FryDog62

The light went on for me when Daiwa came out with the SV spool 5 or so years ago. I had been trying to master skipping with other reels for a few years prior that usually ended up in a lash. I now use a variety of SV spools (Tatula, Alphas, Steez) and would say I’m 98% backlash free when skipping now. The acid test was going back to my Lews, Curados, etc now that I had the technique refined. With those reels I’m better but still backlash often enough that I don’t use them for skipping at all... not worth the headache. I wouldn’t even consider anything but an SV for really light or weightless lures like wacky or Neko worms. I also started out with shorter rods (6’6”) and they were accurate but I could not get the distance I could with the same length spinning rod. I use 6’-10” to 7’1” bc rods now. Accuracy improves with a longer rod with practice, but I found out you don’t get more distance no matter how much you use a shorter rod... it makes you overthrow to get distance and that will cause lashes even with an SV spool. It was an expensive mistake for me to start with short rods and then sell everything to buy longer ones. I also like a high speed reel, and use 7.3 And 8.1. When you skip to a target, you’re only in the strike zone awhile, the you have to reel back fast to cast out again. Slower speed reels get very tiring. I do prefer 8.1’s for skipping - so I ended up adding longer handles to my 7.3’s because Alphas and Steez don’t come in 8.1 unfortunately. Light and weightless lures I throw on 20 lb Sufix braid + fluoro leader. At a 1/4 oz and higher I use either 10-12 lb Yo-Zuri Hybrid or 14-17 lb fluoro as main lines.

Welcome! Also from MN (Plymouth).

5.83 LMB caught on a fluke skipped under a marina dock while waiting for my partner to show up. Also experimented more this year with a Berkley Snap Jig. It not only catches smallmouth, but other stuff too even though on the same ML rod, 8 lb test line and no net makes it a bit more challenging. Will never question the strength of Fusion hooks again! That epic battle will air on the Outdoor Channel later this month.

Nice friends ha! Be sure when you wake up to start 2 weeks of Doxycycline too - only about 50% of those with Lyme disease test positive for it... so just start in ask questions later.. I just looked at pictures of Cherokee and Norris... man, that water is beautiful - looks almost turquoise. We talk about clear water in Minnesota, but most of our state is milfoil infested.

uh-oh I'm doomed then..!

Funny, yesterday someone just sent me listing for a condo rental on Cherokee... that might be fun!

I agree and have Livescope... some days it really helps other days it’s more of a distraction. I do think that adding 360 Imaging to find best structure and then scan with Livescope could be a game-changer as it was with Walters. Its coming and can’t be denied IMO... the day when Humminbird has its version of Livescope and integrates it all in one ‘ducer and to one graph. Same for Garmin when they add 370 (haha) Imaging and integrate it with Livescope. I’d give it 3 years ??

I want to fish more outside of Minnesota. Our season doesn’t even open until mid-May and I’ve enjoyed fishing the Dakotas, Ontario and Wisconsin but want to fish somewhere warmer Jan-April. Job and family health have been mitigating factors in recent years but I’m chomping to take a week and drive South...

We are infested with smaller northern pike here in Minnesota and it limits and stunts the growth of other species as well as pike. So I’ve been on a mission the last couple years to keep the smaller ones and remove the Y bones. It might be the best meat out there IMO. I also keep 16-17 inch walleye and Jumbo Perch are a delicacy. Started keeping a few White Bass this last year and they are awesome if you remove any dark meat.

I go about in about any air temp as long as it’s a good water temp for the fish. The bigger thing that influences my decision to fish or not is the wind. I don’t like fishing lakes when it’s blowing above 15 mph, if it’s that high I will typically switch to rivers which tend to have more cover. Some of my best best days fishing river smallmouth are when the wind is 20-25 mph... NO ONE is on the water and you can always find a calm shoreline, sometimes for very long stretches..

I like to stay silent, especially if it is a big fish, and then scare the heck out of my partner when the fish finally breaks the surface near the boat.

I’ve seen some of the Dobyns Champ rods on sale recently close to your price range... availability may be the issue. I use their crankbait rod specifically for jerkbaits and poppers: Dobyns Champ XP Cranking Rod 6’8” Med-Heavy 685. Awesome rod for 110’s, Cover Pops, etc.

Here’s my PB SMB also at 5-12 and was caught on Mille Lacs. They do get bigger there but they are rare even on a Top 10 SMB lake. I think a true 6 pound SMB is similar to catching a 10 lb largemouth. And agree with others that 7 lb SMB are like a 11-12 lb LMB.

Could possibly try Biffle Bug, although in deeper water I prefer a 3/4 oz Strike King Jointed Structure jig w/craw. Sometimes that free swinging head is enough to keep from getting snagged. Catch a lot of smallies in/near the rock piles here up north...

We are all here of course to serve the bait monkey... and so I feel compelled to give you an expensive suggestion. As I have drop-shotted more and more with a baitcaster, I have gravitated towards using a Daiwa Tatula Elite and save the SV reels for plastics. The line really comes off the Elite spool very smoothly and easily feathers that little extra line you want to feed towards the lure at times. It’s subtle but if you do it enough those little nuances are nice. Sorry, the Monkey calls...

Also, 1/10 oz Z-Man Finesse Shroomz jig head with a 4 inch Biwaa Armored Craw. Never had a light lure skip as well as this set up!

Many things you can use it for, I have it paired with a Daiwa Alphas SV . Here are some more common examples: •Ned rig with 20 lb Sufix 832 + 7 lb Sniper leader •Neko with 20 lb Sufix 832 and 10 lb Berkley fluoro •3/8 oz Mimic Minnow Spin or 1/4 oz Chatterbait Mini on 8 lb Fluoro or Yo-Zuri Hybrid

Lighter shallower reels like Steez SV TW and Alphas SV I use 20 lb Sufix 832 with little to no issues. Just make sure if you crank down on the spool hard after a fish or snag that you pull out some line or make a light cast afterwards to make sure you aren’t buried. Other heavier reels/lures I start at 30 and work up to 40/50/65 depending on technique.

I think all the colors work well enough... best for me have been June Bug for LMB, Baby Bass for SMB and Blue Pearl Black Hologram when our rivers get chocolatey...

Return/exchange if you still can... I have 4 of them and all have cast silently like butter out of the box.

I use two ML baitcasting rods a fair amount - Phenix Feather 7’1” MLF and a 6’10” MXF MajorCraft Don Iovino which I would classify as an ML. Have thought about custom build 7’6”-8’0” ML for lighter hair jigs.

Maxscent General or Kalin’s WAC-O-Worm. Catch as many as with Yamasenkos but lasts 3 times longer...

Everyone differs, but I wear any cheap half finger Wooleys in the upper 40’s/50’s, Fish Monkey Stealth Dry-Tech gloves 30’s/40’s and FM Tundra glove/mittens with hand warmers packets below freezing.

I agree, the Kistler 7-1 MHXF is very sensitive although with an extra fast tip... I found it at times too powerful when T-rigging with braid, I had to use fluorocarbon or occasionally lost fish. I also have a 734c and use that if I need braid to get through heavier weeds/cover. For me... in terms of T-rigging: Edge to Helium for sensitivity, edge to Dobyns for action. Have to decide how you fish mostly or consider two rods. Both great sticks...

Easy, in fact outside of a Shadow Rap I pretty much only catch SMB on soft plastics: •Wacky worm/Neko •Caffeine Shad •Ned •Drop-Shot