fishballer06

Totally agree. The HMG is such a nicer rod than the HMX.

I started fishing chatterbaits last year and didn't have much luck with them. This year however, they have become a mainstay in my arsenal and they are now one of my confidence baits. I'm currently throwing them on an Abu Veracity 7' MH-F and using 40lb. braid with a FC leader. This setup seems to really transmit the blades vibration really well for me and I think I'm getting pretty good hookup ratios as well. I was wondering what everyone else is using to throw these things? I'm wondering if I should buy a rod specifically for throwing these lures. If I were to get another rod, I'd probably be looking in the $150-250 range. Any suggestions?

That rod should launch a 6XD a mile for you!

As far as retrieve, that's something to experiment with. I've had times where they just wanted one or two small pops followed with a long pause. I've had other times where I'd give it 6-7 twitches and then a short pause. Then there have been times where I'm literally twitching and reeling it back non stop the whole way in. Experiment with retrieves to figure out what the fish want at that time.

Odd things I've caught: Complete spinning setup A pie pan Soda/beer cans A broken steel leader

Smallie on a buzzbait too! Awesome

Paca Craw Rage Craw Pit Boss In that order

I heard he killed them in the first hour. What was he using?

Just got one last week, haven't thrown it yet though. Should have a report soon. Still seems like a very high quality lure.

Whenever I'm fishing cranks, I never point my rod tip at the lure. I always try to keep the tip pointed between a 45-90* angle from the lure. This way, I can feel the lure fully with my rod. Rocks, wood, weeds, fish, etc. I can tell exactly what is going on just from letting the rod transmit all the action. Once I feel something isn't right (i.e. fish bite), just rotate the hips. If you're using a proper cranking rod, the rod should already be loaded up and the line should already be tight. Rotating the hips at this point (if using good hooks), will drive it home.

Put a fat albert on as a trailer and hold on!

Didn't we have 10 of these threads over the winter?

Slow, medium, fast, doesn't matter. Half of mine literally will not even fish at all.

I would suggest a little bigger line on the reel throwing the 10XD than I would on your 5XD reel. I personally use 12lb. Sniper FC for most of my deep cranking (10-20ft). If I were to throw an 8/10XD, I'd probably want to use 14/16lb.

I really like my Ballistic, but I would gladly take a CI4 as well!

I bought a few of these when they came out because I've always done well on Rapala's stuff. I'm pretty disappointed in these. Half of them that I've got can't even be fished because they just swim in circles rather than actually work like a crankbait should. The cranks are especially bad for this. The only one that I've had moderate luck on was the scatter countdown in a small pond.

Jerkbaits were a killer for me last spring and fall. This year I have only caught one fish on a jerkbait. I don't know whats happened.

Texas rig will work well in cover. Wacky rig is better for open water.

I don't buy overly into the what wobble works best for what water temperature deal. I have a few brands that I like and each has something unique to them that can make them work/not work on any given day. Whats most important to me is the depth and the colors. Being able to effectively fish the water column is what makes crankbaits so effective in my opinion. If I want to bang the bottom, whether its 7' or 18', I can. If I'm in 25' of water and the fish are down 8', I can put the lure in their face. If there's weeds that come up 3-4' from the surface, I can bring it over the top if I want. Here's a few of my go-to cranks. Shad Raps (regular and RS, all sizes 5, 7, 8, 9) Wiggle Warts (regular and magnum, pre- Rapala preferred) Rapala DT (my go to, 4, 6, 10, 14, and 16) Norman DD22 Strike King series (1.5 & 2.5 squarebills, 3, 3xd, 4, 5, 5xd, 6, 6xd) Bill Lewis Rat-L-Traps (my go to lipless crank)

I have no experience with Hi Seas, but I will say that the Pline Fluoroclear is an excellent line. I've been using the 15lb test for squarebills and spinnerbaits and it has performed great. I would say I prefer the Fluoroclear over YoZuri Hybrid.

Thanks for the tips guys. Headed to the lake now. I'll report back Monday.

A Shimano Curado I or a Diawa Tatula would both be great reel choices and run you in the $100-150 range a piece if you shop around. There are a number of great rods out there at the $100 price point (BPS has a few, Fenwick HMG, ***, Duckett Ghost, Abu Garcia Veritas). As for line, that can be preference or for your fishing style. 30 or 40 pound braid, 10-15 pound FC or mono. If you can, try out some reels in both right and left and see what feels more natural to you. Some guys can use both, some prefer one or the other. Me personally, I prefer a left handed reel.

If you have a friend with a left handed baitcaster, give that a try. Or if you can afford to buy another reel, buy a lefty and give it a whirl. I'm ambidextrous, but I feel most comfortable with my handles in my left hand (spinning and bait).

The lake was impounded in 1934. Forage: Crappie/Perch/Bluegill, alewife, shiners, suckers

It's hard, but you have to wait a second or two until you set the hook. Give the fish time to get down and get the lure fully in their mouth. Once you hook one, you'll see how good they get hooked.