zelmo

While I am on this topic I guess I should ask about the difference between the DX702C and the DX742C for chasing smallmouth in the river. I am hesitant to say it will be used for a specific application even though my current thought is for a 4” Kut Tail on a 1/8 oz spyder head. That will weigh about 6 grams. If that doesn’t work better than my current set up I will shift things around to find which bait I think works best with the Dobyns.

This model has, as far as I can tell, been unchanged since its debut in 2007. How does it stack up to the newer NRX+ and Zbones? I have a DX701C that I got about 10 years ago. I still use it often and find it a blast to fish with. I want another 2 power rod and instead of getting another G. Loomis or Kistler I thought about getting the DX702C, but I have never handled one. Edit: I found something that described the changes that have been made since the debut. I stand corrected.

I just looked at BPS and my order history. The last time I had bought their version of the cut tail was a year ago. I paid $2.15 a pack. They are now $2.99. I know that is only 84 cents but it works out to a 39% increase. Thank you Brandon.

A couple of years ago I had tried the BPS 4 1/2" Cut Tail. My normal size in Yamamoto is 4". I did catch fish with the BPS but the feel is different - they are "harder". That increased durability but I was afraid of getting good hook sets with it as I rig them on a spyder head with the hook point buried. I guess I need to start mixing those in when I get into a bite where I am going through a lot of them.

Originally I thought the shortages on the Yamamoto Kut Tail were just a supply and demand issue. Since they have disappeared on most sites I guess the rumor of them being discontinued was true. Luckily I have a few years supply. Maybe they will come back before I run out.

I guess that is my point. If you can see them scatter are they moving because they saw you or because of the spot-lock? I am not dismissing the spot-lock theory, just asking the question.

Define shallow water. I have heard that before but is there any hard evidence that it is true? I have fished the same spot using a regular anchor and Spot-Lock. Sometimes it is on fire and sometimes you can't buy a bite. I have experienced both situations with both anchoring methods.

Funny thing is I almost didn’t go because of that cold front. I won’t worry about them so much in the future.

I can't answer that as I only lipped them and didn't touch bodies.

We had some really nice weather with highs in the 70s and lows in the mid 50s. The water temperature had gotten up to 56. A cold front came through and dropped some rain. When it was over I headed to a local flow. When I launched at dawn the air temp was 35 and to my dismay the water temp had dropped to 44. I got to the first spot I wanted to fish, dropped the anchor in current, and tossed a tube to a shoreline eddy. Almost immediately I had a solid hit and when I set the hook it was obvious it was a very good fish. It took a bit to get it to the boat pulling it through the current and when I did it measured just shy of 20". I had left my scale on the other boat so I can only guess at weight. This fish was very fat and was easily over 5 lbs. I stayed anchored in that spot for over an hour and pulled in one pig after another. Of 15 fish from that spot only 2 were less than 18". I only moved 20 or 30 feet by letting out more anchor line. Eventually that bite stopped. I only got a few more for about 2 hours when I found them again mid-river downstream of a rock ledge. Once again they were pigs. I worked that area for the rest of the morning and early afternoon, moving around some on the TM and using spot lock, catching the whole time. When the bite slowed down I would pick up a different rod and bait and started getting bit again. When I left I felt I had one of my best days ever. The total number was the highest ever because of the two hours that were sparse, but I had about 40 BIG fish. I thought in the winter and early spring the fishing was best after a warming trend, not post cold front. I have been back to that spot twice since with the water temperature on the rise (it is now back to 57) and have mostly caught 14" males. I am confused. What the heck was going on?

So you know what I am talking about on the Susquehanna. On a related subject it amazes me that guys keep catching them in the community hole over the winter even as many boats are constantly roaming over the area.

If I am catching fish in an area and get hung up while using a soft plastic with or without a jig head I will just break off. My attitude changes as the price tag on the lure goes up. If it is and expensive lure I am probably going to go after it and not worry about the fish. How skittish are SM to going through a relatively shallow area on the TM? If they scatter how long before they return and are willing to bite?

I understand that dead sticking is a good presentation, but why would those fish be barely hooked when the others inhaled the bait?

I was catching smallmouth in 51d water using jigs and tubes. I didn't get anything on reaction baits, although I did have a violent hit while trying to dislodge a snag as I described in another thread. The bite was very distinctive and the hook was well in their mouth. I had one rod rigged with a 3.5" tube and another with a teaser tube. On two casts with the small tube I had a slight overrun. I cleared it by just stripping line off the reel. One both of those casts when I took up the slack I had a fish on. Here is what is strange - the other bites I had (even on the teaser tube) they had inhaled the bait. On both of these fish they were barely hooked on the edge of the lip. Was there something about the tube drifting along that caused the fish to just nip at it?

Mods - feel free to move this thread if you are inclined. I started it here thinking it would be a discussion of aggressive smallmouth. It hasn’t played out that way.

I just remembered another incident that I had. A few years ago I was fishing for big largemouth in the Everglades with a guide. I was tossing a jig with an extra heavy rod. Most of my fishing is chasing smallmouth with light gear, so I wasn’t ready for what happened next. The guide had told me to set the hook if I felt anything. One one retrieve I felt some resistance so I did a big swing hookset. The problem was that the jig was in a log and not a fish. The XH rod didn’t give an inch while my arms kept moving. The result was a combo in the water. A fast reaction by the guide got it back in the boat, but I sure felt like an idiot.

Of course it was!

I was reading an article once that mentioned a guy who lost a watch on the river. Two years latter he was in the same spot when the water was low and clear when he saw a flash. Amazingly it was his watch. I guess the moral of these stories is don't put yourself at risk. Go back when conditions are more conducive to searching. Funny thing is that I wasn't getting hit on reaction baits. I had one follower with a shad rap and jerkbaits didn't produce a strike. I guess my snag was right in front of this fish and I annoyed it into the bite.

I was out recently and got into some really nice smallmouth stacked up. I was catching them on jigs and tubes. Although the area had rock I wasn't getting hung up much at all. On one cast I did snag and it wasn't coming off. As I was trying to shake it loose a big momma hit it so hard it almost took the rod out of my hand. It only measured 18" but it felt like a citation fish. This rig was a Steez CT SV on a NRX+. If it had gone in the water I would have been tempted to go after it since I was anchored in 3' even though the water temp was 51. Key wording is tempted, I really don't think I would have. Has anyone had success going after a combo that went in the water? I accidently kicked one off the deck once and it floated enough for me to grab it, but an angry smallmouth on the line would have made things very different.

Instead of the power pole some guys on my river use the Torqeedo.

3" or 4"?

Can someone tell me what size o-rings come standard with the tool, and what the correct size is for 4' and 5" Senkos?

I started looking for a replacement several years ago and the closest I came up with is the Pepper Custom Baits Micro Jig. The head is not concave but the profile is close. I guess what is important is that I seem to catch just as many fish on them.

Thanks. For some reason I was thinking it was Buckeye but if that is accurate it has been discontinued.

About 15 years ago I got some of these jigs but the packaging is long gone. I don't remember the brand. It is small - maybe 1/8 oz and the head design slows down the fall. Anybody have a clue to the brand? I only have one left and would like to get more.