smalljaw67

I'd be clearing them out at that price!!! Those colors have most situations and water clarity covered and that is a good square bill, it is slowly becoming a favorite of mine.

If you go to Captain Hooks you can get 1000 500BP Lil Nasty jig hooks in a size 10 up to a size 1 for $34.30. Not only is the reel set going to work but the hook also holds better and doesn't open as easily as the round bends do. I use a lot of Eagle Claw black platinum hooks anymore, I believe they are not only as good as the Mustad hooks, but better and some will scoff at what I'm going to say next but it is my opinion. I use 2 brands of Aberdeen style hooks, Eagle Claw and Owner, the Owner hook I like is the 5318 super needle point and the Eagle Claw I like the 500BP Lil Nasty. The Lil Nasty is actually as sharp as the Owner and because of the sickle bend it is actually stronger but that is one of the reasons for hooks to have sproat, O'Shaughnessy, or sickle bends, it helps hold the fish but actually makes it harder to bend the hook out. I have nothing against Owner either, I use the 5313 as well as the 5304 on a regular basis and I also like the 5318 and I use it for small 1/16oz and 1/8oz weedless ball jigs because I like the extra bite I get from the round bend and the only hook as sharp as the Lil Nasty is the Owner.

I have 9 boxes, but I make my own so I have them separated into catagories. I have 30 high speed spinnerbaits, 15 slow roll spinnerbaits, 10 wake spinnerbaits, 10 all-purpose spinnerbaits , and 20 small spinnerbaits. The small ones are 1/4oz models with double willow configuration and the reason they are all double willows is because I use the small ones only during clear water situations. This is an abnormal amount but it is because I make my own so I'm always trying new blades or tweaking the wire form size which leads to a high number.

It is a hard question for me because there are a few things that get bigger fish but it depends on the conditions. In summer, clear water conditions it is a T-Rigged 10" of 12" worm, in dirty water it would be a larger jig and trailer combination. In Fall during clear water it would be a 5" or 6" hollow belly swim bait, in dirty water it would be larger square bill. In the spring it may be a buzzbait no matter what the clarity or a larger jerkbait or mid depth crankbait. And as you already know, the rods and reels change with each different presentation.

That is exactly my point!!

There are a lot of what I call "casual" anglers that come here and it doesn't take too long before they begin to suffer sticker shock. I mean no offense by it, what I mean is most anglers are casual anglers and usually use a rod and reel combo that cost less than what more serious anglers pay just for a single reel or rod. My neighbor was watching me out in the yard teaching my grandson to cast a casting reel and it was a less expensive set up, a TD Advantage on an Abu Garcia Vendetta, he said that he never seen a combo like that and figured it was probably expensive and I said no, it was one of the cheapest set-ups I own. When he asked how much I said the reel I paid like $125 and the rod was $80, he said in these exact words, "You must be made of money is that is what you consider a cheap rod and reel" , but this guy like to fly RC planes so I think he spends a lot and it lead to a neat discussion. That brings me to my point, you may think it is really strange that a lot of us pay what seems like a lot of money on this sport or hobby, but the truth is that you probably spend a lot of money of something that serious anglers may look at in the same way, fishing is awesome because you can do it on the cheap, in the middle, or on the hig end and accomplish the same thing.

I have the HMG 7'2" M-MF casting, I like it for square bills down to DT-10s, for those it is an awesome rod but any deeper the resistance begins to get into the backbone of the rod so no deep cranking. For the Alabama rig I'd look at getting the Elite Tech Bass 7'9" XH-F unless you intend to use a small A-rig. DVT, the 7'2" M-MF HMG is a strange rod, it is a medium but it is rated 3/8oz to 1oz and it is why I use it for square bills and such, it is a mod fast action and becasuse it gets into the backbone quickly with that length, it gives it the handling capacity of a medium heavy rod while having the forgiveness of a medium power rod. I can rip traps off of grass with it and bang square bills through light brush and over chunk rock and rip rap with it no problem yet it is soft enough for wiggle warts and DT-10 type cranks and I'm comfortable fishing baits that dive to 12' or so with it, a DT-14 is where you begin to feel you used up all the tip.

