LionHeart

Dude where's your lure?

Well, what did you come up with? That would be great man. Thanks

Don't have any interest in tournament fishing so I can't really speak to that but I think YouTube as a whole is incredible. It has saved me countless hours and money by showing me things from fixing appliance to replacing window motors in my wife's car. I thoroughly enjoy watching fishing videos of just about every kind. A great number of the channels just want to eventually profit From the deal, but some of them are just regular people trying to share their experience, from gear reviews to fishing techniques. Anything that can save me time and money, while I get to sit in front of a computer drinking coffee..... well, nuff said.

My question is simple, why do guy (and gals I guess) color the last few feet of braided line with a sharpie when it starts to fade? I'm supposing it is because they feel that making the braid darker will make it more difficult for fish to see. If that is the case, it doesn't make sense to me at all. Why would you intentionally make your fishing line black? I would think that would be the easiest color there is for a fish to see. I mean, we use dark lures and trailers if the water clarity is low so they are easier for the fish to see. Why do people do the same thing to fishing line and expect it to be harder to see? I would think faded green would blend in much better. Maybe this isn't the reason, I dunno. Someone please help me out.

What would you say would be better about the BB1 for pitching?

Have the same rod and it can do a lot. I originally bought it for heavier crank baits but soon realized it is a great rod for spinner, and chatterbaits also. Casts very accurately in my opinion. This past year have been using it a lot for 3/8 and 1/2 oz jigs with braid or braid to flouro leader and it works great for that also. Not much it can't do, but it has settled in for now as my spinner/chatter/med-largish crank bait rod. Hope this helps.

Veritas is commonly known for being on the heavier side of its power rating. I would agree based solely on multiple trips to Cabelas. Never actually fished with one though.

Purely gonna come down to a preference thing. Personally, I would go 7.5. I have yet to find myself wishing I had a slower reel for any application. Either way, I think you will be very glad you bought an MB.

Been using a 7.5:1 for the past 6 months. Tried it it for spinner bait, square bills, lipless, jigs, and worms. Liked it so much I bought another in 8.1:1. For $108 on EBay (or full price), I think it is worth every penny.

Have been using braid + flouro leader for most of this year. I have been slowly switching what few rigs I have to braid. I currently am liking it better than flouro for a few reasons.

Nice fish man! How were you working the jig?

Definitely two different techniques. As someone fairly new to bass fishing it erks me a little when people attempt to use the terms interchangeably. I kinda doubt the bulk of people asking about a "Good pitching/flipping rod" actually understand what they are asking for, much less ever intend to flip into cover. As I understand it, that would be 2 different rods. Im generally not the kinda dude to correct people, but with so many people confusing action with power, flipping with pitching, etc., at some point I think the right thing to do is to politely correct them. I honestly appreciate it when someone corrects me on something I am confused about, especially if I am actively seeking advice on technique specific gear and the like. Just my thoughts.

Cranking is my favorite way to fish. It would be tough for me to have just one rod for crankbaits. The right rod for shallow cranks wouldn't be able to handle the weight of most larger deep divers, while a stout enough rod for deep diving larger cranks would not be able to properly load up with a lighter weight shallow diving lure. I think the best thing is to decide regardless of depth, is what weight of crank baits you will be throwing, and find a rod for somewhere in the middle (3/8-1oz). This will cover everything except the massive 25+ ft divers. I don't have any experience with the rods you listed, but just trying to give general advice. My favorite cranking rod is a 7 ft. Med/Moderate. I throw up to 1 oz. cranks and it works great. Once I hook a fish, the rod bows over and keeps it pinned with ease. I used to not like moderate rods, but as long a it has the muscle to handle the lures you want to launch, pick a truly moderate rod. Hope this helps in some way dude.

Thanks for the input man. I've read a couple of people saying it's pretty stout, but it can be super subjective.

