FryDog62

Based on Tom's recommendation about 4-5 years ago, I picked up a 6'10 Don Iovino MXF baitcasting rod and love it for Ned rigs and other plastics. In fact, the rod made a trip overboard last year and I just figured I'd get used to one of my other rods. Well, I missed it so much, I ended up buying another one, exact same model. I don't recommend doing that, but I do recommend the rod. Agree with others, its somewhere in between a ML and a Medium, but that's what I wanted. Light, sensitive, good components and at a very good price point.

I switched to a VMC Size 2 (not 2/0) Neko hook for wacky rigging two years ago and my hook percentage went way up. I think as close to 100% as you can get. The slightly longer shank makes the difference and you almost always hook the fish in the roof of the mouth. As NHBull says above, wacky in shallower water and Neko in deeper. I use 4 or 5 inch for wacky-rigging smallies, they bite both equally IMO. For Neko rigging smallies, I really like the Big Bite 6 inch Shaking Squirrel in Bold Gill/Chartreuse tipped tail (smallmouth key in on this tail!). Again, I use the VMC #2 Neko hook and a 1/16 oz nail weight in most lake situations, 1/8 on a windy day or in river current. This 6 inch worm is very slender and NOT too big for a smallie to inhale.

Question - is it a clean break above the knot... or do you see a "Curly-Q" where the line snapped? Reason I ask is that if the end of the broken line is curly, chances are your knot either didn't hold or may have been tied wrong. I struggled when I first started tying the Crazy Alberto knot years ago and would end up with knot failure because I didn't always go back through the loop the same way as I entered, which is critical. I'd pull the knot tight and it would hold initially, but the next snag or fish it would unwind and leave the Curly Q as evidence of an incorrectly tied knot. The other thing I will echo those above - when I'm being stealthy (i.e. Ned rig) I will use lighter 6-8 lb Sniper fluorocarbon as my leader. But if I'm doing anything else where line strength matters as much or more as invisibility (skipping docks, Neko rig around cover, jigs, etc) I use a co-polymer (Yo-Zuri Hybrid 8-12 lb depending on technique). The YZH is extremely abrasion resistant (an advantage when your knot goes in/out of the guides all day) and I haven't found anything else that ties as strong of a knot. IMO sink rate and invisibility are close enough to fluorocarbon for most applications too, its just a little thicker in diameter so go down a size if needed.

This happened to me a week ago. Basically used the vehicle’s scissor jack but the base is narrow and becomes unstable as you go higher. Yes, better to buy the right jack. What I did in the interim was to screw the base of the scissor jack into a 2x6 which provided better (but not ideal) stability and got the job done. Next time I plan to have the right trailer-specific jack on hand. Can anyone recommend one for a Shoreland’r trailer? Would be nice if it could stow securely somewhere inside my Lund or Grand Cherokee.

Probably apparent but if not, use a Daiwa SV spool if you plan to learn how to consistently skip with a baitcaster. For the record I’m not even close to being sponsored and I do have other brands of reels. You still have to adjust the SV spool, and practice, but in the end it is just forgiving enough to make the difference... at least for an amateur like me. I’ve been skipping 5 years with a baitcaster now and I’m not perfect but I can skip with enough distance and without overrun 95% of the time. The acid test after skipping with the SV spool all day long is to go back to using my Curado, Lews, etc using the same tension, lures, mechanics, etc... and I’m batting about .500 with the other brands..

The more I skip, the lighter I’ve been going over the years... and since all I use is baitcasters, I’ve experimented plenty to get set ups that work for me. Less and less, I skip 1/4-1/2 oz jigs because I’ve klanked off enough pontoons and other structures and not surprisingly tick off some cabin owners from time to time. When I do skips jigs most any 7 foot MH with any Daiwa SV TW works just fine. The three outfits I skip more are lighter set ups. Maybe a confidence thing, but I really do think I get more bites because lighter lures stay in the strike zone longer (which is usually a small area under a dock). Plus bigger fish are smarter and sometimes not as quick to react to fast moving lures like jigs. Set ups: •Caffeine Shad on an Owner 3/32 oz 4/0 Twistlock Light hook - Daiwa Tatula Elite Ehrler 7 foot Med-MH, Tatula SV TW, 14 lb Sniper. •1/10 oz Z-Man Finesse Shroomz jig head with a 4 inch Biwaa Armored Craw (doesn’t even really “skip,” it virtually water-skis 20+ feet) on a 6’10” MXF MajorCraft Don Iovino Rod, Daiwa Alphas SV, 20 lb Sufix 832 w/fluoro leader. •Weightless (no weight to Klank off anything) 5 inch wacky worms I throw on a 7’1” MXF Loomis NRX, Steez SV TW, 20 lb Sufix braid and fluoro leader. Works for me anyway, if you ever want to meet up and try out sometime let me know.

