Luke Barnes

So it sounds like not many people really care about the Pros and couldn't care less about them being here. If we want fishing knowledge we have members for that. Unbiased opinion and experience is what makes this place great and, just my opinion, having Pros wouldn't benefit or add to the experience here.

For some reason, I guess because of the amount of hooks and the weight of it all, I forget that I am throwing it on a H action rod with braid so I don't need to worry about hook penetration. So I can get away with bigger, stouter hooks.

I was way less upset about losing the one I had than I thought I would be. I don't mind dropping another $12 on another one. But I'm really weighing all that's been said and if it is worth it being a bank angler.

Yeah pretty much. Never saw that video, I saw it on this one and Ike calls it a spine rig so that's why I called it that. https://youtu.be/HVQsasPSNJw

For smaller swimbaits I use Eagle Claw crappie jigs with the "Pro V" bend. The shanks seem longer than standard crappie jigs and fit nicely on smaller swimbaits and help keep the weight down if that is a concern.

100% Pad Crasher Jr. Can't say enough about the Booyah Pad Crashers. Also a different look but still similar is the Strike King Pad Perch Pipsqueak and the Poppin Perch, which I'm pretty sure has a pipsqueak size as well.

Gotcha. I was thinking for visibility and stretch is why I used the leader. But visibility shouldn't be an issue seeing as there are metal wires everywhere and I often forget that I don't need to put so much thought into line visibility. I get too hung up on that. But throwing one on straight braid and a H action rod, do I need to start worrying about straightening hooks on fish? I believe you and trust you, but I am curious why this is? Depths are maybe 15' and less and visibility is usually medium stain to muddy. I've yet to fish a body of water in oklahoma that I would consider just straight clear. Gin clear is non existent where I have been.

Who? I never used 12# FC. I'm in northeast Oklahoma so it doesn't freeze over but can get reasonably cold. I don't want to give up on it and I'm not heartbroken about losing the one I had, just didn't know if it was worth it to try a non-bladed one and as cheap as I have seen them online I'll probably get another without blades. For everyone who doesn't read all the comments, I won't use a leader and just throw it on straight 65lb braid on my heavy/fast rod I use for frogging that I already own and have the braid spooled on it already.

What's funny is I usually fish city ponds because of time but this was actually at a lake for once. It was nice to get to a lake and the possibility of better quality fish.

I am on the bank 99% of the time. There are a few on TW for cheaper than I thought and I already have everything else to slap on a new one. Cheaper than replacing the jackhammer I lost!

Sadly this was the last time using my favorite rod and reel. I had to sell it a few days later because we needed the money in a bad way and it was a quality setup so it went fast. Glad I got to catch this before I sold it.

I've thought they look like someone with any sort of skill could make one but I'm not one of those people. Nor would I know anything about the wire. So I'm stuck to buying one. The one I lost was a flash mob Jr. I fish pressured waters, heavily pressured, so I would go with a regular yumbrella over the flash mob line now. If 5 swimbaits don't get the fish's attention and act like a bait ball I don't think the blades will. My gut is saying the blades are too much and scaring fish off. Plus no blades looks like it will collect alot less junk in the water. But that is why I am on here asking. Because I don't actually know and you guys are walking encyclopedias!!

Thanks. Lost my only a-rig that day so catching this helped cheer me up! It's been so long since I have caught a good bass and especially when I was targeting them and not just got lucky.

This year has been terrible for me fishing wise. I haven't gotten to go barely any and when I did I skunked or just caught panfish. My wife recently got a kayak for exercise and all that so I was jealous but I am happy for her. We got a babysitter and planned to check out a small city lake so she could kayak while I bank fished. I went with what I have learned on here and I'll be darned if I didn't pull this beauty on a squarebill!!!

Hello and welcome

I have a rod and reel that I use for it. During the warm months it is my frog rod and when it cools off I use it for the A-rig. 7'2 H SLX rod with 65lb braid to 15lb fluorocarbon leader. So thankfully I wouldn't need anything besides a new a rig itself. I was thinking about an un bladed one too and this might be the push I needed. I felt the four blades were just too much and I wanted a little more subtle bait ball I guess. I'll probably never get into the big swimbait game but I feel the a-rig could be so deadly if I can learn it better. That and the bait monkey is screaming you need one with no blades!!! These are the ones i have been thinking about. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Picasso_School-E-Rig_Finesse_Umbrella_Rigs/descpage-PSERF.html https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Yum_Yumbrella_Rig/descpage-YULYR.html https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Jenko_Fishing_J-Pod_Umbrella_Rig/descpage-JFJPUR.html

I went fishing with an older gentleman who is a crappie angler, and I mean only crappie! He had Livescope and we were targeting crappie with drop shots. Worked like a charm and I had experience with them so we had a good day. Many crappie came home with me that day and if I ever fish vertically with sonar again, I'll use a drop shot to get down to them.

Last time out I got impatient and tried to whip my yumbrella flash mob Jr out pretty far and didn't use enough of a lob cast and snap!! I tried using a lipless to drag the bottom and snag it but no luck. I never once caught anything on it but I think in theory they would be amazing, if I learned the how, when, and where to fish it. I still have plenty of jig heads and swimbaits so the big question is..... Do I bother buying another one even though I have never once caught anything on it? I fished it in ponds and lakes with all sorts of swimbaits and never a bite, I'm bank bound, and fish maybe once a month anymore. I think I would be better off using other lures but the bait monkey wants me to have another one.

Berkley still makes the lightning rod. They also sell the Lightning Shock rod, which is what you are talking about and I agree, I would stay away from those for the reason you mentioned. The original is not a bad rod still but I would still go the Diawa route if it was me personally.

Night and day compared to an Ugly Stik. Ugly stiks, if I remember right, are composite graphite and fiberglass. They are stupid durable but the longer ones felt whippy and floppy compared to an all graphite Diawa. After fishing 6'6 and 7' medium spinning rods I wish all of mine were 7'. Better control once you catch one and helps whip small, light baits out there a good ways. Also yes on medium if it Is going to be a do-all rod.

I think they will be up there with the most sensitive rod for the money. Especially compared to something like an Ugly Stik. My favorite spinning rod I own is a Diawa Procaster Tournament and from what I have seen they are pretty similar is cost and quality as the aird-x. For $50 there isn't much better out there in my not super knowledgeable opinion unless you find a rod on mega clearance.

Normally they are foam floats with a small ring of lead around the very bottom. Allows for longer casts but I still find a slip bobber better for casting because it slides down to the end of the line and the lure or hook stops it. They cast great and you can adjust the depth super easy using a rubber bobber stop. A slip bobber is just a bobber with a hole through it that slides on the line until it hits the stopper.

Fishing is my therapy as well. I never, ever think about the army, war, ptsd etc... when I am fishing. Self care is hard to do but you NEED to do it. My wife and I have a special needs son and we discovered what care giver burnout is with him. Everybody needs to recharge and it will do your mom some good having you fresh and relaxed after a good fishing trip. I pray she gets well very quickly.

I was going to mention the Aird-X as well. Good rod at a good price. You could do just about anything with a 7' Medium so it is a great option for a do-all rod.

Agreed on the slip bobber to easily adjust the depth at which the bait will be. Something I like using under a float is a 2.5" Gulp Minnow and slowly reel it back to you, watching for any movement in the bobber.