HookRz

Some one mentioned Smallmouth tear up small swimbaits quick, and they weren't kidding. The small creeks I wade are often good for 15-25 fish per hour on a good day. I've gone through $20 worth of keitechs and switched to something else after a few hours. Now I use Zman Slim Swimz made from elastech. Usually I lose one to a snag before it needs replaced. Amazing stuff.

I used to love Maxima 3# for panfish finesse before braid replaced everything on all my spinning reels. Handled well, thin as many 2# lines, and broke closer to 6. Great stuff. Great ice fishing line for those that suffer the affliction.

Less memory than any copoly Ive used, strong as CXX.

Gamma Polyflex!

Don't forget a big part of that price goes to promote the pro that promotes the baits to people that buy them!

Forget the dropshot, drop a Ned on their head!

I've always thought the physics of jig fishing is important to understand. That is how line diameter and type, jig weight, skirt/dressing or not, trailer type, distance of cast, affect fall rates. Add speed of retrieve when swimming a jig. Vital stuff to understand and applicable to everything from flipping and pitching to swimming a crappie jig. Ive always found the right fall rate, swimming speed and depth control to be far more important than things we obsess over like color.

You know your old and dumb when you owned most of the tackle mentioned here but didn't save it.

The plopper is a good tool to have in the box, but not magic. Great for pulling fish up from the deep. And the little 90 is a killer river Smallie bait. But replace the buzzbait? Sorry, but not so in my opinion. The thing catches weeds you never knew were there!

If you want numbers, finesse tubes, Ned's. All seasons.

About one second ago....

I wish I had a 10# in one of the ponds near my house! But here up north that's highly unlikely. I think big baits with a stealthy presentation, and eventually that big momma is yours! I would definitely stick to big baits because you don't want to cause a ruckus reeling in dinks. Be sure to post a pic and good luck!

It seems to me every fishing magazine and TV show are selling something. That includes the tour magazines. They just sell you on the pros that in turn perform their basic function. And that is to sell you stuff. l agree for real fishing info Fishing Facts and the old In-Fisherman were as good as it got. But in some ways I miss the big three of yesteryear even more. Field & Steam, Outdoor Life, and Sports Afield. Real writers like Gene Hill, Ted Trueblood, Jason Lucas, EdZern, Lefty Kreh, etc. Not really educational as much as entertaining. Their true love of the outdoors always shone through, and they made that love contagious. Outdoor writing is a dead art.

gamma copoly 17#

I ordinarily connect the mainline to heavy leaders with a swivel.

Wire works, but consider a short lead of heavy flouro leader material. The good hard stuff in 50-80# test. The only reason I say this is I've used wire a lot on one particular lake near my home where it seems Muskie love jigs, and the bass run large. I've had the wire saw clean through a basses jaw by the time I hauled her out of the slop. Probably doesn't matter with hard baits, only those baits bass inhale deeply. Just my humble opinion.

Yes.

Without actually being there my best guess might be bubbles coming up from a soft bottom. This happens a lot on my lakes when water levels go down and the pressure from the water lowers enough that gas in the muck is released. Just like the "bubble trail" you see when crawling a deep diving crank over a mud flat.

Life is short. No one can make a case that fishing with garbage tackle is just as effective anymore than than making the claim that you need enthusiast level tackle to catch fish. That said, fishing with good tackle is a joy, and most of us fish to have fun rather than experience frustration. Other than the tourny guys....lol. They are in it for money or recognition.

To me, the original floater in sizes 5 to 11 is the still the best finesse topwater lure ever made.

On ultralights I use 1000 size Ci4 Shimanos. For lights the Stradic Fk gets the nod. Same size reel, different weights to balance the rod. I use 2 pound on both at times. Never use 500 sizes any more. The spool is too small for good line management, and the retrieve measured in investors per turn of the handle is too slow. Different rods, different balance points, so results may vary. But for what it's worth that's my general rule. Your mileage may vary.

I'm a "good enough" rod type of guy that likes XF for most of the presentations I use regularly. I prefer Loomis IMX in casting and St. Croix AvidX in spinning. Both are made in the USA, that seals the deal.

I would say if anything the ES6 compares more to the new SCIII Mojo. The Bass X is Just the Premier dressed up to look like a "cool pro rod". Not that the Pemier is a bad rod.

Of course, the "Ned". But you can add 2 3/4 inch tubes, both hair and marabou jigs, and a few other plastic critters on 1/32nd and 1/16th oz heads, midwest Finesse style. Zoom Finesse worms on spider sliders too, on slightly heavier spinning rod. The only topwater to make the no-skunk list is probably a buzzbait at night. That's probably because I love to fish topwater plugs and use them when I shouldn't.

My personal definition isn't based on the type of head or the bait as much as the light weight and "no feel" presentation. Like I've said a few times what most call a Ned Rig is just a short jigworm on a mushroom head. Fantastic bait, and very productive, but not true Midwest Finesse IMHO.