kickerfish1

It is an interesting concept. I haven't tried it but if it was me I would try to tweak it to make similar to the traditional c-rig with a plastic. I would use mono for leader to help it float off the bottom. For the bait I would initially try something like a floating jerkbait. If using a long enough leader I would imagine the bait will better avoid collecting weeds and be more "visible" to fish. Although if weeds aren't a concern and you want to dig the bottom I would bet most any crankbait would work. I just wonder if this sort of rig would handicap the action of the bait. It would be ideal to see this rig in a tank or swimming pool setting to see what exactly is going on. If you try it let us know what your think...

Some of my favorite baits. Incredibly good prouducers for me. I store them in their original packaging but unlike a product like gulp, it will not dry out. I know i have left them rigged on a rod for several weeks and the bait didn't appear to dry out and it did not shrink at all. I don't know if they would lose a little of the coffee scent but it may happen. And like you noted, you will be likely adding additional scent so it should not be an issue. I think you will like them. I too fish the RI beavers and many other similar baits and have as much or more confidence in the strike king rodent. On a side note... give it a try weightless on a 4/0 EWG hook if you have the standard size rodent. A nice alternative to a senko/fluke style bait in situations where a weightless bait would excel.

The drop shot rig gained its popularity from deep water fishing in clear water. Since its early roots anglers have found that it can excel at any depth. It doesn't make a difference as to whether you own a boat or fish from the shore. I prefer more of the longer slender type of sinkers most of the time. These seem to come through cover best for me. As long as you aren't fishing areas that have weeds that are growing more than 2 feet off the bottom you should be fine. Adjust your leader legnth to help your bait stay above the weeds.

Very good detailed and well written posts in this thread skeletor6! A quality rundown by price for every budget and/or angler's need. Thanks for sharing!

For casting gear I would say 12# or 15# would be about right. I am a fan of invisix, abrisix, and sniper. Invisix will have a bit more stretch and is very manageable on casting gear even without line and lure conditioner, but it doesn't hurt. For spinning I really only use 8# for 90% of what I am fishing with on spinning rigs. Again sniper and invisix are two very good options here. Line and lure is a must. Also make sure close the bail manually instead of engaging the handle. In addition, pay attention to your line throughout the day. On a side note make sure you spool the line on properly and avoid over filling the spool. These suggestions should help reduce the amount line twist and any line jumping off the reel. When I started paying attention to the above I had little to no issues and very enjoyable days on the water.

TW, thehookuptackle, and the tackletrap see 90% of my business. We have a BPS, Cabelas, Dicks, and Scheels but they have very limited selection and their sales are typically pretty specific, whereas the first 3 have more % off type of sales that allow me to purchase what I want at a discounted price, rather then settling for only a select few items.

A six page thread is back from the dead! Let the fun continue...

Keep in mind this a VERY busy time for Mike. He will respond to your emai butl it may take a day or two. I know he is starting to get swamped with reels at this point.

I will be using Mr clean magic eraser to clean my cork handled rods this season. Upon completion I will be applying U40 cork sealant to the rod. The product helps seal the corks and prevent deterioration. It is $6 a bottle and you can purchase it the tackletrap. Also on that site it notes how to apply the product as well.

I have a few light and tough rods that I still use. Man, those were some fine sticks for their time. The retail was around $150 back then so perhaps equivalent to $200 today. Are you stuck on a certain price range of around $100 or are you able two get in that $150-$200 range. If so you will have many more options. If you can wait for the next big sale(likely a spring sale) then check out the Powell endurance line, dobyns champion, phenix recon or m1. These are some very fine rods that are joy to fish and are more sensitive than the light and tough rods plus they have lifetime warranties.

X2. Otter custom rods would be a good choice for a rod that would look and fish well enough to complement the "Z". I did some pricing out of a custom rod through a popular locally custom rod builder. The price with what I wanted amounted to over $350 plus shipping. The "looks" of the rod seemed to be more saltwater based although they were bass rod components. The problem was a tendency to over wrap the guides and lack of modern handle options. I decided to stick with dobyns for this particular rod and continue to research custom builders. At this point I am still undecided about a "true" custom rod.

Aaron Martens.

Another great post goose52! I agree and I do the same thing for all my reels. I back them with Trilene big game which you can buy in bulk for dirt cheap. If a reel holds 120 yards of #12 I typically put on 40 yards of backing and 80 yards of good floro. While I can't cast 80 yards off the reel having extra line allows line loss from snags, plenty of changing of baits and any backlashes that come about. The only reels I would consider passing on the backing might be a 50 size shimano or an alphas, pixy, or sol. If you do use very little because it is annoying to get down to the leader knot. When this happens you either have to deal with or redo the "floro" part of the line.

Typically graphite will have more sensitivity than glass. However good quality glass rods can match them from a feel standpoint. A great example is the dobyns champion glass cranking rods. They aren't as heavy as most cheaper glass rods are and have very good sensitivity for a glass based rod. I believe I have read that the rods are manufactured with a fiberglass midsection and a graphite/composite top 1/3 section of the blank up to the tip.

