Michigander

My Triton wept at this news when I learned this on Friday. However, I am going to make the best of this situation and take my kayak out on lakes that I wouldn't have even bothered with before due to the typical amount of power boating and jetski activity. I'm also hoping that since overall fishing pressure will be down this spring, that this is one of the best bass summers in a long time. Unfortunately, the DNR hasn't put most of the docks into the water so everyone is hanging out at the launch ramp fishing with bobbers. I'm afraid they will close the waterways if people don't space out.

Hook sizes vary wildly between manufacturers and even within a single manufacturer's lines. For example, compare an Owner 4/0 Beast Hook to an Owner 4/0 TwistLock hook. Both 4/0 but the Beast is much bigger. For Smallmouth, especially river smallies, you are going to want a slightly smaller hook than for largemouth sometimes but not always, which isn't super helpful. It just depends. I would advise you to make sure the hook is the appropriate size for the lure/bait you are throwing. If they can eat the bait, they will also get the hook. I've caught smallmouth on swim jigs with a big 5/0, so it doesn't really matter as long as you avoid the truly giant hooks. Leave the 10/0 hooks for the musky.

I think I'm failing to communicate my question effectively. If it were possible to have the weight secured to the bait for punching through the cover and then have it detach after the hookset, would that be beneficial or detrimental?

If you have the time to do it, it might be worth just running around and looking for the first 30 minutes. I've certainly missed checks for not doing that...

Ok, we can use that as an example. Do you find that you lose more fish after a positive hookset on the bubba shot or the punch rig?

I telework now, haven't been to the office in weeks. Lots of projects around the house, losing some weight because I haven't had fast food in over a month so that's good. Been taking the kayak out to fish on the nice days. Trying to dodge the snow, hail, rain, and lightning of April in Michigan. I was in Iraq for 15 months, so this social distancing thing pales in comparison to that chapter of my life. But if the local bass tournaments get cancelled in June, I will be a very sad panda indeed.

Not necessarily unpegged, but some people use more than one stopper to keep the weight secure. Would it be advantageous to have the weight detach and slide up the line after the hookset?

Probably so, but I am going to be spending several hours in a CAD program designing something based on my determination and underthinking this seems worse to me.

I haven't done much punching with 1-2oz weights but I'm going to make an honest effort this summer. I had a question about whether the fish is more likely to be able to spit the hook if the weight is securely pegged at the knot or if the weight can move up the line. Does anyone have any experience comparing these two scenarios?

It also depends what you're trying to mimic with your presentation. When I am trying to imitate a crappie or bluegill, then I use very full skirts. But when I am imitating a perch or some kind of minnow, I use very thin skirts.

No, we don't have much in the way of rocks around here. I mostly fish tubes in weeds, stumps, and lily pads. I used to do the bell sinker rig as well but found that I preferred the Phantom setup, especially hook shape. It was just too fragile to be practical. The conversion takes less than a minute or so, it's a good lunch break project. ************************************************ So I added a modification, I cut the tentacles off the tube and added a silicone replacement skirt to the Phantom hardware over the weights. Needs more work as I think I need to wire tie this onto a punch skirt collar, and I would want to upgrade to rubber vs silicone.

Edit, got ALX and Alpha mixed up. ALX did respond to my emails. Alpha did not.

My friend got his wife a 7' SLX M and she really likes it.

I think the thinner diameter Smackdown fades more than the heavier. I have 10 or 12lb green on another reel and that has faded to more of a green-yellow over the last two years. The 40# is still quite green though.

You're in luck, I had a previously enjoyed tube within arm's reach handy. Here's how it looks with a Snack Daddy tube. Looks about the same as one rigged with the stock hardware.

I love the way the Owner Phantom tube hooks perform but they are way too fragile. They also tend to ball up when the tube head gets beaten up if it makes it that far without the hardware failing. So here's my upgraded version that solves both problems. How to make this upgrade: 1. Break the crimped wire holding the original hardware, keep the weights and metal bead. 2. Tie some 40lb braid to the hook eye with a palomar knot. Keep both tag ends about 5" long. 3. Add a small conehead over both strands of the braid, like the fly tying guys use, to protect the knot. 4. Slide a 1/8" aluminum washer over both strands. 5. Add the stock Phantom weights onto both strands of the braid. 6. Add the metal bead over one strand of the braid and tie off with a knot using both strands. 7. Trim your tag ends. Complete!

Maybe I got a lucky batch but I've had the same 40# flash green Smackdown on one of my more used reels for three summers, this will be the fourth, and it still is vibrant green. I probably average 20 hours a week fishing between late April and mid-October. I do cut a few feet off each year but that's about it. Probably isn't as nuclear green as it once was, but it doesn't revert back to white like some of them do. Looking at you Spiderwire.... looking hard at you.

I picked up this Piscufun Serpent for the same purpose when it was on sale for $60: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CHKYZ5G/ref=twister_B07CHJ5R2S?_encoding=UTF8&th=1 It is back up to full price at $90 now but keep an eye on it and it'll probably jump back down. The rod is fine.

I had similar problems a few years ago. If you're like me, the root problem was the Smackdown. Well, more specifically, the slickness of the Smackdown. You need to add additional wraps when tying for the two lines to hold and that should fix the problem. If the slippage is still there, like when I experimented with Gliss, then you have to tie a double hitch at the end so it can't pull the end through itself. Eventually though, I just said forget the Alberto and went with a Uni to Uni knot. My drag is set lower than the break point of my knot and when I do break off, I usually get my Uni knot back with a few inches of FC leader anyway so I really stopped worrying about it. At the end of the day, if I can't tie the knot in low light with cold, wet fingers and with the wind howling, then it isn't any good to me. I need a simple, fast, and reliable knot which ended up being the Uni-to-Uni for me. Side note, Smackdown is my favorite braid, so I made sure to find a knot that it liked. Though I'm trying Hitena braid this year, so we'll see if there's a new chosen one.

Congrats!! I'm still chasing that 6 myself. Closest I have come is 5.88. Some day...

Thanks! That is where I caught that one. The side of the lake where I got her was 4 degrees warmer than the rest of the lake. If I knew that before someone told me I wouldn't have wasted most of the day fishing the colder side.

I was just out today a little north of Lansing and the water is still quite cold. I think it's more important right now to find the slightly warmer water.

Today I caught my first good fish of the year, 4.89lbs! Michigan waters are still cold, didn't even see males up scoping out bed spots yet.

You'll need an adapter cable if the base connector doesn't fit your units cable. I needed one for my Garmin.

A local pond is open and the river is too. Now if only I had a license, line on my reel, and time to go out...