Big Swimbait

I had 2 Inferno ML spinning rods, one I bought & one I won in a club tournament. I really liked them - light, sensitive & balanced well with a Revo S. A club member started building rods so I was using his & sold the Infernos after about a year and a half. While I never had an issue, the guy I sold them to said he started losing guide inserts pretty soon after buying them. Not sure why he had the problem & I never did...

Azuma Shaker Z in Aztec or the RES in Chartreuse Craw.

Agree with Tom. Vary your retrieve to see what they want. One of my favs this time of year in Texas is to retrieve it just under the surface, then kill it, letting it flutter to the bottom. I also like to Rage Rig them, pitching to docks. That horizontal fall can be deadly at times.

New swimbait rod.

Looks like a variation of the Chicken Rig...

Big fan of Okuma rods. Their swimbait rods perform well above the price point & Scott Martin's "Matt Daddy" is an awesome flippin' stick.

You can still get them here: http://www.gamechangerlures.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=180

I think a Neko rigged Fluke in a Bluegill/Bream color would get hammered.

MegaStrike Cavitron

Great reel - as most Lew's are.

It may be - but looking at the web site, they sell nothing but closeouts. Regardless, ignoring the label, it is a very good braid that I have used for quite a while now without issue. The last order will be here in about 10 days. I'll see if anything changes.

flea bay seller der_beste has a screaming deal on 30# Power Pro - 100M (328 ft). I took a chance on one spool at $8.00 shipped from Malaysia. When I got it (about 2 weeks), I checked the strength and it didn't break until over 30#. Using a micrometer, diameter was as advertised here. Packaging was the same as available here except for some non English notations. I couldn't tell the difference on my rod/reel. Decided to order a lot more & now it's $2.59 SHIPPED. Yes I reordered!!!

Great on a wobble head jig slow rolled on the bottom. One thing I like about this set-up is if I come across something I want to pitch/flip, no change necessary. Another trick someone showed me is to use a heavier than normal slip sinker. Pitch it to your target. The heavy weight will fall fast & temporarily separate from the Menace. The grub then looks like it is "swimming" after it on the fall. When this bait first came out, there was a show Hook 'n Look did. The action & SOUND of that bait on the fall was incredible.

Missle Baits D Bomb in El Diablo

Smash-Tech Convict in Olive Shad, 8 lbs 6 oz. Had a great year on Fork as did a lot of anglers after all of the rain East Texas got. Not as many DD's as years past but the numbers of slot fish in the 5-6 lb range were fantastic. In a couple of years, this old lady might be back.

Did something similar. I just glued a piece of pegboard to the side of the container & used double pegboard hooks. The Hudds & other big boot tail baits hang by the tails. I also use the double hooks after boiling a crooked/bent tail to hang them straight while cooling.

Sunline Shooter Defier Armilo Nylon - 13 lb for moving baits & 22 lb for my big swimbaits.

Or the Cabin Creek Spider Parts small size - killer on a light ball head jig. The thicker tentacle is to rig the jig head weedless if you need to.

Lunker City (from Slug-Go fame) makes a nice one they call the HellGie.

I like the Buckeye J-Will jig heads. They also make a 2-wire weedless one.

I know technology has probably passed me by on jig rods, but I can't stop using my Original All Star WR2 or the WR1 for soft plastics. I don't know what blanks they used then, but they are still super sensitive to me. When they pop up on auction sites or in tackle shops that buy/sell used equipment, I try to take advantage. I've got 2 of each right now & would not consider selling either. Morgan McCain, the founder of All Star has a company making rods again, McCain High Performance Fishing Rods. I visited their booth at the Classic this year. They swear the McCain C843MH is an improvement of the original WR1 & 2. Maybe one day...

Out of stock on the Mettle Max-4's at the 2 Academy's I checked. But they did order 2 for $21.26 shipped to me. Heck of a deal.

Best deal I have found on Costa's - http://www.steepandcheap.com/sunglasses?p=brand%3ACosta&nf=1 A few 580G's for less than $100.00. They also discount Oakley, Smith, Kaenon & several others. Just looked again & they are going fast.

Several posts on the Texas Fishing Forum that Academy is blowing out the Mettle Max-4 10 bearing reels (this is the Real Tree Camo one). Reg $79.99 for $9.88. This was confirmed in the Houston & Waco stores. I will check out a few in N. Texas tomorrow, so check your areas. One poster stated that a store that was sold out, honored the price & shipped to his home (he bought 4). Must be an in-store only deal because the on-line price is still $79.99.

My first swimbait set-up was the Okuma Guide Select Swimbait rod with a Lews BB-2Z Wide Spool. Although I have "upgraded", I still use this combo more than any other. The rod is easily in your budget & the reel can be found on fleabay. Also the iRod series of swimbait rods are in your price range and are excellent rods. Another reel option is the Shimano Cardiff A Series in the 400 size if you prefer the round reels (I prefer the Lews low profile).