smalljaw67

Very nice swim bait but I don't use them much here but I appreciate the offer.

This is why I will not buy a reel second hand or a demonstration model. When it comes to a casting reel I never buy a reel that is under $100, never. I'm not made of money, I wait for reels to go on sale or new versions to come out but I try to get a decent reel. What has turned me off to less expensive reels is helping guys in the club with walmart specials, specifically the Lews Laser models and the Abu Garcia black Max reels . The Calera doesn't look to be a bad reel but it has a graphite frame and one good drop may cause a problem, what I'm guessing is a lot of these reels have a washer inside the spool tension knob and they wear out and it either causes squealing or it doesn't allow the user to get enough tension on the spool to make a good cast, basically no tension at all. To the OP, it doesn't mean to stay away from Okuma, basically any casting reel you get can have a problem from any brand, but if you are set on buying an inexpensive reel, buy it new, that way you can return it if there is a problem, as I said, I think you're better off spending a few dollars more but to each their own.

Kistler is confusing on that rod, and I believe if you contact them you might find out it is a mix-up. They have a 7' cranking rod listed as a mod-fast action as it is a composite glass/graphite rod and normally you see glass cranking rods that are listed as fast actions because they are fast for graphite. The other funny thing is that there is only a 7' medium and a 7'2" MH and one is a composite and the other graphite and they are the only 2 cranking rods in the line-up, it is strange that they made a composite with one and not the other. Now, besides the action I think the Argon is fine but you'd be better off with the BPS Cranking Stick which is on sale right now for $59.97, that rod is a good cranking rod and they have a model that will work for you. Now, you say you want to fish deep diving baits as well as medium divers, what is your idea of a deep diver? I ask because the Argon is rated up to 3/4oz, if you are looking at a fishing a crank deeper than 20' you'll need a longer rod with a little more backbone like a 7'6" MH. The Bass Pro Shops cranking rods are rated as fast and extra fast but they are composite rods, a mix of graphite and glass and as I mentioned before, you will sometimes see glass or glass/graphite composite rods listed as fast actions even though they are soft, it has to do with the glass rating ,which I was told by someone at Lamiglas ,that the taper of glass and graphite is different. I think Dale is thinking when I metioned the Argon to him which was the original Argon rod and he was getting it for a good price, this one I'd pass on and grab the BPS deal, I know if I needed a cranking rod right now I'd be all over the BPS deal, those cranking rods can't be beat at that price.

Daiwa Procyon, they are like $69.99 and have a 5 year warrant and aren't bad at all, the sensitivity was better than I expected. The rod was given to me as a Christmas present and I was going to send it back but decided to use it first and I was surprised at how well it performed. I have the 7' ML-XF but it does fish 1/2 power heavier so the ML is more like a medium power. The 7' medium power, extra fast action is rated 1/4oz to 3/4oz and I think that will be your best bet, you'll get a lighter rod and still have the versatility and as I said, 5 year warranty for a rod at that price point is just nuts but the rod is decent, even if it was $80 I think you get a decent rod, very much worth the money it is going for.

There are a few types of rubber you can get and there is one company that still makes a vinyl skirt. What you read was Edwin Evers and another angler used jigs tied with flat line rubber, it is the old square rubber but now they make it in tabs like silicone. The jig Evers used had both flat line rubber and silicone and I can tell you what the difference is between silicone, round rubber and flat rubber. Silicone actually has a more fluid movement than rubber in the water but it moves slower, the round rubber separates quicker than silicone because it is more buoyant so when a jig tied with round rubber hits the bottom the skirt opens up quickly and the strands begin to move right away. The flat line rubber does one thing well, and that is it displaces more water and that is why guys like it, especially on a small jig that is being used in dirty or off colored water, the fact that it is wide make it heavier than the round rubber so it doesn't have the same buoyancy and instead when you move the jig the skirt displaces water but it isn't a good jig for lightly stained water in that way, it works better on jigs that move a lot like when flipping. Finesse jigs that you drag and stop tend to work better with different material but if you have off color water and you hop it, then the flat rubber will displace more water and the fish can feel it a lot easier than other types of material.

Using light wire does get more vibration and having it go a shorter distance means the vibration on the entire bait is a little bit more, I doubt you could measure it but you can feel it. If you reel a bait made with .040" diameter wire and then reel in a bait made with .035" diameter wire, you'll feel the difference, it isn't much but it is noticeable. Now, shortening the wire length coming out of the head does make the bait stronger, and it also means the waves of vibration travel over a shorter distance so it probably gets a small amount of extra vibration but it really isn't measureable. This is what you learn when you have been making these things for just about 20 years but light wire, not longer wire is what gets you vibration.

To be honest, I wouldn't use any of those rods for cranking, New2BC4bass is 100% correct, you don't want a stiff rod to crank with. A rod with a fast action will bend about 1/3 of the way down the blank, the terms we use like "Fast", "Extra Fast", "Mod-Fast", and "Moderate" describe the speed in which the rod goes from bent to straight and the further the rod bends means the longer it takes to get back to straight. So a fast action rod bends about 1/3 of the way down the blank but it could take a lot of pressure to make the rod bend, or a little less pressure, if it bends easily it is referred to as a soft tip. With the 2 rods you have, neither is a rod for cranking but if you have to use one, use the rod with the softest tip section.

