Bluebasser86

Welcome!

Welcome!

7' MH/M Composite Cranker from Academy. $60 for full price but they go on sale often. I mainly use mine for squarebill to mid depth baits but have used it for bladed jigs as well.

I have 20lb braid on both of my topwater rods that have braid, but 50lb on my frog rod. The 20lb backlashes much worse and digs in worse also, but it allows me to work the baits better also. It's also burnt me because it doesn't take much to fray 20lb braid in half. Recently cost me a Whopper Plopper 90 when a fish got behind a dock cable. Took surprisingly little pressure to part the line on that rough surface.

They work rigged a variety of ways too. I had a really good tournament fishing them on a plain T-rig and dragging them through rocks and laydowns (football heads were snagging in the limbs too often). I fish them on a shakyhead a lot anymore but a plain football head is great as well as the standup style head. One of those baits I do well with but often forget about.

The jig with no hook that you're using is probably the best option without buying a casting plug. Get a pistol grip or other short rod and practice roll casting around the house. I do it and you can practice casting under and around things. Bonus if you have a cat or dog because you'll likely get to fight them a bit when they see whatever you're casting scooting across the floor.

Awesome looking fish!

Welcome!

Looks like a fish eye lense, my Virb makes them look way bigger than they are (although that's obviously a huge smallie either way). Great looking fish!

I feel like I'm working a little harder and at a definite disadvantage when I'm in my yak versus my boat. Even simple things like hooksets and fighting fish are more difficult in my kayak, so when I get a good one, it's always a little more satisfying .

I wanted something unique when I bought mine, and I think I found it.

I throw mine on a 7' 2" MH/MF. I could probably use my deep cranking rod but I really don't want to use that long of a rod for it, especially since I'm normally making shorter cast around cover and at targets.

20lb P line is what I fish my 8.0 on and it doesn't hit bottom in 5' on a normal cast. He actually said the depth of a Bandit 200 series, which is their mid depth bait rated 4-8 feet. I like the King Shad, I own a bunch, but I wouldn't fish it in the same places I fish a squarebill. The jointed body doesn't allow it to deflect off cover the same and would result in more snags than I'd be willing to deal with. It is a great imitation of a prime sized shad and the bait responsible for my largest 5 fish bag ever in Kansas. I don't, I normally fish smaller squarebills, but that wasn't what the OP was asking about. The magnum squarebills have been somewhat of a hot item lately. They're good late in the year when the shad are at their biggest and the big bass are chasing that big meal.

I think the Fat Papa has the more rounded body that is supposed to have a wider wobble whereas the Fat John has a bigger body but flat sides that keeps the wiggle pretty tight.

The H2O suits are very nice. @gardnerjigman and @cbass12 both have a set. I currently have a BPS 100 MPH suit. If I had it to do over again, (I wish I did), I'd buy the H2O suit over the 100mph in a heartbeat. My 100mph suit has been returned once because the seams came unsewn and the zipper broke after just 2 years of use. Granted I use them a lot, but it's a $500 suit and I wasn't doing anything other than wearing them and using them to do what they were made for. My current 100mph suit is again coming undone at the seams and whatever adhesive is used to attach the velcro cuffs has given up so now ever few trips I have to reglue the velcro to the strap or it just flops around the whole trip and I seem to get it between my hand and the reel every time I cast and transfer to the other hand to reel. I had a set of Guidewear for over 10 years and never had an issue, other than I bought them in highschool and they seem to shrink on me, (or maybe it's my 30 year old self isn't in quite as good of shape as my 20 year old self was). If I knew where my receipt was I'd be returning my 100mph suit to get the H2O suit. You can see in this picture what I'm talking about the with the velcro clearly having come unglued from the cuff, because it got wet I suppose, which is kind of the whole point of a rain suit. Gets in the way during the cast, stuck in the reel during the retrieve, and it allows water to run down my sleeve and get my arm wet.

You might check if any of their regular H2O lineup is on sale. It's the end of the year and they'll often have some on sale, although they may not be marked on sale (it's usually just a couple specific models). I picked up one of their 7' MH/F micro series (normally $80) for $35 not to long ago. They're great rods and the micro series up are plenty sensitive to fish a jig.

Yes I have and yes I'm excited. I like the Fat John, these look to be similar to those.

I fish those same baits often and can cast them just fine on my normal cranking gear, but I generally opt to throw them on spinning gear and 8lb test instead, especially the 1.0.

All but one of my Presidents are the 30 size.

Green sunfish are much preferred over bluegill in our lakes as a prey species once they reach intermediate to adult size. The more oval body shape and fewer sharp spines are a major factors in that I assume. Juvenile bluegills in that >4" range still seem to be a major prey item but not so much once they get above that size, even if bass large enough to eat them are present.

For most situations I stick with the Presidents but I'm very happy with the few Supreme XT's that I have, but all of them were bought on sale. If you look around they're pretty easy to find for around $115 new. The lighter weight and faster retrieve is very nice to have when you can get it for a good price.

That's what I was thinking. Must not have had the body to match that mouth if she only went 4.9. Still a very nice fish, especially from the 'yak!

That's a dark smallie. Catch it out of a river or lake with a tannic stain I'm guessing?

Welcome!