smalljaw67

The smaller type used for smallmouth are what I specialize in. I use rabbit, buck tail, marabou and craft fur in my jigs and I often use a combination of buck tail and rabbit, and it is usually done with a rabbit strip tail and a buck tail body. If the picture shows up you'll see a jig that I've been working on the last 2 seasons with a lot of success. It is a 3/16oz mushroom head with a large shuck (type of chenille) under body, a rabbit tail and a buck tail outer body, it works really well as is but we are always looking for improvement.

It may sound funny to you but flipping and pitching are what I use longer rods for, if I'm casting a 3/8oz finesse jig and dragging it along bottom, I'll often use a 6'6" rod, in fact I have a 6'6" jig rod that I use a good bit and not only to drag finesse jigs but bottom hopping 1/2oz flipping style jigs. I like it because if I'm not pitching to targets then I'm casting to them which means I'm not actually far from the target, in clearer water when it isn't good to get too close, that is when the 6'6" MH-F comes out, it allows me to make a roll cast with greater distance than pitching but still get a somewhat soft entry into the water. Now, that maybe a little short but a 6'8" to 7' range would be ideal for a casting jig rod.

I do well with craft fur jigs, it is a different action as it moves more fluidly and it compresses a lot more, I compare its movement to that of marabou. Deer hair is hollow, buck tail is NOT hollow, that is a common misconception, only the bottom hairs on the tail are hollow, then as you move up it is only the portion of the hair that is in the hide that is hollow. Anglers fishing deep impoundments are different than the guys that fish rivers, us river guys fish buck tail when the fish are very inactive because it has very little movement and we are fishing 10' deep or less a lot of the time. The impoundment guys use buck tail when fish are active because it falls faster because of the minnow type profile it creates when it gets wet, if the hair was hollow it would fall much slower and would not be used for deep water fishing except on large 1/2oz or heavier heads which isn't gret when fishing in cold water. I use to believe the same thing until Bob Clouser filled me in a long time ago, I asked him why he used buck tail for the Clouser Minnow since it was hollow and he gave me the scoop, he told me it is a common misconception that a lot of anglers have, they assume because the body hair is hollow that the tail is as well and it isn't, only the bottom hairs and a small porion of the upper hairs and that part gets trimmed off so it doesn't count as he puts it and I take what that guy says as gospel as he knows hair better than I do.

I do not own any of these rods but I'll help you as to know how to compare. First off, the E6X is made in the U.S., that alone makes the price point high versus the Fury which is made overseas. The E6X uses Fuji Aluminum Oxide guides, not the greatest but a decent guide and Fuji quality, the Fury uses Sea-Guide Guides, these are the cheapest OEM guides on the market, these are used on rods like the Berkley Shock and Cherrywood which are considerable less. Just those 2 elements tell me the E6X is above the Fury but to be fair to the Fury series, it isn't designed or made to compete against an E6X, it is an entry level rod to get you in the Dobyns rod line lup, the E6X is designed to also be an entry level rod but it is designed to have more performance than the current entry level rod. I'll be honest with you, the rod markey right now is great for guys that aren't brand loyal, and I say that because you can get a rod priced in between the Fury and the E6X that will out perform both but if you want to try either brand, it is a starting point but in my opinion I think dobyns should have lowered the price on the Saavy rather than introduce a new line.

You can almost tell on the pro circuit what line guys are using based on the rod. Heavy power rods with moderate-moderate fat action are what is being used with braid these days but there is also a growing number of guys using fast action rods with a lot of backbone with heavy fluorocarbon line so if you plan to use braid I'd go with something in the mod or mod fast action. The reason fluorocarbon is becoming popular for heavy grass and cover is the abrasion resistance, a lot of places have wood around the vegetation and braid will fray when it comes into contact with wood and rock. Your thinking is fine and it would be fine, just look as the Scott Martin TCS rods from Okuma, they are designed for fishing grass and almost all have the moderate-mod fast action.

This^^^^ I found a way a long time ago that worked but when I got tired of braid the tip became useless for me. When you go for coffee in the convenience store, grab some coffee stirrers, and cut them in inch, inch and a half long pieces and put a piece on the line first, then tie on your lure, what this does is it stiffens the area of the line that ends up wrapped in the hook or prop, it will save you some frustration. I opt for mono and fishing prop baits is a good way to get a big fish, for some reason they draw bigger than average fish like a buzzbait does.

What makes hair so good when it is cold is the subtle movement, it is very natural and you can't get that with plastic. Yes, plastic does move in cold water, but the movement is not natural because, the fish are cold blooded and it takes a significant amount of heat for the muscles in the fish to have full movement. So when plastic gets stiff, it moves in a wide, unrealistic way, hair on the other hand doesn't get stiff in cold water and the little movements of the hair resemble fin movement and it act more realistic. Now, it doesn't mean that it isn't going to work in summer or warmer water, it just means other presentations are better, and if you look at how the pros approached the ledge fishing, they started out with a crankbait, then went to swim baits or big worms and then before they would leave a spot, they would break out the hair jig, it wasn't first on the list. I tie a 3/.8oz buck tail jig for warm water use, nothing fancy, just a little flash and I use it with a grub trailer and swim it along rocky bottoms, it is basically a buck tail version of the swim jig, it bulks up the grub and it has a baitfish profile and that is what the secret of buck tail is, when it is tied on to a head and then put in the water, it looks like a minnow. My swim jig is for 2 bodies of water I fish that are clear, I use a mix of white and gray buck tail and a smoke colored grub as the trailer, but I wouldn't throw that bait first, that is when other techniques aren't working and that is based on experience, when I learned to tie hair jigs I used them non-stop for a few years and I found that while they do work in warm water, other baits do better.

I had an older one when it was the flagship reel that I gave to a friend and it still works like new. I also have a newer one but in the XT model and I'll be honest, it is very hard to beat that reel in the price point, I honestly believe they could sell the XT version for $200 and it would still be a good deal. The regular supreme has some minor differences but the guts and frame are the same and based on my experience with the XT, I'd guess that regular model is going to be a decent reel.

It is caused by the friction ring, Shimano fixed the problem on the better reels but it appears they left the other versions alone, call customer service and thell them the problem and they will probably send you a friction ring. The old river rats around my area use to call Shimano spinning reels, "ShimBindo" because of the binding problem when they got wet.

It has a wide action like I never saw before. Some dismiss it and others love it, I still can decide on whether to get one or not.

Deps Spiral Minnow or Buzzjet.

If you were talking the Supreme then it would be different. I'm sorry but I think in order to really get a good Shimano spinning reel, it begins at the Stradic. I have told others before that the only reels I ever had fail from any company was 2 Shimano Symetres and the CS told me I should have purchased the better reels, $100 and I get a bad reel doesn't fly with me. I do recognize Shiman makes awesome reels, no doubt but I have used a lot of tackle, being in a club for a long time allowed me to sample a lot of stuff and there are some things that I feel comfortable with. One of those thing is saying that after using my Pflueger Supreme for the last few months that in order to get a reel on equal ground in the Shimano line up you would have to get a Stradic, the Saros is a good performer but the 2500 is more than 2 ounces heavier than the 30 size Pflueger. Now, if you plan on going high end, like a Sustain or Stella, there is no getting better, but Shimano has nothing in the $100 to $150 range than can compete with a Pflueger Supreme, but that is because there focus is on the higher end Stradic and Stradic Ci4+.

A video with JT Kenny is on you tube and he talks about using the light wire hook more often but he goes with a heavier hook option if he knows he is around big fish. I have the tear drop mold and I use the Owner 5319, I didn't know you could use a 60 degree hook in that mold. I use the 32786 with the Snootie mold, a lot of guys like it because it has a different look on the fall and it swims well when reeling it up off of the bottom. For a light wire version I use the Ultra Minnow, but I haven't tied any of those jigs in a while since the extra long buck tail is so hard to find. I'd suggest if you can find buck tail with 5.5" to 6" long hair to stock up, it won't be around long and if you can point me in the direction of that stuff I'd really, really appreciate it!!!

