plawren53202

I agree that in general you're on the right track. 7'-7'3" MH/F baitcaster is the jack of all trades for casting rods and definitely the first casting rod I would get. I would add in there, sooner rather than later, a M spinning combo. I have both ML (one) and M (two) spinning combos. That ML is great for a few specific purposes like Ned rigs, or a lot of the fishing I do on a couple of dinkville small ponds, but when I get out on the bigger lakes nearly all of my spinning action takes place on the mediums. For instance I fish a lot of shaky heads on bigger lakes, and I really prefer the extra backbone that a M has over the ML for hooksetting. Plus a good M spinning rod doesn't give up much in sensitivity. The good thing about adding in another spinning combo is that they don't have to break the bank. Spend more $ on the rod, there are a lot of really serviceable spinning reels in the $50-$75 range. As far as baitcasting reels, I'd be curious to hear what others think, but I would tend to stay away from a DC reel as your first baitcaster. I understand the temptation to rely on the chip to help with backlashes, BUT, if you're going to be sticking with fishing, I would go ahead and make the plunge, and really learn to master casting without relying on a device. I look at it kind of like when I was messing around with photography for a while. On a good quality SLR camera, the temptation was to rely on Auto rather than manually set shutter speed and F stops. But doing that I wasn't fully learning the camera, and I would also miss out on some of the capability of the camera. You can get some good baitcasters and not spend a fortune. I have a couple, a Lew's Tournament MP and a Daiwa Fuego CT, that didn't break the bank, especially on sale. And, relevant to your purposes, once I get the brakes set right (which is not difficult, especially on the Fuego), I nearly have to intentionally get them to backlash. They're not 100% foolproof, but they tolerate a whole lot of my casting mistakes. I guess if money isn't an issue for you, then go for it with the DC, but when I was in your position (trying to build up a lineup of combos), I had to make every penny go as far as I could, so DC would not have been a good choice for me. Now, maybe don't put expensive line on the baitcaster the first couple of spoolings LOL, I know I had some colossal bird nests my first couple of spoolings (on cheaper reels, not the MP/Fuego).

I have the Fury 733C so essentially the same rod, just three inches longer. It is one of my two go-to rods for treble hook moving baits--squarebills, mid diving crankbaits, and I really really like it for jerkbaits. For me it has a little more flex than I like for a single hook bait like a spinnerbait, so I throw those on a slightly stiffer rod. For worms and other T rigged baits, I like it a lot for its sensitivity, but maybe give up a bit on hooksets. Of course I find that tradeoff a lot, and to me for a bottom bouncing bait I'd rather have the sensitivity. All in all a great rod.

A couple of the Googan/Kickin Their Bass crowd bought some Sougayilang reels and tried them out in videos. They ranged from "not horrible, but not great" to one baitcaster that literally fell apart during the video. I would imagine that the spinning reels would fare better than baitcasters, and it's not a fortune to spend even if it's total crap, so if you feel like living dangerously or like the colors, then go for it. If you're just in the market for a lower priced spinning reel, I can't recommend highly enough the Shimano Siena that was mentioned above, as well as the Lew's Laser Lite Speed Spin. Both are $29.99 most places. I picked the two up because I needed spinning reels to serve essentially as line holders for crappie jigging poles, and I had read good reviews about both of these. Both of them are super solid reels, that I honestly can't believe can be had for that price.

I don't fish much where there are big shad blowups, but I have heard that sometimes the bigger ones will sit underneath all the action and let the dinks or the white bass do all of the work and then grab dead shad as they float to the bottom. Maybe try throwing something that sinks pretty fast to get through the dinks and down to the bigger ones? Like a heavier flutter spoon? Not saying I would do that all that time, obviously the standard thinking is something that stays up like a topwater or squarebill, but maybe at least try a cast or two with a heavier bait?

Texas rigged trick worm or Yum Dinger. I will add, I am a recent convert to jerkbaits, and I think they might make the list very shortly as well.

