Grim_Reaver

I specifically mentioned inches per turn. If a bass is coming at you with a sudden burst of speed, it is impossible to catch up to them. A bass moving at 2.5 miles an hour could easily outrun even a 10:1. Even a smaller bass will move faster than that when attacking something.

This video has me thinking. Are we suckers for marketing/hype? If close quarters fishing (skipping, flipping/pitching, punching, etc) requires a stout rod with lot's of leverage and reel with lot's of torque, why is the trend towards long rods/high speed reels producing the opposite affect? If we need to cut through vegetation with braid, why use heavier lb test (larger diameter) braids which are less efficient at cutting than lighter lb test (smaller diameter) braids? If we need to put less pressure on a fish using finesse tackle, why use shorter rods (more leverage) that increase the pressure we are putting on the fish? If a largemouth can really only distinguish between greens, reds, whites, blacks, why are we buying so many rainbow colored baits? A bass wrapped in vegetation will never be a able to break off braid if a much heavier and stronger fish like a snook or redfish can't. A longer rod will never be able to balance as well or provide the same strength and leverage as a shorter rod built with the same materials. A higher gear ratio will never be able to produce the same torque as a lower gear ratio. A bass may not be able to see the different colors but I doubt differences in shading of the colors really matters to a fish with a brain the size of a pea that is just reacting to it's environment. A bass can swim much faster than you ever will be able to reel (a 20" largemouth can swim up to 12mph in short bursts equating to 211.2 inches/second) so a high speed reel could only catch up to tiny bass who is topping out at 2mph (35.2 inches per second).

I notice that the trend in bass fishing is using 7'6 and up rods for punching mats. Does anybody use shorter rods, say 7'-7'4", for punching? If not, why not?

Don't give up on braid just yet. Just a learning experience. If you want to break off easily, just tie on a mono leader. Uni to uni or crazy alberto knot are what I usually use. You can find a plethora of videos on tying/fishing braid to leader on youtube.

White swim jig with a paddletail trailer. Will work anywhere, any time.

I plan to use a t-rig. Back when worms were producing, I'd drag em a couple inches, pause and shake the rod tip, repeat. It wouldn't take long to get bit. Another idea would be to give the worm a couple inches of line to let it float up off the bottom. I like worms in the 7-8" range. Bass up to 13lbs have come out of this lake and I've had dinks hit a 10" worm so size isn't an issue.

My mistake, I meant ribbon tails.

I've never had luck on straight tail worms but as the spot I bank fish is transitioning from a sandy, open flat to a muddy, grassy flat the bass have stopped biting curly tails. The culprit worms I fish on a t-rig don't have much action when I pause/twitch (kinda like a shakey head) and lay flat in the mud, which is why I think the bass have stopped biting them. I've been eyeing the Z-man mag fattyz because the tail will float up, giving the bass in opportunity to grab it without a face full of mud. Straight tail worms are also easier to fish through grass. Is it time to make a change?

If you're concerned about the fish seeing it, the answer is no. You could probably go straight braid and they wouldn't care. The bright green will make detecting bites on bottom bouncing baits much easier.

Sounds like it's time to start harvesting 11-13 inchers. Small bass are good eating and no threat of overharvest. The big bluegill come from lack of competition, being that the competition got eaten, lol.

Improper spooling is one way, as you already mentioned. Another way is when you crank the reel handle while the drag is slipping. For some reason, some bass anglers don't understand how to properly tighten their drags...but I digress.

This pretty interesting. I myself have never payed attention to the difference and I found the transition pretty seamless when I first made it. As for MH being the most versatile, that's an argument for another day lol.

My friend had a similar problem, he just ended up buying another SLX. He needed a reel to cast 1/8oz spinnerbaits and buzzbaits in creeks. I can ask him what size line he is using if you want.

Here's a tip: Turn the brakes all the way up and adjust the spool tension a little tighter than normal. It's what I do when I let a beginner use my baitcasters and there is rarely a problem with backlashing. Back the tension and brakes off slowly as you get better at thumbing the spool.

Can't go wrong with original power pro. I've tried spiderwire, suffix 832, and Daiwa J braid in various sizes. Needless to say, I'm back to original PP and will be trying Maxcuatro in the near future. Also, since @Ogandrews put in his plug for the Curado K, I'm gonna suggest you also look at the Daiwa Tatula 100 too. Similar size, lighter, and almost backlash proof. I bet it also casts lighter lures better than the K.

I'd say that's about right for baitcasters. Anything below that tends to dig into the spool bad with some braids. It hurts when you're on a hot bite and you go to cast and see your lure go flying without being attached to the line, only to look down and see your line dug into itself on the spool.

For braid, I would suggest 40lb over 30, especially if you plan on using frogs. You won't lose much casting distance and it will handle the shock of hard hooksets better (if you're a slack liner).

How much would it affect buoyancy? Could this be useful in getting baits without bills to run a little bit deeper?

Sounds like a good idea for some buzzbait trailers. I have a bunch of baits that I don't use and could trade after this corona virus stuff is over. PM me if interested.

I was actually looking at that color too. I found a bluegill washed up on the bank of a small lake I fish a lot and it had a dark back with light purplish/almost white sides. Not too long after, an anhinga popped up with a larger bluegill that had a light greenish back and the same light purplish/almost white sides.

A wealth of knowledge here. I'm mainly trying to mimic bluegills and I prefer to slow roll my spinnerbaits and swim jigs. I primarily fish shallow water and 3/8oz heads are usually by go to size. Up until now, the SK hack attack swim jig was my go to but I'm looking to assemble my own now. The skirt was kinda thin for my liking and they're pretty pricey when they get snagged or the weedguard falls out.

Alrighty then, thanks for the help

Okay, so if I want the bait to fall slower, more skirt strands help with the buoyancy. Will the number of skirt strands also affect how the bait tracks through the water?

Would 50 strands or 60 strands be better for the above mentioned lures? I plan on using swimbaits and flukes as trailers.

Location, location, location. You can have the best presentation ever but you can't catch a fish that isn't there. On the same note, there are plenty of ugly lures/presentations that sometimes don't represent anything in a bass' natural environment and they'll gobble it down like there's no tomorrow. Imo, some guys give the fish too much credit.