Finessegenics

And I went ice fishing yesterday! I'm excited for those of you kicking off your seasons though, go catch em!

Tough one. Soaking some nightcrawlers and seeing what bites is probably the way to go. I’d say Walleye but I don’t know your river. They tend to migrate to the big waters in the winter so I don’t know if they’ll hold in your river. If it’s a larger and deeper river then probably!

The smallmouth! Im biased because they are my favourite fish but imagine what a 15lb smallmouth would feel like on the end of your line. Purely for the fight.

Swammer is a great jig trailer. I know this wasn’t your topic OP, but if you want an agressive jig trailer go with the XZone Swammer! For more subtlety use the fat impacts. 1 pack of each is plenty.

I don't think it's weird. I've felt similarly about some of my rods and reel. They're nice and you can tell they're good quality but are they really worth x amount of dollars more than some of my more affordable gear? Not at all. That's my conclusion. I'm just as happy and comfortable with my cheapest setup than I am with my most expensive. Sometimes I regret not getting the cheaper gear.

I don't think it'll make the jig rock, which in my opinion is the whole point of a swim jig. The easy shiners could work as a subtle presentation but the fat impacts are subtle enough for me. The fat impacts really don't make the jig rock all that much. If you compare the fat impacts with other thick swimbaits, you'll see what I mean. That being said, the easy shiners are still worth trying! Experiment to see what works for you, you might just be on to something.

The dark sleeper has been great for me so I wonder if I really even need these! I fish it mostly like a swimbait.

The SLX is definitely worth it. Have not used them but I only hear great things about them. The rod’s specs looks like it can do the job well but are you sure you’re not confusing two of the models? There’s a 7’5 H/F which is rated 1/2 -1 1/2 and a 7’5 MH/XF which is rated 1/4-3/4. You should make sure it’s the 7’5 H/F if you’re looking for something different. And If it’s two for the price of one, you might as well grab two! Never heard of a deal like that for fishing rods.

I think the medium is a good idea for the treble hooked baits for now. I would say your next rod should be a heavy cover/frog stick. Something that could pull off both those techniques. A H/F should do the job. I use both the Mojo Bass and Bass X 7'4 H/F.

If you're talking about fishing tips and stuff then I'll always help if they ask. I might not give in and tell all my little secrets but I'm always happy to help. I don't go out of my way to give unsolicited advice though.

Could’ve been worse, could’ve been better. 5 14 32 51 94

I don't have the answers, but I've noticed the same issues when I buy 'off-brand' inline spinners. Some just don't spin that good.

I'll second the Mojo Bass. I own the 7'1 M/F. Love it to death.

101 lbs 11 oz

Yeah, Canada is awesome. Even near major cities, lakes/rivers don't seem to be as pressured. Just a lot less people here and A LOT of water. There's thousands of places you can go just within a single province. I don't know much about monster pike but if you're interested, I know an amazing outfitter in Quebec with great walleye and smb fishing. There are definitely pike but the lake isn't well known for producing monster pike. Been there a few times. Not a fly-in but not accessible by road either. You leave your car at a secluded lot/boat ramp and they will pick you up by boat and bring you to camp.

Got 2 guys going tomorrow. Kennedy and Cook

Reminds me of the gamechanger eeliminator but that’s a twist tail vs this paddle tail. Interesting bait. Can be used subsurface or as a topwater. as for the discussion of is it a toad or swimbait, why not both? Who said toads had to be fish on the surface too? Many of them look great on a swinghead or as jig trailer.

Looking the same for me. Just a glitch

I’m in pretty good shape myself. Cook in 2nd, Canterbury in 11th, Kennedy at 6th as well and Crews doing decent at 19th too. But it’s Day 1! Lots of fishing to go

Anyone watching the Live? Looks like I made a huge mistake passing on Scott Martin. He just made a huge cull. 26 lbs bag already.

Ready to go!

I just realized my post ignored the last few questions you had. If you want to fish in slop, then a heavy would be better. I say since it’s your first baitcaster, get an all rounder instead of focusing in on something technique specific. It will make it easier to learn and you won’t be as limited in what you can throw on that rod. Next, a 7 speed would be perfect. So no worries there. I’m a big guy on a kayak, so I can’t stand either. The thing about long rods on kayaks, is that they become annoying to fish with it if they have a longer than average handle length. So I guess it depends on the rod. If you really want a longer rod then go for something that’s 7’3 maybe? The longest rods I use are 7’4 and the butt sections are only slightly longer so it doesn’t really bother me. Lastly, just go with right handed reels (the handle on the right side of the reel) if you like to cast with the rod in your left hand. All my baitcasters are left handed (handle on the left side) because I cast with my right. I don’t know why the whole switching hands thing still exists. No disadvantages to not switching hands. This the video that taught me how to use a baitcaster!

Daiwa Fuego and Shimano SLX are two affordable baitcasters that are a joy to fish with it. Of course you can go way cheaper than them and still get a hood product, but to me, those two are the sweet spot between affordability and quality. I could fish those two for the rest of my days and I’d be okay with it. They’re both robust and smooth. If you’re willing to spend a little more then the Curado K is also an excellent choice. As for rods, it’s hard to go wrong. A lot of good stuff out there. I like St Croix’s Mojo Bass and Bass X. A 7 MH/F would be perfect. Best of luck!

I think it’ll be a spinnerbait. It’s only taken the title as my biggest fish of the year once, but on average it produces the biggest fish for me.

Definitely a ned rig for me. Nothing will come close. 1/16 oz jighead with a TRD.