BrianMDTX

@Delaware Valley Tackle thanks for the reply. Just to clarify, are you saying no need to replace the wrap after I remove it and reinstall the tip top? Or just reglue the tip top as-is? I assume the former, but I’d rather ask and be sure.

This statement is 100% Bait Monkey Approved.

I completely cleaned out the tube of the tip. I just have to remove the old thread and epoxy in order to glue the tip back on.

I answered my own question. It wasn’t hot melt. I was able to remove whatever adhesive was used with a small drill bit, but will have to remove the thread wrap.

If that’s true, then do I still have glue in the tip guide? That’s as far as I can stick a toothpick in; as deep as the exposed blank.

So, I went and grabbed the rod and the tip pulled right off. I’ve never had a tip guide come off before. I thought that small amount of bare rod was, well, small. But I stuck a toothpick in the guide and it’s no deeper than the exposed blank. Is that all that there is holding the tip guide onto the rod? I thought it would be deeper than that.

@casts_by_fly I agree with that 100%. I was casting a Rage Craw on a TR with a 1/4 oz. weight in shallow (1’-3’) water and didn’t get a bite. I switched to a 3/8 oz. weight and caught several bass in a row. That day, they wanted it fast.

I’ll do that. At first I thought the guide was bent (noticed it while working a jig). But it looked fine and I was able to realign it. Interesting to hear they aren’t using hot melt glue. If you had to replace a damaged guide, getting the tip off of epoxied would be a mofo.

I discovered yesterday that the tip guide on my Falcon Lowrider is loose. Not spinning around freely-loose, but it does move. Assuming it’s held in place with hot melt glue. Has anyone tried heating it as-is to see if the existing glue will melt and reattach the guide solidly, or is it a simple “remove and reglue” task? I'm assuming the latter but figured I’d ask.

I simply cannot stand in place. After 5 minutes my back screams in protest. Sitting all day? Not a problem. Walking? Not a problem. But standing kills me. I mostly fish from my inflatable which is 100% sitting. If I fish from the bank, I bring a chair.

Had an ok day. I fished another new pond. Long, and narrow at one end and wide at the other with a small island in the wide end. Some weeds but apparently no algae. I only pinched a bit of algae off once. Zilch on topwater and a chatterbait, as well as a wacky rig. I caught two bass on a black Zoom Trick Magnum TR, two on a purple Zoom Mag II TR, and surprise! surprise! Three on a blue/black jig with a green pumpkin Rage Menace trailer. And I hooked three more that tossed the hook. That’s two trips in a row that I have been having success with jigs. Caught nine and missed a few so quantity was ok. Quality was lacking. I caught one nice 3 lb’er on the Zoom Trick Magnum. The rest were 1 lb. and under. I’ll try that pond again one day but it was a little disappointing as good as it looked. One thing that caught my eye was as I was working that TR, I saw a fish partially surface, very slowly, like a dolphin breaking the surface. It was very long, about 2’. I believe it was a gar but not 100% sure. But it was big. The second thing that caught my eye was the tip guide on my Falcon Lowrider. That’s the rod I was using for the jig. About 15 minutes after I started fishing the jig, I noticed my tip guide was no longer aligned with the other guides. I thought it was bent, but it wasn’t. It was loose. How or why I do not know. I was able to turn it into alignment, but I’m going to have to remove it and re-glue it back on. @ol'crickety The space in between the trees on the shoreline is where I caught the biggest bass.

Try a Neko Macho. They are a heavy soft plastic with great action. I rig it as a weightless TR with a 4/0 EWG hook. It casts far, sinks great and has great action on the fall and while working it. It skips great, too.

0600-0800: I’m fishing for trophies 0800-1000: I’m concentrating on decent-sized bass 1000-????: Just bite the bait, ya $@&! bass! Seriously, I don’t have what it takes to dedicate myself to fishing solely for a giant bass. Nor do I enjoy catching a ton of dinks just for numbers. I’m definitely in the 4-5 range.

The vast majority (like 95%) of the bass I catch are right on the shoreline, under overhanging brush and tree branches. Sometimes I’ll deliberately cast a weightless TR on the bank and jerk it into the water where it gets slammed. But OMG, I am NOT boating 52 bass in a day like @ol'crickety That’s one productive body of water right there!

I fish a lot of ponds with muck bottoms and a lot of algae. I either fish weightless presentations or the least weight possible. Still picks up some stuff every 3-4 casts but not like a TR with a 1/4 oz bullet weight or a 1/2 oz jig.

@WRB if you had to give a reason, why do you think it wasn’t a successful bait for you? The bait itself? Water clarity? Structure were used? I am interested in your assessment.

Methinks some may be a tad bit jealous. I, for one, am not. It’s WAY more than a tad! 😂

If one thing has remained relatively consistent, it’s that spinnerbaits, jigs and I go together like oil and water. Neither has ever done anything other than one bass here and there, if that. But jigs are starting to change for me. I started off with a squarebill and that bite was dead. I switched to a Texas rig with a green pumpkin Speed Senko and so was that. I later switched to a weightless TR with a Neko Macho and caught three bass and missed one. Two were on a #956 and one on a blue with black flake. As heavy as Neko Machos are, maybe it’s a semi-weightless. That bite petered off. I had a blue/black jig with a green pumpkin Rage Bug trailer and figured I’d give it a shot. 45 minutes later I boated 5 bass and missed two (one was pretty good but it was not hooked well and it threw the hook). This was a Nichols Mango jig, which uses a toothpick through a hole to hold the trailer on. I did not have any toothpicks with me and went through that Bug, a Rage Craw and a Rage Menace as trailers quickly lol. I got bites hopping it, swimming it, dragging it over wood and pulling it off the bank. For 45 minutes, that jig was gold! I caught one more on a weightless Speed Senko TR and called it a day. One bass, the tail was gone and I was left with, well, a Senko. @JayMac89 Nice bass! The more you fish, the better angler you become. Keep at it! And yeah, while I can skip much easier with a spinning rig, overall I’d say it’s easier to be more accurate with a baitcaster. It takes practice!

How does it work as a WR if it floats?

lol. Looks like the answer is no 😂 Well, when they get here, I’ll see how they do.

I really like Sunline Shooter Defier. It’s great mono.

I placed an order from TW (you’re welcome, Bait Monkey). And amongst the weights and worms and line I ordered, I bought a pack of Slink-o’s. Anyone use them this year? Any successes or disappointments? Rigging suggestions? I'm thinking either a shaken head or a Carolina rig.

Yamamoto loves this one simple trick!

My fishing? I dunno. But lately I feel like this guy.

Convienience? Blue Rhino Cost savings? Refill