primetime

Just be careful when buying Tungsten on Ebay...Several guys import cheap Tungsten which is only like 60/40 at best...I am not saying all of them, but if price seems lower than Seibert, I would really check his source..Make sure any Imported Tungsten if made by VIke. I would not trust any others, Seibert seems to have the best prices, BPS has good weights when on sale, I have never found paint coming off as an issue, in fact I often think pure silver works best especially when using whites or in dark water for flash.... Some guys on Ebay are legit, but some are not, you can order Tunsten weigths overseas that state 97% and if tested they are barely 50% plus, not that it really matters, that is probably a better mix since it is softer now that I think about it....I find Tunsten to hard and cuts my line way too much, adding an insert is needed if using it all day even on 65lb braid, or 20lb Fluoro, 30lb mono....The insert kills any "Sensitivity which I feel is line related, but just my opinion, I use Tungsten, I just go overboard protecting the line...Tom Made his first sentence about how sharp Tungsten is.....He is dead on.... If you like Vike Products....Buy from Vike....They sell small amounts.

My Opinion on Tungsten....It is worth it for punching since any worm weight over an ounce, is too long and too big and pops open the fishes mouth imo, Sensitivity when punching is not important to me, heavy weight over an ounce is about line watching and weighting the line. For some reason lead punching weights are only made with the collar for skirts, I have held a 1 ounce bass pro Tunsten lead weight with collar for tying on a skirt next to a Tungsten and the size difference is not all that different. However, I only like a punch skirt maybe half the time, and I don't want a worm weight with the collar unless I am tying on a skirt. One warning....I don't care what brand tungsten, I make sure I have some type of insert when Punching, Especially with braid which frays easy. Make sure you coat your line with some type of coating, add an insert to your flipping weight because Tungsten is dense and sharp and it will cut into your line and you will set the hook and have nothing there.....Some say it is better and more sensitive in lighter weights, I don't notice much of a difference, I find braid or Fluoro is what makes the bites easier to detect. I like brass under 1/2 ounce for flash and for sound, plus it is not sharp, same with steel. Seibert has the best pricing, colors, and sizes...5/16 oz weights are like gold to me, I truly believe every Bass sees 1/4 and 3/8 all day long, every time I see someone using a finesse jig, or pitching rig, and are doing well, they are using 5/16....I know it sounds minor but I notice I get more bites on 5/16 so I do buy tungsten and If I let it slide....Inserts, coatings, and I think Aaron Martins has a video about this....Beads help, but not for sliding weights. Everyone has an opinion, and if you believe it helps you out by using a sliding 3/16 tungsten bullet weight over a lead bullet weight then keep doing it. I do not have confidence in the Jig Rig, nor have I seen anyone use one with success, but I do know that some guys love them so I would try that as an option....I just need to gain more confidence in one, I love the idea but never keep it tied on since fishing mats is all about focus and confidence so I stick with my go to rig...1 ounce weight pegged, Culprit Incredicraw, and an Owner Flipping twistlock hook so the weight stays out of my way....

I love stained water....As said above, it almost assures you that many fish will be tight to structure, even just a clump of weeds in the middle of nothing else....Stained water to me is less than 2-3' visibility, and if you get that really green water in summer after algae blooms like we get in Phosphate pits, Big Rage Tail Thumper or Rage Ribbons really seem to work well especially in darker colors....The Rage Anaconda is a great swimming worm when they are aggressive and also a great worm for just casting out, letting it settle with a 1/8-3/16 bullet weight, then I love to do a lift and drop with long pauses in Summer, 10 second pauses at a minimum...Many strikes come as I first move it or are already on when I lift, but I watch my line, Usually they start swimming off to one side, I also make multiple casts to the same spot I had a strike,,,and start fan casting inches to the left and right....If I am fishing on a hot day, I fish a big worm either super slow, or with a weighted hook and strolled about 6" off the bottom, killing it every 10 feet and then start messing around with how high to swim it etc...I have had days when they wanted a 10" worm moving pretty quickly, they follow it and then hit it as soon as it drops in the water column, so I love to use my reel for action, just hitches like when throwing a crankbait in open water.... Weighted hooks are one of my favorite ways to fish Horizontal....I love the Mustad Hooks with the pin and adjustable weight, you can make a worm glide if weight is toward the back, I don't think brand matters, but color does...I like dark natural colors and watermelon seed in clear water and my first cast is always green pumpkin or black regardless of water color.

