JLBBass

Fugly! A painted fiberglass bassboat!!!????

Only XF rods I use are a pair of St Croix Avid X. Both are 6'9"MLXF's. They are paired with Shimano Stradic 3000Ci4+ spinning reels. I use them for finesse plastics, lighter wacky worms, any other finesse applications. Love'em!

I use my 2 Stradic 3000Ci4+ reels on a pair of St Croix Avid X 6'9"MLXF rods. That is why i choose the lightweight reel for this. It makes a great lightweight combo! I know that the regular stradic will "balance" better on some rods. I also REALLY like the newer model Pflueger Patriarch XT spinning reels! I own 2 of them also.

the only noticeable difference is their weight difference. That was enough for me to go with the Ci4+ model

you can get one hek of a used aluminum bassboat for that price range. You can get a "decent" fiberglass for that price range. I'd go aluminum if the lakes you fish allow it.

If wanting just one rod for both the baits you'll be throwing, I would say definately not a medium power/moderate action rod. It will not make a good spinnerbait/chatterbait rod at all. Waaaaay to whimpy. I'd recommend a medium heavy power/moderate action. Better yet, get 2 different rods. For cranks, a medium heavy power/moderate action, and for spinnerbaits/chatterbaits, either a medium power/fast action, or a medium heavy power/fast action. I personally have never seen a medium power/moderate action rod I like for ANY type of bass fishing. I find them much too moderate, with too little power for any type of bait. And this is coming from a guy who uses lighter than normal line test, and smaller than normal lures. I crank fish with either 6#( for light balsa cranks like the Rapala Shad Raps) , or 8 or 10lb copolymer for a little heavier cranks. My crankbaits rods over the years, have consisted of Dobyns Champions, Dobyns Furys, St Croix Avid Crankbait rods, and BPS Crankin Sticks. In ALL of those models, the "MM" was too whimpy, and I used the MHM in those models, for throwing anything from lighter shallow runners, to cranks as deep as around 12ft.

MH without a doubt!!! it makes a GREAT crankbait rod for just about any crank from 1ft divers to 12ft. AWESOME crankbait rod for the $$$!

Jerkbaits, wacky rigged finesse worm, drop shot

No joke! My boat (& whoever is fishing with me,) "logged" 2114 smallmouth alone from Lake Erie one season. That includes many 200+ bass days.

I use a quality copolymer line for 90%+ of my fishing. It's either Izorline XXX Super Copolymer for spinning (6 & 8#), or Silver Thread Excailbur for baitcasters (8-12#). The only time I use braid is for the main line when using a drop shot in deep water on the Great Lakes for smallies. Including the smallmouth I catch on Erie, which is alot, I catch an average of around 2,000+ bass a year, and have had NO issues using a copolymer line, and I can not remember the last time I broke off (maybe once in the last 10 years). That has ALOT to do with matching line & rod power/action to the line I use, along with constantly checking line for any frays or nicks (and a good drag!)

I use a quality copolymer line for 90%+ of my fishing. It's either Izorline XXX Super Copolymer for spinning (6 & 8#), or Silver Thread Excailbur for baitcasters (8-12#). The only time I use braid is for the main line when using a drop shot in deep water on the Great Lakes for smallies. Including the smallmouth I catch on Erie, which is alot, I catch an average of around 2,000+ bass a year, and have had NO issues using a copolymer line, and I can not remember the last time I broke off (maybe once in the last 10 years). That has ALOT to do with matching line & rod power/action to the line I use, along with constantly checking line for any frays or nicks (and a good drag!)

^^^THAT^^^ Love my Yak!

This is why I own around 14 reels for bass fishing, ( around 6 spinning, 8 baitcasters) but own around 30+ rods! ?

I lay my Ascend 12T at an angle on it's side, on top of an old folded in half sleeping bag. it is stored in my garage on a cement floor.

they also like cruising flats before the spawn!

Silver Thread Excalibur copolymer, or Izorline XXX Super Copolymer! Been using the Silver Thread Excalibur for over 30 years. LOVE IT!!!!!! when using 10 & 12lb, I like the Excalibur line, and when using 6 & 8lb test, I like the Izorline XXX

great boat to catch some fish and memories! Hope time flys for ya between now and time of picking it up!

For "smallies", if I'm not throwing green pumpkin, or green pumpkin with some sort of flake in it (orange, copper, or blue flake), or watermelon/red flake, then I'm not throwing a wacky worm for smallies.

Rapala Subwalk fished above shallow weedbeds in the spring!

Some of Academy's H20 Xpress hardbaits

ALWAYS wear a life vest!

I blame my dad!.....Going to the St Lawrence River twice every year, for a week each time, since I was born, till I was around 15 didn't help! the multi species fishing on the St Lawrence back in the 70's was freaking awesome!!! NOTHING to catch 100 Northern pike a day! and BIG ONES!!!

it's so natural for me to return bail by hand, then tug line, that I don't even notice I'm doing it! I basically do it in one motion.

Smallmouth are sight feeders, and love sunny days. Not that they wont hit on cloudy days, but on the Great Lakes, a nice sunny spring day can't be beat! That "warm light rain" had alot to do with the good bite you had! It's funny though, because if you pick up an old fishing magazine from about 40 years ago, it would say smallmouth like cloudy days, and not sunny days...???

my 3 favorite flat sided crankbaits: #1) Rapala Shad Rap (personally, the best flat sided crankbait EVER made!) #2) Lucky craft KJ Flat #3) Spro Little John plan on trying the 6th Sense 75X this year!