Wanted to post my thoughts about this reel but quick back story on my purchase, because it is not one of the Lew's models you hear a lot about. I was getting ready to fish a tournament a few weeks ago and wanted to put together one more heavy combo. Had the rod already, and in circumstances not relevant to my review I had a chance to pick up a GX3 new in box for a decent amount under retail. Got home and as I looked more into the reel, I was pretty disappointed in my rash decision. Biggest thing was that I did not realize at the time that the GX3 is a graphite frame. At its retail price point, and stated purpose of being a reel capable of handling heavier functions (even having the option of a bait clicker for catfish or other big game fish), I just assumed an aluminum frame. Nope. Also I was a little concerned because I couldn't hardly find any user reviews anywhere. Plus, once I got it mounted on the rod, I realized it is bigger than my other baitcasters (Lew's Tournament MP, Classic Pro, Daiwa Fuego CT, BPS Johnny Morris Signature) so I was pretty concerned about ergonomics and comfort. Also wasn't thrilled that it has only internal centrifugal brakes. And finally, (insignificant, but oh well), it's just a darn ugly reel. I mean REALLY ugly. After having used it for several outings now, I have to say I have been pleasantly surprised, actually pretty darn shocked compared to my low expectations after getting home and reading up on it. First, it casts great. No issues at all with either distance, or backlashes; it is quite smooth, and the brakes work well. Caveat, I've only been casting heavier baits like 1/2 oz. or heavier spinnerbaits, or 6XDs, so I can't say how it would cast with lighter baits. Out on the water I really haven't noticed the bigger size, and that even includes last Saturday when I was throwing mainly it for several hours. A benefit of the bigger size is it has a huge spool, so if I ever hook Moby Dick he can make about a 2 mile run before I run out of line LOL. It doesn't have the super buttery smooth feeling of my better reels, but at the same time there's no noticeable gear noise, grinding, etc. All in all it has performed very well. Now, I still haven't gotten over that it is just a butt ugly reel LOL, but I can live with that. So, just posting this review in case anyone is like I was, looking for info on it and having trouble finding it. All in all, it has performed well for me. I will say that it seems to not really be an ideal fit for any niche of the fishing I do...but it's still a reel, and if it casts well, doesn't backlash unusually bad, and horses them in when hooked, then I guess I can't really ask for much more. I would not recommend paying the full retail for the GX3 (unless you had a more specialized use for it like catfishing, maybe throwing A-rigs or huge swimbaits, or maybe some saltwater applications), but on the other hand, I can't say I necessarily regret picking one up NIB for a decent amount under retail.

To me (and this is all just my personal tendencies, everyone is different), ned rig and shaky head are kind of in the same category in that both are finesse baits that fish the bottom. I probably wouldn't try both in the same spot . If it's a shaky head with, e.g., a 4" Yum Dinger, that to me is nearly the same thing as a Ned rig. A shaky head with a 7" worm is a little different...but if I'm fishing a pond with dinks I probably wouldn't use the 7" worm. Sometimes I might throw a Ned rig after having tried a shaky head, just because the Ned is the "last resort" finesse bait for me, that sometimes gets bit when absolutely nothing else will. But I probably wouldn't throw a Ned rig and then a shaky head after. Unweighted wacky worm or unweighted fluke would be different in that they are going to sink much more slowly and so they cover a different part of the water column. A weighted Neko worm, again, to me is a pretty similar presentation to a ned rig or shaky head, so probably wouldn't try all 3 in the same spot. Where I would be more likely to try similar finesse presentations in the same spot is switching up colors and bait type. For instance in my HOA pond blue craw TRD works well a lot, but sometimes if it's not getting bit then I might switch to, for example, a black and blue Ned craw or a green pumpkin Sukoshi bug. The good thing about switching colors or bait style in those cases is I don't have to rerig and can use the same head. But, I'm not going to sit and try different colors or bait types endlessly. I'd try 2 or so that are very different, if no bites still, then move on to a completely different presentation (a reaction bite or a jerkbait, e.g.), or more likely, move to a different spot.