I think most people throw 10" Worms when they think big, I know some guys fish a 16" worm extremely slow especially at night and if you have patience, find a spot you know big bass will be passing through, you can be assured that 90% of strikes will require someone to get the Camera Ready...I personally like to throw the giant 16" worm a few casts every trip but I am not patient enough to fish it properly since it really is meant to be fished Slow at least from what I have seen. If I had to pick a few worms that I go to it would be a Berkley Power Worm 10",12" either size is fine with me, the big Rage worms are all good, I like to fish the straight tailed worms like the Yum 10" worm, and I hear the Strike King Bull worm is also good.... Another good worm that is great when fishing the main lakes everyone fishes, is a triple tail worm, BPS has a 9" version and it is a really good worm, has great action on a big shaky rig etc.... I think the Rule in Florida is black and blue or blue with silver flake....I like to fish a watermelon Candy color or Red shad, and solid gp or solid black with chart on the tail...Not so sure color matters as much as people think, I think slow is the key, I go with as light a weight as possible with big worms or no weight at all, sometimes swimming a worm over weeds instead of a frog can get big bites and is exciting, usually the hook is big so you don't need much weight if fishing shallow. Straight tail worms are best if looking for a worm to get through cover easy, or the Fat Max from Culprit which is designed to get through cover as the tail is shorter and body is fatter...IMO Culprit has the best colors when it comes to soft baits...They just look so good in the water and they are stepping up their product line to keep up with all the other companies. It used to be Culprit, Manns and Berlkley...Now Strike King, Zoom, and Yum are taking much of the market.....V&M makes a cool worm I look forward to trying out...Just picked up a pack, Big worms help eliminate the little worms for the most part, 10" will get plenty of action from fish 12" and above....12" you notice a difference...2lbs and up and less strikes....Just my take.

mI would agree that solid black is a color that never get's enough press. If I were to pick one Jig Color it would be Black since I can add a trailer for contrast or add a strand of blue or white etc....I rarely see soft baits in solid black any more....A black ribbon tail worm is a good color choice any day and dipping the end in chartreuse sometimes helps....

I would check out You Tube and watch a few videos of guys fishing the S-Waver as the Owner of River2Sea usually had good demo video with different techniques to try..I agree that the smaller models will not glide as well as larger models, but I have watched videos where guys used steady retreives to stop and go....I have the smaller S-Waver and I only use it in clear water and have never had much luck with it but I am sure it catches fish, Big Swimbaits no doubt get bigger fish but you do have to get used to your buddy catching fish at a much faster clip which can be hard to do.....

Creative thinking like that is what saves the day many times....If a wacky rigged senko looks good because both ends are wiggling "maybe it imitates a dying minnow, but a lizard falling weightless wacky rigged sounds like something I want to try since Lizards are one of the best baits here in Florida in Spring and really all year...I never thought about wacky rigging but that makes alot of sense as a lizard falling out of a tree or washing into water would fall more horizontal through the water...Thanks for the idea....I fish them weightless so why not try sticking the hook in the middle? I will be trying that on my spinning rod tonight since fish in some ponds and lakes seem to be tiring of the Senko with all the pressure.

Great Info....Good read....You are so right about safety, I learned my lesson as a young kid when I went striped Bass Fishing at night with my Father and older Brother, and the Fog came in and you could not see 6" in front of your face...Lucky for me, My father was very savvy on the water, had a loran back then and he decided to find a Channel Marker and tie up to it since the Ferry would not crash into the marker but with huge swells he was afraid it could hit a boat not picked up on radar. Turns out the Ferry ended up hitting a boat that same evening, But Freshwater Lakes are just as dangerous as Montauk Point on Long Island. I would agree, Safety and being prepared, never go alone, and Fog is no joke at any time, neither are waves, if a storm starts coming, it can be hard to leave, but be safe, fish from shore, the bass will be hitting anywhere if they are active and that is why night fishing can be amazing....Find a spot that holds bait, and you can sit in one spot all night long and get wave after wave of new fish replenishing, you don't have to go find them, they find you...Not always, but when it happens it is the best fishing imo you can do even if fishing for Crappie or Catfish. I fish at night in the summer more than during the day because I love top water fishing....It is great at Day, but it is awesome at night, and it is so much fun when you get one of those nights when you can throw anything and get bit on what seems like every cast since you get in a "Zone" at night that is completely different than during the day....Hard to explain but the anticipation of a strike can make a night with only 3 fish in 5 hours seem like a Fantastic night... In Florida, I don't start going until June since the Gators are spawning when the Bass are, unless you know the lake really well and are in a big boat, I would stay away from lakes with lots of gators only because you can have issues with gators in the spring if you make a decison based solely on catching more fish which is easy to do and realize how risky it was...I stay out of tall grass and never go under trees since you need to be aware of Snakes as well...Everything feeds and roams at night. Anyone use Glow baits at night? My buddy keeps telling me to try them, but I can't do it, I just feel it looks so un natural, am I missing out? I use the same dark colors we all use during the day....To me Green Pumpkin works as well as black, flash helps however.......At least imo...Add some glitter to a frog and watch it get slammed if Moon is shining....That is what the Phat Frog color "Color Me" is for....Night Fishing...

#7-#9 Floating Rapala on spinning gear #6-#10lb test mono...Barely twitched kept on surface with pauses, and cast toward cover and along shorelines... Next would be a any soft plastic you have the most confidence in, just start out with a standard size like a 5" worm or fluke, nothing too big, but a 6" Culprit or Zoom U tail with a split shot 18" up if you need more weight is hard to beat... I always use the lightest line I can get away with, If Pond has a ton of weeds, then a pegged texas rig with a Rage menace grub or any smaller creature/soft bait with 1/8 oz is hard to beat, 3/16 is heaviest I usually go in a pond.. Soft landings and casting is important in ponds. Fish spook easy, I often will use a small Jig like a Bitsy Bug jig (Not the Flipping one, use the standard since you can swim it with a 3" Grub on back and the weedguard is thinner)....Also the buzzcut finesse jigs allow you to get a longer cast with a heavier weight, you can take any jig say 1/4 oz, and make it buzz cut so it has that parachute shape on top and that helps the jig land and skip Arkie style is good for this and they then fall slower and in ponds smaller profiles are more common and really you can use anything you have confidence in and have success as long as it is not overbearing, and if you can use 6lb test which you usually can, You get more strikes on #6 than #8 and I always keep line out of the water, if you leave it under the water it spooks fish as they may feel it, see it, and stealth is key..Stand far back when you approach and the rapala works so well since it lands so natural, they never get spooked. I would only use buzz style baits if choppy or darker out. When I want to remove bass from a pond to help control populations, I grab my light action spinning rod, 4lb test, and a 3" grub on a light jighead and usually get bit every cast by small fish and some big fish but it is fun if in the right pond....Big bass will come if you start getting smaller fish, always happens, after half dozen smaller fish a big one almost always comes along to see what the action is and will not let a smaller fish get the bait first, when the bite slows down....Hold on tight.

