smalljaw67

My killers are jerkbaits and burning 1/2oz spinnerbaits but it is usually in early Fall or late Spring when these are a problem. The reason is I'm really aggressive with the jerkbaits at those times so there isn't the long pause you normally use in cold water. The spinnerbaits at that time are tough because if you are burning it and get bit, there is a good chance that bite last most of the day if not all day.

Where on TW did you read this???

Jerkbait season is coming up here in PA , it may be right now for you, but that is suspending jerkbaits. I use jerkbaits all year but I use floating style jerkbaits when the water temp runs higher than 62 degrees. The short time I had with the Rapala Shadow Rap told me it is a killer bait, so grab a shallow and deep version of those. The Elite 8 Rattlin Rogue, those are very good and they will get down close to 8' on 10lb line. The best deep diving jerkbait I know of is the Luck Craft Staysee but I wouldn't throw it from shore, I'd opt for the deep husky jerk from Rapala. Those baits I mention are less expensive and it will let you enough money to get an extra bait or 2, and before I forget, the award for best cheap jerkbait goes to Storm for the Twitch Stick! I really like them and I have an assortment of both the size 10 and size 8, the only problem is the size 8 wants to float to fast and I found a single suspend dot right before the front treble is all it takes to make it suspend really well. The size 10 is 5/8oz so it is at the maximum of your range but the rod should be able to handle it.

I understand what you're saying but you didn't get the right perspective. Go out and use the Tourney special for a solid 2 to 3 hours making a lot of casts and then put it down and pick up one of your better outfits, that will tell you all you need to know. The least expensive rod that I purchased myself is an Abu Garcia Vendetta, I really like the rod and feel it fishes above its price point, I got it to use on the small boat fishing river smallmouth as it will work well for several techniques and if it gets broke no harm no foul. Now, when I use that rod and go pick up one of my better outfits, the difference is night and day and it isn't just weight, it is what you feel, everything feels as if it is amplified, and when you go through that process it makes it hard to imagine not having that to go to when you really need the extra sensitivity and lighter weight.

I have fished the Avid X spinning rods and I've handled the casting rods, a 7' MH-F would be great for you out of a Kayak but that would be the longest I'd go with. By using a split grip with the small guides, it really made the blank come to life. Good luck on whatever you choose.

It will fish well, remember, this has a different action than a Sammy. I use both this and the Sammy, there is 2 reasons, the first is they make a color in the Walking Dawg that gets hammered when dragon flies are around, and the second is the action is a little different. As I stated earlier, this doesn't have the same side to side as the Sammy, it does move left and right but not as far but the chugging style mouth makes a bigger splash than the Sammy which is why I like that bait in dirty water.

X5 !!!!!! Nothing less talked about but it catches fish everywhere.

That color looks like the Cabelas Walking Dawg! They aren't as good as a Sammy but they do work well, the Sammy has a wider glide that moves effortlessly while the Cabelas version only moves a short distance to the side. The thing is, the Cabelas version has a little more pop, but they do a good job when working them fast as they make a lot of noise and displace a lot of water. Again, the Sammy is better but this does work and I like using it when the water is stained because it pops more than the Sammy.

I have a Smoke rod, a 7'MH-F and it is 3.7oz on my postal scale and the rod is not only light but very sensitive and the power is freaky considering how light it is. For the price they are hard to beat and often over looked, my buddy hates Quantum and cusses at me to this day because he had to get one after using mine.

I like them, use them and the holder is the reason!! I use to use the Gamakatsu flipping hook but the shrink tube keeper kept sliding down the shank of the hook pulling the bait down and tearing it up. The Trokar works well, I never had a single one slip on me and every single Gamakatsu I used the keeper slipped.

Methiolate.

I hate the weight of glass but I love the action! What I like is that glass rods have a gradual power curve, you hook into a big fish and it is pulling and the rod gives and then as you get it close, the fish surges under the boat and the rod still has some give, even under full pressure and it makes it tough for fish to throw a hook. With graphite rods, the action comes from the taper and so you have a moderate action but what you get is a rod that is soft and bends to a specific point and shuts off abruptly. For shallow cranking and even mid depth stuff I like graphite but any deeper than 10' and I'll use glass because I like the fact that I can have the fish under control without the rod being fully bent into the backbone, it is a personal preference as that gradual power band of the glass rod just makes me feel more confident in deep diving cranks.

