smalljaw67

I have 3, I was impressed with the first one which is the one you have and that lead me to buy 2 more. Some don't like the short cork grip on the casting models but they work for me and the actions are perfect for the way I fish, they just fit me and my fishing style really well. I still am amazed at the sensitivity of this rod series, I've never fished with a rod at that price point that has as much sensitivity, at least for me. The spinning rod you got is also the most comfortable rod I ever put in my hands, and I'm a guy who uses casting rods for most of my fishing but I was really quick to go finesse eve since I got mine and that was when they first came out. Good luck with your rod, I hope you like it.

I have been a Fenwick fan for the last few years, well ever since the elite Tech smallmouth rods. I have looked at and used the HMG and the HMX but not the Eagle GT but even though a lower end model it is head and shoulders above the Pflueger combo rod, I've seen those and the GT is a much better rod. For what you are going to use it for I'd say it is a good rod, One thing I've learned about the Fenwick rods over the last couple of years from having and fishing the Aetos to the HMX, the amount of drop off in performance isn't as much as other companies. One thing about the combo you want, the 304 Stainless steel guides on the rod can handle the braid but the reel, the president is a decent spinning reel but it has a graphite frame, I would feel comfortable using fluorocarbon or mono on it but not braid, graphite framed reels are less expensive because they can flex when using a strong no stretch line like braid and when the happens the gears never line up exactly right and your reel ends up feeling like a coffee grinder. If you are concerned about deep hooking fish then you need to learn to watch the line as well as trying to feel subtle bites, sometimes they move forward while taking the bait and even high end rods with great sensitivity will end up catching fish that are deep hooked, it happens when using a senko. Spool up with fluorocarbon and the combo you have with the Pflueger and the Fenwick will be great and even though it isn't the best, the sensitivity of the Eagle GT is decent as is the HMX, which is a pretty good rod too. Good luck with your combo.

I normally start the day with normal size offerings, 1/2oz spinnerbaits, 5.5" and 4.5" jerkbaits, 1/2oz jigs and 7" to 8" worms but that is if the conditions have been stable. After that start I listen to the fish, if I'm doing well but catching bass on the smaller side I may upsize my baits to include 10" worms and big creature baits or large topwaters, but if I'm not catching anything and bites are hard to come by, then it is time to downsize. There are times I will start out with finesse, those are times when the conditions dictate to go finesse or down size, like post frontal days, or during the early spring/late winter when the water is still cold, but other than that I let the fish tell me when to down size.

I won't recommend a brand but I'll give you a size, #2 should work, and I agree with Alberto-1, oval rings are the way to go for line tie, I swear every time I have to tie the knot manages to find the opening in the ring, it is worse when it is cold.

I use the alcohol also, it sounds like algae stained the reel and if you got it on the reel early and it dried on then it is a pain to get off. It usually gets on the reel from the "snot grass" that gets stuck to the line and comes through the guides, I suggest you take a Q-tip and clean your rod guides with alcohol also as well as the reel.

Do you know what the water temp was or was it at home in a tank test? The reason I say this is I've found sometimes the tank test is misleading, I used to dump ice in the water in a tank and would test baits at a full range of temps to check them out and some baits didn't seem to suspend in the tank but out on the water when they got to depth they would work. I'm not saying they suspended perfectly but they would be a really slow rise, maybe 1 foot every 7 or 8 seconds and when it was in the tank it would come right up like a floater no matter what the temp. The bait was an Xcalibur Xt3 twitch bait that was a killer bait but it would not work until I got it down to 4' and then it was a super slow rise, I didn't add anything as it was catching fish and doing so when others weren't. The G-Finish Rogues that I got were slow risers, very slow to the point they stay in place for 5 seconds and then slowly move up but it is so slow that the bait may only come up a foot before I move it and that is after a 10 second pause, I try to avoid adding anything as I don't want to ruin the action even the slightest amount.

Spinning rod huh? Well, depends on what you are going to fish but if you keep the baits within say, 3/8oz then I'd go with a 6'10" Medium power, fast action spinning rod, this will let you throw the light stuff as well as some decent sized baits, the length will allow good distance yet is still manageable for accuracy and allowing you to work a jerkbait or topwater without smacking the water on a consistent basis.

I use Mustad triple grips is a size #6, the only rogues I don't switch out hooks on are the Limited rogues, they come with Gamakatsu hooks stock. Rogue get over looked by a lot of guys today but I use them and use them a lot. I use the ARB 1200 series floating models during the summer, it is a bait bass don't see a lot of during that time of year, during the spring I use the suspending models, the ASDRB 1200 series which is a 4.5" bait and the ASDRC series which is a 5.5" baitm the 5.5" comes into play a lot more during fall. A real good bait I tell people to try is the Super Rogue Jr., these only have a front and rear treble set and are 4 1/8" long but the suspend at 6' on 10lb line, I'll tell you there is a lot of models but that means there is one for every situation, great lures so change the hooks and you'll have a great jerkbait that often out produces any others. You may laugh at this next statement but it is the truth, I put the Rogues in the same class as a Megabass Vision 110, I'm not saying that the baits are equal, obviously the finish is much more detailed and nice on the 110 but what I mean is the action, Rogues have a unique roll to them, all baits roll to create flash but the rogue doesn't simply turn or roll on its side, it looks as if it is going to tumble from the back going forward. That action sets it apart and when fish are keyed in on it you will find it tough to get bit on another bait, the same for a Vision 110, what sets it apart is the unique tail kick. The 110 has a tight action like any good jerkbait but the tail end comes out a little further yet the head remains center, that action can make fish strike and it does so well that it has a reputation as being one of if not the best jerkbait around but don't discount the Rogue, these are great baits that every angler should have.

