ironbjorn

My best producing Rat-L-Trap EVER is now safely kept on my keychain.

Caught on the Pearl 110 in pouring rain and dirty water this morning. I don't follow the rules. We have resoundingly rejected Thursday's skunking.

If I ever backlash on a Senko I know the odds are good that I'm going to find a gut hooked bass on the end of my line when I'm done picking it out. Happened just a few days ago with a 1.5 lber.

Surprised to hear it. You, SMB, and jerkbaits seem to go together like bread and peanut butter and jelly. A little south of you here in the Indianapolis area we're stuck in between summer and fall. It all started with that nasty cold front a week-ish ago that pushed the temps down to highs of 50s and lows of 40s for a few days. Now it's been in the 80s every day for 5 days, with night time lows in the high 50s, low 60s. The fish seem scattered and not much is making sense. Right before that cold front I could go out any day and catch double digit numbers on lipless crankbaits and spooks in an hour or two. And then it all died. Gotta love it.

Not bad, that'll make my day. Thanks for nothing expensive good looking 110s ?

Snap snap...1, 2...snap, snap, 1, 2...snap, snap

Thanks man, I hope you slay them tomorrow! Giving my back a rest atm

Fished for two hours this morning before I had to run errands. I caught two; one 10 incher on a 3/8 oz War Eagle with a Zako trailer and a 2 1/2 lber on the Pearl 110. That's bass ackwards. Headed back now to see what the rest of the afternoon has in store.

*reading reviews* "A bait this expensive shouldn't come with garbage hooks!!!" Me:

You don't literally have to match your hatch. People routinely use trout patterns with no trout in their lakes with success, for example. I'd use it.

Think again. I'll see you bucket mouths again tomorrow. I'm not playing. 2 hour round trip for these two. Never thought I would, but the fishing has been so tough this week, it was an anger purchase after a skunking. ?

I only cut school once, and that was when I was a freshman, to walk 17 miles to meet up with my then girlfriend from another school. I was thinking with the brain between my legs, and I did get to feast that day. ?

Is your Quantum only rated up to 1/2 oz too? If so I'm assuming the rod handles your bladed jig fishing just fine, but how does it feel? Do you feel overloaded? A 3/8 oz bladed jig + trailer has to be at least 3/4 oz.

I'm enjoying my Champion XP more than I enjoyed my Furys and more than I enjoy my Sierras and Kadens. Has it made me better? No, not at all. I think I enjoy it more because I really wanted it and my fiance surprised me with it. I haven't had it long but I do know for a fact so far that it hasn't caught fish the other rods wouldn't have. My position since this thread took a turn is specifically about the Ned Rig. The guy that is credited with inventing it catches 100+ fish a day sometimes using cheap Walmart gear. The Ned is one of my go-to presentations. I have caught hundreds of bass on this bait with cheap Walmart Cherrywood and Shakespeare rods and I have caught hundreds of fish on this bait with Furys and Sierras. The Sierra never did me any better than the Cherrywood with the Ned Rig. It's a no feel bite that any person of any skill level can fish successfully. The more expensive gear literally doesn't matter here. I will die on that hill.

Literally any color. I use the 75 and 110.

To be fair I've taken completely dead feeling $10-$20 rods and caught a ton of fish with the Ned. It wasn't those rods outperforming more expensive rods, but the Ned being that good and not requiring one to feel the bite. I'm not sure catching a ton of fish on an expensive rod using the Ned Rig is indicative of a rod being that good.

My guess is the same thing that's happening to the world and the rest of the animal kingdom that some people don't want to accept but that most of us are well aware of.

He said in his OP that he ignored the fact that his friend trolls and added "to each their own" afterwards to really drive the point home. It doesn't sound like criticism to me; at least not actively critical to his friend. Everything else you're talking about is out of thin air.

I have absolutely no use for an XF action, and minimal use for a TRUE F action (love the Dobyns tip, landing somewhere perfectly between MF and F).

The primary reason to throw a lighter swim jig is that it comes through grass easier.

1/4 ounce Rat-L-Trap in Blue Shiner is my #1 bait, period. Almost all my fish have been caught on this bait recently, with some jig and spook fish here and there.

Strike King isn't a bad brand. The crankbaits are great. KVD 1.5s have caught me more 3+ lb river SMB than anything else.

I suggest a casting and a spinning setup for that amount of money. I recommend a 4 power Dobyns Fury casting rod in the length of your choosing, paired with a 7.2:1 Shimano SLX XT. $250 I also recommend a 3 power Dobyns Fury spinning rod in the length of your choosing, paired with a 2500 size Daiwa Legalis. $190 $440

Nothing to apologize for. You didn't know that the reel was the culprit. My suggestion: take advantage of Dobyns trade in program. Trade in your casting Fury for a spinning Fury or Sierra in the 3 power. Get a Daiwa Legalis, Shimano Sahara, or Shimano NASCI spinning reel. You'll be much happier until you want to try casting gear. Spooling is easy and takes just a few minutes.