FryDog62

This... I would think any St. Croix MH and a light lure are a mis-match. I've had plenty SC and they are heavy rods with a strong bias towards the tip. Many lighter and better balanced options IMO.

Braid as backing only could last forever... I'd say 5+ years easily. Just be sure you have non-braid backing below the braid or it will slip on the spool as it dries out.

I stockpile the torn up pieces over the season and take them to my local bait shop. The owner's son sorts by color and melts them down and makes his own worms. He said most are gray in color but he can separate the whites and greens fairly easily. Accent them with a little Spike It colors and you're good ~

I use the Crank Caddy cases. The small will hold up to 42 crankbaits, but most of mine fit in the Medium which holds 28. It does a reasonable job of keeping the lures separated. You might hook the one next to it, but you won’t get a clusterfutz of 3-4 stuck together. The box is the size of a Plano 3700 so if you have a storage bag or locker that fits those specifically it works. Pretty good organizer overall, but nothing is 100% perfect with that many treble hooks.

I haven’t noticed a significant difference in hook up ratio between the two, but in general it is higher with the 75 over the larger 120/130 and even 110. Size of lure seems to be more of a factor than specific hooks. I guess that makes sense because it’s more bite-sized vs. just slapping at the larger lure. My friends like to point out that I did lose a couple key fish on Lake Commandos and it was a Choppo 120... but I think that was more due to fighting the fish against the current.

My favorite nickname for one of those big ol’ fat bronzebacks is “Chunk Norris!” ?

Easy call - the Choppo is every bit as good as the Whopper Plopper for 60% of the cost. I only wish Choppo came with their version of the 75 - a shorter but thicker lure than the 90 (and I find much more effective: deeper sound, tracks better, etc).

I'm actually gravitating back towards buzz baits. I jumped on the Whopper Plopper bandwagon a few years ago like a lot of people. I still throw them but a lot of times it can be so "in their face" loud, fast, etc that I think a lot of the smarter fish can get turned off. Yes, sometimes WP's work better than anything, but more and more I'm downsizing from the 130 to the 110 or 75.... and I even went back to buzzin' last year. I can get it to go slower than a WP and still cascade the rooster tail just enough. A lot of times that's what seems to work best. Still will throw the Ploppers or Choppos... but half the time now its the buzz bait - and yes, still some ferocious blow ups!

I would be torn between two 8 lb lines - Yo-Zuri Hybrid or Sufix Advance mono.

For $260 there is a JDM Daiwa Alpha CT SV that weighs 5.4 oz. Can find on digitaka web site.

I think if you line up several of the above rods in MH: ALX, Daiwa, iRod, Dobyns against a St. Croix you would find the St. Croix noticeably heavier and not as well balanced. After a long day of casting/cranking the fatigue factor would swing me towards the other brands.

I hear there are some LMB and smb but more common to catch in the summer months. Mostly only walleye in winter/spring.

6’10” MH Shimano Zodias or Daiwa Tatula might work well for jigs/Chatterbaits although the handles are a tad long for jerkbaits. ALX Deputy is 7’1” and a bit more expensive but extremely versatile.

X2 on the Whopper Ploppers. And unless you’re using heavy gear, I highly recommend the 75. Great for LMB and SMB, and it fishes “bigger” than the 90 which doesn’t track real well either. The 75 can be fished on most Medium rods too.

A walking bait that also pops would be a perfect complement to what you have. The Storm Arashi Cover Pop walks easier than most walking lures, and pops about every 3-4 turns. Really a sweet lure around high percentage spots.

I use either a 6’10” MXF (with braid/FC leader) or a 7’1” MLF with straight fluorocarbon. Braid on the shorter rod to get more distance. Casting distance is key for me when throwing light lures.

I have Tatula SV, Curado 70, Alpha SV and Steez SV - I throw light Neds on the Alpha SV - that and the Steez are the two reels I would recommend as best for throwing the ultra light lures in that group of 4.

Haven’t had any of those problems, but then again I always have a certified dealer do the install. That way if there are issues, they problem solve with Garmin and determine a solution.

Thanks for this..

The last I heard was that the Levantes would be re-released in early 2020... really thought they'd have something back in stock by the Classic but I guess not. Any word on what's up or if the entire line will just be discontinued permanently?

Does TW typically do a site-wide sale in the spring - either Tax Day or Memorial Day sale?

ALX IKOS Buzz rod. 7ft Medium-Fast 1/4-3/4 oz on 12 lb Yo-Zuri Hybrid.

X2

Do you know the origin of the word Neko? I always thought it was pronounced Nay-ko because the long A is like “Nail” as in Nail-Rig. No idea where “ko” comes from though...

In my part of the world a true 6+ lb largemouth is quite rare. I’ve caught 8 in the past 3 years between 5-12 and 5-15. Can’t crack the 6 lb ceiling ...yet. Most of the bigger fish have been caught with jigs, but like many of the people above, I get the feeling a big worm might be the other better option to add to the mix.