smalljaw67

I have an old Tackle logic and it has been through a lot and still looks good and the zipper is still working great.

No one can really say why bass bite anything, spinnerbaits and buzzbaits look nothing like anything the fish eat yet they hit them. I happen to think that there are a couple of different reasons chartreuse colors work, one of the reasons is sight, bass use sight more than any other sense so say biologists and chartreuse is very visible. I think another reason is certain forage fish like bluegills and pumpkinseeds have chartreuse hues in their fins and on the body, they aren't bright and bold but you can see it especially when they are in the water. The final reason I believe they bite not only chartreuse colored lures but lures that don't resemble anything specific, is the genetic programming to hit something that is different. Fish will look at a school or pod of baitfish and tthey will look for one that swims a little different or has a slightly different color, usually it is a sign of weakness and an easy meal and so you have lures that aren't the normal run of the mill forage fish and the fish will bite it, thats how I tend to look at it.

Well you better buy up all the non flashy rods you can because what you're looking at is the future. You hear all the fuss about JDM rods and now that type of styling is finding its way here. The success of the Abu Garcia Vendetta is what I believe started the look, they made a rod with some bling at a relatively cheap price point and what sets it apart is that it actually outperformed its price point and thus the value rod wars was on. Being a spinnerbait and jerkbait fanatic the split grips are great for me, I don't have the entire inside of my forearm red from the cork rubbing all day yet it still retains the butt end so I have an anchor point, not all like the new styling and truth be told, I could care less how it looks as long as it is omfortable for me to fish and it has the performance. What worries me is when they go for looks and disregard performance, that is when it will be a problem but I really don't think you have to worry, St. Croix hasn't touched the Avid line and G.Loomis only added the NRX line and upgraded the GL2, the rest will keep the conservative style that they always had because the older anglers who typically have more money will be the ones buying those rods while the new styling is meant to attract a younger crowd.

The same things you use for largemouth work for smallies.

You want to use the very first setting after "Free" which is the 2 dots. Also make sure the spool tension knob is adjusted correctly. What kind of line is on it and how old? If the line has a ton of memory ( it looks like a slinky coming off the spool) it won't cast because it creates too much friction in the guides.

First of all the Quantum Iron IR300C sounds like the Iron ACS as the original Iron reels didn't have brakes, you simply adjusted the spool tension knob. So if you have the ACS adjusted to the 2nd position (it should have 3 positions total) you basically have 6 brakes on as there are a total of 9 brakes, 3 brakes on/off for every position. Try using the 1st position on the ACS and adjusting for lure weight with the spool tension knob and then make a cast but don't force it. I have 3 older Iron reels including the first ACS model and it casted really well but nothing under 1/4oz and if it was something that would kite like an old rogue it was tough but 3/8oz and 1/2oz worm weights or cranks would be no trouble.

Capt Bob's approach is similar to the way I fish. I like rods from 6.3" to 7' for most of my fishing, I upgraded a 7' flipping stick to a 7'2" and then a 7'6" telescopic but I only use if for really heavy cover with big jigs and plastics. For my crankbaits I use a 7'MH for my deeper stuff as well as open water but for square bills and shallow cranks I like my 6'3" M-MF Elite tech casting rod, it is great fishing river smallies out of the jon boat. Jerkbaits and topwater get fished with the 6'3" M-MF or the 6'10"MH-MF, it all depends on the size of the bait and where I'm fishing. While I do have 7' rods I much prefer the 6'6" -6'10" range, heck, I even pitch with a 6'6" rod that I have and use just for the technique but I've been using it so long I can put a 3/8oz or 1/2oz jig in a coffee can from 30 feet out 8 out of 10 times on average and when I tried with the 7 foot rod forget it.

Like everyone else said, when in doubt set the hook. I'd say that more than half the time when you fell the "tap tap" you have him, there are times they hit it and spit it just as quick, this is when I like to use a scent of some kind. If they are picking it up and you are missing them you can do the wait method, you see pros do it, you feel the bite and you wait until the fish hits it a second time or it runs with the bait, more often than not it will swim with it and then just reel in the slack and set the hook. It takes practice but you will get better.

