ChrisD46

I know red is the first color to disappear at depth - maybe local KS / MO guys (T9 or Basser66) can shed some light on why red is a popular Ned Rig Jighead color ?

I am curious why MidWest Ned Rig users often rely on using a RED color jighead (i.e. Gopher , Finesse ShroomZ , etc. ) for their Ned Rigs ? Please detail water conditions or other details why / where / when a red color Ned Rig jighead is most productive ? ...Thanks in advance !! * Here in the SouthEast - Green Pumpkin (by a wide margin) is the most popular finesse jighead color followed by Brown / PB&J and then Black ...

^^This^^ - I believe just as nice as the TP but lighter !

A good place to start would be Power Pro #40lb. braid as it has the diameter of #10lb. mono - which is about the min. line size recommended for baitcast reels . You could do just about anything you want with the size braid (with or without a mono or FC leader) . The only exception is if you were throwing a frog in "heavy spinach" then you would want to bump up to #50lb. to #65lb. braid . Conversely , if you were throwing a smaller bait in clear , open , snag-free water you could use #30lb. braid for added distance BUT you need to wind it on very tight and keep the line wound on tight to prevent digging in issues ( lightening your drag a bit also prevents line digging) . To sum up , try #40lb. Power Pro braid as your starting baseline baitcaster braid and then adjust up or down according to your needs . Buy in only150 yrd. spool sizes until you find a braid you are really happy with - then you can look for 300yrd. spools on sale in your favorite braid brand. I also suggest using a cheap #10lb. ~ #12lb. mono backing (I use inexpensive Zebco brand mono found at WM - soft and spools well !) filled to about 30% ~ 40% capacity and then using a double uni or Crazy Alberta knot to connect mono to braid spool the rest of the reel up with braid to 1/8" on the spool lip (you should get a couple of reels filled per one spool of 150 yrd. braid this way) . If you want to expand to another brand I would recommend Sufix 832 in above sizes as it has a about a 90% approval rating . A "sleeper" braid I have had good success with is the Stren braid found at TW , DSG's and other places as it does everything pretty well and is inexpensive (<$15.00 per 150 yrd. spool) . Hope this helps !

Try it with a trilene knot - the knot was designed for slippery line ...

Are you talking about PP Super Slick casting a mile and detecting hooksets OR Nanofil ?

Best value in my book are the BPS Microlite Series : I have a 6'6" L action matched with a Trion 10 and Seaguar #8lb. Kanzen and love it !! You can find rods in the above series from 5'6" to 7' in UL and L actions <$50 ... I find the L action to have more all - around potential than the UL action (UL too whippy for my tastes - but might be ok with #2lb. ~ #4lb. line and treble hook lures) - Either way you can't go wrong !

Finesse ShroomZ jighead 1/10th oz. with TRD or 1/2 a ZinkerZ.

My wife sez : " I thought you got rid of the Bait Monkey" ? My reply : " I successfully did ... But I didn't factor in that Son Of Bait Monkey would appear " !

Missile Baits Shockwave 4.25 in Bluegill or Shad colors for using with a swimbait .

You have a good treble already - loosen up that drag !

I appreciate the summer tips - so far I have only used the Zoom Super Flukes and recently picked up a couple of packs of Big Bite Flukes in shad looking colors ... I will have to check out the Strike King Caffeine Shads as I have not tried them yet . For what it's worth , I use a 7' M fast action rod , 30 series Quantum spinning reel with #20lb. Power Pro attached to a small Spro barrel swivel then run about 3' of #8lb. FC line to a red 4/0 Gammy EWG hook . In the future I may drop down to #15lb. braid (maybe even drop down to a 3/0 EWG hook) however throwing Flukes along grass edges , laydowns ,stick ups , docks , etc. I have a touch more confidence in the #20lb. braid size should a bass wrap me up or take me "off roading" through the spinach !

For all the kayak bassers : How many prefer to stand versus sit in their kayaks while bass fishing ? Does this change your thoughts on rod lengths or other equipment considerations ?

Most Fluke users understand that the Fall and Spring are a premium time to fish a pearl colored Fluke as the shad move shallow - but how many regularly use a Fluke in the Summer and what tactics , locations , colors , etc. work for you ?

Lots of good info in the search function ...#40lb. braid to #15 mono leader will get you pointed in the right direction .

From The Bank : Frog Rod : 7'0" ~ 7'3" MH with #40 lb. braid (work the rod to the side) Topwater : 6'0" ~ 6'8" M with #30 lb. braid plus a #12 lb ~ #15 lb. mono leader (work the rod down to the side or bottom depending on length)

Are additional spools easy to obtain for the Pflueger Presidents and Supremes ?

Although I was always in the Shimano , Abu Garcia or Daiwa spinning reel camp - upon further review there does not appear to be anything equal to the Pflueger President 25 or 30 series for the price ... Any quirks or issues using braid on the Pflueger Presidents ?

Very good bait in the Havoc line up - although the Pit Boss gets a bit more love . Try the Craw Fatty on a Shaky Head or a C-Rig too - both applications will produce !!

Most people probably rely on the following (in order) : 1. Nose Hook 2. Wacky 3. T-Rig I see the first two for spinning setup but the 3rd could be fine for powershotting ...

New Daiwa Lexa - at least compare the features to Shimano and Phflueger in this price range ...

If you could save up to that $79 range more options would open up for you . At the <$50 range I suggest the following : 1. Berkley Cherry Wood M action 7' 2. BPS Graphite Series M action 7' You may find sales at other stores such as Academy Sports , Cabela's , Gander Mountain , etc. where you may find a 7' M action casting graphite rod. The key is you want a 7' M moderately fast / fast action graphite IM6 rod used with a good 12lb. mono line (such as Sufix Elite) to give you a little stretch and cushion to offset a bit of the lower $$ rods action for not being quite a true crankbait designed rod . Hope this helps ...

Thanks for replies: For the money - I'm looking at the Daiwa newly revised Exceler series . My experience with Shimano (Sahara) is that they are "knuckle busters" and now see that the beveled spool edge is not all that . Always good to hear the Pflueger Prez series spinning reels are going strong and maintaining fans . I agree that 832 and Smackdown should be a step up from standard Power Pro - but I'm still new coming over from Co-Poly lines.

Thanks for the replies ... No fault in Power Pro promoting parent company (Shimano) but also nice to know Daiwa is thought to have a decent line management system for braid as well .

In your experience , do you have a favorite brand of spinning reel & model which peformed the best using braided line versus other brands & models of spinning reels while also using braided line - OR have you really noted little difference in performance (as long as the braid was spooled properly to begin with) ? As an example , Power Pro claims it's braided lines work best with : "Spinning reels equipped with the Propulsion Line Management System are ideal for use with PowerPro as the small loops thrown off the spool minimize backlash, loops and tangles. For the best PowerPro spinning reel experience look for Propulsion equipped spinning reels that also utilize the Aero Wrap II Oscillation for the best line lay possible." ... I became curious about these Power Pro statements as it appeared to VERY closely resemble Shimano spinning reel traits - then I remembered Shimano bought Power Pro back a few years * Are there other brands of spinning reels & models that equal or exceed Shiminao spinning reels in terms of performance , casting distance , etc. using braided line ?