Hooligan

The Dshad has been top of my list since I discovered them. They're so unique in that they're a Senko like fall, with the body of a shad style jerk. Super, super bait for me last year and this spring already. Shad shape worm is absolutely dynamite on smallies and spots, as has been mentioned. I've yet to spend a lot of time with the KVD Shad, but what time I have spent has been successful.

Spring, summer, fall winter. They're a consistent bait period.

A finesse jig will not always get you more bites, nor will it always be the way Togo to get comfortable with fishing a jig. At times they're far too light to be able to fish effectively. If there is too much wind, they may never hit bottom. If they're too light the fall rate may negatively affect fish. Best all around jig size to start is most likely a 3/8 in an Arky or Alien head. Personally, I prefer a Northstar, in colors suitable to the water I am fishing. My trailers range from Zoom to Rage, to Havoc, to hand pour double tail grubs. It's situational, and subject entirely to preference.

They aren't G. Loomis rods. Period. They are from North Fork Composites, which is Gary's new company. Very different from G. Loomis rods or TFO rods with Gary's name on them. As fir the claims made, casting distance and accuracy is better, the guide spacing allows for fewer guides equaling less weight, which in turn grants better sensitivity. I'm unsure of the claim on leaving the bait in the zone longer, unless it is in relation to casting distance.

I don't have more money than brains, but the two are not the exact same. The weight transfer is much better on Megabass, the finish is much better, and the overall balance is better. The action of the baits are similar, but the STX has much more yaw, and the Vision is more consistent in action. As well, the STX is variable in terms of suspending. Some float, some sink, some suspend. I went through 30 baits to find five that worked well. I can count on every single Megabass working perfect every time.The difference between the two are very apparent, and they're quite major in the function of the baits. Both have their applications, and both are viable baits. To say they are the exact same, however, is patently false.

Pointer 78, 100 Megabass Vision 110 and q-go Rogue Jackall Squad Minnow All are tools I treat equally effective in those temps based on different conditions.

Shimano reels are made in Shimano facilities, period. Every single one. There is only one other company in the industry that can say that. As far as the OP, there is zero truth in the statement that Shimano makes Dicks rods.

JF is dead on. Toray makes XPS. It's a decent line, but can be very one sided. It's quite hard, but that can lead to being deemed as brittle. It isn't my line of choice but I have had decent results with it.

I use the wide gaps an awful lot for T-Rig drop shot plastics. 2/0 covers most everything I do.

What he said. It's been such a popular jig trailer that they made the chunk version with a flared end to help raise a jigs skirt.

Lady, Emerald Shiner, and Blue Back are the three colors that are on my top picks. The Ayu looks really well done as well.

I don't speak on things that I do not own, have not owned, or have extensive experience with.

I don't like to boat flip fish I I can help it. That said, when you do it, you're not moving the fish from a stop and letting them, when at all possible you use their momentum to vault them over the rail. The second key, never go beyond 90 degrees angle from your rod to the fish.

Dollar for dollar I think the Lexa is one of the better built reels out there. I'm extremely happy with the Lexa reels that I've purchased and tested. They're well built, have excellent components and this far have performed quite solidly. I'm willing to say that the Lexa actually outperforms the TP under most circumstances. It handles lighter baits better in my experience. The drag is also much more reliable on the Lexa.

Lord no, I don't carry spare spools. I have a hard enough time keeping things straight with tape, labels, and magic marker. If I added spare spools in the mix, I'd add an extra 25 pounds in the boat, and is never be able to find the one I was looking for.

Yes indeed. Mr. Reeves revived the brand. The internals are all similar, even interchangeable in some cases. Lews uses a higher grade of bearing than all of the pure fishing reels up the the STX which is the $199 price point. After that they're on pretty equal footing in terms of components. Some of the internals of Lews are proprietary, mind you. The main drive gear cut, bearing surface and the drag surfaces are larger on the Lews.

Seriously? Don't like the color choices? Those are absolutely incredible color patterns for clear water, which is where this bait will excel. Don't need a 10' jerkbait with the roll of a Rogue?! You don't fish jerkbaits, do you?

Yeh, I think we've had that discussion in the past, too. But because of its insolubility in water it does very little, as well, it's a type of oil that bass cannot taste. They are able, only, to taste specific types of oils- I forget the exact breakdown. But very few oils apply, there has to be a protein and a salt component to it, but not like sodium chloride salt...As to why Berkley has gone back to a petroleum based plastic in Havoc- cost and the action. It will carry scents, however, unlike almost all other petroleum based plastics.

Isn't MegaStrike partly water soluble?

6/0 Offset worm or 6/0 straight shank round bend. I don't like to use EWG if I can get away with it on these baits.

I generally don't believe that attractants are "attractants" as much as cover scents. There are instances in which they get a fish to hold a bait longer, but I don't necessarily believe that it will cause a bass to move out of its way to a bait. When it comes to scents and taste, very few oil based scents are actually even able to be picked up by bass. There must be a water soluble property to the scent, or it is complete arbitrary. Anise? Worthless as a scent, it's actually been shown to turn fish off. Garlic? It's a mask at best, and has been shown time and again to have no influence on actually attracting fish. All of that said, I use scents religiously because of their masking properties. Mega strike is my scent of choice, along with the Strike King coffee spray. I've tinkered with non-scientific experiments with MegaStrike and have had results similar to that of powerbait, in terms of hold times. Often, fish will hold a MegaStrike topped bait longer than a power worm. Like I said, I look at them as a mask more than anything. For that purpose, I have Absolute faith in them. Nothing leaves my boat without one of those two on the bait.

Both are great lines. The Bawo is much harder and tends to react rather poorly in terms of memory. I dislike the knot strength of Bawo by comparison to Tatsu. Tatsu has better behaviour in terms of knot strength and memory. It's also reasonably similar in diameter as Bawo. One thing that Tatsu definitely takes the advantage over Bawo is abrasion resistance. Even though Bawo is harder, Tatsu does better in this category. Tatsu is also thinner, with 8lb being the same as 6 in Bawo. The diameters are sufficiently close as to allow the 6lb Tatsu to act almost exactly like the 5lb Bawo. The advantage, then, of smaller diameter is lost, as you get a 6lb line in Tatsu opposed to a 5lb Bawo. The Bawo, too, is not far over the marker with its break strength. I would say the 5lb breaks at 6.5 or so. The Tatsu is a lot closer to 12lb break strength. The two are extremely similar in terms of stretch and sensitivity. I really would have no problem fishing either as a dropshot line, though I definitely prefer Tatsu for the purpose.

The only thing, really that I would add is that the frame size reductions on the Lews can be problematic for someone with larger hands. While they are similar to the Lure Fishing reels, they aren't part o the pure fishing family of brands. They happen just to be made at two of the same factories in china and Korea. As do many other reels from store brands to wholly owned branded reels. I like my Lews reels far more than the Revos I've fished. They're more reliable in terms of settings and holding those settings. They're light enough to handle easy, and they have plenty of power in hand. For the money, they're generally a pretty good buy.

Not a chance. They're on pegboard because I donate so darned many to the Esox gods every year...

I'm like you RoadWarrior. I have well in excess of 250 jerkbaits from nearly every current manufacturer. Megabass, Jackall, Strike King, Smithwick, Rapala, SPRO, Lucky Craft, Luck E strike, Bomber... It's a sickness. So many of them are just hanging on pegboard in the garage. The other thing I can't walk away from is Pre- Rapala wiggle warts. I'll buy em regardless of color.