AWESOME!!!! What these remind me of is the super rogue with a special finish, they dive to the same 6' mark and I got them the first time I saw them. The black glass is a killer and I bet the colrs you got will work but if you can get the black glass get them. I had to order mine, the black glass is always sold out but I finally got some, these are really good jerkbaits and for the cost they are an absolute steal!!!!

You just learned to "dead stick" and it will work with any shape at any time but cold water is where it is used the most.

You can usually tell when you tie the bait on and hold the set up, you'll notice that before you even cast the rod is already loaded up. You can cast an over weight rig by lob casting which is basically making a cast with little to no back swing and just lobbing it a short distance. The best bet is to stay within the rods parameters, I've found that rods in the 1/4 to 3/4 weight range do pretty well across the entire spectrum but they handle weights of 3/8oz to 5/8oz the best, meaning there is no stress on the rod and the rod isn't overpowering the bait, at the low end, you can tell if a bait is too light for the rod when it doesn't load on a back swing and you lose feel on a retrieve. You don't have to weigh each bait, if you have a rod designed to use a 3/4oz bait then use a jig that is listed as 1/2oz because the head is 1/2oz, the skirt will put it at 5/8oz and the trailer will make it 3/4oz, use that rule of thumb, the same for a spinnerbait, the head is the weight so a 1/4oz spinnerbait is always going to be closer to 3/8oz than it is 1/4oz, it is just the way it is so use that guideline as to what you want to use. Once you get use to the rod you'll understand what is too heavy and too light.

I stopped using pork about 10 years ago myself, the new plastics don't get super stiff in cold water like the old plastics. The only thing I change is the type of trailer, in the warm water I use a trail that has moving appendages like flapping claws or twisting tails, in the cold was I use a chunk trailer that creates a profile and has a very subtle movement and adds a little extra bulk but no pork and I don't miss trying to put it back in the jar when my hands were freezing.

It depends on who is the manufacturer and the differences they make from their own reels. When Cabela's was using Daiwa, their house brand reels were the best buy you could get and the reason was that Cabela's let Daiwa put their name on the product as well as the Cabelas brand. What you ended up with was a Prodigy Baitcasting reel that was basically a Team Daiwa Advantage, I still have one and it works as well as the day I bought it. The Tournament ZX spinning reel had an aluminum spare spool and was basically a Team Daiwa Tierra, the difference was it used a power T handle knob and where the Tierra had 2 corrosion resistant bearings along with the rest, the Cableas model had all regular bearings. The only problem with house brands is they don't always get built like that so they often use cheaper bearings in order to have a feature rich product at a low price point, the Cabelas example was different in that Daiwa put their name on it as well and so you got a Daiwa reel with very small cosmetic changes and little else, the parts were all good as I have both of these and both are going like the day I purchased them and they perform fantastic. That kind of case is the only time I get a house brand reel over a brand name.

I wouldn't say that, I've had days where an albino shad X-Rap was getting bites and the Megabass vision 110 didn't get a sniff, the same thing with Pointers also. I'm a jerkbait fanatic and I own both Lucky Craft pointers and Megabass vision 110s as well as Smithwick Rogues, Storm Twitch Sticks, Rapala X-Raps and I can tell you all have a time and place. Megabass Vision 110 is one of those baits that when it is on, nothing can touch it, but when it isn't, nothing will hit it, they work with more active fish but the hi-float vision 110 was the only floating model jerkbait I ever caught a fish on in sub 50 degree water. To have a blanket statement that Megabass will catch more fish than a Rapala just isn't the case, and I fish with guys that will say that to justify their purchase when the truth is you don't need to, if you like that bait then so be t regardless of cost. What was really bad was last spring when I was learning the Storm Twitch Stick and I was cleaning my buddy's clock and he was using a Pointer 100, then a 78, then he switched colors but I just kept catching fish. That day the water temp was 47 degrees, a week earlier when the water was 43 degrees, nothing could touch the Pointer, they just suspend better than any other suspending bait out there in cold water.

I like Pflueger reels and the president gets good marks but I would go with the BPS extreme just because it has an aluminum body and side plate. I will never buy a graphite body or framed reel as I had one go bad and I saw my buddy with a graphite casting reel, set the hook on a dead fall and it flexed the body so much the gears came out od alignment and sounded and felt like a coffee grinder for the next hour until it finally quit. Stay with the aluminum.

