MassYak85

Yes you are right in that there are elastic and plastic deformations for the Nylon line. Minimal amounts of stretching under normal use should not change the line much. Under normal use and stretching the polymer chains can stretch and then go back to their original state (elastic region). When you stretch the line near it's "yield" point however the polymer chains will begin to undergo plastic deformation which is a permanent change. This is when the line will become thinner as the polymer chains align (sometimes called strain crystallization), but this is when you would see appreciable gains in line strength and a permanent reduction in how much the line can stretch with further use.

Sorry I got to nerd out a little bit here... Since mono is just extruded plastic you actually get an interesting material property when you stretch it. It does thin (neck down), but the process of doing so aligns the polymer chains in the direction of stretching and it becomes stronger. But you are changing the properties of the original line. The stretched line won't have as much stretch and will be thinner. I would think it would theoretically reduce line memory as well. But you now sacrifice some impact resistance because of the reduced stretch. It's why braid is the way it is. Braid is just a weave of very thin strands that have been extruded in a way that orients the polymer chains down the length of the line. Which gives it it's crazy strength for it's diameter but again you sacrifice impact resistance because the polymer chains can't stretch anymore when loaded suddenly (think backlash). All that said I probably wouldn't stretch mono. I'd just buy different line to get the properties you want. Try KVD line and lure like others said if you want to improve line memory. But if you want to do a little science experiment and test it out for us with some cheaper mono go for it.

It absolutely goes over.

Idk I've snapped 65lb backlashing a flipping weight. It really doesn't take much if the backlash is bad enough. Granted if you are doing more of a lob cast it really shouldn't break. It's when you're trying to really get distance out of your cast I find it's an issue.

I use a Daiwa Tatula 7'2 MH "Regular" (basically a mod-fast) for them. It's still a fairly fast rod but loads up well when you hook a fish.

I think they're sold out at the moment but F5 custom rods sells a 3 piece travel series.

Welcome to the forum! Lipless baits are always a solid choice this time of year.

This this this. The cut and dry solution unfortunately is just "don't backlash".

Okay that's your culprit right there. You could use 100lb braid and still face that issue. The Deeper weighs about 2 1/2 ounces if I recall correctly and ideally should be thrown on a light swimbait rod but if you're throwing it on conventional gear you gotta take it really easy on your casts. It's gotta be a very gentle cast or you'll overload your rod and the cast won't be smooth and might cause more backlashes. Make sure to set the brakes on your reel too.

Did you backlash? 65lb braid is strong stuff but with no shock resistance a sudden stop can still break it. And definitely check for any wear.

Couldn't exactly fish my new dobyns rods without reels soooooo

uh yea...that's why I started stocking up years ago. I knew this would happen

I thought I saw that all scheduled events for lakes were closed? I know the ramps are open but I thought they weren't allowing in person tournaments?

Online tournament I assume? I'm gonna try and get out up here in my Yak in VT, although surprisingly we're supposed to get less snow. Although I would LOVE to catch bass with snow on the trees.

Hopefully the new Tranx 700 and Dobyns 1409 swimbait rod comes out in time so we have something to fish it on!

That and the baby deer 67 ounce swimbait!

Heck maybe the reason it worked is a heavier football head allows LESS motion, could be good in the colder months.

It's definitely not something many people do but it's not that far off from the damiki rig that made some noise a couple years ago. If I was gonna fish a fluke on the bottom personally I'd want a lighter weight ball jig head or if you wanted you could do a football swinging head to allow it to move more freely but still maintain the benefits of the football jig.

A lot of those T-rig baits and jigs can also mimic bluegill fairly well. And tbh sometimes I don't think it matters if it looks alive and the bass are willing to eat. Pretty much every pond should have crawfish though, they like to hand around rocky areas if the pond has any.

Yea it's no joke. I've got a few baits that max out what my Fury 795 is capable of so I figured I'd step up.

Personally I like to have a natural "clear" baitfish color for clearer water, a bolder silver/chrome, and a more vibrant perch or bluegill one.

867HSB for swimbaits, 764CB RM for cranks, and 744C for Carolina Rigs and deeper jig fishing. Gonna throw a couple Fuego CT's on the 764 and 744 and I splurged on a Tranx for the 867.

I've had some luck ding this with some of the 10" Uptons worms too.

I don't think the bait monkey has ever gotten me this bad...I blame Gary Dobyns for having such an insane sale. Reels are on their way for them.

I'd check three things... The rod - What is the specs? If it's a rod with too much flex you will have trouble exposing the hook on the hookset. The drag - You're using 12lb line, you can pull harder than you'd think, tighten the drag a bit. The hook - I like a light wire 2/0 EWG for 5" stick baits on spinning gear. A normal offset round bend might not have enough of a gap to collapse the bait and expose the hook point.