Big Hands

The fish tell me what to do, but only if I am willing to listen. Most of the time I am assisting with the trolling motor in some way because if I don't I can be out over 200 to 300 feet of water in seconds. Sometimes to stay in one spot (sometimes for hours), sometimes to work a stretch of shoreline that me be 100 feet long to several hundred yards long. Now that I have spot lock and battery for days, I almost never even have an anchor in the boat, let alone use it.

I took a flyer on a Golden Ticket the day before they discontinued the offer. I had no idea they were going to pull it, and I'm glad I didn't do the normal hand-wringing for days like I normally do. I saved that for trying to decide which rod to get :-) I ended up ordering a SWC SJR 732-1 to bridge the gap between my BFS rods and my other casting rods mostly for bottom contact work. It'll pair with a Curado BFS with 8 lbs mono or fluoro. Looking for it to replace two Phenix Feather rods (a L/F and a ML/F). We shall see. . . . in 3 to 5 weeks. . . . . allegedly. It'll get here when it gets here and I will be happy with that.

'Reel' Men of Genius: "True Story Time" Fish can be a little nutty when it comes time to eat. I don't know if @king fisher 's plan is going to be a killer pattern, but I think it just might work. . . . at least once. I was at a well known Southern California put-n-take private trout enterprise that actually had three small lakes. There was an earthen bridge over some culverts that linked one lake to another and a steel guardrail over the length of the bridge on both sides. It was popular for anglers to clamp rod holders on the railing and for several rods to be sticking out like as the trout came by, often to use the culverts to swim from one lake to the other. I was sitting nearby staring at the rods fixed to the railing and apparently paying more attention than the owners of the rods. One of the rods suddenly shot forth out of the holder and landed in the lake before disappearing. I notified the folks nearby that I had seen the rod take off like a bottle rocket. He was a little confused at first, but soon accepted the fact that his rod was gone and that a fish likely took it. Half an hour later one of the other rods doubled over and this time the owner was able to grab it and began fighting what was determined to be a good sized fish. All of sudden, the rod next to him also doubled over and as he took up the slack it was easy to tell that the same fish had eaten both baits so they were working together to land the fish. Then the fish ate a third bait, then a fourth bait, and eventually a fifth. All five anglers were battling the fish at the same time. They were discussing how to determine who would get to keep the fish and they all agreed that whoever's hook was deepest in the fish would get to keep the fish. They finally landed a frisky five pound plus rainbow trout and set about determining who would keep the fish, only to discover that there were six lines coming out of the fish's mouth. Sure enough, the sixth line was coming from the water and they were able to pull on it and sure enough retrieved the rod and reel that had launched from it's holder half an hour earlier. All concerned parties then agreed that he should be able to keep the fish.

From the marketing blurb in describing the reasoning behind making an offering like the 'Golden Ticket' is that they want to address their customer's most frequent concerns (faster delivery times, better order tracking, and the ability to speak to a real human), while being able to offer made in USA products. . . or something to that end. They have asked if there's any volunteers that would be willing to send them some cash up front in return for a chance to get an incredible deal on a premium rod at some point in the future so they can make the changes sooner than later. They have sweetened the offer enough to maybe raise some capital to bust a move sooner rather than later. Or, they're going belly up in six months and throwing a Hail Mary to send themselves off into the sunset a little flusher with cash. It's is an interesting and somewhat bold gambit, kind of like a kickstarter for a company that already exists. Interesting and bold enough for this low-tolerance-for-risk person (me) to send them $200 for a yet to be identified high quality rod. I've already made several changes to my "team" and need to get out and use them before seeing if there are any areas I want to address.

I've got a Goldenmate that I use for camping and it's been great. I have had a Lossigy 24v 100 ah for a trolling motor and currently have an Enjoybot 36v 65 ah for my Minn Kota Quest. All bought from Amazon and all have worked great.

I have a Phenix X-12 that is really good for smaller crankbaits. I fish some topwater with it, but I have other topwater/jerkbait rods better suited for that if I want to fish that way. I also have an X-13 for the slightly larger crankbaits and that covers a wide range of crankbaits and the weight is not obnoxious.

Metanium Shallow Edition seems to meet the criteria listed.

I have a 1648 Tracker with a 40 hp tiller. Last year I replaced a Minn Kota Edge 24v 70 with an Ultrex Quest. I'm glad I waited for the Quest (brushless) version. It looks a little oversized for my modest Tracker 1648, but it has been an absolute joy to fish with spot lock. Absolute game changer for me. I ran it on 24v until I got a 36v battery recently. It ran fine on 24v and would push my rig at 4.6 mph.