I think it would be easier if you told us what you want to use the rod for, it will help because you want a balanced rod with good sensitivity and sensitivity is different depending on what you are doing, for example are you wanting to feel the difference between hard and soft bottom or the blades of a spinnerbait turning? For a bottom contact rod you aren't going to find a less expensive rod that is going to give you the feel and balance you are looking for. I think the best bet out of the rods you are looking into would be the Veritas, and the reason is simple, it is a bit stiffer than the Lamiglas Excel which will make it a bit more sensitive and it balances better also, the Compre also would work but I'm not sure on the balance as the only one I ever handled was the cranking rod but based on the construction it is probably a rod you would want to look at.

Yes, you can use that toater oven to heat the jigs for dipping into powder paint. What you need to do is set the thermostat to 350 and hang the jigs in the oven for about 10 minutes or so, then they should be hot enough to paint. One word of caution, be sure to get either an infrared thermometer or an oven themometer that is calibrated and use it the check the oven temps, toaster ovens are notorious for being way off on their thermostats.

I fish a river like that here in PA. Spinnerbaits are a good option when you use the right combo for the conditions, like if the water is really clear I found that a 1/4oz or 3/8oz spinnerbait with nickel willow blades with a translucent color skirt and body works well. My favorite color spinnerbait is one I make that I call ghost blue illusion which is a pearl colored head with a skirt made of clear blue illusion which looks like pearl but when the light hits it at certain angles in gives off a blue hue, very deadly. I also like small 1/8oz to 3/16oz finesse jigs and of course tubes, and the tubes I keep it simple by using green pumpkin, natural pumpkin, and watermelon red flake for clear water and stained water I like to use green pumpkin flash which is green pumpkin with chartreuse and purple flake, black, and black neon. I like the tubes to be 2.75" to 3.5" and I'll always start with a 3.5" and then downsize depending on how the bite is, like if I'm getting bites but few hook ups I'll go down to a 3" tube and see how that works. Also a Manns 1 minus in bone or shad, a great crankbait for your type of water. The key to the spinnerbait and crankbait is to move them fast in clear water and slow it down in stained water, good luck.

Is there a specific length you are looking at? The reason I ask is the the Excel, Veritas, and Compre are all tip heavy once you get to 7', in fact most rods over 7' with a split grip are tip heavy except for a few. The Dobyns Champion Extreme rods are very expensive but well balanced, I'm not a fan of those rods but I will say they are balanced well. I heard the same argument about the Champion and Savvy series but they too have some tip heaviness to them, it all depends on what is acceptable. I like rods for cranks, spinnerbaits and most of my topwaters a little on the tip heavy side but I prefer a more balanced rod for worms and jigs and it is a reason I like rods under 7'. Now, depending on what length and action you're looking for the Fenwick Elite Tech smallmouth series has to be one of if not the lightest rod in its price range and I bet you won't find a better balanced rod at the price they sell for. Like I said, just about every rod has a bit of tip heaviness to it, the difference is the degree of it so if it is a big issue I suggest you find a place that sells the rods you're interested in and handle them yourself, it is the only way to know.

I was going to mention the same thing. Woo Daves used his for deep worm fishing in cover, he said when you put a bullet sinker on without being pegged it would cause line twist so he didn't use spinning and because he needed the bait to fall straight down without coming away from the cover he couldn't use a casting reel as he couldn't pull line off quick enough to keep the bait near the cover so he used a good spin cast and he used it for a long time. He had one in his boat when he won the classic but he didn't use it as he was fishing tubes using a spinning outfit.

Spinning or casting? What length do you prefer? Asking about rods is ok but you are a little too vague, give some specifics.

1. Spinnerbait 2. Chatterbait 3. Jig 4. Stick Worm (Senko) 5. Texas Rigged 7" Ribbon Worm

Congrats on your purchase! I believe that the 99 dollar speed spool is the best casting reel made in the 100 to 120 price range. My friend got one for his son and like it so much he sold hit tourney pro and got 3 more speed spools.

I loved my Cabelas bag, it has 2 areas in the front for pliers and I love that feature as I don't have to keep the pliers out on the deck now. They don't make a bag to fit all my stuff in, and right now I have 3 bags and that isn't enough but I use them differently. I use one bag and then switch out boxes depending on where I'm fishing, season, weather conditions, and even the type of boat. If you take too much tackle it makes it hard to choose a bait sometimes so I take about 10 bags of plastics total and 2 boxes of hard baits along with a full box of terminal tackle, very easy.

Fishing for trout I used to use worms but never bass fishing. To me bass fishing is more than just catching the fish, it is the entire act of angling, from the choosing of which lure to use to making the perfect cast and then presenting that lure in a way the fools the fish into biting. That is what it is for me and by using live bait it takes an element away and it leaves me feeling unsatisfied I guess but I really do get a better sense of accomplishment using lures instead of live bait.

