Drew03cmc

Well, right now, a 2500 Sedona FB with all new internals, new SS bearings and carbontex drag washers. The heads that Tackle HD designed for the 3" craw are 3/16oz. I also toss it on 1/8oz Chompers stand up heads. Today, I was using this setup to toss Damiki Dolphins and Megabass Dog X Speed Slides on a small river.

I just cashed out a couple hundred in Cabelas gift cards from work and figured I needed a new spinning rod for wading creeks for smallies. Keep in mind, I am talking creeks my daughter can cast across with a Zebco. I was using a Deep South 6'6" M Elite Tubes rod and, while it did the job well, I wanted a shorter rod. Bass Pro had the St. Croix Eyecon 6'3" M and I figured it would work based upon the flex, feel and light weight. Last Monday, I took the rod on a wading trip again with my son to a different river. It works for what I want to do, perfectly. It tosses mid sized walking baits, small buzzbaits up to 1/4, Super Fluke Jrs and HiDef Craws on a light jighead. If you're looking for a new stick, give these a gander. I think you'll dig them.

I have braid on my gear ranging from yellow, blue, green and brown. Honestly, the Timber Brown is probably my favorite from Power Pro Super Slick.

When my drag slips, either I hooked a really hot fish or it was set too loose. I don't want it to slip on a hookset. That is less force to drive the hook home. I want it to be solid. When I'm fishing soft baits, I tend to run it a bit tighter. On treble baits, heck, on spinning gear in general, I try to use a lighter wire hook, which allows for better penetration.

Wading has to be safe. If I have any trepidation in a spot, we stop. Man, he was beaming ear to ear all day. We went to another small creek a week later and caught 60 between us in 5 hours of fishing. The size wasn't there, biggest was around 12", but he caught almost 20 himself. It was an amazing day. One more trip before school starts! Buddy, I can recommend streams for this time of year where the boys will be perfectly safe.

The Aird line is killer. Academy has them for $49.99. The Aduro feels cheap to me, but if you catch the Ethos on clearance each winter, I've not paid $20 for any of mine. My 7'3 H was $9.

Zoom Super Fluke Jr rigged weedless with a 2/0 light wire EWG hook. 15/4 braid and an 8# leader. I've caught like 50 in small wading size creeks in the past 2 weeks.

Medium rod, 15/4 Power Pro Super Slick, 8# copolymer leader, set the d**n hook and reel the fish in.

The rains ran us off after wading a mile or so upstream. It's a shame because it was getting better and better. It gives us the drive to get back to that creek soon.

My son wanted to catch his first smallie and we had the time to run east a few hours today to a new creek for me as well. The first access was deep right at the bank, so that was a no go, but we went upstream next, and waded up to the next bridge. We started slow, but fishing picked up about halfway. I caught 10 smallies and he caught 4. All of his were on either a grub or a Little Dipper in shiner. Mine were on a Jackall Dera Spin, 1/8oz buzzbait and Zoom Super Fluke Jr rigged on a Gamakatsu G Finesse 2/0 hybrid EWG. When we got to 42, the skies began looking ominous and a 2wd 4cyl Ranger on wet rocks going up that access did not sound like my idea of fun. We turned around and at this point, I'd only caught 4 smallies and he had 1. We decided to make time and hit the couple best pools again, which were in the upper half of that wade. I lost the big fish of the day that had to go 16+. It hit the Fluke Jr and immediately ran downstream yanking drag. My bait flew back at me as he only had the tail...drat. I caught 3 over 12, big fish at about 14. When he caught his first, the smile said it all. The rains ran us off the creek after about 4 hours, but a lifetime of memories were made and it's a creek I'll definitely be back to next month.

You know Jim, I never considered that. It seems to make sense.

The water in our area has been ridiculous all year. To attribute his lack of success, whatever that means, to a lake, rather than the environmental factors is not only foolhardy and wrong, but it is shortsighted as heck. The dirty water has allowed the YOY to be protected more than usual and should offer a strong year class. I've caught lots of fish this year, more than last year, by opening up my tackle box to baits I've never thrown. Perhaps he should have put down the Ned and tossed a jig, crank, spinnerbait, etc.

I'm seeing a lack of vegetation in a lot of smaller impoundments I'm on as compared to last year. I think it may have something to do with the recurrent high water. I've been fishing an hour here and there at smaller, city and neighborhood lakes around SKC. They're loving the small poppers around vegetation and flipping baits along wood cover. Weedlines aren't as pronounced so many folks are missing them, but if you know the water, just beneath the surface, you can luck into some killer bites.

$15 for a squarebill isn't bad. Look at Megabass, Evergreen, etc. If the baits are quality, it's no big deal. I don't throw much in the way of crank baits anyway.

My son, a 12 year old avid angler, told me about Jon B and the Googan Squad. I watched a video with him and laughed. He asked what was funny, so I told him. I told him my opinion. They're seemingly a bunch of punks who are shilling overpriced rods and baits. I turned him onto Drew Gregory (yak angler here), Chad Hoover (his shilling has gotten almost intolerable), Bass Resource, Keepin It Real and a few others. The kid loves fishing, has read Murphy and Sowbelly. He reads the magazines, anything he can get his hands on.

d**n bud. Hope y'all steer clear of a big one. 6.9 is still sizeable, I guess.

I guess I haven't seen an Ozark. I have an older Abu Conolon Premier 6' M that may make the perfect kayak moving bait rod, for what I'd toss on rivers. I also have an OG St. Croix Premier PC60M that I cut the handle down 3" and it's considerably faster than the Abu...may try these next float. Always looking for more though.

I have a quick question fellas. I've got a major jones for the DS and was wondering, in my situation, what would you recommend? From my 'yak, I float some skinny, gnarly places where a 6'6" stick is almost too long, but then I also fish some open lakes and ponds. I'm wanting to fish these in a kayak river tourney in September alongside my buzzbaits and poppers. How long a rod would you feel comfortable throwing from a yak, seated on a Tarpon 100, in a creek that's often less than 40 feet wide. My current creek rod, a 5'6" M Lightning Rod, is not stiff enough, but I think a longer rod wouldn't be ideal because of the length. Also, the longer handles get stuck on my PFD and make it a pain. I've got like 5 3/8oz, 5 1/2oz and 2 3/4oz. Also, clear water, is 15lb Hi Seas on a MH too much or should I use a M and 10lb Hi Seas? I know I'm rambling here, but I'm at work and have the time right now.

Certainly my favorites.

I only use braid on a spinning rod and a frog rod. With the spinning rod, it's primarily finesse use and the extra feel is welcome. Frog rod, well, it's a frog rod.

Man, for the sake of science, it'd be awesome, but for the sake of people, pure devastation. I keep hearing rumbles about the New Madrid Fault being primed again, but nothing concrete. Heck, if Yellowstone goes, it would be incredible again, from a distance. I'm glad everyone is ok.

Yep, that's them. I need a few more. They're really light and breezy for our 100 degree days.

I like the Magellan one I found on clearance at Academy this winter.

This fish is my undisputed world record. I would have liked to see Dottie be the record, but it wasn't caught per Cali regs.

I'm good with fishing videos, catching fish with some educational info in them like Tim and Matt do, but the measurements, the inane things like that are what drive me bonkers.