I have the H2O Xpress terminal box. I am a big fan of it. It rides in my bank fishing bag, so it gets tossed around constantly. I almost never experience any "escapees" from one compartment to the next. Also love the foam inserts for bullet weights and neko nail weights. All that combined with the low price, it's hard to beat for my purposes.

Sure...disclaimer that I'm a new convert to jerkbaits but they have been really productive for me this fall. To me a jerkbait fishes nearly as fast (i.e., I can cover water) as a squarebill, but the pauses in the retrieve (anywhere from 1 to 5 seconds or more) makes it a more "finess-y" presentation because it can provoke more sluggish fish into striking. I have tried several jerkbaits so far, the KVD, Lucky Craft Pointer, 6th Sense Provoke, and the Megabass 110 Jr. For pond fishing like my HOA pond, the smaller Lucky Craft Pointer 78 and the Megabass Jr are perfect size. I know the Megabass is pricey, and I resisted for a while, but it really does fish amazingly well. For colors in a pond, I use a white (like a sexy shad) for cloudy days, a ghost/clear pattern and a chrome pattern for sunny days, and also a bluegill pattern. I can throw a 110 Jr or Pointer 78 on a MH baitcasting setup, so this would be an additional rod besides the ones I would take for Ned rig/neko rig/shaky head/etc.

I fish a highly pressured pond (my subdivision HOA pond) a LOT, like 3-4 times/week. More often than not, I have to rely on a "finesse bait" to get bites there. There is some logic for trying different finesse presentations. The two big varying factors for me are (1) where in the water column I need to present the bait, and (2) how big of a bait they want. For instance, sometimes they are planted firmly on the bottom and I need to throw a Ned rig or a neko worm. Sometimes I find that they want a slightly suspended presentation and I'll switch to a drop shot. (If you're maybe going to be using a drop shot, to me that is a good reason to have a separate rod for that, because I hate having to take time to tie a drop shot rig on the water and would much rather have one ready to go). There is hardly no cover in this pond, but there are a few sparse weeds at one end so sometimes I'll need to throw a weightless fluke or some other weightless T-rigged bait. Size is the other distinguishing factor. If they want it on the bottom and I need a small presentation, then Ned rig, if they want something a little bigger, then 4 or 5 inch Yum Dinger Neko rigged. I don't usually need to try every finesse tactic in my bag, if they're just not biting a finesse presentation that day, I can usually figure it out after trying a few. On the other hand, if you're in a spot like this that really requires a finesse presentation, then there is some logic to trying a few different ones, especially varying bait size and presentation in the water column. Number of rods is purely personal preference and how much tolerance you have for retying on the water. My usual fishing time at this pond is 1-2 hour chunks, and I have several spinning rods at my disposal, so I'd much rather take several so I spend as much time fishing and as little time retying as I can. One other thing, I've recently discovered the power of a jerkbait in a "finesse" situation like this. That's one that definitely would call for a different rod than I'm throwing the Ned rig/Neko rig/dropshot on.

