blckshirt98

Phenix M1 for me, my favorite rod to fish!

I use a Phenix M1 7'2" M/XF or a Shimano Cumara 6'8" M/XF for dropshotting. The M/XF works for me because the tip is light and sensitive and the XF action gets me a quick hookset with a quick reel or short sweep of the rod. For pure dropshotting I probably like the Cumara better but I can do other things with the Phenix where I only want to take one rod with me to the lake.

This is awesome lol, I just became a Gary Klein fan.

A silly question and just curious. I think it'd be awesome if a pro showed up to a BASS or FLW event with a big ZEBCO logo on the front of their jersey just kill it with spincast gear.

Dropshot depends on wind/current/bait. Some baits have more air drag so you might need to go a bit heavier to get your bait where you went it to go. Also factor in wind/current to get it there and to stay put once it's there. That doesn't mean to just stick on a 1/2oz weight and be done with it, go light as possible to accomplish how you're trying to present the bait.

Check out the St. Croix Rage rods on clearance right now on their site in the Bargain Room - those rods are solid, but the grip is a little unconventional in that it's not cork/foam/tape but a neoprene wrap (that I actually like).

Also known as "bucketeers"!

If you just want to catch fish you can get by with one setup. I only started bass fishing about 3 years ago and for those 3 years could have gotten away with just one spinning setup because i dropshotted 90% of the time, because it worked for me and it got me fish. I could also use that spinning rod for other techniques such as c-rig/t-rig/wacky/small cranks/small spinnerbaits/etc. Recently I've been starting to branch out with larger crankbaits and swimbaits and getting into baitcasting gear, and it's just a whole different way of fishing that's a lot of fun. If you want to learn as many different techniques as possible, get two setups.

How about check checking Cabela's online Bargain Cave? They have like 40 rods up there now, maybe something will fit what you're looking for.

I'd get two setups, used if you can find the right deals. One spinning setup for finesse, and one baitcaster setup where you can throw something heavier.

I actually threw one of these for the first time this past Sunday on a lake where the chatterbait bite has been on fire and I got my first 3 fish of the day on it. I used the Sexy Shad and added on a 3" clear/blue flake Yum grub trailer and it swims with more of a prounounced tight side-to-side "snake" pattern compared to other chatterbaits because the connecting joint between the body and hook is at the center of the bait. It's almost like a vibrating squarebill with a snake-like swimming pattern...kind of hard to describe. It also wants to run shallow, in the top 2 feet of the water column? I'd throw this in situations where I'd want to throw a shallow diving squarebill, but want more action/vibration, where I don't want bottom trebles to catch on debris or weeds in the water. I can see this thing having a use in the right situation and also giving the fish something they haven't seen before, but it definitely isn't a replacement for a traditional chatterbait.

I throw a dropshot with a Molix Sator Worm. If there's bass/small bass/crappie/bluegill and they're biting, they'll at least nibble at the tail. If nothing then it's a dead day to me, and I'll go throw my money at the tackle shop.

Any Shimano reel from the Sienna to the Stradic will do you just fine, and if you closed your eyes and had one of each model in your hand, you'd never be able to tell the difference if they all had the same handle.

Swimming senko or a ribbed swimbait like a Keitech Swing Impact or 3.5" Lucky 13 Easy Swim. But really a simple 5" Zoom/Kalin single tail grub I think is the best option.

I like Bubonic's work, but dunno how his prices are compared to other custom painters.

I like hucking 1/2 oz chatterbaits, color wise use what works with other lures for your waters. For trailers I throw away the stock ZMan trailer and replace it with either a 5" single tail grub(Zoom/Kalin's) or a shortened swimbait (take your pick just be sure to trim the swimbait so that the tail and maybe 1cm of the body is sticking out past the skirt - swimming senkos, Keitech Swing Impact, most anything works). You can vary retrieve speed to see what the fish like that day, the ZMans are good in that they maintain their vibration at slow or fast speeds. Chatterbaits work best for me when I see baitfish being chased, either hopping around on the surface or going crazy on the shore.

Sufix 832 is good braid. Nanofil the jury is still out for me. I had some weird problems with 8lb Nanofil breaking on me. I re-spooled with new Nanofil and seeing if the same problems resurface after use.

Just remember even the pros get backlashes.

When I can't buy a bite I'll usually just pack it in early. I may stop by the tackle shop and buy some stuff because it relieves the frustration of being skunked. If you can't catch fish you can always catch tackle, and you can never have enough of either.

When it gets light early in the summer I'll get a coffee at a gas station and drink it on the way to whatever lake I pick. When it gets lighter later I might stop by a donut shop and do coffee and donuts. On the water I always bring a large Camelbak water bottle and Clif bars/protein bars. Lately I've also been taking a pack of Belvita breakfast wafers (omg the chocolate or blueberry ones are tasty).

I have a reel spooled with 20lb Sniper FC for cranks/vibrating swim jigs.

KVD 1.0/1.5/2.5 - good price for what you get and makes me not as afraid to toss them into bad cover.

Chatterbait!

The Elaztech baits are like rubber bands and will last a long time, just remember not to store them with any other kind of plastics or they'll basically melt (literally just melt from some weird chemical reaction).

Of those baits I've only fished the toad and rigged it up exactly like the link A-Jay posted shows