FryDog62

I remember hearing that.. but can't remember if they were introduced purely for sport fishing, or to offset some other ecological issue?

The Classic is a big deal, Greenville is maybe the best city in America... but after living there 18 months, I got kind of tired of Hartwell myself. Better lakes in the area, but Greenville as a center point is pretty awesome.

Further proof that the primary reason for even closing the season was to protect thy sacred walleye... But yeah, I agree the C&R season for bass should be pushed til the last Saturday in May like it used to be.

A fun lake, with some quality smallmouth… that said it’s not an automatic. Gets a lot of pressure, so avoid tournament weeks. If you can find the rock/rubble areas, you should be able to locate the smallmouth. Just west of the one large island on the lake is a large flat with chunk rocks everywhere. During the spawn and post-spawn tends to be a hot spot. One of the other areas I have caught some bigguns is off a small point in the rubble area in I think 15 fow. See map. Football jig, Neds, Carolina rigs, etc.

I’m of the belief that quality fish get conditioned and are pretty smart… the one exception where they develop amnesia for brief moments is over night. They sometimes forget they are being tracked, lured and caught by fishermen. So even on cold mornings, I still think it’s the overall best opportunity to catch the bigger, smarter bass that have likely been caught at earlier points of their life.

The less messing around prior to a trip the better IMO. Create efficiency. Much easier (but obviously more expensive) to have a rod reel combo for the primary techniques I plan to use. Worst thing for me is restringing multiple rod/reels each time before I go out. I have 15 rods and each has a set reel.

I say basically "yes," but then there was the Scatter Rap. But I never caught many fish on it, so... my answer is still yes?

I find any SV reels like the Zillion hard to cast anything light, you won't backlash but very little distance either. Might be the same with the DC reel - anything that holds back against backlash is tough to cast very far. A regular SLX or Tatula 100 would cast farther and more effortlessly, and if you dial it in right shouldn't backlash.

“Curious what line you use for your swim jigs? Personally I prefer straight braid, either 20 or 30 lb.” I prefer 17 lb Tatsu most of the time. I like a line that slithers through the weeds if possible versus braid which cuts and saws through. In highly pressured waters, I think the bigger/smarter fish that have been fooled earlier in their life get conditioned to the sound of braid sometimes. Other times, I will use braid especially if I’m in thick/stiff stuff like Kissimmee grass in Florida, then there’s no other choice. Back to milfoil in Minnesota, I’m still a fluorocarbon guy.

Yes, here are a couple snippets (one from a rod dealer): "I'd choose the MBR 843 over the 844 in the Loomis line since 3/8 is the majority of what you're doing with the occasional 1/2 oz. If it was the other way around, 80% 1/2 oz and 20% 3/8, then the 844 would be the choice." "Fry for what you’re doing 843 will do what you’re asking. I had an 844 and loved it for jigs and Texas rigs, felt a bit much for swim jigs unless you’re in the thick stuff all the time." I did take the 843 MBR that I have out for a few hours last weekend and tied on my usual 3/8 oz 6th Sense Divine swim jig + 4 inch Keitech Easy Shiner trailer around moderate cover and it felt close to perfect. I also threw a 3/8 oz Megabass Uoze underpin with same trailer and it did just fine. I weighed the Uoze + trailer afterwards at a hefty 3/4 oz which interestingly weighed the same as a 1/2 oz Divine Swim Jig and the same trailer. That is right at the top of the weight rating range for the 843 MBR. So in conclusion, I do think the 843 MBR is a great rod for 3/8 oz swim jigs and the occasional 1/2 oz is fine. If you were fishing around a lot of thick grass and/or fishing the 1/2 oz the majority of time, I think the guys are right in suggesting to move up to the 844 MBR. It sure is nice to have open water this time of year to test these theories out. Sure beats doing line stretch tests from my vaulted ceiling in Minnesota all winter long!!

I really like the OSP Tiny Blitz crank baits... the medium runner (6 feet) and deep runner (10 feet). Not only are they fun to fish, but the hooks aren't so tiny like so many BFS treble lures - they keep the fish pinned much better than most.

