lunkerboss923

Do you use a spinning rod or baitcaster for Mojos? I've seen it both ways. Some people fish finesse smaller tackle with spinning rods. While others use a baitcaster and go medium heavy or scale down to Medium Fast.

It's a hypothetical 2 acre pond. Maybe you have some cypress knees coming up in the shallows. You have bass running baitfish in the shallows to shore busting them. Here's my progression: 1. Moving bait...check the scenario observe what is happening. My goal is to find fish • Active fish = chatterbait • Moderately active fish = spinnerbait • Neutral or negative mood fish = swim jig 2. If I see bass busting shad or baitfish, I'll try a weightless fluke. I like white or baby bass 3. Shakey heads (trick worms) or wacky rigs on a 6'10" medium fast rod and a baitcaster. 4. Lipless crankbaits/Squarebills...to give them another candidate to look at...I like black 6th Sense lures, purple and chartreuse or red crawfish. 5. Topwater, spook, popper or whopper plopper...late in the evening 6. Buzzbaits...evening bait I don't know if this is right, it has worked for me in the past. Just curious what you do. I want to learn.

Ok, so here's the scenario. It's around 4PM in the afternoon. You just got to your spot. It's partly cloudy, semi breeze on the water, but not choppy, air temperature is around 83*F, and the water is semi clear to clear (give me your murky water lure progression too). What your plan of attack, what is your lure sequence? Do you through a search bait first, then a squarebill, a fluke. Take me through your thought process and explain why you chose to throw that certain bait? This is aimed to help some of us beginners to intermediate fishermen. Thank you

If I were in the market, depending on my budget, Academy is selling Dobyns Fred Roumbanis which are Champion Series rods. They are about the closest thing to the well built Champion Rods, they just carry the professional fisherman's name. In a comparison between the Fury Series and Roumbanis Champion Series, it's minor, but the price is about $130 difference. I would probably go with the Utility Rod or the 703C. Dobyns rods run lighter than the specs. A medium heavy is a medium heavy light. I've had excellent luck with the 703C fishing Squarebills. I've also caught a bunch of fish with a jerkbait on the 703C, including an 8lb bowfin.

I believe the Bass Pro Qualifier is made by Lew's. Not sure about the Academy reel.

Where can you get Kaden rods?

Curado K 200 XG or Fuego CT 8.1:1

Dobyns for crankbait (705cb) Dobyns for single hook moving baits (734c) Dobyns for soft plastics (703c) St. Croix for topwater/jerkbait ( 6'8" MXF) St. Croix for finesse (spinning) Diawa Tatula Frog Rod (7'4" HF)

I haven't seen many reviews of the SLX, but Tactical Bassin loves them. I'm kind of weary of them, they promote Shimano way too much not to be affiliated somehow. Can somebody give me a condensed review of them. I'm looking to make it my drop shot, Ned rig, and light weight senko rod. I was hoping maybe a Sedona for the reel, as I don't want to over spend, but aesthetically the combo may not look the prettiest. What specs do I want on the rod mentioned above (ML or M)? I'm considering other rods as well, trying to stay below $100. Any help would be appreciated, especially if you've fished any of these below. Reels have been narrowed down to Shimano NASCI, Shimano Sedona, and Pflueger President. • Dobyns Fury • Dobyns Colt • St. Croix Bass X • Duckett Silverado

One man's trash is another man's treasure, I suppose. I probably won't ever own a $500 reel, so the Curado DC is about as top of the line as it gets for me. Wacky rigs, drop shots, Ned rigs, Necko rigs, and anything with a light wire hook and/or a weighted jighead to me is a finesse presentation. I can't imagine you using more than about 5 during the course of a day, but hey, great if you can. No need to be little people in the process, there's more diplomatic ways to get your point across. It doesn't make you any better of a fisherman having 30 rods and reels than the guy who has a few. Nice collection by the way.

