing the lake conditions would help, also what presentations you used on the baits you threw. And are the fish pre spawn, spawning, or post spawn..?

Where did you buy them..? Call the retailer and explain what happened..also, do you have your reciept..?

I found that bouncing them off the bottom about a foot to a foot and a half works great, more often than not they will hit it on the fall, so you will not feel much of a bite, if any. BTW, I have never used a trailer hook, never had a short strike on the Pure Poision...Sorry Sam..

I'm gonna have to disagree for part of this statment. Chatterbaits do catch fish, and on multipal colors, however, they will attract smaller fish. I've caught 1 1/2 lb'rs on them, and a few 5 lb'rs too. I throw mainly the 1/2 oz Pure Poision chatter baits.

Never used em, never saw a need for them..

Usually, you get what you pay for..not always, but most of the time. Then the question is, How much do you have to pay to get a quality rod..?