FishingGeekTX

Yes, probably. I periodically get a mid-cast fluff up, and sometimes it jerks to a halt. May be weakening the line eh?

First time I recall this every happening. I want to cast, don't recall anything out of the ordinary. 40# braid, new reel, buzz bait. I cast and the line snaps at the reel, and the bait goes flying. I am assuming the line must have fluffed up and caught just right on something which snapped it? Is this a "control backlash else you may get a break-off" type of thing, or is there something I'm missing (other than my lure :( )?

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/demoprogram.html

I agree, just get Booyah Pad Crashers and don't look back. Both the large, and Jr fish great, good price, great hookup ratio, good durability. I fished about 10 different frogs this year trying to answer that question, and I settled on pad crashers..I wish I had just asked up front Doesn't take on water either, or rather...drains properly so you don't have to squeeze it. I fished a hollow body fish today and it took on water..every cast had to squeeze it...garbage bin. Only issue with booyah is the paint gets scuffed up after some fish trauma, but they are still fishable.

Interesting. Lews manual says specifically to tie braid directly to the spool, it was one of marketing points "braid-ready". I wonder if they are concerned about deformation or something. Seems like we have to read every manual! https://www.lews.com/themes/lews_theme/assets/media/manuals/casting/TLCB1SH_Manual.pdf

- Early morning topwater in shallow water (cast bank to boat). Topwater can be anything from a frog for heavy weeds, buzzbait light weeds, treble hook (whopper plopper) open water. You can also try the hour before it gets dark. For me its less consistent than the morning bite, but they can also turn on for an hour or so then as well. Are you fishing smallmouth and largemouth? Maybe someone can recommend good lures/techniques that appeal to both? I don't know anything about SM fishing unfortunately, but I would imagine you could use lures that may appeal to both for a number of techniques, which may improve the odds.

If your spool has holes, you can thread it through two holes and tie it off, that should suffice. If your spool doesn't have holes, tie a knot as usual (arbor is fine, whatever really), and put a piece of masking tape around it and press down firmly, as your non-slip backing. Since you didn't do this, ideally if you have another reel, just unspool it to the other reel, put backing/tie, then respool.

I've been using Grande Bass Airtails this year and they are my go-to for worm soft plastic right now (red). They are nice and thick, fairly short, easily weedless hooked with high hookup through those ribs, and that tail floats like a champ. Only issue is they are fragile and I feel like I should be melting down the broken ones to re-use or something. :54 is shaky head, but they all look good.

It's like a ned rig (before the ned rig) with a small spinner, what's not to love?

If you like how the rod fishes (action, tip, weight, grips), I wouldn't upgrade it unless money was no object, or unless it was an enthusiast hobby thing. A MH-F is a versatile bass rod, always great to have a few on hand. If I like how a rod fishes, that's usually good enough for me. The only rods I *feel* benefit from $$$ are bottom contact..and even that is probably all in my head. I picked up a $69 Cadence rod for a MH-F 6'9 heavy topwater/close range, and it's a fine rod. SiC guides, fuji seat, no threads visible (screw cap like MB!), light, looks good, split grip...what's missing? Nothing IMO except 1 year warranty is all you get. Fishes well alongside Destroyers. I bought a bunch of brands, some I like, some I don't, but price other than looks/bling, didn't really determine if I like to fish it. Reels..I don't enjoy the low priced reels as much as I find I enjoy good quality lower cost rods. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MDVDKGN/ref=twister_B07MRJFHH5?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Yeah, lots of batnam love. I feel I should try it out too. MOving from a lews superduty and was going to just respool a Met MGL, but this gives me pause.

That's just my preference based on you saying lighter lures and versatile. http://www.***.net/showthread.php?t=875174&page=2&p=9070911&viewfull=1#post9070911 http://www.***.net/showthread.php?t=956484&p=9990208&viewfull=1#post9990208 This MB guy lists out just what you are looking for on the DSR too. But I can find a thread on any of those rods too I bet. I think MB marketing is wonky. IMO you have to figure out lure weight/action, and taper you want, and length, to help guide you. Diablo Spec-R to me is closest. Actually a ML rod would be, but most of us won't go under M for LMB for versatile rod choices. PP is a heavy rod, I can't see using that primarily for light texas rigs. I use my FMJ for light lures sometimes..totally doable, but its in a pinch, I would never buy it for that primary use, personally. Braillist at 7'5..that's too long for "versatile" to me. I'm thinking summer bass deep bottom contact personally. Maybe its perfect for you though, I can only give you my take. TourV looks good, I'd consider that, or DSR. I bet they both would feel great on those applications. Get TV if you are worried about the likely arbitrary ratings. Both are billed as versatile rods. TV is listed as heavier action (MH). Marketing-wise if they had a brallist type at M and 7'-7'2 that would be it. But it doesn't exist. Second thing you have to do is get your hands on the rod and judge based on your own likes. That's hard to do. But keep your packaging and don't cut off tags until you test the flex, maybe put a reel on it, and see how it feels. Return it if you want to try again. I recall having this same dilemma with Orochi, and I ended with a destroyers for bottom contact (Daemos and FMJ). And for versatile I did orochi spec R. I have fished everything from buzzbaits to bladed jigs to texas rigs and light jigs on it. Good luck!

Why use a leader for freshwater fishing, is it for pike for pike or something? Do you often hang lures so bad you have to cut long lines? If not, I wouldn't mess with a leader. Even if I did, I'm not sure I'd mess with a leader.

Crazy. I broke one and just got the replacement. I suppose I should expect it will break too if this is why. Someone else was just talking about breaking a Levante and they moved him up to an Orochi instead when calling in the warranty...could be why.

