Michigander

Muse Black rods are good but that's over budget. No experience with lesser price point rods from them. That's frustrating then. I had heard that Fury rods seem to be closer to one power level below how they are marked. Seems that's true in this case.

If you have a positive view of Fury rods, get the 6'6" Heavy. I'm sure you'll find a sale or promotion on one somewhere next week.

I do like using scent as a tube jig head lube when inserting into the tube bait. So there's at least one practical application.

Oh, another niche case that this rig excels at over a T rig is pitching into lily pads. I often hit a lily pads with my T rig and then have to pull it off the side of the pad and often it can't get through anymore because it lacks any momentum. However, the free swinging thin weight of the J rig will fall off the pad before the bait and then pull it under most of the time. Saves a lot of casts and makes less commotion in the pads.

Yes, line goes to split ring so the hook can move more freely than if it was tied. Second split ring lets you use vertical eye hooks like an Owner Twistlock, at the expense of slightly more hardware. You basically fish it the same as a T rig. Just gives a different look.

Have heard very positive things about the Lowrider. Was on my short list for this year. The Lancer Pro has micro guides, so if you are a leaderknot person, maybe avoid. Almost bought one last year until I learned this. Only know one person with a Sierra and he said the reel seat was uncomfortable to him.

Yes, I have some budget bin jerk baits that don't even work right. Compare that to my Vision 110s which work perfectly. This is a case where premium is a money well spent but budget is a waste of money.

Often, more expensive lures will have better performance, better components, be more durable (not always true), and will more reliably function as intended. As with most things in fishing, quality gear improves your time on the water.

Installed the grips, seat, and handle last night, so it's ready for guide work to begin. Measurements didn't really work out for the EVA. Seems to be a feel thing as they are flexible. One thing I learned is that the economy rubber winding checks are not something I will use again. They're just too economy and are a little hard to work with due to that cheapness. They also don't look amazing when inspected up close due to how they are manufactured. I think I will pick up some denatured alcohol to try as well. The Isopropyl took more work than I expected to remove the last traces of excess Pro Paste. Well, time to fire up the saw and build some rod wrappers!

Most of my waters are both clear and pressured, so probably why I am a color believer.?

I used my friend's Shimano Intenza for a bit one day, it was really nice. He loves it.

Another option is to commission jig maker to make you a batch of custom ones with the specs you want. I tie my own but I have commissioned some custom jig heads be poured because I couldn't find what I wanted commercially. And I'll promote a Michigan company, you could also check out 2K Jigs. Not a budget brand but everything they make is excellent quality. And their Lil Punk has a 4/0 in it. https://www.2kjigs.com/collections/finesse-jigs

That's awesome! One of the things I look for when working out the color game, as I am a color believer in my waters, is determining if they want a two tone color or not. Looks like your fish did!

Day 1 Launch time 8:30ish 34 degree air temp per truck Water temp unknown (forgot thermometer) Wind 1-3mph per Google Spent about seven hours paddling and casting. There were some playful Smallies jumping occasionally, but other than a seagull and a swan I didn't see any life. This lake had two chemical weed kills over the summer and the side I started in was just a blank sandy bottom with occasional strands of scrub weed. I'm good with abandoning that whole side of the lake. Will start next time on the other end that still had some vegetation last time I was there. While no fish, it was a beautiful day to be on the water! Also found out when I got there that my tape measure and digital scale are missing, so I would have been a sad panda if I actually landed my quarry.

The Triton is tucked in for the winter, but the kayak is still going until the ice physically stops me. The view this morning before launching into a balmy 34F degree air temp:

My Triton has more gear than I need, I want my kayak to be more of a minimalist experience. I take a Medium rod, and a Heavy rod. One deep tray of soft plastics and a regular tray of terminal and lures. Other than that, water, coffee, and a snack makes me good for the day.

Keep looking on Amazon. My last two I picked up for about $70 per.

I think scent buys you an extra second or two to set the hook before they spit the bait out. Applies more to unsalted, plastics with a strong chemical odor though, IMO.

If it's sunny (or a bright moon), I start with flash. If no bites, I switch to flat colors. Use the reverse on cloudy days.

I didn't either, and yet I have broken many. ?

That's funny, I have the 7' MH SLX spinning and my complaints were that the tip was too soft and the backbone was lacking. Sounds like I should have picked up the Medium, lol.

That's debatable, but I have faith that Bass Resource cookies are perfectly safe. ?

I was out today and felt like an idiot. I realized that the brakes were all the way up on the Fuego I was using, and they've probably been that way all year but I thought the casting distance was fine all summer. So I turned them down to half and on the next cast I hit my blood knot, lol. Note to self, don't use a half full spool with lower brake settings and a heavy lure. $130 is a good price for an SLX combo, great buy! SLX rods are crisper than Fury rods IMO and they are... "different feeling" than others in the price bracket that I've held. Not a bad thing, I think they feel closer to my more expensive rods but they are quirky. Fury rods seem to be going for that best in class vibe, which is also good. They never quite sit right with me personally though. Largely, it depends on if you like black and blue or black and red. Both combos should serve you well as long as the rod power is appropriate for your technique. The lack of exterior settings on the SLX reel also bothers some, and there's mixed reviews about its durability in the long term. Depends how much you fish though probably and whether you do maintenance on it.

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I think NFC customer service is better than it used to be, based on the negative comments I've seen. I called two weeks ago and talked with a nice lady, and last week I sent an email and they replied same day. Might have been a fluke though, lol.