smalljaw67

As far as the rod you got, it all depends on how you like to fish a jerkbait, for me, I like to really rip the bait and I do it on slack line to make the bait dart to the side, when I jerk the slack with a cranking rod , the smaller baits dart to the side but the larger baits just move forward a bit because the rod tip bends to the point I have to move it twice as far to compensate for how far the tip bends.

There are 2 kinds of jerkbait fisherman out there, the first tend to use shorter, faster action rod while the others use longer, moderate action. The guys using extra fast action are using rods with a soft tip, the same with a fast action rod, you will see that when it comes to fast or extra fast, almost all will be in the medium power. Murphy is the odd ball in that he likes a short moderate rod but normally guys that like moderate action rods for jerkbaits tend to treat them more like a crankbait and use longer rods in the 7' class. I prefer a medium power, fast action rod from 6'3" up to 6'10" but I also use a 6'6" ML-M rated 1/4oz to 1/2oz and it is moderate but it works great for Pointer 78s and X-Rap 8s as my fast action rods always overpowered the smaller jerkbaits. Here is my quick take after using both kinds of rods over the years, the short, faster action rods allow total control of the lure allowing the angler to fish the bait aggressively with sharp downward rips, the advange of this is you get the bait to the maximum depth quickly and you can really give the bait and erratic action. The downside is you will lose some fish on the treble hooks, and now the other rods, the advantage is you get longer casts and it allows the bait more time to get down and allows you to cover more water and you will land most of your fish that are hooked. The downside is most have to use a sort of sideways sweep to move the bait without hitting the water, you have little control of the lure as you wait on tip recovery during aggressive retrieves and you get fewer strikes not getting the full action of the lure. Before everything blows up, I'll admit, there are times when both types can be an asset and we all may have different experiences but this is just a general view of the perceived differences in jerkbait fishing.

I like the smaller companies, my favorite is River Rock Baits, they have the best tubes money can buy, super soft and extremely lively. I can also say the same thing about the worms and the soft plastic jerkbaits are second to none and before someone asks, I'm not affiliated in any way shape or form, I just really like the baits, the plastic seems to come alive in the water and I found them by accident.

When we fish the river for smallmouth in the summer and the water is low and clear, the split shot rig is fantastic. I like using a size 2 octopus hook and nose hooking a River Rock Baits Helgripede or a Lunker City Hellgie with a BB size split shot about 8" to 10" above the hook and making a cast into a current seam. What happens is the split shot gets pinned at the edge of the current seam and eddy and the bait gets drawn up into the eddy and that is a pefect spot for big fish to be at in summer, that rig accounts for a lot of big fish in summer.

No disrespect meant, but yeah, Halo rods are more suited to those that use braid and fish grass lakes. Every bad review saying the rod is dead is from those not using braid and it makes sense with the parabolic action those rods have so I think this isn't a series to look at if you are upgrading from another rod with a parabolic style, especially if one is using other line types.

I'm going to say no to halo rods for someone wanting to upgrade from an ugly stick for the first time and the reason is due to the action. Yes, the rods are lighter than what the OP is currently using but Halo rods all have moderate action so he isn't going to understand the benefits of a fast action graphite rod for T-rigs as he is hoping for. One of our club member grabbed a Twilite rod when they came out and it got sent back after 45 minutes on the water with 3 anglers trying it. It isn't bad but the rod was intended for jigs and to everyone of us it seemed more suited to cranks, I've seen moderate rods for jigs before but this was really moderate, this would be the last rod series I'd recommend. Now they are ok if you are experienced and like using braid for most, if not all applications and I think that is what Halo rods are designed for, any other line and you just aren't going to set a hook well with those rods, the OP needs a little more backbone than what he has.

If you have scrim showing you can assume the blank is done, most blanks will break with a small nick and you can see screen, I'd say it is probably done. You may want to save to components if they are still good, a cheap magic eraser works great on the cork handles and if you get the guides clean, check the ceramic rings with a Q-Tip, run the cotton part along the inside of the ring and do so slowly so you go over every part, if there is a crack it will pull the cotton away from the swab and if that happens the guide is junk.

I'm in PA about 2 hours north of Philly and shaky heads work great. I make my own and I prefer the ones with a screw lock, I tried a bunch of different ones and while the screw lock takes an extra second or two to put the worm on, it holds better without tearing than any other system I tried. That said, I'm pretty much using small manufacturers baits, I really like the River Rock Baits SM Killer for a shaky head, it is 4.5" and deadly in cold water as well as any time the bite gets tough. For dingy water or when I'm after bigger fish I like the 5.5" Stanley Sidewinder and for ultra clear water, the Basstrix Loca-Motion worm in watermelon/black bars. The Basstrix is a 6" worm and it has a look and action all its own, it is hollow and it floats really well and the plastic is so translucent that it reflects light in a different way, not good in dirty water but it is the number 1 choice in clear water. I like using 1/16oz up to 1/4oz with shaky heads with 1/8oz being the most common weight I use, and it will work good for you, I use the shaky head with a lot of success at Marburg, give it a shot. Rod and reel is simple, I like a 6'9" to 7' medium power spinning with a fast or extra fast action, in the cold water I like 6lb line in the warmer water I prefer 8lb but a lot like 10lb braid. Line and rod is important because most shaky heads are made with light or standard wire hooks which you can bend out with 20# braid so match the line up with the rod and reel and you'll be set.