Def. upgrade, getting a discount on MB while under trade embargo from the wife, is cosmically right. For versatile and lighter lures, I'd go Diablo Spec-R Orochi. It's a fine rod, feels almost MH, and it's my cleaner rod...when I need "another lure", I tie it to that rod almost no matter what it is. All of those rods are going to be superb and to some degree, versatile though. All are heavier in application too though.

Man those kids steal the show from all the grown men holding fishies That little boy cracks me up, he's all straight-faced when his sister holds up those big fish. "big deal" I can see above his head. But he's got a huge grin when its his turn...probably reading into it, just struck me as funny. Great pics.

I'm proud of bass anglers catch and release in general, especially on trophy bass. Their actions have IMO made it a better world to catch big LMB.

I chose Met MGL at the time over all those other reels. No regrets, amazing reels.* I handled a lot of reels, I preferred the Met, but I have not fished the others, so they may be amazing too for all I know. You could use TW demo reel program..you can get 3-4 reels and settle your mind. However, I just got some Met DCs and wow, they are impressive. For experienced users that are as one with their reels, who always adjust external brakes based on lure/conditions, can control the spool but still get very long casting...DC doesn't offer much beyond "trouble-free". It may actually hurt some peoples casting distance. For new to average users, I suspect they will be overall casting farther with less difficulty even in the wind. Something to consider. Both can bomb a half ounce frog. I would not worry about gears unless you have problems, then fork out the money or warranty it then get the new brass. *edit: based on below, I suppose I will try a bantam out too

Cynically it's because it creates pressure to purchase multiple reels. $200 reel vs $50 spool, they go for reels. $100 for Metanium spools, I won't purchase one. If it was $50, I'd consider it. $25, I'd have one or two for every reel.

I caught one on it, when it was properly wobbling, but bass will hit anything roughly that size that floats though. $9 steep when it doesn't wobble-retrieve as advertised consistently.

I don't know but I bought some of the yum crawbugs recently because why not...I have 4 other realistic craw that I never fish! The monkey liked the fact that it was hollow-body center, and it has a smaller profile, tail wrapped. I also bought some crawfish megastrike to squirt in there. Someone on the forum also mentioned a bit of alka seltzer in there to make it bubble. That seems like overkill, but also sounds fun . I didn't buy the alka-seltzer. I have it hooked splendidly, with a weighted screw lock hook. Collapses on the hook easily, hook is in a good spot, and looks weedless. I'm psych'd, fishing it in the morning at a lake where I have seen crawfish, and found crawfish antenna sticking out of bass gullets...a notoriously hard lake to fish...this may be the secret key! (I know it's not likely...they turn on briefly a few times a day, then off, and when turned off its a slog). Brown crawfish are what I've seen in that lake, similar to the above picture. There is a video on youtube from some young guy showing how bass react to I think live crawfish. When their claws are up, the bass ignored it. Claws down, they were interested somewhat. Claws removed, I think it got eaten on the fall. I don't recall exactly...but it makes me think we should chop those claws off I won't try that unless I am striking out. I would definitely like to see more on that. Especially those lures like Savage that have floating claws that put them in a claws-up posture. That may actually reduces strikes for all I know. I'd take hungry bass over lure realism any day...but we don't get to choose do we. Something to keep the mind busy.

It does sound awfully "go get a yappa". I did buy one and fished it last week, the bug. Gives me the eebie-jeebies every time I look at it, I hate those water bugs. It's supposed to do a jitterbug-like wobble on retrieve, but I found it doesn't. Maybe the soft lip deforms when it walks, messing it up. It would dive, skitter across the top,and then proper wobble some. If it did wobble reliably on a straight retrieve, I would like it more. Since it doesn't, I give it a thumbs down due to the high cost and inconsistent action. I'm happier throwing a pad crasher for now.

Don't overthink it. Spool up some power pros moss green 30# or 40# braid. Enjoy. 30# braid is mono 8# diameter, not 12 or 16. 40# braid is like 11lb mono diameter. Braid will have no memory, will caster farther, is more supple, and is smaller diameter (which goes to casting, and reduces abrasion resistance). Aside from casting in windy conditions, it's superb for most applications. Tie to line, don't use leaders IMO, just too much fuss. It's not cheap, but it will last a season or two. If it's a typical U.S. baitcast, you won't have a spool cap issue with normal freswhater # test. 14# mono at 120 is seems relatively high. Metanium MGL runs 12#/110 yards. I do keep a big spool of Triline big game in my box for emergencies (the value is absurdly good), but I don't particularly like Mono or Flouro.

I use that technique on occasion down south as well, it works for LMB too.

I think that's summer fishing in many lakes/ponds. Get out just before light. Some % of bass move shallow to feed early morning. You want to be fishing topwater (frog if it's cover, popper if edge of cover but open, buzzbait if it's like large flat shallows where you need to cover water). If a fish is there, it will be 0-10 seconds..then cast a new spot. You have very limited time in the morning, you want to catch all the fish you can. That means your first cast would be before you reach the bank, to the shallows where you are walking towards. Be quiet, shallow bass can spook easy. Then cast shallows left/right. Then either work your way one direction casting shallow, or most to a new spot and repeat. Have a weightless fluke or worm rigged as a follow-up cast if you miss one, but only give it one try then back to topwater. Once the morning bite is over, either put a weight on the soft plastic (clamp, split shot, 1 foot from hook or more), or re-rig texas rig. Now cast anywhere, let sink, work back letting it pause (as per normal). Still cast the frog and quickly work through cover. Cast the worm and let sink, worm back slow. If not working, go slower. Punching a jig/creature through cover or dropshot cover edges I might try the next visit if I strike out with frog/trig after morning. I've never done either from the bank, no tips from me there. If that doesn't work, downsize lures. If that doesn't work, fish early morning then go enjoy your summer