deep

That's your problem. At least part of it anyway. How can you even fish 15# mono on a spinning reel?

All else being equal, I feel more bites and catch more fish on fluoro compared to braid (bottom bumping baits). The difference is especially noticeable in deeper water (anything over 10FOW). P.S. Note that I said *I*. Don't know about others.

TBO, what other combos do you have? Any heavy cranking/ frogging/ flipping setups?

Forgive me, but is this a joke? Nevermind the line- you plan to fish a 3 oz bait on a medium power six and a half footer with a graphite framed reel?

Do you mean 1/3 oz?

Line is only one of the many factors, but do humor me and tell us the depth you're fishing?

No offense dude, but maybe you could post a few (fish) pics? All this chitchat is getting a little boring.

Last chance tackle has/ had them.

I can't even remember the last time I made a cast with one hand.... Oh wait, I can!!! That's how I pitch.

My "brutal honest opinion" is that the ugly stick is not a bass rod. A 3/4 oz jig with a trailer probably weighs over an ounce. Moving baits shouldn't be a problem, even single-hook ones, especially with braid. Try a crank, or a spinner, or a topwater. Maybe something in the 1/2 oz range. You can try a swimjig, or even weighted plastics (fish seem to hold onto plastics a little longer, compared to jigs). And hey, if you really like fishing jigs, and find out the rod isn't good enough, a year from now, you can buy a better rod. Forget about doing everything right the first time. We all start out with what we have, learn new stuff on the way, and find out our preferences. Good luck.

Know of any more OGs for under $150 floating around?

What do you think the least versatile lure is? In other words, if there was one lure that would never produce fish unless a very specific set of conditions- including water color and moon phase- is satisfied, what would it be?

Sufix Siege for leaders, Seaguar Tatsu for bottom bumpers and all-around use, Daiwa Samurai for topwaters and punching, PLine PF Original for swimbaits. Works perfectly for the way I like to fish.

Nice fish! Try this when your nerves are calmer. http://www.bassresource.com/bassfishing/fishcalculator.html (sorry, someone had to do it.)

I'll try to keep it simple. 1. Tie on a 1/2 oz casting weight (a sinker/ worm weight will do). 2. Set the spool tension knob (should be on your reel's handle side) tight enough so that the weight falls *slowly* when you disengage the reel, and the spool *stops* when it (the weight) hits the water. 3. Turn the brakes to at least 50% or higher. 4. Practice casting so that the rod does the work (don't snap-cast). Hope that helps a little.

I do *not* like a grub or craw for a swim jig trailer. Prefer a bigger paddletail (I'm partial to skinny dippers, but others should work fine) on a small (1/4 oz usually) northern style swim jig. The idea is for the tail to walk the dog. You can just cast and wind it back without putting any rod action, and catch bass of all sizes. Try it.

Braid and leader.

I always liked the older Maxes. I'm sure the newer ones are just as good or better. Good luck with your new combo.

I always always like round bend hooks on hardbaits. Gamakatsus upto size 2, Owner ST-36s for larger hooks. Matt Allen did a rather elaborate video on exactly what the above post talks about, and a lot more. Check it out.

For future reference; I think that's a bad idea (poor shock resistance). I do just fine with braid for topwaters and jerkbaits. Can't remember the last time I bent out a hook (on a fish).

Peg-it. I like bobber stops myself.

Florida rig vs Texas rig?

I guess I'm old-fashioned, but I don't like high-speed reels. I don't have slack out anyway, and prefer to fish jigs and plastics with the reel rather than the rod. A high-speed reel would probably do me more harm than good for the way I like to fish. For short-line situations, a high-speed reel might be useful; not to pick up slack but to get the bait back to you ASAP and make another cast if you're expecting to get bit either on the initial drop or soon thereafter.

Curado G. ~$80 used.

Think I'm starting to get the hang of this reel. Made some changes today. Added some backing to get the line to full capacity on the spool, chose a rod that's a half power lighter, and a heavier bait (1/4 oz swim jig with a skinny dipper trailer). With the internal brakes still on 2, and the external brakes on 2, I was casting pretty well. Still needed some thumbing to manage an occasional fluff, but much better than yesterday. It's not backlash-proof like my other Shimanos, but nothing I can't handle. I think I was casting too hard yesterday anyway, because that's how I usually cast, and this reel doesn't seem to like that. It definitely outcasts my Curado G's (I fish this reservoir for an hour or two after work a few times a week), not that casting distance matters much after 30-35 yards. Very smooth reel, and I like how it feels under load. I didn't hook anything bigger than an estimated 2# to verify that though. In short, I love this reel. A definite improvement on the E's and G's (I love them both equally). $100 well-spent.