Man That's a very generous offer. I live in Valley View (35 min north of Fort Worth) and work at the Alliance Airport (western edge of Fort Worth). Not sure I could ask you to do that. If so, we should just go fishing one day, and I can check them out. Any decent fishing spots where you live that would work with a 14 foot jon boat? It's awesome that you own two of the rods I'm considering. What do you use them for? and how do you like them for that application?

Oh crap, I had the comments backward. Bet that must have been a little confusing to read. I found a pretty sweet deal on TractorSupply website for the Tatula 7'2" Heavy is $110 shipped. Had to jump on it. If it is too stout for 3/8 oz. Ill just return it I suppose.

Checked out the Curado on TW and looks like it may be an option. Need to do a little research about it. Even though I specifically mentioned particular rods in my OP, I'm totally open to advice on other rods. If someone on the forum says 'look man you've got to check out this rod, I have one and it would work great for what you want to do,' I'm going to take the recommendation seriously, and look into it. Thanks for the reply

Thanks for your response. I completely hear what you're saying, and in some ways even agree. I also choose to believe that when a rod manufacturer puts a lure weight rating on their product, there is a reason for it. I'm not saying that exceeding this rating by 1/8 oz. will necessarily damage the rod, or that it can't be 'made to work,' but since I have the luxury of buying a rod for a specific purpose, I want it to be designed for that purpose and the range of weights I intend to use. I don't think expecting to find a rod that was designed and intended to work with a weight variance of less than half an oz. is unrealistic. Not trying to be argumentative and I appreciate the feedback.

Just joking about the tiny part. The lake I fish makes it feel that way most days due to the wind. It's an old 1436 jon, and I stand at the bow most of the time. Tried sitting to fish but just don't prefer it. Good observation and insight though. Ikos is the line of ALX that the Promise falls under. The Hammer is the Heavy version of the Promise. I've been using a St Croix Bass X MH/ Mod Fast and have honestly come to like a mod-fast with braid, so long as it isn't on the wippy side of mod fast. Honestly, the Bass X MH/ Mod Fast in my hands feels more stout and fast than the Mojo Bass MH Fast (crazy I know). Really like how the MH and Heavy ALX IKOS rods felt in Cabellas. They both seemed to have the 'just right' bend and stoutness I am looking for, and very light. I think I even like the guides. I can't seem to find a great deal about them online as compared to other rods, but everything I read is positive. You mentioned the similarity of the Promise to one of your rods. Not sure if you have used or just handled, but looking for any experience in terms of rod sensitivity.

Hey guys. I tried to avoid starting another jig rod thread, but I am looking for some specific advice on a few options for a dedicated bottom contact rod. I have been going through every forum and youtube video I can find for the past few weeks, and feel like I just need to come out and ask for advice. As the title says I'm looking for a dedicated rod for pitching and casting jigs and t-rigs into 3-20 feet of water. I mainly fish lay downs and grass from my tiny boat, but would like to be able to drag points if I actually get to fish a day with less than 2 foot waves. I'm definitely in the $150 dollar range budget, and would really like to find a single rod that can handle weights 3/8-3/4 plus trailer, in the 7'-7'4". I may be over complicating things but what I have found is that a 3/8 jig plus skirt and trailer (paca chunk) is .6 oz, and 1/2 oz jig with skirt and trailer is over 3/4 oz. Should I consider this when selecting a rod? Something else that makes this so difficult is the crazy amount of variation in rod power and action ratings. At times I think it's best to ignore everything written on the blank, and just pick the rod up and handle it. Ideally, I'd be able to put my hands on each rod I'm considering as I think it would give me much more info about a rod's capability than its rating. Unfortunately, some of these rods can't be found at any of the 5 fishing stores within 2 hrs. of where I live. Rods I'm trying to choose between: Daiwa Tatula 7'2" Heavy Fast 3/8-1 1/2 (Afraid this rod will be a pool cue) Daiwa Tatula 7'2" Med/Heavy 'Regular' 1/4- 1 (Afraid this rod will be too moderat) Lews Custom Speed Stick Lite Perfect Jig Rod Med/Heavy Mod-Fast 1/2-1 (a little over my budget, but if it is the perfect rod....) Lews Custom Speed Stick Lite Hammer Med/Heavy Fast 1/4-5/8 (Afraid this rod will be over powered by bigger jigs) ALX Ikos 7'3" Promise Med/Heavy Fast 1/4- 1 1/8 (Tried both these rods in Cabellas and they felt perfect in power and action, but don't know much ALX Ikos 7'3" Hammer Heavy Fast 1/2- 1 1/2 about them. Was really leaning toward the hammer.) I guess what I'm really looking for is a rod that is sensitive, and has the right power and action. I have been using 50 lb braid with a 6 foot 20 lb. fluorocarbon leader and plan to continue doing so. The rod needs to have the proper power and action to cast and pitch the lure sizes I use, but also powerful/and fast enough to get a good hook set while being forgiving enough to keep the fish pinned while bringing it back to the boat. I plan to use a Lews Tournament MB 8.1 if that matters. I've already blindly ordered the Tatula 7' 2" heavy if for no other reason than to put my hands on it to see how it feels. My fear is of course that being a heavy, it will be too stout. I really thought about ordering both the 72 Heavy and the 72 MH and just sending the one I preferred the least back. I just don't think it should be this difficult to find a single rod to handle this range of jig weights. Maybe I'm making it more difficult than it has to be. I tend to over complicate things. If anyone has experience with any of the rods listed, I would very much appreciate any advice. Thanks

