Kenny Yi

these might be some of the coolest things I've ever seen, they look like they can save me even more durability on my plastics also. will have to try some

I hook through the plastic on wacky I double wrap a single o-ring for my Neko trick worms

The Juice: Dobyns Fury FR 734C Shimano Curado DC 150HG (7.4) Seaguar Red Label 20# Fluorocarbon Santone Lures Texas Finesse Jig (5/16, Bruiser color below, also have Natural Craw) Strike King Rage Bug (bit off the top) whatcha think?

Got some Santone Lures Texas Finesse Jigs as an alternative to my Ballin Outs. 5/16 oz in Natural Craw and Black/Blue/Purple

about to receive a TW shipment with some Santone Lures Texas Finesse Jigs (5/16 oz, Black/Blue and Natural Craw), very excited to try them out, both hopping and skipping.

VMC Neko size 1 hook, i don't like reel-setting so no circle-style hook. makes it easily interchangeable with a Neko-rigged worm as well.

swim jig punch rig topwater

another reason why that stinking dropshot is so dominant ?

I tried so hard to like the FG knot, but i still stick with the Alberto knot for it's speed and knot strength, just could never trust my FG

6'10" is my preferred size, I've used 7' as well

why not keep it as a "cranking" setup? spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, crankbaits, lipless, swimbaits (hard and soft), really any subsurface moving bait use the "utility" setup for bottom baits

buzz/spinner/chatter in that order first, then a jig/t-rig, then a something finesse like a Neko/dropshot

also, once the hook eye is covered, stab some thicc mono (40#) in the eye to make it stay even more.

the only thing I will spend pricey on is BC reels, I caught a 6-pounder this year that nearly twisted my graphite reel frame, used the Lunker Prize to immediately buy myself an aluminum framed reel, but my price point rarely goes out of $100-$200 (Curado DC has so far been a one time incident...) I recently got my first Dobyns Fury 734C... it probably won't be my last... other than that, all my rods are $50-$60

I only put enough mono to make either one or maaaaybe two layers, it's only job is to grip. you shouldn't ever see the backing knot, especially since you are using only 15# braid, meaning you should have a high spool capacity (yards) due to the low diameter.

never done it, I'm sure it works (since a tube is a profile bait and since weightless tubes also work), but whenever I use a tube, I want the spiral effect on the fall. honestly there are very few plastic baits that can't dropshot... also, no finesse worms at your stores? ?

the farther the cast, the higher the tip must point, if I'm bombing a buzzbait, then an 11 o clock position is best when it lands. i lower the rod tip as the buzzbait gets closer to me, but that is irrelevant to your issue. the faster you reel, the more the buzzbait should rise to the surface, since the blade/trailer on a buzzbait imparts drag. burn the line back if you have to.

I have some hockey/lacrosse stick tape that works so well for rod handles. Ive had old cork grips break; superglue the pieces together then wrap multiple times with the grip tape. it's comfortable, grippy, and can handle all the weird angles that a rod and reel have.

my first jig was a SK Bitsy Flip with a Zman TRD Craw as a trailer, the smaller jig profile helped me get more bites, so I was able to learn what I should be feeling and catch some fish. It swims great, pitches great, a great beginner jig. Start with a couple hops then pause. Once you gain confidence, you can start expanding to bigger and more specialized jigs.

once I was frogging, casted out and a fish blew up the frog on the landing, I set the hook without engaging the reel :,(

it has a perfect weight slot for Neko rigging!

a high 6 to mid 7 can handle many different techniques (6.8 to 7.5). from moving baits to bottom baits, this range is most versatile, imo. i just got my first ever Dobyns rod (Fury 734C), i love everything about it, it is my current jig rod, but i can see it handling so much more.

when using a flipping tube (Texas rigged tube), I use a bead for the clicking noise, no idea if it helps get bites, but it sure has caught me

yesterday was a pretty typical June-fishing afternoon, couple of barely 1-pounders on the neko and some bites on my finesse jig. i was working a spot under a foot-bridge for the past hour (great shade, has a bunch of overhanging trees to skip under) when i felt a huge bite on the neko. Realizing the weight of the bite, i did a strong hookset and was delighted to feel a lot of weight. reel, reel, reel, what is that... a 3 foot wide snapping turtle emerged from the mud. upon closer examination, i saw the hook was only on the edge of the mouth, so i grabbed my long-nose pliers, said "I'm ready to face death" to myself, and gave the turtle one last pull closer to me when... POP! the knot had broken... feel free to criticize my blatant disregard for my own personal safety, but I refuse to cut line. i hate snapping turtles ?

I stay with whatever is locally available at a DSG or Walmart ?