JFlynn97

I can't find much information so I figured I'd ask here. I have a duckett micro magic pro cranking rod (the 7' medium/moderate model), and I'm thinking of picking up a whopper plopper 75 or 90 to throw on it. But, I can't find anything about the weight of baits I can throw on it. Do you guys think I'd be able to use a whopper plopper without risking breaking my rod? I already figured the 110 and 130 are out of the question because of how big they are, but I'd love to give em a shot!

I have an ALX Zolo deputy that I plan to pair with a Daiwa fuego ct 7.3:1 to use for jigs and Texas rigs. What kind of line do you think I should spool up on this combo? I was thinking maybe 30lb braid or maybe like 15lb fluorocarbon. I fish practically strictly from the bank, smaller ponds and lakes with decent amounts of scattered vegetation and other structure like rocks, laydowns, occasionally docks, etc. I've been a long time proponent of braid for its great sensitivity and little stretch, but I'm also interested in trying fluoro because it sinks which seems like it would be beneficial for fishing jigs and Texas rigs. How does the sensitivity and line stretch of braid compare to fluoro? Any and all tips would be greatly appreciated!

Just came across this video while on facebook, and found them on tackle warehouse too, and I've gotta say I'm definitely interested. It looks super unique and promising, I definitely think I'll pick up a couple when they go on sale. Have any of you heard of them before? What do y'all think?

Looking to pick up a casting rod to use for jigs and texas rigs, and the Ikos is well within my budget and I've heard great things. But I've also heard great things about the Zolo which is a little bit more than what I wanted to pay, but if it's noticeably better (more sensitive, better construction, etc.), I'd be willing to stretch my budget a bit. Or if anyone else has other suggestions in that price range that are better than picking up an ALX, I'd love to hear it! Thanks!

Thanks! Anyone else have opinions on these rods? For 37% off it seems like an absolute steal

Which Zolo do you think? I've looked at the deputy and the toadface and I can't decide which would be better for all-around jig use. I was also looking at the dragger because on tackle warehouse it's description basically says it's made for jigs, but I also think it might be overkill because I won't really be throwing anything super heavy.

Thanks! As it stands right now, I'm having trouble deciding between the Ikos (either promise 73 or hammer 73) and a Dobyns Sierra 743. Do you think the Ikos is a better choice?

Anywhere from 1/4-1 oz if I had to guess. I have no intention of using it for flipping/pitching into super heavy weeds or cover or using giant weights.

I'm looking for a rod to use for bottom contact baits such as jigs and texas rigs. Good rod sensitivity is an absolute must! I'm not super confident in bottom baits so I feel like having a sensitive rod will absolutely help. And I'm searching in the $150-200 price range. What do you guys think?

That's actually genius! I have a big 'ol spool of 12lb monofilament, do you think that'll work as "backer"?

I have a spool of 30lb power pro braid that I put onto a Daiwa Fuego CT, and there's still line on it though I can't exactly tell how much. I brought it to Cabelas and it was spooled practically to capacity. Do you think there is enough left to decently fill an Abu Garcia silver max?

I am far from a professional, but from what I've experienced and what I've read, people generally go with a higher speed reel (7.1:1 or higher), that way you can pull the fish out of cover quickly, flip and pitch more efficiently, and generally get the fish to the boat/bank as fast as possible. As for rods, personally I prefer a heavy over a medium-heavy, as the extra backbone really helps to get the hook penetrated. Go with at least a 7', maybe up to 7'6" if you're fishing super heavy structure. My all-around jig rod is a 7'3" heavy/fast paired with an 8.1:1 reel. For line you can't really go wrong with braid or fluorocarbon. Braid doesn't stretch and has great sensitivity; fluorocarbon doesn't have much stretch, has abrasion resistance if you're fishing a rocky or woody area, and it sinks which can help maintain contact with your jig. Just don't use monofilament because it'll stretch too much when you try to set the hook. I use 30lb powerpro braid for almost all of my jig fishing because I've had great experiences with it: unmatched strength, strong enough to work through vegetation and I've never had problems with frayed line after fishing rocks, laydowns, or any other kind of structure. PLUS I love the sensitivity that braid offers. If I'm fishing very clear water I'll tie on a 12-15lb fluorocarbon leader, but honestly that doesn't happen very often in my area. Good luck!

