FryDog62

I think Lew’s has some good products, but I’m mixed on the LFS reels. Seem nice at first but I had 2-3 that just started squeaking/whining after a couple years no matter how much I had them greased. Big believer in Daiwa baitcasting reels, Tatula CT’s are great, smooth and dependable. More so with baitcasting reels (vs. spinning) I think you get what you pay for. I remember my first few cheap baitcasters were so temperamental and I eventually gave up on them and went back to spinning only for a few years as a result.

Congrats, great to get a little excited over a PB and bring the kid out in ya!

Toadrunner - - Theew it fairly extensively for two straight seasons. Death knell was the first cast I caught a 19.5 inch LMB. I think I tossed it 1000 times after that and caught maybe two dinks. IMO, a well-tuned, squeaky Cavitron serves a similar purpose and catches a significantly higher percentage of the active/neutral/negative fish that just watch the Toadrunner slide on by...

I use a 6’8” 683c Dobyns Champ for jerkbaits until the water warms and topwater kicks in... then I use the rod for throwing Arashi Cover Pops. I do use a high speed reel (8.1:1) to pick up slack quickly either when jerking or when walking the dog. The other rod I use for straight-retrieve Topwater lures (Buzzbait, Plopper 75, Jitterbug) is a 7 foot ALX Buzz with a 7.1:1 Tatula Elite. That reel is great for throwing lighter/high profile lures a MILE!

I haven’t seen breaking strength tests done on Sufix Advance, but Yo-Zuri did for their Hybrid line. They report a breaking strength of 16 lbs on their 10 lb line and 19 lbs on their 12 lb line. I use both of those pound test YZH lines and don’t have any reason to believe they aren’t accurate. Tough lines, and for what it’s worth I like Advance too but have found YZH to be a little better abrasion resistance and doesn’t degrade in the sun as much.

Here’s a photo of the custom Ezee-Steps for the Lund. Helps keep a spry 58 y/o like me right side up

I’ve typically used 14 lb Sniper for bladed jig fishing in the past. When I decided to experiment with YZH and Sufix Advance, their 10 lb lines were same diameter as Sniper 14. Other times I’ve gone with thicker diameter lines, the bladed jigs seem to “float up” more upon retrieve. I honestly have never felt the 10 lb YZH and Advance were too light. I do however use a custom 2 1/4 inch steel leader to prevent most of the toothy scud-missile break-offs.

Mid-Season Update/Review: I ended up with the 7’2” MH iRod Stone Cold Bladed Jig rod. It’s a Moderate-Fast and I’ve been using 10 lb Yo-Zuri Hybrid this year. It’s mid-season and I’ve been really happy with the set up. A friend has borrowed it a couple times this year and comments how much he likes it too. He previously has not jumped on the Chatterbait bandwagon... I also bought a Dobyns 734c this Spring and picked up an ALX Toadface the previous season, both list Chatterbaits as good secondary uses. I’d agree, all 3 mentioned above are great graphite choices for up to 3/4 oz Bladed Jigs. The 1.25 oz Jackhammer I throw on an ALX Dragger. I did throw another friends glass Chatterbait rod and although not terrible, I just can’t get used to the “numb” feeling on retrieve. I like to feel the weeds and ensure the right amount of contact. The right co-poly/mono/fluoro line (so far YZH, Suffix Advance, Sniper) helps me on hook up % and keeping the fish pinned. Just wouldn’t use braid on a graphite Chatterbait rod personally...

Very smooth operation. The only thing I would consider adding are Ezee-Steps to step down from the bow onto the trailer tongue safely. I had some custom made for my PVB and they come in very handy (especially on windy days at the ramp). Great Job?

This x2. 75 may be shorter but it fishes bigger than the 90 and tracks truer...

If you're in the camp that a Dobyns MH rod is closer to a Medium, the 685 and 705 are well regarded jerk bait rods. I prefer the Moderate-Fast action so I can switch between fluorocarbon and braid depending on time of year/temps.

If the vegetation is a reed bed with a hard bottom below, I can’t pass without throwing a Cavitron buzzbait. The squeakier the Buzzbait, the more violent the strikes! Although the really big ones seem to suck it down like a toilet bowl flushing

If I’m fishing alone or with a partner, I like to parallel the weedline. Guy in front pitch an AT Grassmaster jig to the outer 1/3 or so of the weeds and partner in back throw a frog deeper in. Alot of times I also throw a Neko just outside the weed edge to see what’s cruising the perimeter. As far as electronics go, I use Livescope to see down the weedline and it’s very good to show exactly where it starts/ends. That can help you know where to pinpoint throwing the Neko. 360 Imaging works great for this too.

Possibly, I would liked to have at least given it a try though..!

The rod locker on my Lund PVB holds 15 rods... So I keep it at 15 set ups - If I need more than that I’m probably overthinking things..

Bingo, thx Jedi!!

Can anyone ID this lure?

Totally agree, this one I had to bear hug and barrel-roll him into the boat before the gator tail came back to life and smacked us all overboard!

I was only the “Net-Man” on this one, but that turned into a larger role than I ever thought since there was no net ?. The full episode of this multi-species show will air on Lake Commandos this January on the Outdoor Channel.

...Sometimes happens when you are fishing with a Medium-Light spinning rod and 8 lb line... and you forget the net in the truck... And then this happens -

I have a year on a 100 and 3 months on an Elite and both have been flawless. I paid more for them obviously than my Lew’s LFS which were great for about a year and a half and started screeching despite regular lubrication. Time will tell on the Tats but other models (SV TW) I have had have been bullet-proof.

Sometimes if a hump or deeper Reef looks so good I run a Carolina Rig over it a few different directions to see if there are any takers. Sometimes they hide or are in a hole, weed clump, etc. If not, move on quick as poss.

Bob makes them both ways... these are all I have on hand (I use them for chatters)

I use what’s in the picture here - a 2 1/4 inch mini leader that Wayzata Bait makes. Small enough the fish don’t see it on a moving bait, doesn’t sink the Plopper’s nose, plus it provides a swivel and protection against most pike bite-offs. I don’t fish Plopper/Choppos or Chatterbaits without tying one on...

For wacky I use 20 lb Sufix 832 yellow main line and tie an 7-8 lb fluorocarbon leader for fishing more open water, or 8-10 lb Yo-Ziri Hybrid if I’m around cover or skipping under docks. For Neko I throw on straight fluorocarbon - 10 lb Berkley Vanish Transition. I like the above water line visibility since many of the bites happen on the way down.