Bass Rutten

Kistler helium is a great deal at $247 (current sale price), and an insane deal at $207 which is what I paid last spring for my 7', 4.5hmh. Beats my St Croix legend Elite as well the Orochi perfect pitch (which I no longer own) in sensitivity and smokes them both in weight and balance. I'd even argue it's an equal and even maybe touch above expride, I had a 7'3" xh A series I also recently sold.

Considering the lakes I'll be fishing this year for my clubs tournaments; kissimmee, toho, harris chain, winter haven chain etc, I figure I got at least a 50% chance at breaking my 5.2lb pb. Like Mike I gots hopes and I gots dreams, that's what keeps us going, right? Maybe with a few prayers thrown in and a lotta luck I might even join the double digit club, you just never know.

Best lure was a tie between a ned rigged xzone ned zone and 4.8 jackall flick shake worm. Both thrown on a 7’ med-light Kistler helium with Daiwa ss air.

I signed up over the weekend but I think I mistakenly signed up for the newsletter which may be different from the mailing list, I did receive a welcome to the newsletter email but nothing for the sale. Can anyone confirm this?

I keep a finger in contact with the line with either casting or spinning so sensitivity is equal-ish. In theory though casting set up is more sensitive, the spool and line is closer to the rod blank and more directly in line with the lure.

Now I remember reading about that, they reversed the inductor to lighten it and shrink the reel a touch.

Does it use the same spool as the steez air tw? I don't see a spool listing for the ss air tw on his site. Was there any mention mention of a release date?

Quick bps pit stop mini-haul; Rapala rocco, thunder cricket, and a nice find with some mustad alpha point size 1 straight shank finesse hooks. First time seeing these, 5-pack for $4.99, they ooze quality with a sealed eye and a great bent metal keeper, silly sticky sharp, and great package concept with a neat slide out insert, quick and easy in and out. Finesse nerds will want to check these out. I'll be using these for weedless dropshot fer shure.

They are nice, I've been using the 23 feider topwater/jerk rod since last spring, so light and fun for topwater fishing. This one will be my first bonafide glass cranking rod so although I'm excited to get it I'm not sure quite what to expect with it being glass, might love it , might hate it, hopefully the former.

It's the new for 23 non ags model with the darker grey finish. The last elite I had I sold, I couldn't take the look of it, I sold it to the silver surfer, he's over the moon with it 😆

Not sure which one you're looking for but copperstate tackle has 3 different versions of rebellion glass models in stock, I was hoping to see some discounts on them but I couldn't wait any more. Yesterday I sprung for one of the new for 23 tatula elite rods, found a screaming deal for $150 on the Takahiro Omori glass cranking rod.

Daiwas rod tiers are a little screwy, the rebeliion line is trying to compete at the $200 price point with not only other brands but also with their own tatula elites at $190 which is also the line they chose to place some of their signature rods and heavily market. Then you have a $100 price gap between them and the $300 AGS rods. A new and improved rebellion or a completely new series at $250 would make the most sense.

Don't do it! This is page 666 of this thread, just saying

I've been shopping around online for a cranking rod and noticed them disappearing too. I'd bet the next gen rebellion will be arriving at this summers icast.

Speaking of darter heads and secret "new" Japanese fishing techniques, here's another one using a classified top secret design incorporating a patented proprietary blend of angel wings and goblin farts that's sure to be the next big thing 🤣

As RRocket alluded to the key to the hover rig is the line tie placement being moved back from the tip of the lure which creates more drag and prevents excessive rising and the "hover" effect, a jig n fluke would be more akin to mid strolling than hover strolling. I've been mid strolling a while now and wished I would've thought of this, it's now on my list of things to try, I'm pre-fishing for a tourney this weekend, might throw one together!

Just to be clear the damiki rig is vertical whereas hover strolling is horizontal and is cast out and retrieved, very different technique-wise. I'm just dipping my toes into hover strolling it but I've been mid-strolling (very similar) for years with success from bank, boat, and canoe blind casting for bass and panfish with no electronics whatsoever. I see no reason hover strolling won't work just as well if not better, especially shallow.

Bumpasaurus - I picked up the Feider rod and an alphas 800 last May and I find it's happiest right at about 3/8oz, it's an absolute joy of a combo. I'm considering the walters rod now and was wondering if you, or anyone, has tried doing any cranking with it. I imagine that taper and power would be great for bigger squarebills. How accurate have you found it's 1/2oz to 1 1/2oz lure rating to be? What weight or weight range would you say is it's sweet spot?

Banana peel?

I can't speak to the 68md but a St Croix panfish series med-light is a noodle compared to their other medium lights, completely different power and taper.

Good call and great advice from dvt. Most of my hard lures are 3/16 and1/4oz jerk baits, poppers, and cranks. The plastics I use are mostly 4-6.5in finesse worms rigged all manner of ways; weightless, weightless wacky, 1/16-1/8oz jig wacky, 1/16 shaky head, neko rig, free rig, 1/16oz ned rigs. Basically just downsizing my conventional confidence techniques/lures. I'm using a medium light/fast rod rated for 1/16-3/8oz lures, it's got a soft tip and shuts off fast which I find is ideal for bass. The ultra light and moderate tapered rods commonly suggested are better suited for targeting panfish and trout.

Lake Ida Florida, December 24 2023, 2.97lb peacock bass. Caught on 1/4oz berkley squarebull 3.5, nice way to break in my new daiwa ss air reel, a huge upgrade from the slx bfs in every aspect. They were aggressive and plentiful on this day right off my friends dock.

I've dabbled in small jigs, I like compact jigs that can do double duty swimming and pitching/skipping to cover, here's a few I've used: Molix kento 1/4oz - Most compact and shortest overall of the bunch, good at swimming and pitching, best skipper, one of my faves. Keitech tungsten model1 v2 1/4oz - Use more for pitching than swimming, most expensive, will probably phase out of use. Dirty jigs finesse swimjig 5/16oz - Great swimmer around vegetation. Longest overall and kind of big hook for a "finesse" jig, almost full size. Dirty jigs Scott Canterbury compact flipping 5/16 & 7/16oz- One of my favorites, tied for the best do-it-all imo. Beefiest hook of the bunch. More pitching than swimming. Booyah baby boo 5/16oz - No complaints for the price, very light wire and least expensive, great bang for the buck. Booyah baby boo 3/16oz - Another great bang for the buck, even lighter wire, 2nd shortest overall. Strike King Baby Structure Jig 3/8oz - Very compact for it's weight, best I've found at coming through all types of cover, owner hook, tied as my favorite, a real sleeper. Strike King Bitsy Flip 1/4oz - Meh, it's cheap and it shows, terrible keeper, hit or miss quality control.