GetFishorDieTryin

It's hard to find a rod that can fish smaller unweighted plastics and still have the backbone to fish a 3/8 jig +trailer. I would think you would be using smaller sized jigs and trailers since your going after smallies, but some of those smaller heavily salted baits weight 1/4 alone. There are some M power rods rated 1/8-3/4 that would work. Daiwa has a 7' M Tatula that are rated 1/8-3/4. I've handled them, never fished them. They feel like they would be great on the lower end, but to be honest I dont see that rod having the backbone to effectively fish a 3/8 jig. The Phenix M1 and Feather both offer a 1/8-3/4 M but they are 7'2 and 7'1 respectively. The M1s fish the lower end well and I they feel like have more power in then the Tatula. SCs Mojo Inshore and Avid Inshore Ms have a little more power the freshwater Ms. They're rated 3/8-3/4, but they throw 1/4 just fine. They're good rods, nice and light plenty sensitive. If you didnt throw jig over 1/4 I would say suggest the MB Orochi Shakeyhead. I handled the Shakeyhead and Whipsnake the other week and those rods feel spectacular. I was shocked at the amount of backbone the Whipsnake had for being a DS rod. The new SC LTBs were right to them on the rack and it felt like the Orochis were just on another level. They do have a Ronin which is a 6'8 M 1/4-3/4, I think it's actually made for the vision 110s but I could be wrong. They make an Enforcer as well, 1/4-5/8 which would work but its 7'4. They are 350$ but the quality is definitely there and worth the extra 50$ if you could swing it.

I look at a swimjig as a 4x4 finesse chatterbait. I use them when it's just a little too clear or calm for a good chatterbait bite and they work pretty well. Really I think their strength lies in their ability to be fished just about anywhere without snagging and spooking fish. Imo the chatterbait is better late winter to late spring and mid fall to early winter. SJs start to work well for me right at the end of prespawn but it's when the fish start to guard fry mid may-June that they IMO become a bait you should have tied on. Although that really good bite starts to taper off for me in early July, the bait produces well into clear to October. When the vegetation starts to die off and the fish are start to school I start throwing more chatter and crankbaits.

Both are excellent, never had a bur with either brand. If you get swagger pay the extra few cents and get the Vader weights. They have a matte finish, dont chip and the they have the weights are labeled.

For a swimjig my go in hi viz is a Greenfish Chibi swim jig. It's a compact jig with a thinner wire o'shaughnessy hook. Not great for heavy cover, but great for open water. I trim out most of the inner skirt and take a little length off the outer skirt depending on the trailer. If you want a reall compact bait with a ton of roll use a swimming super fluke jr. If you want something with a heavier hook. I like the standard Greenfish swim jig. It has a single layer skirt like Dirty Jigs finesse swimjig but has a heavier hook and brush guard.

I really think his numbers are fudged and a bit alarmist tbh, but if that video saves a few fish then I'm glad he made it. I just wish he would have gone into detail a little more to educate his subs. Using the smaller lighter wire hooks along with smashing barbs will give the fish a much better chance at surviving. I've caught a lot of fish on jig worms and neds. I've had my fair share of fish swallowing the bait. Since I use smaller hooks and smash the barb, the vast majority of the time I can pop that hook out with minimal tissue damage resulting in very little or no bleeding. In the past 5 years I can only recall releasing 2 fish that I was really concerned about and 1 was caught by my nephew. It all comes down to who's using it and how well they can detect a fish. The guys that ned rig constantly are least likely have a high kill ratio. In my experience the bait with the highest mortality rate by far is a weightless senko. Again there are things you can do to mitigate damage, but with the slow sink rate and slack it just seems to get choked especially on windy days. I really think his numbers are fudged and a bit alarmist tbh, but if that video saves a few fish then I'm glad he made it. I just wish he would have gone into detail a little more to educate his subs. Using the smaller lighter wire hooks along with smashing barbs will give the fish a much better chance at surviving. I've caught a lot of fish on jig worms and neds. I've had my fair share of fish swallowing the bait. Since I use smaller hooks and smash the barb, the vast majority of the time I can pop that hook out with minimal tissue damage resulting in very little or no bleeding. In the past 5 years I can only recall releasing 2 fish that I was really concerned about and 1 was caught by my nephew. It all comes down to who's using it and how well they can detect a fish. The guys that ned rig constantly are least likely have a high kill ratio. In my experience the bait with the highest mortality rate by far is a weightless senko. Again there are things you can do to mitigate damage, but with the slow sink rate and slack it just seems to get choked especially on windy days.

