Smokinal

^^^That is a GOOD time! Done some of that years ago.

I'd be real surprised if you found any open water in maine besides a river.

Yup, woke up to about 4 and supposed to get another 2-4 during the day today. It just wont end

Oh the dilemma!! I so feel for you brah. I'd be happy just to be able to cast and not have my bait bounce....

Jerkbait!

This will help a ton! http://www.animatedknots.com/knotlist.php?LogoImage=LogoGrog.png&Website=www.animatedknots.com#ScrollPoint I prefer the Blood and Albright. I use the blood on my spinning rods and albright on my casting rods with microguides as it is a very small, sleek knot.

Wow Rhino, I've been using braid for the last 25 years; since the very first Spiderwire first came out and literally have never had a single issue you mentioned, except for an occasional slice in the skin which I have had with mono and fluoro as well. I'm not saying these aren't accurate but, from my experience with it, very very limited. I could write a longer dirty list about fluoro.

Dirty April Fool's joke by Mother Nature...woke up to 5 inches of fresh misery and another 2-4 coming during the day today; 4-1-17. Ice reports from my buddies say still 8-12 inches on most local ponds. I'll be thrilled if we have open water by May 1st. For real Imabouttopullthetrigger.jpeg

JULY!?! You can't do that to us! Why do you do that!

I like those too! Thanks!

Well I just bought a Tatula CT-R from ebay for $130. Ad said there were only 2 left so I jumped on one. I'm sure I'll love it. I read a ton of reviews on both the Revo SX and the Tatula CT-R and they are pretty similar with a ton of people loving the CT-R. Can't wait! Thanks for the responses and thank you, Finnz, for suggesting the Tatula!!

Thank you for all the feedback. I went with a Tatula CT Type R in a 7.3. And I think I'm going to put one of my older reels on that rod and use the new one on a rod I use more frequently.

And I found the Tatula CT Type R on Ebay new for $130. It says new; any reason to shy away from an Ebay purchase? That seems like a pretty good buy. DVT...what do you think?

Dang! Now you've got me looking at that Tatula CT!

^^^This glide will be my first big swimbait. I throw a lot of 3.8" Keitechs but I just throw those on a 7' MH with the Revo S 6.3; braid to fluoro leader. Probably go straight braid with the glide tho.

I get to buy a new reel this spring and love my Revo S. So I'm looking at the Revo SX which Cabelas has on sale for $120. Any other quality reels I should consider for that money? FWIW I'm not the type to do maintenance so I need a bulletproof reel lol

I get better distance with a spinning rod.

Probably discussed before but when do you use a 7.1? I have around 12 rigs now and all are 6.3/6.4 area reels. Well I've had this 7'2" heavy rod in the rafters for a while now and I just got a 3oz glide bait I thought this rod would be good for. As well as other heavy baits like my BBZ Rat etc... So I need, i mean get, to buy a new reel and I'm torn between sticking with a 6.3 or going up to a 7.1. What else could I use this setup for? Now of course I could always just transfer one of my 6.3 to this rod for my heavy stuff if you all thought that would be better for heavy baits and put a 7.1 on one of my 7' MH rods. But what baits would you throw with that? Basically, when is a 7.1 more advantageous? EDIT: I just grabbed that rod and come to find out it's a 7'6" H Extra Fast. And I have my eye on the Revo SX.

I always get that question in the popup in the upper left corner asking this. After reading about it, I still don't know what it does. Do you allow notifications and what is it for?

I use spinning setups for my jerks with 10 lb Sufix Nanobraid to 10 lb fluoro leader. I have no reason to change a thing.

Whoa! I like that^^ I like that the hook size is a hair larger than the Shroomz. Thank you for sharing

Topwater.....all of my baits would be topwater right now

This is good info. And like he said, once you figure out this early sason bite, it's usually pretty reliable to pattern. And it's different on every body of water. On my home lake, just after ice out, you can walk across them in this huge cove where the main stream comes into the lake. It's mostly 3-5 ft with some pockets that get 9-11 ft deep; that's it, no deep water bite here, no ledges etc...just a big bowl where the water warms faster and bait starts moving up that stream in the spring and the bass follow in herds. And it's the same thing year after year; love it! Oh, and if you aren't already, throw a suspending jerkbait. And try different colors of it. Good luck and keep us posted.

Nope. Those guys are hardcore; they use JJ's on everything.

I watched him in MLF and he seemed like a good guy. You have some good convo with him?