Ozark_Basser

A 7'3" H blank with a weight of or less than 1.5 oz would be hard to find. I'm not sure one exists. However the NFC IM 739 would be a good choice. It weighs 2.94 oz. I'd look at Phenix K2 if you were wanting something lighter.

Anything you would normally use any other time of the year just slower. They usually won't chase a bait in those temps so it helps to put it right in front of their face.

Its hard to say if bass care that much about the visibility of braid. I doubt it will deter a hungry bass from getting what it thinks to be a meal unless its learned to correlate the long strand of visible braided line with an artificial bait. I'd say this is possible in clear, highly pressured waters. It depends on the bait for me, but I always have a fluoro leader tied on for bottom contact baits.

^^^this or get mike from DVT to make you a custom out of NFC's 705 HM. Its the same blank as the older MB 843 IMX.

No takers?

Baitcasters handle bigger baits better once you get the hang of them. You can control your casts easier, and they do better with larger diameter lines unless you have a large spinning reel.

Braid with a leader. Braid reduces line twists; therefore, its easier to manage. Also, it is very sensitive and easy to set the hook from long distances due to no stretch. I like a fluoro leader for added sensitivity compared to mono and abrasion resistance. I'd choose 20-30# braid with 10-12# fluoro as a leader if you just fish around moderate cover.

It is impossible to tell if bass mind the braid or not. I personally would rather go the route by saying they do and tie on a fluoro leader, just in case.

10-12 or 12-14 for sure.

Any body tried these? They look good. How well do they walk, skip, hook up ratio, etc?

Jitterbugs at night in the summer are a good way to catch the bigger ones. Bring a flashlight but don't shine it on the water. They can and probably will be super shallow. During the day its all about stealth. Make long casts. A good rule of thumb is if you can see them, they can see you, and you probably won't catch them unless they are on beds in this situation. I like using an old Rebel F30s floating minnow in gold and black where I live in the summer. It SLAYS creek smallies.

That blue craw is awesome! What colors do you use to paint it?

Graphite. More sensitive than glass and lighter.

I never mess with them. I use the heavy weed guards on the ones I make, and I don't think it hinders hook ups. Jig hooksets take a little practice. You'll lose fish starting out, but that's just because jigs are heavy and bulky, and its harder to penetrate their mouths with a thick jig hook. Just reel down until your line is tight then drill 'em. If you stick one good with a 5/0 jig hook and keep your line tight, they won't come off unless they jump. Cutting them shorter will have zero effect on how well you hook up unless you cut it before the hook point which defeats the purpose of having a weedguard in the first place. I'll cut mine shorter when I make jigs with 3/0 hooks just because it looks too long, and that's the only reason.

Anybody tried these? What are some characteristics? Stiff? Whippy?

Fish it however you want. I generally just drag them on the bottom. I would look at arky style heads if I were you. They go well with wood and you can skip them into hard to reach areas under those limbs.

Regular=moderate. I personally wouldn't use it for anything but trebles. Just my opinion.

I just got a curado i in the mail. I'm digging it. Feels solid like the curado e. Easier to palm than the e. It also casts further. Got it off eBay for 140. 7.2:1

Play by play? I would love to here some highlights and the outcome?

It doesn't matter. Try whatever you want. If a bass will bite this.....and they do.....a lot, then they will bite just about anything that looks alive, and sometimes things that aren't alive. I have seen someone catch a five pounder on a peice of a hotdog. Feel free to experiment.

You can use a flipping stick for casting a jig, but its a little harder to cast as accurate or skip docks with a long rod. For 3/4 oz football heads in deep water a flipping stick is not a bad choice though. It just depends on where you fish and personal preference.

Definitely. Kind of hard to skip out of a kayak though. Practice in a parking lot with a small jig. They'll be there in the fall as well as long as there is bait. It would be the first place I'd check. Fish can be hard to pattern in the fall on our lakes. I've always approached fall with more of a run and gun approach. Sometimes it pays off. Sometimes it doesn't.

I would ask around to see what works best in the waters you fish, but color is pretty much subjective. You can't go wrong if you have shad, crawfish, and bluegill patterned crankbaits where I live. I like brighter colors in stained water and natural colors in clear water.

Generally a longer, stouter rod is more handy for winching fish out of cover. Its also easier to pitch and flip farther with a longer rod.

They're not too bad for flatheads either! Thanks! I'll have to give this a try when I get everything to do it. After buying everything for building rods and making jigs, it might be a while.