Montanaro

Rain gear being more absorbant than a brawney papertowel.

A bit more success on my 7'3" heavy xfast rod with braid. But today I rolled over some shallow rocks and saw a nice 3 or 4 pounder at the last second mouth my lure...didnt have time to set hook and never felt her weight on the line. Is this just a fact of life? Hook was exposed. Perhaps in post spawn and summer they will hit it more aggressively?

I took spool tension knob off and everytime I cast, the trees around me sway.

I looove tubes. I have other style plastics for flipping and casting but I only use those when I need something specific. The tube is first choice and can key you in on how bass are feeding. I use to be too cool for tubes until a boater I drew caught a couple 6 pounders in a tourny here in WV on them.

Feeling is back, I swear! (Im starting to regret this thread)

He landed the bass didn't he? He isnt wrong

I do! Its still a tad numb but improving. Was afraid my latest trip would relapse my issue but it didnt. I think the issue was I wore sungloves and temperatures dipped and it rained. My hand must have swelled and my thumb tip had a lot of use reeling and braking spool. I thought my hands were just cold at the moment.

There was a design flaw in the initial release batch of one of the rof models. Boiling won't fix it but the error was corrected

Its pretty good. A little loud if i recall and bleeds easily. Prefer smackdown but its expensive

Thats nothing to rage about...thats fishing and a unique story. My father raged some the other day when his new rod and reel setup he was looking forward to using had a massive wind knot causing him to abandon using it for rest of the day.

I've a trolley and 9 foot pole...love it. Want a micro anchor and yes the wind will rotate you...just have to set up with the wind in mind.

Bought two huddgills when they came out. One swims sideways and never have got even a bite on them!

Banjo minnow

5/0 weighted mustad on the big ez. I have it to where hook point nearly reaches tail joint. Its probably too much stretch and small swiping bass.

Oh I had no intention of going to doctor! Just curious how common this was.

It just bothers me that this setup is my go to single hook reaction bait rod. Swimjigs and chatterbaits and spinnerbaits all have very high hooking and landing percentage. I assumed that the ez (i do expose hook in the groove,not texpose) would be no different. I suppose pushing the plastic down shank is not the same as pushing down a swimjig weedguard.

Yall ever have this? Tip of my reeling thumb has been numb for 2 weeks after a trip in the cold rain. Never had it happen before.

They already have a groove but maybe itll help. Was also considering a gel like megastrike on hook bend but I think Im overcomplicating things. Most issues probably due to dinks and not waiting long enough. This summer i will be using my xfast heavy toad road to throw these EZs in pad fields (when they grow) so I will find out if it helps.

What kind of areas do large shiners hang out? Do they school up in shallows especially to spawn? This lake use to hold state record and having a specific technique and forage to imitate could give me a foot up on catching a DD bass.

Bahahahahha! I jinxed you

They are bass I see them. Most are small but will miss bigger ones ocassionally

I do try to be patient...it is one of my best fishing qualities especially with toads. Its another reason I like the flex on my rod it really lets the bass slam it without pulling lure out. Maybe some of the bass were just too small to get a good mouth full. The lake is overpopulated by 12 inchers. The 1.5lber I caught swung and missedon a laydown and I killed it and he picked it up. The other bass wouldn't so i had to throw tube at them

I just wanna win one tournament or at least one league tournament. Then probabaly just not play again cuzz it can stress me out haha

Im doing fairly well in FLW...usually better at BASS. I find flw much more difficult but they changed their system around this year to allow you to pick more top anglers and not 3 or 4 guys worth 5 dollars or less. I suppose the playing field is so even in BASS that anyone can be a contender.

Hey guys, I need advice on my hookup ratio with gambler big ez. I have them on a 7' mh okuma tcs apc rod (modfast) and 12 lb yzhybird (16lb equivalent). 1/16th 5/0 bellyhook with hook exposed in top groove. Fishing them in grass and laydown timber and open water. Sometimes the bass will slam em from side and not hookup. Sometimes they will. Sometimes they run with it and sometimes they spit it out quick. I try reel setting, sweep setting, and traditional hook sets. Sometimes i pull lure from them or if i reel set like a swjmjig the hook wont penetrate. Sometimes I have no issues. How can I improve this? Faster rod and braid with sweep? Give them a second to mouth it then hookset? Just nature of the lure and small bass striking it? After last two outings Im batting about 50%. Follow up tube has helped though.