Thanks for the kind words guys. Yes CJ, I only work with powder and I do multi colors on jigs, chatterbaits and spinnerbaits and basically everything I make. The color in the picture is my own creation, it is actually 5 different colors blended together to make 1 color and then the green back that fades into the sides actually consist of 2 more colors. I messed with that to try and get the same color tint as the green crystal in the skirt material, I managed to get it pretty close, well close enough that I'm happy with it.

I make my own spinnerbaits and for the situation you proposed here is what I'd take for a shallow weedy lake with fairly clear water. It would be the War Eagle Double Willow spinnerbait in a 3/8oz model in pros choice or silver shiner patterns. The reason is the bullet head comes through weeds really well and that weight will be heavy enough for good cast but keep it from sinking too fast and getting buried in weeds. The colors and blade selection is because of clear water where flash will work more in your favor and colors like white and chartreuse can be too bright in clear water situations, so that is my pick.

That is just a spacer bead, sometimes I throw a red one on sometimes white, or even clear or a brass or nickel bead, it depends on the color of the bait and my intended use. With this bait it is just something a little different that stands out but not too much.

I just finished a dozen of these today and I'll be hopefully throwing them next week depending on the weather. This is a 1/2oz bait with a 55 strand skirt in a tandem configuration of an Indiana Blade on the swivel and a small Colorado on the clevis and the head is poured on .035" diameter wire. What makes this a spring time spinnerbait is a few things, the first is the color, it is my version of "mouse", which is like a smoke with green crystal, that color works because it shows up ok in stained water yet is somewhat on the natural side that does well in clearer water. The second thing is the skirts size, normally I don't make a skirt that heavy but the fact is I'm fishing it in cooler water temps so the fish will be a little slower and the bulkier skirt will slow the fall and allow me to reel the bait slower and still keep it in the zone I'm fishing. The third thing is the blade configuration, it is one that can be used in just about every situation but I like it for spring because the Indiana blade spins fast enough with a good amount of surface area to provide a good amount of flash but it still has a wider arc and deeper cup to give the bait some solid vibration which is helped out with the Colorado kicker blade. Last, but not least is the wire, in the late spring and summer I would normally make my baits with a little more wire coming out of the head with a tiny bit more angle to help it come through grass better but since I don't need to worry about that at this time I shorten the length as it makes the bait stronger and stiffer which also helps amplify the vibration. So there you have it, and this is why I make my own spinnerbaits from bending the wire and pouring the heads to making and tying the skirt, it gives me total control with the hook that I want and there is endless possibilities with wire sizes, you just have to know what affect every change you make does to the bait and finding that out is the fun part.

6'9" ML-XF St. Croix Avid X with Spiderwire Ultimate Mono 8#.

I'm sure you aren't as bad as you say.

I use to like the Gene Larew Sweet Swimmer and the Keitech Easy Shiner until I tried the River Rock Baits RR Striker, it is right in between both of those baits, the sweet swimmer is 3.5" and the Keitech one I liked was 4" but the River Rock RR Striker is 3.75" and I find that to be perfect for my fishing. Dark Baby Bass and Alewife are my 2 favorite colors.

The spinnerbait is my favorite bait by far, I've learned to use it and it is the bait that actually got me started in making tackle. The biggest mistake I see anglers make with learning the spinnerbait is using it during times that a moving bait isn't ideal. Summer day with no breeze and high water temps is when I see a lot of guys throw them and this isn't an ideal time. Also the places tend to be wrong, I like using short 6'6" and 6'9" MH rods with fast actions or heavy power rods with a mod-fast action because I'm making short roll cast to targets like deadfalls and laydowns, weedbed lanes and under overhanging trees. Depth also plays a part but when I teach someone about using a spinnerbait I like to start with the shallow target areas where you can get a few bites to gain confidence with it before looking at slow rolling. If you want to gain confidence, try using a double willow or a Indiana/Colorado combo in the 3/8oz range and fish it on days when there is wind and at least passing clouds, it sounds cliché but I've had tremendous days with spinnerbaits when the wind was kicking at 30MPH. Seriously, days when there is a little wind, this causes chop on the water and it breaks up the outline of the bait, and if there is anyone else fishing for bass, use a different color other than white, or chartreuse, or white and chartreuse, I won a small club tournament on a Indiana/Colorado blade come 1/2oz spinnerbait in a gold/purple color pattern and second place was 6lbs behind and everyone was using a spinnerbait, I believe I was the only angler not throwing a bait that was white, chartreuse or some version of that color. Once you get a few fish and gain confidence, it will be easier to try slow rolling or yo-yo type retrieves because you will know that you have caught fish on it and it does work but try starting shallow around cover, Jimmy Houston made a career out of spinnerbait fishing shallow cover.

