smalljaw67

That taper isn't particularly good for anything but moving baits, spinnerbait and even chatterbaits may be ok but I wouldn't use it for anything you need to feel with and the power isn't enough for a C-rig.

When we have low clear water the smallmouth won't commit to a fluke fished on top and they want the bait fast but as soon as it hits the surface they turn away. There are also times when they swipe at it, that is another situation for the hard jerkbait.

Pure fishing did get the exclusive right to the 3M nano silica resin but to say the pros are getting supped up rods is pure speculation. In fact most manufacturers do their best to show that the anglers get the same stuff as anyone else and they each has their own way. I know IKE said he will often get rod shipments from retailers instead of company direct and if he needs a rod he knows what store to get them at. For example, when they came to the Delaware river last year, Ike stayed back and did some video shoots with local pro Pete Gluzek, he broke a rod and it is on video, he replaced the rod at a local Dicks Sporting goods, he just saves the receipt and gets reimbursed. It is also part of the reason the Marshall system is in place, I know a few guys from my local club that have done the marshall deal and one of the guys got Skeet Reese and the question he gets from 99% of his marshalls is the same thing, " Are they really the same rods in the stores" and they are invited to pick them up and inspect if they wish to. These guys don't need better equipment, the value rods today are perfectly fine and it doesn't matter if they had a cane pole, the electronics are just incredible so no more fishing blind.

I have 3 different lines of Fenwick rods, I have spinning and casting in both the Elite Tech Smallmouth and Aetos lines and I have a casting version of the new HMG and I can tell you that I never dreamed $100 can get you this much rod. I have had the pleasure of using the *** and to me performance of both are very similar, head to head I'd give a slight edge to the ***, it is lighter, not by a lot but you can feel it, and it has a more modern look if that is important. The HMG is well balanced with great deal of sensitivity, both rods are similar in that aspect but your choices are limited in the HMG. You are looking at a 7'3" Heavy, the HMG doesn't have it, they have a 7' MH and a 7'6" MH but I will say that after fishing them both the HMG fishes a little heavier than the ***, the medium HMG is similar to a MH ***. My recommendation is to stay with the ***, and there are a couple of reasons but the biggest reason is that it is a lateral move, you aren't getting a better or a worse rod, you are getting about the same rod but I think you would like the HMG if you did try one, but you really like the *** so I'd stay with that if I were you.

I only have a few smaller baits that come with 3 hooks, most are 4.5" and larger. I like a Super Rogue Jr, the bait is 4 and 1/8" in length and comes with 2 sets of hooks and on 12lb like it gets down to 5' to 5.5' and suspends really well in 45 to 50 degree water temps. I have only a few jerkbaits that are 4" and less with 3 sets of hooks but I will tell you this, in my experience, long jerkbaits with 3 sets of hooks will still hook a fish in the eye every now and again with the middle hook removed, in fact it will happen more often with the middle hook removed. Removing the middle hook makes it easier to remove the bait, that is true but if the fish are on and you have the right bait then the fish will hit it at the head and that results in the fish being hooked on the front set of trebles. On a long jerkbait if the fish is hooked on the front set, it leaves the back free to swing around but if there is a middle set of treble hooks, it usually ends up pinning the entire bait to the mouth of the fish which makes it hard on the angler but it keeps the bait from swinging around for the tail trebles to latch on to and eye.

I throw jerkbaits all year as long as I have clear water, that is key. I use mostly floating jerkbaits in the warm water months but I do use 2 suspending models, the Rapala X-Rap, and the Lucky Craft Flash Minnow. I use soft jerkbaits normally but when you have clear water a lot of times you have to really move the bait and keep it moving, when you do that with a fluke type bait it will often come to the surface to quick and you have to pause it and the fish will turn and leave it. When that scenario happens, that is when you pick up a bait like a Rapala Original floater or Flat Rap and you can really get some great reaction strikes as you are basically working the bait frantically non-stop and the fish has to hit it or let it go and these can be some of the most violent hits of the season as the fish are not trying to eat as much as they are trying to kill, but you need good water clarity, 3' or more.