You'll be fine with what you want, a 5/16oz jig with a trailer is around 3/8oz and heavier anyway and that series is Denali's top of the line, get it or you'll regret it if you are a big fan of those rods.

The brush jig you'll want 2 black and blue, and then 2 PB&J, the football jig would be 1 each of green pumpkin and orange, solid black, and PB&J. The swim jigs go with more spinnerbait colors, like white and chartreuse, all white, and blue white and chartreuse, that is how I would go.

I'll echo QUAKEnSHAKE, ithe set up you are looking at will be fine except for lipless, it will be fine if you throw a lipless cranking in open water fishing around such structure as drop offs, ditches, and humps. If you throw lipless cranks over weed beds and like to rip them free (awesome technique BTW) then you may want to use a fast action or a stout moderate fast action, basically a rod that isn't as soft as a cranking rod.

On a buzzbait I could never see why blade color or finish could be important if it gives you confidence it is important. It may also throw off flash under the water that may or may not play a part in drawing fish to the bait but it could possibly work. I know with spinnerbaits, I have noticed a big difference in catch rates when using gold blades in both clear and overcast conditions and by being able to duplicate results it leads me to believe there is something to blade finish. I noticed during overcast days gold blades on a spinnerbait out produce nickel or silver blade spinnerbaits by 3 to 1 and sometimes higher. On clear or sunny days the silver or nickel blades did better than than the gold by the same margins, this is on average over a course of 6 years and keeping track. There were odd ball days for both sides were the gold was better than silver on clear days and were silver was better than gold on overcast days, but for the most part the gold on overcast and silver on clear days held true so I can see it maybe being like that with a buzzbait to some extent but there I think sound along speed and other factors play a bigger part than blade color or finish.

DVT is right, 10 bucks but it isn't too hard to do yourself if you don't know of a builder. The Berkley lightning rod shock isn't a bad rod, get the guide fixed and then when you upgrade you'll have a good rod to help teach another kid how to fish.

The reason why the regular Veritas in a medium has different ratings than the winch series in a medium is because the design of the rods are intended for different purpose. The winch series is meant for cranking, someone using that rod is more than likely going to use a 3/8oz lure but you can throw a 1/4oz with little problem. I have a Fenwick Elite tech smallmouth, 6'10" MH-with a moderate fast action, it is rated for 3/8oz to 1oz, but I can throw and do throw, 1/4oz Rapala flat raps as well as 1/4oz cotton cordell super spots with it, no problem the only thing is my distance isn't as great but the rod doesn't feel like it over powers the lure at all and the Veritas will be the same. The regular medium veritas is going to be used for spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, texas rigs and things like that so the manufacturer puts down the weights most likely to be used with the rod, they base it off the max weight they believe will work and the lowest weight they feel you can throw comfortably, that is it, no big secret, just a reference and to keep an inexperienced angler from throwing an umbrella rig. don't laugh, I saw a guy with a 2000 size spinning reel and what looked like a 6'6" medium spinning rod throwing an umbrella rig, he was lob casting it and I was waiting for the rod to just explode as it was bent really far but that is what the ratings are for. As a general rule you can look at the rod ratings on most rods and throw a bait that weighs a little less than the lightest weight listed on the rod and a little heavier than the upper limit but not much, maybe 1/16 to 1/8oz, not much more, the only exceptions to this that I've come across is the Falcon rods, the actions and weight ratings on those rods are spot on but don't worry about the winch and regular series, they are different as they are meant for different purposes, that is all.

I agree with J Francho, these are different lures, I reserve the flukes for weeds and cover but also for fish wanting a slower action, a few rips and let the fluke die, that works a lot in warm water. I also use hard plastic jerkbaits in warm water, usually over submerged weed beds and they are usually very shallow running and they are most often floating models. The only time flukes and hard jerkbaits cross when I'm fishing is when the fish are hitting the fluke but not getting the hook, it doesn't happen a lot but some times they swip at it like they just want to get it out of the way without eating it, this is when I'll put the fluke down and go to a hard jerkbait, the fish will swipe at that bait as well but with 2 or 3 sets of trebles they end up hooked when they swipe.

Great job!!! Now your confidence in that lure is going to build and you'll do better.

The new 2014 Fenwicks are out at Cabelas, these are probably the best rods you'll get for $100, yes, I've been a Fenwick fan for the last couple of years and the new HMGs are really light but the new blanks are a little thinner and they aren't a spit grip. I also like the fact that the new HMG spinning rods have a 6'9" ML with a fast action, this rod will be more versatile letting you go really small, but I have nothing bad to say about St, Croix.

Xcalibur one knocker in Tilapia or lemon lime, the Rapala claclin' rap in silver or gold, and the Cordell super spot in royal shad, those 3 will work anywhere!!! I was a Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap fan until I started using the Super Spot, the fish in my water react to the higher pitch and in the 1/4oz size it just seems to work in pressured water.