I like your line choice as well as your reel. Whatever rod you mount them on should be a nice match. You may want to reduce your line size from 15# to 12#. I have used the invisix in both and find the 12# to be plenty for cranking moderate cover plus it is very manageable and casts well. If you wait until the BPS classic their cranking rods are very good budget rods. I do have a Powell 695 rod it is a pretty good square bill rod but frankily it just doesn't see as much section as my dobyns 705 CB glass rod.

The shimano core is less $ than a pixy. The hookuptackle is doing a 20% off sale right now. If you call them you can get this reel for just under $300. It weighs in at 5.5 ounces and would be a reel that would last you for years to come. Between the mgx and the smoke I would take the mgx if money wasn't an issue. The new generation 3 premier is also pretty light at 5.9 ounces. It may be worth checking out as well since it is a bit cheaper than the mgx.

I use the standard 3 but have had lots is success with which is basically a green pumkin/blue or Okeechobee craw color. After that sprayed grass seems to be very good. For swim jigs I prefer bluegill and baby bass patterns.

Goose52 had an outstanding post in this thread that pretty much touches on most advantages/concerns with this reel. I purachased mine back in the spring and fished it through early December. A fee notes... 1. The dual breaking system has two separate dials literally within the same dial. It is a bit tricky to get it dialed in but the nice thing is that the reel doesn't have to be opened to adjust the brakes. The reel casts very well with a variety of baits. 2. The reel is very small and easy to palm. It was very comfortable to fish for extended periods of time. 3. I love the clicking cast control knob and drag. These make adjustments quick and painless. 4. The gears on this reel area grindy and can become annoying. I think mine got better as the season went on but I would still not consider it smooth regardless of if the reel is without lime or spooled up and being fished on the water. In summary BPS likely rushed this products out too soon. The casting, features and weight are great hits but the gears are big disappointment. If you can find one that doesn't feel geary I would say by all means go for it. If not it is your call. I snagged mine for $90 and I feel the reel was a solid purchase for my phenix recon. Total weight of the outfit is below 9 ounces and they look sharp together.

Good choice!

The rod in question is a spinnerbait rod. Sensitivity is not a top priority for this technique to be able to effectively fish them. Ideally the rod should be comfortable for extended periods of time with constant cast and retrieve. The amount of sensitivity found in all the brands of rods in question are plenty sensitive for this technique. The endurance is a better choice if you opt for a Powell rod. I have the 695 rod and feel it is more sensitive than the max series. Balance on both are about the same depending on the reel used. If we were talking about a bottom contact rod I would steer you towards the endurance line unless the recon was in your list of options. But for a spinnerbait rod I would take the dobyns.

Nice fish! Glad the reel seems to be a good fit for your intended use. I am jealous you have open water lakes to fish as all of our waters are frozen!

Nice! I would love to see video of a bike joust with these!

I am not overly familiar with all of the rod lines listed in great detail except dobyns. Referencing your previous post about spinnerbaits in 3/8-1/2 oz range I would look at the dobyns savy series 734. This is a 7'3 rod with a nice tip for baits in that range especially if you will be fishing heavier weed lines. It has plenty of power to move fish quickly away from heavy cover or potential snags. If you don't feel like your lakes present the above problems you could also try the 733 but this rod may not be great for those 1/2 oz spinnerbaits. A nice compromise would be the 703. For reference I have a 734 paired with a Lews speed spool I use as a dedicated spinnerbait and swimjjg out fit for baits between 3/8/-5/8 oz. The rod and reel balance nicely and look sharp together. On a side note I am using the standard guide model over the micro guide model. Second side note... if you are wanting to make a rod decision fairly soon the good folks down at the hookuptackle are having a 20% off sale through January 6th I believe. You can get this rod for about $140ish with free shipping. They may be able to give you advice on rod selections from the above brands you noted. Their customer service is outstanding and all of folks I have talked to there been more than helpful and curtious.

You mention the spring season? Does this mean you will want to use this same cranking rod for jerkbaits as well? Or are you looking to purchase the rod between now and then? Are you wanting sort of a do it all cranking rod? The dobyns champion line has many fine choices for reaction baits. Check TW for a list of all cranking rods from their glass to graphite rods. For jerkbaits/small to mid size shallow/medium divers the 704 series is a good choice. If you want an all purpose rod the 705 CB glass rod is my favorite. For deeper divers and bigger cranks the 805 and 764 seem to be good for this purpose. All rods are under $250 but you can buy them on sale for well under $200. I got my 705 rod for $160. The 705 and 704 are also good spinnerbait and topwater rods depending upon the weights of the baits you will be using.

The 714 is sort of a unique rod with a lighter tip. I think this rod could handle those spinnerbaits. Just not quite sure why you would need a light and sensitive rod for a reaction bait like a spinnerbait. I have a dobyns savy 734 rod that I use as a spinnerbait rod but it isn't as light or sensitive but has more power to it. I also have dobyns 705 CB glass rod I use as well but both of the rod weights are more and the sensitivity isn't as good as the recon but both balance really well. Most manufacturers produce lighter weight and more sensitive rods for bottom contact baits where sensitivity is key. If you feel like you need it, the recon line of rods would be a good choice. I would look at the 714 or 744 in that series of rods.