smalljaw67

Spinnerbait uses a faster taper than a crankbait rod most of the time. What you will find is both rods are going to fish very similar, in fact if you are fishing tip down you'll find it hard to tell the difference, where you will see a difference is in the balance, especially if the handle is the same length, but other than that it won't be much different from the 6'6" as they have the same taper.

You won't always get fish to hit cranks, they have to be actively feeding for them to chase and hit. Try other moving baits like spinnerbaits or soft plastic swim baits and if none of those are working try jigs and worms. I try to fish conditions, if it is bright and sunny with no clouds I know the fish are going to be tight to cover so fishing will not only be tough but the baits that are needed will be jigs and soft plastics fished slow. If I got cloud cover and a front scheduled to blow through, then I'll pick up the square bill or spinnerbait and begin my search, I'm not including deep water tactics because you're on a pond, deep water is going to be less than 15' in most cases. The point is not to try and force feed the fish, that isn't going to work and if you want to get a fish on a crankbait, I suggest waiting until you have an overcast day or perhaps a light frizzle, no lightning or anything extreme, just a normal low pressure day, that is when you want to throw a crank around at the pond.

As the others have said, it cost a lot to get started but it is worth it if you have a space with good ventilation to do it. Bass Tackle has 2 molds that would fit what you want, the first one is worm 102, it is 3/8" in diameter, not really thin but not really heavy and it is segmented with thing sections so it would be decent for drop shot fishing. The other worm is the 6" thin stick, it is 1/2" longer than you'd like but it is thin and has a nice curly tail, if you got either of those molds you would need to get a hand injector. I think the best bet to start would be to go to bears baits and get the stick starter kit, you can choose the mold which the closest would be the 5.5" cut tail worm mold, and you get the basics for $182.00 plus shipping. Then you can search other places that sell molds like lure craft or Do-it and see which molds you like. The one think I'm going to tell you is this becomes addicting but also very rewarding but saving money you will not. I also wouldn't recommend that you get started if a $400 or $500 investment is too much because in addition to the plastic and colorant and glitters and salt you'll also need hardener, softener, a microwave that you don't use for food, safety glasses, gloves, and a few Pyrex measuring cups. That part is what usually gets people away from it because it can be overwhelming in the beginning and I won't lie, most end up selling the stuff at a loss because they don't have, or don't want to commit the time it takes to learn how to get good product as there is a learning curve. I do not make soft plastics but I know a lot that do, I instead pour lead and make a bunch of jigs and spinnerbaits plus I tie hair jigs so I have enough on my plate to satisfy but because of that I have an understanding of what it takes to do plastics as I have considered it and you have to commit yourself to it. So, if it sounds like fun and it is for you, then go for it, if it sounds like a money pit, it is and if you are looking at trying to save money rather than make a great worm for yourself, then go look at clearance sales during holidays and stock up at those times because this will save you money in the long term if you stay with just a few molds and colors, but it will take a long time until you recoup the initial start up costs.

I have used several different set ups but the one I have now seems to be the best. Rod - Fenwick HMG 7'2" M-MF rated 3/8oz to 1oz casting. Reel - Pflueger Supreme XT 6.4:1 casting. Line - Spiderwire Ultimate Mono 14lb. Bait - Rapala DT Fat 3, DT Flat 3, Storm Arashi 3 and 5, Xcalibur XCS 100 and 200, Bagley Rattlin' Kill'R B2, KVD 1.5. Replacement hooks - Mustad KVD Elite Triple Grip, Owner Stinger ST-41

What you need to worry about are baits like jerkbaits and topwaters because hooks with too much weight will cause a change in action. EWG hooks are a good call for baits the fish is normally going to grab, certain cranks that get chocked are good ones for EWG trebles as they have excellent holding power. For topwaters, and jerkbaits a round bend is better and that is because the hook points are out instead of in like the EWG, it lets you at least get a hook into fish that are just swiping at the bait which happens on jerkbaits and topwaters a lot.

The rod Hatrix has is an HM85, you can tell by the dark rings in the cork, the Fritts model doesn't have that. The cranking rods above 7' have the palmer reel seat so 6'6" and 7' like you got will have the regular reel seat but if you get a 7'6" or larger it will have the palmer reel seat.

Shallow crankbaits, poppers, and spinnerbaits in open water, those will be the best bets for that rod.

