GetFishorDieTryin

Just take your home phone or her cell # off the contact info and it wont ever happen again.

I like a slower reel for SBs. BBs are generally always moving so you have to pick up 3 feet of line and wait to feel the hit to set the hook. A 6 or 7 would be fine.

The Omen Blacks are 120-140$ and IMO theyre awful hard to beat at that price, light, sensitive, good actions and if you break it you get a new 1 for just shipping cost. Check out the 7'5 Mag-Med, which means it has the tip of a M power with the backbone of a MH which helps cast unweighted plastics better then a stiffer heavy tipped rod. The SC Mojo Bass rods would be another good option. Phenix Maxims are really nice for the money as well. Dobyns Fury is always a safe option. Well built, good balance, good components. I think there great rods, but the lack of a fore grip makes them uncomfortable because I choke up. Obviously the fore grip thing doesn't bother everyone, because these rods sell like crazy so if you don't mind the exposed threads check em out.

If you want a Vanford try looking at some other smaller vendors. 3 or 4 different sites had them last week.

I pulled a 7lb bass out of a log jam with 12lb BG that had been wrapped around at least 2 6"+ dia limbs. Had I been using 15lb InvizX im just about certain it would have broke just from the pressure I put on it not to mention the damage from abrasion.

I do the same thing, but I leave a little play in the spool so the bait will fall like its on slack line.

If Im using a hula grub on a jig most of the time Im trimming either the jig skirt or the hula grubs skirt.

Duo Spinbait 60 and the original Sebile Soft Magic Swimmers in bluegill

7'2 MH MF 13 Omen Black. Softer tip, strong backbone, light and surprisingly sensitive. Awesome SB/chatterbait rod. Good for 1/2+oz CBs. Hard to beat for 130$

If you want to use braid try 8lb X9. I like a wider spool for FC like a 2500 or 3000 as long as you get good supple FC like Invizx, Tatsu or Shooter in 6lb you shouldnt have issues.

Shake the rod with a semi slack line

DT grubs are good on just about everything you can think of. Sometimes Ill put a HG on a jig with the inner layer skirt cut out, but most of the time Im just throwing them on a jighead and using them like a jig.

Ive seen a few YT vids where people were recommending to lose the skirt in post frontal conditions. The EZ skirts are designed to be easy on and off, so unless you cut them off there fine.

I dont think your going to run into fatigue issues casting that 6'10 all day. Its a great little rod to throw shad raps, little JBs and little spooks. That short tip section is great for sensitivity and helps with hook up on long casts, but I dont really like the XFs for I prefer a softer rod, but thats just me. Good Luck

St Croix and 13 Fishing both have really good yak rods

If you like SCs XF MLs your going to like the 6'10 Vic. It feels like it has more power then my 7' ML F Avid, but I think the combination of more responsive blank material and shorter tip section of the XF just makes it feel that way. It casts well enough with lighter baits, the lighter the line the better.

You ever try the Brush Easys? They may be the best all around head Ive ever used.

Have you treated with anything?

Ive put a whole lot of 8lb+ blues and stripers to 16 lbs on my Fuego 2500 and 3000 in the wash and Ive never anything that I can say 100% is flex and I find it hard to believe a SMB can flex that reel with a reasonable drag setting. The 2500 was bought shortly after they debuted and that reel has been beat to death and still going. In fact thats the reel on my 6'10 Victory right now and it balances pretty well.

Ive used spike it on Elaz without issues so I would think JJs would be ok. Dye doesn't take to Elaztech very well, it can take a few coats to get the desired effect. Zman claims that Elaztech will absorb oil based scents and once absorbed the bait will hold that for a long time. I have some of there scented leeches and you can see the brown residue that was gel at one time, but either they didnt use enough or the packs I have are really old. They suggest using Pro Cure and I agree, they have great formulas of just about anything you would need. Pro Cure being a natural makes it really effective, but its not something you want to get on your clothes, in your boat or even on your skin. Since there's organic material in it you don't want to store it in your boat or in a tackle bag in your vehicle where it can skunk and then it just smells worse. I store mine in my basement and it seems to work out ok.

Just bring what works for you in NC, most of the time colors are universally effective. Maybe bring a couple packs of a chart. lams like coppertreuse for the smallies

Biffle Bugs are great, the cavity gives you all kinds of options to match conditions. You can pinch the legs and tails off to make it fish like a tube except you have a much better hookup ratio. The colors are really good as well. Blackberry Sapphire, PBJ, Dark Watermelon Pumpkin Purple and Mad Bluegill can cover just about any situation. If I could only have 1 color I would probably go with Sooner Run, its like a dark watermelon/watermelon red laminate. The dark watermelon almost makes it look black which gives it a good silhouette for stained water while still looking natural in clear water. The drawback of this bait is the durability, sometimes you can get 3 or 4 fish from one bait and other times 1 fish can blow the top out of the bait.

Casting DS rigs is very different from fishing them vertically. When you cast a DS the angle of the line is going to reduce the effective length of the tag. If your tag is 6" from the hook to the weight and you cast it 30ft from the boat your bait isn't going 6" from the bottom until the rig is nearly under the boat.

TW socks are pretty good for the money. They have an elastic band that you loop over the reel handle to keep the sock from riding up. Not sure why every rod sock doesn't have them.

Just take a pair of wire cutters and cut the bail off lol