I love the Gander Mountain Rods and even the reels, they really have nice stuff now. The Company in my Town who makes the *** stuff and *** rods and more is making many of the rods and reels now, which is why you see the cork handles on the vortex bait caster. I am not saying they are the same reels, but they use the same company overseas to make them from what I am told. Anyhow, I am assuming the Pit is deep with brush and weeds on the shoreline and a back bay of some sort like most pits (At least the ones here in Florida only are's are usually Phosphate and turn green.....But I do fish some 20' avererage depth, 8 feet visibility strip pits where they cut down cypress trees, and the fish in the deeper clear water pits usually are tightly grouped together, have a thermocline, and if it rains scatter into the flooded shorelines. However, they seem to love to feed on or near the surface.... I usually bring 2 spinning and 2 casting rods as well and I use the following almost always....Weed are usually not that thick on edges. 1- #1 bait I throw along edges, to any structure....#9 Original Rapala on spinning gear, 8-10lb test. Key is usually to barely work it, maybe a twitch twich pause....I have had days where they wanted it slow rolled under the surface but you can figure it out...A floating Rapala in Gold and black, silver blue back is hard to beat and is the most under used lure since it is the best selling lure in the world. 2- Swim Jig with paddle tail trailer- I fish it like a spinnerbait and also pitch it into cover or around isolated cover. 3- Unweighted Fluke- I love the Strike King Caffiene Shad in their watermelon blue or gp blue color. 4- Lipless crankbait in a one knocker or low pitch sound, usually a Spro Aruku Shad once I figure out what Depth they are suspending at since they will go below the thermocline to get a bait, but if you can work them at 12' down, I find a lipless bait find them the best, and then once I find them I will toss a 5" GP grub on a Darter jig head and count it down and then lift and drop or reel steady... Hope that helps, My buddy throws Frogs and does well, but some days we fish topwater all day long, even in hot sun, Tiny Torpedo, Rapala, Mann's wakes, Smaller baits seem to work better in clear water, and clear Color topwaters seem to catch bigger fish. I probably would have a creature bait rigged up on a 5th rod now that I think about it...usually a Rage Craw in summer on 5/16 bullet weight and I will chuck it everywhere and that can be fished horizontal or vertical... Hope I helped you find a new idea to try. I would say the floating Minnow bait or Rip bait is the most under fished bait and I call it the Senko of hardbaits since it catches fish so fast half the time it never moves more than a foot if it is near fish. If it gets windy I will go with a heavier lure like the Bomber Long A, but smaller #13 size for some reason down here Pit bass in clear water shy away from bigger lures from my experiences.

I think I rambled and didn't get my point across....I am not so much caring about the money, I am wondering if I should keep some since maybe they are really that good? I assumed the Booyah version was the same? I apologize about the money part, I was starting to wonder if maybe I need to keep them to fish myself..... I never considered them to be "Overly Special"....It seems many people think they are, I would rather keep 20 for myself then sell them if they catch more fish due to some sound they make or if the new ones lack the same features and one Day I will be wishing...I wish I kept those XR50's.......

Here is the key for casting reels and ease. Lots of good answers and nobody can be wrong since line is all preference but I am in the Berkley XL (Extra Limp so it is soft and easy to manage) Suffix (read the back, one is like XT one is like Xl, in reality not all that much difference but XT will be better around brush.) I would start with 12-15lb test, lines today that say #15 break over 20lbs for most part, the diameter is usually thicker, plus you should not break off fish on #15 big game even in heavy cover. When it comes to braid, I know some people use 20lb test and I have no clue how they do it..I find the diameter has to be at least 10lb test since casting reels are designed for 10lb test and heavier line....Thin Braid digs in like wire, takes work, I find 8 strand braids to be much smoother than a 4 strand so lines like PP Plus, Suffix 832 will not dig in as much. Fins makes a braid called Wind Tamer that is the best I have ever used for casting reels since it is not coated (Do not use superlines, coated braids are for spinning reels, they will not cast well on casting gear from my experiences.) Berkley makes a line that is only $5 a spool called Solutions. One for spinning one for casting...It is thick, so 12 is the way to go imo.....But big game in the 600 yard spool in #15 is what I have on one of my Daiwa Reels right now and I could use big game on every rod and be good....Except for frogs and Punching. 20lb test is for close combat only imo, or leader.....Just my take, standard size reels do not handle big lines well, 50lb braid is 12lb diameter and most user friendly imo, Some companies make 30lb with 10lb diameter so check that out...Tuf Line is the best braid for all according to tests, Tuf line Xt made in America, 300 yards is only $20 and is a 4 strand Spectra soft weave that I would take over Power Pro any day of the year and Western Filament is made in America. Braid-Tuf Line XP 50lb test is awesome, then use leader to match conditions...price, abrasion resistance, not wound to tight, and you need to put cheap mono as backing to save money, only put say 100 yards of braid on the reel as you can get 300 yds for $20. When it starts giving you issues, Flip it over and you have new line... If you go to a tackle shop, Let them spool it for you, it goes on and off much better, make sure braid is put on TIGHT...Hope that helps..

