softwateronly

For me; Post-spawn is when I'll tie one up, and it usually stays on a rod till mid-September. It's trickier to fish when the bass are buried in the weeds, but if you have sporadic clumps near structure it can be the deal. @WRB-2.0 has a cps, 2" cut piece of a trick work, as a weedguard that really helps me keep it in the rotation. If you're sitting in deep water; tightlining it through the weed tops on breaks can draw them out or surfing it down a long tapering point. It's also effective for covering water on deep flats. Don't really have ledges on my water. Bluegill color is by far my best producer. scott

I almost exclusively throw it on M/F or M/RF with an occasional bfs; with 10-14lb floro. The exception is throwing a 4.8 bullflat or 7" fluke w/ a 3/8oz weight on 16-20lb floro. Sometimes in the thick of summer, it feels like I need a big bait to get their attention. I never know what's the deal, so I'll rig up a M and H and see what works. scott

Personally, I find the 7:1 the "do everything" gear ratio. Fast enough to pick up line when you really need it and I'm able to slow roll with it relatively easily. I have an 8:1 on a jig only rod and 2 8:1 in the bfs world. almost everything else is a 7:1. I have MC Days 692M/F, 692MH/RF, 702X/RF; Days 360 660MH/F and 610M/RF and a couple salt rods as well. They all handle the listed weights perfectly and can be stretched in either direction as well. For a 2 rod set up; I don't think there will be many cranks you can't fish, the RF action is super versatile. Looks good to me. scott

I'm not a believer that there's enough difference visually between 8-10lb floro. I'd stay 10lb if dealing with cover. On Lake MI, which is pretty darn clear, I've gone to 14lb most of the spring to deal with the rock shelf/zebra mussel hazard I need to get the smallies over after I hook them. You could try 10lb shooter like I am now, it's definitely more abrasion resistant compared to sniper. I like the smaller diameter more for current issues, than sight issues. scott

I'm a big fan of major craft, I have a few now, and both the stradic and zillion, they're all solid choices. I do think you have the wrong rod sku for the baitcaster though. 70X is a 3/8-3oz rod; 70H should be the one you want. Good luck man! scott

I'd be stumped as well. The SDJ, single version, has literally never failed me. I'm hard pressed to think how it could be your problem. I know you said multiple baits, but is there a way that the tatsu isn't playing nice with the line thru inserts? Maybe an edge or burr is on the harder plastic? Maybe even a rod guide has been damaged that isn't readily visible. scott

This is one of the strengths of fishing braid to leader, built in versatility, in case it's ever crossed your mind. Multiple spools does sound better than hand winding out old line, but I can't see how that would kink or ruin the floro. scott

On my water, I have my most success on the deep water edges and/or transitions to other vegetation. Since the weeds are everywhere from 0-18' fow, it's the structure breaks and bottom composition changes underneath that seem to concentrate the bass and the weeds provide the cover. Docks aren't great for me either, mostly they don't sit over deep enough water and flukes seem to be best before the growth tops out. In the 8-15' fow is where I do most of my damage. A 3/4oz swim jig swam straight thru the junk is kinda like a horizontal punching that works for me, same as easing a grass jig thru on the bottom. Working a 10" straight tail worm on a pretty light t-rig will get through that and most definitely catch. This last one I'm starting to keep tied on more often, a jigworm. A 1/16-1/10oz #1 hook ballhead with a 4-6" straight tail or spade tail worm works mid to bottom column surprisingly well. It will get hung up, but light shakes to a quick pop seems to really get their attention and get lots of bites. scott

New(ish) to me, 4" & 5" deps death adder. I fish it like a weightless fluke, free rig it, light weight jighead (2.6g my fave), T-rig, spinnerbait trailer, and my new favorite scrounger plastic. It is super versatile, reliable, quasi-durable, but not easily sourced or cheap. I need to spend more time with the 3" & 6" versions. scott

I wholeheartedly agree. If you don't have it, go score a 2018 6'11M+. Same action, same sensitivity, different power. scott

@Swamp Girl how does the bog's deep water lay out? Like a bowl of 8-10' or is there a channel that snakes? I think this summer would be a good time to explore your deep water options. I'd guess the areas in the summer are similar to where they winter. By the middle of July, it's almost impossible for me to catch a big bass in less than 10' fow during the day. Maybe they're there, but I don't think so. My cover orientated fish are holed up in the hydrilla in the 10-15' depths, concentrating on structure breaks and where bottom composition transitions resulting in different weed species edges. Then I have more pelagic bass that are on weed patches or scrub grass near the deepest weedlines in 20-25' fow, but algae blooms and boat traffic can reduce light penetration so much that this grass will brown out by August. When that happens, it appears that the cover isn't where it's at and I go open water hunting, hoping panfish, birds or blowups clue me in. scott

