smalljaw67

My hands down favorite craw is the River Rock Baits Jakes Craw, it is a 3.5" bait but subtle and I either using it on my finesse jig with a 3/0 hook or a small texas rig with a 1/0 hook and 1/16oz weight but on the jig is my favorite way of using them. As for mass produced, there are 2, the Yum craw Papi for subtle action and the Strike King rage tail craw when I want a lot of action.

Welcome to the board, I'[m from PA and fish Blue Marsh and Beltsville from time to time but prefer the river.

Depends on the line you are using, if you are using braid then go for something in fast or moderate fast action, lighter fluorocarbon lines have a little stretch so a fast action on that line also, extra fast for mono. I use a Fenwick Elite Tech Smallmouth spinning rod, 6' 9" medium power with an extra fast action and 8lb copolymer line, perfect set up for me. I used to use a 6'6" spinning rod and found it great for fishing from shallow to about 12' deep or so but I was missing hook sets when fishing slightly deeper water so I went for a little more length and found the 6'9" was great, I still had control but the extra 3" was picking up more line and since then I haven't missed a hookset even in 30' of water which is about the deepest fish we have during the summer in natural lakes.

Lure Parts Online has a twin site that builds you a custom lure the way you want. There are also manufacturers that make products for other companies, for instance Strike King doesn't make their own lures, they work on the design then they have the molds made and sent to the manufacturer of their choice to produce their products. Some times they are packaged in the same facility and sometimes they are shipped to a different place, it all depends on who does the work for less..

I use small football heads in shallow water, I often fish shallow gravel flats with a football jig but fishing points I'll use the 1/4oz for water up to 8' then I move up to 3/8oz for water 8' to 12' and for 12' to 15' zone I like a 1/2oz football jig, 3/4oz is the largest I use and I use it in 15'+. The same holds true for the C-rig, about the only difference is I don't fish a C-rig deeper than 15' and I only go to 1/2oz weight because the water I fish has large areas of muck bottom and you go with a 1oz egg sinker you'll move it about 5' before it gets buried.

The Lews Speed spool, the $99 dollar model, not the laser speed spool. If you read the description you will see the speed spool has an aluminum frame, I believe that this is the best casting reel in the $100 dollar range made. I fish with a guy who love the Lews reels and has a couple of Lews Tournament Pros and he got his son the speed spool and after using it to get it dialed in we got off the water and he headed straight for Cabelas to take back his new TP and get 2 more speed spools. The extra weight balanced out his rod better plus he said there was no difference in performance once he dialed it in, he really liked it that much so you may want check that out. Remember, the speed spool has an aluminum frame, the laser speed spool has a graphite frame, stay away from graphite framed reels.

I don't miss fish with the EWG style worm hook and on a jig, well I swing to the side almost 99% of the time when I set the hook so it isn't an issue but I will tell you what the EWG hook does better than straight shank hooks, they hold fish better. I can honestly say that every single fish I stuck with a jig with the EWG style hook I landed, I never lost a fish on one but I have lost plenty of them on regular round bends, it is the single reason why there are jigs on the market that use that style of hook. Round bends work, no doubt about it but if a fish can get leverage they can throw the jig, it is the reason makers started using free swinging hooks on cables for jigs and spinnerbaits as to not allow the fish to throw them. EWG hooks require a sideways hookset which is why more anglers prefer the round bend but a fish hooked up on the EWG has a very difficult time throwing it even with leverage however the problem with hooksets is one in which I say you are better off with a round bend.

These are great lipless baits and I got a deal last year as Cabelas was blowing them out for $1.99 so I grabbed 15, the only reason I didn't get more was I got the only 2 colors I wanted, lemon lime and Tilapia, and they never came back down to that price again but check them out, they often have these for $2.99.

The issue at hand would be hook size, the lazer sharp worm hooks are actually pretty good so it isn't a sharp hook problem. More than likely the fish are only getting "skin hooked" as they are either shaking it out or a pause on applying pressure allows the fish to get off. Hook size and tighten the drag, and it isn't just 1 of those things it is both, you need to tighten the drag to make sure the hook penetrates before the line slips, and the hook size needs to go up to a 3/0, the only way you go smaller is if you nose hook the worm and fish it as a drop shot or weightless. The reason for that is you won't even get a hook in them with a nose hook presentation unless they eat the worm head first and if they do the little octopus or drop shot hooks really stick them, so you aren't going to lose any fish that really grabs the bait unlike what is happening now. Remember, that set up you have now only needs to go to a 3/0 hook with some more drag pressure and you should be good.

