Finessegenics

I know your question was about the rigging and technique more than the actual worm being used. I came across this the other the day and found it super interesting, so I just wanted to share! Some baits really look great here compared to others

I have the mojo bass in 6’10 ML. The rod feels a lot stouter than most ML but still too soft to be a true M. It’s a beautiful in between. It’s not the most balanced rod, I’ll admit that but it’s very sensitive and versatile. Also has a five year warranty. I recently explained this under another thread where someone was looking for suggestions for a spinning rod. If you’re worried about setting the hook on light line (which I wouldn’t be with the ML mojo) look for lighter wire ewg hooks. While not the sharpest, bass pro’s xps ewg hooks have been great for me. Even the 3/0 is super light wire and I’ve never had a fish bend them out. I’ve also never hooked a giant so there’s that.

I have no specific rod to recommend but I don’t think a swim jig is worth throwing on a glass rod. Glass rods are not known for their sensitivity and if you’re gonna be fishing the swim jig through grass, a graphite rod will help differentiate the feeling between a clump of grass or a bite. The glass rods are great for moving baits that don’t usually go through cover or grass.

Thank you for making this post. For some it may be obvious that they are fake reviews and it is cheap crap, but thus needed to be said

The jackall cover craw on a “backwards” weightless Texas rig has a unique flutter to it

I have a very limited arsenal, 4 setups to be exact so I’m not an expert on all the intricacies but I’ll give it a shot anyways. #1- Light Texas Rigs, finesse jigs, weightless plastics #2- jerkbaits (and also same as #1, both are very versatile) #3- crankbaits, chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, open hook top waters (spooks, poppers, prop baits) #4- Another all arounder? Jigs, Texas Rigs, maybe even lighter frogging(?) #5- flipping, punching, frogging #6- same as #5, but smaller swimbaits too (I could be way off) #7- tubes, shakyheads, finesse swimbaits, heavier drop shot, neko rig #8- ned rig, dropshot, hair jigs #9- same as #7 wanted to add that maybe instead of having two identical spinning setups (7 and 9) you should try finding a longer one in a M or ML. I hear a lot about guys using 7’6 rods for hair jigs and ned rigs. Would be a good idea too, just to shake things up. Use a longer spinning rod for those techniques because bites are easier to detect on a longer, softer rod. You’ll see the rod tip deflecting before you feel the bite.

Youre going to get a lot of different answers on here. All the suggestions will probably be great ones because at this price its hard to mess up if you know what specs you want. My suggestion within your budget would be St Croix's Mojo Bass in the 6'10 MLXF. Im a huge fan of st croix so I am biased, but the rod is light and sensitive and its almost between a ML and M. Feels too powerful to be a ML but too soft for a M. Its a weird feeling. Its a nice in between, im sure other owners of the rod would agree. I use it for all my finesse fishing, ned rig, dropshot, tubes, curly tail grubs, neko rigs. It also has a 5 year warranty, which is great. I've also heard a lot of great things about the Fenwick Elite Tech lineup, but theyre quite hard to find. If you do indeed decide to step up to the level of the e6x, which usually is around $190, I'd say just go up to the SC Avid X, which is at $220. I personally do not own it, but i get to use the 6'9 ML when im out on my uncles boat and its miles ahead of my mojo bass. Nice split grip and super balanced feel. Its also handcrafted and handmade in the US (the mojo bass is made in mexico). Has an unbeatable warranty too, 15 years. I have an avid x 7' MHF in casting and I promise you the quality is definitely there for the price. I have no idea what a $500 rod feels like but im confident the Avid X is right up there at half the price. Just watch out for the micro guides on the Avid X if thats not your thing. Best of luck in your search!

Carp are the only other species I intentionally target besides bass. They’re such an underrated fish, it’s exhilarating when you hear the bait runner stripping drag and the alarms ringing. I know theres some carp out there on the Saint Lawrence pushing 40lbs. i just hate the bad rap they get, mostly from ignorant people. The common carp is not invasive, it has been here for almost 250 years and has become naturalized. Our ecosystems have balanced to include them. They’re no different in supposedly “ruining water quality” than the native redhorses and suckers. I have nothing against bowfishing but it makes me sick seeing carp just dead in garbage bins. If you’re gonna kill them, eat them or use them as fertilizer or bear bait. Just felt like I needed to vent a bit. edit: this wasn’t directed at anyone on this thread, just wanted to add some stuff since people were talking about carp.

