Logan S

I haven't been able to use this rod as much as I'd wanted to by now. But enough to know that it's the real deal. Had a trailer bearing fail on the way to my Potomac tournament that kept me off the water for that event (and cost me my AOY lead )...After that fiasco I've been focused on prepping for my next event which is a lake where the chatterbait won't play, so it's been on the back-burner. I've only been able to use the rod on a couple practice days for that Potomac event. The rod I was using previously was a Zillion Glass 7'2" MH/R which I really liked overall, but didn't care for the split-EVA grip as much...The 736 is lighter and more balanced than the Zillion and has a faster action, power is about the same. The 736 is also more sensitive than the Zillion...You're not getting the same feedback as you would with graphite, but you can feel everything the bait is doing just fine. Application-wise it does it's job well, you can really move a chatterbait through the grass and popping it free isn't cumbersome. It loads well for casting and even though it's on the long side, it's pretty good at skipping a chatterbait under docks too (to be fair though, the docks on the Potomac are pretty tall). I haven't caught a ton of fish with it, but it handles fish well...You've got power to move them for sure but the glass keeps a nice, even pressure on them. Seems to keep em pinned pretty well, I haven't lost any yet (it will happen though) and I've boat flipped every single one.

Point taken ...If I had a 10XD I might try it as a challenge though! What I meant by 5% tackle is that if you know what you're doing the rod/reel/line/bait doesn't matter a whole lot for 'normal' skipping scenarios. The shape of the jighead isn't going turn a flop into a skip.

The trailer has more of an impact on skip-ability than head shape. Use a wider/flat trailer like a beaver as opposed to a skinny/narrow trailer like a rage craw. It still doesn't make a huge difference, but I'd focus more on trailer than head shape....Just pick a jig that you like. Longer skirts and longer or extra 'flappy' trailers can cost you some distance too as they drag on the surface more. I generally try to keep my jigs a little more compact when skipping. Having said all that...The real key is practice. It's 95% ability, 5% tackle. Since you asked for a specific recommendation...The @Siebert Outdoors Dock Rocker is an excellent all around jig, I use that head shape for just about everything. If you get it with the Deep Throat hook (Dredge) it seems to hold the trailer a little better when skipping due to the angle of the bend.

It all depends on your credibility. I've had good co-anglers offer up some solid stuff sometimes... But more often than not, the 'advice' I get is something along the lines of, "My buddy told me about this spot where we can catch 20 lbs guaranteed!" Whether or not you cause tension with your suggestions depends entirely on the personalities in the boat. I personally would recommend letting it ride for while and focus on learning from your boaters...Whether that's learning what to do or what NOT to do. You did admit that you are just getting started after all .

A ton of DC reels (and other JDM reels in general) were sold earlier this year and at the end of last year when the exchange rate was heavily in our favor...That's probably why you see them coming up more now, more in circulation over here in the USA.

The answer to both questions would be no based on what I read/heard. I would think it would be rare that pros and locals would be close enough to touch, but I'm sure it would be allowed to push off or otherwise touch the boats within reason. If this is referring to a specific situation that happened in Chickamuxin Creek...All I'll say is that I'm not getting involved or commenting further on it since I wasn't there. One of the people involved is a good friend of mine, so I know what happened based on his perspective...But it generated a lot of drama that doesn't need to be re-hashed here. Feel free to shoot me a PM if you'd like.

I can do my best, what is the question? The tournament staff briefs Marshals on the major/important points but they don't go through the entire rule book point by point, so I wouldn't call myself an expert in rule interpretation.

If you're getting two, you'd be hard pressed to find two better colors to start with than French Pearl and Pro Blue....No matter where you go one or both of those two will work. MB has tons of great colors and those two aren't the most glamorous, but they are probably two of the most successful colors (if not THE most successful).

I'm a huge fan of Megabass and my jerkbait rods have 110 variants tied on more often than not...But I own and use plenty of Lucky Crafts as well, along with several other brands/models. I also agree that the Vision 110 and LC Pointer are pretty different from each other. All of the guys I know that are big into jerkbaits have some of both in their boxes...How many of each and how often they get used is more of a personal preference thing. Regarding the durability of the Vision 110...There was a time period when they were made with weaker bills, you can identify these baits by small bubbles in the lip. Remember the saying, "Bubble in the lip = only 1 trip." MB 'fixed' the issue, but the bills are still not indestructible..It's not made to dig in the rocks or bang off docks/stumps/etc. The 110 FX is good for those rougher places though, or you could use a Pointer .