I have helped a friend of mine do better using a poison tail jig with the EWG style hook, he was having the same problem but I found something that works. I noticed a long time ago when I would use the EWG style worm hooks on senko type worms I was hooking 80% on the fish I caught in the corner of the mouth and it was doing the same thing with the jig only the fish were spitting it a lot more than usual. I'm not a physics professor or anything like that so I'm not sure why this happens but for some reason jigs that use the EWG style hook get a reputation for losing fish yet some anglers will only use a jig with that style hook. I've come to find out that it depends on how you set the hook that makes the difference, everyone I fished with that likes the jigs tend to use a sideways sweeping hook set basically pulling up on a 45 degree angle. The anglers who hated it seemed to be using a straight vertical hook set pulling up on the rod at a 90 degree angle, and I think the reason it that vertical hook set misses more fish with the EWG style hooks has to do with the way the hook comes out when it is set. I've seen it on the worm hooks too but for some reason when a bass grabs a bait with that style hook it almost always turns to one side, even the jigs do this, I substituted round bend hooks in place of EWG hooks and found guys having trouble with the EWG have a dramatic improvement with the round bend in the same exact jig, the anglers who faired well with the EWG hook didn't notice any difference with the round bend. So, if you change your hook set then the EWG is fine, but if you can use a round bend in place of it, that is a better solution because the hook set is pretty natural and changing it will require concentration while the round bend hook will allow you to focus on fishing and not worry about how to set the hook.

Now that is my favorite way to fish a spinnerbait, especially for river smallies!!!!!!!

I wanted to try one but then I held it, to big and too heavy, TT really beat up Ardent for making a reel of 8 ounces that had a normal width yet this reel is awkward to palm, at least for me it is, and the weight is very noticeable. I liked the old Advantage and the TD-X and Z but after years of the Revo Premier, Quantum Smoke, and Lews TP I can no longer use a reel that is that heavy, once it gets over 7.5 ounces they feel like bricks. To be fair, I've paired rods to that balance with my reels and the Tatula will throw that out of whack but it kills me, they are great engineers but why can't they seem to make a light weight aluminum reel for under $300 ? Every other manufacturer can do this but Daiwa, under 8 ounces and it is made from zaion or magnesium and retails for $400+, I wanted to go back to Daiwa but they out priced me with their products and the $120 - $250 range in which I operate, they just don't have it anymore, they used to but ever since the Steez it seems like anything under is kind of sub par compared to others. I apologize for the rant, they do make great reels but they kind of ignored the mid tier segment and I so wanted to get a Tatula but it is just to big and heavy for my taste, hopefully they make something without the T-wing that weighs a little less, maybe around $200 that isn't a brick.

If the rubber is clumped up or melted it is junk, that is the problem with living rubber. The best way to store it for long periods of time is to place in a bag with unscented talc and one of those moisture absorbing packs is also helpful. The talc helps keep moisture from building up as well as it keeps the rubber from clumping together, if you are going to have the rubber in storage for a while like over a winter well then give the bag with the rubber and talc a shake or two every couple of weeks.

If you spooled the reel up with straight fireline with no backing it is possible that the line has dug into itself. Make a cast and when it stops try pulling line out, if it is hard to get out then you found the problem, if not then it is the braking system. That reel has a dual brake system, there is the magnetic brakes which is controlled by the dial on the non handle side plate, then there is centrifugal brakes that you adjust when you take the side plate off, if you never opened the side plate then the problem you have is all the brakes are in the "on" position. The brakes are little nubs that you pull out to turn them on and push in to turn them off, try using the reel with 2 brakes on and then use the spool tension knob on the handle side, along with the magnetic on the non handle side to fine tune.

The realistic craws are what you are going to throw in gin clear water, the normal jig trailer often gets bit as reaction to the bait falling and the fish strikes it to kill it or eat the thing before it gets away as it is moving quickly. In clear water realism helps sometimes but not all the time because fish will hit a bait for different reasons beside food, and I think that just because they often hit stuff they don't want around to kill it means it doesn't have to look like food all the time. I think the realistic baits are more for the anglers confidence than the actual fish but that is just how I view it.

