Stren_g

Just do a little looking, tons of great fishing in TN! Be sure to read the best of bassresource section, there's a lot of great info there!

Normally I think most folks let it fall on slack line, but keep some tension on while its being retrieved. However I have fished weightless plastics with slack line in tough conditions. Soon as I'd see line twitch... Cross er eyes!

There's nothing wrong with mono, each line type has its pros and cons for various situations. Plus it has the advantage of being easier to untangle if you get a birds nest. A lot of people have and still do catch many fish on mono. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say you're referring to fishing soft plastics, t-rig and c-rig. To answer your question about detecting bites; I think you'll be fine. Watch your line, and pay attention to how a fish feels vs brush/rocks/grass.

I just remembered when I started out, I would leave around 16-18" of line out like I did with my spinning gear. After a while I tried reeling up to 8" or less and it being easier. Again this is just my experience.

Thanks for the replies y'all, I've really gotten into crankbaits this summer. They've been productive, but I wish I would have learned to use them sooner. I bet I've missed out on a lot of fish!

Keep at it, I made the switch from spinning gear about 2 years ago and it took a while to get it down.

I used heavy mono to learn on. If you're used to spinning gear it may take a while to learn. The casting mechanics are different. The whole arm is more involved vs whipping it with your wrist. To me the side arm cast was easiest to learn. If your casting too far left then you're not releasing soon enough, vise versa for too far right. I'd recommend at least 1/2 oz weight to learn on, and as said before set your spool tension to where the lure free falls with overruns when it hits the ground. If you're only getting 15ft I'd guess your spool is too tight. Practice and teach your thumb how to feather the spool ever so lightly. Eventually you'll be casting further and with more accuracy!

Yes sir!

Kvd 1.5 is my go to shallow crankbait. Don't be afraid to bounce it off of stuff. And be prepared to lose a few, that's part of fishing a crankbait!

Lol revival, nicely put! I'll never buy rebel crankbaits again.

Kvd is Kevin van dam's series made by strike king. The 1.5 is a 2 1/4" 3/8oz shallow diving square bill crankbait 3-6 ft. Depth. They're quality is good and the price is low enough where you can buy a bunch of them!

KVD 1.5 in sexy shad has worked very well for me this summer!

+1 what lmbfisherman said

I find that trimming the guard can help some in hook setting, but I mainly trim them when fishing heavy wood. It makes the guard a little more stiff, and in my experiences I lose less jigs doing this.

I've tied through the "whiffle" holes with good results. Also you can use a piece of electrical tape around the spool and over your knot.

Nice fish! Good job on getting your lady friend to go fishing with ya!

Thanks okeechobee!

Not to hijack the thread, but have any of y'all ever lost a fish because of snaps?

Lol that's a good point! I didn't see it, but any idea of when the lefties will be available?

Lol shed notice, I can't control my grin when I get new equipment

I've been itching for a lews with left hand retrieve! Now to convince the boss(wife) I need one!

I've had luck with downsizing line and lures when the bite gets tough, and as stated before natural colors/lures

Good explanation Arv

Go to you favorite sporting goods store and handle a few in different lengths to see what you like

Generally shorter rods are more accurate/easier to handle, but longer rods can cast further and are better for pitching and flipping. I use 7' rods almost exclusively, but that's just personal preference.