ChrisD46

Food for thought : For $29 dollars more would the Tournament MG be a better buy OR the proven Speed Spool for $49 more ?

For your Winter T-Rig Worm fishing ( dragging / hopping on the bottom with a bullet weight) - what worm shape do you prefer : * Straight Tail ? * Ribbon Tail ? * Other ? Also give an example of your favorite worm for slow dragging / hopping on the bottom with a bullet weight ... Thanks in advance !

It appears to be similar to the H2O Mettle - but with 7:1:1 gear ratio ...Looks to be a great buy if you are wanting a hi - speed reel for jigs , worms or other drag & retrieve type baits where you want to pick up slack line in a hurry . The H2O Mettle gets good reviews and is a solid value at it's price point .

After further consideration - I agree with you ... What Talon did is basically assemble hardware and sell it - me thinks thou (Talon) protest too much !

I just read the history of Talon with some of the members here : For someone who just wants to try the MJ rig in small quantities without buying the individual pieces in larger quantities to construct - Talon (and others like them making the MJ rig) are a good option . If you REALLY like it then I see no reason why you can't make yourself in bulk then ...In the end it's your personal business who you buy from .

Jerkbait : 8lb. to 10lb mono / co-poly or FC which I believe works best for working the bait on a slack line . Topwater : 12lb to 15lb mono / co-poly *20lb. Braid with 18" of appropriate leader material (per above line recommendations) : Although I have not tried it , using braid with the appropriate leader material could work . A short section of leader material prevents treble hooks from fouling ; not sure how well braid works for slack line working the bait (jerk bait / walk-the-dog baits) but others have stated it works just fine ...Your mileage for the above may vary .

This is all you need to know : Talon Custom Lures - Worm Blades available at TW . They offer Colorado , Indiana and Willow blades - all good for a 5 inch Senko (or similar) stick worm. This is the definitive MJ Rig .

Good replies - I should have also noted my 6:3:1 bait cast reel is 26 ipt while my 7:1 bait cast reel is 29 ipt . I should also add I only want to put braid on one reel (I throw everything except diving lipped / lipless crank baits and frogs ) and leave two other bait cast reels dedicated for FC and mono / co-poly .

For drop shot braid users : How long of a FC leader are you using to the hook ?

It would appear to me that whether rigged weightless , T-Rig or jig head : Rigging with the flat side down will provide the best potential action on the drop .

+1 ... Try "fanning out" the individual bristles of the brush guard instead - I think you will like it !

Whether for braid or mono - what baitcast gear ratio do you use for topwater (i.e. spooks , sammys , gunfish ) ? ... I imagine a 6:4:1 gear ratio will work fine for poppers and twitch baits - mainly interested in whether moving up to a 7:1 gear ratio for walking baits is an advantage OR if staying with a 6:4:1 gear ratio is best all - around for top water ? ... Thanks for the replies !

Whether T-Rigging or Shakyhead , how do you rig the kut tail worm with respect to the tail orientation : "Rudder" up or rudder down (or does it matter) ?

+1 ... Some suggest that clear FC in bright light can get a sparkle issue with the line but I think this really only an issue with larger line diameters . Not wanting to lose strength in my FC , so I have stayed with the clear .

I only use reel magic now to shine up reels , guides and what not - no longer use on the line .

Good points Primetime ... I think a big worm worked slowly could still bring the wood - even thru Winter !

What are the best times of the year to fish a big worm (i.e. Zoom 'Ole Monster 10.5 inch , Big Bites 10 inch Straight Tail , etc.) ? I am curious if anyone fishes a big worm in the Fall & Winter - or is this technique basically just a Spring and / or Summer technique ?

Primetime : I really like the idea of the bobber stops with weights instead of the bullshot and split shots clamped to the line for two reasons : 1 ) less chance to damage the line and 2 ) ease of making adjustments up and down the line ... Lastly , Tom : it's nice to go back and read split shotting / Dick Trask references to keep a useful bass fishing technique going strong .

Don't listen to Raul ! ... That set up is a ultralight set up in the waters he fishes (lol !!)

Is a 6:4:1 gear ratio the "new" slow gear ratio ? ...Would a 5:4:1 gear ratio be the new "super slow" gear ratio ? ...Seeing as how there are new 8:1:1 gear ratios for baitcast reels - I may not be too far off !

I've had the same nightmare - I got bit only to get spooled by Big Mama using a 1500 series Shimano spinning reel / ML rod and 6lb. FC while drop shoting ... * I even smell the Cal drag grease while getting spooled in my nightmare ... The horror of it all !!

Goose52 - you are to be commended again !! ... Your dedication and effort to provide your fishing peers a five year study of a VERY popular BC reel is simply unmatched in terms of : length of study , information , content and detail provided . Kudos Goose52 - job WELL done !!

I have two PQ's - patiently waited until they were on sale to buy and both have worked well ... That said , for around the same price as the non sale price of a PQ you would be hard pressed not to consider a Tatula .

Below are the MINIMUM all bass fishermen should own : Spinning : Drop Shot , Shakyhead , Small Topwater Baitcast : Carolina Rig , Football Jig , T-Rig , Jerkbait , Topwater , Crankbait The above make 9 combos ... If you have grass then add a Pitching / Flipping outfit as well to make an even 10 .

+1 ... All great comments by Kickerfish1 - use what he suggests . Your greens & browns are good in clear to moderately stained water for above brands of worms - for more deeply stained and / or overcast conditions your darker purples , blues and blacks often work better .