HawkeyeSmallie

Oh I know I do, I just haven’t yet. Threw the 3XD last week or so and enjoyed it. Want to keep throwing it and deeper. I can get one of those Dobyns right now to my door for around $230. That ain’t bad and a hell of a lot cheaper than my last rod purchases.

Yeah I’m definitely looking at the Champion XP series. Eyes on the 804CB currently. Also the 805CB. Looks like the only difference is medium vs med hvy.

I’m sorta leaning towards Dobyns right now. That or the Loomis IMX crankbait rods. If possible, I’m hoping to get something to throw 3XD’s up to 6XD’ds. I should have something for shallower water and if I get in the real deep stuff I’m sure that’s going to be a whole different setup.

7 hours 41 minutes. Distance to Lake St Clair. Tops on my bucket list.

Dang, bro even has three hands, no wonder he out fished you!!!!

Yeah it looks like the real deal in the water. Just isn’t very durable. I went through almost a whole pack one evening.

What are your thoughts/experiences of fishing before, during, and after rain? I remember one time my son and I were fishing and a storm was coming in. The bluegills starting hitting like crazy. It was years ago but it was a great memory with him. It seems like many wildlife get a little frisky before a storm comes in. Can’t say I’ve ever fished during a decent rain however. Not sure if I’ve really fished afterwards either. I do remember reading a book decades ago and the author mentioned the fish might be a little “scared” after a major thunderstorm. What are your thoughts and experiences? THANKS!

Huge rule in my house. No rods get touched unless all ceiling fans are OFF.

The drag was locked down which I’ve since adjusted. It broke between the fish and the tip. Half way maybe. I keep reliving it. I’ve caught some pretty decent fish with this rod, never has it bent like this. I’m just hoping she threw the jig and I’ll get another crack at her.

Anyone use silent cranks? If so, when do use the silent vs the rattle? Clear water? Highly pressured?

This was what I did last year. At least for me, it worked good until the worm broke into two pieces. Having the two rings sliced it in half after so long. What’s crazy is that I haven’t even thrown a wacky worm this year after I got into Neko rigs. With a kayak and limited rod capacity, I just don’t have both rigged up. Maybe I should. Idk.

I love fishing as well as hunting. Here in Iowa we have lots of big deer. Sitting in a tree stand in November is one of the most peaceful things I’ve ever done. You’ll never find something more where you are “one with nature”. With that said, it’s been 10 years since I’ve hunted. Work and a bad shoulder is t a good combo. I need to get back at it or sell all my gear. The problem is fishing is also great in late fall.

I don’t have many, but the most recent purchases have been the Strike King XD models.

^^^^^^^^ All I can go off is from other people’s experiences. Some say it doesn’t matter much but some will say they’ve seen a difference. I lean towards the later I guess.

Cranking? What’s some of your go-to’s? Thank you sir!

I ordered 30 lb 832 and also adjusted my drag. I could have upped it to 40 lb but I’d hate to lose some bites due to the fish seeing the line. Line and more swim jigs/trailers arriving Monday. Planning on doing a lot of night fishing here in this heat. PB here we come.

Well regardless of what happened the other night. I’m now determined to adjust all of my drags. Thoughts on this method? Seems a little simpler. Thanks! https://youtu.be/Cx-f_H4tPHo?si=exq6NKHLJLXhnS6y

Good question. It’s almost been a week so it’s hard to replay what happened. I can’t rule it out, but at the time it sure seemed like the line broke above the knot. The knot of choice was the Palomar. If there’s a better for braid I’m willing to make a change. As for the reel, I agree. It’s been on the replacement list since the season started.

OK which one of you turds was just on Tackle Warehouse??????? LOL Had the last one in my cart and someone just snagged it.

Well darn, I'm pretty sure this reel is locked down as much as possible. I doubt the drag even works very well. It's like a 20 year old Pinnacle that is on it's way out. Very first baitcaster I ever purchased. I've been thinking about replacing it.

Knot was fine. Abrasive cover? Mostly just weeds. But I snap my rod a good bit trying to get reaction strikes. Drag set properly? Well, that's a great question. I can tell you with almost 100% certainty that zero line was pulled out when the fish ran. I fought him for a good 15 seconds before he turned tail and swam away from my kayak, that's when the line broke. Do I need to let out line though if say I'm using 20 lb line with a 5 lb fish on the other end? BTW, just typing this up makes me think about that night. UGH. A 5 lber to me is BIG.

Have one in my shopping cart at the moment. Just trying to figure out what else to get to make the $50 for free shipping. LOL

So after losing what I'm almost positive was my PB the other night, I'm switching out my line on my rod that I'm fishing swim jigs with. I'm not exactly sure the brand/type that was on it, but I know it was 20 lb braid. I'm either going to 30lb or 40lb. My main question is do I go with the 4 or 8 strand? From some quick Google searching, it looks like the 4 might cut through weeds better but 8 might cast better and is quieter. Does this sound correct? I've been throwing them in and around weeds and ripping them out with good success. So if the above is true, it sounds like 4 might be the best. However, when it says the 4 is nosier, is it going to make a more noise underwater when I'm snapping it? I'm not too worried about casting distance, I can chuck a 3/8 jig with a 4" trailer pretty far. Just a little confused. I wish I knew what line (# of strands) I have currently on it. Not sure if you can look and tell. Thoughts? Thanks!

Yeah it took about 1 second of watching the underwater video you posted to have me hooked. So glad I found this old post. Thanks again!

@softwateronly What jig are you fishing with? I found a 1/2 oz football jig but the hook size is only 3/0. Seems small with what everyone is saying. Thanks!