I Just set up a friend with a new baitcaster to get him started...BPS mega cast since it has dual brakes and it is inexpensive in case you don't like it, plus it is a good reel for the money. I was surprised how nice it is..... I told him to put 12lb Trilene XL on but he went with 12lb BPS Mono...Stick with Nylon Mono, XT is a bit stiffer than XL because it is more abrasion resistant, but I find Trilene, Suffix, and Stren Original to cast like a bullet in 12lb test which is easiest size to handle and can do it all imo...Then you can move onto braids once you are comfortable, he was casting like a champ within 10 minutes and now can't put it down...He is already using braid #40 and is realizing it is much more difficult to use due to digging and he he is wanting to go back to mono, so I am telling him to simply grab some BIg Game in #15 which is easy to cast and strong....

I think almost every worm has a tail that sticks up....Especially if you rig it with a weight in front..Also any bait with rings...or Elaztach, the Z-Man baits are the best for the stand up action and they last forever. I use the Rage Worms with the Rings and ribbon tail, and they catch big fish and lots of fish on any style rig....Zipper Worms are good for that as well.

If you take me, all expenses paid...I will show you how to catch them.....I have secrets for Huge Bass nobody else has, TRUST ME....You will catch HUGE bass better than everyone, it will be great. I know how to Make fish Bigger again....Just heard a Trump Speech, Made the mistake of turning on the News and I can't help myself..... In all reality, I would seach on this this site "Lunker Bass"...They give all the tips you need...Look for areas near deep water, type of baits and when and why...I would guess a Jig would do the job but it is a complicated question....Everyone does different things and you need to fish to your strengths in the right areas, at the right time...Sometimes you need to commit to a spot and just wait it out all day if truly Lunker Hunting. Just gear up with the right tackle since landing one is just as hard as hooking one. Also Night Time, Super Early helps. 100 acres is small....Think of it like this..If you were a big bass you would have the option to pick the best ambush spots over all other Bass...Find the best structure on the lake, a place that makes it easy for a big bass to hide all day, and they don't like to move far to feed. featureless is good, so structure could be a break line, wind blown bank, find bait and you find fish....If all the bait in the lake is small, then a big bait may look out of place and in a 100 acre lake they were probably caught before, see tons of big baits all day long, so I would use colors and lures presented differently than everyone else, and fish them SLOW with a purpose on every cast. I would start where you caught the 9lber....

That is good advice about how to figure out lure questions...I always will google "Tank Demo or Lure demo of "Fill in the blank for lure" and you will either find the Manufacturer site, or if you go and click videos, you may find a few made by guys who fish the bait and give good advice.....Most high end lures have demo videos, usually multiple versions, they are proud of their creations and nothing sells a lure better than a demo..... I once sat through a 30 minute you tube video of a guy who was dunking every soft bait you could think of in a tank and it was actually informative. There is a guy in California who makes videos of all the high dollar swimbaits and spends time making really good tutorials about differences etc.I forget the name, but when I wanted to see some glide baits I learned a ton from watching him work glide baits in ways that would be considered "Wrong" by most people.

It comes with a small double tail grub in the package, at least the ones that I have purchased do....It is elaztach, maybe smaller than 2", but it is a double tail grub.... I like your idea of the Kalin's Sizmic Grub...I want to try that out, I bet that will slay them as the Tail whips side to side...When it comes to grubs, the Triple Tail grubs seem to work well as trailers if you like action, I actually stopped buying them and just make a few cuts in a regular grub..... I also have used a 5" Leech since they are flat and cut it down to 3" and split the tail, or take a 4" Trick worm and cut it too 3"..Sometimes they hit it when popping it off the bottom and I guess the worm standing up helps out....Good little bait, it likes to rise so sometimes I add a split shot to the line to keep it from breaking water close to the boat/shore. If you use line that is too heavy, the snaps on some of the smaller ones 3/16 can break, I am not sure if it is because I have older one's, bad snaps, or I horsed the fish, but I now use lighter line in 8lb range, but the 1/4 oz which I think is Micro, has never given me issues.... .Bluebasser is the bladed jig expert on this site, so try a trout worm, I think they float but I like your idea of a Kalin's sizmic grub, that is a slick looking grub. I need to use them more, I have a pack, tried them and loved how they looked, but they are now buried in my 500lb pound bag of plastics I carry along with my other 200lb shoulder bag...

w1-Red Fin 2-Bomber Long A-Bomber Fat A, Mann's wakes all sizes, sometimes the tiny one, and the BPS EGG, Yo-Zuri SS minnow since it has saltwater grade hooks for heavy braid over weeds... 3- Ripplin Red Fin, Smithwick Floating Rogue.....If I really need a fish...the Original Rapala is the best on light line, it is the Senko of hardbaits imo, I never get to working it, they smash it as soon as it hits the water, the AC Shiner made from balsa on light line will get bit all day long mid summer as well.....

