ChrisD46

You may have to order on line - you want a green pumpkin boot tail / paddle tail swim bait . A 3.75 - 3.8 inch length is a good place to start , I like Eco Pro Swim Shad in green pumpkin color , Keitech and Strike King also have Green Pumpkin colors - also bluegill flash is another color to try . If you have a Academy , DSG or WM near you you can find these colors and swim baits .

*The worst is for SK to charge $6.99 for new NED soft plastics - the least amount of soft plastic equals robbery , no thank you .

Seems that whether you like braid or mono for topwater can have an impact as to whether you like a M/MH Fast graphite rod or a composite M/MH Moderate action rod . It also seems that with a composite rod you have don't work a walking bait as quickly as graphite but you keep the bass buttoned up better with treble hooks . You are either in the graphite , fast rod camp or the composite delay rod camp for topwater walking baits . Some guys can use a M/MH Fast graphite rod with braid and never have trouble keeping a bass buttoned up (go figure ?) which should run counter intuitively to those that use a delay type rod with mono ... Perhaps best to say : I want to save my wrist , so I'll choose braid mainline then chose a rod to go with it that will work the walking bait with ease then adjust drag and technique accordingly to keep a bass buttoned up .

3/8th oz. size ; tips from G-Man : Use a paddle tail trailer (rigged upside down) to keep the chatter bait down and prevent it from rising too much in the water - etrieve it just like a spinner bait until it barely goes out of sight in the top of the water column .

There appear to be two schools of thought regarding what makes a good walk - the - dog (spook) casting rod construction : Composite / Moderate Fast / M or MH ...Or in graphite : M / MH F/ XF ... I believe the composite rod will be a little heavier power with a parabolic bend while the graphite will be a lighter power with a faster tip... *For any of your up to three hook spooks , vixens , sexy dawgs , etc. explain your rod choice (under 7' length & using #30 lb. braid) ? ... Thanks in advance !

*Typically - the more sensitive and lower stretch the FC line is , the more memory you are likely to encounter . InvizX has more stretch thus it is less sensitive than Sniper FC . InvizX is fine for cranking or jerkbaits - but for bottom dragging baits , drop shot , shaky head or Ned rig I believe the Sniper FC to be better in those applications .

+1 ... That about covers it !

+1 ... I prefer the oval split rings in the #3 to #5 size range for the reasons mentioned .

*What shaky head jig would accommodate a Zoom Magnum Finesse Worm ?

*I certainly appreciate the replies ! ... I remembered I have a All Star Nano bait cast rod from a few years back that is 6' , short split grip and rated up to 1/2 oz. It's good for poppers and the junior size Sexy Dawg , Sammy 100 , twin treble hook walking baits . I suppose my true need is a top water rod under 7' to handle the larger three treble hook walking baits from the 110 to 120 size which are approaching the 3/4th oz. weight range . I agree you don't need to spend much on this type of rod as action , proper rod bend profile , light weight and ability to handle the correct walking bait weight range are what's important .

Any suggestions for a good topwater bait cast rod under 7' in length in MF (i use braid) ? ... My current top water rod for Sexy Dawgs , Spooks, One Knockers, etc. is a Dobyns 734C 7'3" and as a back seater I tend to hit the water too much with the rod tip on walking baits - I also believe a shorter than normal rod (i.e. 6'4" - 6'10") would help with cadence as well as tire less with the shorter rod . Your thoughts and suggestions ? ... If no suggestions I may check out the Daiwa Aird - X 6'6" MF or MH as an experiment . I don't know if the rod action would work for walking baits but the short split grip is a definitely a plus for walking baits !

OP here : I intend to use the 8 - carrier braid just for top water and other applications where there are few obstacles or tough conditions to contend with .

*Now that's a man's man size walk-the-dog top water !! ... That thing must look like a Navy Destroyer cutting left and right (lol !!)

What is your current favorite 8 or 9 carrier braid in terms of cast-ability , distance , low noise , robustness / low fraying , low bleeding of color , etc. ? *I currently use Power Pro in lighter line weights on my spinning reel set ups with no complaints but for a bait cast combo using #20 lb. to #40 lb. braid for top water applications - I'm looking for advantages that an 8 or 9 carrier braid can provide versus the traditional 4 carrier braids .

Good thread - more useful information than I imagined ...

