Joshua Vandamm

Yea true. I ended up with a 795. It’s a bit light for bigger baits still. Like over 4oz is no fun. ....he’s on a budget tho. ?‍♂️ Thinking outside box, a short heavy jigging pole for big spoons etc I’ve heard people say the like for big Swimbaits actually. It makes sense. Long handle and shorter provides more power to horse them back and hook sets are just reel and pull anyways. https://m.dickssportinggoods.com/p/shakespeare-ugly-stik-tiger-elite-jigging-casting-rod-16sksuglytgrjg501rod/16sksuglytgrjg501rod

Anyone else make their own chatterbaits with shakee blades and jigs and/or spinnerbaits? ive discovered cheap spinnerbaits make amazing chatters. I Just cut the wire down to about an inch, put it straight through the blade and finish off with a 5x haywire twist. Jigs, I use a split ring. Slightly less effective but works fairly well still. Next I might try on 4” storm wild eyes...

Yea. Happened to me one of the 5 times I used it. That was the last time. I’m very disappointed with these reels. Tatula SV backlash less and cost less.

It doesn’t. Lol if light was ALWAYS better there’d be no debate. Now, line size choice for moving baits is all about the depth. You can run a trap in 20lb mono to keep it up high in thick grass or shallow flats. The way your looking at line... don’t. LOL

2x. Best under rod 100 for this purpose imo

Nice. Thanks. Some knots are great with big diameter hook eyes etc. but terrible with thin wires like snaps. I also wonder if it (AG) might be too heavy for jerbaits. Is that something you’ve experienced?

How does this perform on small diameter snaps? ...that’s one thing worth the time for sure, If one likes snaps.

Hade mental breakdown, bought an Aldebaran mgl50... at full price. No regrets ?

This was my favorite rod tatula ever made. I was tossing big topwater spooks with it and it handles great. The rating is silly. 1/32-1... smh ⅛-¾ is what it should say. But still great rod for all purposes almost. But last week the tip guide just fell off?. They replaced it with the wrong model. I’m ticked about it right now but hopefully they’ll correct it. That guide always did look “iffy”. Great Ned. Great anything under 1oz and doesn’t dive too deep.

For jerkbaiting, im Considering getting either a curado 70 or Revo MGX. The MGX is normally 370 but on sale for 220. I like them both but the MGX is extremely light (5.4 oz) and small. Does anyone one reading this own an MGX? I know people will just say Shimano because it’s shimano but im hoping for actual insight. LOL thanks!

Otters do tail slap. They do it as a warning. And to signal others family of danger. I’ve seen them on documentaries doing it. They’re louder than beavers even.

Lines a different story for sure. Braid and mono absorb water...

Reciprocity is only for the Potomac. Lots of good fishing in VA tho.... LOL. Bump maybe. I’ve concluded that this just isn’t CA. Big Swimbaits are for 9+ lb bass and I’m not that patient.

Just wanted to pipe in on this. I’ve used both the casting 7’ mh and spinning 7”m heavily for two year now, and they are without question the best rods I’ve ever tested out. Particularly the caster. It’s senstivity IS bar none and it is stout. Very strong it vast lures 3x the rod rating with easy. Its so sensitive i can feel bites on slack line.

??

I’ve seen a few rods break in the cold (15-25F) but don’t know which ones are in the most danger. would higher ton carbon be less or more likely to fracture in extreme cold? Glass better? What about graphene/g-rods?

This is true. I’ve seen a few people break rods in 20F. I’d like to know what kind of rods are good/bad in cold. Glass probably better than graphite but idk

Stripped bass X White Bass = wipers (hybrid stripers). They are F1 sterile...cannot reproduce. I’ve seen one caught in a golf course pond in MD. Someone obvious stocked it there.

Ever just toss on storm wild eye swimbaits? I’ve just got a ton of them I never use.

BGs are the original extra rugged oversized gear in light tackle reels. Original and still the best. Its a little heavier because it’s a real “fine tuned” machine that’ll last forever. Worth every gram. Best all around spinning for the money.

Get a daiwa BG2500. You don’t need any particular reel for dropshoting. You just need a good reel with smooth drag. The BG is all that and a lot more.

In cold water? That’s not too much action? I second that those swing impacts have serious thump. What heads do like with them? kalins seismic grubs have serious thump. That’s be my top choice most times

Faster retrieve? Its 6:0:1 30 IPT. totally standard. What stands out about the Okuma RTX is the drag... 6KG = 13.2Lb. That’s rather good for a light spinning reel and although I havent used the Okuma I’ve found that a higher drag typically also means a smoother one. On that I may be over-genetalizing...just in my own experience.

Nice one from shore! Which pier is that at?

Yea. And the way I see it honestly if you put a bullet in one the rest aren’t sticking around. If they do and 10 Rds doesn’t do the trick your probably done regardless. Thanks for the insight. I got the farmers for versatility... range of temps with the 2nd layer a long sleeve nrs sport so Id be good from 50-65F, was my thinking. In Maryland the temp spans the whole gambit most years. Not a good choice in your opinion?