thebillsman

I ran a CloakTuck 3.0 for a while with my P-01 and it distributed the weight nicely. However I'm on to single clip kydex Dara's now.

10lb mono

Jackall squad minnow

Tatula SV.

The 1.5 in Cataouatche Special is my go to. Dont aleep on the Rapala Brat BX 06, great little square bill in unique colors and A+ depth.

Didn't it come out like yesterday?

I have a few and they're great. The 06 for its size gets deep quick and has great bouyancy to deflect off cover. I forget what it's called but the white craw one has been the best for me.

Are you fishing with EWG hooks? I ordered the 75X in custom bluegill and was a little surprised at how big it was. Haven't had any luck on it. I do really well with the 1.5s though, especially the chartreuse variants. I recommend the new Brat 06 too, great bait and the "balsa" let's it bounce out of a lot of heavy cover.

The SV makes light lures, skipping and finesse jigs silly easy. I've posted numerous times on here about how surprising it was. The Tatula SV is silly cheap on eBay right now, spring for one!

I wish it didn't have to end this way. Heartbreaking story. Prayers for his family and friends.

I bought an SV and by the end of my first week fishing it I bought another.

TW's 25 days has been absolute trash this year, and I'm sure their sales to date have reflected that. Aside from their Seaguar day, it's been a snooze fest.

I've got a garage full of KLXs. Probably my favorite rod in that $159-229 price range to date.

I've got a dozen or so Trick Darters, love the shape and action but you're right they all sink about 4"/sec. I've had the best luck when retrieving them without pause.

You could try lighter hooks and downsizing split rings. Gama's got some light round bend trebles. If you went with a short shank you might shave some weight too. You could also do 8, 6, 6. After ordering a bunch of RC STXs I found that every bait suspended differently and almost drove myself crazy trying to tune all of them.

Got out this morning around 8 to one of my sweet spots and couldn't figure anything out. Had good luck the week before, but breaking through light ice with my first few steps wading out there I knew it would be tough. Might give it one more shot before it's time to hang em up for the long freeze.

I got a Tatula SV.. gave it a weekend and ended up with another. I always found myself getting Curado's and Tourney Pros but no more. The Tatula SV performance and value at $125 is unbeatable.

Last year, it was sub-1/4oz jigs. I forced myself to slow down and improve on finesse presentations and I've come to really like it. This year was topwater. I had a lot of fun with my Stutterstep 4.0 3D, Siglett's and frogs. I always find myself going back to squarebills and jerkbaits. No matter the conditions or time of year I always find confidence in those two.

I have a half dozen in great shape that I'll part with. Too much float and not enough depth for me. I did well with the R2S Biggie Smalls and KVD this year.

Any kistler rod beyond the KLX line is going to be great.

HST

If you're willing to spend $70 then it's a no brainer for me. Good blank, great components and on sale! http://www.cabelas.com/product/FENWICK-SILVERHAWK-II-SPINNING-RODS/2434191.uts?productVariantId=4962653&WT.tsrc=PPC&WT.mc_id=GoogleProductAds&WT.z_mc_id1=04664443&rid=20&lsft=ref:212,loc:1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIp8ivz4Sj1wIVzBXTCh2p-ww9EAQYASABEgLoz_D_BwE

Don't worry about the actual ratio. You should only concern yourself with IPT.

I have the big original and the 4.0 Prototype that's 3D printed. Both have great action and work well. I fish the 4.0 much more, even though I should've probably kept it in he package and sold it in the future. I forget when the 4.0 pre-released, April maybe..? I went out and used it the weekend it was delivered and was catching fish in near freezing water temps on top water.. pretty impressive. I've got close-up and comparison photos of the two here: