blckshirt98

I usually go 3/16, but just remember to add on the weight of whatever plastic you're using...standard 5" senkos are like 1/3 oz so you might wanna go lighter if you're using something that large.

+1 to the Owner ultra heads!

Basstrix Loca-Motion but they're basically the same price as the pro senkos. If you're looking for cheaper baits I always get the 10% discount TW gift cards at the holidays, then when they have a normal sale like 15-20% off, use the gift card to pay for it - saves you 25-30%.

I'll use either a Phenix Elixir FX802-1X with a Diawa Fuego 1000A spooled with 8lb Nanofil with a 6lb leader, or, a Phenix M1 MX-S72M with a 2500 sized Shimano spooled with 15lb PowerPro with a 7lb leader. I'll use the lighter setup on places where i know there aren't as many hangups or when I know all I'll be doing is dropshotting. The other setup I'll bring if I want to do other things because I can also throw other plastics (c-rig, t-rig, senkos) and smaller crankbaits/spinnerbaits on it.

If they built them to his specs I would. I didn't just buy blind because his name was attached to them, I also read up on why the Mustad's were designed the way they were (i.e. http://www.insideline.net/weeklynews/2008/08-0702.html http://www.bassmaster.com/gear/when-vandam-gets-treble others as well) - the short shank lets you upsize hooks on most cranks, the hook bend holds onto fish better even with a wider gap, the hooks are stiffer and stay sharper than a lot of standard stock hooks. Not saying there aren't other trebles that won't work just as well, nor that all stock hooks need to be replaced, just that these seem solid without any noticeable flaws if you're looking to replace or upgrade.

I just got some replacement/upgrade hooks based on a recommendation from another forum site - Mustad KVD 1x Strong 2x Short Triple Grip Treble Hooks. Kevin uses these on his crankbaits and if they're good enough for him, they're good enough for me! (TW reviews were also on point where I felt confident in these hooks.)

I've read that bass can see as well at night in the darkness of water as we humans do at night on the brightest full moon.

It's a traditional reaper bait with exaggerated ripple movement along the sides. It's okay but I found them to be a little "stiff" so to speak...the rippling action is fantastic but other than that it's a stiff plug.

You can dropshot anywhere just adjust accordingly. In ponds I'd probably downsize to a size 6 or even a size 8 hook, and use smaller baits, like a 3" Reins Bubbling Shaker or 2" Lake Fork Live Baby Shad - you'll catch panfish and bass though if there's a lunker in the pond it will be tougher to hook that one with everything else chomping on your plastics first. (That's when you use a small bluegill you catch on the dropshot setup as live bait on the second rod/reel your brought with you.)

As you build up your swimbait collection and have extras to spare, you might identify a couple of swimbaits in your arsenal you may be willing to risk in dodgy cover.

It's a little pricey but the Phenix Elixir FX802-1X is arguably my favorite setup to fish. It'll work for panfish, trout, I've landed a 6 lb LMB on it, and a lot of guys in SoCal even use it in the surf. It's an 8' telescopic so it has the noodle pedigree to haul in the larger fish as an UL, but also the characteristics of an UL for finesse techniques and lighter lures for trout and panfish. If I could only have one fishing setup for finesse, this rod would be it (I have it paired up with Fuego 1000A, spooled with 8lb Nanofil).

Tackle Warehouse has a lot of Lew's on sale and if you took advantage of the 4th of July sale, the discount applied to sale items even if they were on the exclusion list. I got a few of the Lexa 100's for 50 bucks each.

I used to use a double uni to connect braid to fluoro and had similar problems. LOTS of breaks at the knot, on the fluoro side. I did some researchI read about how you need to really lubricate the line and how fluoro can get weak if you cinch down and tighten to early, where you should leave the knot loose until the very end where you cinch down. I still had breakage issues and eventually said screw it and started using a Spro Power Swivel between the two lines to make the connection. I use the smallest (35 lb, size 10) swivels and no longer have the breakage issues. Even on snags the hook will bend or the lure with break out of the snag before the knots at the swivel will fail.

A glass rod with the soft tip/moderate action will probably work really poorly with the snapping needed for a jerkbait/spook/popper. Should be fine with a lipless crank though. A graphite rod would be the better choice if you need to incorporate all of those techniques into one rod, whereas the glass rod really will only work well with half of those techniques.

Sniper is awesome, just don't go any heavier than 8lb fluoro because of fluoro's stiffness - it'll start springing off your spinning reel like backwards-spooled mono.

Crankbait rods have slower actions/softer tips so when a fish hits your crankbait you won't rip the bait out, will help keep tension on the line as you fight a fish in, and you'll also get more distance on your casts as it will load better assuming you're using a lure that's correct weight for the rod. The Phenix Glass crankbait rods are awesome - affordable and a ton of fun to fight a fish on. Definitely give those a look as you shop around.

12-15lb braid with 6-8lb Sniper for a leader. You won't have to change the braid out for years, just add some on as your initial spooling gets low as you remove braid off as you tie knots and whatnot. I agree the 20lb braid is a bit much.

Fluoro also is a lot stiffer than braid and will want to "relax" off the spool when you spool it up and remove the tension off the line. I've had similiar issues with freshly spooled fluoro on a casting reel where it'll want to bird nest like crazy especially if using a lighter lure that isn't heavy enough to keep tension on the line on the spool.

If you ever have grooving on those guides because of braid, send it back to St Croix and they'll take care of you.

I like Nanofil but I've had some really weird line break issues on a spool that's about 2 years old. No nicks or anything as far as I can see, and it would just break somewhere in the middle, no knots or anything. When I reeled my line in to check, it was a clean break, as if someone took a pair of scissors and cut it clean. I had this happen like 3 times on same morning, once on a cast, twice on hooksets. I went home, stripped it all off, put on fresh Nanofil from an unopened spool. It hasn't happened since so I'm wondering if something in the Nanofil makes it become weak/brittle over time. Haven't had this problem with any of the PowerPro or Sufix braided lines I have spooled on my other reels, so wondering if anyone has had a similar problem with Nanofil, or, if maybe a couple of years down the road this new spool will have a similar issue pop up.

I would agree with what AdamsEye has said. If taught properly you should be able to learn how to use a baitcaster in a day, just be sure to use the proper form/technique and not try to set personal best casting records while you're just starting to use a baitcaster. Be sure to adjust the tension knob if you're switching out lures of different weights on the same rod/reel setup, and adjust the brakes/pins either as you get more comfortable with using the reel or if you're casting in wind. You may want to stick with one brand/model of reel so you don't have to adjust between mag/pin/dual brakes. Remember even the pros get backlashes.

Good call on the saltwater...I may have used that swivel c-rigging for perch in saltwater. That very well could have been what caused the swivel failure!

Also if you miss that first hookset don't reel your frog in, keep working it. The bass will come back around for a second shot at it.

I've been using a v1 D&M Piranha the past 3 weeks in a sexy shad color at a local muddy reservoir and have done really well. Works best in the morning when the bass are chasing the baitish in the mornings and it'll usually get hit when it's almost near the shore and I slow down the retreive. I fish it like a spinnerbait - just a steady retrieve all the way in. In prior years I've thrown a KVD 1.0 or 1.5 squarebill in the same conditions and have done decent, but the swim jig has produced better, possibly because I've been able to work the swim jig through more of the water column as opposed to just the top portion with the squarebill.

Chatterbait in a local reservoir with muddy water and a lot of vegetation has been lights out for me the past 3 weeks.