I really think his numbers are fudged and a bit alarmist tbh, but if that video saves a few fish then I'm glad he made it. I just wish he would have gone into detail a little more to educate his subs. Using the smaller lighter wire hooks along with smashing barbs will give the fish a much better chance at surviving. I've caught a lot of fish on jig worms and neds. I've had my fair share of fish swallowing the bait. Since I use smaller hooks and smash the barb, the vast majority of the time I can pop that hook out with minimal tissue damage resulting in very little or no bleeding. In the past 5 years I can only recall releasing 2 fish that I was really concerned about and 1 was caught by my nephew. It all comes down to who's using it and how well they can detect a fish. The guys that ned rig constantly are least likely have a high kill ratio. In my experience the bait with the highest mortality rate by far is a weightless senko. Again there are things you can do to mitigate damage, but with the slow sink rate and slack it just seems to get choked especially on windy days.

I dont use markers a whole lot but they do come in handy. Never tried zoom markers, always been happy with spike it. All the ones I've used have a heavy garlic scent.

One of the most productive DS baits I use are the Robo alive shads. They absolutley whack em. I guess that's not really a worm though. Bubbling shaker would be my favorite worm. I dont use them all the time because they've really gotten pricey over the last few years. A buddy of mine swears by a Z drop on a SH. Hes done well in a few tourneys on them.

Hit worms are awesome but I dont like them on a DS. They're so heavy they just want to sink as soon as you have any slack in the line at all. It doesnt seem to matter to the fish as much because they chew em.

If I can only have 1 jig it would be a molix Kento jig. It skips a mile, swims great, comes through wood better then any other jig I've used, it comes through grass clean and doesnt have issues with rocks. The paint on the head takes an absolute beating. I rarely lose 1 but @4$ they arent costly to replace like other jigs I throw.

Take 2 baits you want to learn and the next time you fish those are the only baits you're alow yourself to use. You either get confidence in the bait by catching fish or you learn how not to fish it. It can be frustrating but I found that to be the fastest way to build confidence.

I would go with GP

I would go with watermelon seed if you already have a GP.

In the past 12 months I've caught more fish over 6lbs on a Grandebass Mega Claw then any other T rigged bait and I dont use them all the time. The other craw I really like is a Reins ring craw, but the price has really gone up on them. From the baits listed I would go with the adrenaline or rage craw. I do like a more subtle action in grass though, just seems to bog down less.

Twitch baits like 17MRs, Catch2ks, sub walks all work. Any plug that doesn't need current to help with action would work at some point. I'll throw a needle fish or a bucktail instead of a darter if I dont have current. That's just me though, give em a shot.

I like the standard Gami EWGs in a 2/0 or 3/0 at the biggest. The wire is light enough to let the bait fall naturally and penetrates really well with lighter spinning gear, but its plenty strong. The angle of the point lays pretty flat with the worm so you can texpose it easily without putting a kink in the bait and comes through light cover well.

Theres 2 kinds of SC4+ rods in the LTB line. Either its SC4+carbon which is SC4 blended with SC6 or SC4+iglass (or whatever they call it) which is the SC4 blended with their latest fiberglass like material. They feel considerably lighter then the older generation which felt heavy to me. I like the new handle design over the old especially for the spinning rods. I've only handled them so dont know how they fish. I would imagine they fish great but I was a little disappointed in the victory, particularly the 6'10. It feels great in hand, but I dont get the feedback like I do with my other rods even less expensive and older SCs.

Brass to AL maybe?

I use a 6 or 7. If the hooks are as sharp as they should be the fish will hook himself when he tries to blow the bait out.

It depends on the brand really. I like a fast. If a rod is too soft it can feel underpowered and sensitivity can feel dampened.

I'm not sure that any 2 people set the hook exactly the same, especially when it comes to DS. The #1 mosquito is stronger then it looks. I really doubt you'll have to worry about bending it out with 8lb mono. Reel in the slack and give the rod a swift set. If you were using braid you could get away with a reel set. You might lose some fish at first which is frustrating, but you'll figure it out.

Gotta start pitching/flippin a T rig. Fun way to fish. You can t rig any bait really. 2 of my personal favs are the Grandebass Air Tail Rattler and Zman Palmetto Bug. Swim jig with a swimmin super Fluke or X zone swammer, either 1 gives the jig a ton of roll. It's kind of like a finesse chatterbait that you can throw in cover without snagging up and spooking fish. Take advantage of the size fish you have and throw a big swimbait. Mag Draft, S Waver or even just a Keitech 7.8" Fat would be a great place to start.

A lighter head will cut down on snags and grass. Also you get a slower fall and possibly longer glide which is when I get more then half of my fish on a SH. Get 1 pack 1/16 and 1 pack 1/8 and go from there.

If I were you I would get GP and Junebug. GP and watermelon are interchangable most of the time. If I had to recommend 1 worm in 1 color for SH it would have to Grande Bass airtail wiggler in Trophy hunter, which is a watermelon red/junebug laminate. It works in really clear and dirty water. The real draw for me is the fact that they always stand up because of the tail. It makes them a killer neko/SH worm and great on a t rig as well. Been doing well cutting off the last 3" of worn out baits and using them for ned rigs too.

You needed some weight to get and keep heavy mono down, especially in current.