J.Vincent

Never tried Texas rigging the Yum Bug ; but the 2.5 inch Yum Bug on a 1/8oz Round Ball Jig, is a simple but productive way to catch Smallmouth Bass.

Sorry in advance for writing a novel here....but I have a Concept Z 8.1 on one of my Frog rods and it’s become very noisy on the RETRIEVE after only 12 months. I initially thought it was the looser tolerances in the Z bushings and replaced the spool bushings with quality ceramic hybrids, but the noise continues during the retrieve and sounds like a zipper or buzzzz when I crank the reel handle. I even just changed out the main gear with a new one shipped right from the parts department; because the original gear had two or three gear teeth that were slightly worn. After I replaced the main gear and spent hours meticulously cleaning and properly re-greasing the reel, the retrieve is now super quiet when it’s not under any load. But with any amount of resistance on the line or high speed reeling and the reel gets zippy and buzzy on the retrieve? Also the main gear (aluminum) and pinion gear (brass) appear to be meshing smoothly and with the naked eye I can’t see any visible defects on the pinion. Anyone have any ideas of what could possibly be causing a zippy sound or buzzz sound on the retrieve ? I’m hoping there could be an easy solution to this or maybe it’s something simple I just overlooked . James

There are vendors on eBay asking 12.99 to 19.99 a bag ? At those prices I can buy 4 bags of Yum Warning Shots or 3 bags of Strike King Dream Shots and just soak them in a Berkley Gulp juice bucket for 24 hours. Probably the best frugal alternative

I’m not sure if the free Spool correlates to casting distance for every reel....but the free Spool on this SLX is 3 seconds to 3.25 with No line on the Spool and 1 Brake on and Spool tension knob set for minimal shaft friction and only the slightest side to side Spool play.

So my base model SLX reel performance sounds similar to what the OP explained. I’ve loosened Spool Tension, wiped down the Spool Shaft and applied a very thin coat of Reel oil around the brass Brake Hub (as recommended by BR members). The casting distance is now improved by 5 to 10 feet but still seems well shy of expectation and definitely well shy of the Shimano Casitas or Abu Garcia Revo.

I’m interested in hearing how much of a performance improvement this made for the SLX? I ask because I bought a bunch of the SLX HG 7.2 reels this past spring and from my perspective they are great for short range Jig & Worm work up to 60 feet. But require a very very loose Tension knob and an incredible amount of muscle to make 80 to 100 foot casts. Also, I’m running 1 brake and it almost seems too controlled at times, so I’m not entirely sure if it’s the factory bearings or the breaking system holding this reel back from performing better on long casts ? What do you think ? Will a bearing upgrade help the reel achieve more distance with less ease ? Or am I better off going with a different reel for more distance ?

That’s a nice arsenal and this is how I would set those combos up for greatest versatility. But keep in mind You are missing a few Crankbait Moderate Rods and a true Flipping Stick. Also are any of those rods spinning ? 7'1" MF (Jigs, Worms, Paddle Tails, SpyBaits up to 1/2oz) + a reel with 27 to 29 inches per turn + 10 to 14lb Mono 6'9" MF (Jigs, Worms, JerkBaits, TopWaters up to 1/2oz) + a reel with 29 inches per turn + 10 to 14lb Mono 6'10" MMF (SpinnerBaits, SquareBills, JerkBaits, TopWaters up to 5/8oz) + 6:1 Concept Z + 12 to 14lb Mono 7'1" MHF (Jigs, Worms, BuzzBaits and maybe PropBaits up to 3/4oz) + 7:1 SV Spool + 40lb to 50lb Braid with optional leader or just straight 17lb Monofilament 6'9" MHF (Jigs, Worms, Toads up to 3/4oz) + 7:1 SX + 40lb to 50lb Braid with Optional leader or just straight 17lb Monofilament 7' MHF (Jigs, Worms, SpinnerBaits, ChatterBaits, BuzzBaits up to 3/4oz) + 7:1 STX + 17lb Monofilament or 17lb Fluorocarbon 7"3" HXF (Punch Rigs up to 1 or 1.25oz) + 7:1 Accurist + 50 to 65lb Braid 7' HXF (Jigs, Frogs up to 1oz) + 8:1 Carbonlite + 50 to 65lb Braid with optional leader 7' HF (Carolina Rigs up to 1oz) + 6:1 KK Spartacus + 17lb Monofilament 6'9" HF (Hollow Frogs up to 3/4 oz) + 8:1 SX + 50 to 65lb Braid

You are correct it’s part of the Storm Wild Eye Series....its called a JERKIN MINNOW but don’t see them in stock at any US retailers except eBay. So it may be discontinued ?

