Bass Rutten

Not better, just different. I use the bbb yomama which looks identical to the one pictured (as well as the ri sb). It has a much larger tail in relation to the body than the ri sweet beaver. A smaller tail to body ratio = faster fall rate>use in clearer water/tougher bites (reaction bite), bigger tailed baits = slower fall>use in dirtier water, it's good to have both for different conditions. That's the theory anyways, as always experiment, mother nature has been known to kick the rule book in the teeth.

I always start with what the prevailing wind, light intensity, water clarity, and recent weather events dictate, most days will require a different approach. If I got an hour to junk fish I grab my mh rod and a box I keep a few chatterbaits, jigs, and plastics in.

I need one. Is that a 19 stradic? I have a c2000s but don’t see a reel stand compatible with it.

Xzone ned zone, 2 packs trd’s, yum sharpshooter worms, berkley gillys, 3 mb sleeper gills, 2 packs gamakatsu twistlock crappie jigheads, 1/16 slider heads, keitech 2.0 easy shiners, gamakatsu box. It’s been a very finesse oriented year for me so far, the trend continues…

Shorter rods were preferred to facilitate keeping the rod tip as still as posssible.

We talking bare jighead or as a swim jig trailer? With plain jigheads a minimum of a 1/2oz, possibly 3/4 depending on line diameter. Skirted swimjigs will have more lift requiring more weight.

Dang! They had every color in stock too.

Any shakey head or medium/fast spinning rod should do the job nicely I use a 7’0” m/f daiwa kage.

Megabass sleeper gills in stock at Omnia, and go! Just grabbed three of them myself.

Daiwa, St Croix, berkley. Alternately since many are fudging the rules... Porsche, crestliner, U.S. Treasury.

Good points, the tt thread is the most there is to go on that I’ve found aside from owning one, it is what it is. While that catalina spool swap seems interesting and I appreciate the enthusiasm to experiment and squeeze out every last drop of performance, I've yet to think "I wish I could cast just a bit further". I just can't see buying a $400 reel and then spend another $75-100(?) spool for a few extra yards? Just get closer lol (not always possible I know), if fish are so spooky that a few yards makes the difference, a lighter line should pick up those few yards and may get more bites too. Your line choice or rather diameter may be the x-factor, with heavier line like 20 or 25lb you'll probably only get about 65-70 yds onto the 1000 which would nearly half empty the reel on a typical cast.

Fyi there’s a massive thread over at tt about this reel with some great info. Don’t sleep on the current zillion hd (1520) it has mag sealed bearings and holds more line and although an ounce heavier it’s a true hd reel, and it looks way cooler imo. I’ve been rocking mine on 2 different similarly spec’d (to the mb tb) swimbait rods over a year now, a daiwa 7’3” xh 1-4oz, and a custom 7’0” 1-3oz and it’s been near perfect for them, smaller and lighter would be nice but you can’t have it all. Reports are that the tw hd 1000 doesn’t feel heavy duty despite it’s name but interestingly it’s… you guessed it, smaller and lighter. I still want one though. I’d be concerned about the line capacity for your purposes, if your bantam hasn’t left you wanting more you’ll probably be fine.

Spinning for me on everything 1/2oz. and lighter. Jerkbaits were developed by guys in the ozarks region primarily on spinning gear.

A minimalist at heart if I can do it lighter, cheaper, or faster I almost always will, but at about $3-$4 for a 10 pack tungsten nail weights are totally worth it to me for the stealthiness and low profile they offer. A dab of super glue they ain’t going anywhere unless the whole worm gets thrown. Still got a few left from a 10 pack I bought almost 2 years ago.

Tiny and light I wear this on a necklace made of paracord, cuts braid clean and always right there when I need it.

Drop. Shot. Gets. Bit.

Fyi pork rinds are an unprocessed, carb free food that's a good source of protein and healthy fats. It's popular among people on paleo and keto diets, not unhealthy at all. Eat them without caution!

[wall of text alert] Throwing around a finesse swimbait from the bank of a local forest preserve this last Tuesday and having one bass and one crappie to show for an hours work I decided to try a bottom presentation and tied on a 3/32 jighead with a ned rig in mind, I pick through my tackle box and select a black/gold berkley twitchtail minnow that I typically use for dropshot, thread it on and start casting. A few casts in I’m focused on the little minnow as it approaches my feet, twitching my rod to check the tail action and as I lift the lure the surface erupts in a frothing boil, now mind you this was literally at my feet so I feel I should get a pass for the noise I made upon seeing a set of jaws and teeth burst forth seemingly from out of nowhere. Upon realizing a giant fish just missed my lure I watched it as it swam to my left, and as any fisherman would do I pitched my lure back out in front of it, I give it a couple twitches and son of a biscuit she takes it! While fighting the fish I actually managed to get my backpack off and retrieve my fish grippers and after 4 or 5 minutes I finally got them onto her lower jaw. Keep in mind this was on my 6’10” ml expride spinning rod with, 8lb fireline, and 4lb yozuri hybrid leader, the jig luckily caught her just inside her left jaw plate out of the way of teeth. After a few quick pics and a measurement (42") I spent a full 10 minutes trying to revive her. I don’t think the fish was in the best of health, she had a beat up bloody tail which is strange for this time of year, and as you can see from the pic below was a bit deformed and rather skinny. When I let go her she stayed in the same spot for another 10 minutes, I tapped her side with my rod and she moved forward a couple feet and stopped, she was still sitting in 2 feet of water upright when I left so I’m hoping she made it.

The swimbait bite was on for me Sunday, with a twist. At a local spot I tied on a 1/10oz jig and 3.3” paddletail and was slow rolling it over a rocky finger near bottom around 10’ deep when a subtle tick came, after a short fight to my surprise a giant crappie rolled onto the surface that measured 15.5”, bang just like that new pb! I repeated this again about 15 minutes later with a thick bodied 11” crappie. With brutal wind gusts kicking up I decided to up-size to a 3.8 with 3/16oz to punch it out further, I thought to myself well probably only bass now and the next bite I reeled in a beauty of a crappie that measured 13” and had the whole rig in it’s throat, choked as they say. 90 minutes, 3 fish, 39.5” of crappie, short but fun day!

Mine’s been amazing… right up until last week when that geary feeling that I’ve only ever felt in shimanos started creeping in. Hopefully a few drops of oil and a greasing will bring it right back.

The tie off method has never failed me, tie off to a stationary object, stand back a bit and lift rod to fighting position (apprx 10-11 o’clock), adjust drag so it slips when rod is loaded to the max amount of pressure I feel I can apply for the given line. I’ve used scales and the 20-30% settings and feel the tie off method is a better real world way of setting it.

It sounds like it’s not being cinched down properly. Being a clinch style knot it relies on “pinning” the tag which should come out at the very base of the knot perpendicular to the main line and not pointing down toward the lure. This is achieved by pulling the tag back or away from the lure after clinching it, using your finger nails to push the wraps tighter helps too. I’ve found that the trilene has trouble when used on split rings as they’re not round and creates a slight gap at the base of the knot, I only use it direct to hooks or other terminal that’s solid and round.

This is the one you want, easy to control gel, has a precision applicator and doesn’t dry out.

Are you tying the half hitch on the tag only or tying it around the main knot itself?