BiteFiend

Ditto on the reel. As far as a rod goes, it really depends on where and how you plan on fishing a jig. I use anywhere from a 7'3" MH to a 7'11" H depending if I'm pitching, dragging a FB jig, or flippin.

Welcome!

Welcome

Only when asked by say, a dad and his kids or young people. The lakes are pretty small in my area and get a lot of pressure. Therefore I try to keep information pretty close to the vest. Is it selfish of me? Maybe but there are parts of the lakes that I fish that get absolutely pounded so I'm hesitant to reveal what I might be doing differently.

15 lb flouro is pretty stiff line for a 4" weightless senko. Especially since you are fairly new to casting reels. If you need a heavy line like that, I'd look into either mono or braid. I have braid with a flouro leader on a lot of my set ups and really like it. I would recommend 25 lb braid with a 10-15 lb flouro leader. Or if your water is clear, 10 lb stright flouro. I don't like anything less than that on a baitcast reel.Either way, I'd start with different line before buying so similar of a rod to one you already have.

Your carbonlite should would be a pretty ideal rod for a 4" senko IMO. In fact as I was reading your post, I was thinking 7'MF. I prefer a fast action when it comes to lighter baits because I feel like the softer tip makes it easier to cast. Unless you are unhappy with your carbonlite, I wouldn't see a need for a new rod. I have a couple of premiers that I like, so I can imagine the Avid would be a pretty sweet stick. I just don't know that there's really a need for it unless you are simply upgrading.

Is the BPS store fairly close to the lake? I would see if any of the staff, or heck maybe even other customers in the bass tackle aisles have fished that lake. They might be able to recommend something. That aside, seems like you can't go wrong with white on most lakes. Even if they don't have shad. So DD and square bill cranks, some sort of swimbait, dbl willow spinnerbait, and stickbaits. Again, all in white. I'd also get green pumpkin and black/blue in crawfish imitating soft plastics. Also perhaps green pumpkin stick baits, and as I'm finding out, finesse worms. Of course all the necessary terminal tackle as well.

That's interesting. Might have to give that a try sometime. I have heard of people doing that while ice fishing but hadn't really thought of that in open water.

Thanks everyone for your insights so far. Tom and Papajoe I feel made some very good points. Really at the end of the day I hate getting blanked more than I hate finesse so maybe I should just try to get over my hatred of finesse techniques. I don't get to fish deep, clear lakes very often so I hadn't really thought of the situation Tom presented. Again thanks everyone for what has been said so far.

Is this a riddle? Lol

1/2 oz black and blue jig.

Thought I would start a thread about something I have been pondering lately. I consider myself a power fisherman and my strengths as an angler are crankbaits, flippin and pitching. They produce consistantly for me from early spring to mid-fall. They are two techniques that I have spent a lot of time using, so I feel I have got to know them fairly well and some of their nuances. A couple years ago, I decided to make a more concerted effort on becoming a more versatile angler. I began to really try to get to learn some finesse techniques; mainly dropshot and shakey head. At different times through out that first year, I would only fish a dropshot and/or shaky head (several times pre and post spawn, several times in the summer, and several times during fall). Even though I caught a lot of fish on them, and I feel like I got to know the techniques fairly ok, it still felt like I was trying to put a square peg in a round hole. It just doesn't feel natural to me and I feel like I just couldn't consistantly catch as big of bass as I could with power techniques. Through out this year I have been going back and forth on whether I should be spending time trying to learn finesse techniques that all I will probably ever be is "ok" at, but make me more versatile or spending that time further exploring and developing power techniques that I can go from pretty good to hopefully great at. At the end of the day, I wonder what percent of his time a guy like Aaron Martens puts into say, deep cranking when he produces so consistantly with a DS in just about any condition. Not trying to be a pro, just trying to catch more and bigger bass consistantly as I'm sure we all are. It seems like one school of thought is "fish your strengths" but the other is "be versatile" (basically become ok at your weaknesses). So what are you guys' thoughts? Do you think time is better served exploring and developing your "strengths" as an angler or work on your weaknesses as an angler and becoming versatile. Why? PS I apologize if this became a bit long winded. This has been something I have thought a lot about the last couple weeks and wanted to see what you all thought.

I have 2 different containers of all kinds of different soft plastics. One has colors that are good for stained to muddy water. The other has plastics that good for less stained to clear water. Depending on the lake I am going to, I will pack on my boat whichever container corresponds to the water conditions of that lake. If I'm fishing a farm pond or somewhere else I can't take my boat, I will do the same but use a tackle bag. As far as what types of plastics to put in it, I like to keep it basic in this situation. A few of the following: craw imitations (3.5- 4"), ribbon tail worms (7"), straight tail worms (4"), and stick baits (5").

The Storm Wild Eye swimbaits aren't bad for what they are; a cheap swimbait. I'll use them from time to time. Heck just yesterday I caught a bunch on them. I caught about 6 before the body started to tear from the hook. A little super glue and you're good to go. Firetiger is usually a good color in them for me. If you are just starting out swimbait fishing, they aren't a bad way to go. As opposed to hollow body swimbaits, you won't have to worry about what size and weight of hook to use, or getting it rigged just perfect so it doesn't fall on it's side. The Wild Eyes are the only Storm swimbait I have used.

The Storm Wild Eye swimbaits aren't bad for what they are; a cheap swimbait. I'll use them from time to time. Heck just yesterday I caught a bunch on them. I caught about 6 before the body started to tear from the hook. A little super glue and you're good to go. Firetiger is usually a good color in them for me. If you are just starting out swimbait fishing, they aren't a bad way to go. As opposed to hollow body swimbaits, you won't have to worry about what size and weight of hook to use, or getting it rigged just perfect so it doesn't fall on it's side. The Wild Eyes are the only Storm swimbait I have used.

I'm assuming what the OP is referring to would be the little metal piece that spins on the arm and makes a clicking or clacking sound when it comes into contact with the "blade" of the buzzbait. I refer to it as a clacker. You can find them with clackers and without.

I've always liked to keep buzzbaits pretty basic. I have 2 in white. One with a clacker, one without. I have 2 in black. One with a clacker one without. If sunny I use white. If cloudy or low light, I use black. I find if there is a little chop on the water, the ones with the clacker get bit more than chop and no clacker. Are you throwing them in areas where you see surface activity?

DD cranks and FB jigs on deep water structure like points and ledges. Also T-rigged plastics in/around isolated vegetation in 6-10 FOW. My favorite, favorite though would be punching mats (when that bite's on).

7' MH. What other people like, you may not. There are many decent sticks at that price point. For instance, I have a *** that I really like for it's price point, except a lot of people don't like the handle. I also have a St. Croix Premier that I like but not quite as much as the ***. A friend of mine likes his Premier better than my ***. Take your reel to the store(s) with you, put them on the rods you are considering and decide what you like best.

X2

I only remember my first one by a photograph. My mother used to take my brother and I worm and bobber fishing a lot when we were kids. I caught my first bass when I was 6 or 7. From what I can remember of the photo, it was probably only 8"-10". Now the first bass I caught using artificial bait; specifically targeting bass, is a different matter. I was about 12 and my dad, step mom, and brother were swimming in a state park that has a bunch of lakes and ponds. I brought my rod and whatever limited tackle I had with me to the lake. While they swam, I went to a pond across the road from the "swimming lake". I tied on a silver and black top water popper that I now don't remember the brand of. I was fishing the back of a cove from shore for about 5 minutes when it happened; I cast my popper a lot closer to some brush sticking out of the water than I meant to and was worried about the popper getting hung up. I managed to get it around one of the branches into an opening and began to fish it. Chug, chug then smash. I wasn't really expecting to get bit. Luckily I was startled enough to not set the hook right away. I didn't know back then that you only set the hook when you feel the fish, so I would have yanked it away otherwise. Much like I did many times after that. Anyway, as I reeled it in, it jumped and a few times. I managed to get it to shore and it was a nice 2 lb bass. Of course back then, it seemed a lot bigger so to me it was like 4 lbs. The way that bass blew up on that popper and fought; man. It was so violent and awesome. I have been hooked ever since. I still get almost that same feeling fishing top waters now; 20 years later.

That's a good point about the last wave of the spawn. It usually starts mid-May where I live and seems to wind down by mid-June on most lakes here. I assumed the spawn would be over in most of the country but then again it's been a weird year for weather this year and many places probably had a late spawn.

Bass only spawn once a year to my knowledge. Were the baitfish along the bank? If so, my quess would be that the bass were patrolling back and forth like that to keep the bait pinnned along the bank.

Only if the water is clear. More often than not, I just go with straight braid. I use a double albright for leaders.

What a beast! Congrats