Phoenix 920 and Legend V20 are two that I've been looking at more than others...But realistically, any 20 footer with a 250. I'm looking for a deal on a well equipped boat first, then specific brands second.

There is no industry standard for the diameter to strength-rating ratio....It varies widely from brand to brand and even model to model within some brands. Shouldn't really matter though, you'll fit more than enough line on that reel...Filling any standard spool without a backing is just a waste of line. 50 to 60 yards is about the most you'll need for anything in the bass fishing world.

Last fall while fishing a tournament on a lake here with a pretty even mix of LM and SM the smallies were spitting up these small LM's...It was so frequent that I switched my jerkbait color to more closely match a small LM and my catch rate went up.

The most expensive rod in OP's list is the Avid at $200... While I fully admit to not having used a custom, I'm skeptical you could get the same performance in a $200 custom rod after paying the builder for his time, work, and shipping. I'm sure the craftsmanship and attention to detail would be better, but I would guess that you'd have to sacrifice on the quality of the blank and/or components to keep in the same price range. Not looking to start a custom vs off-the-shelf debate, but the Avid and a few of the others he listed are good quality rods that check all the boxes he's looking for.

Of the ones you listed, I'd pick the Avid...But I have not used all of them to directly compare. IMO the 7' MH/F from St Croix is the perfect jig rod (non-flipping), you just need to pick the series that fits your budget. I use the Legend Elite, but have owned a 7' MH/F in every series from Premier to Extreme over the years. I think any of those rods would be a good choice, but if it were my money I'd pick the Avid .

There is a nice article explaining Megabass colors that can be found easily on google...I'd link it here but I'm almost positive it's a site that would get blocked. GG colors are reflective/shiny, but also semi-translucent...I know that sounds contradictory but if you get one and hold it up to a light you'll see what I mean. Against a very bright light they are almost completely see-thru. M colors are the most reflective and not as translucent. GP colors are mostly clear/translucent. There a few other variations as well.

There's enough there to fish for, but it won't be hosting bass tournaments anytime soon. It's not enough for me to drive to given the other options that would be closer and better...I'd have to drive past like 5 ramps on the Potomac to get there so it doesn't make whole lot of sense for me, but if it was near home I'd fish it for sure . DNR has some articles/info on their site about the stocking...Spawning habitat is limited so they are essentially propping it up with semi-regular stockings. They do the same thing on the Choptank and probably other rivers. DNR is pretty quiet on their stockings for some reason. They've made significant stockings on the Potomac and Deep Creek in the past few years too but I never heard anything about them...I read about it in their annual reports.

There is a largemouth population in the tidal Patuxent from Dunkirk north as far as you can go....It's not an excellent bass fishery but they are in there and DNR is stocking yearly. You're probably an hour or less to Smallwood State Park to fish the tidal Potomac (on Mattawoman Creek). You can drop the trolling motor right at the ramp and start catching bass. Mattawoman Creek is a good place to start, plenty of bass and big enough to explore for a while without needing to hit the main river unless you want to. There are several other ramps on the MD side of the river that shouldn't be too far. This might help a little... http://fishonbassclub.com/content/ramp-details ...Many of these should be 2 hours or less from you.

Sam, you've got the 2 sides mixed up...The 'hot' side is the private lake and the 'cold' side is the public lake. Water temps stay pretty warm on the hot side throughout the winter which is why our group goes there in Jan/Feb. The outflow at dike 3 between the lakes keeps the lower end of the public/cold side a little warmer in the winter, but nothing like the hot side. I don't know of any regular/recurring tournaments on the hotside, but there are tons on the cold side...Our club goes there at least twice a year for tournaments.

Many of the houses on the hot side are rental properties...Several guys from our club rent a house for a weekend trip at least once a winter. Prices are pretty cheap since nobody wants to rent a lake house in the winter, except bass fisherman . About the only way to do it unless you're lucky enough to have a connection that will let you use their house/ramp.

There is no access to the hot side from the cold/public side. The bridge at dike 3 isn't really a bridge, it's a gate to let the water pass through. You need to own/rent property on the hot side or know someone that does to get access in a boat...Unless you have a kayak or something else you can launch by hand/shore. It's effectively two separate lakes.

85 to 88 depending on where you are. The majority of bass in the Potomac (and most tidal water) are probably caught in 6 feet or less...Just to put it in perspective. It's a shallow water fishery, outside of a select few areas there's not much to hold bass deeper than 6-ish feet.

