Bluebasser86

I could get away with using the cheaper option, which is what I did at LOZ. In fact, I used the same Speed Shad on one of my homemade bladed jigs without a skirt the entire time. My BIL fished a S.I. Fat and it didn't seem to get anymore bites, so I was getting away with the Speed Shad and saving a few pennies. I'm just like most guys, I don't do this for a living and pay for everything out of pocket with what expendable income I have, so I'm looking to save money where I can. I've never felt like using one of the premium ribbed swimbaits was a worse option than the cheaper versions as far as number of bites. I have 100% confidence there are situations when one of the softer baits got me more bites than the Speed Shad though.

Welcome!

I have not. I've almost ordered them on several occasions but hadn't pulled the trigger until now. I'm pretty excited to try them for trout and smallmouth though.

None there either.

Maybe, but I'm not going to bother with it, I'll just switch to the better bait.

It's usually the first one a reach for. If I can get away with fishing a cheaper bait, that's what I'm going with. Sometimes they want the bait super slow or a bait with more wag, that's when I have to go with the Keitech or Rage Swimmer.

Bam, done.

I've used mine for small cranks, jerks, poppers, wacky rigs, weightless and weighted t rigs, internal weighted tubes, flukes, small swimbaits on open hooked jigheads, drop shot, Ned rig, shakyhead, Chompers, small walk the dog baits, split shot rigs, scroungers, it has literally done everything I do with spinning gear and done it all at the very least at an acceptable level. Use some light braid with a leader and you'll be able to fish the variety of baits you listed without issue.

Welcome!

Okay, I have that rod as well. I thought they came out with a lighter version, which would have basically just been a regular MH.

What is the Dobyns Fury Swimbait Jr rod?

I checked every crankbait LC makes that's listed on TW and didn't see the same version of this color. Plenty of Green Copper Shad, but they all have white sides and bellies instead of blue-green all the way down the sides. I'd be really happy if they made that a permanent color though.

The Rage Swimmer is great, right there with the Keitech, plus you get 1 more bait in a pack.

The first rod I bought for my wife was the Okuma Calynn (for the same reason, it was pink). It was a good rod, the reel that came with it wasn't that great though. My wife high-sticked a good size smallmouth and broke it. I upgraded her all the way to a St. Croix Avid Pearl, she loves it. I realized that if she had nice gear that was fun and enjoyable to fish with, she'd fish longer, which meant I get to fish longer. Just something to think about.

A few years ago I got a Megabass 110 Magnum in Pro Blue out of a tree at Table Rock. I tied it on and it was my best fish catcher of the weekend until the lip fell off during the retrieve.

How light are these "lighter plastics"? The Curado 70 fishes light weights very well for me but it isn't going to do BFS type weights.

I do 7 with lighter lines and 5 or 6 with heavier lines but I don't tie it often anymore.

I have an Okuma RTX 25 on my DS rod. It's light, very fast, and very smooth. Easy to find online for around $75 too.

I had a 3000 Sahara on a 6' 8" Mojo and it was one of the best all around spinning rods I've ever owned. Now it has a 35 Supreme XT and it's my wacky rig setup and does a great job. The 7' 1" felt a little stiffer than what I like in a spinning rod but I haven't felt one of the new ones, so that may have changed.

The President XT is on sale some places right now for the same price as the regular President. I saw a Patriarch XT going for crazy cheap, I think from Cabela's? There's always great sale prices if you're willing to be patient, but the President is one of the best bang for your buck reels out there.

Bladed jigs and swim jigs are excellent bluegill imitations for very reasonable prices. I take a Hard Candy colored Rage Menace and dip just the tip of the tails in some chartreuse JJ's and rig it vertically on the back of this bladed jig and it looks ALOT like a baby bluegill in the water.

No way I could do that. My boy would have that thing off the table and be hooked so fast and never want to go fishing again, I just know it.

Congrats!

I'm a junk fisherman and a lot of our lakes are smaller. I like to put the trolling motor down and fish. How much water I cover varies greatly on what the fish are eating and how they're positioned.

Welcome!