Preytorien

"You should be a professional fisherman!" .....yea....let me get right on that LOL

Yes, a very good rod for what you're wanting to do. They're great rods

I'm a bit of a Duo Realis guy, although I don't use cranks all that often. Their Shinmushi is a heckuva bait for those calm evenings, a lot like you'd use a Jitterbug, and also works great on the shallow rivers around here for smallmouth.

Zodias 6'10" MH Curado 201HG

I use a Gen 1 Shimano Compre with a Stradic FJ2500 on it. Spooled with 10lb Sufix 832 with 6lb Sunline Super FC Sniper leader. It's scary sensitive.

I definitely wait a split second before I set the hook. I'll either watch for the line to "swim off" or just lightly tension the line to see if there's resistance (a fish) at the end. To maximize hooksets, especially on T-rig worms and Flukes, really any soft plastic.....rather than using an OWG hook, I use a straight-shank hook. I think the angled trajectory the hook exits the back helps increase hooksets rather than counting on the fish chomping down on the bait to expose the business end of the hook. With the hook being angled, your hook is exposed at the onset of your hookset, not waiting for a fish to bite the lure properly to expose your hook.

Really the only consideration I give to the wind is see its direction to be able to adjust the brakes/spool tension knob on my casting reels so I don't backlash casting into the wind Other than that wind doesn't really make/break my day

Pretty much any braid will do good for topwater....it floats. Pick a brand and see how you like it. As for my recommendation, I like Sufix 832, and really most any 8-carrier braid. It's quieter and seems to cast a little better.

I fish in a little pond near my in-laws house. It's just outside of a subdivision and there are kids EVERYWHERE in that subdivision. The pond is pretty dirty looking, but has great fishing. I've never seen anyone else there, not even a footprint. A couple days ago, while I was walking back to my car at my in-laws a guy sitting on his porch waved and we struck up a conversation, eventually he asked me about fishing and asked if I had done any good in that pond. I played it down, I said yea I've caught a few, really acting like it was nothing. i doubt many people would take little kids down there since it's got heavy brush around the edge, casting takes some good sidearm casting skill. But I didn't want to chance that every guy over 12yrs old in that neighborhood would swarm that spot. Besides, they have 2 nice little ponds actually IN their neighborhood to visit - lots of bluegill and little bass for the kids to learn on.

^^ This And please remember, my thoughts were just that.....thoughts. Not my purpose. I'm obviously TOO analytical (ask my wife), it's my job, but I know where my true value in fishing lies at....and money definitely can't buy it.

I mentioned this thought process in another thread I posted on, now I'll ask it in the general forums. So we all like to spend our money on fishing gear. Whether you succumb only infrequently to the urges pulling you to "just stop in Gander Mountain for a second" or whether the baitmonkey and reelweasel truly have controlled your purchasing habits....admit it, we all like our gear. It's fun, it catches fish, and by golly we can't get enough of it and who knows, that next lure just might "change my life" I'm a bit too analytical and tend to think of things in cost and return on cost. So I've often wondered (on days the fish seemed to be asleep on me) how much money per fish caught I have spent? I know a lot of things are factored into the price, but think of all that's factored in. The total cost of your rods, reels, line, terminal gear, lures, boats, marine accessories, motors, licenses, registrations.....the WHOLE nine yards. Then divide that number by the (approximate) number of fish per year you catch, and there you have it....the price you pay to catch each fish. For example, if my total cost of fishing gear is $5000, and I catch about 500 fish per season, I pay about $10 for each fish I catch....even the dinks. This might make someone's day, or it might just induce feelings of nausea and the insatiable urge to go out there and catch about 300 more fish in the next 24 hrs. Of course the unseen benefits of fishing aren't able to be tabulated - fishing with best friends, buddies, family, or by yourself, the quiet time on the water, the pure joy of someone catching a PB (way to go Gene) or just acknowledging the pure joy of doing something we love It's just food for thought.....I know mine was humbling....not because of the cost of my fishing habit in its entirety, but the lack of fish in numbers. That justifies more fishing trips right? Haha What are your thoughts?

Definitely a Red Shad Sktrike King Shim-E Stick (senko), weightless rigged with a red Gamakatsu hook, 6lb co-polymer. It's my go-to tough conditions, dead-of-summer-nothings-biting kind of thing

It doesn't have any problem going through, and I never notice any problems casting, in fact I get better casting from this rod than any others I use. I most just want to make sure it won't damage the levelwind or guides if I do this frequently.