Well, here's what I am deciding - at least for the short term: Some people on a different forum suggested the 843 MBR as a better alternative to the 844 MBR for swim jigs. Possibly right. I already have an NRX+ 843 MBR and although it is extremely versatile, I have used it primarily as a dedicated spinnerbait rod. During a couple of Bassmaster Kayak events where the bite died and I needed to cover a lot of water to find scattered fish it literally saved my bacon. It loads and pins fish like no other rod I've fished with. Will the 843 MBR be as good as a swim jig rod? I think it could if I'm primarily in the 3/8 oz range and occasional 1/2 ounce. If it's not up to the task, then I go back to the drawing board. So now I slide my Enox Decoy rod over as my primary spinnerbait rod. It's versatile so other things too. It's always been a little light for swim jigs around cover. I really like the rod, but with its unique weight rating, I've struggled to find its niche. This could be it, along with dragging lighter football jigs in gravel, rocks, etc. The odd man out might be my Dobyns Champ 734c. It has been such a great rod for swim jigs, but going from a boat to kayak, it seems just a bit too long when fighting fish at the boat. I lost a couple that way recently. Will see how the 843 MBR performs as a swim jig rod before I sell the Dobyns.

I’m getting other input that suggests the 843 MBR would be better for what I described than the 844 MBR…

Liking what I hear about the Daemos, would also be interested in what others have to say about the Conquest 844 MBR for swim jigs. I saw an older post where @Bandersnatch and @Pogues2300 have used one if they or others would like to chime in... Thx

90% of the time, I fish 3/8 oz swim jigs and a 4 inch Easy Shiner trailer... I would think that would be a sweet spot for the Daemos. If I went to a 1/2 oz swim jig also with a 4 inch Easy Shiner would it still be in the sweet spot for the Daemos? If I go heavier than that, I typically switch to a different rod.

Yep, just that the 904 is too long for me...

Sounds like you were mixed on the GLX version of the 844C, have you fished the Conquest 844 MBR?

Thanks Scott, yes I’ve heard if you like the NRX+ 844 MBR, that the Conquest is even better. Not as far as sensitivity, but for the right action/strength for swim jigs. But it is the most expensive rod on the list. Sometimes there are other new offerings just as good but slightly less dollars.

Good rods, I currently have a 7'3" length I like in a boat, but with a kayak - I'm looking to go shorter around 7'0"

Kill switch around the ankle is a good idea, I can't say I always clipped mine on but should have. The new Garmin stern drive motor has a Man Over Board feature which would be nice. I wish my Power Pole Move motor had MOB on my kayak. That thing is so powerful you could get left in the dust (wake) very easily if you're not careful and tethered.

There are some proven classics as well as some new rods introduced to the market so it's worth asking the question again... What are the best high-end swim jig rods for tossing primarily 3/8 oz swim jigs, and the occasional 1/2 oz? Needs to be good at pulling through weed cover and keeping fish pinned. Targeting the 7 foot length range as I am in a kayak now most of the time. Those I'm considering: *Loomis NRX 853/854 JWR *Loomis 844 MBR *Conquest 844 MBR *Megabass Destroyer Daemos *Dobyns Xtasy 724 *Poison Adrena 7'0" MHF, PAD170MHB *St. Croix Legend X2 LXTC71MHF Open to other suggestions as well - TIA

“Jhunnnnnt!”- that split second sound that your drag makes on a sweeping hook set with a spinnerbait… slips for a nano second before digging in for the fight 💥

When I lived in Minnesota, we used to hope and pray that the groundhog would actually see his shadow and there was only 6 weeks left of winter. That takes it out to about St. Patrick’s Day. Far better than the usual snow banks for Easter in April.

I had an Expride that I sold after using it an hour, the handle is just too long for jerk baiting. I debated over the Loomis GLX as it looks like an Expride with a better/shorter handle. Just was unable to find many reviews on it, or people that I personally know that had used it. It does look nice and has a great warranty. I also looked closely at the Megabass jerkbait rods - Oneten Stick and Oneten Special. Firsthand reviews were excellent, described as "special rods." The knock against the Oneten Special was that it was maybe a bit too powerful for lighter jerk baits. I throw a lot of 110 +1 jrs and 95 Zumvernos in addition to the usual 110's. The knock agains the Oneten Stick was that it is shorter and does it get adequate casting distance? For me, I solved the dilemma of what to get when I paired a friend's Oneten Stick with one of my Tatula Elite reels. Wow, casts a mile. Much farther than the Expride/Curado combo I had previously. Then the shorter length becomes an advantage in terms of not jerking and hitting the gunnel or the water. Handle is perfect. Keeps even hard-charging smallmouth/spots at the boat pinned. The Oneten Stick seems to be the perfect fit for me, although I never tried the GLX. Loomis does have the better warranty over Megabass however.

The usual Tator Tot casserole ;)