Fishin' Fool

Nice! How big?

I'd set the drag a bit on the loose side than risk it being too tight on a big fish. Also fishing with finesse gear sometimes it just happens and you didn't do anything wrong.

12" or so early in the season. Are you familiar with Poor Boys Erie Darters for a drop shot bait? If not familiarize yourself with those.

I don't know if your lakes are similar but most of my knowledge is from Lk St Clair. There is a 2 or 3 week period after the spawn that the smallies switch from tubes to single tail grubs. Grubs are absolutely killer then. I think the reason is that the bass are feeding on their own after the spawn. Maybe worth a shot for you.

Plus who fishes for largemouth in northern Michigan when there's all those smallmouth bass to catch

@A-Jay any advice for this young man seeing you are from northern Michigan.

Wind and a choppy surface for a chatterbait or spinnerbait. Good visibility and water clarity for a swim jig. Think of a swim jig as a finesse spinnerbait.

Who knows?! It's goofy looking a cigar shaped worm, I get it. However, until you use them, you won't get it.

Double uni knot. I extend my arms and get a leader from finger tip to finger tip. I'd say 6 to 8 foot but I've never really measured. This time of the year I'd keep your drop shot leader length to about 8" to 12". As the weeds start to grow in the summer you can make it 18" to 24"

I drop shotted alot on St Clair. Go with braid and a fluorocarbon leader. Like the above comment I'd go 15 pound braid but I would use 8 to 6 pound fluorocarbon. I use 7 pound, 6 pound scares me a little.

A 20 pound fluorocarbon leader to 15 pound braid seems like overkill to me. Are you fishing heavy slop? Otherwise, I'd knock your leader size down to 12 to 15 pounds max. I have alot of luck with flukes. I use a twitch, twitch, pause cadence and the fish will eat it alot on the pause.

Right now roboworms

Loctite gel control. It comes out thicker easier to use. Super handy for glueing the heads of TRD worms and Keitechs to the jigheads.

Be stealthy. If a bedding fish can see you good chance it won't bite. Long casts. First try small baits if that doesn't work try large baits. Cast past the bed and slowly bring the lure into the bed and then leave it there and shake the heck out of the lure. Good luck!

Dick's Sporting Goods and Field and Stream (they seem to be under the same ownership) will often run a buy 2 packs get 1 free sale. That is a good time to stock up on your favorites.

Braid to a fluorocarbon leader for your new 853s. I use 16 pound SX1 to a 7 pound fluorocarbon leader. You could go 15 pound braid to an 8 pound leader.

As a new person I'd suggest you stay with rods and reels in your price range from Shimano or Daiwa. Over time you'll branch out with other manufacturers.

6'6" ML- Ned rig 7' M- Tube bait with 1/8 ounce jighead and/or weightless senko 7' MH- 3.8" Keitech swimbait or similar 7'2" MH- jerkbait and/or chatterbait 7'3 H- jig There you have it, the winning lures!!

Don't do it man. Once you go down this rabbit hole you have to have all $600 rods!! All kidding aside i thought Johnny Morris Carbonlite 2.0 were decent rods until I bought a few NRX's and a GLX. Then I wanted to throw my Johnny Morris in the trash. The redesigned GLX is a good rod for the money.

Maybe I called it the wrong thing but Loomis has an X-pedititor program that is $100 to replace that IMX no questions asked. I didn't see anything that said you have to be the original buyer of the rod. http://www.gloomis.com/content/gloomis/northamerica/usfly/en/homepage/XPEDITOR_PROGRAM.html

Thanks for the updated information.

You have the rod you have the warranty is my understanding.

The nice thing about a G Loomis rod is it comes with peace of mind with their warranty. That rod breaks for any reason and for $75 or $100 you get a brand new rod shipped to you.

I have caught so many bass by making the perfect cast right at the edge of the lily pads with senkos and historically a tube bait with a 1/16oz jighead. The lighter weight jighead provides a perfect spiral fall for a bass waiting under the pads for ambush. I really need to get back to fishing that way.

A little on the expensive side for a lipless bait but a Jackal TN 60 or 70 whichever the smaller size is. It casts like a missle.