Here is your problem, you are what me and my fishing friends call "lawn chair superstars" , it is just in fun but basically what we mean by that is you are in a weird place and I'll explain. Most anglers on these forums are bass anglers that use higher cost equipment and fish mostly artificial lures but we are the minority and I know that as people who don't fish think anything over $40 is expensive for a fishing rod or reel. Anyway, most live bait anglers use what you can find on the rack at Wally world for 30 bucks or so and in that world, the ugly stick reigns supreme, but then there are the "lawn chair superstars", these are anglers that are fishing live bait but using better graphite rods and better reels, they have outfits that cost between $90 - $200 and you are looking at the same thing. Here is the problem, most anglers know the more expensive rods are better but when it comes to fishing live bait, patience is more important and so is casing ability, the strikes are visual mostly unless you hold your rod in your hands and most guys I know that do that hold the line so sensitivity isn't a big concern either. If I were you I'd take a serious look at a rod like the Berkley Cherrywood HD, get one around 7' with a Pfluger purist or president reel and you'll have a really good worm set up that will cast just fine as the problem is probably your reel from what it sounds like. Abu Garcia rods are going to be too fast in action to cast night crawlers with consistently so go with the cherry wood and you'll be fine, and there is nothing wrong with fishing that way, it is less expensive and is the way most people fish because you don't need the lightest rods and reels that will let you make a thousand casts a day or hold up to that kind of use, most bass angler make as many casts in 1 day as most people who fish with live bait do in 6 months. With your type of fishing the best way to do it is to kip it simple and don't over spend, a good rod in the $30 to $50 range is fine, same with the reel.

I'll try to help you, the first thing you need to know is you can't buy the rivets you need at Home Depot or any other hardware stores. The reason is the rivet used as a bearing on a buzz bait is a blind or pop rivet without the mandrel, they have to be ordered that way. The other thing is you'd need to know what the size wire that the buzz bait head is poured on and the wire diameters vary, smaller buzz baits around 1/4oz often use .045" diameter wire while larger 3/8oz and 1/2oz models use .051 but I have encountered 1/4oz buzz baits that used heavier wire and larger buzz baits that use smaller wire so you would need to know that information.

You can buy a special sinker called a Damiki Neko sinker, it goes into the head of the worm and looks like a mushroom jig head with no hook. Then you can use a wacky hook or a regular worm hook in a size 1 to 2/0 and you insert the hook point into the side of the worm either right on or just above the egg sack, if the worm has one. If you ever wacky rigged a Senko with an O-ring then you already know how the hook is going to come out of the worm, and remember, the worm should be one with high floatation as it is a stand up presentation, there is a good video on you tube showing a better look than the one from ***.

I told you it is fun!!!!! That rod has opened a new world to me, I can fish the small Zell Pops, now the Booyah Boss Pop, very effectively without overpowering it like I use to and the results are terrific, I get more strikes because my baits are working better. My favorite baits so far with this are the Manns 1 minus and Manns Baby X, Sebile Crankster SR 50, The KVD 1.5, and most small 1/4oz poppers. The other really nice thing is my hook up to landing percentage with these baits has gone through the roof, and I can't tell you how many fish I've caught with this rod but I can tell you that I lost 1 and I caught over a hundred fish with it. The thing is a shallow crank beast but sadly it is a one dimensional rod but it is perfect, I even use my DT-6 with it and it is a match made in heaven, an awesome rod for finesse cranks.

I'd go with the suggestion of KP Duty and I'll give you the reasons. The combo you have now is entry level and with a budget of $125 for both rod and reel the set up you'll get for that, unless you find an awesome used set up, is going to be only marginally better. Yes, it will catch fish for you but you want something better than what you have, why get something marginally better when you can save just a little bit more and get something exceptionally better, and it doesn't have to be a lot more either, $200 can get you a decent set up these days. For $100 you can get either a Pflueger Supreme casting reel or a Lews LFS Speed Spool, both are extremely good reels at that price and for another $100 you can grab a *** *** Black, or a Fenwick HMG, Duckett Ghost plus a bunch of others at that price and it will be incredible compared to what you are using now, you won't believe what you were missing and you'll understand immediately why most of us on these boards spend a little more for rods and reels.

I'm not as bad as you but I am similar. I'm left handed, I bat right and throw left, eat left and left eye dominant. I cast with my left hand and reel with my right so I use right handed bait casting reels, but spinning reels are different, I still cast with my left but then I switch hands and reel with my left, it just feels natural that way and even though I reel with my right with a casting reel, it feels messed up with spinning so I just leave it like that.

If I could only have one, well put me in the minority but I'll take the straight tail worm. The reason being is I can catch fish in any condition with a straight tail worm, ribbon tails are more warm water oriented but can be used on active fish in cooler water. Not only that but I've been taught some pretty good techniques with a straight tail worm from a good friend that I consider an expert at finesse fishing, he taught me there is a lot more ways to use a straight tail worm than just the normal drop shot and shaky head.