You just got a lemon and it happens with all companies but a bad snag or big fish can and often will, flex a graphite framed reel and that is all it takes for the gears to become misaligned and you then end up with a binding issue. This is why I any reel I buy has to have an aluminum frame, I know the magnesium frames are supposed to be strong aluminum hasn't given me problems. The best deals on spinning reels was back 3 years ago when Daiwa was still making Cabelas reels, the tournament ZX spinning reel was a Daiwa Tierra with the only difference in them was the tierra has 2 corrosion resistant ball bearings in addition to the others and the Cabelas reel had all stainless, and the Cabelas had the Daiwa power T knob on the handle, that was it and when they were discontinuing them they were selling them for $40, aluminum hardbody frame, digital cut gears, and I only got 1, I should have picked up 4 or 5 for that price. Anyway, 2 great reels in that same price range are the Abu Garcia Orra S and the Okuma Trio, both will work well and last, stay away from graphite framed reels.

The Devils Horse in that color you found is a killer anywhere but the hardware is behind the times. I use a prop bait a lot in mid sprig over pea gravel flats for river smallmouth and I found a bait that is like a finesse version of the devls horse, it is called a Dying Flutter, they make one that is clear and when fished in clear water it will out produce just about anything else but they are discontinued so I have to be desperate to throw it.

I have a glass rod for cranking, I have fished spinnerbaits on it and it worked but it is too soft for me. That is pretty much it, there really isn't much feel to a glass rod plus they're heavier by a good bit over graphite rods, if graphite wasn't available then that would be the only way I'd use one for anything else.

From what you listed, I'd say you need 2 cranking rods, one for lipless and shallow and another for mid depth and deep cranks. I like graphite for the lipless and shallow diving baits, these are the cranks that are going to be in and around cover so the graphite will transmit better and give you more backbone to rip a bait free from weeds. A glass or composite rod will be fine for mid to deep cranks, the Avid line is really good but since you want a split grip, well go to TW and look at the sale page. The Quantum KVD cranking rods are on sale for under $100, you may not like Quantum but for $100 they are really decent cranking rods with a lifetime warranty. One aspect of glass and composite rods that you may not be aware of is their weight, if you only have experience with graphite you'll be in for a shock when you first pick it up. My mid depth and deep cranking rod is glass, it works great for that purpose but it is too soft to rip a bait away from weeds or other cover consistently so be sure you get the right rod.

Nice feature set for a reel of that price point, my only critique on it is the graphite body, graphite rotor and covers are ok but the body houses the gear set so when I get a spinning reel a must have is an aluminum body and stem. I haven't used the magnesium reels but I never saw any reviews of the body flexing to cause misalignment of the gears. This should be a good reel even though it is graphite, but my mistake experience keeps from trying another one but it is nice for the price, you can't argue that.

You got a good list but there are a few modifications I would make, the first is to get rid of the Rapala mx rap and substitute an X-Rap. The reason being is that I found the Max Rap to be one of those baits that will draw big strikes, I catch nice fish with them but I only throw them when the fish are active as I can't seem to coax a strike with those but I can with the others. Also, the X-Rap is a suspending bait and it is one of only two suspending baits I'll use in the warm water months, the other being the Lucky Craft Flash minnow. The flas minnow suspends at around 1.5' to 2', perfect for stopping over a weedbed, and the x-rap has a super aggressive action that will draw fish from distance so that is why I use those. So the list you have would just replace the max rap for an x-rap and the LC spazz would be dropped for the LC flash minnow, otherwise it is a really good list that will work from spring through fall.

Take them back!!!! The one great thing about my local Cabelas is when you buy a reel the clek opens the box and hands you the reel to check out before hand, it is a reason I try to get a reel there on sale but sometime online prices are just too good to pass up. Good luck with the reels.

That type of bait can be killer at times, the weed walker will foul up in slop so if you have matted grass try the Heddon Moss Boss, but if you are fishing around spatter dock or duckweed, then the weed walker is a great bait. I have 2 or 3 in my "slop box" which is were I have my frogs and other topwater baits designed for fishing over vegetation. Another great place for the weed walker is around eel grass, or any type of grass that isn't going to come loose and wrap around the center paddle, if you have that type of vegetation in your water then a weed walker may get you some fish, especially since the fish don't see it on a regular basis.

I started my grandson with a 5' ultra light with an under spin reel, he had that from the time he was 4 to 6 and then I got him a 6' spinning rod and spinning reel and he is now 12 and he prefers a 6'6" to 6'9", he isn't comfortable with a 7' rod yet. If you want to know if what he is using is too much rod just watch how he holds and handles the rod, if he struggles keeping it at a 1 or 2 o'clock position or he has trouble trying to cast then I say give him a shorter rod, something around 6' to 6'6", the perfect length may be 6'3" to 6'4".

Two things for this, either a senko or a finesse worm, and there are different situations but in my experience and the waters I fish, I found that fish willing to strike a moving bait will often hit a jig too so if I get no takers on the jig then I'll turn to a senko.