He didn't really go into 'KVD mode' in this tournament...The conditions just didn't really set up for that super fast run-and-gun approach. He was focused on getting in area that held fish and working it over thoroughly, which is how nearly all the top finishers played it too. He never threw a crankbait and made only a handful of casts with a spinnerbait and jerkbait. The majority of is day was spent throwing the popper and frogs. I think his bait selection was just related to the type of water he chose to fish, his areas were very shallow (2' or less for the most part) and very grassy so the popper and frog plus flipping and the caffeine shad could get through/over that stuff...Crank/spinnerbait/jerkbait/etc would just foul on the grass too much. He could have fished areas where those other baits would do the job, but he chose his areas to fish based on what he saw in practice. His prime spot, the one he never got to fish during the tournament, was one where he would have been throwing a spinnerbait or crankbait...It just didn't work out for him. His tide strategy didn't seem overly complex. He wasn't 'running the tides', where you chase an optimal tide window up/down the river all day. His strategy was actually pretty similar to the one I use most of the time...He had spots that were good on certain tide windows and he hit them when appropriate. The rest of his time was spent fishing areas that hold fish on most/all tide stages and working them thoroughly. This type of strategy is pretty common at least among most of the guys I know. The one thing that was a little different was that he really wished we had high tides early instead of low...Most guys would probably tell you they prefer low water, but his popper pattern was much better on a high tide. You almost have to consider him a pseudo-local based on how well he knows the river...Like all good Potomac fisherman, he had spots and patterns for high water, low water, moving water, and everything in between...Things just didn't work out for him on the tournament days.

He didn't mention them by name, the discontinued color on the Caffeine Shad he liked was a sort of smoke/clear with gold flakes...Reminded me of a shiner. He didn't keep them a secret, it was just part of a conversation where he was talking about how some of his best/favorite colors didn't sell very well so they got pulled. He was much more concerned with the color on the soft jerkbait than his flipping baits...For flipping it was pretty basic, blue craw in clearer water and black/blue in dirty water. Cliff was awesome as well, I feel a little bad that the day with him seems like it was a secondary thing....But pretty much anyone would be next to KVD . I launched his boat for him which was pretty cool, don't really know why since I've obviously launched mine countless times...But when it's a pro's boat with $20k in electronics staring you in the face it's just a little more fun . (I offered to launch/load KVDs boat too, but he had his wife and sons there and he said they would help him) He hadn't fished the Potomac prior to coming for pre-practice in June so it was still pretty new to him. I actually grew up in Orange Park, FL which is about 40 minutes from where he lives in Palatka and both are on/near the St Johns River...So we compared the Potomac and St Johns quite a bit throughout the day. He started by running down to Aquia and I was surprised to see only 4 or 5 boats fishing the beach. After a while with zero bites he ran back into the creek and planned on hitting the RR bridge with a crankbait, but found Clausen already there fishing it so he bypassed and went to some docks in the back. Don't know how much Clausen caught off the bridge but he had a good first day so he probably did pull a few from it. The back of the creek didn't produce either so he ran back up the river and hit a couple main river spots, still no success except for a couple blue cats. He finally ran all the way to the back of Occoquan and picked up 2 keepers on a finesse jig. He picked up his other 2 keepers by flipping grass below the 95 bridge. He just ran out of time after that...He really wished that he just went into Occoquan first, he was apparently thinking about it in the morning. He was in good water all day, the fish just didn't cooperate for him. He threw a crankbait a lot but just couldn't get the bass to eat it. He said back home on the St Johns the crank pattern he was running is very reliable in the summertime so it's his comfort zone. It was a fun day despite being tough. Cliff was really friendly and told me to give him a call if I'm back down in FL, said he'd put me on some fish...I returned the offer to him if he makes it back up to the Potomac, Upper Bay, or anywhere else he might need to do some pre-practice. I'm sure they all hear that everywhere they go though ...

You know what's even more crazy/interesting? He didn't even fish all of it. He fished the pit and front edge from what I saw, which is a good chunk of it.... But the backside holds a lot of fish and it also gives you access to MUCH more space under the dock since there are no cross beams on that side...You can actually fit your boat under it from the backside if you wanted to. Justin is an excellent fisherman...He said he won becasue he didn't think those fish have ever seen a dropshot...I can assure you that's not the case . I've actually won a tournament at that same spot while sharing it with 10 other boats, and we were ALL throwing dropshots! Justin is just really good at it! . One other thing that killed me while with KVD...While he was fishing I was standing on the back deck and saw bass in the 2.5 to 3 lb range about 10 feet from the boat. Due to the no-information rules I couldn't say anything, point to it, or otherwise bring it to his attention. He never saw it since it was moving behind the boat away from him, it was brutal to not be able to tell him!

Here's some more pics from Day 1 with Cliff Prince and a few from morning launches.