A three piece JDM Metanium Variety Pack: Metanium 70 Metanium 70 Shallow Edition Metanium DC 70 A 2 @ Curado 150M XG Megabass Oneten Stick Daiwa Tatula Elite Seth Feider Jerkbait Rod Daiwa Iprimi LT2000S A couple 600 yard spools of Sunline Sniper (8 lb and 10 lb) Some Plano Edge tackle storage boxes Some knobs for a Daiwa Tatula 100 my dog decided to snack on Some Karashi replacement rear tinsel adorned trebles Extra small split ring pliers A lure or two. . . .

Zoom 10.5" Ol' Monster, June Bug, Plum Apple, or Red Bug. I'd like to start my 8 hours at 10:30 p.m. somewhere deep in the heart of Texas.

Owner Flashy Swimmer has caught me MANY good size bass. The 5/0 with a 4.8" Keitech Fat Impact in electric shad is my go to, but I have caught fish on many different trailers on the 1/0, 3/0, 5/0, 6/0 and even the 8/0 with appropriate soft plastics attached. Willow and Colorado blades, silver and gold. The Dirty Jigs (Tactical?) underspin is also in my rotation. Retrieve just fast enough to keep the tail wagging.

I don't see myself intentionally scuffing surface of a worm. I will fish a worm until it's beat to death, but I don't try to help it get there. I have stretched a worm to release some of the salt, but I don't have any idea if it has helped me catch a fish. ======================== . . . . sidebar . . . . =========================== Thirty years ago , I had a very special worm I loved. The main reason I loved it is that it is that it was the best, most productive worm I ever used. It wasn't a popular worm, so I kept it to myself and rarely shared it. One of the other reasons that I loved it was that the smooth surface of the worm allowed me to see teeth marks whether I hooked the fish or not. I could actually estimate the size of the fish I was dealing with pretty reliably by how far apart the marks were. That was almost certainly not an intentional feature.

If the $115 is a hard line, I'd go with the Fuego. If another $15 won't put you in the doghouse, you can get a JDM SLX 70 with the MGL III spool for $130. I have the SLX 70 XGS with the earlier MGL spool as well as the Fuego CT (a fine reel that punches upward and the best non-t-wing Daiwa baitcaster that I an aware of.

Thank you for these responses that address the stated topic of thread. I have a brand new ONETEN STICK (rated Medium/Regular) that I have yet to use, and I have a 6'10" Shimano (rated as Medium/Extra Fast) that I have used for several years. The bend, when I pull up and put a load on them: as if I am 'imparting action' to the bait, it is easier to see the the "extra fast" rod does have a faster action. with the load being similar to when I am fighting a fish, the action appears to be nearly identical. When loaded up, I would not have expected them to be so similar. The both look more like a fast action at that point. I'm not really sure what to make of that information as it relates to catching fish. Maybe the revelation will come after using the new ONETEN STICK for a bit. If the tip on the OMETEN STICK is slower but a bit stiffer, it seems like it might actually make for a crisper response when imparting action to a jerkbait? This may also be at the root of why a regular action wasn't adding up for me previously. I can definitely say it is lighter in weight and superbly balanced which I hope will make it easier to fish for long periods and have less impact as I continue to age. Certainly good info to keep in mind. After only ever using monofilament for my jerkbait rod, I will be using 10 lb fluoro on both to start. If I continue with fluoro, I am contemplating buying spare spools for all of my jerkbait rods so I can have the option to quickly transition back and forth from fluoro to monofilament as needed for topwater duty. Since my local lake just re-opened after being closed for almost two months due to algae concerns, the SoCal version of hard water season (in my neck of the desert) is in the rear view mirror, I am looking forward to playing around with the new setups and hopefully I'll be able to see for myself.

April-May-June are the best months here to try lots of different baits. In my experience, if you want to the old stand-bys, they work great, but so do things like creature baits, spinnerbaits, underspins, etc. The bass are finishing up their spawning activities, and they are hungry and even a little bit. . . . cranky.

One of two main reasons I have not stayed with Daiwa Baitcasters is the T-Wing. A connection knot can catch on a guide too, but I see no reason add to the connection knot issues. ====================== As for leaders, I haven't taken the plunge on leader specific line due to cost concerns. The Daiwa J-Fluoro I use for leader material is about $0.05 per foot vs Seaguar Gold Label at $0.30 per foot. So a ten foot leader would cost either $0.50 or $3.00. For now, I'm staying with the fifty cent leader. I have a tournament fishing acquaintance that swears by the Gucci leader, and I have no doubt that it's higher quality. I guess that makes it about my own personal 'fishcal' priorities, biases, mental blocks, maybe more. Maybe someday I'll feel differently about it, but today isn't that day.

Well that didn't age super well. I have been the proud owner of the Feider 7'6" AGS spinning rod for about 8 months and so far so good on the AGS guides.

