mheichelbech

I am looking at getting a rod custom built for me to mostly skip but also pitch jigs and worms with...typically using 3/8 oz and not heavier than a 1/2 half oz. I want a rod that fits me. I am 5’7”. Would I be better off with a casting type rod blank or something heavier/thicker like a pitching rod blank?

Been looking at used boats and I see that a lot of boats, especially 2000 and older, have had rebuilt or rebuilt powerheads, etc. is there any hiearchy of concern with avoiding? Should I just avoid altogether, anything rebuilt? Anyway I can easily tell that an engine may be getting close to needing to be rebuilty? Sometimes I wonder if a rebuilt motor on an older engine wouldn't be better than one that has never had that....but I also wonder if it needed rebuilding due to abuse or neglect. My brother has a 1990s model Astro with a Yama 150 and he has never done anything major to it but he is meticulous about maintenance and always stored it inside. What about rebuilt fuel systems?

Don’t let what you paid for something mess with your mind. I used to do that thinking if I didn’t pay at least $150 for a rod it wasn’t any good. I now use a 25 year old All Star rod quite a bit because I like how it fishes for me. I have a Chronarch MG on it. IMHO, high end rods are priced way more than the extra value that they bring. I have had Loomis IMX, GLX and NRX rods and I can for sure say the NRX did not catch more fish than the IMX and the IMX has not caught more than my old All Star. Maybe having a higher priced rod gives you more confidence to start with but that dissipates pretty quickly on a cold windy day when the fish aren’t biting! If you are going to spend, do it on custom made rods that fit you, even if they aren’t the highest priced blanks.

Your mention of having a blowout reminds of a time a friend and I had a blowout with his trailer (single axle), on I-65, a major interstate. Even with a state trooper behind us with his lights on it was crazy the number of drivers who didn’t move over to the left lane...I felt like it was flat out dangerous changing the tire in that situation. If you did have a blowout with a tandem axle, would you still be able to continue driving or have to stop and remove the wheel? Or I guess it depends on the situation and whether the tire is dragging?? Hope that doesn’t sound stupid but I wasn’t sure if there would be some mechanical reason for having to remove the wheel if it wasn’t dragging the pavement.

I have had good results skipping that hula grub into the 12-18 inch gaps of the foam and metal framed docks. It takes a lot of practice to be able to hit the open space instead of the dock...always nice to get into a rhythm with it. Something about those spaces that works really well.

Are you always using ex-fast rod? On my baitcaster im doing heavier baits, dions classic spider grub on 3/16-5/16 jig head, or just a regular jig. Rod length is a great consideration, I’m only 5’7”.

I think I agree. I know one time I only had my light spinnerbait rod rated to eithe 1/4 or 5/16 and was throwing 1/2 oz spinnerbaits, and I didn’t like it at all. On the other hand, I have pitched 1/8 oz baits in my pitching rod rated up to 1/2 oz and it didn’t really bother me too much. The other thing on the spinnerbait deal, it actually felt like the lure was too much for the reel as well...chronarch 50mg, maybe it was all the rod, either way, I didn’t like it. And I didn’t like what it was doing to the rod.

What would your ideal setup to skip with a baitcaster?

On the, it came that way from the manufacturer, I have seen several guys have to buy another trailer for various reason. I think some guys will buy the cheapest thing they can get away with if they think they are going to sell anytime soon. So my concern about a boat potentially being too long or heavy for a single axle trailer comes from having seen that. It’s a very small percentage of boats/trailers like that I’m sure. Hi

I can empathize with you! It has been difficult to express what I was thinking which is often true with a lot of my thoughts...especially the ones I shouldn’t be expressing to anyone!

What is the longest bass boat that you would have on a single axle trailer? I had a friend who said he’d only ever have double axle trailers...are they really that much better? Why is that? Are double axle trailers twice the maintenance cost or do parts like axles and hubs last longer due to the load being spread out? When looking at a used boat, how can you assess the health of the trailer?

Oh yea...I have all the baitcasting rods...Flipping stick, pitching rod, crankbait rod (2 - 1 for big crankbaits and 1 for smaller shallow crankbaits), 2 spinnerbait rods (heavy and light), a carolina rig rod, a worm rod and a dedicated outfit for skipping. I even have a custom made 14 foot Lamiglass "cane pole" I use for winter jigging when my line ices up. I just have never used spinning rods much and wanting to do so just for something different. This has opened up a whole new line of research for me!

I am having a hard time wording my question correctly. What I was curious to know is...I am looking at buying a new spinning rod. This will be an "all around" rod for me from a type of fishing standpoint. I don't use a spinning rod that much. I plan to use it for dropshotting, skipping tubes/floating worms, smaller baits like a ned rig type deal, etc. So I what I don't know is, would I be better off buying a rod where the specs are 1/16-1/4 oz knowing it may be a bit light for some of the tubes I use, or a 1/8-1/2 oz knowing it may be a bit heavy/stiff for some of the really light baits I might use? Also, I plan to use braid with a leader in most instances...light braid of course. Is it easier to throw a bait that is lighter than the rod specs or is it easier to throw a bait that is heavier than the rod specs? Obviously I know if I go to extremes with lure weight one way or another, I will have issues...rod not loading up or not able to control the cast.