It is 20 lb test, braid is thinner than mono with a lot more strength but that isn't going to be a good line for cranks, at least without a leader. I apologize if I'm wrong but you seem fairly new to this and if that is the case, I'm sure you don't want to have to start tying leaders using fluorocarbon or mono as it just makes it a bit harder. If I were you and I was going to use a square bill crank, I'd get some Berkley Big Game 12lb and use that. As for the rod, $50 bucks won't get a lot but I think the Lightning rod shock is the right rod for you, it is made to use braid so the action is softer than a fast action rod and for crankbaits you will want a little softer action, anything moderate to moderate fast is what you look for in a cranking rod. The reel you have might not be good with the braid you got, that thin diameter on less expensive casting reels can end up getting behind the spool as the tolerances are a little more on casting reels under $100 and most lines under 10lb diameter can end up behind the spool and cause all kinds of problems, that line is more for a spinning rod set up.

What mold and hook combination are you using? That tends to be another problem with the large hair jigs, finding the right hook, I've made them using 60 degree hooks but really haven't found a 90 degree that can hold up to heavy line.

Didn't BPS have a line of grubs and other baits with those little nubs all over the body?

I never dismiss a lure due to price, I saw a friend absolutely slay them with a bait he got doe $1.50 at wally world, it was called a Renegade and it caught fish.

This is an easy fix, the brakes on that reel are magnetic and adjusted on the dial on the outside of the reel. Magnetic brakes work more at the end of the cast than the beginning, that is why you hear of guys dialing in a centrifugal brake casting reel, they set the brakes up so when they make a cast, the brakes keep the spool from over running right at the start of the cast but then you use your thumb to stop the spool as the bait hits the water. With a magnetic brake system, you feather the spool with your thumb at the start of the cast and then you can leave off as the brakes will slow the spool so when the bait hits the water, the spool stops. What is happening is you have the brakes turned up all the way, from you saying the Okuma you have you can cast a mile, I'm betting that reel is dialed in so you don't have to use your thumb much but on the Lews, you have to turn the brakes up high enough to help at the beginning of the cast and because of that the spool turns a little and stops and why you only get a short cast. The way to fix the problem is to practice using your thumb, set the brakes to half of the dial number, if it goes to 10 then set it at 5, if it goes to 20, set it at 10. With the brakes set half way you are going to make a cast, forearm only and don't force it, when you let go watch your reel and see if the line starts jumping off (you'll see the line rise up off the spool as it is coming off of the reel), if you see that it means you need to use your thumb to manage the spool speed until the brakes take over. You already know how to use a casting reel so it won't take long to get this one down but it will require a bit of practice since it is a different brake system. The very problem the OP is experiencing is why I don't recommend reels with only magnetic brakes like the regular speed spool or the MG for those who are new to casting reels and by new I mean those who may have experience but with only 1 reel with less than a year with it. The new brake systems are that good that you really don't have to feather the spool at all anymore when you dial it in but magnetic systems are different, they work from the middle part to the end of the cast, so the higher you turn them up, the sooner they work but the sooner they begin to work the shorter the cast. So in order to get a good cast you have to keep the brake setting low and manage the beginning of the cast with the spool tension and your thumb, if you don't have much experience with a casting reel it will make it tough, with a 6-pin centrifugal brake system you can turn all but 2 brakes on and set the spool tension and make a decent cast without using your thumb. Good luck with your reel, it will be fine but you need to practice with it and since you already use a casting reel the leaning curve will be a few short hours, you just need to train the thumb a little more.

When I fish smallmouth I use anywhere from a 2.75" tube to a 3.5" tube and 3" and 3.5" are my main sizes. For largemouth I use either a 3.5" or a 4", it just depends on where I'm throwing it and the type of conditions. For your situation, clear water from 2' to 5' deep, I'd go with a 3.5" tube Texas rigged with a 1/8oz weight, and colors are easy, green pumpkin, pumpkin, smoke with white and black flake, often called salt and pepper. Another one is black, black is a universal color that will work in dirty water as well as clear so make sure you have at least one bag of black.

