ZebcoZak

I have used x rap and rogues in situations like you describe. I take the time to make sure it is 100% neutrally bouyant before I go out though. Either add a bigger/smaller hook or a little bit of weight to make it perfect. Then it is all about the pause - and I know the lure is just sitting there when I am not working it. I have actually waited as long as 30-45 seconds in between twitches when I know fish are in the area. A cast along the shore can take 5 mnutes or longer to reel in. Typically produces results but the work needs to be done before you hit the water to make sure it is 100% neautal in the water connected to your line.

Thanks to all for the input. I actually asked the same question to Trey over at Kistler regarding the H3 and the KLX. He said the KLX was the rod for me. I told him it would mostly be 1/4 to 1/2 Texas rigged plastic along with an occasional spinner bait and he said it was an easy decision. Even with the close price difference due to the sale. When I asked him about the H3 being the better rod for my needs his exact quote was “Not really, the KLXTCRWJ70MH is best trust me. Never mind the label specs” I guess when you get something like that straight from the horses mouth you can’t really get any better. I pulled the trigger on the KLX based on this along with the feedback here in this forum. Thanks to all who replied.

Hi Guys, Looking for some feedback on these two specific rods for Texas Rigging plastics and maybe some Spinner bait throwing. The KLX Carolina/Texas/Worm 7'0" Medium Heavy (KLXTCRWJ70MH ) or the Dobyns Champion 734 SH. Any of you own these sticks and use them for T-Rigs? I would mostly be fishing the reservoirs here in central ohio from a boat. Not a lot of vegetation so mostly 1/4 ounce weighted soft plastics with some weightless tossed around laydowns and rip rap. If anyone has some feedback on which would be better suited I would really appreciate it.

Interesting. I actually haven't ever had the need but that is a bit of an annoyance....

After my father passed away a few years ago I found a few of his old 50's and 60's era Zebco 33's that I cleaned up real well. I have to say that the only down side that I have found to these things is the gear ratio. That is it. I have since sold all of my baitcasters and only use one on my musky and catfish rods due to the weight of the baits. Those old 33's with full metal housings and brass gears are simple machines that just work for me. Taking them apart once a year for a 100% clean and lube is all of about 30 minutes, and I have yet to have one fail on me in any way. The drag is smooth and I can use them for every type of technique I try here on my local lakes and flows. Once again, I am a tad out of luck if I ever need to BURN a crank or spinner bait back to the boat, but those situations are honestly few and far between for me. I use them on my Aetos rods and the inital giggles and under-the-breath comments I get from those fishing around me usually turn to questions and genuine curiosity by the end of the day. And the best part is that I pick them up for about 10-15 bucks - aka more money for other tackle. They probably won't work for everyone, but they work for me. I am not KVD, but I fish more than anyone else I know, typially with pretty good results. The old Zebco 33 hasn't held me back yet. I have caught thousands of bass/pike/walleye/catfish up to 12 or so pounds without incident. I have a buddy who spends nearly $1,000 dollars per rod and reel set - and there aren't many things that I enjoy more than keeping up with him on a 65 year old Zebco 33. Those days when I find them a bit better than he does I don't say a word. I just smile. :-)

I have slowly migrated pretty much 100% to Fenwick. For the price I have a hard time justifying anything else. I use several Aetos rods and they are awesome. I have never fished with one of the 400-500 dollar rods, but for what I do I don't know if I ever will.

I have one of those and one Patriarch. Two best spinning reels I have ever used. They are nearly identical with the only real difference being weight. The drag on them is as buttery smooth as anything I have seen. I drop shot with them on 6# line with the drag set to 2 pounds. Last year I hauled in a 12 pound Musky with that set up and I am not sure that would have been possible without such a quality reel. Some of the runs that thing made were mind boggling but the reel handled it perfectly. I just stood there speechless as the fish peeled drag like I wasn't even there. Was a great fight.

I usually start with a plasma tail, but I have used baby brush hogs with some pretty shocking success, as well as drop shot minnow by Berkley.

I have been very succesful with Sufix Elite 6# test over the years. Spool it on a Pflueger Patriarch paired with a Fenwick Elite Tech Bass 6'10" ML XF rod. One of my absolute favorite ways to fish. Lifting up on the hook set and hearing that buttery smooth drag start screamin. Just a blast.

Spent most of my last year chasing trophy catfish, but my largest bass came on a wacky rigged 5" green pumpkin senko. Fish was about 4 pounds, which is decent for my lake here in central ohio. They electro fished last year and largest that came out of the whole lake was 5.2 pounds.

I keep all of my plastics in two of the below boxes. They are perfect size for two rows of most plastic packages, probabaly 20-25 in each row? For the most part I have been able to convince myself that if I have both of those filled ot the top I don't need to buy any more for a while and just use what I have, haha. Plano ProLatch Stowaway Box, XX-Large

Rebel wee craw is my most used crank by far in the shallow rovers and streams on central Ohio. Early in the year I fish the Teeny Wee Craw with upsized treble hooks to make it slowly sink to the bottom. With a slow "twitch twitch pause" retrieve I don't know if I have ever had as much success as with that thing. In fast moving water it gets tossed around far too much to be as effective, but in the kind of streams where you can cast to the other side, and wade through *** foot depths it is a killer. Will grab a few rock bass with it as well, which always help keep the action hot.

