mnbassman23

IKE.. just to hear him scream NEVER GIVE UP I really enjoy his passion and enthusiasm.

I'm a shorter guy and I really like a 7-7'3" rod for pitching. (I'll go up to 8' comfortably). Whatever length you practice with will be the one your most accurate with. I use to use shorter rods, but now they feel awkward to me and I like the added distance I get with a 7'+ rod. I usually use a MH action rod unless the cover is really thick, than I'll go with a H.

I had the same original rod with black eva grips (7'3" mh) and wore groves into the guides after 2 months with copoly. Received a replacement (3 months later) and broke the rod in half after a week. I than complained to their upper management and received 2 replacements, one of which was their upper end micro guide rod with cork handles. The micro guide rod has been great for the past 3 years but the black eva rod had guide issues like the first one.

I'm a Paca fan

one of my favorites Swim Jig trailers

I use a pretty similar set up! Phenix Recon 796 Revo SX Sunline FX2 60lb (power pro 65 if I run out of FX2) 4/0 Paycheck straight shank hook

I was the same as you though, I fished for 3-4 years before i tried a jig. Once I got my first jig fish (5lber) I have been obsessed with jig fishing ever since. Now I fish a jig at least 80% of the time.

Jig or senko

Agreed with wnybassman, if you are fishing a jig (or any plastic) and believe you have never had a bass hit on the initial fall you are missing fish. For me this is especially true when pitching/flipping into cover. You're putting the bait into high percentage areas and those fish are reacting to the bait when it comes down on the initial fall. Like others have said, watch your line and pay close attention to your lure as soon as it hits the water.

Really depends on what technique i'm fishing.. I guess if i could only have one i'd take a berkley havoc craw fatty.

Been there as well lol. I also cut the tag end off a knot last year and proceeded to toss my braid scissors in the lake..

Fellow MN guy here.. In the past I have kept my gear in a non heated shop with no issues. Now that i have upgraded my gear I bring it into my basement for the winter. One being that our shop usually isn't locked and two just to keep better care of it. this past November I did a two day trip and had to leave my boat outside over night, lows into the teens, and my reels were frozen the next morning. I don't know how hard this is on reels, but i'd rather be safe than sorry.

Lots of great recommendations mentioned already. I am a jig fisherman to the core and have went exclusively to Northstar custom bait jigs, who is also a sponsor for this website. They are built to last and have amazing color options to match any forage. I really like the Flip and Swim and black series jigs from them. some good plastic to check out for trailers are poor boy kiss craw, paca craws, and the havoc and rage lineup of plastics. The creature bait category has exploded and there are endless options to choose from. As Kickerfish1 stated, look at *** they have everything you could ever need and more. You can also browse by category (jigs, creature baits, trailers, worms, etc) and can decide what fits your needs the best.

Flipping/pitching jig- paca craws, poor boy kiss craws, chigger craws, and RI sweet beavers Swim Jigs- 4-5" single tail grub, berkley havoc grass pig and subwoofer

I store mine in Plano FlipSider utility boxes, sorted by weight, color, and style of jig head. My extra jigs are left in their packages and put into GladWare containers labeled by jig type and size. As Arv mentioned, I always take my trailers off while storing jigs. This will help reduce the chance of rusting to occur, especially when putting away jigs that have seen water.

Although the end of the year for me is usually when the water turns solid I have seen a similar trend. Once the water temp drops below 40 fishing for me usually goes down the drain.

Whenever i am punching, flipping, and pitching a t-rigged bait I for sure use a straight shank hook (ESPECIALLY if its pegged and in heavy cover). Any other kind of presentation utilizing plastic's i am using a uni knot.

I've tie a modified snell for the past 3 years and have had 0 issues. It's quick and easy. I use this knot for Punching, flipping, pitching, and casting any kind of t-rigged bait with a straight shank hook. My hooking percentages increased greatly after switching to this knot. Also I use a hook with a welded eye when using this knot, that way you wont fray your line. Here is a great video to explain how to tie it. (Skip to 1:47 if you don't want to hear him push his product lol)

50lb Power Pro for me with no leader.. If i do happen to fish extremely clear water I will throw them on 15-20lb fluoro.

jigs, t-rigged plastics, hollow body frogs, soft plastic jerkbaits, and cranks are my go to lures. If i'm on the lake looking for a good time nothing beats a frog like Loodkop stated above. When i'm looking to put a couple big one's in the boat it's a jig all the way.

My squarebill rod is a 7mh moderate action and love it. That saying i throw squarebills around heavy wood and lots of thick grass so the MH comes in handy. If you are fishing more open water the 7m moderate may be ok, but if your around any thick cover I would choose the 6'6" fast action out of the rods you listed. I use to use that same exact set up and maybe lost a few more fish compared to my setup now, but nothing drastic.

I use double bladed black all the time, confidence thing for me. One of my fishing buddies throws a lot of white and chart. and has good luck as well.

Sparse shallow cover I through a Northstar original swim jig in 1/4oz. Moderate to heavy cover, or deeper water, I throw the Northstar flip and swim. New gill and salsa are my top 2 colors, but this will vary by location/forage.

1)Jig w/ craw trailer 2) Havoc Craw Fatty 3) Craw tubes 4) RI sweet beaver 5) Brush Hog These would be my top 5.

Thanks for the replies! I think i'm going to pick it up and give it a go.