^^^^I agree with dangerfield. The weight itself is more than fine for a spinning rod but I’d be worried about driving that hook home if it’s too beefy for a spinning rod. I think you’re better off deciding on a bc or spinning based on the gauge of the hook. That being said, a “finesse” swim jig definitely has a thin enough hook

Zman Turbo Crawz are hard to beat. Great colors, Okeechobee Craw and Molting Craw are my favorite. They give off an aggressive flap when swimmed on the back of a swim jig or chatterbait. And on a Texas Rig, the whole bait sorta stands up while dragging or hopping it.

They work, though I imagine they can be bent out of shape pretty easily. The hooks on them arent the sharpest either but that can be fixed with a hook file.

Dang, that's what I was worried about. Im pretty rough on my gear but I've made a serious effort to be more caring with it. Im on the shore 75% of the time so I gotta be extra careful. Is it fragile enough that i should be worried about it breaking during the car ride while it bounces around in the trunk?

Personally, I've had very little success on late fall/winter smallmouth as im on the shore. I do the best out of current in "deeper" spots 10-15 feet (which is still shallow, but the deepest im able to get from shore) But, In my opinion, you cant go wrong with a hair jig or ned rig, but getting those baits down in deep water may be difficult. I think a hula grub on a football head could do some serious damage on them too. And merry christmas!

Nothing wrong, with the stren in 6lb test. No out of the ordinary line twists or weak points. I use it for leaders on my spinning setup from braid and in the past I used it as my main line. Like Bassman said above, if you were having issues with the trilene, then you’ll have issues with stren. Just practice your knots and make sure you are spooling the reel the proper way.

4 different colors of reaction innovations sweat beaver. black red flake, black/blue, a green pumpkin blue flake, and a pumpkin with some green flakes. Don’t know the exact names of the patterns but they’re pretty sweet and I’ve actually never used anything from them before! I also got a pflueger supreme xt 30 Also wanted to note this was a gift to myself my loved ones don’t get me fish related gifts anymore because apparently I have too much gear! Oops

I hope you and your loved ones are having a nice Christmas ?? This morning, I made an impulsive purchase on a Pflueger Supreme XT 30. It was 20% off and I liked the specs, especially how light it is although there were some reviews that criticized the reel’s durability. It is also my first time buying a reel online that I've never handled before. can any owners of the reel or people who are familiar with the reel let me know if I made a good decision. Pros, cons, anything I should know about? once again, have a merry and safe Christmas. All the best and thank you!

Though it isnt exactly what you're asking, maybe you can create your own lubricant/scent. There's plenty of home recipes for scents, which can also act as lubricants because a lot of them include vegetable or olive oil. You can add garlic salt or whatever you want to add a scent .

My issue is not with the tip being being off balance, but rather the reel feeling too heavy for the rod. I know a lighter reel (which usually means more $$$) would solve my issues. My question was just if there was a ratio to determine how light of a reel I would need for the rig to feel balanced. So if my rod weighs 3.7 oz, how light of a reel would feel “right” on that setup. Of course there’s a lot of variables like rod length and the way you hold your rod and so on.

I'd say a new president would be worth it but if the reel hasnt performed to your standards then you're unlikely to consider another pflueger. Shimano Nasci in the 2500 size is a good option, its similar in weight to the president 30, but should offer more longevity.

Yea. I get it now. Not sure if It has anything to do with the balance problem but it makes sense to have the stem between your ring and pinky finger so that you can stop overrun casts with your index finger. Gonna give that a shot next season and see how it goes.

I didnt think it was unorthdox either! But I did a quick google and youtube search of "how to hold a spinning rod?". Seems like a lot of people put the reel stem between their middle and ring finger. Or, the stem is between the ring and pinky finger. Weird.

the way I hold a spinning outfit is pretty unorthdox. Here's a photo of me holding the combo i mentioned. Its just what feels most comfortable to me. ?

This was the kind of response I was hoping someone would chime in with. Thank you

Not because my rig feels heavy in any way, just off balance ! After hearing you guys, I think its just the way I hold a rod. You probably saved me from dishing out some more money for an upgrade

Welcome to the sport!