That is sad to hear about it. I always thought those old BB1Ns and NGs were cool looking reels. They were different than anything on the market. I remember talking to guys that would hook up drills to the handle somehow, to get it to spin a lot of revolutions to break them in. They clearly thought the more worn the reel was, the more sensitive it was for moving baits. Could be it was just a confidence deal..who knows.

If you were going to have a rod that you sometimes throw lure weight outside the spec range is it better to be able to use lures heavier or lighter than the spec range? For example of the rod range was 1/4 oz to 5/8 oz, would lures that weigh an 1/8 oz work better than lures 3/4 oz or would it work better with a 3/4 oz lure? Does it matter whether it’s a spin rod vs casting in looking at this? Edit: wanted to clarify what I’m getting at...would you have more versatility in a rod that had heavier specs and sometimes using lures underweight for the rod or a rod that is lighter and using lures overweight for the rod?

I agree, always enjoy reading about the “inside” history on things like this. What is always surprising to me is how things are not made by who you think they are. Batteries and appliances pretty much all made by just a few companies from what I understand.

Yea, regarding the feel, I have no idea....I just know that fishing it this year, it does seem to be sensitive which is something I never associated with a reel. It is by far the oldest reel I have. It's the old "original" Chronarch, I think you can get them for about $70 on eBay now. Been a great reel, never had a bit of trouble out of it except for the level wind screw cracked and had to be replaced once.

Interesting, I never knew they were made by Ryobi. So Lew Childre never made the reels? I guess I was a bit off on my timeline, I think it was the early 2000's when they were so popular for crankbaiting, it was David Fritts I believe who helped make them so popular when he was burning it up on deep crankbaits. I was like you...using the Shimano Bantams. Wish I still had all those old reels...kind of like an old pair of Levis, not worth anything but fun to think about the old days with them.

I recall how popular the old Lews Speed Spool BB1NG reels were back in the 90s, especially for crankbaiting. A lot of anglers said it was more sensitive for feeling the hits, especially as the reels got some age on them and were "broken in". I feel like I am starting to get that extra level of sensitivity with an old Shimano Chronarch I have. The reel definitely has a lot of miles and fish on it. I noticed yesterday using it while throwing a Keitech paddle tail swim bait, the fish we biting super light after that killer cold front blew through Sunday night, it just seemed like I could feel the fish sucking it in through the reel. Has anyone else had experiences like this with older, broken in reels? Also, I am wondering how the old BB1NGs compare to the newer models. I've been thinking about getting one of the old models to throw crankbaits and/or chatter baits with.

Anybody have experience with the Temple Fork Outfitters Professional series of rods? Thinking of buying a spinning rod in that line. Looking at the PSS 662-1 model. It’s on Amazon for $68. I’m just leery as it seems to cheap for a Gary Loomis rod. Also, if anyone has a decent spinning rod to trade, I have a St.Croix Premier baitcast rod I’d like to move. Any input appreciated.

On smaller crankbaits like a Baby Minus 1, short shanks are a must. I’ve always preferred short shank on most of my crankbait a to prevent hook tangling or the front hook snagging the lip. My landing ratio has gone way up since switching to an ewg short shank like the Mustads or Gamakatsus.

Great answer! I have seen many times when a certain color of my baby minus ones outperformed and even shiny versus flat of the same colors makes a difference. I recall times when throwing the small Powercraw with orange pincers outperformed everything else. I caught more and bigger bass in the smaller 2-3 inch craw than the same bait in a 4 inch version.

I’ve done a similar thing. A buddy and I caught roughly 48 pounds with 6 fish in December with 38 degree water temp in 3-5 foot of water. Gotta follow the bait!

Thanks all. This is pretty much what I thought. I suppose if realism mattered so much those Mad Man Craws would have really taken off.

I have seen on FB, a lot of hand poured soft baits and hand painted crankbaits, many of which are truly works of art to look at. You also have the Savage Gear and Live Target baits...has anyone seen a difference in the fish they catch, either bigger or more, by using lures like this? I know some hand poured or painted baits may match the hatch better in a specific lake during a specific time of the year and things like that but otherwise, have you seen it make a difference when you go out? Does it make more of a difference in clear water? I know some hand crafted baits may perform better, for example, the craw pincers may float better and things like that. I've been tempted to buy one of the Live Target jerk baits that looks like a small school of fish but I keep thing, the water I fish, the bait is just not that visible most of the time and I feel like the action of the bait is more important than the appearance as long as you are using the generally correct color for the conditions.