Closest in Shimmy/weight/action to the Senko for me is 5 inch Kalin’s Wac-O-Worm. More scent though (Garlic). I primarily use The General in the 4 inch when I drop-shot wacky style, durable and they can’t chew it off as easily.

The ALX Toadface is 7’2” and weighs approx 4.3 oz. MHF tip with a Heavy butt section... perfect frog tip but the backbone to “yank ‘em” out of the thick stuff. Walks dog great, skips exceedingly well... has always seemed long enough to get casting distance with the slightly softer tip too... ?

Yes, but if skipping use the SV TW.

The two sizes I get most bites on are the 75 Plopper and the 105 Choppo. The 75 has a deeper sounding plop than the 90... and the 105 is my best overall for combo of LMB/SMB.

At times they don’t work - maybe too much “in your face” to the fish. Other times, it’s exactly what you need to trigger them. Agree with Bluebasser, sometimes when nothing else is working they excel. Like a sunny mid-summer day when the bite slows down. Or, on a cold rainy Fall day when you’ve thrown everything including the kitchen sink w/o a bite.... Then this happens..

Use the VMC Neko hooks for wacky-rigging, hook up percentage is as good as it gets.

I had similar issues with knots snapping too easily a few years back, 2 things fixed the problem: 1) I switched leader material to Yo-Zuri Hybrid. Best knot strength I’ve found yet. Be sure, like with any line, to moisten before tightening. 2) I started tying the 3 tag Grigsby Knot instead of a Palomar: https://www.grandviewoutdoors.com/fishing/the-best-knot-for-fluorocarbon-fishing-line Problem fixed...

Looks like you stuck a good one... welcome back!

Good read to help put things in perspective, sorry for you and your family's loss. I lost my dad on Father's Day 4 years ago and it still stings. Its a bittersweet holiday coming up. Good for you for staying close to your dad during what has to be a very difficult transition for him...

4 inch Biwaa Armored Craw on a 1/8 oz Ned rig for skipping under docks. This thing is a blast to skip - instead of bouncing off the water a half dozen times on its way to the target like most light lures, it smoothly water skis unlike any other lure I’ve thrown. Not only looks cool, but does not spook skittish fish in tight quarters. Fun and effective too - -

Doing more “guiding” this Spring than fishing, but have a few guests that found SMB on a new stretch of the Miss.

Looks like you’ve been on fire this spring gimruis ?

Great OC, appreciate the color and detail?

Originally being from that area I’m familiar with the reservoirs down that way. It’s interesting, the one I think you’re referring to the DNR never figured out how pike even were introduced to the lake. Rumor has it a local dumped somewhere big ones in there from the Mississippi years back. But wow, sounds like you saw Nessie...

If you’re looking for an excellent, versatile and well-balanced rod check out the Dobyns 734c. I have the XP and although it is rated Heavy-Fast, it is more like a MH. Awesome swim jig rod, also works great for Spinnerbaits, Buzz Baits, swimbaits, etc. I sold my AvidX to buy this rod if that tells you anything... ?

In that group of choices I’d say anything but the St. Croix. Their Medium models are fine, but MH and H are heavy, tip-weighted rods. I sold all my LTB and AvidX rods and have a number of other rod manufacturers now that are lighter and just as powerful. Dobyns is not light either but much better balance.

Brainerd area finding 71-72 degree water temps. Some fish still on beds but not for long, or mostly males guarding. Some bigger females still in the area though..

Same here in Minnesota... Perch #1

IMO - a Neko and a Shakey Head Fish more similar in style than a Ned.