I make 3 different versions, well 2 now since I no longer have the heavy coffin blades I use to have. The version I like is the same head and blade as Bluebasser 86 uses, but I don't bend the blade, the 2nd version I make using a spinnerbait head, that is my buddy's favorite. Wither the spinnerbait head, I have the blade then there is 1/2" of wire until you get to the head, what it does is it allows the bait to thump really hard but it runs straight, no hunting at all, and my buddy likes it running straight as he will work it through lanes in grass beds and he has more control. I'm going to bend some blades using different degrees of bend and see how it works, thanks for letting me know what to expect by bending the blade.

I was under the impression the HM85 rod American Legacy is selling is the new version that was redesigned by the same team that developed the custom series, or am I wrong? I read somewhere that the HM85 is the flagship rod and it is going to remain so, but this new design is 2 years old and with TW having a sale on them as well as ALFC blowing them out, I'm guessing the line is either going away or being redesigned again for next season.

This is why companies are doing away with lifetime warranties. There are a lot of anglers that abuse their equipment and expect it to be replaced when it gets broken in a car window or stepped on and truth be told, why worry about high sticking or taking care of a rod if it is going to get replaced if it is broken. If I were you I'd go the route of honesty is the best policy, I'd email Abu Garcia and tell them what happened and ask them if there is anything they can do to help you out, they may just replace the rod, or perhaps they offer you one at a discounted rate, or they may not do anything and say it was just bad luck, sorry. No matter what they say or do, the one thing you can take away from it is that you were honest and that means you have integrity and nobody can take that away. The truth is that when you have a high end rod like a St. Croix Legend Extreme or a Loomis NRX, they will want you to send the rod in for inspection and they can tell if the break was due to crushing (that is what your break is) or some other form of abuse or if there was a blank defect . Abu Garcia isn't going to do that, they will probably tell you to cut the rod off where the model number is and send it back with return postage and they will replace the rod, but that is if you tell them you broke the rod on a hook set or some other fishing related incident, maybe even if you tell them the truth but I wouldn't lie about it just for a rod, trust me, tell them the truth and you may end up being without a rod but you'll feel better about yourself as a person.

Which one was it, the 3 or the 5? I have to know because each one uses a different size hook. The hooks on those are pretty stout, I'm surprised that you bent it out on a small fish even if you were using braid. I've been throwing them with 14lb mono this season and I was hung up twice pretty solidly and didn't have the hook bend so you must have had something strange happen. The hook size for the 3 is a size #4 and the 5 takes a size #2, and I' would use the regular shank Mustad KVD Elite Triple Grips, and the hook up ratio for me has been good with the size hooks on the bait so I don't see a reason or need to upsize the hooks on them.

I use the Rebel big hopper and I use it on a medium power spinning rod now but before they made that I used the regular crickethopper. I would absolutely hammer trout with it and I would always have it with me fishing for smallmouth in late August. Both sizes are effective but when I'm after smallmouth I won't use ultra gear, I actually caught a 21" 4lb 7oz bruiser on the big hopper in early September because from mid August to early October, hoppers are all over the place here. When that happens you can actually call your shots, just find a shoreline with weeds or grass and make a cast to get it close to the weeds, it will only take a slight movement and the water will erupt. The best day we had with them was 71 smallmouth with a 3lb. 12oz fish being the largest, we went through 4 sets of hooks on it since they only use a size #10.

I don't want to hijack the thread but I have a quick question. I use the same heand blade as BlueBasser86, does bending the blade back make a difference? Mine hunt really well and vibrate hard but I see a lot of guys bending the blade back.

You're ok with what you have and you are correct, an extra fast action is usually more sensitive and here is what I'd use that set up for. The first thing would be a drop shot, the action, length, and power all point to that, the second thing is wacky rig and flick-shake, the flick-shake is a wacky rig that uses a small jig head like the flick-shake head or wacky jig head. Another good use would be for swimming small 3" grubs on a 1/16oz to 3/16oz ball head jig and then like what has already been mentioned, the ned rig. With the line set up I would also use light Texas rigs using light wire hooks around sparse cover, that rod is capable of a lot of things and is a good finesse stick. I have a Fenwick Elite Tech Smallmouth rod in a 6'9" M-XF, being it being a medium power with an extra fast action makes it a little more versatile with the different being it has more backbone to handle slightly heavier weights but very similar to what you have and if you stick to weights 1/4oz and less, you can do just about any finesse technique you want, good luck.

You are correct but there are members here who ask questions about trout rods and saltwater rods too. And knowing what you are looking for is a big help, you fit the casual angler profile and that is also a big help. Normally what you are looking for would be served by 3 rods, a finesse rod, a cranking rod and an all purpose rod but you need something that fits your budget and that is what is important. I think your best bet is an Abu Garcia Cardinal SX spinning reel with an Abu Garcia Vengence spinning rod in a length and power you are comfortable with. Go to Tackle Warehouse and look up the models as they sell both the reel and rod, the reel is $40 and the rod is $50 giving you a decent outfit for $90, about the best you will need.

