iceintheveins

What is your carolina rig setup, rod, reel, and line?

I use a higher speed spinning reel with 12 - 14 pound test and a 7', medium action fiberglass or composite spinning rod.

I like all of the above, but for me, Zoom just edges out Gary Yamamoto.

I use 15 pound power pro on spinning gear with a medium graphite spinning rod with a fast action for jerkbaits like X - raps. It gives them a much better darting action than with mono.

For numbers a centipede, for big bass a 6" lizard.

I miss the risto rap, the rattlin' fat rap, and the jointed countdown more than any other lures. Many of the colors of the super spot in the smaller size are gone too, as are some bomber colors.

What size hook do you guys use for the super fluke mag. I use a 6/0 EWG. Just curious what others do.

They are good on a light jighead and fished weightless like a fluke too.

Never even had a single strike on it.

As a general rule of thumb I like stiffer actions for plastics, jigs, and single hook slow presentations, and a more flexible rod for cranks, spinnerbaits, and topwaters. The exception to the rule is that I like a somewhat stiff rod for X - raps because it gives the lure a better action.

I have only fished the shad but I can tell you it's a fantastic topwater that draws tons of strikes, goes through weeds slicker than snot, and has a suprisingly good hookup ratio. It is one of my top baits now.

I'm sure I can throw a 3/4 crank 50 yards, but not 70.

Mr. Twisters are still really good too though, but I think the berkleys and kalin's have better action on the drop or at slow speeds.

I like just about all of them, but Berkley Power grubs are my favorites, followed closely by yamamoto and kalin's.

In clear water just match the natural forage as close as you can.

I catch a lot of them. You can put just about anything in front of their face and they will nail it. Wish bass were that way.

Original Stren is my go to. Trilene XL just won't hold up, and I've heard too many bad reports on suffix. P Line CX premium is another good one, but since it's fluorocarbon coated it's not ideal for topwaters.

Original Stren!

Have to say the pro qualifier, hands down. The Citica is a little better than the pq but it's about $120 in most places.

I can throw a 3/8 ounce crank about 100 feet most of the time on 12 pound test and a baitcast reel. I'm not KVD so I don't expect to cast like him. If he was throwing a heavier crank I can probably cast at least half the distance he can.

Poppers, but buzzbaits, props, and spooks catch em too.

I've done well for both kinds of bass on the baby torpedo, and it's heavy enough to throw on a baitcast reel when your fishing bucketmouths around cover. They both are must have lures IMO.

I fish them on as light of line as possible with the cover. I like to let them sink and then twitch them back in, with long pauses and varying the amount and intensity of twitches. In clear water they will outfish just about anything else most of the time unless the fish are holding really deep. But you can fish them in 10 feet of water really slowly and effectively. Beyond that depth range I reach for a senko or a sinker rigged plastic.

The super fluke jr. and regular fluke call for a 1/0 EWG, the 5" super fluke a 3/0 EWG, and the 7" mag fluke a 6/0 EWG or even a 7/0.

I catch fish on all of the above, but probably 60% of my bass come on plastics. Plastics appeal to less active fish that might be smarter or holding right in cover, while drawing more strikes than jigs in many situations. However to be a good bass angler you need to know when and how to successfully use all four of these lures and other types.