A few years back Rapala had made most of the popular sizes of DT cranks in a "Sure set" series. They are identical DT cranks only the sure set series had the sure set hook on the rear of the bait and there is good and bad in that hook. I like them on my flat sided DT Flat 7 baits as I fish them in cool water mostly and a lot of times fish just nip and get the back hook and it is normally the big point that gets them. That said, I have landed a lot of fish I normally would have lost due to that hook but the downside is that it typically bends out after only a couple fish, sometimes all it takes is for one good size fish to lay waste to it and that part stinks. So what you got is new old stock sure set series, use it or replace the hook, if you go to the Rapala website you'll see what hook sizes they use for the DT-10 so you can put a replacement on it when the time comes.

If you never encountered when one sound is better then you haven't used them long enough or fished with enough different anglers. I have a variety and with good cause, because there are times, for whatever reason, that one type will out produce others. Last fall, middle October we would get bit on regular rattle traps, chrome blue back and chrome black back, but we wouldn't get them hooked up as the first jump the fish was gone. We got 10 or 12 fish in as many cast but they really weren't hitting it good, so my buddy pulls out a chrome blue back knock-n-trap, rattle trap with a one knocker, he began catch the fish that were hitting the rattling bait with closed mouths, at least that is what we think was happening. Yep, the only difference in those baits is the sound and my buddy didn't lose a single fish that hit the one knocker and it was even the same color, so I'm guessing the sound had something to do with it. For myself, if I get on a lipless crank bite, and it is a rattling bait, I find that if I'm getting smaller fish, switching to a one knocker will sometimes get the larger fish to hit, sometimes it stays the same and sometimes you don't get bit. It is experimental and I find that I catch more fish on rattling baits but the larger ones are caught on one knockers, if it is the sound or just luck I'm not sure but I've had many a day in which traps wouldn't draw a strike but a Cordell super spot would get slammed and vise versa, and when I judge these things I take into account the color, if the color is different I don't include it because the pattern may have had something to do with triggering the strike, who knows. So all I can say is experiment and see what happens and keep a log of what type of bait worked and didn't work, you'll be surprised at what you may find out.

Different worms for different presentations. The Mann's Jelly worms are used for Texas rigging 99% of the time, it is a perfect worm for that. The trick worm is fished like a jerkbait weightless as well as used on a shaky head and drop shot, wacky rig and Texas rigged.

Here it goes, my list of deadly cold water cranks. The Rapala Shad Rap #5 and #7, the Rapala DT Flat 7, Bagley Balsa Shad #5, Storm Wiggle Wart, Bagley Sunny B medium runner, Rapala DT-6, and the Bomber Flat A Deep.

Those are 2 completely different baits, the Staysee 90 is a small profile bait, the Strike King KVD deep is an inch longer and weighs a little more. If I'm looking at fishing for smallmouth or in exceptionally clear water I'm going to go with a Staysee, if it is largemouth and/or slightly stained water, I'd go for the KVD since it has a larger profile.

The cost will depend on a few things, they type of jig you want to pour and the hooks you use and how many colors you want to start with. Then you have melting pots and molds and lead and I recommend using good lead and not wheel weights, there are you tube videos showing what zinc contamination does to lead and it doesn't take much. So the cheapest way would be to get a dipping type pot and a small ladle, those 2 items will run $40, then the hooks and paint and skirt material, I'd say on the cheap side it would be around $200, that will get you around 50 jigs or so. There will be those who say that they can get a hot plate and a small cast iron pot and you can save money like that but it isn't very efficient or safe. 1. Melting pot - bottom pour or ladle 2. Lead 3. Mold 4. Hooks 5. Paint - vinyl - powder - air brush 6. Skirt material - silicone - rubber 7. PPE - cotton mill gloves, safety glasses This is a list to get you started and understanding that it will take time before it begins to save you money is the right way to go about it. What eventually happens if you stick with it is that the jigs you choose to make become more expendable so you fish them in heavier cover and that leads to more and bigger fish, good luck.

I throw jigs in the Susquehanna river, and I throw smaller profile jigs as I'm dealing with clear water most of the time. A jig and trailer is actually a great bait for smallmouth but it needs to be used during the right time and in the right places. For my river, I'm normally targeting slack water behind a boulder or an eddy close to the bank and the jig is normally 3/8oz and less. When the water is low and clear the jigs I use will be between 1/8oz and 1/4oz, when the water gets high with some color, then I will use something around 5/16oz to 3/8oz. As Gundog mentioned, moving water will pull on line and you need to watch current so if you fish the jig in current, it need to be moving with the current down stream, not upstream but try smaller jigs with a small craw or chunk trailer next to a laydown or boulder in slack or slow moving water.

What kind of jig? Hair, silicone, rubber? Do you want to pour the jig or just get heads and tie? Do you want to paint the heads? Do you want to make weedless jigs or just jig heads? You have to be much more specific in what you are wanting to know.

For me, straight shank hooks are for use with heavy power rod with 50lb braid, any line with a MH rod will get a heavy wire EWG and if I'm fishing a medium heavy or medium power rod with 12# or less line, then it is a regular wire offset hook and the worm size determines if it is a round bend or EWG style.

They are the "blister pack" Cotton Cordell baits you find at Walmart. They will catch fish but the box Cotton Cordell super spots work better and as much lower speeds but the blister pack ones work fine too, just a little different.