My spinning setups are somewhat neglected and used mostly by my wife or fishing friends; Spinning PP V2 15lb to 7-10' of 10lb sniper or ultragreen with an alberto knot BFS/ML YGK Upgrade PE 1 to 25'+ of 10lb shooter/sniper with a fg knot M and M+ YGK Upgrade/Varivas 8 PE 1.5 to 25'+ of 10/14lb sniper with a fg knot MH/H PP V2 30lb to 15'+ 14/16lb sniper/shooter with a fg knot YGK Upgrade PE 2.5 to 15'+ 14/16lb sniper/shooter with a fg knot XH/Swimbait PP Max Cuatro/V2 50lb to 15'+ of 25lb FC 100/20lb Ultragreen with a fg knot Over time; I've found that I'm moving towards longer leaders and the higher end japanese braids. Even at their price points, they preform so much better and last so long that the cost seems justified to me. scott

I'd like to try some of these at some point though I'd prefer to find the single hook w/ flash... https://shimreels.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=42038 scott

I'm coming for you!!! scott

I'm blind electronically, but tend to do better dead sticking with a fine cut skirt or hair. Maybe a ned or finesse ballhead with a skirt or hair can give that movement without moving. A trailer with a pintail might be helpful too. I'm like you, that if they follow and nose on it, you know you're close. Nothing can be more frustrating. With the swarming and darting, maybe going with very erratic spoons and tightlining a tailspin to the bottom and a fast reel rip and repeat could trigger. I also will play with a heavy finesse scrounger or hair jig that falls much faster tightlined thru the school and do the same reel rips off the bottom. I can't exactly see this myself electronically, but history tells me that I've spent a lot of time around schooling bass that don't want to bite. So I usually default to the more erratic and faster approach to "find" them and then slow down. Half the time it's sometimes effective, . The reality is, summer can just be tough for me. scott

I have the curado DC, does great on the heavier end, cannot handle 5g and mediocre around 7g. scott

I'm braid to leader for everything other than frogging and aware that there's tradeoffs, but since I moved to long floro leaders, 15-25', combined with decent rods and more experience, slack line sensitivity has improved and feels like it's reached straight mono quality. I think I've only gut hooked once in the last 2 years. It was a lightweight jigworm that I misinterpreted as a weed and was slow on the uptake, luckily was able to turn it and pop it out reaching thru the gill plate. scott

@bishoptf I see it too, but it seems less severe if I hook into my reel handle, thumb a disengaged spool, wrap my line 3-4 times around the rod and last guide or two, then engage my spool. Maybe you're already doing it this way, but if not it might help. I'm also braid to leader on everything, and run 15-25' leaders. scott

I'm in the camp that tieable leader like @A-Jay @Scott F and @Further Northrecommend is the best and really only solution. I often fish areas thoroughly with multiple presentations and don't want to switch out all my floro leaders because time/money, so I'll start an area with slow rolling a spinnerbait or tightlining a big flutter spoon. These lures will tell me if the northern are active in the water I'm about to fish and for some reason elicit a bite that doesn't get the line slashed and if I do get bit, hopefully my rod doubles over. My water has a decent population of Northern, but is not overrun with axe handles, so this "trick" is actually somewhat effective at limiting bite offs. scott

@10,000 lakes Bassin I haven't ever seen a cisco in person and don't know much about anything regarding them. scott

@WRB-2.0 Here's a couple others, but not sure which price is best with shipping... https://jdmtackleheaven.com/products/abu-garcia-salty-stage-kr-x-prototype-baitfinesse-xkrc-73mls-bf https://www.ebay.com/itm/387336166755 https://north-one.jp/products/0036282110861 scott

@bulldog1935 is right! That Abu Kurodai is the top choice for me, I bring it back and forth from the city to the little lake and haven't gone fishing without it since I got it. I always want to have it as an option, it's just so useful and fun. I have effectively fished 3-24g, t-rigs, jigs, tubes, spoons, plugs, etc. It pins anything that bites, and has enough backbone to turn and handle big fish while still being enjoyable with crappie and bream. It's landed many 20+" bass both SM and LM and even gotten large Northern, chinook, and steelhead to either shore or the boat. Here's 3 plus size LM's from this morning on a jigworm/ned. scott

@Joedodge My curado 70mgl slips more than any other shimano I own. Doesn't quite lock down like a curado dc or met. scott

Damiki armor shad and Deps death adder are under rated plastics for the back of scroungers. The death adder has a tight S swim that's a fantastic shad/shiner imitation and very effective in the cold too. I'm a fan of scottsboro heads, the new pro series sniper head has a great ML wire hook with a nice gap. scott

@HawkeyeSmallie I fish at night pretty frequently during the pleasure boating months and I always have a DJ CA 3/4oz swim jig tied on. It's by far my best producer. It's also one of my favorite daytime baits too. I don't change colors; almost exclusively crappie or alabama bream; whichever is on from the daytime. If it's a moonless night and I need to tie one on; I'd choose alabama bream with a GP 120mm D Walker, I feel like there's plenty to silhouette and the fish will find it and smash it. MB uoze, bladed jig, and Baca burrito are my back up night swimmers. Jigs and big worms if slowing down is key, and a frog if they'll bite it. scott