MacP

Does anyone have any experience with the Okuma EVX Musky or Big Guide rods? Or the Shimano Compre Musky rods? I'm looking for something fairly affordable to throw heaver 1-4 oz. swimbaits for Musky and rock fish. I'm partial to Okuma and Shimano since my local store does over the counter lifetime warranty on them. Thanks!

+1 on the Z drops. I drop shot those and Roboworms almost exclusively. To the OPs question: Dropshot: Roboworms in Bold Bluegill, SXE Shad, Aaron's Magic, Kerrlicious, Warmouth. Zoom Z-drop in Green Weenie and Green Pumpkin. Shakey head: Zoom Finesse and Trick Worms. I use loads of colors, Green Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Watermelon are staples though. Wacky Rig: Senkos, Yum Dingers, Trick Worms. Same Colors apply here. Split shot: (I fish flukes here too, but you're asking about worms) Roboworms, Dead Ringers, Ultravibe Speed worms. Heavy split shot speed worm can be fished like a swim jig at a lower depth. Texas Rig: Zoom Ol Monster, Mag IIs, Trick Worms, Finesse Worms, Ultravibe Speed Worms, Senkos, Yum Dingers. If you're looking to just try new things out. I can't recommend Roboworms enough.. They are soft, but they flat catch fish. I have as much confidence in them as I do any other product on the market. There is a reason both the fat and straight tail version never leave ***'s best seller list. My top three worm votes: Roboworm, Zoom Mag II, Trick Worms.

I mostly dropshot Roboworms. Bold Bluegill, SXE Shad, Kerrlicious, Warmouth, Aaron's Magic. I can't really tell much difference between the regular and fat worms. The fats do have a larger profile but they are 8 to a bag. They are soft, you can get 1.5 fish per worm. I don't think I've ever caught three fish off one roboworm :-/ I also use Zoom Z-Drops. If dropshot bite is really on, I'll just use their Green Pumpkin Z-Drop. 15 to a pack and they are cheap! I sometimes use Finesse worms or Trick Worms.

TW has an Okuma EVX-A Cranking 7' M for 84 bucks. I really, really like those rods.

I've been happier with Bass Pro "house brand" gear than any one else's offerings. (Except for Cabela's clothing). I've not used it, but it looks quality. If you try it out, let us know!

Another vote for Alberto.

Thats way too expensive.

Bunch of rod socks. Abu 6501. Spool of 65 lb braid and a new digital fish scale. I havent gone to my parents yet. Just at the in-laws.

Rogues for me. It's funny, I don't fish Husky Jerks like a jerk bait, I fish them with a steady retreive and pop them occasionally. They kill on the rivers for trout.

I, too, prefer the 30 size. 35 is too heavy.

Yeah, I've got upper 40s muskys. No problems with my Abus ever. They are quality. All mine are c3s though. The bearing kit to make them into a C4 is really cheap.

I only own Pfluegers. At that price point, a plain President is better IMO. Not saying they aren't good reels, but I'd prefer a Pflueger up until I hit the $100 dollar + price point.

I've thrown lots of Shimanos and I prefer Abu's for big baits. An Abu Record is at that pricepoint and very nice. They are aslo more upgradable that any reel. http://www.abugarcia.com/products/reels/round-reels/ambassadeur-round-baitcast/record You could save money and get a Abu C3 or 4 and put a power handle on it for throwing big baits.

The were initially made right handed retreive for fighting larger fish. More people are RH dominant and stronger with their right arm. Cranking big fish on your non-dominant hand can get tiring. I'll always crank lefty. I think casting and then switching hands to retrieve is wasted energy.

I'd like to upgrade my SeaArk to a Stealth 210 with a 175 4 Stroke. My 18' only has a 115 on it. It's plenty fast, but the little extra size and little extra motor would be nice! If I were a greedier man, the Allison 21 XST is awfully nice.

I'd like to get into tuning abus, as I have a few and love them. Where do you find your stuffs? I've seen some things on Ebay.

It's too good of a deal to pass up! Grab one.

Therefore, even if fish were disposed to seeking specificwater temperatures (they are not), it would be inaccessible. Roger They may not seek specific temperatures, but they do react differently at certain temperatures. I'd also add that fish DO seek more comfortable waters at certain times of the year. In the summer, the deeper you go, the cooler it gets. In winter, if the water temperature gets low enough, water molecules arrange themselves differently than you would think. Warmer water is less dense. A link: http://faculty.gvsu.edu/videticp/stratification.htm

In no particular order - Drop shot/split shot. Shallow Shad Rap. Fluke with underspin. T-Rigged baby brush hog. Poppers.

Any plans for an articulating jig head? Like Frenzy Vibe or Biffle? 'Cause that'd be awesome.

I got mine yesterday. They are some of the finest jigs I've seen!

I've got two combos that I'm not completely satisfied with. 1) I'll likely upgrade my big swimbait set-up to an Okuma EVX Musky Rod so I can triple duty that rod for musky/catfish/swimbaits/arigs. 7'6" HF Rod rated for 2-6 oz baits paired with a 6501 Abu with 65LB braid. Should be good for all those applications. 2) I've got a St. Croix Premier that doesn't have a reel attached. I don't have a dedicated cranking reel, so that's next. I need a lefty 5.X reel. Probably a Lews BB1.

I've found that perfection loops in leaders make any bait have good action. I don't notice a decrease in the amount of fish caught when I use leaders. I don't use wire leaders all the time, but if I'm throwing heavy swimbaits I do. I don't want to lose them. If I were in Musky or pike infested waters, I'd use them more too.

Further reading (warning maths and graphs!) http://jmp.sh/v/W6me4ORBfpxrvLMfKPnD I don't know how to rotate PDFs, if you save the images you should be able to read the document easier.