FryDog62

Of all the reels I've owned over the past 5 decades, I can think of 3 that "blew me away" and I would buy again: Steez SV TW. I can load it with 20 lb braid and skip a weightless Senko as well or better than any spinning reel I've had. Never thought I could do that ~ Daiwa Alphas Air TW. My only venture into the dark BFS world lol. I use this reel to cast 1/16th oz hair jigs and am absolutely amazed how the puff-ball lure just floats through the air effortlessly for 30+ yards. Problem is I get fixated on how fun it is to cast and have to remember I'm trying to catch a fish! Tatula Elite. Nothing launches lures farther. As a comparison, I also have a Shimano Chronarch MGL 150 that many think is the farthest casting baitcasting reel. On a scale of 10 for distance, the MGL is a 9 but the Tatula Elite is a 10. I've had to learn not to cast too hard or I launch lures into the upper deck on shore...

This test was done 4-5 years ago and I'm trying to remember when Berkley reformulated Sensation... it might be a little different now..?

If you like the Trick worm, but want something where the tail floats straight up better try either the Netbait T-Mac worm or the GrandeBass Airtail Wiggler. I got frustrated with the Trick worm because sometimes they float, sometimes they don't...kind of inconsistent at best. When fishing Neko and fish are neutral to negative, the floating/undulating tails of the T-Mac and Wiggler while just soaking or barely moving really excel!

I did a stretch test about 5 years ago that included 6 mono lines. Top of the least is least stretch, and #6 (You got it Stren) is most stretch: 1) Trilene XT 2) Sufix Seige 3) Trilene XL 4) Tectan Superior 5) Berkley Sensation 6) Original Blue Stren

Staph infection throat/sinus 4 years ago. Worse than any strep throat I’ve ever had. Got it on a day trip fishing locally. Was on the DL 3 weeks, lost 15 pounds...

I use fluoro mostly and some YZH for cranks. Don’t notice a huge difference other than YZH is thicker in diameter...

Thank you, exactly the endorsement I was looking for. I almost picked up a similar jack to the Springfield and glad I didn't yet...

A-Jay, I’m nearing same boat coming up on 5 years with the PVB and planning new tread after this season. Couple questions - what jack do you have/recommend for your trailer? And did you buy a new 3rd tire as a spare? Thx much, -Fry

Sounds like a good night. Sometimes it’s good to get schooled by someone so that they only want to go back out again. ?

Am Legacy has NRX for 25% off...

I’m pretty much only rivers in Minn and Wisconsin. I’ve fished the Namakagon in Wisconsin and it’s good. In Minn, the headwaters of the Miss, the Rum out of Mille Lacs and Snake River before it dumps into the St. Croix are all pretty good/great.

That’s a Rocky Rococco for sure. Bass up North this week have been glued to the underside of the thicker weeds. Hard to coax out. Sounds like you did what you could. Other option that’s been working are smaller jig worms down in the thick stuff/openings and ripping out. Hard work but does work too.

I know a few of you use fluorocarbon as a main line for drop-shotting... what are you using (brand, lb test, etc) and what tips do you have to maintain manageability and prevent line twist?

The Western side of Wisconsin is a little sparse when it comes to really good fishing, especially for smallmouth. The exception would be the St. Croix or Snake Rivers (Eastern Minn) if you're near enough. With water levels so low, not sure how those would fish right now either. We had a family cabin in the Sawyer County area for 27 years and there are some good smb lakes there (Round, Grindstone, Couderay). Depending on where you're coming from, my guess is an hour drive or a little more, but might be worth it. For those of us in the Minneapolis area, our bass fishing season is closed until Mid May, so if we want to find somewhere to fish before "Opener," many of us have gone to Wisconsin. However, that Western side isn't as good as if you venture Eastward a little further towards Hayward. I hear Middle Eau Claire lake is good too, but again I'm not sure your exact starting point and how far you want to drive.

I have had 2 different Exprides on order for months over the past 1.5 years and finally gave up and bought something else so I can't compare to that. Not sure I have anything else that really compares to the Ehrler rod... its fairly unique being between a Medium and Medium-Heavy. Closest for me would be a Phenix Feather 7'1" MH XF which fishes a little lighter than a true MH IMO so fairly close.

Sorry, PSA time ~ Any signs or symptoms of Lyme, request your doc give you Doxycycline even before you are tested. The testing is extremely antiquated and unreliable. If you have Lyme and it goes longer than 3-4 weeks you could have it for several years if not for life. I have 2 family members that tested negative 2-3 times each and weren't treated until they tested positive months later. By then it was too late. They have both been battling it now going on 3 years and has resulted in A-fib, Graves Disease, Neurological degeneration, pelvic floor disorder, etc. Its an absolute B*%tc$ don't wait to get treated even if you feel even a little off. If your doc refuses, go to another clinic until you find one that has had patients go through this before, they will understand and write the RX.

The fragile AGS guides are the downside. Outside of that, it’s arguably the most versatile rod I have. Flukes, tubes, Caffeine Shads, Senkos, Texas Rigs, jigs, etc. If I only could use one rod all day, this would be it.