The jig, easiest lure to fish, but the hardest to learn! Great job on catching them!!!

The foam you used isn't what is used on the video, listen to what is said, Poly-Fil Bio Based Foam Pad, not batting. You found your own problem as batting is too dense, the foam pad is what is described as open cell so it will always try to expand, the batting material is similar to memory foam. You're using the wrong material, that is why it isn't working for you.

The 5" spade Tail Worm was a good bait, it out produced anything else I used when the water was stained. The biggest problem with Trigger X is they seemed to be a little stiffer and not as lively as other soft plastics and that is probably the reason they didn't sell very well.

I'm a big believer in technique specific rods for my use and it comes from using 1 rod for everything and then trying something and realizing how much better a certain bait works on a certain rod.

Dwight has given you the easiest explanation, treble hooks you want moderate, single hooks fast.

The new model HMG is hard to beat at the price point, I have a bunch of Fenwick rods anymore, they offer me great performance at a value price point. The Mojo with the SCII graphite isn't a bad rod but the HMG is going to be lighter with better sensitivity, I haven't got a look at the new one with the SCII graphite but if you are going to get the Mojo then wait for the new one, if you want it soon the HMG will fit the bill and I'll bet you will like it.

It depends on water clarity and cover, if it is clear and / or weedy then a creature bait, if there is wood and open pockets with stained water (less that 2' visibility) then a jig is what I'm going to use.

What didn't work? I did it and it worked perfectly, you just have to make sure you get foam that is 1/2" thick and you cut it 1/4" wider and 1/8" longer and it will hold nice and snug. I could see if it falling out if you are trying to store 1/2oz and 3/4oz striper buck tails but even my 1/4oz stay in with no problem.

I make my own swim jigs and here is what I go with. I use a color silicone called silver neon which is bright and replicates the flash of a shiner, then I add another color called silver ghost which has an iridescent pearl with gray stripes along the length. Then the trailer is a Keitech Easy Shiner in a color called Silver Flash Minnow, that combination will give you a nice representation but pearl and gray will work just as well..

My rule of thumb is that when you have clear water, 3' or more visibility or highly pressured areas, go with a silent model and stained water, 1' or less visibility, you use a rattling version. Now, when you have a lightly stained water where it has color and around 2' - 2.5' of visibility, well I'll start silent and change if the fish aren't responding. Right now in my area we haven't had much rain so the water is clear and what is funny is there is a good reaction bite going on with square bills, a Bagley's Rattlin' Killer B2 is bluegill has been the best bait by far and as the name implies, it has a rattle. That leads me to another part of rattle or silent, what about the pitch of the rattle? The Bagley bait I'm using is their new plastic version and the rattle sound it makes is a low pitch, it is the only square bill I have with rattles that sounds like it and it is working. So I guess the best thing to do is start with what you are confident with and then adjust based on what the fish are, or aren't, telling you.

Try this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0jT1Sdn5QE

I'm a big fan or Rattlin' Rogues and X-Raps but the Pointers are a must have. Don't stop using the others though, I found I do better having a few different brands and it is because they all have different triggering properties. What I believe makes the Pointer so good is that when you stop it, it stops, some baits will glide a bit but the Pointer stops dead. Another thing, well actually two things, the first is that it suspends over a broader range of temperatures than most and it has a slight wobble or vibration when you stop it and that sitting in place while having that subtle little motion seems to make fish crazy and they smack it. There are certain times when other baits are more effective, if the water is clear but has color to it, a Rattlin' Rogue is tough to beat, and I've had days where it was a much better bait but when it is tough and the fish are finicky is when the Pointer shines.

You mean the E6X from Loomis and I'll tell you right now, I've only held the E6X but I have actually fished the Avid X and just holding both the difference is night and day. The Avid X is light and responsive and it fishes the same way as it feels, yet it is deceptively powerful and the only way the E6X can come close is by fishing much better than the feel because it is heavy compared to the Avid X and the actions are slower, in fact the Avid X is the next rod on my list. I don't mean to knock the E6X, it does seem to be an upgrade over the GL2 but it isn't on the same level with the Avid X and being only $11 more, the Avid X is a no brainer.