You are probably thinking of the Eagle Claw 570 but there are actually a bunch of different ones like colored versions but I won't get into those. There are the regular bronze 570 which I avoid, then there are the laser sharp bronze 570, they are good but I don't get those either. There is a black platinum model that is 570BP and then the one I like is the L570BP, the "L" means laser sharp and the "BP" means black platinum finish. Those will all work for the NED rig but the newest ones that I really like are the 500BP Lil Nasty jig hooks, these are Eagle Claw's version of the sickle hook only the wire is better than Matzuo's and they are just as sharp, if not sharper, wicked hooks that penetrate with very little pressure. If you don't want Eagle Claw you can get the Mustad 32746 or another hook I sometimes use is the Owner 5318 super needle point, a lot of hooks out there for that kind of head.

They are good hooks but it looks like you ordered just one size in each finish. I see a few baits where those hooks can possibly foul because you upsized the hook but the shank is the normal type and not a short shank which I don't believe there is a Barbarian short shank.

If you go to my You Tube channel (smalljaw), I did a video on how easy it is to wire tie, just search wire tying swim jig. The method I use involves make the skirt with an o-ring with a 3/16" inside diameter, it will hold the skirt tabs tight while getting the wire in position and yet easily roll off when you're done. I wrap both ends of the wire and instead of pulling on each side, I put the wire ends together and grab with a needle nose pliers and pull up, this tightens the wire wile leaving the skirt tabs in position because the force is applied equally to both side, check out the video, it is very easy.

That is the old model which wasn't $400. I suggested the Avid because it is under $200 and they make a model that matches what he is looking for and I believe is better. I have a G.Loomis SJR 722 IMX and the same in a GL3 and I happen to know the Fenwick line pretty well also and there isn't anything as close as that model Avid. The 2 piece thing was a suggestion but the rod is a lot longer than what he is looking for. As for finding a rod that was matched in the Fenwick line, I don't think it will happen, they seem to be following the trend of longer rods in their bass rods and to be honest the medium light is the closest you are going to get unless you look at the Trout,crappie and panfish stuff.

The Aetos is actually lighter and more sensitive than the IMX in the classic spin jig line up but they don't make one that short or that light in power. There is an Elite Tech Walleye that I was told was really good, a couple guys I know that are good hair jig anglers use them for fishing hair jigs as they can detect a light bite really well. I never used one and the other problem is the length and power, they make a 5'9" but it is a medium power and after that they have a 6'3" ML-XF which is still more powerful than the light action Loomis. That is the closest they have in terms of length and power. There is another option but they are 2 piece rods and the one you'd want is longer at 6'9" but it is a light power rated 1/32oz to 5/16oz, it is the Elite Tech River Runner, most in the series are ultra light but this one is a light power with a fast action, I know the trout guys love them but it is too long, so that is about all you are going to find in the Fenwick line up. If you are willing to go up to like $180, there is a St. Croix Avid 6' Light power, fast action that will probably feel very similar to the IMX you have but it will be lighter in terms of weight, that is what I would look at, $30 more than the Fenwick but it will be better than what you are looking to match.

My favorite brand of Jerkbait is Smithwick without a doubt. I like a lot of different brands but if I could only buy 1 brand it would be Smithwick because the Rogues just flat out catch fish. The other reason is they have models and sizes to cover every depth and every situation.

It is no secret that I'm a fan of Fenwick but that isn't why I'm going with the others and recommending the Silver Hawk too. Fenwick is owned by pure fishing and if you hold a Silver Hawk and a Vendetta side by side, you're likely to notice a very similar feel. I believe the 30 ton blank the Vendetta is built on is the same used for the Silver Hawk since that too is built on a 30 ton blank. The Vendetta isn't a bad rod at all at the price point, but the Silver Hawk uses better grips and guides by far, you get Fuji alconite guides on a rod that goes on sale for $60 with regularity. Wait for a sale at Cabelas and grab a Silver Hawk, it is basically an upgraded Vendetta that is less expensive when on sale.

Before I address all your questions you really need to get some stuff straight. The Ballistic EX is a Daiwa product, not Abu Garcia, and the Mojo you listed is a jig and worm rod, it isn't going to help with jerkbaits and square bills. Slow down and look at rod actions and power and look to see who is making the stuff you listed.

In clear water I'm almost always throwing a square bill in a bluegill or ghost minnow type pattern. The only requirements for me is that it has to be very real looking or translucent and the bait is always moving fast in clear water except for cold water but that is another story.