Organized into 1 Gallon Ziploc Bags for each style of Plastic.....and then they go into a 1987 Detroit Tigers Canvas DuffleBag that says " Sweet Baseball" : ) The DuffleBag is roughly the height and width of a 1 Gallon Ziploc Bag, so it makes it easy when I have to rummage through. The setup is far from fancy, but it gets the job done !

We are still waiting for the complete Summer to Fall transition here....and I'm thinking September 10th through October 10th the Smallmouth Bass bite will be bananas ! At least it was last season around that time! Nice catch by the way !

(A) Always consider any type of current break, where you can see current sweeping past an object (tire, rock, tree, island, peninsula, concrete...etc) and fish the slack water behind it. (B) Fish the current seams with moving baits. (C) If all else fails float a live craw or Leach a few feet beneath a bobber and let the current sweep it down the river....But your better fish holding areas will almost always be A and B.

Others may have said this already, but knowing the seasonal patterns really helps in deciphering where the Bass are or should be and also the mood they should be in. Just a little bit of knowledge goes a long way in determining how to approach any body of water. Also, in the beginning I spent a lot of time trying to find the magic lure and then fishing it anywhere with the thought that because it looked so good it would get clobbered no matter what.....but investing that time in locating active fish and fishing a less than perfect lure right off the shelf, usually produces better results.

Yes it may cause some deterioration in some plastics , but from my experience with Yum, Zoom, Poor Boy and Gander Mountain or BPS plastics....it doesn’t unless it’s kept on over a very long course of time, the Bass usually destroy the plastic sooner than the spray. I also only apply attractant to the lure tied on the line, I never add it into the actual bag unless it’s just anise oil.

I can recall a tournament I fished on Lake Erie in 2001 or 2002. Prior to the tournament I bought a can of Bang Baitfish/Crawfish attractant and every 8 to 10 drifts I was saturating the tube with the Bang Aerosol spray. The boater was also drifting the same tube in 20 foot of water but with no attractant. By the time I had a 5 bass limit he had only caught 1. The boater was surprised and so was I because he was a more experienced angler than me and this was his GPS coordinate. When I caught my 5th I told him what I was doing different and he tried it and immediately began catching Smallmouth Bass. We both ended up cashing a check, and I’m almost positive it was because of a $7 dollar can of Bang Aerosol Attractant. Also Bang aerosol scents create an oil slick which trails behind the plastic and helps draw the fish towards the plastic. This can be advantageous in cases where the bite is not very good or the bass need extra motivation !

I’ve never fished the Damiki Rig; but this sounds like a scenario where it could work .

Keep it Simple and consider purchasing the Spike It Markers Combo Pack. When you get a hunch about color or when water conditions change, you can easily add a touch of color whenever you want without having to own 10 different colors of the same plastic. These have worked great for me over the years !

I’m not an expert at any of these techniques; but they are different techniques and for the most part were devised to catch fish in different situations. Also, the Ned rig isn’t much different then a 2 or 2.5 inch Slim Tube rigged perfectly straight with a lightweight internal Jig hook (been around since the 1980s or earlier and works in the same situations as a Ned) and the Neko rig is essentially a Wacky rig loaded with a nail weight (also been around since the 1980s or earlier and works in the same situations as a Neko)....none of these techniques really replaces another, but they are comparable or updated examples of a proven presentation; however the Drop Shot is completely different than all of the above and is a more controllable technique around and above structure in 25 to 30 feet of water. So I say No, the Ned and Neko doesn’t replace the Drop Shot unless we are talking about from a popularity point of view.