Most of my scouting comes from a printed out fishing map that is provided by the ODNR on its website. Really just looking for the topography of the lake. Very quickly you can determine which coves should be more productive due to access of deep water, which fingers or points have similar qualities, bluff wall locations, etc. From there I head out on the water and have a list of several spots I feel will be better than others, and try to eastablish a pattern from that.

Name is Zak and live in Gahanna, 10 minutes east of Columbus. I typically fish out of my 1648 Jon on Hoover and Alum. Also like to wade up and down Big Walnut and Alum Creek whenever I have some time. Looking to learn the bass population of Hoover a little better this year. And want to catch my first reservoir musky out of Alum. I have caught a few wading below the reservoir, but nothing in the open water.

I have two Patriarchs on my Musky rods and they are truly acceptional reels. I am not a pro by any stretch, but I can't imagine many reels are up to this level. Especially since you can pick them up for so cheap comparitively speaking. Their spinners are awesome as well, and I use them to death. I use my 33's for a lot of pitching and flipping, so the Pflueger BC don't get a lot of work there, but they are great, no doubt.

Over the last three years or so the most bass have been on the below two baits. Really my go to when the bite is tough. Lake/Reservoir: Weighltess 5" green pumpkin Senko wacky rigged River: Ditch colored Rebel Wee Craw

Baby due in Late March so that will take up a lot of time for the wife and I. Due to that my resolutions are much more related to education instead of time spent on the water. I want to get better at launching the boat and being able to determine a pattern more quickly so I can make the most of my trips. I can really improve a ton on my ability to “read” the lake to get on fish more quickly. The skill will be more important than ever with a newborn occupying time and will help once he is old enough to fish as well!

Now you're talkin'. That sounds like the right way to go in my opinion. As far as the loud anti reverse, my Zebco's have the same thing, and sometimes I like to keep them on, sometimes I turn them off. Learning to fish without it on took almost no time. Just remember to keep a good grip on the reel handle when you set the hook. I typically always flip it on if the fish seems like it has some shoulders. Gives me more confidence that the drag will do its job correctly. Good luck out there.

Honestly I had a very similar experience when my father unexpectedly died two years ago. I had just found out that my wife and I were pregnant with our first child after nearly three years of trying, and he didn't even get to hear he was going to be a Grandpa. Kicked my butt and still does to this day watching my son grow up. Going through the estate I found one of his trusty Zebco 33's from the early 60's that he used for literally everything, and I rebuilt/cleaned/lubed it. I slapped it on a rod I had recently built for him and I use it extensively now for all kinds of techniques. I actually enjoy it so much that I hopped online and have added four more vintage 33's to the herd and use them for everything from slinging livers for catfish to pitching texas rigs at largemouth. Gear ratios are a bit low at around 3.6 but they work just fine if I accept the fact that I am not KVD. From my own personal experience, I wouldn't recommend overthinking what type of fishing that rig will be best suited for. Did your dad have a favorite lure? Fish that. Do you have a favorite lure? Fish that. You will be shocked and amazed how much more it means when you pull a fish out with that thing. It doesn't matter what the fish looks like or what kind it is, when I catch it with my daddy's old 33 it drums up a satisfaction and happiness that I can't describe. I am sorry for the loss of your father, but I am excited that you have the opportunity to catch a fish on that rig. Don't be surprised if the water works start flowing when you thumb that first lower lip.

Ha! I am not sure that has as nice of a ring to it! I actually really do love to use 1970's era Zebco 33's for a lot of my casting work. I have purchased and restored several of them and you would be suprised how much they can do attached to a Fenwick Aetos rod!!! Aside from that I really enjoy the higher end Pflueger baitcasting and spinning reels as well. Incredible value for the dollar from a brand that has been around for a long time. I have a few Patriarch reels on my finesse gear and on one Musky rod that are truly a pleasure to fish with. I just always come back to the pleasure of catching a PB bass or channel cat on a 40 year old reel with all brass internals that I personally have rebuilt and maintained. Just a great feeling that adds to the already exciting feeling of landing a 12 pound cat or 20 inch smallie!!!

Hello all! Zak here from Columbus Ohio. I just joined and am looking forward to reading and contributing to the forum! I grew up in northern Ohio fishing the Huron river with a rooster tail but that was about the extent of my experience until I came down here for school. I graduated from Ohio state about 10 years ago and I have since tought myself how to catfish the area reservoirs and am now looking forward to learning the bass techniques as well. I wouldn’t all myself a novice by any stretch, but now that I have a boat I am looking to further hone my technique. Thanks in in advance for all the knowledge I am sure to gain from you all! Zak