PhishLI

Get an ice pack ready...

That's not my experience. I haven't had much luck setting a chatter's jig hook with this rod. Too many shake-offs. I've had far better luck using an inexpensive 13 Defy Black 7'3" Composite CB rod. Much more gusto. Socks the hook home nicely through the hard spots.

Agree Agree. I use the FR733C mostly as my squarebill rod and light wire hook weightless moving plastics. No issues keeping fished pinned on trebles, even with straight braid. I don't really have much love for the Fury line, but this rod is really quite good used for these baits. One of my favorite combos for zipping out small squarebills. That's what's printed on the label anyway. Most of my rods are crisp mediums and medium heavies. Just my preference. The Fury 733C is my slowest by far. If you want slower than that look at the Mojo Glass.

Dah, who cares about 'em anyway? Their questions are simply an opening for one of our bi-daily pillow fights.

And, as often happens, a first time poster doesn't respond or join in, then disappears into the ether to post nevermore. Meanwhile, we regulars spin out yet again. While I've gotten better at it, I'm still often guilty of not being able to see the signs and sniff out what will inevitably become just another circle yerk.?

Last year a local shop had a pile of Daiwa CATALINA BJ 100-SHL jigging reels for a blowout price. Uses the same braking arrangement. Beautiful reel, but I passed.

Agree. If pad fields aren't filled with weeds between each pad stem a heavy, dense, un-weighted plastic can be magical. Just let it ride the tops of the pads then drop in. Even just a few inches below the surface might be a difference maker. Rinse and repeat. Perfect on days where they refuse to come up for a standard frog, but are more than happy to eat something right below the surface. This is the case in my lakes more often than not. A 6" Yamamoto Senko rigged on an Owner Twistlock Light 6/0 keeps the worm sleek, but more importantly is the best I've tried for preserving the worm when popping it through pads. Unweighted it comes in at 1/2oz, so if there's a gap it's heavy enough to slide in. A 5" Strike King Caffeine Shad is another great dense plastic option rigged on the same owner hook. The Keitech Noisy Flapper is a very dense and heavy toad. Heavy enough to cast a mile when rigged un-weighted, it'll also fall into gaps in the pads very nicely, but can be buzzed over the top if they're eating like that. A keel weighted twistlock type 5/0 swimbait hook works great also depending on the situation. https://www.keitechusa.com/catalog/noisy-flapper.html

Later than usual weigh in?

I think its a secret ?

Bro, I didn't get the memo either asking that for just this one time around I needed to forget I have a brain. Just smile and clap along.

I caught this squarebill and sock/underwear(?) snag magnet wrapped with a bunch of braid and several other corroded baits attached. I probably should've just called a hazmat team to deal with it, but I'm thrifty.? No more cooties. Shaped up nicely. Bomber Square A.

The X-factor with heavy weeds is filamentous algae, especially up here in the northeast. If a particular lake is without it, then follow the above suggestions. If this type of algae is part of the equation, then your options become limited depending upon what your tolerance is for picking off green slop from your baits after every single cast. Some type of swinging swim jig, ideally having a vertical line tie, and with or without a skirt, is very effective in veg with or without algae problems. Most will come rigged with an offset EWG hook for skin-hooking plastics for weed less rigging, so no brush guard to snag muck. Any plastic you're in the mood for will work, including worms. There are plenty out there, but this Strike King shown in the link comes with a skirt using a molded-in rubber collar that slips right off if you prefer no skirt. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Strike_King_Swinging_Swim_Jig/descpage-SJTGSS.html The collar isn't easily removable on this ECO Pro because it's wire tied on, and it has a horizontal line tie, but it has a smaller tungsten head. It happens to come through the junk nicely anyhow. It also gives you the option of hook swaps as it has a split ring connection to the head. The SK does not. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Eco_Pro_Tungsten_Swing_Swim_Jig_/descpage-EPSJ.html

Congrats on your first 5 pounder! Good looking one at that! If guys can now simply eyeball declare double digit catches, then I declare that the rounding error of 5 tenths of 1 oz goes your way on this one. ?

I have a rig I haven't used in over a month. The reel is spooled with 20 lb Berkeley Big Game mono. It'll be like a slinky by now. When I get to the lake tonight the first thing I'll do is tie on a Whopper Plopper 130, juice the brakes up on the reel a few clicks, then heave that sucka out to the middle of the lake. Then, I'll put the rod's tip in the water to submerge the line and get it wet, then crank the bait back in. Memory problems solved. So there you are. Tie on a resistance or heavy bait first thing and get your line wet. Like @Jig Man said, a whisper of spool tension will right your ship and won't hurt nuthin. Figure out your brakes combined with your feel/cast and you'll be able to back it off eventually.

We have only two places left on this entire island that seem to give a poop about freshwater gear and baits. Salt rules around here. This is odd because there are hundreds of freshwater spots from end to end. As good as both are, and I buy what I can from both, neither carries all that my heart desires, so a man has to do what a man has to do. Besides that, I don't mind ordering online one bit, and often pay for fast shipping. But if I pay for fast shipping, and a company doesn't ship for days to a week after I order, they really don't give a hockey puck, so sayonara.

No, it's not an "air tail" type, but its shape sort of looks like one. Regardless, the tail is narrow at the body, then gets wider, and it ticks up when dragged. It gets attention. I treat it like a heavy 5" senko at times, and at times like a fluke.

You'll be a very happy camper.

Yes. No. Weightless. It's the opposite of a floating bait. Very dense. You can chuck them a mile on casting gear rigged weightless. Looks great on the fall. Once it hits the bottom you can treat it in a number of ways. It's up to you. Dragged slowly the tail with kick up a bit. Like I said, everything tries to eat it down there. With the hooks shown below its very weedless. Throw them where you'd like and fish them how you'd like. Like a traditional fluke, or whatever. Super versatile bait, and they like it. The Owner Twistlock Light 5/0 and 6/0 are more like a traditional long shank round bend, not an EWG. Helps the bait to come through slop and cover nicely. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Strike_King_KVD_Perfect_Plastic_Caffeine_Shad_5_8pk/descpage-SKPCS.html

Treat it as a dragging bait and slow creep a 5" watermelon seed SK caffeine shad on the bottom or through anything else. Everything in the lake will hit its bulbous tail, and bass will suck it in.

LOL. This is the funniest thing I've ever read...wiping tears.

Too bad ole reliable can't get it together anymore. Says my order won't process and ship until 5 days after it was placed, and every item was in stock. What the fudge? I don't even care why anymore. This is just stupid at this point. More than that it's simply bad business. Good thing other places have stepped up to fill the void with lightning fast shipping and very competitive pricing. I've been nothing but pleased shopping elsewhere.

It'll be fine. Any reasonably thin oil will keep things humming.

Bluegill on beds are easy pickings for bass, and the bite windows get shorter for a bit, but they're furious if you can be there at the right time.

Big up to Midway USA. Hit the $49 threshold for free shipping, then ordered early Friday afternoon. Shipped the same day. Came this afternoon. Pretty good with the holiday stuck in between. Figured I'd give U-know-who another shot, so let's see how long my other 15% off order languishes in the ether. I heard including the free sticker slows down an order, so I left it out. I have plenty already.

My physical therapist bent me in new and terrifying ways today, so I figured it might be smart to take it a bit easy. Shot up to a local carp and turtle infested dink puddle just before dark with a light line setup, and got me some dinks. They must've been fry guarders 'cause they changed directions and fought like smallmouth, then shook furiously while I was unhooking them. Both rocketed right back to where I caught them. Wanted to stay longer, but the heavens opened up on me.