BrianMDTX

Ok, color me impressed. Just had a lot of heavy rain so the pond flooded and the bite is off. So I can’t comment on strike sensitivity. Everything else? First off, I am a “traditionalist” in that I vastly prefer cork grips. I like the feel, they shed casual water and they just look good. But the EVA foam grips on this Aird X 701MHFB are very nice. Comfortable, but not squishy. I do not like spongy grips as far as hand feel, and I think sensitivity suffers. These are nice. Casting? Using the same weightless 5” Senko TR on a 3/0 Gamakatsu EWG hook, it’s effortless. Far, medium and short distance casting is great. At close distances, it’s much easier than with my Fenwick HMX70MFC. The reel is spooled with 12 lb YZH. As I said, no strikes. But bottom sensitivity is good. I couldn’t compare to a high-end rod (as I have no $$$ rods), but I’m impressed with what I feel of the structure as I work the TR in slowly. All-in-all, I think it’s a steal for $49.99. I’d buy another Aird X for sure.

Can’t prove it. But likely! Nice fish!

As a bank fisherman currently, I feel your pain. I pick up a ton of algae at times after my weightless Senko WR sinks. But as 90% of my catches are after the initial cast, I can liove with that as long as I don't miss hook-ups on those strikes. The 1/0 Gamma octopus hooks are great for not missing a fish.

I caught my PB (between 6-7 lbs) on a 5’ UL rod and a Shakespeare 2052 spinning reel from 1970 in May. Trust me, THAT was a fight! I wasn’t using that rig looking for big bass but it turned out that way! I think casting a weightless Senko on a spinning rig is infinitely easier than with my baitcaster rigs. Some spots I’m only tossing it 6’-8’ and it’s a simple task to lightly flip it out and still have a semi-slack line for it to sink (although it normally gets sucked down before it sinks very far). I’m not that skilled with a baitcaster to consistently make such short casts with that level of precision without issues.

Trash/litter by “fellow” anglers Having baits come towards shallow water vs deep Having a nice fish head into weeds or brush instead of open water when reeling it in Goose poop lol Dog poop not lol Casting in tight spots and snagging hooks Difficult to dropshot Lack of mobility

I Googled it. It’s pronounced Day-wah.

Also...is it Day-wah, or Die-wah? Or -way? I’ve always said Day-wah.

One question. How does one pronounce "Aird"? Is it one syllable pronounced aired as in "I just aired up the tires"? Or like Air-Dee? Sorry. That's what 12 years of parochial school gets you!

I use those in ponds. The top 6"-8" of water is relatively clear but becomes more stained with algae the deeper it gets. That color Senko is very effective.

I moved from MD to TX last year, and drove my car to the Houston area last July. When I crossed the LA-TX border on I-10 at Orange, TX it showed the terminus in West Texas was Mile Marker 880 lol. THAT'S a highway!

I just brought home a MHF Aird-X yesterday. $49.99. It seems like a very nice rod for the money. Hope to wet a line with it this weekend.

I’ve looked at that. Seems like a nice PFD.

Ok, I bit the bullet and ordered the deluxe version. $399.00 and free shipping. Have to wait to 7/21 to receive it, but $399.00 is way better than $677.00. Gotta get a decent PFD now!

I’ve never had this rod in my hands before today. For less than $50.00, I’m impressed. Looks good, has nice balance, all guides aligned, reel aligned with the rod. Feels more like a MHF than the Fenwick MF I currently have (which as MF, it should, but I’ve learned here that one’s MH is another’s M, so there’s no guarantee unless you feel it for yourself). All spooled up with 12 lb. YZH and just sprayed down with KVD. Can’t wait to cast a TR with it!

Trailer wheel bearings. Absolutely. Living in MD, I lost count of the pickups and boat trailers on the shoulder of 95 broken down due to bearing failure.

Make sure your towing vehicle’s PM is up-to-date. If within 1500 miles of an oil change, change oil and filter now. Make sure coolant is fresh and topped off, as well as all other vital fluids (tranny, power steering, brake). Check condition of serpentine belt(s) and brake pad wear. Long tows put W&T on a vehicle. Better an ounce of prevention than a pound of cure.

Life jackets and boaters remind me of full body harnesses and tree stand hunters. Buy a $1,400.00 bow, $700.00 worth of sights, quivers, arrow rests, arrows, broadheads, etc., $$ to $$$$ on inner and outerwear, boots, tree stands, blinds, $$$$ on lease fees or ATV's...and wear a cheap safety belt or nothing at all. "It's uncomfortable!" "It's noisy!" "It gets in the way of a shot!" Trust me. You ain't thinking any of that 10' into a 25' fall. Or while in a wheelchair for the remainder of your life. And your significant other isn't going to say "well, at least they weren't uncomfortable" while staring at your headstone.

It’s a very good topic. I used to use 1/0 offset worm hooks, but was not really catching bass over 1-2 lbs. I switched to Gamma 3/0 EWG hooks when I started catching bigger bass and I lost a few nice bass throwing the hook. Unfortunately it’s impossible to be 100% sure why. It could be my MF rod was/is not up to the task, I am simply not setting the hook hard enough, or the non-offset hook does not get the same “bite” that offset hooks do. So I’m switching to a MHF rod for more power when setting the hook and will stick (for now) with EWG hooks. I like the way the hook lines up in the bait (especially fishing in ponds with a lot of algae) compared to offset hooks. But if I still seem to lose bass, I will go back to a 3/0 or 4/0 offset. I'm hoping it’s the rod lol.

If bluegills got to be 5-6 lbs, they'd be demons on a hook.

Pound for pound, bluegills are true scrappers. I bet that really put up a fight!

Good to hear. Exactly what I’m looking for.

I could be wrong, but I believe my current 7’ M fast action casting rod just doesn’t have the backbone for driving home 3/0 or 4/0 EWG hooks on bigger bass. It could be my technique, but I think I will be better served with a 7’ MH fast action rod. I looked at several, but have no desire to spend $$ or $$$ until I know for sure. So I’m picking up a Daiwa Aird-X 701MHFB rod tomorrow. I have a spare Garcia Black Max to put on it. I plan to use 12 lb YZH. I'm hopeful a MH will provide a more positive hookset then I’ve been getting. I opted for this rod after all the positive reviews I’ve seen here on the Aird-X line.

If you think this is bad, it pales in comparison to deer hunting. People will sell their sister to lease your spot out from under you if you lets it slip it’s a good property. Funny. Unless it’s reporting to the DNR, any nice buck I arrow “seems” to come from public tracts with ten of thousands of acres lol.

No good deed goes unpunished.

I believe so. Are you talking full salt water, or brackish? I used mine a few times in the Upper Chesapeake with low salinity with no issues. I rinsed it well afterwards with fresh water. But I would not use it for true saltwater fishing. Thanks. I try to maintain all my hunting and fishing gear as well as possible. Granted, it’s been sitting idle a long time, but I used it frequently years (decades) ago. I’ve used it this year and caught a few bass on it. I actually may buy a better rod than the Berkley it’s on now and set it up for something specific. Maybe a dedicated weighted TR set-up. It still casts well with 12 lb YZH. Only catch is no thumb bar, so you need two hands always to cast lol.