Most fluorocarbons have improved, but it does help to use a quality line that isn't too stiff. I like Sniper and Tatsu best. Also buy some KVD line conditioner and practice, practice, practice - and prepare to fail occasionally. That's how you learn... I will add this - learn how to unravel a bird's nest with fluorocarbon. Take your time and learn how it can tighten down on itself, and how to reverse and pick out. If need be, put a small piece of electrician's tape on your spool at about 5 feet past typical casting length to keep the line from totally lashing up. Lastly, DO NOT watch videos on how to fix bird's nests by tightening down the drag, pressing your thumb against the spool and reeling. You may eventually get the line freed up - but you will cause little fractures in the brittle fluorocarbon in the process that have a tendency to break off later on when fighting a fish, snag, etc. Seen it happen many times. This method works on braid but not on fluorocarbon!

Might find a used Zillion for close to $250, otherwise Tatula SV TW is very good. If you’re skipping lures less than 1/4 oz I use a Daiwa Alphas SV at about $240.

Agree, tried to capture a lot of that in the comments/observations below. Hard to make a real-world test for line stretch, got as close as I could but certainly not perfect..

No, the tests were done just before it’s release. Afterwards, I fished it extensively and anecdotally with good results and would say it’s similar to Yo-Zuri Hybrid and Trilene XT.

Yes the Gman set up... I had used Menace Grubs before and it was kind of like Goldilocks - the 4 inch was too long and the 3 inch too short. The Zoom Z Craw is 3.5 and flaps just right on each side of the hook point ?

Did this stretch test a few years ago, hope it helps ~ LINE STRETCH TEST I used a 12 foot piece of each line and hung an 8 pound weight to see how much each line stretched in inches. Below are the results - least stretch to most stretch. All Lines Tested 1) Trilene XT (Mono) 21-1/4 inches of stretch 2) Yo-Zuri Hybrid (Co-polymer) 22-1/8 3) Sufix Seige (Mono) 22-5/8 4) P-Line CX Premium (Co-polymer) 23-1/2 5) Maxima Treazure (Co-polymer) 24-1/2 6) Trilene XL (Mono) 24-3/4 7) Tectan Superior (Mono) 25-7/8 ? Berkley Sensation (Mono) 26-1/8 9) Sunline Sniper (Fluorocarbon) 26-1/2 10) Gamma Touch (Fluorocarbon) 29-1/4 11) Original Blue Stren (Mono) 29-3/4 12) Gamma Edge (Fluorocarbon) 31-0** 13) Bass Pro XPS (Fluorocarbon) 31-3/4* 14) Stren 100% (Fluorocast) 31-3/4* 15) Seaguar Tatsu (Fluorocarbon) 32-3/4 16) P-Line 100% (Fluorocarbon) 33-0* 17) Seaguar Invizx (Fluorocarbon) 36-0** 18) Berkley 100% (Fluorocarbon) 38-3/8 * Line snapped once and was re-tested ** Line snapped twice - length estimated Broken Down By Line Type 3 Co-polymer lines average stretch: 23.4 inches 6 Monofilament lines average stretch: 25.1 inches 9 fluorocarbon lines average stretch: 32.2 inches Line Diameter Line diameter can have an effect on stretch, but 9 of these lines all had the same diameter (.009 inches). Those lines are broken out below. The overall results are similar for the 3 different line types. 1) P-Line CX Premium (Co-polymer) 23-1/2 2) Maxima Treazure (Co-polymer) 24-1/2 3) Tectan Superior (Mono) 25-7/8 4) Berkley Sensation (Mono) 26-1/8 5) Sunline Sniper (Fluorocarbon) 26-1/2 6) Gamma Touch (Fluorocarbon) 29-1/4 7) Bass Pro XPS (Fluorocarbon) 31-3/4* ? Seaguar Tatsu (Fluorocarbon) 32-3/4 9) Seaguar Invizx (Fluorocarbon) 36-0** Overall observations: Newer Co-polymer lines being marketed specifically as “low stretch” for the most part seem to be accurate. Fluorocarbon tends to be the line with most stretch. Monofilament tends to be somewhere in the middle, although those with a thicker diameter (i.e. Trilene XT .011 and Sufix Seige .010) did stretch less. Line diameter may have an effect on the stretch of certain lines, but overall, lines of the same diameter seem to reflect that Co-polymer and Monofilament lines still stretch less than Fluorocarbon. Fluorocarbon lines tend to break easier when stretched to their maximum breaking strength. Note that this test was done with dry lines. When soaked for an hour, the results between monofilament and fluorocarbon were almost the same. However, fluorocarbon does not "stretch less" than most monos as advertised. Monofilament does tend to stretch sooner in the curve and flatten out quicker than fluorocarbon giving it the feeling to some that it stretches more. Fluorocarbon stretches less at the beginning of the curve, but once it deforms, it stays that way and can be more brittle and lose tensile strength.

I’ve had good luck with Biwaa Armored Craws. Strong scent, and floating appendages but fairly subtle and not obnoxious like some. The 4 inch is more like a 3.25 and 3 inch is like a 2.5. The 4 inch on a Ned head, or any jig, skips like no other if you ever want to slide it under a dock or overhang. The 3 inch works great on a drop-shot: https://www.biwaa.com/product/armored-craw-4/