Airman4754

Glacier Gloves

I used to think spinning rods were for rookies. Now I think I have six dedicated spinning rods for finesse fishing. I grew up a power fisherman and if the conditions call for it I'll still chuck and wind all day. I do enjoy finesse fishing a lot though. The one technique I just can't get into is the Ned rig. I catch fish like crazy on a drop shot, shaky head, split shot, and neko but I just don't catch much with the Ned.

Line has zero relevance with big swim baits. You'll notice that after about your tenth follower.

I've had them all and all of my bottom contact rods are now Phenix UMBX and Megabass Orochi XX. An NRX being double the price of those rods is laughable to me. They're good rods, but for over half a grand they aren't that good.

50lb PP Maxcuatro. Has the power with a smaller diameter making it easier to work with.

My drop shot rod is a 7'6" Phenix UMBX M/F and I love it. My partner started fishing with it so much I ordered another one last week except it's a Classic model with the pretty burl wood handle. I still like a 7' for shaky heads, but the longer rod has made me really enjoy drop shotting now. I couldn't recommend it enough. It's awesome!

I use a 7'3" ML/F and love it.

That's how I fish them weightless. I let it free fall to the bottom. Then floss it off the bottom twice and let it fall back down. After that I fish it like a jerk bait with violent jerks and long pauses.

TW and Outdoor Pro Sports gets all of my business minus one item. BPS makes "6 Speed Shads. For some reason Keitech doesn't make them that big so I only have one option.

If I'm fishing in slop with plastics I'm using something from Gambler. The Burner Craw, Ugly Otter, Flap Daddy, Why-Nots, and Mega Craws are all really good. If I'm in open water or structure I think there are better options, but their stuff fishes the trash extremely well.

Definitely both, but I fish them both very differently.

Throw a shaky head or drop shot with a 4" worm and a Ned rig. If you put your time in with those and catch nothing then you've got some bad water.

I'm going to respectfully disagree. I do know when I've missed a fish on plastics. I use straight shank hooks on almost everything and the bait slides down on a strike every time. For anything else you really need to know your equipment to tell the difference. If you're swapping out rods every couple months you'd never know.

I'd say fish both and see what you like. I loathe ML rods for drop shotting and use a M, but I really like the ML for Ned and Hula grub fishing. Any bass that isn't a largemouth in just a few areas can be landed with ease on a Light action rod. The question is does it fit your technique?

I went to high mountain lake that just got four inches left snow last week and then went to mid 70's a few days later. I've never had an outing quite like it. They would bite 6XD's only. They wouldn't hit any other kind of crank that dove in the same range. They wouldn't hit a shaky head, drop shot, Ned, Hula grub, jig rig, football, lipless, C-rig, square bill, spinnerbait, Keitech, NOTHING! I've never been on a trip that you couldn't at least bump a fish with the finesse stuff. Either way we landed some decent fish and a couple buddies got some memories.

White Kalin Mogambo grub.

I have 23 setups and they range from the highest end stuff to fairly high end. I bought one in person. The rest were online, most were used. This was the one that didn't go well. Like Meatloaf once sang; Cause' 1 out of 23 ain't bad. Maybe he said something different, but you get the idea.

I went though a couple last year deciding what I wanted. I landed on a 7' Duckett Terex CB M/M with a Lew's MB 6.8:1. It has the tip to really feel the bait and keep trebles pinned but has a solid back bone too. The reel can fish fast and slow without going out of your way. I think the whole rig ran me about $250.

For specialty colors and blades I fish Revenge. For my normal white, chart, and black I buy the cheapest ones I can find. The ones just hanging on the rack with no packaging at Sportman's Warehouse are the bulk of what I have. I actually prefer the action of the cheaper ones with light wire. They roll side to side a little even when tuned which creates a more erratic retrieve. With way I mod mine buying a bunch of expensive ones wouldn't make sense. Have to agree Scott. Spinnerbaits are about angles, cast placement, and splash control. If you're just tossing a spinnerbait around with no control or purpose you've got about a three week period a year on any lake to be successful. The rest of the year is technique.

I just had this same thing. I bought a Megabass Orochi shaky head rod and the guy packaged it like a six year old in some flimsy cardboard tube. Now he has vanished and won't reply. Snapped right before the first eye. Lame!

If we can make it we fish New Years Day and I always throw a shaky head that day.

Spinnerbaits for points and the edges of cover along with deep humps and rocks. Swim Jig for weeds. Soft Swimbaits for open water and banks with no cover and non-points.

There is one lake we fish with stunted smallies and it's 100 fish days no matter the weather, time of day, etc. That night when I come home my wife tells me I will do hook setting jerks in bed for hours while I'm sleeping lol.

Sunday and Wednesday. You are post front, it's hot, and there is decent wind. Zero reason to not put a lot of fish in the boat with those conditions.

Drop shot.