woolleyfooley

Wow! Thank you for the input. Do you have any other models? I’m really thinking the 7’5mh would be a great spinnerbait/bladed jig rod. I’d love to hear opinions on that model in particular.

Tighten down sure but some reels have 20-24 pounds of max drag. I would think that completely locking the drag would put a lot of shock through the reel. I could be completely wrong though! I feel like I remember reading something from @WRB on this subject.

Yeah, that’s a good point.

Of note on the drag, I would think you still wouldn’t want to cinch the drag all the way down. Even with frogs. All that force from a heavy rod, heavy braid and thick hooks needs some give I would think. Maybe @Delaware Valley Tackle could share some insight?

Oh interesting. I didn’t realize it wasn’t adjustable at all.

I’d really like to see underwater footage of the free rig compared to a T-rig with the weight pegged 12-18 inches up the line. Sounds like a bad pick for a bank angler then. I’m wondering if it’s worth trying given the fact there’s so much vegetation in the waters I fish.

Interesting. I’d actually like to take some scoops from my local places. It would be really interesting to see what kind of forage I find.

I liked the terminal tackle box from online pictures as well. What was it about the box in person that you didn’t like?

Not to be contrarian, but wouldn’t a tungsten bullet weight with a peg behind the weight create the same action as a free rig? It seems the main draw of the free rig is having the bait fall to the bottom on slack line. Is there another reason to use a sliding weight vs a weight pegged 12-18 inches up the line? Just something I was thinking about.

Thank you! That was my plan as well but the Okuma x series has caught my attention. Specifically the 7’5mh for spinnerbaits/chatterbaits.

Sweet! Thank you!

I hope I’m not breaking any rules, but I watched this video recently and thought it was perfect for this thread. At about the 1 minute mark he explains exactly why I use the owner twist lock hook now instead of an EWG.

Interesting that you’ve had the same experience with beavers working better than craws. Another user on here said the same thing in a different thread. I wonder why that is?

Make sure to post up how it throws weightless senkos please! I was thinking the 7’3 mh would be perfect for a weightless 5” senko rig. Now you can be the guinea pig! 😂

The ballistix boxes have piqued my interest as well. I’m especially interested in the hangr deep box.

I agree with both of you. One thing that really changed my outlook on bass fishing was when I was young and tried a zoom brush hog for the first time. I said to myself “no way a fish would eat this crazy thing.” To my surprise, the fish loved it! From then on I’ve always thought in most situations it’s more about throwing something that looks edible and elicits a response vs mimicking a specific prey type. I do still believe there are some occasions where matching the hatch are appropriate, which is the point of my question in the original post since it seems that these bass are more interested in beavers then craws. Just something I found interesting. Since the beaver and craw are quite similar, could they be different enough to be imitating different prey?

Any chance you could give the clif notes as to what was said on the podcast? I’d really appreciate it!

Specifically speaking about working a jig on the bottom, not swim jigs. In south Florida, I’ve noticed the bodies of water I fish most frequently don’t seem to have any crawfish. What’s more, the bass in these bodies of water often won’t bite jigs with craw trailers like the rage craw. Even Texas rigs with craw baits don’t seem to get bit. On the other hand, beaver baits used as jig trailers or Texas rigs catch and them like crazy. What I’m wondering is what type of prey am I mimicking when using a jig with a beaver dragging/hopping across the bottom? Or even using a T-rigged beaver? Also, is it possible there are craws in these bodies of water and I just don’t see them? These ponds just don’t seem to be good habitat for craws. Lots of vegetation and no rocks. So, what am I trying to mimic while using a jig/T-rig beaver on the bottom in ponds with no craws? Instead of the standard craw colors, what are some colors I should focus on more?

I wonder if that’s to due with tariffs or…? Edit- Rods are made in China. This comes from their New Zealand website: Where are Okuma products made? Okuma is unique in that it manufacturers the majority of its products in its own factories. From its high tech machining workshop in Taiwan to its state of the art rod factory in China all of its factories work on the same principles of innovating and developing the highest quality product.

Any chance he could bring me back a steez a2? Seriously. 😁

The de minimis rule still applies to all countries except China and Hong Kong. So even if/when the reciprocal tariffs go into effect, as long as you keep your orders from Japan under $800 you should be good. Please correct me if I’m wrong.

I love when baits come in a clamshell so they don’t get bent. I leave them in.

So apparently a good frog reel has a fast levelwind? How do I tell which reels have fast levelwinds? I have a Lew’s team lite that I use as a frog reel and it works fine. Apologies to the OP as I don’t mean to hijack the thread.

Anyone have the Okuma x series 7’5mh? Edit - Just noticed Okuma raised the price on the x series. @Glenn are these made in China? Please don’t take that the wrong way. I’m not trying to be political or make any criticism, I just want to know.

Why would they do that? Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. 😕 Apparently some items are being outright discontinued as it stands right now.