GetFishorDieTryin

I get more use out of the #1 and #2 VMC weedless neko then any other size. The 1/0 is a little bigger but the biggest difference to me is that the wire is thicker. The Owner Jungle has the best weedguard IMO and absolutely sticks em, but I have tons of VMC nekos. Decoy makes a good weedless wacky hook as well. In open water I've found the 2/0 Mosquito to be really effective.

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Owner, VMC and Mustad all make purpose built single replacements with an XXl eye. They arent like siwash hooks, the single replacements have a shorter shank to prevent the hooks from handcuffing. The eye of the hooks are parallel with bend so they sit with the point inline with the bait instead of being at a right angle on the left or right.

I started using singles for surf plugs and tins because that rear treble is really good at finding eyes or gill rakes. You can also unhook a fish much faster which is a big advantage when a school is moving through. I havent noticed a big difference between the hook up ratios after going over to singles, but once you get a single pegged the land ratio is better compared to trebles. Singles are also less prone to grass and snags, however if you bury one into wood or a lily root its not going to bend out. Ive tried to go singles for my freshwater JBs with some success. JBs that are sensitive to weight changes like some of the Duos can be a pain to balance.

The standard 65s are good, I imagine the action would be a little tighter with the DD.

I use them mostly with braid and FC leader but even with straight 10lb FC main they are a slow float. I like X raps when the fish when the water is getting warm. Ive caught fish on them sub 40 water but suspending or sinking JBs outperform them this time of year especially on pauses over 6 seconds.

You havent ever seen a stock Xrap float?

Oops, I need to stop writing these at 2am

Its much easier getting a JB to suspend with strips, unless you know what rings and hooks to add to balance it. This time of year you often dont feel the fish hit on the pause. They can suck it in and blow it back out without you feeling anything. Upgrading to hooks that will stick the fish as its being spit out makes a huge difference especially compared to the stock hooks on the xrap and husky, there not very good. X raps and husky's aren't as sensitive as other JBs when adding weight, which makes life easier for you. When I balance a JB I use a clear Tupperware pitcher that's about 20" high. You want the water in the pitcher to be as close to the temp of the lake as possible. A bait that suspends in 40* water might be a slow float in 50* because of the change in water density. Once your happy with the temp of the water, you use tongs to put the JB with the strip on it 1/2 or 3/4 of the way to the bottom. If it sinks take a razor bade or sharp knife, shave a sliver of lead off and test it again. Just repeat that process until you get the bait to where you like it. If your fishing from the bank in shallow water a super slow float can be the way to go so your not picking grass off after every cast.

Odds are your knot is slipping. An improved clinch will work as long as the knot is tied correctly and seated. PE lines have a much smaller diameter then mono, so you need to add more twists to the clinch knot when using it The palomar is a strong knot, but it eats up alot of line per knot. I would suggest a Uni knot over the palomar. Once you learn to tie a good uni, you can easily tie a uni-uni connection knot if you think may want to try using a leader on the braid.

If he's having trouble tying direct he's going to have a harder time with a connection knot. I thinks thats why no one has mentioned it.

It depends on how your fishing the chatterbait and your personal preference of action, length and power. I like a faster action if im fishing it like a jig on the bottom, the tip is more sensitive then slower action rods so i can feel subtle bites a little better. For yo yo or stop and go retrieves I like a 7'2-7'6 MH ModF. A fish doesnt feel as much resistance with a slower tip so it can give a little more time to se the hook before the fish tries to spit it. Once the fish is hooked the softer tip keeps consistent pressure on the fish because its recovery is slower. A ModF loads well, which gives you good casting distance when it unloads on the release. Glass rods are good for chatterbaits and cranks, but other then that they arent as versatile as graphite or composite rods. Glass is also noticeably heavier then graphite rods, so if you cant balance the rod with the right reel they are all that fun to fish IMO. Graphite/glass composite rods a give you the benefits of both materials. You get a good amount of tip to keep a fish pinned like a glass rod and the graphite mixed in makes the rod more sensitive and much lighter. Obviously if you get a MH F you can use that rod for a bunch of different baits. I read about people having horrible hookup ratios with chatterbaits like 3 or 4 fish landed of 10, and they blame it on the MH F rod. I was surprised when I read that because I started throwing chatterbaits with a MH F and I didn't lose many fish at, with my average being 7-8 of 10 fish landed. MH ModF depending on the company who makes the rod are nearly as versatile as a F action. ModF is good for spinnerbaits, lipless cranks, SBs, scrounger head, poppers, spooks and just about anything that would benefit with a soft tip. Composite rods are good for most baits with trebles. Depending on the rod you may be able to get away with some open hook baits.