I can't answer all your questions but I can say this, I fish the Susquehanna river and the main stem and lower end have changed. It has turned from a numbers fishery to a trophy fishery due to pollution which is a big reason for a smaller fish population but it lead to massive size smallmouth. I watched in horror as a man fishing with an ultra light set up with 4lb line in the middle of July battled a 4lb smallmouth, he released the fish after a 20 minute battle (22 minutes by my watch), and 5 minutes after the fish was released we found it floating in an eddy just a few feet away. If you plan to fish the river, please use at least a medium power rod with 8lb line, 6lb is more for those with experience in that situation, normally this isn't a problem but the fishery is in trouble and needs all the help I can get, so please, use the right tackle for the fish you plan to target.

Lure finishes vary, some are really tough and last, while others chip and scratch easily. Don't look at price as a way to tell if a finish is good, I have a few Luck Craft baits with paint flaking off but don't let it get to you, they still work.

Look for a good medium heavy, fast action, that should work well but stay away from jig and worm technique specific rods as they tend to be faster actions and with a spinnerbait you will want a little tip. I am very specific with spinnerbaits, I make my own baits because of it and I have specific rods just for spinnerbaits but they are wildly different models. I have a 6' MH-F custom made for slinging 1/2oz blades under overhanging trees, I have a 6'6" MH-F for most of my spinnerbaits 1/2oz to 3/4oz and I roll or underhand cast to specific targets and then I have a 7' MH-F, this is for burning spinnerbaits along bare banks and clearer water where I need a little extra distance. For your situation I would say you need something 7' to 7'3" MH-F and with that just pick a price point and brand and see what you can find that appeals to you.

What length rod are you using? Teaching my grandson to use a casting reel and with a 7' rod he does the same thing so we went 6'6". That little change really helped and when he got use to it we went back to a 7' rod and he was much better, but it could be different for you but I thought I would ask and throw that out there.

I fish a large river for smallmouth and there are times when square bills are the best bait to throw and the regular KVD 1.5 are pretty good. That said, bill angles play a big part in how the bait deflects and comes through cover, I haven't fished the shallow version yet but judging from your post it would seem the lip angle really helps it come through cover better than the regular 1.5.

New ones or old ones? I'm asking because mine seem to be holding up extremely well for getting used pretty hard but I have the original Smoke.

I use RTV silicone for molds, I tried the plaster of paris but I didn't know I had to wait for a week before using it (moisture and hot lead don't mix), so the RTV gets put in the over at 200 degrees for an hour and a half and then you are good to go. Here is your other problem, how are you going to melt the lead? Do you have a furnace like a LEE or an RCBS? If not I strongly advise not using a Coleman camp stove and cast iron pot, if you have never melted lead before there are some safety precautions you should take like gloves and safety glasses but the pot on a stove isn't good. The reason is you will need to use a ladle to pour the lead, and that means keeping the stove, with an open flame, close to you while pouring, cast iron pots hold heat but not enough that will keep the lead molten for too long if you remove it from the flame so the oven needs to stay close. What I would do if I were you is to go to Lure Parts Online and buy buzz bait heads already made and then but the components and then put them together yourself, I've been pouring lead for close to 18 years now and one thing I can tell you is trying to go the cheap route ends up in poor quality baits and ends up in a lot of wasted time, if you only want to make some buzz baits to save some coin, buy the heads and components.

He is sponsored by a company called 10 feet under or 10FU and I'd be willing to bet it is one of their products. That brand is very hard to get, no distributors in the U.S.

The blue trim model is an in-shore model, Casey Ashley opted for that rod at the classic because it has the larger guides than the freshwater version. The nice thing about that is the actions are pretty much the same with the guides being the only difference.

That reel came out in the 90s and it didn't last long, but to be honest you aren't going to get anything remotely new for $10, at least anything that is worth using.

I think it is an under rated rod, I have a 7' MH-F and it is a really good stick for the price. One of my friends hates Quantum with a passion and I told him to fish the rod a bit, it took some coaxing but he finally used it and then at the end of the day he was cussing at me pretty good. He really liked the rod and didn't like the fact it was a Quantum and he liked it so much he got one for himself but he put a piece of electrical taps over the word, Quantum. That is the old model, I do not know about the newer ones, the only thing I do know is they use the same blank so it should still be pretty good.

I make my own spinnerbaits because it is my favorite bait and I use them a bunch. I did make buzz baits for a brief period but my wire former only does up to .041 wire so I had to buy pre made forms and I like to bend my own wire. The other thing is availability, I make my own spinnerbaits because the kind I want don't exist on the shelf, well they didn't when I started making them, I'm totally happy with the War Eagle buzzbait and the cheap Lucky-Strike 1/4oz models you find at Wally world, those are my finesse models. As for the molds, the Do-it keel model works well, it gets up quick and runs straight, that is the only mold I used but I liked that one and it is what I'd get again if I were to get back into it.