ChrisD46

+1 ... All of these have the right shape with few appendages to get caught on vegetation . I will also interestingly enough also use a 4" ~ 5" Senko for punching . *Reminds me of a Roland Martin TV episode where he was punching with a Senko down in South Florida thick mats ... Roland gave credit to a guy named "Tom" (from California) who apparently perfected the technique up at Clear Lake back in the early 1970's . Sounds believable to me !

First bass I ever caught was on a red plastic worm with a couple of bright plastic orange / red beads and a small silver propeller on the front in the mid 1960's ... Today I consider plum , plum apple , red bug , etc. colors to all be "red" worms .

Shin Fukae has a university show about the free rig where he explains it in more detail ... *I don't know - maybe you have to be Shin Fukae to fish it well ?

*I'm just throwing it out there (no pun intended) ... You got the Neko Rig , then the Tokyo rig , now the Free Rig ... I don't know - maybe more separation between weight and soft plastic , maybe you capitalize on that slow , trailing drop of the soft plastic the last 12" after the dipsy weight hits bottom . I have a variety of dipsy weights , soft plastics and extra rod and reels with FC loaded to experiment to my hearts content here in Georgia's 100 degree heat / 70% humidity days until I go delirious OR catch a personal best Large Mouth or Spotted bass ... You never know until you try it . *J Francho - I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop with Tom chiming in : "Oh , we already tried that technique up at Clear Lake in the early 1970's ... It doesn't work - send all of your 8mm glass faceted round beads and dipsy weights to me so I can dispose of them properly (lol !!) ... J Francho , A-Jay , Tom , etc. you guys have forgotten more than I'll ever know about bass fishing - rock on !

Fat Impact 3.3 alone in Sungill color Fat Impact 3.8 as a trailer also in Sungill color

From what I see - you get more distance from the soft plastic / faster weight slide with the dipsy weight used this way then a bullet weight ... Besides , it came from Japan / Korea where fishing pressure is high and you need an edge (Shin Fukae - Bassmaster Elite / MLF Pro has talked about it on video) ... Shin is cool and is obviously a good , innovative stick - if it works for him then it's worth a try .

A newer set up for pitching to docks , structure , weed lines, etc. as well as an alternative for stroking a jig is the : "Free Rig" ... All that is needed is a 1/8th ~ 3/8th oz. dipsy sinker , 8mm bead , hook and soft plastic of your choice : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ab1qWTV7Bk . *So , what do you guys think ? **Hey Glenn - How about a video with your west coast perspective on the Free Rig ?

Oh No ! ... ICAST 2019 is coming ...

Looks like you insert the head of the worm in the "keeper" looking thing then insert the hook point further down the worm to bury it T-Rig / Shakey Head style ... Bite Me makes a mean , very sharp sprout hook - I use their standard shakey heads quite a bit ...

*I have to smuggle in exerts from "Bass Resource" where I live on account of being in Bait Monkey Rehab at Restful Meadows - Home For The Fishing Insane ... I'm scheduled to be released Oct. 1st (if I make it through the 12 - step program) .

Dobyns Sierra 735 is what I decided on - also doubles for flipping / pitching for most applications .

I appreciate the replies - I have an Academy nearby so I will try the Meggellan version to begin (anything is better than my cotton shirts ) then I will explore the other suggestions listed here . *There appears to be a lot more dry / moisture wicking fishing shirt options today - why suffer right ?

As the title states , what is your favorite moisture wicking long sleeve T- Shirt / Jersey style fishing shirt with the following features : * Comfortable , non - scratchy material * Ability to wick moisture away and help keep you dry * Ample room / Relaxed fit for movement * SPF 50 sun screen protection * Larger sizes available Thanks in advance for replies - I need to ditch all my cotton T-Shirts used for fishing as I'm tired of feeling like a soaking wet rag in Georgia heat and humidity !

^^This^^ every time ! ... VMC Neko Hook #2 size for Trick Worms ; #1 size for Senkos .

*Looks like it's possible that the DF Perfect Crank rod might be a bit more versatile for ripping and such . Conversely , I read where people had guide problems with the rod . The BPS rod feel nice in the hand .

*While funny , I see you have no love for Dobyns apparently ? I find for the Fury price point (Academy) every one I have picked up is a straight blank that has been spined properly with decent quality components used . Any time I have had a question on a Sierra or Champion (my Dobyns rod choices) either Gary or his son have been super responsive to reply ... Lots of good rods out there and maybe Dobyns isn't your choice for cranking (or anything else) but I do believe they are a quite a reputable rod company just the same .

^^This ^^ ... While you can use a T-Rig worm or lizard with the G2 rod by watching your line closely and holding the line under your finger to detect strikes , it is easier with a more sensitive graphite rod . Focusing on chatter baits and spinner baits learning to vary your retrieve , water depth the lure runs at , learning how to cast to targets , etc. is a good learning experience . *A Booyah spinner bait (white / chartreuse) with one colorado / one willow leaf blades or a Z-man chatter bait in the same color with a pearl white Zoom Fluke trailer (to imitate shad) can be found at any Walmart and will work any where . You could also buy the same in Green Pumpkin color with a Zoom Fluke trailer in Green Pumpkin or Water Melon Red color (to imitate bluegill) and you would be set !

^^This^^ ... For pitching to cover as a specific technique - then moving up to 3/8th oz. is the deal .

I see the BPS Crankin' Stick mentioned - how does it compare at the same price range of a David Fritts Perfect Cranking Rod by Lews ?

OP here : Thanks for the replies - a lot of varied opinions here ! I'm wondering if one crank bait rod can throw both a 1.5 square bill and a red eye shad of the same weight in open water ? For ripping a lipless crank out of grass I can see where you need to move up to a MH action crank'n rod .

You can see from the title - I'm looking for a specific crank bait rod to mainly throw 1/2 oz. 1.5 square bills and 1/2 oz. Red Eye Shad lipless crank baits ... *What is your favorite crank bait rod (under $150) for throwing both types of lures ?

*I would think you would want to use the rage bug alone as a creature bait on a c-rig or maybe pitching to targets.

*With finesse swim jigs becoming popular - finding a good paddle tail trailer that fits well and kicks well could become a problem .

+1 ... Same goes for the green pumpkin ones - they won't catch anything , sure to be a total flop and should be left on the shelves to collect dust !

Seeking updated information of what your favorite paddle tail soft plastic swim baits are for the 1/4th oz. - 3/8th oz. swim jigs ? Also , if you use finesse swim jigs in a smaller profile - list smaller paddle tail swim baits you like for those as well ... Shad and Bluegill colors - thanks in advance !