Shadowx

This lure looks awesome in the video. The reviews on it show a lot of people having it fall apart on them. How long do they last? Do you have a favorite color?

Maybe it’s just the lake I’m in. I’m stuck bank fishing for now and I don’t know what the bottom is like. If it’s all soft muck maybe that’s why I can’t feel bottom well. I could also try tungsten to reduce the snags. When I was at the store I just couldnt spend $10 on a marble sized weight lol.

I’ve been watching the line. As you can see I’m not totally unable to catch fish. I just don’t feel much contact with the bottom, have bows in the line and have been giving it slack during the fall. I catch fish when I see the line move or feel the bite but for all I know I get bites all the time and am unaware.

This is actually really helpful incite for me. How long do you let it sit for, and do you drag it slowly like a few inches? I haven’t found a lot of people describing how they actually retrieve worms.

Thank you. I guess I read all the people saying the 735c is basically like a heavy medium heavy and I thought I could use it like a medium heavy for t rigs and buy a medium for light t rigs and finesse. Looks like I need to buy 2 more rods eventually instead of 1.

Yea so far the Medium spinning has felt better to me. Unfortunately as I said I lost a good fish using it. I’m casting from the bank over pads right now into the open water. The only way to land the fish is to pull them back through or over the pads. I had the same size fish in the exact same spot and got hung up both times reeling them in. They both hit right on the far edge of the pads. I was able to pull them through with the Sierra casting set up and couldn’t do it and lost the fish on the spinning set up. I’m debating to use my heavy casting set ups for larger worms in heavy weeds and using the medium for worms in more open water, or buying a medium or MH casting set up. I’d rather buy a really sensitive medium casting set up so I can drop shot or finesse with it or something also, but if I can’t use my heavy set up in the weeds then I’d probably need a MH casting set up or I’ll have the same problem I am now with the spinning rod.

I’m sure I could improve my technique. I usually have some slack in the line while the work is falling. I’ve been popping it and letting it fall more so than just dragging it. do you have a Sierra 735c? What do you use it for? What models do you like to use for Texas rigged worms? Thank you.

I understand the concept. Seems like some people say to add weight and others say it will be way too heavy and to get a lighter power rod. I did add a 3/8 oz sinker and for whatever reason didn’t feel the feedback was much better. I did get caught on things a lot more. I didn’t get any bites but obviously that may not have been the fault of the weight though.

Are you always using fluoro or will braid work?

How shallow will you go with that weight?

Have you read the whole thread? I started out thinking I need a lighter rod because it would be more sensitive. Then I had several people tell me the rod I’m using is fine and sensitive enough but I need to throw heavier weights, and that 3/8 oz is fine for 4ft of water. Then I was told rod sensitivity actually doesn’t even matter and to just watch the line. Now you are saying that’s all incorrect and I should be using a lighter more sensitive rod. I don’t know who’s advice to follow, I really thought there would be more consensus on this topic.

Ok, well based on what you’re saying I should be able to line watch with my current rod as well as I would with any other rod. I guess the main disadvantage right now to my set up would be the bow in the line with the braid. I’ll keep practicing with the two set ups I have for now and see if I need another rod dedicated to worms. I did take the Sierra out today and tried a couple new frogs and tried a 9” Jelly worm with a 3/8 oz weight. I still couldn’t feel what was going on as well as I can with my medium action with a lighter weight. No bites on the frog or the worm, but did get one with a weightless senko.

Thank you for the time. If this is the case, what is the point of spending money on a sensitive rod? And why does everyone seem to want sensitive rods for bottom contact in particular?

Yeah, this makes a lot of sense. I'm sure my questions seem pretty dumb but having never used plastics before I wasn't really sure about the relationship between rod power, rod action, sinker weight, braid diameter and how it affects sensitivity. I tried to look it up and found some long time members here saying rod power and action is independent of sensitivity.

I wouldn't say I have a crutch of needing feedback, I've used plastic worms a total of 3 times lol. I'm too inexperienced to have even developed bad habits or crutches. I have a 7'6" because it's my flounder rod and that length is recommended to cast farther in the surf. Before I bought my Sierra it was the only rod I had besides $50 spinning combos. I didn't buy it for t-rigs, but I used what I had. I agree the Heavy 7'3" rod with 50lb braid sounds overkill for bass, but everyone that frogs a lot seems to recommend this set up. I hooked a 2.5lb bass from shore with water hyacinth between myself and the fish with my Heavy Sierra casting rod with 50lb braid. He got stuck in the pads but I was able to pull him out and get him to shore. I hooked a fish just like that in the exact same place last night, but on my Medium spinning set up. He got caught in the exact same weeds and I couldn't get him out. He unhooked himself while pinned to the water hyacinth.

Thanks for your response. Another member chimed in saying he didn't feel they were sensitive rods, so I'm just trying to get a few different opinions. Many people say to use the lightest weight you can for t-rigs, which is why I'm hesitant to use such heavy weight unless trying to get through a mat. I will try it anyway and see if anything bites.

Thank you very much for the advice and the offer. I will consider it.

Will the heavier weight let me keep less bow in the line affording better bite detection? I'm just trying to visualize how this works. Also, would 30lb braid be more sensitive than the 50lb? Thank you.

I'm new to fishing with frogs and soft plastics. I had trouble landing fish with a frog and bought Dobyns Sierra 735c Rod with a Tatula 100 BC reel and 50lb suffix 832 braid. I also have a two piece 7'6" medium action Star Stellar Surf spinning rod rated for 10-20lb line 1/2-1 1/2 oz lures with a Diawa BG 3000 reel and 20lb powerpro braid. I've been trying to throw 7" Power Worms and 9" Jelly worms either weightless or with a 1/16-1/4 oz weight. I've landed two decent (for me) bass on the Star Stellar, and one on the Sierra with t-rigged worms, which I have never been able to do before. The issue I ran into was I hooked up with a good bass on the Star Stellar, he ran into the pads and got stuck. By the time I got to him he had gotten off. So I switched the worm to the Sierra, but even though it's a rod that's twice as expensive, I couldn't really feel the 1/16th oz weight with the 9" Jelly worm, so I feel like it's much less sensitive. So I have one fairly sensitive rod that can't pull fish out of the weeds, and a heavy rod that I can't feel bites on. My question is do I need a more sensitive rod than the mag-heavy action Sierra, or will fishing heavier weight allow me to feel bites from bass? Thank you.

I know the 735c is made for casting heavier lures. If I put a 3/8 oz weight in front of the worm will this give me better bite detection? I figured that would be too much weight for ~4ft of water so didn't go that heavy.

After many years I have recently rediscovered bass fishing as a hobby. Most of my fishing in my youth was done with more or less steady retrieve lures- Rapala minnows, jitterbugs, inline spinners, shallow crank baits etc. I was never able to land anything on a plastic worm or rubber frog, so now that I'm fishing for bass again, that's what I'm trying to get good at. The rods I have are: A two piece 7'6" medium action Star Stellar spinning rod rated for 10-20lb line 1/2-1 1/2 oz lures with a Diawa BG 3000 reel and 20lb powerpro braid. Dobyns Sierra 735c Rod with a Tatula 100 BC reel and 50lb suffix 832 braid A cheap 6' Medium spinning combo A cheap 5' light spinning combo So hopefully the Sierra will be a decent frog set up, now I'm looking for a Texas rig set up. I've been trying to throw 7" Power Worms and 9" Jelly worms either weightless or with a 1/16-1/4 oz weight. I've landed two decent (for me) bass on the Star Stellar, and one on the Sierra with t-rigged worms, which I have never been able to do before. The issue I ran into tonight was I hooked up with a good bass on the Star Stellar, he ran into the pads and got stuck. By the time I got to him he had gotten off. So I switched the worm to the Sierra, but even though it's a rod that's twice as expensive, I couldn't really feel the 1/16th oz weight with the 9" Jelly worm, so I feel like it's much less sensitive. My question is, is the Sierra just not a sensitive rod? Is my issue the 50lb braid Vs the 20lb? Would I have better sensitivity with the Sierra fishing with heavier weight? Basically, can I do anything to make the Sierra more sensitive, or do I need a different rod for Texas rigging worms? If you think I need a new rod, can you recommend the best most sensitive rod for my application under $200? I had hoped I could do frogs and larger t-rigs in heavy cover on the Sierra, and buy a really sensitive medium spinning rod for light texas rigs and drop shotting, but now I feel like I may have chose the wrong rod. Sorry for the book, but sometimes people asking for help seem much too vague. Thank you for the help. Here's the first fish I caught on a t-rig worm, 18.5"

Thanks alot I will check that out alhuff and I will visit pondbos.com. I appreciate it, any other responces?

I really want to build a small pond and stock it with a few bass. I'm thinking maybe 20 feet in diameter and perhaps 4-6 feet deep in the deepest part. I am thinking of doing this where a small culvert runs through the woods near my drive way. I believe that it runs all year long even if it is just barely at times. Has anyone done this and if so any tips? I could stock it with smallmouth from my stream that get about 14" long in there and largemouth that I catch. Who knows I could turn it into my secret testing pond.