Angry John

I am using a st croix avid 7'4" casting rod heavy. Rated to 1.5 but feels good to 2. The 178 swaiver is the heaviest i have used so far right about 2oz. I am using a sv103 reel and the zillion is supposed to be really good up to 3ish ounces. I have another setup much heavier but i haven't used it in a long time.

pizz customs will do you right

The fish will go into the weeds to recover no big deal. A fish will toss the jig hopefully in a few days or get caught again and the next angler will take it out. I find fish with hooks in them every once in a while and i get them out, and let them free....

Well it should be smaller in size and lighter depending on which version of alphas you get. It would also look a lot better depending on which version you get. I love external cast controls which the tat has but i dont know about the other. Did you look at the hedgehog or any of the other zonda 68 models. The one for sale in this thread is my favorite http://www.tackletour.net/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=76269 The green is soooo sweet. They also have an orange red one... The purple one is a custom paint to look like another reel and is based on the steez also one of the top... Beware the dark side as it will take you over...

I like them, want to paint an swaiver for me?????

Are you talking about the megabass glide bait?

A lot of the daiwa reels came with one the fuego, advantage, and sol all came with one. Those are the ones i have that i got spares with. The new ones do not...

I am trying just what your talking. I have swaivers, big keitecks, trash fish and huddlestons. Toss in a bbz-1 and a BBZ rat and your in big business. Stick to known baits that work. Having a million baits is not better. My buddy got a bunch of expensive baits and has quickly gone to only fishing his hinkle shad. Now that bait is good money but if your only buying one or two then its not that bad. I don't know what your limits are but it can be done. The costs associated with being bit off are unknown so i cant speak to that. If your baits are big enough then that may limit the problem.

Megabass lin 10. Daiwa zillion hlc. Daiwa luna 103

I use 15lb 832

My fishing partner uses a Megabass SRD and throws a hinkle shad that weights 5.5 ozs and he is in love with the setup. Boated a 3.4 and a 5lber today. With big baits you have to have the power to get big hooks and get them moving. THIS IS NOT crank bait fishing. I dont fish baits as heavy and i am running an avid 7'4" heavy. I love the rod for Swaiver 168's and baits less than 2oz. I don't advise you go under powered but way overpowered is a lot heavier than it needs to be and will kick your but in short order. Having a rod in the 2-3 oz range is a great place to start with the smaller cheaper baits to get a taste.

I would like to know what the difference is between the blanks. This is where i see people get confused because they only make one SCV blank. If its any type of legend except the tournament which is SCIV then the blanks are all the same. Croix is kind enough to paint their blanks the same color for the same line making it super easy to know if the blanks are the same. They do split up the powers a little with a spinning and casting blank line but there both the same materials.

Best bang for your dollar would be an alphas sv at around 220 bucks. I have a few and there very nice and can handle the lighter baits. I picked up a zonda spool for mine the deeper one and it tosses a bait a country mile. Its not as good on the very light weight baits but above a 1/4 it launches them. The hedgehog comes with both a light weight spool and the deeper one i got for my reel besides just looking the bees knees.

Depending on what you want the door is wide open. This is a solid list that i would consider adding a core to. I dont fish them because i am a daiwa guy but there solid and nice...

The megabass white python is my fishing partners favorite 7'6" up to 4 oz I believe. They have a new model totally diffrent. His is a slant bridge.

There I more involved imo. How does the rod fit you. Like the reel seat? How about the handle length and material. How much does the rod weigh. How quality are the guides. Is the length and taper what I want.

There are a lot of jdm rods with detaching handles but I don't know any over 8'

I got curious about building my own baits and have watched a ton of video's from all over. This guy is making swimbaits and the time that went into carving the "master blank" was crazy. I have seen the video's from duo about there master craftsmen, but there getting paid a lot to work while this guy is at a very high level IMO but does it for the love of fishing. I have a new found respect for bait makers and now also have a much better understanding of the "costs" and "value" of a hand crafted bait. No easy task.

I did this with some 2.75 inch tubes and they worked well on smaller bass. Little larger profile and i just worked it back to me slowly. I did best on watermelon purple in Washington were the water is supper clear. http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Dry_Creek_275_Drop_Shot_Tube_10pk/descpage-DCDST.html

So if were talking 5lbs or less every one of those reels would be just fine...

Topwater then swaiver

The colors have been covered very well but i would like to draw your attention to the two different type of hook hangers. The ones at the top i hate and do not give free movement. The lower picture has a standard eye and split ring and are much better IMO.

You may see a difference in color of the wrap if using glue and putting it back in. If it does not bother you then its worth a try as the end result may be the same. I would look into a product called zap a gap, its a fast setting glue uses in building radio control aircraft. Its the strongest "super" glue i have found.

Thats a necessary evil. Do what ever it takes to get on the water. I take one day of the weekend for me "fishing" and she has the other day to do what ever her heart desires kid free the other.

I fish the 40 in the brown color. Not a ton of time with it but it has caught me some good fish. I did not want to go so heavy i had to toss it on a dedicated sb rod. I feel as its a great size all around and its plenty big.