MontclairDave

This one? https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Owner_Weighted_Twistlock_CPS_Hook_3pk/descpage-OTLW.html Glen vid recommends this one: keel weight is farther down the hook. I have a lot of these for swimbaits. Guess I gotta try em on toads: https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Gamakatsu_Weighted_Superline_Spring_Lock_Hook_4pk/descpage-GSSL.html

Interesting. I like the idea of keeling the hook with lead wire. But I can’t tell what kind of hook he’s describing. He puts Owner screw lock pin on it, but says Zoom makes the hook?? Can’t find it on Zoom website or TW.

That’s exactly where they were: buried in grass in a lake I had never fished before and was much shallower—and very little fall grass die-off—than I had anticipated. I can tell you that M rod was also not doing me any favors trying to stroke a 1/2-oz jig through that stuff.

So I only hooked up with about 50% of fish yesterday using a variety of toads of about the same size on a 4/0 Owner screw-lock hook (unweighted). I was doing the recommended wait of about a second, reeling down and setting the hook. Sometimes the fish just missed it but several times I could feel some hook penetration but they came off. Using a Falcon HD Medium casting rod rated to 3/4 oz. Question: was my meh hookup ratio more likely the rod being a bit underpowered, or something about my technique? Seems like MH rods are usually recommended for toad fishing, but the M is what I had in the yak. Today gonna try an Owner Beast Hook 4/0 but not liking the huge gap when I just rigged a Rage Toad. Also will try my previous hook—Gamy 4/0 EWG superline—as soon as I restock. They worked a bit better than the Owner screw lock in terms of hookup but definitely slid down the hook more, which can be a PITA.

Jersey bassin has been good for me this fall. 2 6 pounders in one week, crazy. One of em definitely my PB. This one hit a pearl Zoom Fluke Jr. on a 3/0 EWG hook (no weight). That smaller fluke really needs to be on light line to get any casting distance. I used 12 lb braid, worked like a charm.

Congrats! Jigs are big bass magnets for sure! Keep at it and you’ll have a new PB in no time!

I’ve got one in Mass near where my brother and parents live. Nobody ever on it because it is very shallow and almost completely covered by lilly pads. But if you kayak across the lake and around a bend, you get to the dam and a long section of riprap and drop-off into deeper water. Loads of quality fish there. All a reaction bite: swim jigs, chatterbaits, jerkbaits, paddle tails, etc. Next step is to get better with my frog and work those lilly pads. Gotta be some biguns in there. Bonus: when I get lazy and don’t want to deal with kayak put-in and paddle, there’s a hiking trail to that dam, with a raised grassy berm running its length. In spring, it’s a perfect spot to cast from. Summertime and the weeds get head-high and it’s a lot tougher to bank fish.

Last 10 days I’ve caught 2 6 lbrs in lakes less than an hour drive from me. Bigger than any bass I ever caught in all the years I have been dragging my arse up to the Adirondacks. Ya never know where the next pig will be!

I would assume TW has it wrong and the Halo website is right, of course. TacticalBassin just posted a kayak video where he was using the rod to throw a 1/2 chatterbait and trailer. So I think you’re onto something about the softer action being useful for some applications. But that chatterbait plus trailer exceeds the rod’s top end (by just a bit; admittedly). So I don’t know….

Anyone have this rod and can comment on what you throw on it and general impressions? Also, TW has it rated for 1/4-3/4 but Halo’s own site has it as topping out at 1/2. Yet it’s rated as a Medium Heavy. Most MH I see (and own) go to 3/4 ounce. So I’m a bit worried that this rod may be a tad underpowered for being an all-purpose rod (jigs, T-rigs, chatterbaits, etc). https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Halo_Fishing_HFX_Series_Casting_Rods/descpage-HFXC.html

So, I switched a lot between a Falcon HD 6’ 10” Medium casting rod/ SLC DC reel and an Avid Medium XF 6’ 9” spinner combo last Fall. Maybe an unfair comparison because the XF tip on the Avid seemed to work the jerkbait a bit crisper. But the BIG difference was casting distance. Straight 30 lb braid on the Falcon and 15 lb braid on the Avid, and can BOMB a Mega Bass Vision 110 on the Avid a lot farther than the Baitcast combo. But does that get me into more fishable water? Meh. Most of my bites came in zone where both setups could reach. So right now, my preference is the Avid spinner for its great tip for snapping that 110 on a slack line and triggering bites. But I think both baistcasters and spinners work fine for this application. Comes down to personal preference. Now, if I had a Shimano Expride 6’ 10” Medium—my dream jerkbait rod, not in the budget yet—that would be the hands-down winner. Used my friend’s (with an Aldebaran, drool) and he had to pry that combo out of my hands.

I’ve fished Senkos with the St. Croix Avid X 6'8" MXF for about 10 years. I’ve also used Triumphs, Premiers, an Irod Genesis, and a higher-end Falcon and while they all handle Senkos well, I’d definitely give the Avid the nod for sensitivity. I imagine the newer generation of Avids are even better but I can’t say personally.

ALX site makes a point of noting that their guides (semi-micro, I think) are leader-friendly. Have my eye on their Skipper and Toad Zolo rods.

Bulldog, will definitely try the modified Albright knot, thanks for the detailed instructions! And yes, I use straight braid for frogs.

