FryDog62

Yes, to be fair the fit & finish of the Champ Extreme is well above the Phenix... but the action was similar enough. I had a chance to trade to get a different rod I really needed for another application and received much more in trade value for the Dobyns. It's a very good rod though - If they had a 701 at the time I would have kept it as a BFS rod.

No, I traded off the 702c and Alphas 70 SV... The 702c was nice but very similar to the Phenix Feather ML I already had. And over time, I've just decided that I'm not particularly a fan of the SV reels anymore unless I'm skipping lures.

It is extra fast, but also a light rod with a little more softness in the tip than the standard Phenix Feather. I think you potentially could throw some cranks, but wouldn't use braid... some stretch and give would really help.

Will be interesting to see your mount... for comparison sake here is mine:

Yes, really like the store. Some of the guys there used to work at Capra’s too. Most days you can get stuff for 20% off, this sale was 30%. Nice to have a quality (non-big box) store on the West side. They sell a lot of JDM baits (Deps, OSP, Fish Arrow) too… not all your standard, run-of-the-mill stuff ?

I truly enjoy scraping the bottom for rocks with a variety of lures including: Football Jig Carolina Rig Ned Poop baits Neko

Well, I broke my favorite BFS rod - a Phenix Feather 7'1" LIGHT on a recent trip. I happened to stop into a new rod/tackle shop in the Minnetonka area and they had their rods 30% off. They had a new Phenix Classic BFS rod in the 7'1" and I picked one up. I can tell it's a little more sophisticated version of the regular Phenix Feather. To get additional distance throwing light 1/16th oz hair jigs, I considered getting the 7'4". However, the tip felt a little too light. If you've ever had a hard-charging smallmouth boat side it's a challenge landing a fish with a longer/light rod. I would liken the action of the Classic BFS to be somewhere right in between the regular Phenix Feather LIGHT and the Dobyns 700 BFS rod. I think the slightly softer tip will help me get a little more distance when casting the small hair jigs. Plus the handle is about 1.5 inches shorter than the Phenix Feather LIGHT was, so a little extra rod in front to get distance when casting. Have only cast it around on dry land so far, looking forward to getting out and trying it on the water soon ~

For me, Livescope is extremely important in terms of helping to identify the right structure for where smallmouth are vs. seeing actual fish. 360 Imaging is key too - between those 2 you can ID the high percentage spots and develop a strategy/game plan. But you will rarely see a fish or group of smallies to cast to.

You asked me about top lures for river smallmouth - and this is def a top 3 especially if there is cover or you need a more lazy/action spiral.

Another good option are Owner Phantom hooks. Similar to a Stupid tube except the Phantom rig is more center-weighted so you get a slower sink and spiral action. Best on 3 to 3.5 inch tube size, 2.5's probably won't fit.

Or poop on his hook and he calls it a JDM scat lure and goes fishing?

Texas Rig - 12 lb Sniper Jigs - 17 lb Tatsu

You need a lighter rod to get enough load to throw a 1/16th oz hair jig. Medium usually doesn’t cut it…

Dang gravel lizards keep hitting my Geecrack Free Rig… I guess they like the smell of burnt Fritos too ?

I fish the baby sized Deps Cover Scat, Yamatanuki, and the one you could consider adding - the smallest Fish Arrow "Heavy Poop." I throw them all on BFS - Phenix Feather 7'1" ML with a Curado BFS reel and 7 lb Sniper. The smallmouth in particular like the pumpkin/chartreuse colored Heavy Poop.

The rod I'm looking at is the one that KP Duty referenced. Waypoint Angler Supply in Spring Park, MN carries them and actually has them 30% off right now: https://waypointanglersupply.com As far as BFS reels - I have a Daiwa Air TW and Curado BFS... both would work great. I use 7 lb Sniper, or 6 lb Tatsu...

Berkley's new Slobberknocker (chatterbait) and Power Blade (spinnerbait) have longer hooks for the specific reason of eliminating the need for a trailer hook.

I'm a big fan of throwing hair jigs with fluorocarbon - I think you get a much better and more uniform sink rate. To minimize line twist I use BFS. Although I use a 7'1" Light baitcasting rod, I am considering a 7'4" option. I really don't like going longer than that - since smallmouth tend to make a run as they get close to the bank/boat and a super long/light rod gets cumbersome at that point.

Agreed, and for whatever reason in our area - when the water temp hits the magic 53 degrees - I automatically get strep throat and miss work for a week..

Yes, keeps plastics straighter, swims more horizontal, more durable with the centering pin... and the 5 inch Caffeine Shad absolutely fits perfect on the 4/0?

I've used similar - the down side was 2fold: 1) You don't get the center weight quite as well to keep the Caffeine Shad horizontal, and 2) The plastic seems to sag in the middle after a few casts. Between these two, it kind of works but tends to fall a little more like a wacky worm. Hard to explain, but just doesn't seem the same in terms of fall, sink rate and swimming effect. In a pinch, yes you could, but wouldn't be my preference...

In that depth I would go weightless. It’s a unique fluke style bait, you can swim it or jerk/twitch.

Best I’ve used for river smallmouth has been a Cover Pop. It allows you to either walk-the-dog or use as a standard popper. As Gimruis said above, sometimes there are current breaks, seams or open areas - so it’s good to be able to retrieve in different ways when needed.

Here's the correct 5 inch Caffeine Shad: https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Strike_King_KVD_Perfect_Plastic_Caffeine_Shad_5_8pk/descpage-SKPCS.html And the right hook is critical, either the 4/0 weightless, or the 4/0 3/32 oz depending on depth - but in a shallow river go weightless: https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Owner_Twistlock_Light_Hook/descpage-OTLL.html https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Owner_Weighted_Twistlock_Light_3pk/descpage-OWTL.html

ALX IKOS Buzz, or its slightly more expensive version in the ALX ZOLO Dream. I have them both, extremely versatile and not as tip heavy as many St. Croix models.