mjseverson24

I think the MH/M would work fine for swim jigs, as long as it is not too slow of an action, I like mine to have some tip action, but still enough shutdown power to pull them out of the junk... Mitch

I throw them on both casting and spinning gear, the casting gear is a 7' W&M skeet s-glass cranking rod with a daiwa T3-B (hawgtech bearings) and 10 lb floro/hybrid, for spinning its a 6'6" M/F with a pflueger president and 10 lb PP braid with a 20 lb 7' floro leader... the casting gear works better in moderate to calm wind conditions, the spinning shines in the wind... (if you want to see these things in action check out the scatter rap challenge on youtube)... Mitch

the T3 is being sold for around 200 at TW, that is a pretty darn good price on that reel. The tatula can be had for around 100, and the type r can be found for around 140.00. the curado I looks like a great reel with a lot of good innovations and features especially in this price range. The quantum smoke is also a good option, as well as some of the lews in this range... At 110 I think the T3-B is the best value out there right now... Mitch

The T3-B with hawgtech bearings can send these out there a mile, also the quantum Kinetic pt with the upgraded bearings is a beast, a little touchy to get tuned in, but once it is it is one of my better performing casting reels... I would say with a lipless crank 50+ yards would be a good estimate... Mitch

I use search baits on new body's of water, or when i start to search for spots while prefishing. I also rely heavily on search baits on very windy days, as typically these are difficult to use bottom contact, as the fish are usually more active... I will say that many a tough tournament day has been salvaged by search baits... Mitch

because it is the premier sport fish throughout the entire US. Bass and bass tournaments are in almost every state in the country, walleye/muskie/pike/crappie dont compare especially in competitive sport fishing at least not in my book... Mitch

in grass i like t-rig, as it comes through it better and has typically a larger profile, in rock and sand, or sparse cover the shaky head is a good tool, in wood it is a toss up, and typically depends on the size of fish i am targeting, typically t-rigs produce larger fish for me... Mitch

A big fish in tournament waters, is a bigger accomplishment to me as compared to non tournament waters... My current PB came out of a small chain of lakes less than 1000 acres which does not host tournaments, but my previous PB of 7.38 lbs came out of tournament waters during prefishing, i actually am more proud of that fish than the 8+ out of the much less pressured system... those big ones are fun to catch no mater what though... Mitch

I also use the polamar most of the time, except for direct tying to a hook with a weight above it (texas rigs), not so much for hookups, but to protect my knot from the weight smashing into it. i know a bead in between the hook and weight works for this, but i like the snell personally... never had any issue with the palomar, as long as you wet the line and tie it rightish... Mitch

for sensetivity ---> compre 7'2" MH/F for comfort ---> 6'10" bucoo micro H/F Mitch

on the lower end 1) shimano crucial 2) st croix avid 3) daiwa tatula on the upper end of your range 1) Shimano crucial 2) 13 *** 3) st. croix LTB Mitch

Every now and then I use mono like 20 lb xt if I am fishing around wood, or in a sparse vegetation Clearwater lake... usually it is 50-65lb braid... Mitch

when it starts to loose its color I typically replace it, seems like every 2 years on a rod that see's moderate use, I typically go through 2 spools per year on my frog set ups though, they take a beating... Mitch

When transporting rods in the box or on the deck almost all have a sleeve and a reel cover, but they still get a little beat up sitting on the deck while fishing. I try to keep them as nice as I can, but my main goal is to catch fish not worry about the reel and rods getting scratched... Mitch

I actually love all three of the rods you have in your topic. I think each lineup has its advantages and disadvantages, but in their range I think they have at least one rod per lineup that is the best out there. The mojo is heavy, so tip down presentations they shine, they are rugged and reliable also. The bucoo is a great rod for light weight, if you are going to be flipping all day i would definitely get this one. My favorite line up right now is the shimano's, their reel seat is the best in the business IMO, it gives maximum contact with the blank, and minimizes vibration dampening. It also has the over the counter lifetime warranty, and a great range of actions. Personally I like the 7'2" M/XF for lighter jigs up to 1/2 oz and t-rigs, for jigs over 1/2 i would go with the 7'2" MH/F... the bucoo is very close though the light weight of them is fantastic, if only they used shimano's reel seat... Mitch

swimbaits...jerkbaits...(maybe try to spybait... but that one is not a priority) Mitch

if you are a tournament guy it might be good to be as consistent as possible and go with the one company, but if you are just having fun fishing i would try as many different products as possible to find which you really like... that being said i dont think that any one company or rod line has the best of every different presentation out there, some company's have great finesse rods some have great flippin sticks, i have not came across a 1 brand is best for everything situation, at least at the 100-175 price range, which is where i like to be at on my rods... Mitch

You are right the color red is one of the first to be filtered out in relatively clear water, it turns a specific shade of grey(most likely), this shade of grey is now for all effective purposes "red" to bass that live in clear water in deeper than say 7 feet of water... so wether or not they see the red as we intend them to see it is unimportant, only that they see the same shade or spectrum as a bleeding bait or gill plate in the depth that they live, which the red effectively does... And i believe that the light filtration spectrum actually changes when other minerals are present, like dirty water actually reds oranges and yellows penetrate deeper than the blues and violets... lol there are so many variables out there its crazy, i do agree though that for a while there the bleeding bait craze was over blown... Mitch

if i just need to catch fish to get the confidence up I go to 2 baits 1) 1/2 oz chart/wht double willow spinnerbait (blade color depends on water clarity) 2) dropshot either finesse worm or wacky senko If i dont catch fish with these two baits, its going to be a long day... Mitch

I personally love them for the reasons mentioned by DVT they do perform better, for many applications, anytime sensitivity is important i like to use micro's... anytime you can reduce weight and not sacrifice strength and or comfort it is kinda goofy not to... JMO Mitch

no... at least not for me, i am not sure i would even make the jump anymore from the curado i to the ci4+... Mitch

I start with a 1/4 oz jig and go from there, sometimes lighter, sometimes heavier, but I would say 75% of my jig fishing is done with a 1/4 oz... seems like i am in the minority on this one... Mitch

I would do the value rod option personally, but i like to have quite a few setups ready to go, and don't want to shell out 400+ for each of the 30 ish setups i feel like i "need"... maybe someday, but that day has not quite come... Mitch

i have spool tension totally loose and breaks set to zero for flip/pitch, for skipping i have the mag breaks on half with spool loose. Mitch

1) structure scan or (sidescan for you humminbird fans) 2) high definition mapping (navionics and lakemaster) 3) the availability of information anywhere anytime via the internet 4) power poles and MK Talon ( huge increase in productivity when using these ) 5) MK I-pilot ( spot lock is a structure fisherman's best friend ) 6) jj's magic and other lure dyes 7) the use of tungsten weights 8) gel batteries almost impossible to pinpoint the most innovative, here are just a few of the ones I find have greatly impacted how we fish... Mitch