I love my Fury 705cb. The 805cb might be a bit much on the kayak. I'm a budget guy so I like the Fury series rods. For frogs I think a Champion 736c is a better rod. Though I love my 735c, I think it's a little whippy for frog rod, it makes up for it in the backbone. Once you get a strike and set the hook the rod comes alive. The best finesse baitcasting rod I've ever owned was the Duckett Ghost (white rod, discontinued). I'd put my MGL on this rod or something similar. If you're not into the baitcasting finesse rod setup. The Dobyns 703 spinning rod is great. I have the Colt series, but I'm sure all the higher end 703 rod are a ton better. I'd pair it with a Shimano Sedona 2500 or a Pflueger President. Just fyi, I think the quality of the G.Loomis rods have gone down since the buyout. I've used both and I'd buy a pre-buyout rod before I'd think about a Loomis today. This is coming from a shimano guy.

The SLX MGL is the most practical for my pocketbook, but the Curado MGL looks gorgeous!!!

I am no expert, but the Curado DC is the best reel I've ever owned. It makes casting fool proof. It's a true to form Shimano...very smooth. I've paired it with a Dobyns 734c Fury. I throw spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, and swim jigs on it. The way I understand MGLs, is basically they are made for finesse with a smaller spool. They are also strong enough to pitch jigs in heavy cover. I can't understand why you'd want 5 MGLs, but I do get maybe purchasing 2 one for finesse lures and one for pitching. Maybe you get a 6 speed, 7 speed, and 8 speed Curado DC and a 7 speed MGL on a medium fast rod for finessing and 7 speed MGL on a Heavy Jigging Rod. Just my .02

Squarebill in and around the flooded timber. I might use some flippin jig intermittently, as well. I would probably use some sort of topwater (hollow belly frog) by the vegetation. Those come to mind.

I keep it simple...I don't know where to find half of these worms mentioned, but I love Zoom Trick Worms. I like black, pink, watermelon red, and green pumpkin.

A few years back you could buy these at Academy and I have not seen them for quite some time. Did they discontinue them? There isn't a squarebill out right now that I've used that could compare. Spro, KVD, 6th Sense, Berkeley, Catch Co./Googan, and Rapala. Booyah Flex 2 outfished them all. Tackle Warehouse has them, but I like to buy my stuff in person. Anybody have any insight on this situation?

The Tatula 100 is almost fool proof. I have backlashed it, but it's as close to backlash proof as it gets. Oh and like everyone has said the DC reels.

Overall smoothness and castability the SLX wins that one. The SLX is my crankbait rod in a 6.3:1. The Fuego feels a ton stronger and shines in heavier applications such as frogging, punching, Texas Rigs etc.

I have a 7'1" St. Croix Bass X MHF with a Shimano Curado K 200. For me, that's about as sensitive as I've had. Bass X are $100 and some change.you can't beat St. Croix with your budget you may want to look at the Mojo Bass, Avid X or Legend Elite.

Thank you!!! How about the Spools? Can I order an SLX MGL spool and put it on my Caius? I've heard you can interchange the Spools too, is that accurate?

Do they fit a 2020 Caius reel? I'm interested.

Please humor me...Is there a place I could get a replacement handle for my reel (can I order directly from Shimano)? I have the new 2020 Caius B with the red handle which I don't like. Are the two compatible? Is there any way I could get an SLX handle (I like the black) for the Caius and would it fit? What about an MGL spool for the Caius? Does one spool fit most in the Shimano world? I have some ideas for it, Boca Bearing replacements, carbon drag...guys I'm not even sure if you can do any of these upgrades, but could you advise me on how I could upgrade this reel to make it more custom, instead of plain vanilla? Thank you.

I use my popper/topwater rod Medium Extra Fast for weightless flukes, worms, and senkos. 12# Flurocarbon with a 7 speed reel.

Curado DC in a 6 speed. Casts like dream on a Fury 734c.

I broke down and got a Curado DC at lunch. I'm now broke, but it was worth it!