FryDog62

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.

4/0 Owner Twistlock LIGHT is the only hook I use for 2 reasons: 1) It balances out perfectly with a 5 inch Caffeine Shad to swim more horizontally. 2) Despite it being a “LIGHT” hook, it is in between a light wire and regular hook. I have never bent one out in 10 years and have even caught big pike with it frequently.

Nothing swims like the Caffeine Shad with that bubble tail... 21.5 inch river smallmouth below ~

Best lure I’ve used the past 10 years for river smallmouth is a 5 inch Caffeine Shad rigged on an 4/0 Owner Twistlock LIGHT hook. It swims and darts horizontally vs. traditional nose-weighted flukes that just dive straight down and often get stuck on the bottom/rocks, etc. Many times with a twitch or two you can get the Caffeine Shad to swim along with the current by itself and cover a lot of water or pockets/seams. Truly a unique and amazing lure at times. The air bubble in the tail is the secret sauce that makes this fluke bait rise above the rest. If fishing deeper banks and/or deep weed edges for largemouth, go with the same Owner hook but use the 3/32 oz weighted option. Color for the Caffeine Shads - Glacier for sunny days, Pearl Blue when it’s overcast - but they all work.

Although the SV reels from Daiwa are compact, I'm not a fan. I used to have a dozen of them from Tatula to Steez. I still have two SV's I use for skipping lures but traded the other ten off. The SV reels just don't cast well IMO... yes, they prevent backlash but at a cost - casting distance.

The times when I use XF are: Football jigs/bottom contact (Perfect Pitch Heavy-XF) helps to feel the rocks/structure. Free-Rig - to feel the sinker hitting bottom and/or make contact with the lure (Phenix Feather MHXF) Texas rig - you want to be in contact with the weeds/cover but not stuck in the middle of them. XF helps you know the difference. Dock skipping weightless/light lures (Tatula Elite Ehrler M-MH XF, or NRX 852c). Feel the fish inhale the plastic.

See if you can find an old link... I have looked and can only find the 100. Thx!

Here's the Ryugi 5/0 that lines up about perfectly with the blister on the side to bury the hook into. Agreed, the CPS would be nice to protect the nose cone of the poop better though...

Where's the best place to find one?

What are everyone’s favorite compact, very palmable baitcasting reels? I’ve always liked the Curado 70 MGL K - any others people really like?

I’m partial to AFTCO shirts for one primary reason… their shirt sleeves are about an inch longer than other brands. So when you cast, you don’t end up with that inch of exposed skin on your wrist/forearm. Used to get a little red line of burned skin there each trip, but not now?

Buddy of mine with a torn rotator cuff is able to flip all day with a Phenix Feather Heavy extra fast. Comes in 7’3” and 7’7”.

What is your preferred baitcasting rod (length, power, action, etc.) typical sinker weight, and line type/size you use for Free-rigging? I use three primary set ups: *Tatula Elite Ehrler 7 foot, Medium-Medium Heavy extra fast, 12 lb fluoro when throwing 1/4 oz + lure. *ALX Enox Decoy MHF when upsizing to 3/8 oz and a heavier plastic like a 3.8 Geecrack Bellows. * I’ve also experimented with a BFS set up - 7’1” Phenix Feather MLF with 1/8 oz and 7 lb Sniper (I’ll do anything not to drop shot if I can?)

I agree with the above too - just beware that you really need to know that what you're ordering is what you want. They do accept returns, but the cost of shipping is up to you and can be well over $100.

2 suggestions to try: Instead of an O-ring, try shrink tubing, and hook both the worm and go through the tubing - this should help you grab more surface area. Your hooks might be a little too big and allow too much "play" when snapping the cast. Try #2 (not 2/0) VMC Neko hooks.

Well, hopefully it wasn't a certain spider... https://www.fox26houston.com/video/1262997

Ooga, wondering if the lake you are referring to is Cane Bay? My wife and I visited there this spring and liked it, we may be in the market. I wondered how the fishing was in that lake - any size to the fish?

If you typically Free Rig at 8-12 fow, what weight do you typically use with the DoLive Beaver? The video looked fairly heavy fall rate to get that fall action at the 5 minute mark, but I agree it looked good. Thx

Brown Bass?

I had St. Croix rods (LTB, AvidX, Mojo) for years and now own a lot of Dobyns rods. Big reason for the switch is balance. Both rod lines are on the heavy side but St. Croixs tend to be quite tip-heavy, especially anything MH or Heavy. Dobyns rods are overall widely regarded as well-balanced. I also have a lot of ALX rods and they are similar to Dobyns in terms of balance, but many times lighter overall.

It depends on time of year... but here are the two lines I use: Spring & Fall: 7 pound Sniper fluoro - use to cast Neds, tubes in shallow areas, rocks, etc. Summer (weed season here) - 10 lb Sufix 832 with 8 lb Trilene XT leader for jig worms, light Texas rigs.

Me too…

Not an issue… my question is about using the same strength/mechanics - which reel(s) cast farther? In the case of the SV reels, you really have to over compensate and whip harder to get anywhere near the same distance as a Tatula Elite or Shimano MGL spool.

Curious to what reel you get most casting distance from? I grew tired of having to whip the Daiwa SV reels too hard to get distance and traded most of them off (except for those I skip lures with). I experimented with several reels that get much more distance - the two best I found were: Shimano Chronarch MGL Daiwa Tatula Elite If I had to rate them in terms of casting distance, I would give the Tatula Elite a 10, and the Chronarch MGL a 9.5. Both are great reels, this is not a Chevy/Ford debate, trying to alleviate chronic elbow tendinitis ~ I am looking to add one more reel and contemplating if I go with another Tatula Elite. I'm completely fine with that, but always willing/interested to try something new/different if it's potentially better. The reels I'm considering are: Shimano Antares. Only cast a friend's once a few years ago, but was before I bought the above 2 reels so I'm not completely sure how it would compare. Plus its dam expensive... Other Shimano "MGL III" reels (Bantam, Curado 200 M) I hear that spool is designed to get even further/smoother distance over the standard MGL. Others? Thoughts?

Both are good - I lean towards the 105 Choppo because of its size - seems to work equally well for largemouth and smallmouth in my neck of the woods. I think it's more the tonal quality of the plop than color, but I like Bone for smb and Bluegill/Monkey Butt for lmb.