Hair jigs work when little else will. I got into some fish yesterday, it was a grind at first. I caught a few on 2 and 3" ktechs then I went to a small hair jig and it went from slow to a fish every 2 or 3 casts. There are a bunch of good one on the market, just be prepared to pay a premium price. I think tying them yourself id the way to go for sure. I like darter and ball heads, but the most important parts of the jighead is the 90* line tie and a light wire hook IMO. I like synthetic craft hair, it can be a pain to work with but its worth the hassle. Craft hair comes in tons of colors, is readily available, has good action and is buoyant. Any cheap beginners fly tying kit will have all the tools to make tying much easier.

If your going to use straight FC it worth spending a few more dollars to get FC that handles really well, like Invizx. Lower lb test handles better then heavier lb test so the lowest lb test your comfortable with. 1 and 2k size reels have become really popular, but 3 and 4k size spools are wider which can equate to less memory.

Yes Ive fished a buddys a few times, but Ive put a lot of time in on the ML and its worth the money for sure. I like the 7'3 alot, I would take it over a Sierra all day.

The 7'1 ML Tatula is versatile rod. Its got more power then most other MLs I have. I have a Stradic FK 3k (8oz) on mine and the balance is perfect. Its good with smaller JBs, wacky rigs, nekos, neds, small swimbaits (keitechs), shad raps and so on. I dont have a casting Tatula rod, but Ive handled a few and for the money I think they feel pretty good. I would go for the 7'3 MH for chatterbaits over the 6'10, you would get more tip and a little more leverage to lean into a hook set and rip grass.

Booyahs arent bad at all. Them little pond magic SBs with a slider grub get crushed on rainy days spring-late fall. The hook up ratio is 90% or better and I can feel them thump for sure. Ive really been taking a liking to Zorros Long arm Aggrivator the past few years, it looks simple and plain but it gets it done. Its a little more compact then most SBs which I think helps the hook up ratio. The wire is rigid, but has enough flex to flatten out on the bite and still runs straight on the next cast.

Very under rated brand, every Revenge bait and head ive bought has been great.

Try a good pair of glomits with liner gloves underneath. Simms or smart wool glomits have small pockets for hot hand packs. When the top of the mitten is folded back it makes accessing pockets tough, but as far as heat retention goes its hard to beat wool.

If the bass didn't hold tight to cover I wouldn't throw anything else. The hook is needle sharp and goes right through with little effort even when the mouths are at their hardest. If I snag 1 and bend the hook out I make sure to throw that particular jig on spinning gear with my drag set real low. The drag on my Met isnt as smooth as my spinning reels especially on low lb, I worry I might lose the fish of a lifetime from a bent or broken hook. Probably wouldn't happen but I dont wanna take teh chance.

I think what there trying to do is to give you a rod thats as good or better then the avid blank wise for less money so they can compete a little better with the made in china Shimanos. For 180 or 200$ American made rod I don't expect the components to be on par with the higher $ Avids like the inshore. I was kind of hoping it would be made in Mexico TBH, that way you would get a little more for your money. Technically the freshwater avids arent species specific, but some of the avid X models are technique spec for bass, they just took the specs from the mojos and made them with a better blank and components when the avid X rods came out. I thought they had an avid panfish and maybe even an avid trout line that have been discontinued. The TD doesnt sell very many standard freshwater avids compared to avid Xs, avid inshores, they will order 1 from the warehouse to the retail location but otherwise they haven't stocked the standards for a while now.

I cant see SC phasing out the entire Avid family, although they haven't had any significant improvements in recent years there still a great American made rod. The current Inshore Avids are some of the nicest looking rods IMO, combined with the way they fish its no wonder just about everyone who seriously fishes the sod banks or bridge hops has at least 1. SC did scrub the standard Inshore and improved the Mojo inshore with better components a new handle design and nice paint job. I havent bought a SC in a few years, so Im exited to see these new rods. Hopefully it wont be like the Rage series.

I was going to buy to the 7'4 Omen black for CBs, bladed jigs. I wound up getting the 7'2 because I figured it would be a better do it all rod for the yak or little jon boat. Its not a really slow rod, some brands might even label it F if it was a M action. Its done really well wih bladed jigs and lipless cranks using 15lb Invizx. Haven't thrown SBs with it yet, but I think it will throw them fine especially if you go to mono. It shouldnt have issues with 3/8 bladed jigs and swing fats, not 100% sure how it would throw a 1/2 with a bigger trailer. I have an SLX DC on mine and it balances just about perfect, right at the top of the locking nut. I got a chance to handle the Defy CB, Im pretty sure it was the 7'4. I was blown away at how light it was. If it weighed more then 5gs it sure didn't feel like it and for a 70$. If you like a slower action for CBs and bladed jigs consider checking that 1 out.

I do the same thing

If you were fishing from a Skeeter or Ranger you would catch bigger fish.