Forage tends to get bigger as the year wears on ... The only forage much left in the winter & pre-spawn are the bigger forage that survived conditions and kept from getting eaten . Please Note : I equate the larger walking baits with having 3 treble hooks versus the 2 hook versions ...Perhaps better to equate as 110mm or larger .

Good comments A-Jay & Basswhole! ... I already have enough smaller Sexy Dawg Jr's and I know that smaller walking bait size is popular based on TW inventory levels showing during a sale - but I'm re-thinking my strategy now : It would seem more prudent to start out with a larger walking bait until the bass tell you other wise . Bass can be pretty aggressive - especially spotted bass and smallies which have been known to hit some pretty large top water baits - often larger than they are ! All things equal - as A-Jay stated , he's after bigger bites with bigger walking baits . I suppose another benefit of the larger size walking baits are increased weight for longer casts ... *Seems that the further you can get a walking bait away from your boat the more strikes and blow ups you get !

For the sake of argument - let's say you are trying to decide between a three hook Spook , Sexy Dawg , Vixen , Sammy , J-Walker, etc. size walking bait and the smaller two hook versions of each ... What goes into your decision as to which one you decide to throw - if (for the sake of argument again ) both three hook and two hook versions walk-the-dog equally well ? ... Is it time of year , water color , forage size , wind , sky conditions - or as simple as: "I only throw larger 3 hook walk-the-dog topwaters" , or something else ? ... For those who are experienced throwing walk-the-dog style Spooks , Sexy Dawgs, Vixens , J-Walkers, Sammys, etc. I would appreciate hearing your thoughts on how you decide the best topwater walking bait size to use - Thanks in advance !

*There are greater possibilities to getting wind knots and line loops down with the #8lb. - #10 lb. braids on a spinning outfit . Also some of the 8 carrier braids tend to fray more than 4 carrier or even other 8 carrier braids ... It all depends .

*I'm interested in your thoughts regarding top water Pencil Popper colors vs. Spook (or similar) colors in clear to slightly stained water ? ... I use Pencil Poppers when there is a chop on the water , more wave action (due to boat traffic) , or more breezy conditions . Chrome , Bone and a brighter semi - translucent colors (with red gill , chartreuse & bright blue) come to mind ... For calmer conditions non - popping walking baits (Spooks , Sexy Dawgs , etc.) I tend to go with Bone or translucent colors (never tried chrome) ... What are your thoughts or experiences with the above ?

*Looking for recommendations for a longer 7'6" MF or MXF spinning rod recommendation with good tip + back bone + good balance for applications where you need to move line fast thus the longer than usual 7' spinning rod (i.e slip sinker with soft plastics applications , drop shot , etc. ) ... Looking to spend under $150 if possible - thanks in advance . *A possibility in the "best value" category may be the St. Croix 1 pc. Triumph MF 7'6" for $109 or the Kast King Resolute series (2 pc.) as they make a 7'6" MF model in that series for $69 (I know nothing about the Kast King Resolute series though but am willing to listen) .

*Looking for recommendations for a longer 7'6" MF , MXF spinning rod recommendation with good tip + back bone + good balance for applications where you need to move line fast thus the longer than usual 7' spinning rod (i.e slip sinker + soft plastics applications , drop shot , etc. ) ... Looking to spend under $150 if possible - thanks in advance . *A possibility in the "best value" category may be the Kast King Resolute series (2 pc.) as they make a 7'6" MF model in that series for $69 (I know nothing about the Kast King Resolute series though but am willing to listen) .

*Thank you James for sharing - always happy to have you post ... Here in the South East , I have learned that shad start showing up in coves and the back of creeks sooner than most bass fishermen would think ! Right now pearl colored swim jigs , bladed jigs and shad colored crank baits will be solidly be moving up in the line up ... Soon mirror or pearl colored top water poppers and walking baits will follow when spotted bass "wolf packs" gang up and will start busting top water lures well beyond the typical top water morning bite ... Less boat traffic , cooler temps and active bass make the Fall a favorite time to be bass fishing !

Like the title states , what is your current rod , reel and line set up for flipping / pitching jigs around shallow cover ?

*I've used the 4.5" version on a shaky head and loved it - I just put a couple of colors (Ice Shad & GP / WM) in the 3" size in my TW wish list ... What colors of the 3" Ribster do you like on the drop shot ?