I get the benefits of micro guides and I have a few rods with them for selected situations—mostly when I am fishing braid, no leader. But for braid-to-leader applications, I like slightly large guides that can accomodate a uni-to-uni knot. (No, I don’t have the patience to learn the FG knot). Here is my gripe: virtually NO rod descriptions on TW or even the manufacturers’ sites specify whether the guides they use are micro guides. So I have to email the manufacturer which sometimes yields a quick answer, sometimes not. Which is frustrating because I want to buy a dedicated frog rod and don’t like the way microguides collect scum and other detritus when I am fishing slop. And I am not familiar enough with all of the guide brands to know on my own which size they are. Pissy rant over.

Thanks! Hoping the moderate fast action will help me keep fish pinned a bit better than the Kistler Argon MH Fast I’ve been using. Really wanted to like that rod but the tip is kind of stiff and I think I’m losing fish because of it. Or I just suck at landing fish

Looking for a single hook baitcasting rod (chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, swim jig) for kayak, so something under 7” and moderate-fast action. Been wanting a Denali rod for some time so their Kovert spinnerbait model caught my eye: https://www.denalirods.com/kovert610medspinning-1-1-1-1-2.aspx Has anyone fished this rod or have recommendation for other rod for this application? Thanks!

Yup they are great! They’ve repaired a few of my older spinners and always do a great job. This time figured I’d send it straight to Shimano so we shall see how their repair service stacks up. so apparently I’m not the only one who “cheats” on SOL via Bassresource.com!

Dumped my yak in a lake and lost my new Shimano Curado MGL and Falcon rod after literally 3 casts. Spent an hour swimming around looking for it. No sign. my son goes out this morning and notices the direction of the current in the lake and swims 15 yards away from where I was looking and bam, he finds it on first dive! but here’s the thing: it was in the water for about 4 days. It casts pretty well but since I am relatively new to baitcasting and this is definitely a new reel, I have little frame of reference for how the performance may have been affected. I am in the middle of the Adirondacks and did not bring the reel lube that came with the rod. I do have some Ike Reel Snot I sprayed on the line and the line lay thingy. Any idea of how much damage is done to a reel after being in the water for 4 days? And what kind of maintenance should I do when I get back from this vacation? I assume WD40 (which I do have) is no bueno? Thanks!

I throw frogs on a MH. It’s fine in moderate cover like Lilly pads with openings, if you’re throwing it on 40-50 lb braid. I’ve never tried fishing it in true slop so can’t say for sure but I could see some cases where you might not have enough rod to yank em out. I just never fish that type of cover so I like the lighter tip and overall lighter weight of a MH.

So, I was fishing alone and hooked into a rather large bass with a jerkbait, tried to remove the lure without pliers (yeah) and this happened—a treble buried to the hilt in my finger. Tried to push it out but too deep. Ended up in Emergycenter and they had to cut it out. Question: what is that trick for removing trebles with fishing line? And can you do it yourself or do you need another person?

Curado for $185? Where?

So it's been about 3 months with my first baitcaster, a Shimano SLX DC, on a 6' 9" MH/F rod (Kistler Argon). I got it to make the learning curve of using a baitcaster a bit easier, and for that, it worked fine. But it's not like it's hassle-free; you definitely have to thumb it to some degree if you want to get any distance on setting 2, which I prefer over the heavier brake settings. And for light entry of lure, thumbing also needed, as expected. Now that I have a (somewhat) educated thumb, I want something with a lighter/faster spool to pitch smaller finesse lures with; using it on a 6' 8" Medium/Fast Falcon HD (crazy nice rod for $70). I am torn between SLX MGL ($150) and Curado 70 MGL ($230). Biggest difference between the two is Curado has micromodule gearing, SLX doesn’t. Weight, line capacity about the same. Gonna use it for light Texas rigging, small swim jigs, Super Flukes, and small topwaters. Is the Curado worth an extra $80 for the micromodule gearing? Is that feature just Shimano marketing or a real differentiator? Thoughts?

I have the Crescent UL. About 55 lbs, easier than most yaks to car-top. Tracks like a dream. But you better be a minimalist in terms of how much tackle and rods you like to bring because the deck in front of your legs, while wide open (no gear box or console), is a bit on the tight side. Yes I can fit a BlackPack in rear, but barely. And so far I am not a fan of the flush mount rod holders, which take Omega Rod holders and the like. I can’t seem to get the angle of the holder and rod exactly right. But that may just be me, I’ve only had the yak for one season and I’m still getting used to it. As for standing in this thing… well, I’m “of that age” and pulling myself up definitely requires a rope mounted to the front of the kayak, which I have added. But I would say you need pretty good balance to stand up in it. I’ve tried it and am not a fan. If I had to do it all over again I would get a slightly bigger yak that is around 65 lbs. I think Native Watercraft may have one that fits the bill. Or get one that is even a bit heavier and get the type of roof rack that enables you to load the kayak from the rear. MUCH easier on the back. I use a J-bar type rack, which required that you clear-jerk the yak off the ground and then up to your chest and then almost over your head before settling it into the rack. I spent the winter doing weights and push ups specifically to make that maneuver easier and it has worked. But for anything more than 60 lbs, at least for me, I’d prefer a rear-loading rack. Or convince my wife this is why I need a pickup truck!

Ah that would account for the difference. Thanks!