I actually would have to say the GL3 is your best bang for buck. Keep in mind my IMX and GL3 rods are the older models but when it came to spinning, the GL3 had a better handle and to me the difference in blank wasn't really perceptible, the casting rod I chose an IMX only because the dealer had the IMX in a model I wanted and I would have had to wait to get the GL3. I later got to use the GL3 in the same MBR 783C and the difference was very small, maybe a tad heavier and I mean 5 grams or the weight of a nickel more than the IMX. I'm sure their is a difference in material that warrant the higher cost but I would have been happy with the GL3 and saved some money too. I don't know about the new IMX but I can tell you the new GL2 isn't worth the price, I love the handle, that is fantastic but the blank is heavy and dead and when I say that I mean it is heavy and dead for a rod that is $200, now bring it down to $120 and it begins to get better but in my honest opinion I'd say the GL3 is a good value.

Get something that looks good to you because just about anything you get in that price range is going to be a head and shoulders difference to what you have now. A few things to remember is make sure you get a graphite rod and not a glass and get a fast action. One little pet peeve I have, and the pros do this all the time, is calling a rod a medium action or medium heavy action, it isn't the action but the power of the rod, a medium action rod is also called moderate and it is more or less a cranking rod that bends deep into the blank, a medium power with a fast action is a different rod but I can't fault your terminology since the pros do this all the time.

You shop around and get prices but don't forget to include shipping and always look to see if free shipping is available. I use 7 or 8 different vendors for my lure making and as Bluebasser86 has already said, buying in bulk is how you save but it takes time to recoup your initial investment so I warn those looking to save money about doing it yourself. Yes, you will save money but unless you really go through a lot of lures in a year, it will take 3 to 5 years to get to a point where you begin to really save, also look to do more by scratch, what I mean is instead of buying wire shafts, buy the wire in coils and invest in a wire former if you can and make your own wire, more cost up front but it will really cut down on final cost.

The shad rap is proven and while the SK Lucky Shad and others are probably good, the shad rap isn't an experiment, and I happen to believe that the balsa is what makes it so good in cold water.

That is not true a bit, not all ponds are the same as some call 60 acres a pond while others call a mud hole a pond. Also the jigs aren't a good pond bait doesn't hold water, you just haven't used the right jig, now if you say a 3/4oz flipping style jig isn't a good pond bait, I'd still hesitate but I would tend to agree with you for the most part but if you match the size of the jig to the cover and the size of the fish, then it can be very effective. As I said before, my grandson is learning and I got him on the small finesse type jig to the point he is good with it and we started off in ponds and then moved to larger bodies of water so jigs certainly can be great pond baits as long as you use the right jig.

I use small baits like that when the bite is tough and most of the time it will be in cold water. I do far better with smaller hair jigs in winter than I do with larger silicone or even larger hair jigs, I never really fish heavier than 1/4oz and even that is big. The point is that yes, there are times smaller is better but on average big baits catch big fish, and that is ture no matter where you fish. I'd be willing to bet more 5lb bass have been caught on large baits than were caught on small stuff, the reason for downsizing at all is to match the mood of the fish and to get numbers. There are more smaller fish so by going with a small bait, it ends up appealing to more fish which ups your chances at getting bit but catching the bigger ones is more of an accident when using small baits. We all know that the rules for fishing are not written in stone, all kinds of things happen like 12" fish eating a 3oz swim bait and a 6lb fish eating a 1/32oz crappie jig, it happens and so you can say that sometimes smaller is better but you can also say that sometimes bigger is better too.

You have to be careful when getting Rogues because there are a bunch of different models, I'm a Rogue fanatic and even though I have a bunch of Pointers and some Megabass Vision 110s I still put the Rogue ahead of them as long as you choose the right one. All summer I use them where ever I see clear water I use a floating rogue, the ARB 1200 series, those are the 0'-2' divers and then there is the ADRB series which dives 0'-4'. For suspending models you have the suspending rogue which is 4.5" and dive to 6' and the Limited Rogue which has Gamakatsu hooks, dives to 6' and is 5.5". Then you have the super rogue at 5" that dives to 4' and suspends and the super rogue jr. which is 4 and 1/8" and dives to 6' and suspends. Now we also have the perfect 10 rogue and the elite 8 rogue, the perfect 10 dives to 10' and suspends and the elite 8 dives 6'-8' and suspends. If you get the right rogue you'll catch fish and I've had days where the Pointer was better but I also have days in which the rogue out fished the expensive models. I don't consider the rogue cheap, I look at them as premium baits that are inexpensive because they are well made and while the hooks are light and will bend and break, they are very sharp but also bronze which means if not dry when put away , will rust. I love using jerkbaits and I believe every brand is worth at least trying but having several with different characteristics is essential, sometimes the wobble of a suspending Pointer is what triggers the strike, another time it may be the roll or the sound of a rogue that does it, or the erratic sideways movement of an X-rap but the point is each bait has a unique property that makes them good and in the case of the rogue, it has a certain roll with sound that just makes fish hit and just about every year my larger fish seem to come off the rogue.

