bigturtle

i use 7.3:1 and 9.1:1 for everything. 2oz+ swimabits, 15ft+ deep diving cranks, 1oz colorado spinnerbaits, it all goes on the 7.3:1, simply because they can't be fished fast, whether its ineffective, or the bait just dont run properly at high speeds. Everything else goes on the 9.1:1. A lot of people I fish with say that high gear ratio dont have any power or torque for baits like spinners, cranks or swimbaits, but I honestly dont notice too much lacking in power compared to my 7:1. I will never buy a reel slower than 7:1, simply because I have no need for it. Its always easier for me to slow down a 7:1/9:1 to match the speed of a 6:1/5:1, but I can never speed up a 5:1/6:1 to match a 7:1/9:1. I also dont need crazy amount of power/torque for baits that resist HUGE amounts of water, like extra deep cranks and big colorado spinners, because I dont fish them at all, or not often enough to warrant another reel.

Daiwa Zillion and Steev SV reels does everything i ever need to do on a freshwater baitcaster

from strike king, ya thats normal. some jigs have better paint job than others, and strike king jigs are average at best

I use hook covers.

Popper. Doesnt matter what im fishing, where im fishing, i always try a popper first. Not my most productive, but my favorite

that site's using BPS icon too. 2legit4me

Every line has downfalls. Which downfalls are you trying to avoid?

Solid, dark and flashy colors work well in stained water. Black, chartreuse, dark blue, white, and red all work pretty well in stained water. The darker the color, and more opaque the bait, the better.

I actually bought some darter heads a few week back, to try with a grub. How do you fish them, just a simple steady retrieve, or do you have to use the rod to add action?

3" grub on a 1/4oz ball jig or texas rig.

Those are older cotton cordells

In order from the things i consider first, to last: Does it do its intended job? ie, is it sensitive enough, light enough, and strong enough. Does it look aesthetically appealing? ie, not enigma, duckett, skeet reese, or anything similar. Im going to be fishing with it, and if I hate looking at my rod, Im not going to use it no matter how good it is. Does it come with at least 2 years of warranty? I have only broken rods by fishing them, and if they are defective, it shows in the first 2 years. Is the reel seat to my liking? I like reel seats that expose the blank, have a long trigger if its a casting rod, and has a comfortable locking/screw cap so it doest hurt my finger when i hold it a certain way. What the handle material is. I love cork, but good, dense EVA are ok as well Is it a full grip handle? I prefer full grips over split grips. Hook keeper? Nice to have, but if not, il put my own on. Is it a JDM imported rod? Would i have to spend $50+ and a few months to have it replaced/repaired for warranty. Price. My budget, when I do decide that I actually NEED a new rod, is extremely flexible.

Z man baits float, so you would need to fish them with a weight anyways if you want to fish them weightless on the bottom. I started to use the savage gear armored tube worm and its been really good so far. Iv gotten 8 fish on 1 bait, and the internal mesh at the center really helps prevent ripping.

Have you considered Ugly Stik Elite instead of GX2? I fished with the elite a few times. Its not a noticeably more sensitive rod, but its a bit lighter and more balanced that a GX2.

Not sure about 10 years, but the Stradic FJ has been around for a few years, def not a new thing.

for $40, that rod's fine.

I wish they made a slightly larger profiled rocket shad, maybe 5/8-3/4oz? I really like taht bait but its just so tiny

Have you tried to search for Owner Hyper wire split ring? They are sold in bulk of 100pc.

well, first you would need a lure that you can actually cast in the wind, depending on how strong the wind is. After than, pick something that is darker colored, gives off a lot of commotion (rattle, blades, vibration, etc). Windy conditions are treated similar to low light conditions. Like the others said, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, lipless baits all work. for me, a buzzbait and a crankbait work very well in low wind, and jigs with rattles and lipless cranks in high wind.

Stock hooks are perfectly fine. On my 90 size one, I changed them out to size 4 short shank round bends because I wanted a red hook in the front and a feathered one at the back

Ya, this can happen to ANY plastic. I never mixed soft plastics together, but when I was starting out, I put a torn up finesse worm into my bag of round plastic bobbers. the whole thing was a mess and I had to throw out 3 of the bobbers because I couldnt get them unstuck. I never mixed soft plastic with anything after that.

Agreed, those things are pretty useless

That is an old Cotton Cordell Jointed Spot. Have you fished it? I never fished a joined lipless before and am pretty curious how it performs.

cool, I might try one out

How good does a bandit 200 cast on baitcasters? does it have a weight transfer system?