ChrisD46

A new leader material I was not aware of - thanks !

In order of longevity : 1) Braid 2) FC 3) Mono

The T-Mac is a tougher worm and the tail has a neutral to slight rise on a Neko rig. Check out the XZone Deception Worm and the GrandeBass Air Tail Wiggler Worm for the Neko rig as their tails rise . If rigged with their hardware - the ZMan 7” straight tail Elaztec worms are robust and the tails stand almost straight up .

Strike King makes a shallow running 2.5 Wake Bait and a similar offering from Academy Sports own brand. BPS The Egg , Cotten Cordell Red Fin and the Rapala BX Balda Waking Minnow all produce bass. I will also use the Rapala original floating minnow and a Strike King shallow running 1.5 with my rod tip held high to produce similar results.

For quite sometime , at the suggestion of a helpful friend here (Tom - RIP) - I have been using Maxima Ultra Green leader wheels in 6lb - 15lb. (depending on application) . It’s a robust leader line , knots hold up well , it’s good for any depth - including top water , it’s low in price and virtually disappears under water. Seaguar Gold FC lable leader line would be on my short list to try and there may be other leader lines worth trying but so far I’m still satisfied using Maxima Ultra Green as a leader for everything with braid . What are your current favorite leader lines you are using with braid main line ?

If trying JBraid - choose the JBraid Grand version as it’s a better line than standard JBraid.

After trying out a friend’s bait caster with high precision ceramic bearings - I was amazed at the increase in casting distance. That plus using one of the Rocket Fuel reel lubes was a game changer.

I am a fan of Sufix 832 as well . Previously I used Power Pro (which still has its place) but I found 832 to be more robust and the Gortex layer / strand in 832 has a lot to do with how 832 holds up under varying , challenging conditions. I might try J8 Grand 30 lb. - 40 lb. + leader on a bait caster for top water , see how it performs and go from there. But for fishing around weeds , lay downs and rocks I know what I’m getting when using 832.

You have good basic stick worm colors - In the Yum Dinger line (of compatible) I would look to add : Bama Bug , Elders Magic , Water Melon Pearl and Bold Bluegill . You lack contrasting colors and when a stick worm rocks back and forth the flashing of contrasting colors helps attract bass versus seeing the same symmetrical pattern of a solid color with one of two metal flake colors . Although not requested - using a weighted wacky jig and expanding the wacky rig to livelier , longer worms in the summer can be a game changer. An example of this would be a BPS Magnum Fin-Eke (6”) or compatible worm such as a Zoom Magnum Trick Worm with a VMC Cross Over Ring and a 1/8th oz. VMC Wacky Jig Head. Also in the summer don’t forget the wacky drop shot using a 1/4 oz - 3/8 oz weight to reach bottom hugging bass in deep water quicker. Folks like Glenn and featured pros have forgotten more than I know on the subject - there are some fascinating article reads in this forum regarding wacky rigs , color options and techniques.

Six inch Zoom Trick Worm - Green Pumkin color .

No , but that S2 model appears to be what I’m looking for at 2.2” and 1/2 oz. I found the Scum Launch Frog XS option in a similar size and a Bronze Eye 60 series about the same size as well . I know the Kaera has great reviews so I’ll have to give it a try .

Looking to try frog’n for bass with a smaller , Jr. size hollow body frog for those times when bass want a smaller frog size presentation . *The trouble is , most downsized frogs don’t weigh anything (i.e. Pad Crasher Jr.) thus making them hard to cast . For those using the Jr. size hollow body frog what are you using as your downsized hollow body frog that still has some weight weight to it ? Lastly , I understand I’ll need to probably drop down from my standard, big frog set up to a slightly softer rod and smaller braid size to fit a Jr. size hollow body frog better. Thanks in advance !

Mike is the King of the hard jerk bait - nice to see him do a crank'n tips video !

Besides the touching well wishes already extended - may your remaining time on the water be wonderful and here’s hoping for a new personal best record bass for you caught using your favorite technique .

Looking to use 30lb. to 40lb. braid and lures up to 1 oz. on a 200 size reel . How are Okumo Helios 200 series reels or is the Tatula clearly superior ?

I’m seeking a larger size 200 series 6:3:1 or 7:3:1 gear ratio baitcast reel for holding a higher quantity of larger size braid for heavier tackle applications - which 200 series bait cast reels do you like at that approx. $150 or less price range ?

Glenn continues to land the best video "how to" opportunities from the best bass fishermen in the business -a big thank you !

Good comments - I certainly subscribe to Glenn , Tom , A-Jay , etc. comments . It doesn’t take much to touch up a hook and you don’t need to be heavy handed . I believe it would be interesting to compare which hook brands(s) stay sharper longer ? Most of my hooks are Gammy and Owner , a few Mustad specialty hooks along with VMC and Berkley Fussion 19 hooks. I have NOT figured out a method or way to sharpen treble hooks reliably though , so I end up just changing them out.

Good to hear a counter point to ability to sharpen chemically sharpened hooks from the factory .

I saw a fishing guide video whereby the guide was adement that you can NOT resharpen chemically sharpened hooks and can only replace them to have sharp hooks at all times . *The guide indicated if you try to resharpen chemically sharpened hooks (single hooks - non treble) with a fine file - the hook point tips will simply disintegrate . The better hook companies (Gamakatsu , Mustad , Owner) all appear to use the chemically sharpened production process , so replacing the hooks when they become dull may be the only option . Based on the above comments , what have been your experience with chemically sharpened hooks when re-sharpening ?

About 3 years ago while at Academy Sports they had about 10 new Daiwa Excellor size 4000 spinning reels they marked down to $12.00 . I bought two to use with light FC line (per KVD regarding light FC line / large spool reasoning) . Shortly after I bought a Lew’s 6’6” M/F spinning rod marked down to $9.00 at Academy .

Here’s a tip : I have a Pflueger President spinning reel I had recently taken out of storage to add to the fishing rotation. Unfortunately , the rubber reel knob was sticky as the rubber was beginning to break down / decompose . I tried soap and hot water , then rubbing alcohol but nothing gif rid of the sticky reel knob surface . Then I tried “Goof Off” and that was a game changer ! I simply took a rag , wet the rag with Good Off and then rubbed the reel handle knob - now the reel handle knob is as good as new . I’m sure that once the rubber on the reel knob has started to change its structure from age / outgassing / environment issues I’ll have to reapply the Goof Off but the end result after applying the Good Off then wiping the reel handle knob is now as good as new and smooth / not sticky to the touch any longer … Hope this helps !

I see Sufix Nano Braid as a possibility but have not seen it in Hi-Viz options ? Thanks Tom ! ... The issue which can occur with very thin braids are wind knots (even with using good reel / rod techniques) . Fins has a good reputation as being one of the better lines less prone to wind knots with thinner diameter braids.

Has anybody tried the newer braids in weights less than #10 lbs. (or approx less than .007 diameter) ? Curious how they handle and if casting distance decreases or increases ? Thinking about putting together a Micro TRD on a Ultra Light spinning set up .

What bass lures have you also had success with while fishing for trout and Salmon ? I think a swim bait (3.5") would be good in the right colors and depth , certain crank baits , a chatter bait(mini-max) , possibly a finesse jig worm and strolling a Ned Rig (pink or chartreuse TRD) ... Your thoughts and experiences ? Maybe I'll learn something new I can do double duty with trout & salmon I already have for bass without buying new hard & soft lures.