I just bought two of the Quantum Icon PT 7.1 RH and have one paired up on a H Fast for Frogs ? and another paired on a Rattletrap rod. After two weeks Im really impressed: the reel is smooth and casts very well. I also like the ACS external centrifugal braking but wish the reel handle was a touch longer. As for how they look, I’m surprised how well they match black or white rods ; many of the pictures show them as a gold color but they are solid silver . As a side note ; 1 of the 2 reels I ordered might be a dud, that or the bearings are dry from the factory? Gonna check it out tonight. Also I’m pretty sure the Icon and the Orra are discontinued and from 2017. So these might possibly be refurbished, I’ve seem a lot of them flooding the marketplace lately. If you are Flipping with the reel though, you may want to consider the Quantum Accurist, it’s equipped with a Flipping switch, or at least the Model that’s white from last year has the flipping switch feature, if that’s important to you.

In the 1990s Red hooks were more popular than they are today; and more heavily marketed. I bought a few bags of 3/0 EWG Red hooks back then (still have them) and personally don't think they improve catch ratio for Texas Rigs. Now Topwaters with red trebles might be a different story, as some anglers claim improved catch ratios using red trebles on hard baits, but I've never experimented enough with red treble hooks to comment on their effectiveness. No matter the case for Red hooks, I'm certain standard color hooks used by millions of anglers around the world will catch fish....and when something is that proven, it gives me confidence.

I’ve been throwing Booyah Pad Crashers and Savage Gear Lily Frogs without any durability issues. Some have caught anywhere from 20 to 50 fish and still work well with minimal degradation in performance aside from cosmetic . But the longevity of any lure will vary depending on how many toothy critters you’ve hooked with it !

With SpinnerBaits, Swimjigs, ChatterBaits, BuzzBaits any single hook (non Texas rig) , try sliding a piece of surgical tubing over the hookpoint. Make sure you cut the length long enough to curl or slightly bunch at the round bend of the hook, and leave enough tubing to extend past the hookpoint, you can epoxy or melt and form the open end of the tubing to prevent exposing the hook point on the strike. If you are using Hollow Frogs it also works but will catch a lot of vegetation. Also with topwaters , pull the treble hooks from split rings and add a few suspend-a-dots just below the hook holders to closely match the weight of the removed hooks. With T Rigs all you can do is shake the fish off until they spit the lure. Go pre-fishing and mark the areas where the bites are solid and plentiful. Good Luck !

I wrenched my back and had time to do more research, and found this article from 2001. Basicly it summarizes most of what we already talked about in this Post, but it's a good article and includes an interesting point about Michigan Bass (according to a Michigan research biologist, there is virtually no stocking efforts and the bass here are mostly grown naturally. This reinforces the fact, it requires something special in a body of water to produce a double digit Michigan LMB) https://www.flwfishing.com/tips/2001-06-15-michigan-s-venerable-state-records-pose-quite-a-task-for-flw-anglers

So to summarize: -Michigan State Record Largemouth is 11.94 pounds. -A fish of that weight was caught in 1934 and then another of the same EXACT weight was caught in 1959 -In the 60 years since the 1959 record matching catch , only one person has caught and reported a 10lb Michigan LMB and that was 20 years ago in 1999, in Kalamazoo. -A DNR coordinator said, they have limited information about the two record Michigan LMB because “records were not kept in the 1930s and 1950s , like they are now.” That’s a good amount of researching , but it leaves me wondering: a) Was the actual story ever printed or written about in newspapers ? b) Where are the people who heard the story firsthand and/or remember reading about it ? c) Could pollution, chemicals or plastics in our waters , shorten the lifespan of a LMB, and potentially be the reason we haven’t seen more double digit Michigan LMB ? d) or were those Fish absolutely just freaks of nature ?

I’ve fished plenty of deep clear rock quarries and a few of them went from 1 foot to 20 feet with a short ledge and then drop down again into 40 feet of water or more. They can be very difficult to fish in summer, with so many steep drops and very little cover; but I’ve always had good success throwing Walk the Dog topwaters and Hula Poppers on late summer nights. During the day , weighted wacky rigs on 6lb or 8lb line , down to 20 feet or more. I would also think a Damiki rig would work, in these types of situations , but I haven’t tried that yet .

Yes, I didn’t think about that. The 1934 fish was actually caught late June and probably post spawn while the 1959 fish was caught in early September at a time when baitfish are plentiful in the shallows. So your explanation is most likely right. Thanks !