I have had a few similar experiences...I usually turn to a Slider Worm or Trick Worm first, but I find nothing works better for finicky Bass in Summer that are under undercut banks or under pads than a Nail weighted finesse worm or stick bait so it glides under the bank or dock etc. and it often get's smaller fish but it sure does does get inactive fish to just inhale it. I have a friend who hates flipping or Punching and finds it boring. When I am fishing heavy mats for bigger fish, he casts a wacky rigged stick worm weightless parallel to weed edges, open water, and lets it sink to the bottom even in deep water and only pops it once after it hits bottom. He hardly moves his rod until the line stops moving, lets it soak, give it a pop pop, waits 10 seconds and then starts working it back like a jerkbait and sometimes he will end up getting strikes working it near the surface as it comes close to the boat....I don't know what it looks like to a bass, but They must follow it sometimes and strike it near the boat as he speeds up, but he slays em mid summer, mid day, and he get's them all sizes....He uses some crazy colors as well, that Metholiante color is the ticket on some days in the summer in stained water....

I have a question since I have not tried the New Booyah Marketed Lipless Cranks which are supposed to be from the same mold as the original Xcalibur Hi Tek Tackle which made a XR50 size that weighed 5/8 and was a good lure, but I had purchased a ton of them about a year ago to sell on Ebay knowing the price would keep going up..... I have used the XR25 the most and it is a lure I really like. As for the larger size, I have never really noticed that they are any better than my favorite lipless cranks-Spro Aruku, Red Eye Shad, Sebile Flatt Shadd, Bill Lewis, Cordell Spot...and my favorite for pressured water or for a different sound the Reaction Strike LV lipless cranks have a sound that sounds like Sand, comes with junk hooks, but fishes similar to the Spro with the head weighted downward. I started listing them on Ebay the last month and I have People emailing me and offering me over $25 for Rayburn Red XR50 and XRK 50's which are just a one knocker which is made by every company. I have a bunch of XR50 series in the 5/8 size and I have a guy who wants to buy all the one's I have opened for $15 each and I feel bad selling a $4 lure for that much money. Pradco owns Booyah, When I look online they look the same, and I have always felt that lipless baits are lipless baits, and Red is red....A Red/Orange Spinnerbait, Jig, Crank in Spring will catch a ton of fish compared to other colors most days no matter what you are throwing. Should I hold onto a few or are the Booyah the same? I can't believe how fast they sell at 14.99 NIP, and at that price I can sell them all off and buy a few Jakall TN's or Ima's which are the 2 I only use on special occasions, but when I want a lipless crank that has awesome color, Comes with great hooks, and priced reasonable, I buy Spro, Red Eye shad for it's Shimmy, and Bill Lewis one knockers and other models....What makes the Excalibur so much better? I am not just getting a few messages but some people are panicked like they are Pre Rapala Wiggle Warts...I know they were good lures, but is is it really the Excalibur One Knocker or color? I would love some feedback, I feel bad charging someone $20 Plus for a lure that Booyah still makes and want to just tell him to try a booyah Rayburn red and I feel better listing them for $15 and if someone wants to pay that for a new one in a box than I am a capitalist. Thanks.

I never know what size or brand I am using most of the time but I have never gone as big as 7/0 for a worm...I should try that, My buddy uses big hooks all the time with 10" worms as well and I just think Owner Hooks are such good quality even the thinner guage hooks do not bend at least in my experience but I am careful to use the right hook to line most of the time unless I see a fish break water nearby.... That fish is getting whatever is in my hands and that is when I have had issues with hooks bending. If I don't make that cast, my buddy will, and he likes to bomb loud casts that miss by 3 feet....He still catches fish as well as I do most of the time anyhow, but Culrpit worms imo are a "Finesse Ribbon tail since it is so thin and soft, glides, and you don't have to texpose them with a sharp hook, but I also use a hook by D.O.A. that looks identical to the Owner hook you posted that is listed as 5/0 but is no doubt big, and I think they are Eagle Claw "Good Ones, not standard" and I will use them for any plastic as well since they are not too wide....and are for saltwater so they are meant for fish over 20lbs....

