GetFishorDieTryin

I lean towards a silent crank when I dont have any wind or cloud cover, but ill start with a chatterbait. There have also been a few days where I get bit on a chatterbait but no matter how I change up the retrieve or how compact I make it. the fish dont commit and just slap at it, to the point where im hooking 1 of 5. Thats when a crankbait is the way to go for sure.

I usually lean towards to colorado blades over willows because the kind of baitfish in most local waters. Ive tried indiana blades and I'm not the biggest fan. I found the thunder/turtle blades to be the perfect in between.

One bait that really seems to excel for me starting in the fall is a jig worm. Just a 4-5" worm with a 1/32 or 1/16 head w/#1 hook. I find healthy grass and basically just work it through the holes and gaps slowly. When it gets stuck I snap it free and let it fall, lots of times that when it gets hit. The light head and small hook are essential so the bait doesn't bog down. It works for me when they wont hit anything else.

Ive done really well DSn in frigid chocolate milk. If you know where the fish are you can usually get them to hit a DS when they wont hit anything else.

I really like Picassos Invis wire thunder willow. Its similar in size to the war eagle McClelland finesse in size and profile, but you can get them in heavier weights.

Leader

Ones a 40HM and ones a Toray 40. I think the Invoker is the same minus the wrap. I wanted that wrap because it would protect the blank from rash. The only pic TW had of it was the pic of the handle at the time I ordered the essence I kind of assumed it would have the wrap like the Invoker because it was a higher price point. Unfortunately it was the typical assuming outcome.

I dont get really get tired of it, but I know that just taking the safe option and catching fish on something I'm very proficient at doesn't help me become a better angler.

It all depends on how much you lose from the rod. If you only lose an inch or 2 it makes a difference. When you lose 6 or 7 inches then you lose just about all of your sensitivity. Ive held some veritas's but never fished them so I cant compare the 2.

I had asked Ark about the differences between the Tharp and the Essence component and blank wise. Interestingly enough I was told that the blanks in the Tharp and Essence and Invoker are all 40t, but the Tharp uses a different blank then the Invoker and Essence. He didn't really elaborate much beyond that. Like I said they're good rods for the money, but my experience with the customer service was disappointing to say the least. I've recommended them several times when people want a budget rod, but it's a good idea to go over that rod with a fine-tooth comb after it comes out of the tube and document any issues you may have.

I like my 7'3 MH Essence. If it didn't break within 12 hours of use I would like a whole lot more. I just don't have the confidence in Arks' customer service to buy a half dozen of them or buy a flagship rod. It's a shame because minus the hiccup with the epoxy failing immediately the rods been great. I caught a 7lb on Monday and it whooped that fish

Arks are good for the money at the lower price points, but you get what you pay for. They're QC isn't the best and customer service is hit and miss. I like the feel of the new BassX rods, but not so sure about the reel seats on the casting rods. Not the most comfortable and supposedly they have had issues with the locking nut backing odd and the reel seat failing. The silver lining is that SC will stand behind the product.

It looks basically like a BG MQ with the Zaion V body. Other then the MQ body and the bigger main gear everything else about the lower end MQs is inferior to the reels they replaced. Daiwa makes a good cast zinc gear, but I cant justify spending 250 or 300$ on a reel and not getting an AL main.

Perfect weather for a lots of baits, but the first one I throw in the rain is a spinner bait. Chatterbaits work too, but I can throw a spinnerbait closer to hard cover without snagging up. You want concentrate on the bank and hard cover like wood, lily stems, pilings or corners of spillways. In these conditions i dont miss many hits, but a weightless senko on another rod as a follow up or more subtle look can get you a few more fish.

Either a sharpie or nail polish.

The Xzone Swammer and Zoom swimming super fluke both give a swimjig lots of roll. The drawback is both of those baits arent very durable. The R2S D walker would be a good choice. It has a decent amount of roll and its more durable then previous mentioned baits. I would recommend investing in a big bottle of mend it. It pays for itself in a hurry.

The 7' M F feels like the older ML SCs that were rated 1/8-1/2. I cant see that rod being very effective with 3/16 SH and a heavier stickbait like an Airtail Rattler or even a mag trick. It really comes down to the weight of the SHs you're using and the baits you're using with it. The 7' would be great for straight tails with 1/16 or 1/8 SHs for sure, but once you get to 3/16 or 1/4 Im not so sure how much power is left in the rod to set a hook at the end of the cast. They make a 7'3 XF which is what I would lean towards if I was going to be throwing SHs 1/8 or heavier.

The BG sizes are bigger then the LT sizes. A 2500 BG is slightly bigger then a 3k. Im not sure how the MH triumphs are. If you had a M I would say go with a 3k fuego for FW. The whole issue of flex is so overblown its ridiculous, especially if your drag is set for FW bass fishing. Ive caught plenty of 12-15 lb stripers on my 2500 fuego in tide without any stem flex. If you want a metal frame reel, I would recommend you try to find a 3k Shimano Spheros SW. Its basically a Stradic FK- a couple bearings. While the BGs are good reels the Spheros beats it in every category. BG has a larger gear, but BGs gear is cast zinc where Spheros is forged AL. The only issue they only come in a 3k and 4k XG. I think Shimano is hesitant to make it in all sizes as it would cut into Stradic Sales.

I really like x9 a whole lot more then 832. Its a lighter line that feels smother to me and definitely casts much farther. Its abrasion resistance isn't as good as 832 but its not that far behind. It is a thinner line, but its not as thin as they claim. The 20lb feels identical or at least very close to PP v2.

While i dont think the DC is the end all of braking systems they definitely have their place. The biggest advantage is you dont have to change any settings if you change baits. I'll change the tension a little bit from really loose to where the play is almost non existent. They really shine casting baits with lots of drag in wind, like flat cranks or baits that tumble. They don't do as well with short range as the SVs or MGLs. I run mine loose like most of my other reels and the only time I've lashed it is hitting a tree or bush as I release the spool, but any reel will do that. If you want 1 outfit to do a whole lot of work a DC is a great choice.

word

Not familiar with OSP huh?

I think everyone has done that to some extent. I don't do it as much as I did when I was younger. For the most part Ive either found a replacement, customized the hardware to reduce loss or all together phased the bait out. I fish stump fields during the coldest part of winter and the lipless bite is usually there. The TN60s get bit consistently where some of the other traps I've tried don't. After trying to find a replacement with limited success. Eventually I just started putting light wire hooks on the TNs and using a heavier rod. In Jan and Feb the fish are cold enough that they don't fight hard enough to bend the hooks out, but if I snag up I can crank the drag down and more times than not get my bait back with a bent hook.

Hard to go wrong with Aarons GP, Oxblood Light or Peoples worm. I used to do really well with Prism Kraw, but I guess they decided to discontinue the color. Ive smashed em with the Alive Shad in Prism Shad and Baby blue gill. Havent thrown the worms in that color, don't see why they wouldn't work.

I got my hands on the new LTB and the Orochi. They were next to each other on the rack so naturally I compared them. From handling them the Orochi felt like it had more power then LTB. I also thought the whipsnake felt like it was another level overall compared to the 6'10 LTB. Not dogging the LTB, it felt nice, just not as nice as the MB. You ever consider the Luvias or Luvias Airity?