Finessegenics

A M/F spinning rod does it for me. I only fish the sizes 04-07. I imagine the bigger sizes 08-09 could be good on a M/M casting setup.

first off, welcome to the bass resource! I’ve heard good things about the Falcon, and its specs seem very versatile. I’d go with that if you’re dead set on those two. Also take a look at the St Croix Bass X 6’8 M/XF. I’m a bit torn on the braid vs mono here as both those lines can do everything you want from this rod. If you’re gonna go with mono, choose the 12lb and if you decide on braid go with 30lb. 20lb is too thin for a baitcaster imo.

Rough day for me too... 59 83 40 70 15

Keep it on bottom and constantly moving! Even if it’s only moving slowly. A 6 speed reel is perfect for this.

No. And don't make me feel dumb ?

This triggered my fight or flight response

10 weeks is about right for me too. Open water will come sooner than that but the whole month of April is closed season for most game fish here (not even allowed to target them). So I’m patiently awaiting the month of May. Thankfully, it was a mild winter for us.

A lot of people would argue against that, but I’m pretty clueless when it comes to jigs so I’ll leave that for somebody else. Still, I’ll include my suggestions. Have you tried using one for a reaction bite? Like pitching it at specific targets and trying to trigger them with the right ROF? Or punching sparse grass maybe? I feel like that’s the easiest way to cross off a jig fish from your bucket list. Dragging jigs is a whole different game I think. Good luck and once it happens show us your results!!!

I wouldn’t even worry about the spawn. Spawning is relative to bodies of water, so it’s not something you can set a date on. It’s also relative to individual fish, some may spawn a month before others. TnRiver took the words right out of mouth. Forget the spawn and get out there and catch some fish as soon as you can, weather permitting. The good thing about creek/ small river fishing is that small bodies of water can warm up incredibly fast. After a few days in a row of warm weather and sunshine I think you can get on some fish.

I believe they're similar enough that one or the other won't make a difference for you. Green pumpkin just seems a little darker. So I feel like GP would stand out better in muddier water but it still looks natural enough that it would not look odd in clear water. All that means it can be more versatile than watermelon. Keep in mind that colors can be different across brands...some green pumpkins are basically brown. Some watermelons are kind of transparent, while others are opaque. I treat them as the same but if I had to choose one it would be GP.

Can you get us those photos by any chance? Or is there anywhere we can go look? I’m curious to see them

I think you’re going about it the wrong way. The type of jig you use should be dictated by where and how you’re fishing it. As a beginner I know it can be overwhelming but there is plenty of great information out there. As other have mentioned the “arkie” style head is the most versatile.

@jimmyjoe

I agree. I much prefer this reel seat compared to the one on the mojo bass. Also makes the rod look a lot more aesthetically pleasing. I see what looks like a dropshot weight keeper there which is a really nice built in feature. Hopefully it’s on all the spinning rods.

Cotton Cordell Big O

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/search-tackle.html?sort=no&start=0&count=30&searchtext=Gamakatsu+stinger+finesse Size 1 for a 5” bait. I suppose if you’re hooking through the bait you can try the 1/0 but IMO the 1 will still be fine. I always use an o-ring.

Happened to me too once! I never thought fishing too much would cause tennis elbow. I wish it was cause of too many big fish. Instead it was just a whole consecutive week of fishing 8hrs a day that did it for me ?

Not all is lost. There's still a chance to win the prize packages for the events. I heard the TW ones were pretty generous Edit: I thought TW gave prizes to the winner of each event but it seems like I got that wrong

If im not mistaken Logan (lds922) was our winner last year

H/XF. Take a look at the picture with the listed models on SC's website.

I edited my post, it's actually listed as 7'3 H/XF on their website. We'll have to see how it fishes because on a specs level it's similar to the 7'4 H/F. I always thought of the 7'4 as their frog rod but I know it's versatile as people use them for all sorts of things. I actually recently bought a 7'4 h/f to use for this season. I'd like to fish for LM more and I needed a frog/punching rod. Also, thank you for your service.

“Full Contact Finesse” for a H/XF rod? ??

Solid picks so far guys. I think Lester is a lock.