If you want to learn a jig my advise is to start with smaller offerings, 3/16oz or 1/4oz and match it up with a small chunk trailer or small craw. A good start would be either an Arky head or a Strike King Bitsy Bug with a Bitsy Craw trailer. I've been teaching my grandson to fish jigs and I made him a small 3/16oz jig similar to a Bitsy Bug with a Culprit DW2 finesse jig trailer and he has been catching them with it really well.

I grabbed some more Real Craw square bills for $2.88 and I got a dozen Xcalibur one knockers for $1.99 each and some Sebile Cransters SR baits for $4.79 each.

Seibert Outdoors and Fishiningskirts.com along with Cadmans Custom Jigs, anyone of these will be able to help you.

I live in the Northeast but the forage should be similar, TorqueConverter already gave you bluegill and perch along with crawfish of some sort. Remember, most lakes in the country will have things like bluegill and perch, then you have other things like crappie, and shad, so you will have universal colors no matter what and you always should have some bright patterns like fire tiger and chartreuse black back. Another thing is to check out the waters you fish on the states fish and game website, there should be some information on which forage species live in the waters you fish and it will help you pick out patterns which will match the hatch.

Lipless cranks have an array of colors and guys that have a lot of experience with them are able to fine tune color patterns that are most effective in their waters but the good part is beginners only need a few colors that will work anywhere. Keep it simple, chrome, chrome with black back, chrome with blue back, and a colored chrome like royal shad or blue shiner. Once you have your chrome baits you can leave it like that or add a forage color like Tilapia, sunfish, perch, or whatever forage your water has or you could go for bright color like chartreuse blue sparkle or chartreuse shad but make sure you get the chrome colors first and foremost. I say that because even if they are hitting a bright color or forage pattern, you can always get them on a chrome color, for example when fishing Cordell super spots, my buddy was hammering fish after fish on Jimmy Houston Summer Sunfish, I didn't have it and every other color I tried just wasn't working, they wanted that sunfish pattern. Well after I looked through my box, the only thing I had with a few of the same colors was a royal shad, so I put that on and I was catching fish too, not at the same rate but I was getting them, and it wasn't a one time thing, I've had a lot of days in which one pattern of lipless was doing well but we were always able to find one of the chrome patterns would work so I now make sure to have more chrome colors than anything else.

Old lures have bronze hooks, if they are rusted they need to be replaced and I'm not sure if you can replace the hook on a Mepps.

I love the idea but I don't recommend you build the injector and I'll tell you why. When you heat old lures until they melt and become plastisol again, it is around 350 degrees or more and the last thing you would want to happen is your homemade injector fail and end up with hot melted plastic on your skin somewhere. Making the mold and recycling old baits are a great way to save money and be creative but I've head stories of homemade injectors that fail because the O-rings or some other part didn't handle the heat well and having something like that fail while in the process of using it can cause some harm so be careful and think about buying an injector made for that purpose.

Medium heavy is great for topwaters that don't have treble hooks, unless the MH is a moderate action. Topwaters with trebles like spooks and popper I treat just like a jerkbait, I use a shorter rod with medium power and fast action, the short length and fast action allow me precise control over the bait and the medium power offers just enough forgiveness or flex to allow me to fight the fish on small treble hooks without pulling them out. I do like a medium heavy with a moderate fast action for a super spook but regular Zara Spooks and super spook Jr.s get used with a medium power, fast action rod.

You could pitch with any rod, I got a rod that I love pitching with and I call it my pitching stick just because it works well for me when pitching with it. It is a Fenwick Aetos 7'2" MH-XF and it is a stout MH rated for 1/4oz to 1oz but really it would be 3/8oz to 1.5oz , the extra fast action makes the rod stiff so it loads very quick and that gives my baits a little extra zing for better distance. I got pretty accurate with it since I can get distance with no effort and it has good sensitivity so I can feel subtle bites and has power to spare which allows me to move big fish away from cover. I also use that rod with larger swim jigs when I'm fishing cover and I could not be happier with it. That said, if you are using braided line I wouldn't get a rod with an extra fast action, especially for pitching and flipping heavy cover, the rod doesn't have enough forgiveness to absorb the shock of heavy no stretch line on a hook set.

Personally I would be using different rods but that is just me. For your reel, go with something in the 6.blank:1 ratio, todays reels have better and more bearings with better gears that allow you to crank with higher gear ratios. Randy McAbee uses deep diving baits like the DD22 with a Revo STX 6.4:1 and has no problem.