ChrisD46

Wish I could help - but I'm currently doing a rehab stint at : "Blissful Bait Monkey Treatment Center" ... With any luck I'll be out before the Spring sales start !

Wish I could help - however currently doing a rehab stint at : "Blissful Bait Monkey Treatment Center" ... If I don't relapse I'll be out before the Spring sales start !

6lb. Seaguar InvizX FC or #10 lb. to #15 lb. braid (no need for #20 lb. braid for drop shot) .

Gopher mushroom jig in 1/16 oz. with either a #4 or #2 hook .

Looks like I need a chartreuse colored chatter bait for starters - probably with a gold blade as well !

^This^ !! ... I have a bunch of Roboworm bags in my temp controlled basement - after a year or more they smell aweful like the plastic has "out gased" or something ! While many people say don't worry about the chemical smell - I do (it's a confidence thing...) Therefore , I wash the long stored Roboworms , then put them in a small freezer bag and hit them with some smell good (i.e. your favorite scent ) added.

Here in North Georgia , I have never seen a winter where our water has remained in the 40's and the color is stained to very stained (due to rain run off) for so long ! Based on these above conditions - what would be your top lure choices to throw to get bites on spotted and large mouth bass ?

Good reples ... Thanks ! I will have to look to add the 78 series jerk baits as I see they definately have their place !

I have seen some recent jerkbait videos where anglers have had good success using the smaller 78 series jerkbaits - a size category I never considered ... What dictates your usage of the smaller 78 series jerkbaits ? What is your set up ? ...Thanks in advance !

^^This^^ ... Some prefer a #8 lb. to #12 lb. FC for getting down a little deeper while others do good with #6 lb. to #10 lb. Co-Poly . I have found #10 lb. Big Game to be as good as anything with a little KVDline treatment on a 6:3:1 baitcaster married to my 6'6" M Fast Jerkbait rod .

I found I had some of the less desirable larger ones which I may cut down and use on a chatter bait or swim jig - what do readers think about using on a pivot / swivel head jig on the bottom ? The thickness of the larger size is a bit of a concern , so thinking the EWG 4/0 hooks on most pivot / swivel heads may produce with the larger Devil Spear.

I would think the smaller Devil Spear rigged vertical on a bladed jig would offer the best chance for success with this soft plastic .

Not a bad suggestion in the bunch above - I'd absolutely go with any of them !

Go to WM and buy Zebco brand inexpensive spools of mono for approx. $3.00 ea. I buy #6 lb. ~ #8 lb. for Spinning reels and #12 lb. ~ #15 lb. for Bait Caster reels. Works great as braid backing !

I like the Owner weighted swimbait hooks in 1/8th oz. and prefer Zoom Swimming Super Fluke Jr. , Keitech Easy Shiner , Big Bite Cain Thumper and Missle Bait Shockwave to name a few ... Line is flexible in either polymer or FC #12 lb. to #17 lb. or #20 lb. ~ #30 lb. braid with polymer or FC leader size depending on cover . As for retrieve , you can try various depths right down to the bottom slowly scrubbing the tops of rocks and obstructions .

Flipside : While in Bait Monkey Rehab - I got caught on the library computer looking over your TW order list ... My councelor just advised my family I had a "setback" and that five more days would need to be added to my rehab stint !

I just completed a Bait Monkey 12 step program over 60 days ... Then innocently enough - I buy a small pack of EWG hooks , then the next day I have to have every color metal flake Green Pumpkin Trick Worm I can find and clean out all tackle stores in a 20 mile radius ! After a family intervention , I'm back in rehab for another 60 day stint - with any luck at all I'll be out just about the time the Spring sales start !

No doubt the Tatula has positive fans - conversely it has just as many negative fans due to the "T" wing level wind .

DSG will have store sales where you can get a Veritas for below $50 . The Fenwick Silver Hawk on sale at Cabela's would be interesting although some of their bend profile of modified fast and modified seem a little funky . Based on other replies of the Silver Hawk feeling about one flex stiffer - I would opt for a 7' M Fast or a 6'6" M Fast for all - around purpose unless I wanted a frog rod or flipping cabbage rod - then I would opt for a MH rated Silverhawk . * How many would rather wait for a $100 rod from TW (such as a *** 2) to go on sale when TW offers a 15% discount down to $85 ? Would you rather have a *** 2 at $85 or a Fenwick Silver Hawk at $60 ?

Do NOT order Academy rods on line to ship to your home !!!! ...They shipped to me in a rectangular flemsy box twice with minimal random padding and arrived with broken .* Unless it's TW , BPS who ship in heavy duty crush proof cylinders - I steer clear of buying on line rods !

I have not read where anybody has trouble with the higher rated Kanzen (> #40 lb.) as it is usually the lower rated (< #20lb.) where majority of complaints come from . * Using the "old" Kanzen #8 lb. braid I do just fine with no break offs ... Here is my set up : Shimano 2500 series with a light drag set to #3 lbs. , Light Action BPS rod , braid to #6 lb. Seaguar FC InvizX leader using either a Uni to Uni knot OR a Crazy Alberto knot , leader to lure (i.e. 1/16th oz. Road Runners , Beetle Spins , Ned Rigs , Katz Slab Spoon ) using a Triline knot wetted and cinched down slowly. * Eeither it's my set up or I must have got a good batch of Kanzen #8 lb. braid but not experiencing any break offs with Spots , Bull Bream , Trout or Crappy . However once it's time to change out he Kanzen I want to try either the new Daiwa Sumarai 8 strand in #8 lb. or for grins just plain Power Pro #8 lb. (both in hi - viz yellow ) . From what I have read - the new Daiwa braid is quite good and one of the few good braids offered below #10 lb. Lastly , while I could probably standardize on #10 lb. braid , with the right set up up I can cast a small lure a l-o-n-g way and still get achieve a good hook up ratio with a reel set approach using #8 lb. braid (reel set approach may be why I don't experience break offs with such light braid) .

^^This^^ !

I just saw a spool of #8lb. Kanzen Braid in a tackle shop with a : "new & improved" stamp in the upper corner ... Not sure what was done to the new line - just remember several reviewers claimed the lighter Kanzen braid lines (i.e. <#20 lb.) had durability issues . Your thoughts ? Has anybody tried the "new & improved" Kanzen braid ?

ZMan BatwingZ - I think you will find they might stand up pretty good ...

^^This^^ !! The Palomar knot is not the best choice with FC line because it is prone to cutting into itelf . I like the Trilene Knot (very close to a Improved Clinch Knot) and the Uni Knot ... Do a search on the Uni Knot video by Aaron Martins and he explains the the reasons for the Uni Knot for FC line in detail ... Don't give up on the Red Label line ! Pick a knot from above suggestions , wet the knot and line well and cinch down tight s-l-o-w-l-y !! Wetting the FC line and cinching down slowly prevent friction -> burning FC line > weakening FC line -> knot failure -> lost fish and / or lure ... Ask me how I know !