Oklahoma Mike

I would use the 7'6" MHF. Whatever flipping stick you end up buying will likely have a fast action and will be that length or longer.

This has not been my experience at all. I fish them a ton on a 4/0 unweighted Owner twistlocks and never have problems with this. In fact I prefer to fish them this way when I can (i.e. can be in the mid to upper water column) because I think the action is much better unweighted. @KenP, are you sure that you are getting the hook in straight and in the slots when you are rigging? One of the reasons I like the twistlock is that it makes it very easy to rig up perfectly straight. Screw the cps into the center of nose and bring the hook right into the slot, making sure to come out in the slot on the opposite side.

I have not used that particular bait but it doesn't look like it really needs a trailer, as the spinner in this case is going to give it some action and the appearance of a larger profile bait.

Black/blue, black/yellow, black/purple, all typically with rattles and a blue-ish trailer.

I use the Owner shakey heads with the screw lock and have been using a Biospawn plasma tail with good success.

I still fish the Swing Impact Fats but my favorite has become the Jackall Rythm Wave. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Jackall_Rhythm_Wave_Swimbait/descpage-JRWS.html?from=basres

I just bought the Bass Mafia filler packs - three each of the hook coffins and three each weight coffins. I will just fill up one of each and throw those in my backpack when I'm bank fishing. No need to take up the space of a whole tackle box. This has saved me a ton of space in the pack.

Yep. I went into Bass Pro on Friday with the idea of buying a new rod and noticed the same. They had a bunch of mojos, a couple Avids, and two legend tournaments. I might have grabbed one of the LT's but they were not in the rod power I was after. The only Loomis rod they had was the E6X, and I would never spend my money on one of those. I was pretty disappointed. Cabelas carries some higher end rods - they even had a couple of NRX's when I was in there last week. Bass Pro just sucks. I have $200 in Bass Pro gift cards and can't even find anything on their website that I'd really like to spend it on.

If American made is of concern to you, I would suggest you check out Hammer rods. Sensitive and light, and the Winn grips are cool. They also offer a military discount if you are a veteran (or active enlisted). As far as Falcon, they are made in a nearby suburb to me but I do not currently own any of their rods. I've had a couple but just felt that there are better options at the same price point.

Hair jig. Chatterbait. Senko. Those would be my first options.

You know what I like about a buzzbait? EVERYTHING! You may want to try a Cavitron. And as mentioned above, probably a faster reel and get it moving just as it is hitting the water.

What kind of baits are you wanting to throw on this setup?

I hear there is some really good bass fishing if you just cross the border to the north

This, except I would want one of the old stainless steel ones Terminator used to make since it will need to last me a while.

For me it is likely going to be a spinnerbait. I'll also have some paddletail swimbaits and some senkos rigged and ready to go right behind it if for any reason the spinnerbait isn't working.

His comment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . your head

I tied on a Walmart spinnerbait to start the season last year because it was the only one I had in my bag of its color (black and yellow). I caught so many fish with it that I left it tied on for a couple weeks and didn't bother to throw anything else at all during that time. So yes, they absolutely catch fish, and yes, the components are sub-par and will likely degrade/wear out faster.

Nice try, bass club buddy!

I would recommend the AvidX or Hammer Rods All American Series.

I plan to nose hook them on a drop shot rig. I may also try fishing them on an 1/8 oz Owner ultraround finesse jig head.

Got it. Thank you for your response.

That Pompadour (and the Pompadour Jr.) are killer baits and have been getting more and more work in my lineup. Lots of commotion, can be paused, and they offer something slightly different from what the fish have seen before.

I probably throw a buzzbait as much or more than any other bait and have for decades. I have yet to find one I like more than the Cavitron. Reading above, that sentiment seems to be almost universal.

Tom, would you mind expanding on this a little please? Are you talking about bait color versus water clarity? Or do you mean integrating contrasting colors within the bait, such as a brown jig with a blue trailer, a jig with contrasting colors within the skirt, etc? Thanks in advance.