blckshirt98

I use a Phenix XG3 glass rod, which is also moderate action (not sure about power since it's not listed anywhere). The chatterbaits I use are either the original Z-Mans or the older D&M Piranhas. Could it be the design of the Freedom with the free-swinging hook?

Rod: Phenix M1 7'2" M/XF Reel: Shimano Stradic (the new Ci4+ is a piece of art but I don't own one) 3 Lures: KVD 2.5 squarebill, Molix Sator Worm, CL8 Mighty Mouse

For what it's worth I messaged a couple of manufacturers on alibaba asking for a price quote on 200ct skinny dropshot weights, in 3/16oz size, and after shipping and handling the price came to .70-.74 cents per weight. So the omfishingsinkers prices are actually cheaper and you don't need to have as large of a minimum order.

I use a glass crankbait rod and have never had an issue with hookups, which is why I'm wondering if there's something about the bait itself.

It's gotta be the plastic worm. Change the diameter and/or length, and you can catch pretty much any fish on the planet.

Haha this company, I get them as a Facebook ad pop up, several times a day. Good to know it's legit though!

The problem with this is that TW isn't in the mind of non-enthusiasts new to the sport or to the average family trying to head off into the mountains for camping/hiking/fishing/hunting. My neighbor and co-workers know about BPS and they don't fish or camp. BPS has marketed themselves as a "one stop outdoor shop" where people feel they can just go and get everything they need where people feel they're getting a good price/deal. It's like people who still go to Barnes & Nobles for books when they can get a book for 30-40% cheaper on Amazon.

I've always just casted it out and reeled it in, though I will vary the retrieve speed. Never really bothered with yo-yo-ing it off the bottom because I figure there are better options for that.

Assuming you're fishing the right depth, I think size and action/wobble are the most important for crankbaits. Color wise you're just looking for either contrast in stained water or natural in clear water. I'll usually carry a dark(black/craw), light/loud (sexy shad/firetiger, and natural color (shad/bluegill) when I hit the water. No need to go overboard with color, instead of extra colors try something with a different type of action (like a flat-sided squarebill).

Is this something where you're using a chatterbait for the first time and it's a Chatterbait Freedom, or, where you've fished other chatterbaits before without hookup issues but started having issues once you switched over to a Chatterbait Freedom?

The local tackle shop got a bunch of these in and I took a look at them but didn't pull the trigger. The way the body fits in seamlessly with the head is nice, but other than that didn't see anything that made me want to pull the trigger.

I stopped by the local tackle shop yesterday and on their "new items" rack they apparently went all in and got a pretty large stock of their hooks. i ended up getting a 25-pack of both their #1 and #2 size finesse/dropshot hooks, and they had one of the larger offset EWG hooks out and hooked up to a bait as a sample and we talked a bit about the theory/practicality of the angles on the hook. If the stinkin' rain out here in Cali will ever stop(more rain this weekend) I'll give them a go.

Alibaba has a lot of vendors but there's usually a bulk minimum. I haven't bought anything yet but have been checking out prices to check for trending and how it compares to lead.

If you kept that fish in the mouth, does it count when weighing the bass?

Also remember these lure companies have hundreds of SKUs they need to keep in stock when you consider model/size/color. For a $6 price tag, the manufacturer is probably selling it to the retailer for $3.00. The big question is how much do some of the "JDM-For-USA" baits really cost, like Megabass and LuckyCraft, that oftentimes charge more than double the price of similar domestic baits.

Honestly I didn't measure it, I'm a shore guy so I was just eyeballing it. My skill level with no-brake casting isn't premium, so two backlashes were enough to not pursue it any longer.

Rust means the metal has been compromised so it's a weaker/duller hook. Also you don't want to stick yourself with a rusty hook. When getting rid of hooks I'll usually push them into a piece of cardboard or styrofoam.

I made a few casts with no brakes and quickly realized it wasn't worth it to me. One moment of lack of thumb concentration and you're stuck wasting time messing with a backlash. An extra few feet of casting distance isn't worth the trade-off for me.

I hear you, the Sacramento crowd a couple of years back at the Delta didn't seem too big compared to the midwest/east coast crowds. The Bassmaster Live broadcast was also a dud because there was so much dead time when nobody was catching anything and you can really tell Zona and Sanders were struggling to fill in airtime.

St Croix?

With all the rain NorCal got this year I'm hoping the Elites will come back out west soon.

You can also get any jighead you like and attach an underspin with something like this - http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Pro_Point_Underspin_Blades_3pk/descpage-PPUN.html

You could use those on a float n fly setup! Someone just won the first event at Lake Shasta on the Wild West Bass Trail using a float n fly!

Creature/Beaver style baits(especially Texas rigged) and spinnerbaits. For spinnerbaits I always opt for a chatterbait instead. For the T-rigged creature/beaver bits, I not only hate tying/pegging things on a Texas rig, but I also can't get over how some of those beaver style baits have no action in the water (like RI Sweet Beavers).

I first used 5" Yamamoto senkos because it let me take one pack of plastics for double duty as a wacky bait and shakey head bait. I don't really fish wacky or senkos anymore but on a shakey head I'll now use either a Yamamoto 6.75 Long Pro Senko or a Damiki Air Pocket Worm.