I never use one, I use a hook with an extral long shank but the reason I don't use a trailer hook is I throw my spinnerbaits in places that the trailer hook would make the bait to snaggy. I tried it and in open water it is something that you almost need to do in order to catch fish consistantly.

RW is correct, that is what we call a "disposable" reel. I wouldn't say it is bad but they are made to last a season or two depending on how they are used and the reason we call them disposable is that when it breaks it isn't worth fixing and you probably couldn't find parts to fix it. If you want to use it to learn on then go for it as it didn't cost anything but it will make for a longer learning curve but since it is free you really can't get much better. If I were you and just learning on that reel I would find some cheap 10# or 12# mono and spool it up with that and use an old 3/8oz casting sinker to practice with. Think about how far a good cast would be and take that amount of line off the reel and place a piece of tape down at that spot in the spool and then reel up the line and begin practicing. The tape will help because when you get a backlash it won't be tangled in the entire spool, just to where the tape is and since it will be shallow it will make picking out the backlash a lot easier and faster.

Is there anyone else out there that has a favorite lure they use and already own enough of but still can't resist buying more when you see them on sale? For me that lure is a jerkbait, floating, or suspending it doesn't matter, I'm always picking them up when I see them on a good sale. I know I don't really need anymore but I just love using them and it makes it easier to get them because I do use them they don't just sit in the box. Right now I have 2 dozen Rattlin' Rogues, 12 are floating models and 12 are suspending models, I have a couple of LC pointers, I'm down to 1 Megabass Vision 110, 3 EEratic shads, 3 Lucky E Strike RC STX, 4 Yo-Zuri Jerk-Os, 6 Yo-Zuri Crystal minnows and that is about half. I could keep going but I think I got my point across, and that is I'm really hooked on jerkbaits and the worst par is the jerkbait is my 2nd favorite lure, my favorite is the spinnerbait but I make my own so it doesn't see so bad that I have a hundred or so. I have a friend that is absolutley addicted to soft plastics, he cringes when a new shape or company comes out with something new as he has to buy it, I bet he has enough unopened bags of soft plastics that he can open a small tackle shop and he wouldn't have to order any plastics and I'm not exagerrating. So, is it just me and a friend of mine or are there others who have to buy certain types of baits?

I'm assuming you are fishing from shore? If so the best thing for you will be either a senko or a texas rigged 7" ribbon worm like a berkley power worm or a culprit worm, use about a 1/4oz weight on 10# line or so and you will catch fish.

Fishing out of the yak reminds me of fishing out of a small jon and so I'll give you my thoughts on what will work for you. You will hear a lot about the CI4, good reel but not for yak fishing, in fact I wouldn't use any carbon type reels as they are strong but they will get beat up much worse that they do sitting on a boat deck. Take a look at a Quantum Catalyst spinning reel, I think it is like $120 but it has the Ti bail wire with the mag trip, no bail springs to break and the bail wire is almost indestructable. I have the very first Kinetic PT spinning reel with the Ti bai wire and mag trip and it is still going like the day I got it and that is over 8 years now without ever lubing it up. I use casting most of the time and I take care of my casting equipment but my spinning reels get left behind but so far my Kinetic has held up and the Catalyst is a better reel than my Kinetic and performs really well so it will give not only good performance but a little piece of mind as it will take some abuse much better than some of the other reels.

If you want to make plain ball head jigs then all you need is a melting pot, a mold, some hooks and paint if you so desire and you can make a lot of jigs cheap. If you are talking the skirted bass jigs, well it will take a few years to start saving money because you have to recoup the material cost and good jig hooks along with skirt material or premade skirts will really put your cost up, unless you plan to buy hooks by the 1000 but it still hurts at the beginning. The other side is you may end up liking it and then that leads to more molds, expanding to spinnerbaits, buzzbaits so now you are not only buying molds for them but wire too, either prebent wire forms or coils of wire to bend yourself with a wire forming tool. I started over 15 years ago and now I have dozens of molds, 42 different colors of powder paint, 87 different colors of skirt material, a couple of melting pots, a few hundred pounds of lead and it keeps growing. To say I haven't saved any money would be putting it very mildly but I love doing it and it makes the winter go by so fast as I'm busy bending wire and making skirts and pouring spinnerbait and jig heads that I don't were the time went. Good luck.

Let us know how the new set up works for you.