B@ssCrzy

That is why I stay away from Veritas rods!! Heard about way to many quality control problems with them. Love the rod. It is light, nice looking, very sensitive but just cannot put any confidence in them that they won't break. Sorry to hear about that. Hope they can do something for you.

I got this for father's day last year from Tackle Warehouse and love it. Has held up pretty well as well. You have room for 3 3700 series plano trays in the main compartment and then has a good amount of room for any plastics that you have. Only problem I have had is the stitching is coming lose on the pliers holder. Other than that it has been great. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/catpage-RRCYAMA.html?from=basres

I always use braid for my mainline and use 14lb mono berkley XT for my leader. I like braid because of the no stretch factor and the mono because it floats. Used to use 12lb mono for my leader and then lost couple good fish with break-offs and so upped it to 14lb. Have not had a problem since. Love braid for the sensitivity and because it gives me confidence that I don't have to worry about missing fish b/c I can't get a solid hookset. Hope this helps.

Pop, pop, pop.....all the way to the boat.

Hmmm...something I need to try. Was it more of a quick rip or just slow pull to the side? Thanks for the info.

So true...they have been around for a reason. They flat out work.

What he said.....read, read, read. Also, I personally feel that a 7" ribbon tail worm is one of the best lures to start on. That is what my 5 year old son started on and he loves it.

I am getting ready to place an order for some swim jigs with either Northstar or Siebert and I am wanting to try out the Big Hammer Swimbaits as the trailer. For those of you that fish this combination what are your favorite colors and combinations for stained and clear water situations. Forage is mainly blue gill, sunfish, and shad. Will also be targeting smallmouth as well so any combinations for them would be great too. Thanks guys!!

Thanks for the input fellas. I was thinking along the same lines as you guys.

Was watching a Youtube video on swim jig fishing and the lady doing the video said you should never set the hook on a swim jig. Just reel it in steadily. What do you guys think? I always thought with a jig you would need to swing for the fences. Although if it was a light wire hook then I could see not needing to put as big a swing into it.

I have to disagree. When I first started using Ribbits and making longs casts I used mono and lost way too many fish due to the lack of being able to get a good hookset. Especially when you are trying to set that hook through the hard top of the fishes mouth. Maybe it is just different preferences, but I won't go back to using mono. That's just my opinion though.

I would be using a Stanley Ribbit with the two hook frog hooks. I like the weighted ones so you can cast a little further. Cast it parallel to the weeds and just buzz it in. if you don't get anything after 2-3 casts move on. You can cover a lot of water this way and find a lot of fish. Simple and easy to use, pretty weedless, and flat out catches fish. My favorite top water bait. I would also be using a MH rod and braid if you can. With the long casts you will miss a lot more fish if you are using mono due to the stretch.

My newest favorite bait is the swim jig and was wondering if anyone has any success with these for smallmouth. If so what are your favorite colors and trailers, and how and where do you fish it. I am going to a big smallmouth lake in July and so will be fishing deep weed lines and was thinking a 1/2 ounce swim jig might be something that most of the fish in the lake have not seen. Thanks guys!!

Way to go!! Nice I agree with you about this site and Glenn. I think if he got all the beer he was owed he would be a raging alcoholic! I owe him a couple myself.

Sorry for your pain, but funny story. I like catching pike so to me you are in a win win situation, but that's just me.

Bluegill was going to be one of the first colors that I bought.

Great answer. That is exactly the info I was looking for. Looks like I will be buying the swim jig head then. Thanks everybody!!

Great answer. Thanks that makes sense.

My eyes have been opened to the great world of swim jigs so I am looking at placing an order with Seibert to get a few more. My first introduction into swim jigs was to swim a grass jig with a grub trailer on it until I lost it and then started swimming a football head with a grub and did just as well. So my question is does it really matter if it is a "swim jig" per say? Or why wouldn't you just use the jig that best fits the conditions you will be fishing it in. Example if I am swimming it in and around brush why not just buy a brush jig and swim that since it is made to not get hung up in brush? Since the name of the game is to get it into or close as you can to cover it seems to me that you would want something that if you do get it in too close that it will come through much better. Or what about a football head around rocks, rip rap, etc. I ask this question because all of the lakes that I fish in my area have very little vegetation. So I am fishing around docks, rock, stumps, and brush. Also, if football heads, brush jigs, etc. will work then I could also double up and use them to learn how to fish a jig slow as well. Which would save me a good amount of money on a limited fishing budget. Hope this makes sense. Thanks for all your help.

Always use a net for big fish, but just swing the dinks in the boat. I have lost fish at the side of the boat when I tried to get them in without a net.

Bought my first boat 4 years ago. It is a 1994 Grumman 17' Deep V Aluminum hull bass boat. Has bass platform in front and back. Fishes 3 comfortably. Has a 70 hp Johnson motor, aerated live well, and 2 bank battery charger. Just installed a new Minnkota Terrova 55lb thrust (which I love!!), and updated sonar unit to a 597 HD/DI combo. It is a great boat. Best thing about it is that I paid cash for it!! No need to worry about making payments I can just go out and enjoy it. Over the past 4 years I have made a lot of memories with that boat. The best thing is that my son, who loves to fish, is only 5 years old so I know that there will be many more memories to come!! Only down side is that with it being aluminum and deep V the wind tends to catch it and blow it around a bit. However, with the Terrova auto pilot and soon to be purchased Ipilot system that has not been as big an issue. I think I will keep this boat for many years to come.

I have heard vanilla is the ticket for knats just like "bassin is addicting" stated.

Way to go. Great time to get a PB!!!

Funny stuff....

Braid=Palomar Mono=Improved Clinch Line-to-Line=Modified Albright I have been really pleased with all of these knots and never had a problem with any of them. The modified albright is really small and comes through even micro guides well.