OP here, update to my original post...first of all I'm happy to say that after this weekend, the jerkbait skunk is off my back. I caught several this weekend on a jerkbait, and I'm quickly starting to understand why they're so popular. Saturday morning I headed down to my subdivision pond to try a couple from my first batch I bought (Lucky Craft Pointers-the smaller 2 hook ones--and KVDs). The fish were biting pretty well on a few baits (sungill colored Little Dipper on an underspin head, and a neko rigged Yum Dinger also caught a few), but the Lucky Craft was the winner of the day. So in typical curse of the bait monkey fashion, I of course headed to Bass Pro Saturday evening to get some more. I grabbed several more Pointers, including some deeper divers for fishing bigger lakes...and I ponied up and got a couple of the Megabass 110 Jrs. Headed down to the subdivision pond again this afternoon. Six people standing around the pond, no one catching a thing, and I caught several. Also, the jerkbait fish have been, on average, bigger than what I usually catch in this pond. I also now get what the deal is with the Megabass. It darts hard on the pops, but then when it stops, it just STOPS. I also like that the 110 Jr. is smaller but still has three hooks. I am also starting to get why jerkbaits are so popular for cold water or other sluggish fish. We had a pretty solid cold front move through this weekend, so these were not ideal fishing days. Especially today, bluebird skies and 15 degrees colder than yesterday's high. That pause in the retrieve was perfect for these conditions, pop pop, pause for 2-3 seconds, and then that next pop, whammo. So, thanks to everyone for all of the good pointers. Having said that, I need to stay off here for a while, I really don't need to develop another affinity for another Megabass-priced product. ?

This x 2. The one "feature" in my otherwise featureless subdivision HOA pond is an inlet pipe from the storm sewer system. I can usually find a few sitting there after a good rain. BTW, at least in my pond, there are some larger rocks underwater in the pond where that pipe comes in. I would guess they are there to cut down on erosion when there is a heavy rain. That is about the only structure in this pond, and I would think this is a common construction feature for other retention ponds.

Agree with the previous comment that their Divine Swimbaits are a little too stiff for my liking. I like the colors, but they just don't seem to have the same tail waggle as my Rage Swimmers and Little Dippers, my go-to swimbaits. On the other hand, I am a HUGE fan of the Divine Shaky Head worms. They have consistently performed for me at times when I was having trouble getting a bite on other options. Just one example, just this past weekend I was able to place 4th in a club tournament where fishing was tough, thanks to catching a 3.5 lber on a Divine Shaky Head. The "Nirvana" color in particular has been my go to (it's blue/black on the top and green pumpkin on the bottom). The PB&J color has also done well for me. I haven't noticed any issues at all with setting the hook on them, either on a shaky head or a regular Texas rig. I don't find them to be particularly tough, it seems like I can usually catch 3 or 4 fish on one before needing to switch. That's better than the notably soft Senko but doesn't seem unusually tough. I have a batch of the Stoker craws but have not really used them yet. I got them this past summer, to me it seems like the claws don't have as much wiggle as a Rage Craw so I prefer the Rage Craw in warmer weather. I was planning on trying the slower-action Stoker craws as it gets colder.

Couldn't agree more. I am still surprised at how much I like my Signature spinning reel. It just has all the look and feel of a really high end reel. And so far I'm feeling the same about the Signature baitcaster. Fished it in a tournament this weekend and it performed perfectly. Casts great, super smooth, and ergonomically fits really well in the hand. Plus, I know the aluminum sideplates add a little weight but I love the way they look and feel, just looks higher end. My experience with these Signature reels has made me really curious to try out other BPS reels, especially the Carbonlite.

OP here, I went to the local tackle shop today and got 2 6th Sense Provokes, 2 Strike King KVDs, and 3 Lucky Craft Pointer 78s. I like the size of those Pointers for fishing the ponds I fish, whereas the Provokes and the KVDs are bigger (3 hooks vs. 2) and look to be better for the lakes I fish.

Thanks to everyone for lots of feedback and good information. Unfortunately it looks like colder weather is closer than I want to admit here in Missouri, so I'm off to the local baitshop that carries good stuff later today. A few jerkbaits and a couple of blade baits are on the shopping list. The info in this thread will be extremely helpful.

