FishDewd

I prefer split grips for most applications, feels like I get better leverage when casting. Full grips I prefer when doing things like drifting. I have found most drift rods are full cork anyway.

I only have the 90 size but all the fish I've caught on it have been along the bank on calm, semi-cloudy to sunny days. Never a hit in open water or when there's any chop at all. But likely my waters.

Don't dwell on that stuff... it was a good, relevant post.

If it were me, I'd be screaming, yelling, and plopping across the boat like Iaconelli after he caught a 3 lber.

Think its my reels mostly. I don't have two that match. One is more suited for heavy catfish rigs (abu c4) while the other does best with moderate to heavier bass rigs (kastling royale legend). They both like to backlash with the light stuff even with the brakes and whatnot turned up. I've been looking at fuego cts and such. Got to play with one recently. For the cost I think I could use it to replace the abu when tossing light stuff for bass.

Well I'm not good with worms in general tbh lol. I can toss them on lighter gear but I have issues casting them on heavier rods. Good for pitching and flipping though.

I'm sure its possible if I had more ideal equipment.

I disagree with some of you... I use a lighter tipped rod for plastic as opposed to jigs. Reason being, is that no matter how light the jig is, it will be theory require a firmer hookset than the t-rigged plastic. I wouldn't fish a t-rig senko on my MH stiff tipped rod any more than I'd toss a jig on my lighter tipped topwater/t-rig rod. Not to mention the weight differences means both rods would have issues tossing the other rig.

Personally I don't like buzzbaits. I own a few but they've always been so awkward to fish for several reasons. 1.) Clunky. 2.) Has to be burned to stay on top of the water since it has 0 buoyancy. 3.) Unable to pause. I've caught fish on topwaters on pausing. 4.) Cannot be slow rolled. I've caught fish on top water slow rolling. I know it's more resistant to debris, but I probably won't throw any top water in those conditions anyway. Out of those two, I vote for WP personally.

You do look quite uncomfortable with that baitcaster, which is understandable since you're fairly new to it. If you've always reeled left handed that could be a reason for that discomfort. Personally I learned to reel right handed back in the day on spincast set-ups, but I've gotten to where I now prefer using spinning set-ups reeling left handed. Since I am actually right hand dominant I tend to be much more precise this way working the rod and it feels a lot more comfortable. Less like "rubbing my tummy while patting my head". I learned baitcasters reeling right handed, and I find that I still have not developed the ability to work the lure left handed as well as I'd like. Been hurting me on things like texas rigs and whatnot. So I'm actually going to be switching mt BC reels to left hand reeling over time as soon as I get the budget to allow it. I'll likely start with a Fuego CT and see how that feels, but I really think it'll work better for me. Then I don't have to cast right handed and switch to holding the rod left handed either. Certain advantage in that too. As far as your topwater hook-set... I use a bit of a non-traditional technique. I've had good luck with side sets as opposed to straight up, especially since I am normally working the lure at a slight angle as opposed to straight back at me (like along banks). Hard to explain, but once I see the blow up, I let the fish have it for about a second, I take up most of the slack and then give it a firm sweep to one side or the other depending on positioning. It buttons nice and tight, matter of that I have needed pliers to get the trebles out of all but 1 bass I've hooked on topwaters. The best topwater for me so far as been whopper ploppers at certain times/locations. I've actually caught a few at midday in full sun, which goes to show you that there is no ideal time to use a topwater. Sometimes the bass just want it that way, don't know unless you try. I also tie them on directly, use whatever knot you're confident in and it'll be fine. I used to use leaders but now I just run straight braid. For a WP it allows it to reach plane quicker; I may start rod tip up, then bring it down as it reaches plane. Can react better that way. For a popper straight braid will allow you to walk it and work it a lot easier than running a leader that sinks, like FC or copolymer. Yo could use mono I suppose, but... I don't really like use mono very much. Just my opinion. And yeah your drag... It should be firm enough so that you can get the fish in, but not so firm that the fish gets a lot of leverage and can't pull out line. You can always bump the drag up a hair if need be, which works better then trying to bump it down before it's too late. Work them carefully. If the fish wants line, let it have it. Apply pressure to keep the rod loaded then reel down to recover line when the opportunity arises. I learned this using light tackle for catfishing for cats that were really too big and heavy for my set up. If I had too much drag, either my line or my rod would've broken. So maybe I just understand that naturally from growing up fishing that way. I'm far from an expert, but that's what has worked best for me thus far. Ymmv.

Yeah... bank fisherman problem lol. I can usually tell when it's a snag though.

My ML is rated down to 1/16 oz but a 1/8 would probably be okay so long as that rating is accurate to what the rod will load.

They're not free, they cost about $5 a pop for snagged jigs. Lol

What manufacturing company doesn't have quality control these days? I've never even heard of the brand but if that's true they need to consider hiring someone like me with p-tech degree who can assess quality if they wish to have any impact among the other manufacturers. I can't recall ever breaking or even bending a hook though, ever. I break them off before I see that happen lol.

I am familiar with the Judge.... court is adjourned!

To me the balance has more to do with what reel is on it than the rod itself but maybe that's just me

I don't feel right unless I fish about once a week at least... even if it's just in my own pond! I get a lot of peace out of it and time to assess things I can't otherwise when I'm fishing. Catch anything or not, I still love it. It's very zen and serene for me. I never skunk per se because to me catching is only half the fun. It's the whole time to be me thing that makes it worth while for me.

This is what I do for fish I keep. Then I slit the gills and bleed them for a few minutes before cleaning and filleting.

I find it's best to move around when on the bank. I give each spot 3-5 casts depending on how I feel about it, fanning out from left to right. If not bites, I take about 5 steps down and repeat, ideally. If I haven't gotten a hit after about 30 steps I begin to reconsider my rig options.

I second this... for the real light stuff I break out my 6-6 ML/fast carbonlite. It'll toss a ned out there pretty decently. My medium powered rods just won't cut it. I own 2 medium Lews (not the laser) and neither one seems to like something as light as a ned.

Just buy a spinshot worm hook. Same thing with less hardware. VMC makea them.

Sounds like a good time to "cheat" and dangle some live bait in his face hehe. See if he bites that. Addressing the op, yes I do think bass learn certain things and do have some memory. If goldfish can be taught to navigate through a maze to get to food then I can see no reason a bass couldn't have some sort of intelligence. The question for me isn't so much if they can remember, but how they do it. Is it an actual memory like we have? Where they can "see" mentally something that happened before, like recollection? Or is it purely instinctual?

10 pounder for sure! .... Actually I have to agree, from the angle I couldn't make a decent guess lol. But nice bass all the same!

The 1/0 and 2/0 look perfect for what I'm wanting to do. I'm wanting to try and replace offset worm hooks with these to see of it helps me any. Thanks for the comparison.

I have a Lews Tp1 medium/fast that works well for those kinds of baits. I assume by "small" crankbaits you are talking about the 1/5 sizes, etc. For the REALLY small micro cranks it won't work well lol. But nah I wouldn't retire/replace the spinning rod. I still like mine for certain things, just plan your trip so that you can carry the three you think will work the best for you on that day.