F14A-B

Big un..and healthy looking.

I do not seal my cork handles.

Wow, that’s crazy. One in a million.

Not my picture but a guy on a local forum posted this picture.. What y’all think? He caught it Sunday.

Man I’m the exact same way Catt,

I hear ya there, I don’t hunt them anymore but I understand you loud and clear.. 💯

Fall is a blast for me here in Indiana, Patoka and Monroe lakes get very good in the mid fall. As water temps begin to really drop the Sunlight again becomes important. The shad on these two lakes move shallow again with the warmer shallows.. rocks hold heat and can be important too, predatory fish follow the shad schools..The days are beautiful with the colors and the weather is fairly stable. It’s my favorite time to fish and catch them. Fishing pressure is greatly reduced because most guys are Bow hunting or preparing to do so. There are multiple feeding frenzy’s that occur. It’s so much fun and so very pleasant. That is my experience with fall fishing.

I almost always caught my largest fish when I lived in Florida within the first hour of sunrise in the Summertime. But, on the St. John’s River system the bite can occur at various times. In other words, you couldn’t predict the bite times. In Kentucky, I fish hard March and April and sometimes in May. The daytime bite definitely gets better with sunshine. Spawning fish etc etc, then fishing goes post spawn which at least for me had been better afternoon/early evening in deeper water. I’m referring mostly to Land between the lakes fisheries. I have wade fished the St. John’s river in February and seen and caught bedding males and females whenever I could and whenever they would eat. On Lochloosa and Orange lakes where I’ve fished extensively, the biggest fish for me and the guides I’ve witnessed with clients has been in the first two hours of daybreak. I’m referring to this time as an active bite. You can flip and work for hours into the day and you can catch them, but generally. First two hours.. Kentucky fishing and Florida fishing are vastly different. I can absolutely attest to that! I catch them in ponds around my home and one small river where we catch 2 1/2 pound smallmouths, but my heart is always on big water. Big water is where it’s at for me..(ex Navy dude go figure ) 🤣

Wow, thanks for the info, very very interesting stuff. Great data!

The hook hangers are garbage, you can remove them and use filler on the holes, drill new holes and use split rings for hooks.. I always used the smaller black bug and nailed most all strikes but hey, I’ve had the exact same results you did on a 1/4 ounce Pop R.. it’s definitely a thing 🤣

This is an interesting thread, I’m glad it was started. It would be even more intriguing if you fellas listed the baits that caught them each time..

Which reels host this?

I’ve probably caught more off a Bomber long A than anything, I like Lucky Craft pointers really well. Don’t own a single mega bass bait. But I don’t fish jerkbaits much, I prefer other methods usually.

Wasn't meant to be an insult, sorry if it came across that way. If it works then that’s all that matters.

That drag conversion is like my OEM 5000 Saragosa. Same exact principle. Definitely an awesome drag system, plus a very loud and powerful clicker..

Why? It looks grossly over spooled to me, I know he’s an experienced fisherman, but I guess different philosophy on the matter. Is that the way braid users roll? I'm a copoly mono guy myself.

Nice write up. Btw, I have that glass rod, mine is the 7’medium. I have my 4000 Ci4+ on it. d**n finely built rod. I have the FL, the FM and just got a Vanford 2500 S. It’s perfect on my Edge rod. The Edge rod is a light action 7’ two piece. It’s awesome. The reel is 5.3:1 and is perfect for the 2 - 4 pound line I use.. it’s a blast to fish. I started with Stradic in about 99 and have always had a few.

14 freshwater slightly more spinning than baitcasting , down to 4 saltwater rigs for the trips to GOM..

Man, I might have to start ordering from those companies if they send free megabass lures lol. Asian Portal is solid though (where I order from ) I just ordered a Vanford 2500 shallow spool w 5.3:1 ratio and had it on the 5th day. Crazy fast ..

I’m certain that reel isn’t known for superior line lay which Shimano's are known for. Even more so it’s an ultra light reel and an inexpensive one to boot. I’m sure it will be fine, I had a shimano 500 in 90 that loaded up that way, I could still bomb it with a 5’6” rod. Generally speaking, you get more when you pay more. 😉

I thought I’d add something in the event you’re not aware, reels purchased from Japan have no warranty support. If it breaks on you, you can fix it yourself or hire out.. You might DM, DVT on the particulars.

Yes I do like graphite as a cranking rod, I’m currently using IMX for that work. He stated, it would be an all new ultra premium rod blank. He hoped it would be ready for him to test by January. He also stated the Zbone is a stiffer, lighter material and is his best at this time..Trey is going to get at least one more order possibly two from me after my surprise on this ML Helium.

Thank you my Man, appreciate ya

Hey brother, you got a link to those folks?