The American Legacy sale is the first time I saw these rods on sale for anywhere near $100, TW has them for $158.88 so if you got yours for $100 you did very well. I was wondering how that "palmer" reel seat was, the trigger is set back in order for all of your fingers to fit in front of it, I'm not sure if that would feel right for me.

I'd would normally find that hard to believe too but the guy I fish with most of the time has a blue NRX 802s JWR and he likes it but he likes a St. Croix Avid better. I'm in the same situation, I like my G.Loomis IMX but I like my Fenwick Aetos a lot more, so the cost doesn't always mean better depending on the person.

I'm in agreement with fishballer06, I can see fishing shallow cranks with a fast action rod for fishing worms and other single hook baits but mid depth and deep cranks, that is definitely a separate rod. So if I were you I'd just find a rod and reel in your price range and go for it, there is no sense in trying to find a specific set up because the deep cranks are so far off of wacky and Texas rigs that it really doesn't matter what you get so focus on price, if a black max can be had in your budget grab it.

I got mine today also, a medium light, fast action spinning rod and I am super happy as I got a remarkable deal. The rod is very light and seems well made, K-series guides and they line up perfectly and the finish is exceptional as there is no sloppy epoxy work. What really makes me happy is the blank itself, it feels very responsive with a nice crisp action, this was an absolute steal!!!!

Do you want a surf casting rod, or an ultra light? Salt water or fresh water? Tarpon or Tilapia? You see what I mean? You need to be more specific like what kind of fishing do you do and are you a worm dunker and live bait guy that is using 1 rod for multiple species or is it a finesse set up to go with your casting gear? You can find a rod and reel for $100 in almost every kind of fishing so make sure everyone knows what you're talking about. I apologize if I seem sarcastic but I'm trying to show you how your question can be taken so you'll get all kinds of answers but most of it will be geared toward bass fishing so if you are looking for 1 rod for multiple species, tell us the kinds of fish and the baits and what line sizes you normally use and we can help.

On TW it is easy to tell if a jig is hand tied, first look at the picture, then read the description. Almost every jig that is hand tied will have it in the description because it is a major selling point and don't look for the cheaper ones, these are usually over 3 bucks per do to the hand tying which is labor intensive.

The spinnerbait is my favorite bait and I throw it first most of the time, but if I'm not getting any action or any signs of activity I'll go right over to a swim jig. The chatterbait is my dirty water bait, it has replaced the Colorado spinnerbait for me in that aspect but I also use it as a change up during a spinnerbait bite. If I'm catching cookie cutter fish on a spinnerbait I'll switch to a chatterbait and see is it doesn't get a big fish to commit and most of the time it will work, especially if there are others throwing spinnerbaits.

I just grabbed a 7' ML-F spinning rod, thank you!!! They are on sale at TW for $158.88, the key word is sale and I just scored one with the shipping for less than $100!! If I didn't see these rods before I may have held back but a friend of mine has one and I really liked it but I figured I had enough but like you said, it is too good of a deal to pass on.

This^^^^ I didn't want to make a mountain out of a mole hill, and I never used the rod and I didn't say it wouldn't work with other lines. What I'm saying is that when someone asks about the rods, they should know the they were designed to be used with braided line and if you are going to use mono you may find the rods have more of a crankbait type action and more power or heavier line may be needed to set the hook. The information I posted came directly from a product rep as I like Okuma, I have a V-System 200 casting reel that I use for heavy flipping and frogs, I have an Inspira spinning reel for finesse tactics and I have an Induron 150 round casting reel that I used for deep diving cranks. I called about those TCS rods because I liked them and the guy told me the action were made braid specific and it isn't that other line would not work it is just that they were, in fact, made to be used with braid but if you prefer a slower action with mono then it would be fine but not my cup of tea and I think it is fair to let people looking at them know what they are going to get, I've seen people posting bad reviews on the rods because they didn't realize the actions were moderate. That is all I mean, nothing more.

You are in luck but you have to act fast. Right not Cabelas has the 30 size Pflueger Supreme spinning reel for $70 and their XML spinning rods are on sale for $75, that is $145 combo with free shipping on minimum order of $99, it is a great deal. At normal prices that is a $250 dollar combo and the XML rods are quality rods, at retail of $149.99 they are good rods, at $75 they are absolutely awesome and I have a Supreme spinning reel in a 30 size, it is nice and light but butter smooth, a big upgrade over your current set up, you'll have to pinch yourself to make sure you aren't dreaming.