I just re-rigged with a new Curado I and a new Shimano Zodias rod. Spooled is the new PowerPro Maxcuatro braid, with a 14lb flouro leader. This is my all around, non-finesse rig used for mostly anything except technique specific casts. I use an Alberto knot, and I've tied it so many times I can get it VERY small, as in half the size of a grain of rice small, many guys I show have to actually look to find the knot. That said, I often hear it really smacking the level wind guide and guides down the rod as I cast. Does this hurt any one of those components? It's just that it sounds pretty violent sometimes, even when I'm not chucking a big crankbait or something. It sounds to me like it could be damaging, but what's your take on it? Does / can / will it damage the level wind and rod guides?

Its interesting to think of the concept of how many dollars we pay....per fish we catch. Add up the approximate cost of all your gear, boat(s), rods/reels, lures, etc.....anything you actively use to catch fish....then divide by the approximate number of fish per year you catch. $5000 gear / 500 fish = $10 per fish per year. Add more gear, succumb to the baitmonkey, or reelweasel and boom, the price per fish goes up. For some the cost isn't much, maybe less than $1 per fish.....for some, it's very expensive. I don't like to think about it, but I'm far to analytically motivated to ignore it. Sure there's the experience factor, and believe me, the quality time spent with loved ones and family can't be tabulated....but it's food for thought

I need to learn to do this. I read in another thread that with me being a non-boater, the boaters will find my ability to back in the trailer invaluable. What's your take on this boaters?

That means its still a ways off here in Central IN

Had some tough conditions yesterday, choppy water which was about the clarity of chocolate milk. I thought my day was a goner until I remembered what I watched on a chatterbait video. I threw a blue/black chatterbait with a Netbait Paca Chunk trailer and WHACKED em' I only had about an hour and a half to fish but caught 13....and a few of those were around 3lbs One of the worst conditions I've faced this year ended up being one of the best days I've had recently.

I just got a Zodias a couple weeks ago, without a doubt it's the best rod I've ever owned. Keep in mind I'm not used to an NRX or Legend Elite or anything, but it's a massive step up from the Crucial

I've had a sort of personal enlightenment on how to actually use jigs, and so far this spring, that's all I've caught them on consistently. One problem though I have is that on the jig I seem to have the best success with (a green pumpkin Terminator arky head jig), the skirt more and more frequently slips down the jig, to the point where any time I swing and miss a fish I have to re-slid the skirt up the head. Does this mean my jig is done for? I have some Siebert wire-tied jigs on the way, but it'll still be a bit before they're here. Wire ties are better at preventing this aren't they?

I use flouro only for leaders, but I concur with your observations. They're great for heavy cover areas where abrasion would play a big part in line choice. That abrasion resistance is also nice when the errant gust of wind blows your buzzbait onto the bank while you're throwing parallel to the shoreline.

I agree, they're very silent. Also, they're able to draft so little water that you can easily get in and out of very shallow water. That makes it helpful when you just want to throw the boat in the water anywhere to fish. Really the only drawback is that they're difficult to row in wind. I took mine out the first time and tried it with just oars, on the way home I told my wife that I'd do whatever I needed to, but I had to get a motor. Now I have one mounted to the boat.

Definitely not the only one. There are quite a few of us on here that use inflatable boats/rafts/kayaks. Myself I have a Sea Eagle SE-8 Fishermans Dream package. I use a 40lb MinnKota Endura Max motor. I carpeted the floorboards and seats, added some rod holders, and use a portable fish finder. Hopefully some of the other guys will post their boats' pictures, they have some sweet setups. As you said they're great for ponds and small lakes. Although Sea Eagle really hammers them during testing, I still get nervous about putting it on the river around here since it's often very low. I use an electric pump that hooks to the car battery to inflate mine and I can usually have it up and ready (all gear too), in about 10-15 minutes. Love it!

With so many rods having minimal or exposed reel seats your hands don't actually sit much on the grip, if at all when I'm palming my casting reels. I know on my rods only the back inch or so of my hand actually even touches the cork or EVA. So I don't really consider that of big importance to me. That said, I have both, and really don't have a preference. Both are easy to clean, feel good in my hand, and offer a good grip when my hands are wet.

Last night seemed to be a amalgam of all the things I don't normally do well at, coming together and producting a good evening of fishing. It was pretty windy here yesterday, 15-20mph sustained winds with gusts to 25mph. Typically I stay home on those days, I don't like fishing in the wind, but I went to a small pond near my in-laws while my wife visited with her mother. The wind was blowing back into a shallow cove, so I though maybe the baitfish would be back there too. I tried throwing a T-rigged fluke, thinking the bass might pounce on a easy fish meal, but I got no attention. Nothing. So I tried a arky head jig, with a Rage Craw Mini dipped in methylate JJ's Magic Second cast....WHAM....it was about 2lbs. The next 20 minutes or so produced 5 very good quality bass (2-3lb range) I typically do no good in wind, and rarely ever have much luck with a jig I guess I just need to start thinking outside of the box!