Here is why I do it....I mainly use Fluoro for pitching and flipping which is only using 10-15 yards of line, and for most fish (Which are small) the line really does not get any strain where it really stretches imo until it get's close to the boat. I never swing really hard when fishing fluoro and I generally use Higher pound tests, so once I notice it is starting to feel and look stretch, it starts to jump off the spool, I have found that I usually only need to pull about 10 feet off. I am sure it stretches further back when I use it on my spinning rod in lighter pound tests, but for some reason it seems to me the stretch where it tends to break afterwards, is usually within the last 10-15 feet. As I mentioned, I do not by expensive Fluoro, I use Triple Fish for leader and here in Florida we have outlets where a 50 YD spool of leader is about $4 a pack, and I find I only need to change leader a few times a day, which is only a few feet at most each time, and it is so stiff and dense that leader material seems to hold up better. I don't use expensive line. I buy Stren Fluorocast/or Red label when it is on sale and have been lucky since K-mart stocks new packs and puts it on sale for $2.99 or retails it for 7.99 and is 200 yards. A full cast is usually 20-30 yards, so if I put 50 yards on a reel, that is 150 feet and 4 spools full, so it is not more expensive than changing out Mono which is something I do as well after every trip toward the end since it loses strength after being wet and exposed to sun for more than a few hours. My point I guess is it seems the stretch is only an issue when heavy pressure is applied in close quarters from my experience, but I also carry roughly 8-12 rods when I fish with braid on half, Mono/copoly on a few, and Fluoro on a Heavy Casting rod in 20lb test, and another casting rod with 12 and I find it rarely stretches with treble hook baits since I don't have to swing and are fishing baits in less snaggy areas. This is just something I do, It may not be for everyone, but I am too afraid of losing a fish near the boat or having a Nice lure fly off on a cast. I have noticed the new Fluorocarbons are much better and even in Florida, A 4lb Bass and a hard fight is not as often as you would think. I can't use Fluoro on spinning gear except as leader and I only tie on a 10 foot piece anyhow with braid as backing since it saves me money and get's longer casts. I find if I tie a slim Beauty leader knot to my mainline and tie knot carefully it holds up fine, or I just use a swivel if in water with bigger fish. I plan on trying the New Flipping and Pitching line that is on the market since I have heard it is better with stretch, My favorite line is by far a line made by Triple Fish called Camo line made with Perlon, it glows above water, is invisible underwater (Or at least in tanic water) and for flipping I generally go that route or braid, I only use FLuoro in wood and very clear water (I doubt it helps in clear water but it is a mental thing) and that is rare for me, weeds are the main issue. I hope that helps. Most people think that Nylon Mono stretches more than FC but it is the exact opposite in most cases. Every line is different, from what I have been told by Anglers much more skilled than myself is that 100% FC is extremely rare even if sold as such, if you burn it with a lighter it should flake away all black right away, and if you do that test you will see most FC lines are actually Copoly lines anyhow. I am sure the high end stuff Like Abrasix, Tatsu etc. are all pure, I would hope that Berkley is as well, but I will never pay that kind of money for a line to find out that you have to rub it with line conditioner and pre stretch it and wind it on tight and baby it when paying $30??? If you keep your drag set properly, are fishing a crankbait on 12lb test, you really never have to really put a ton of pressure on the line with the right rod, and only fish over 3lbs really pull line near the boat...Sorry for the long answer, I type fast but I hope that explains what the thinking in my head is like....I do know this for a FACT..I have never met a Saltwater Guide who spools up his lines with FC as a main line, they use it for leader and think it is a scam since Bass Anglers buy more tackle than anyone else. Saltwater Magazines never have adds for FC lines as mainline, and has a company even tried...."SALTWATER FC Main line like they do Cranking FC, Flipping FC, Jitterbug FC etc....As I mentioned, It is by far more abrasion than other lines especially leader material, and Triple Fish makes many of the brands people pay big money for, they just are the OEM and do not have to market it and therefore sell the line much cheaper...The Owner of a tackle shop I used to work for carried about 8 brands of line, 2 Store brands, and all were made by Triple Fish/Trik Fish-Same company.