The thing with that type of hair jig is you have to have the right kind of water. The only time you see or hear of pros throwing the hair jig is when they are on the Tennessee river lakes and there is good reason. They have deep ledges and other structure and most importantly, water with high visibility, it is water where they also use magnum size spoons which isn't something you are going to use on a lot of other bodies of water. I've been tying all kinds of hair jigs for a long time, most are for ice out/cold water conditions but I do make a few larger ones for swimming with a grub trailer and that isn't as effective when the water is in the 70s and higher. The thing that is hard about tying the jigs the pros are using is finding the right buck tail, there are only a few sources for it, for those that don't know, those jigs are long, most are over 7" and you heed hair that is at least 6" long, I had 2 suppliers of this stuff and they are no longer selling, I'm guessing big manufacturers have got all the supply now as there weren't many to begin with as the tails come from specially farmed deer with massive tails. The tails are expensive, I've paid $20 for a tail that had 5" to 7" long hair and you can see it in the price of some of these jigs, and if you do some research and dig around, you'll see some guys are using jigs tied with a synthetic hair, it is a material called imitation Yak Hair or fur, it comes in a bundle and it 20" in length, this is really good stuff. The way you use it is to tie it in first as the base to set the length, then tie in the long hackle feathers and then tie in shorter buck tail over top, the yak will give you length, the feathers will provide tail action, and the buck tail will provide a minnow or baitfish like profile and then you add in whatever kind of flash you want, flashabou and/or Krystal flash and then you have a hair jig that will get them big fish to bite.

That isn't Zoom as it doesn't have rings, in fact it looks like a Lunker City Trailerbait with the head cut off. I use them for larger hair jig trailers.

Excellent!!! The Juniata has some good fish but the monsters are further down near the confluence where the Juniata dumps into the Susquehanna. I hope you get a chance to hit the Susky and get into a 4 or 5lb smallmouth, they can really pull and the hits are violent beyond belief. It is hard to believe that they can hit so hard and then pick up a bait so soft you barely feel it but they can change moods in a heartbeat. I hope some of what I told you helped, good job on the smallmouth!!!

Since you want an all purpose set up the 6'6" M-F is going to be more versatile, the 6'8" is a medium heavy with an extra fast action, it will skip really well but it isn't going to handle all the baits you want to use, a medium power, extra fast action would be good but not medium heavy. The 6'6" M-F is going to allow you to fish all those baits and techniques pretty good and allow you to skip, rip, and twitch with no problems.

If the fish has the bait in its mouth when you set the hook, it isn't late, it is on time but the hook doesn't always hit the mark. Standard wire hooks on football jigs were the norm when they came out, and the best anglers at using them opt for those types as it allows them to use lighter line and rods and that lets them feel more of what is going on. Most guys are using 12lb to 14lb fluorocarbon or 15lb braid with that jig, and when they were the prominent ones being made you didn't hear of guys missing fish on a football head like you do now. I got a chance to hear Kevin Van Dam talk about football head jigs and he said that when you are making long cast and dragging a football head, you want a jig with a lighter hook and softer weedguard because it isn't like flipping, you are trying to feel differences in the bottom and often times, light bites. The reason for the lighter hook and weedguard is because you aren't in heavy cover and the hook up percentage is a lot higher as that hook will penetrate much better when you have a lot of line out. The only time you want a heavy hook in a football jig is for stroking or fishing shallower, heavily stained water with heavy braid when you typically aren't making really long cast. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7D9Lo6fYh2I

This is exactly the reason they make light wire football jigs. I like using a standard wire hook which is considered light wire as a lot of guys fish football heads with flipping style hooks and to me, the flipping style hook in a football jig is for fishing in water less than 15' deep. I was taught by a friend that if you are stroking a large football jig or fishing it in mid depth rock flats then heavy line with a stout rod and a good hook are key, but when probing depths greater than 15' you want more feel so the rod is going to be a medium heavy with 12 to 14lb line max and a jig that has a lighter wire hook, this allows the hook to penetrate with less pressure and the lighter line with medium heavy rod will keep you from ripping it from the fish's mouth. What happens with large football head with big hooks is when you swing for a hard hook set, the head of the jig blows the mouth of the fish open and the hook either misses completely or it just gets a little skin, the way to combat that is to reel set but with a heavy hook you may not have enough pressure to get the hook to fully penetrate which will result if the fish spitting the hook. What a lot of manufacturers are doing now is they are using heavy hooks with O'Shaughnessy bends, From what I understand is the bend in the hook shank is supposed to force the hook point up to the roof of the mouth and the bend on the hook point is supposed to make it hard for the fish to throw so have this set up allows the braid guys to still set the hook without worry of bending out the hook and still getting it in the mouth without pulling it free. You also have a good number of jigs on the market which use the thinner hooks, it is amazing at how complicated fishing a football jig has become!!