aavery2

I have caught a few 3-4lb fish on the larger model, and they have held up well. I am using the Savage standup jighead. I have not caught great numbers with the larger bait, but the fish that I have caught have had good size to them.

Almost never use a trailer.

I have had better luck with a Kastmaster spoon jigged through the fish than trying to catch suspended fish on a crankbait. If you can find suspended bass that are relating to schools of bait fish, these seem to be easier to get to bite. At any rate, once they start suspending on the T-cline be prepared to work for them.

I am going to say the Senko, I know they are less durable than some other baits and a little more expensive, but they almost always catch fish. IMO if you are not getting bit with a Senko, might be a good idea to just pack it up and call it a day.

Pawl Cap ??

I believe the biggest difference is that the Boca bearings use a SS cage assembly, and the Hawgtech uses a polymer material for its cage assembly. I prefer the SS as some cleaning solutions can damage polymer components.

For me it depends on the rod in question and what material it is made of, glass, composite or graphite. I usually choose power based on the weight of the bait that I am going to be using most with the rod, and pick a rod that the weight falls into the rated sweet spot. I choose a Moderate Fast action for baits that have to be worked with the rod. As mentioned in every post like this, one mfg's rods are not the same as another, you really have to examine the rod in question, otherwise you may end up with something way to weak or strong for the intended application. Choose your material, handle the rod to determine power and action.

I think I understand what your saying but it appears that your terminology is making your post a little hard to follow. Disengaged is when you have the thumb bar pushed down and the reel is in free spool Engaged is when you have turned the handle and spool is turning. One easy thing to check is to make sure you have re installed the two tension washers correctly, they should be like this ( ) or this ) ( they will not work like this ) ). It could be several things and without seeing the reel it is going to be hard to tell you what is wrong. Get a copy of the schematics and study it closely, you may be able to figure it out yourself, if not there is always DVT.

Rick Clunn won 4 classic titles, largely fishing crankbaits without the aid of modern day electronics. I admit electronics make it much quicker , but it can be done without.

If you are going to tell a guy he's wrong, then at least have the cojones to put your opinion out there.

NRX

Use code 25July2014 and get 25% off.

I prefer a little faster action than the typical crankbait rod for jerkbaits. When I move the rod I want it to impart action on the bait, not the drag of bait flex the rod. I balance this with proper drag settings and line. As most things fishing, it will depend largely on what you are most comfortable with.

So when you hear someone say I'm buying a Zebco, do you think they are talking about a Zan Staal, my bet is most of America thinks Zebco 33. Truthfully I had no idea that they even owned the company, which only support my other statement. Not bad reels, just poor marketing.

I have a range of gear ratios and IPT, this way I never have to decide if I need to slow down or speed up my retrieve, the reel does it for me.

I use a low gear ratio reel for all of my crankbaits and some spinnerbaits

FX2 on the frog setup, great line in my opinion

TDZ-105H, I like the TDZ platform but I have large hands, the Alphas platform is fantastic also, and Pixy, Sol, or Alphas would all be fantastic.

In the words of the Canadian Rock Band Sloan, "If it feels good, do it"

I do own a 734C Dobyns, and I agree the action does seem to be a little lighter than advertised, but I kind of always thought of it as a rod with a Fast Action with a soft tip. I guess in my mind I have always thought of action as referring to the point in the rod where the backbone begins and the flex ends, with the difference between MFG's being the amount of force required to create that flex, ie.. soft vs fast tip. I have also heard it explained that action has nothing to do with where the rod flexes and more to do with recovery of the rod after casting, and that taper is what we most often associate with being action. I do appreciate you taking the time to explain your thoughts, I am no rod builder so I take the opportunity to pick others minds and hope to learn something.

I honestly don't think that I have ever seen a Heavy power Moderate Fast Action rod labeled as a jig rod from a MFG, what rod are you using? Also I am interested in your statement that a Heavy power Mod/Fast jig rod and crankbait rod with the same specifications have very different actions. How would you describe them as different.

RoLo, congrats to your wife and you, 50 years of marriage is almost unheard of in this day and age. This is a something you both can be very proud of, again my congratulations.

I think that there are a lot of products still made in the U.S.A with pride and honor. My observation is that most of these items are produced by small business owners in less quantity, making them harder to obtain, increasing initial investment, and often having to wait to get them. Today's world is different, most Americans will give up some quality for convenience, gladly pay less for an inferior product that they can get their hands on immediately and then dispose of it and buy another in a year or two, if it last that long. Small business is a dying thing, big business like China-Mart have all but killed only the most stubborn. Still some small businesses exist and many of them choose to use the best materials and processes to build lasting products that can be passed down from generation to generation, these products are not only built with pride and honor but often with a true love of the craft, that in my opinion is what made in USA truly use to stand for. Support your local small business owners.

cake with a lady in the middle, cake with a guy in the middle, and cake with cake in the middle for everyone that loves them some cake. Just Sayin.......

I fish the Brush Hog, not the Baby, 90% of the time.