On a carolina rig using long casts I would use a 3/0-4/0 Round Bend Offset Hook and I would probably use a 3/0 Owner Twist lock hook which come in a thinner guage since long casts on a C-Rig make hook sets harder since you use a sweep set and often have alot of line out. I fish with Culprits as my main swimming worm and use the 7.5 and 10" and I never use an EWG since they are thin, flat bottom, plenty of gap and EWG hooks get snagged in weeds easier so in my opinion no reason to use them unless using a bait that is thick. Also, the larger the hook gap, the more chance it bends if you are fishing heavy line and a thin guage hook. I have bent a few EWG hooks over the years because I rigged them on line that was too heavy and it cost me a good fish. I use 3/0-5/0 Round bend Offset hooks, or keeper style hooks with the pin, but I only use the 5/0 if I want extra weight on the worm so it stays on the bottom and falls faster, but 3/0 is actually fine, 4/0 on the safe size depending on brand. If you are using lighter line like say 15lb braid with a 10lb test leader, then thin guage straight shank worm hooks are great, I actually throw C-rigs of all weights on a Spinning Rod because I get better feel and hate lobbing a long leader on casting gear. With a sweep set, you need penetration so I use lighter line in open water, light cover and give the fish some drag, if I am in heavy weeds, I use a heavy guage hook and 17-20lb leader and I have bent a few VMC EWG's because I was lazy and they standard 15 pack you buy for $4 are light wire and will bend on a good fish if you are not careful... Hope I didn't confuse you but I would only use EWG if you have more open water and have more confidence in them. I know lots of people who use them all the time, it is all about preference and when in doubt, go with a stronger hook and just swing harder. Most baits for C rigs like a culprit are easy to penetrate, same with a lizard, if you go with a creature then EWG may be good....I would say a 4/0 hook is what I use for most baits, but I always try to go as small as possible if looking for natural action, sometimes I will nose hook a worm on a weedless wacky hook for free movement, it worms awesome on swimbaits and flukes as well as stick baits....Good Luck....I love the new Culprit Color "Gold Trophy"...It is a flashy version of the crawdad color that has been great for years...

Which would you test....Invisible Pink, Green, Red, or clear? I have seen tests about flouro and sight and I used to debate the reps from companies all the time, and if you look at clear Nylon-Mono vs. Clear Fluorine Mono, I believe the refractive index difference is in the 100% like .001 difference, and that is in a fish tank with a light. At this point I think we know the differences and newer FC's are so much better every year. I never buy the high end Stuff, Red Label and Stren is what I use for main, and Triple Fish for leader, and since FC stretches more than Nylon Mono, I just make sure that I cut off a good 10 feet if I fight a good fish or it gets stretched since it never comes back to its original shape which is why it coils up.... It is no doubt more abrasion resistant compared to any other line.....It is also more dense so it transmits energy better, and is thinner, so it seems to sink faster and more naturally but really I would say abrasion resistance is the big advantage and I use braid as backing, or just use it as leader...I find an improved Clinch is way to go all the time, pull tag end tight not main line and it seems to do well, 2 years ago I hated it....Hope that helps, I am sure the Tatsu and Really high end stuff is nice and soft, but then I wonder what are you losing in abrasion resistance, but I find Stren to work fine and K Mart puts it on clearance all the time for $3 for 200 yds, same as Red Label and it is not old...I would never use Viscious or any of the Berkley Fluoro's although I hear Berkley is now good as well....I used to buy the more expensive Seaguar and Suffix FC and had issues of spinnerbaits flying off in the middle of a cast, same with any lure if cold outside, but not any more and as a leader, you can throw 12lb test FC into the trees and get your jig out without having a scratch on leader material.....Hope that helps, Also Hi Seas just purchased Triple Fish lines which are actually really good if you can find them on sale. 50 yards of leader is only $5, but I would not try to cast their regular stuff but it will be better next year and no dobut priced well if Hi Seas purchased them. Any brand line that says made in Germany and some in Japan are made by Triple Fish as they make I think 88 brands around the world....