I have been using a 3/8 Finese Jig (don't remember the manufacturer). The way I have been trying to work the jig is to make a 20-30 yard cast as close to the bank as I can get it, then use my rod tip to lightly drag the lure along the bottom (while reeling up slack as I go). Every few feet of so I'll raise the rod to about the '10-11 oclock' position to give a couple of hops. When I feel pressure or pulling on the lure, I will give another quick but very subtle raising of the rod tip to try and confirm I have a fish and not a rock or a log. If I am convinced, I will now abruptly swing the rod tip from the 10 oclock position to the 1 ocklockish position. Admittedly, I am generally too excited at this point to have remembered to reel down. Tried to be as specific as possible, but I am realizing that this isn't the easiest thing for me to describe. Thanks guys for all the great input! The video was helpful. I plan to go out again on Friday and really try to reel down before setting the hook. Any more input would be very appreciated.

Hey guys! First post here but have been lurking for a while. I'm trying to learn everything I can about bass fishing and this a been a great place to do it. I've just started getting into using jigs and have a few questions about fishing line. Last week I went out and couldn't seem to get a hook set to save my life. It led to a very frustrating afternoon. Gear used: Rod= St Croix Bass X MH/Mod-Fast Weight Rating: 3/8-1 1/4 Line= Seagar Red Label Flouro 12lb. Distance at attempted hook sets: 15-20ish yards My hooks weren't laser sharp, but good enough to dig into my finger nail. I realize I am new to fishing and technique may be largely to blame, but I can't help but wonder if my fishing line isn't a bit too stretchy for good hook sets at those distances. I also realize my rod is a mod-fast, but I compared it to a Med/Heavy Fast Mojo Bass model and they felt nearly identical in stoutness and bend. So much so, that I can hardly blame the rod. I went out for a couple of hours yesterday and tried using braid. The good news is that I noticed a much easier hook set. I was surprised by the difference in fact. The bad news is that I noticed quite a bit of sensitivity loss with a semi slack line. It seemed that I actually had a difficult time keeping the line tight enough to get a similar feel of Flouro (using exact same 3/8 oz. jig). So 2 questions I suppose. Since I was using inexpensive braid (Spiderwire EZ), would this contribute to less sensitivity on semi slack line? Does line lb. test have an effect? Also, I imagine using heavier test Flouro would allow less stretch during hook set, but noticeably less? I also understand that once stretched, Flouro doesn't tend to return to its original length. Could I just unspool a new roll of Flouro and give it a good 'pre-stretching' before using it on the water? What would be the ill affects of this if any? I'm a little overwhelmed here. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!