FishTank

The title was just "25% off Steez AGS Rods.....".

@Mike sonThere was a code that was emailed. I don't think I can post here. I also think you have to be one of their members.

I like the Gamakatsu Horizon Head LG and regular version for the OP is using. I have tried several different ones. My favorite overall for small paddle tail swimbaits is the Keitech Mono Guard Jig head. It bends and the bait holder eventually gives out but it brings in the fish and it does something with the guard to make the bait roll just enough.

@Darth-Baiter Changing this.... I actually did throw the Megabass 5in on the 904c NRX+. My happy accident was throwing a weightless Horny Toad on the 883c BJR.

Check out Omnia. They have them for $549 and then 25% off.

What conditions were you fishing in? Slick calm water and bright over head sun can make it tough to get a bite on buzzbait. The Zoom Frog (Horny Toad?) you mentioned can be a great trailer but I usually fish one without it. I also like to fish the Horny Toad with a 5/0 hook weightless just below the surface. If you fish it like a glide or a walk the dog style bait. It will back glide under the water. When this works the bites are angry.

I use my phone but not ideal. I have been eyeing the Olympus TG-6. I don't know much about it but our videographer at work says it's great for those worst case scenario times.

10lb Seaguar Gold Label or Grand Max. Both are great. No issues with either of them.

I haven't used any of the Daingerous's yet but I will probably need to give the 5in a try. I have used the new 5in Magdraft and it's not bad (the old JDM 5in was terrible). I have caught a few on it but I have only used that one day. I like the action of it and I don't recall missing any fish. I will be going to a local shop tomorrow to discuss the current state of affairs in the tackle world. I will have to pick one up while I am there.

Take a look at the Megabass P5 Super Destroyer. It can do that and more.

I have an I Wing Triple Fry, the small version, and it's a fun bait. Fish smash it.

No issues with micro modular gears. This one is about 12 years old. Still smooth as butter.

It should be fine. Its pretty much the only style of head I use any more. I don’t go any higher than 1/8oz and I also try not to fish them too deep. The rod has enough power but it is different than the other NRX rods. Once you get it figured out, its awesome. Also, I have tried different reels on it and found I like a 2000 size reel, in particular the Shimano Vanquish.

@bishoptf @bishoptf Having a fish pop off happens to all of us. If its hooked and you are bringing it to the boat, it might be the technique. Try to keep it pinned by keeping the rod low and do not turn the rod over. What I mean by that is, bring the fish in on the same side as the hookset. If you for instance, pull left and then lower you rod to the right, you have turned the fish over and the hook is on the bottom side of its mouth. It is now easy for fish to throw it. https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/253705-st-croix-mojo-bass-thrown-hooks/page/2/#findComment-2962397 The next thing would be to swap hooks. Owner ST 36s or a thinner wire like Ryugi Pierce or Gamakatsu G Finesse would be another option. I would do a #5 in the front and #4 in the back. I have had good luck with all three of these hooks. Next, might be line. I don't like anything heavier than 12lb for most crankbaits. For a DT6, I would use 10lb fluorocarbon. I still use mono on a few setups but prefer fluorocarbon. Not big fan of braid to leader for regular size cranks (I like it for BFS though). If you are dead set on braid to leader, I would go with a quality fluorocarbon leader material designed to handle the shock, like Seaguar Gold Label or Grand Max in 12lb.

@bishoptf What line are you using? What action does the rod have?

I can pitch about 40-50 feet depending on the weight of the bait, line and rod. A 1/2oz to 3/4oz jig with trailer seems to be my sweet spot but I can roll cast twice that far. As far as distance and accuracy goes, that 40-50 feet is all I really need to get the job done.

