ChrisAW

Been using these for a while with no issues. What size? I've been using 4/0 and have gone through atleast 2 packs since I started using them beginning of last year and haven't noticed a single one straighten out yet. I punch with a 7'6" heavy with 65#. I just bought some 5/0 for some of my ticket plastics but havent used them yet. I would bet the larger gap between eye and point might make them easier to straighten out

This is why.

If you have any local stores that carry All Terrain Jigs, give their grass jigs a shot. The head is very conical and the line tie is molded into the head, allowing them to come through weeds very easy. You still catch a little on the knot, but not very often do I get anything stuck to the jig.

Ok, thanks for the clarification. I work for one of the biggest retailers and we haven't had a single word of this from Shimano or our corporate office.

Does anyone actually have proof that this is happening besides the word if one guys friend? This whole debate without a single link to an actual official Shimano statement.

Berkley havoc devil spear. My go to, mostly sapphire blue. Never had an issue getting bit if the pattern comes to punching. It's what it was designed for!

The only thing I've been using lately is the the new BPS Speed Shad, which is the Keitech Swing Impact Fat shad being packaged for BPS in limited colors. Either or are about the same price. I was using them on St Clair and a couple local lakes, and the fish were willing to hammer them. Definitely a good choice if you want to do some soft baits. Last year I tried out my first Huddleston... I lost it in a matter of about 20 minutes to what I could only assume was a rather large Pike. But they will produce, no doubt about it.

If Bluegills are on beds, the bass have already come off usually.

Wish I could say we had as good of a day today. Caught some, lost a 5 pounder off a jerkbait. Not a high number day for us.

My punching rod is 7'6" and always will be. It will make zero difference between 7'6" and 7'11". I have even used a 7' in a pinch when I didnt ecpect to find any matted vegetation on a normally very clean lake, and ended up catching my personal best at 6 pounds using it that day. Rod length isnt AS important as a good rod with the right power rating for your area and line selection obviously. Fishing mostly in MI, I can suffice with just a heavy action and not have any issues. In the Delta, I doubt i could get away with that.

Some don't touch them, some cut them even shorter than suggested. Gives people the option to do what they want with them.

This was one of my best finesse baits last year. It takes a little tweaking, you might have to find the right hook or have to put a very small glass rattle in the butt of the bait, but they will glide very slowly back into cover. They little legs quiver like crazy with the right rate of fall. Caught a lot of fish on cotton candy, but start with a bag or two of the colors you like and see if you like them.

I'm not going to doubt the weight, but what I find funny is such a well known guide and a guy who has been on TV many times doesnt keep a decent scale around? That thing is janky.

Some use circle hooks, but not as often as an open hook like the Gamakatsu Split Shot hook. Because its mainly a tight line technique, its usually very easy to detect a bite. So using circle hooks to protect from gut hooking isn't very necessary. Most of these anglers you're watching are using some sort of normal open hook, and they are setting it like normal.

Vendetta, line got caught on ex girlfriends foot and she went to take a step off the deck. Snap. Veritas, snapped when a 5-1/2 took a run while I was reaching for the net. Pinned the rod against the edge of the boat and it broke. Gander Mountain, one of their higher end rods. Tip broke when I was putting it in a car through the back hatch. Not even really sure how I did it. BPS Carbonlite on a hookset on a rather large fish. I can't think of any others at the moment. That is probably all of them.

Had that looked at by my mechanic friend, but hes a family man so he doesn't have a lot of free time to help me out. I will take a look at it again thought

Not very used to this design and it seems to be very finicky. I have an early 80's Mariner 30E, or seems to be very similar to a 30A, that I have been having problems adjusting the float and needle. I didnt really have a problem last year, but now i ran the boat twice before opening weekend this weekend and I noticed that sometimes it would run the bowl dry and stall, but not very quickly. So I adjusted the float very slighlty to allow more in, but apparently too much although I didnt think I moved it much at all. So next time I went out it was flooding itself out and gas would come out of the top of the carb. So I took it back apart and and adjusted it to close the needle quicker, but I moved it so little that I wasnt really sure i moved it at all and was thinking that it would still be flooding. Now, it starves for gas very quickly, like gas isnt getting to the bowl at all. I included a picture of the type of needle and such below. The needle is spring loaded, something im not used to at all. Any info on the correct way to adjust this type of carb would be appreciated.

Well I don't think that would be the issue either. I would say try another knot first to save some money, and if it stops then good. If not, try heavier line.

What brand of line are you using for your leader? I would never use less than 30 pound on a baitcaster, but if you aren't having any problems with the line digging into itself on the spool, then continue on. I just wouldn't want to use anything that thin personally. I am not a fan of the uni knot on braid to flouro. I tested that vs the Alberto knot with the lines I use and it broke more often than the Alberto below the breaking strength of the line. That was just my personal experience, and I may have been tying it in a manner that allowed the braid to cut or burn the flouro and cause it to break. But, I can say I've never had that problem with the Alberto. But for senko's and a thin wire hook, 12lb is fine. If you're throwing jigs and texas rigs with thicker hooks, then you should definitely step up the rating.

Usually just a trailer hook, but there was one instance smallmouth fishing that I had to have a grub on the bait to get them to bite. I was feeling it getting bumped, and the trailer hook still wasn't getting them except a few outside of the mouth. Started changing colors and more natural colors weren't getting hit at all, chartruese was getting some followers but no slaps, white same thing. So I went back to the white/clear back and was getting the same thing again, slapping at it and one hooked in the tail. Added a grub to give it some solidity, and they started inhaling it. Seems like they could sense that there wasn't really anything there. Any other time, color is all that made the difference for me. That one time though, they wouldn't eat it without something to give it a little more body.

Having never fished outside of Michigan, Lake St Clair would be it for me. Being able to catch big largies and smallies on the same lake, and being able to go from goose egg for 6 hours to catching a limit and culling 8 times in half an hour... It's pretty awesome.

Thanks for the info guys. We are still frozen up here in Michigan, so our light be a little while before I can get an rpm reading.

No, probably the original aluminum prop. It's a little beat up, but not missing any chunks and has no cracks that I noticed. It would make a good spare. I'm just not a fan of leaving my equipment in beat up shape until it gets worse. I realize it won't pick TONS of speed, but it isn't struggling and if I can get more, I would mind any little bit it can get.

Ill have to find a tach and see. I'm sure it is. It doesn't struggle at all, but I will make sure before I go any further. I need a new prop either way.

I wasn't able to find get a tachometer last year, but I have no reason to believe it isn't getting close. It sounds healthy, I would say atleast 5000 of the 5500 max.