Alright, so, confession...I have never caught a fish on a jerkbait. ? Actually I have only very rarely fished them in the past. With cold weather now here in MO and soon to be here to stay, I recognize the theory behind fishing a jerkbait in colder water (or any other time fish are sluggish) and want to give it an honest try this late fall & winter. I know the Megabass Vision 110 (and its variants) is the gold standard in this area. Much of my fishing is bank fishing, so there's no way in heck I'm throwing a $25 bait without the ability to motor over and get it unhung. So my question is, what are some good alternatives to the Megabass? In particular, I hear people talk about how the Megabass does such a good job at triggering strikes by remaining absolutely still when paused. I recognize that cheaper alternatives aren't going to be quite the same, but which ones will get me the closest?

I fish the Ned rig all the time (unfortunately, I have a love/hate with it) and I have found that I like the Lazer Sharp heads at least as well as the TRDs, and certainly better when taking the price into consideration. As far as over-complicating the body selection, I generally think that is the case. I like bodies made out of Elaztech better because of their buoyancy. I generally have the most luck on something with the original TRD finesse shape. I have caught a few on the TRD Craws, but beyond that, if I'm getting into bodies that have more action, I feel like that is kind of defeating the purpose of a Ned rig in the first place.

Follow up...still haven't "fished" it, but with the tournament tomorrow, today I took it down to our subdivision pond to make sure I had the brakes etc. dialed in. Have to say so far I am extremely impressed with this reel. With the dual centrifugal/magnetic brakes it was extremely quick to get it dialed in. It casts at least as far as any other reel I own (my good ones are in the neighborhood of the Lew's Tournament MP), and I purposely put it on one of my middle of the road rods to test casting distance (so that it wasn't benefitted from a great casting rod). In fact the JM Signature compares very favorably to the MP (and heck, for all I know it's made in the same factory as the MP)...although I really like having aluminum frame and sideplates (rather than aluminum frame/graphite sideplates), I know it adds a bit of weight but it just feels "quality" to me. The retrieve is super smooth, there's absolutely no gear noise or grind. Can't wait to try this out in action tomorrow, but so far I'm counting this purchase as a real success.

Thanks guys for the input. I decided to go ahead and buy one. I won't be able to fish it until a club tournament Sunday, so I'll have a better review at that point, but at first glance out of the box, the JM Signature has the look and feel of a really high end product. It has that tightness, smoothness, and lack of any rattle or grind that higher end reels have.

Wanting to hear from anyone who has experience with the BPS Johnny Morris Signature baitcaster (not the Platinum signature reel). I recently got the JM Signature spinning reel and have been really impressed by it. That's making me want to give the JM Signature baitcaster a try as well.

I guess this is the right subforum for something about a tackle box, so apologies if not... Just a PSA: don't get a Plano Hydro Flo box and use it for crankbaits. I got one a couple of weeks ago for my mid depth crankbaits. Usually , I save those little dry silica pouches that come in food or electronics and put them in my crankbait boxes to prevent hook rust. Recently I got a bunch of new crankbaits and needed a new box. I saw the Plano Hydro Flo box and thought that would be a good idea, the thought being that the holes let any moisture dry out and prevent rust. Terrible idea. Points of the crankbait hooks slip through the holes and then are nearly impossible to get out easily. I had it out fishing today for the first time and got extremely frustrated with it. 4 or 5 hook points at any one time poking through the bottom of the box, making switching crankbaits a lot more time consuming than it should be. Plus at one point one of the hook points sticking out the bottom got snagged in a tackle bag.

I do fish a Ned rig like I do a shaky head...I let the fish tell me how they want it. There are some interviews out there with the namesake, Ned Kehde, where he talks about what seems like a 100 ways he fished it. I'm not nearly that sophisticated. But some days it seems like they want it slowly hopped, some days slowly dragged on the bottom, and some days long pauses where I do nothing but dead stick it in between drags or hops. I'll usually mix it up until I start to detect a pattern and then stick with that. Also, some days at least with the original TRD Finesse, it seems like if they're going to hit it, it's just on the fall.

No, St. Louis LOL

I think we fish the same HOA pond LOL. I've found that fishing my highly pressured HOA pond is a very different type of bass fishing than most of the other fishing I've done.