Quantum Tour MG, 5.4oz 120yd 12lb line for $279.99.

They mimic the fall of a tube with a wide spiral on the fall, that could draw some strikes. What I see it the gliding jigs as is a presentation on the same lines as a shaky head and drop shot in that it is a finesse presentation. You have a drop shot which catches fish near the bottom but not always on the bottom, then you have a shaky head which catches fish while being worked along the bottom and the gliding jig is going to be a presentation that gets fish while falling to the bottom. so you make the cast and let it free fall until it hits bottom and then pick it up and let it fall again, it would be worked like a jigging spoon or stroked like a jig. I don't see it as a gimmick but a different look.

If I were you I wouldn't worry as everyone has different needs. I recommend angler should stay away from them when they are wanting to get a little more serious with their bass fishing. Not everyone is serious about it, some, like yourself are content with hitting a pond or lake and cast from the shore a couple times a week and those less expensive reels with graphite frames are made for that. The person that is going out 8 to 10 hours a day 3 to 5 times a week and is chucking cranks and spinnerbaits or fishing T-rigs and jigs with 30lb to 50lb braid, those guys do better by staying away from graphite framed reels, and as DVT already mentioned, not all graphite is created equal.

I have a Fenwick HMG 7'2" M-MF, it is a medium but it is rated for 3/8oz to 1oz, kind of strange. The rod is super versatile, I can take a KVD 1.5 and burn it through light brush and bounce it off rip rap and then tie on a DT-10 and be perfectly fine. I love it for baits down to 12' and while I have, and can use for a DT-14 in a pinch, that is better for my glass rod but anything down to 12' is fantastic.

Minnow style baits tend to roll, like the Smithwick Rogue, also flat sided cranks will flash hard as they have a very tight wiggle but the hard flashing is from rolling side to side very fast.

If the Banjo Minnow would have been sold in 5 packs at Cabela's or Bass Pro Shops they would have been considered revolutionary. The only reason they were a gimmick was because they were sold on an infomercial, the thing works well and it is responsible for teaching a lot of anglers about nose hooking soft plastics. My friend is on the old infomercial, he was at the Eastern Outdoor Show when they shot it and he got a bunch of Banjo Minnows for letting them use his footage. I was also in a tournament when a guy won and that is what he was using but since then we learned that nose hooked flukes and other soft plastics are very effective when nose hooked.

Almost every hook today is chemically sharpened so it is hard for one hook to be sharper than another. The difference people feel is the point, and there are basically 2 different points and both have pros and cons. VMC has the cone cut point, Mustad has the ultra point, and Eagle Claw has the needle point, these are all the same type of point, they act like a spear tip or awl, the point penetrates and then the bend of the hook holds. The you have Owner, Gamakats, and Trokar which have cutting points, these are like broad heads on an arrow, the tip is sharp but the edges are also sharp. Cutting point hooks are often thought of as being sharper but the truth is they just have a larger area of sharpness but that doesn't make it the best. I will replace hooks on baits based on a few things, like strength, hooks get a bad rap, especially on jerkbaits but the truth is we use heavier tactics than what the bait was designed for and that is usually the reason a hook bends. Now, Strike King hooks are sharp, but they bend easily and on a crankbait they could put a stronger hook on, crankbaits aren't as weight sensitive as a jerkbait or topwater. For my treble hooks, I prefer cutting points on some baits and needle points on others, baits that get swiped at I like using a treble with a round bend because they have a better hooking percentage, baits that get sucked in deep more often I like the EWG style as that style holds fish better. So I try to replace my hooks with the one I think will work the best.

The reason Sally Hansen's "Hard as Nails" works better than others is because it does get harder than others and it is really thin so it penetrates deep in to the thread. I've tried the cheap clear nail polish and there is a reason it is cheap, it will not stay clear and after fishing my hair jigs, the ones I don't loose right away seem to have bare thread with no protection. The only other stuff worth putting on is Hard as Hull head cement.

I like spider Wire Ultimate Mono in 6lb but the P-Line you listed will work well too. The reason I wouldn't use the fluorocarbon is it sinks and could cause it to fall faster than you'd like. Braid will work for you with a leader so that would be fin, I don't use it because I will fish that in cold water and with braid being no stretch, I end up feeling the bite a hair faster and it causes me to set the hook a tiny bit quicker and that isn't good in cold water but for you it should be fine I'd think.