One of my fishing buddies has issues with his shoulder. He has some older G. Loomis rods paired with Shimano Curado B's. By today's standards, these set ups are pretty heavy but they are functional. In his case I don't think it's his gear that's old and heavy causing his pain, it's his casting technique, line and bait selection. The rods he owns are basically the same rod, a 783C. He throws whatever on them all on 12lb test mono. So an 1/8oz Bitsy bug up to a 1 oz crankbait all on the same rod, using the same casting technique. He is either over loading the rod or his arm and shoulder when he casts. It's sort of painful to watch. He will also backlash all day. The worst to see is when he will throw his favorite 7in curly tail worm with a 1/8oz weight. It weighs around 3/16oz. He can't throw it more than 35 feet on his gear. The rod never loads, only his arm. At the end of the day, he is always in pain. My point to him is to throw the right baits/weights that suit the rods and his casting style. If I can get him to throw a 1/4oz or 3/8oz bullet weight with this worm, he doesn't have any issues as long as he loads the rod properly.

The Deps Evoke 2.0 is silent and the Bill Lewis ATV is sort of silent. It has a weight in it that balances it and it gives off a little bit of sound if you shake it hard but not much. Nice thing about both of these is that they come with great hooks and they come through cover better than most. The MR-X Griffon comes in a silent version if you can find it but this bait takes some getting use to. You have to run it at the correct speed. Too fast and it rolls on its side. Too slow and it doesn't do much. I sort of fish it like a jerkbait and pop it. I order the Deps and Megabass stuff from Japan. It's cheaper. The ATV can be found at most places in the US and are not that bad price wise. Another to look at that I forgot is the Megabass Flap Slap. Great bait as well and it's silent. My wish list/requirements for crankbaits.... 1. It catches fish 2. It doesn't get hung up 3. It runs correctly out of the box 4. Good hooks out of the box 5. Easy to cast and retrieve I have found with crankbaits that I would rather pay a few extra bucks to get what I want in the bait. If it gets hung up less, that's one less I might have to replace. If the hooks stink, that's also an extra expense, which a lot of them are bad these days. It use to be that with a Strike King or even Rapala cranks, I would have to buy multiples (sometimes up to 5) of them to get one that would run the way I wanted and would consistently catch fish. That too was an extra expense. Also, as the years went by, I started to look at what was in my boxes that actually caught fish and what I had left/hadn't lost. The ones I had left weren't from Rapala, Bandit, or Bagley which were my main baits for years. Today, I still loose one from time to time but much less than years ago. The only thing is now it really hurts. What?... I how did I miss this. Thanks. They are pretty good baits as well.

I stopped using Strike King (except the 6 and 10XD). I also stopped using Berkley's cranks as well. I bought a ton of them when there was an awesome discount code floating around. All of them ended up not holding up but to Berkley's credit, they did replace a few. I gave them to a buddy of mine and they too fell apart. As far as what I like as an alternative and these go to about 5-8 feet depending on line and conditions.... Bill Lewis ATV 2.5 Evergreen CR 08 Megabass Z2 Crank Megabass Deep X100 OSP Blitz DR or MR Megabass Griffon MR-X Deps Evoke 2.0 I also prefer 10lb FC over mono. IMHO, this seems to be the best, on average, line to help get to and keep the correct depth.

Same. I stopped using them years ago.

I fished a tournament this past weekend and it brutal. It was about 95 degrees and over 100 on the boat. I brought ice packs and cooling towels. I also kept my self soaked in water all day. Most important thing was keeping my body covered in as much light weight moisture wicking clothes which meant pants and hooded fishing shirt. My fishing buddy thought I was crazy. He wore a cotton t-shirt, shorts and no sunscreen. He was done fishing by 10am and was absolutely spent. He was lucky he didn't get heat stroke. I was fine all day but definitely hot.

If they are going to be hitting like that, you should give the OSP HP Bug a try. Great bait. It will sink slowly even fished weightless and fish will smash them. The hook I like for them is the Ryugi Infini Hobbit. These hooks are outstanding for BFS size plastic. They have a really thin wire but are stronger than they look.

Thought I would try an experiment. Only new in the box one I had. 2 days, 8 fish and no scratches. Before and after.

Here is Plat's shipping rates. Registered Mail would have been the cheapest. https://www.plat.co.jp/EMS/EMS-2016.html Not sure why but the only option for me was FedEx. I got my stuff in about a week. I placed my order on January 27th of this year. I was sent a link in my email to pay. Here is another odd thing in the email...... [Important] When there will be no payment seven days or more, we may cancel an order, without doing the preliminary announcement to you. We appreciate your understanding. Your parcel is shipped by DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid).