Glaucus

You still have to change the oil and spark plugs on a Ferrari just as you do on a Honda Civic. No maintenance on a machine, and it will eventually develop problems. And eventually all machines break down completely.

I've been a big believer in fluoro leaders, especially braid to fluoro, due to everything we're told about the near invisibility factor. It's always worked for me, so no questions asked. However, for the better part of the summer I've been pretty much exclusively fishing rivers for smallies with the Ned Rig using braid to fluoro. If I'm not in the yak or in a position to wade, I lose a lot of rigs because of rocks and debris, especially at the dams. It's been a giant pain in the butt having to retie leaders on top of having to retie the rigs. Eventually I said screw it and put straight 8lb straight mono on (pops the bait free easier than braid) and noticed zero difference in numbers and size, from the dark muddy water of the dams to the clear green tea water down stream where you can see every rock, fish, and stick on the bottom. So I ordered my Ned Rig specific setup (Fenwick Eagle ML/F with a President 25) and decided to go with 6lb Yozuri. It's been beautiful. So do we put too much stock and focus on the supposed necessity of fluoro leaders? I'm thinking so. I can see it making a difference in some places under some conditions, I guess. I went to a crystal clear pond with a couple of friends yesterday and fished Senkos on straight braid with no leader and didn't notice a darn bit of difference either. I don't want to cut fluoro out of my equation necessarily, but it is nice seeing no difference and being able to skip that step of tying the leader.

Same. It's not the reason I fish for bass. Some guys are obsessed with the size they catch and the skills they acquire over time. That's perfectly fine to have those goals. Personally, I fish for bass because I like to catch them, I like the methods for catching them, and I like being out on the water in nature. The moment I obsess over digits and stop using certain techniques because they are "do nothing", my passion would be lost and my reasons changed.

Eh not really true. Many great fishermen don't care about getting the digits. 3.5-4. If I had to guess more accurately I'd say 3.8.

Pfffft that bass was a bluegill in the belly away from being 10. Counts all the same in my book.

Around 3lb

Before the 75, I only used 90s on a M for river Smallmouth and 110s on a MH for pond and lake Largemouth. I've got some 75s that I want to use for river Smallmouth. They're heavier than a 90 but lighter than a 110. I can't decide on a M or MH.

It's not very big. Hit every spot accessible to you. It's the Ned, you don't have to do anything special. Just find them by hitting spots and you should catch quite a few.

My OCD is so dadgum bad that I respool my reels every week or two during the season. Braid, copoly, fluoro, mono, it don't matter. My gear has to maintain perfection or my mind is so distracted that I can't fish. Def would not accept those rods, even if it won't impact anything or can be fixed on my own. Just can't do it.

The Whopper Plopper has made buzzbaits obsolete for me personally. I don't fish a lot surface or just barely subsurface vegetation. The WP simply catches more fish and has better action. My opinion only. Everyone has what works for them.

Using 1/10 and 1/15 ounce heads and finesse TRDs with 6-8 pound line, no way.

But not a wade fisherman problem

Surefire way to get bit on a wacky is to cast it out and then take a leak while it slowly falls. The bass just know when you're indisposed.

Very cool. My old truck with nothing special, but takes gasoline and drives all the same, my Jon Boat, and the few rods I take, with a little extra hands on care, do all the same thing for thousands saved, but whatever makes people happy.

Yup. Haven't had a reason to use anything but those 2. Casting gear is collecting dust.

It's your water.

My other hobby is billiards. My pool partner always has me break his cue down for him.

Do you need a Ferrari that's affordable too? ?

Not the way it read. You said the Ned isn't working but they want it slow, small, and off the bottom...So exactly Ned. All you said is they aren't loving a jig.

Whatever the reasons and factors behind it, it's all fascinating.

I'm not convinced that where they are in the water has anything to do with it. I'm fishing a river that averages 4 feet deep and has been inches to 2-3 feet deep throughout for much of the summer. It's fairly clear water too. Complete rock bottom. Coloration varies all the same with the pattern of smaller = pale and larger = darker.

I've kinda viewed it as how a lion's mane darkens with age. But I didn't realize this was perhaps unusual since I don't really fish for Smallies elsewhere.

The river I fish for Smallies in is like this. If they're about a pound or less, they are pale and have no stripes. If they are about a pound and a half, they tend to be greener in color with very faint stripes. Once they approach two pounds and more, they're very dark with big beautiful stripes.