AI is simply a tool. A tool used improperly can be "dangerous" in one way or another if used carelessly. To be clear, in my opinion, AI should NEVER be taken as gospel or absolute truth. More like an opinion, and not necessarily a well formulated opinion. I will say that when I made the post, it was a weekday morning (before work), and I didn't have time to be my usual verbose self and used AI as a shortcut to spark a conversation rather than to provide any sort of solid evidence. I used AI for some talking points to that end. I don't feel like it was used irresponsibly, but clearly some members are not OK with it and they have their reasons. Being that this enterprise belongs to @Glenn , if it his preference that AI not be used or referenced, I am happy to abide by his wishes. Feel free to remove the post.

Disclaimer: I don't necessarily believe AI to be infallible about anything. Merely a starting point for a conversation. I already know that I can get conflicting responses by asking what appears to be the same query phrased slightly differently. Aside from that, I will address the responses to the jerkbait rod issue when I return this afternoon.

I asked AI the following question: Is there cognitive dissonance in varying jerkbait rod designs? This was the response: Yes, there is significant cognitive dissonance in jerkbait rod designs, primarily stemming from the conflicting technical requirements of the technique itself. Anglers are forced to reconcile the need for a stiff, fast-action tip to properly "snap" or "jerk" the bait, with the need for a moderate, parabolic action to keep fish hooked on small, light-wire treble hooks. This technical contradiction leads to several areas of debate and dissonance: 1. Action Conflicts: Fast vs. Moderate The Problem: A "fast" tip is essential for imparting a sharp, erratic, 180-degree action on the lure without making the rod feel "whippy". The Dissonance: Using an "extra-fast" rod often results in tearing the small treble hooks out of the fish's mouth, especially with cold-water, lethargic bass. The Solution: Many anglers prefer a "moderate-fast" or "medium-moderate" rod, which provides a fast tip for action but a softer, more forgiving bend throughout the blank to prevent ripping hooks. Reddit +4 2. Rod Length Debate The Conflict: Long rods allow for longer, more efficient casts, which is vital in clear water. However, a long rod makes it difficult to work the bait effectively without the tip hitting the water's surface. The Compromise: The "standard" ideal, often cited, is a 6'6" to 6'10" rod. This length is seen as the perfect middle ground between castability and maneuverability. Reddit +4 3. Handle Length and Ergonomics The Conflict: A long rear handle provides better leverage for casting, but it interferes with the angler's clothing or body when aggressively jerking the rod downward, causing fatigue. The Compromise: Dedicated jerkbait rods often feature shorter, specialized handles (e.g., 13-14.5 inches) to allow for free movement during the retrieve. 4. Specialized vs. Versatile Setup The Dissonance: While manufacturers market specific "Jerkbait Special" rods, many anglers find that rods designed for small crankbaits (e.g., 6'8" or 7'0" medium-moderate) are actually better at keeping fish pinned. Reddit +1 Key Takeaway: The "correct" rod is often a personal decision that requires balancing the desire for maximum lure action (requiring a stiffer rod) with the need for a higher landing ratio (requiring a softer rod). I asked the question because I see a lot of conformity and commonly held beliefs with regard to a great many purpose specific rod designs, such as cranking rods, bottom contact rods, frog rods, dropshot rods, to name a few. However, when it comes to jerkbait rod actions (the part that is currently occupying my thoughts) I can find some with "regular" actions, and others with "extra fast" actions. That puts at least one, if not two two distinct levels between those two actions (mod-fast and fast). I have been going with the TB school of thought, and I can subscribe to their logic about why they prefer the XF as it has been working well enough for me. But now, the aspiring autodidactic mid-level polymath side of me is attempting to reconcile the dissonance.

After owning a 6'10" M/XF jerkbait rod for several years, I decided to see how the other half lives and threw down for a ONETEN Stick that is 6'5" and sports a M/R rating. I also tossed in a Tatula Elite 6'9" ML/R Seth Feider Jerkbait rod. Like most other pursuits, I am finding that jerkbait fishing can be it's own multifaceted rabbit hole and I guess I have decided that this will be my 2026 Bass Fishing Vision Quest. The bass may well have other plans. . . . . We shall see.

My local shop has the 7'2" Heavy Legend Glass rods on sale at 30% off. I have been eying them since they got them in. Granted the ones I have been looking at are a Heavy action, but they just feel heavier than I prefer, even for a Heavy action given they're only 7'2" long. So, I suspect that the Legend Tournament models will be lighter since they seem to have a graphite component. If it were me, if I was able to, I'd be willing to pay a little more if they were noticeably lighter, maybe a little slimmer too.

Not trying to be a knob, but. . . . (Curado 150M vs Metanium DC 70)