Do you guys think I'll still find success if I use a texas rigged craw in a pond that doesn't have crawfish? Or, what other soft plastics do you recommend for texas rigs that can work in generally any body of water? I really want to get better at fishing them, so any tips or advice is appreciated!

I've had good experiences with the siebert outdoors dredge dock rocker jig, fished it in rocks, weeds, pitching/flipping docks and cover, definitely worth checking out

Recently got a Duckett micro magic cranking rod and I am ordering a Daiwa Fuego CT 6.3:1 to pair up with it. I plan on using the rod practically only for crankbaits (though also maybe other treble-hook baits like jerkbaits, topwater walking baits and poppers, etc. if you guys think the rod will work for that), what kind of line do you recommend? I was thinking 12-15lb monofilament because that's what I always hear people recommend for cranks, but I'd love a bit of input. Thanks!

Recently I've been going out fishing much more often than I usually do. Pretty much whenever I have time, whether it be before work, after work, or going out for a bit in the evening before ending the day, I'm on the water as much as I can be. And I've gotta say, I'm really enjoying seeing myself become a better angler! I've gone out probably 7 or 8 times in the past week and haven't gotten skunked, generally catch more fish per outing than I usually would, and I'm getting better at catching fish on techniques I'm not as confident in! Just today on my way home from work I stopped at a local and incredibly pressured pond, tied on a texas rigged yum thumpin dinger (I've always been super unconfident in soft plastics and bottom baits), and was able to land two fish within the 30-45 minutes that I was there! People on this website repeatedly say that the best way to get better at fishing is to actually go fish, and I can finally vouch for that! No matter how many videos I watched, how many articles I've read, or how much time I've spent on this forum, all of which can be incredibly helpful, what helped the most was actually going out and getting real-life experience.

I found someone who is selling a like-new Duckett Micro Magic Pro 7' cranking rod for $75, do you guys think this is something I should jump on? So far I have a 7'3" heavy/fast rod I use for jigs, a 7' medium-heavy/fast I use as an all-around rod (spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, topwaters, etc.), and a 6'9" medium-light/fast spinning rod for finesse applications. I've been considering picking up a cranking rod some time soon anyway, what do you guys think of these rods? Also if I do, any suggestions for what reel I should put on it? Probably not much more than what I'd be paying for the rod. Thanks!

For jigs and texas rigs I have a Dobyns Fury 7'3" heavy/fast, paired with a daiwa fuego casting 8.1:1 with 30lb braid. For more finesse baits like worms, senkos, etc., I have a Dobyns Sierra 6'9" medium-light/fast, paired with a daiwa rg-ab spinning reel 5.6:1 with 8lb braid.

@th365thli @Bass Turd thanks a ton for the tips! They definitely help, hopefully I'll be able to apply them and get on some fish this weekend

Anything from texas rigged worms/craws/creatures/etc to jigs to ned rigs to pretty much every bottom bait, how much line do you keep out when you're fishing them? I feel like I don't know this well enough and it causes me to miss fish. Typically I have a bit of line that's mostly slack and sitting on the surface of the water that I keep my eyes on to see if it jumps or twitches or anything that could indicate a bite (maybe between half a foot and a foot?). Should I be leaving less slack in the line? I'm worried that I'm missing bites because I can't feel as well with the bit of slack in my line, but if I have my line totally tight to the point that I can feel the weight my lure without actually moving it I'm worried that it makes it look unnatural to the fish or I might set the hook too early. These are absolutely not a confidence bait for me, but I vowed to always have some sort of a bottom bait tied on at all times this year until I'm confident in them, so any and all tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Just curious what people think.

Lately almost all of the bass I catch seem to have sharper teeth than I'm used to feeling, after just a couple of fish my thumb is torn up and red and sore. Does anyone know why this is?

Is keeping your gear in your car for extended periods of time during the spring/summer a bad idea? The inside of my car gets pretty hot and I want to keep at least a couple rods and some tackle on me so whenever I have some free time I won't have to go home and pick stuff up, but I don't know if the heat risks damaging anything. Thanks!

I bought a finesse set up recently, a Dobyns Seirra 6'9" medium-light/fast, paired up with a 5.6:1 daiwa rg with 8lb braid. Think it'll work for texas rigging a trick worm or fishing a shaky head?

I turn the frog upside down so the legs are hanging down with the frog, and trim them so that they're roughly the same length as the body. I notice with longer legs I end up getting short strikes so trimming them down a bit helps