softwateronly

I just ordered the 7'9LT-BFS it's so much fun, both available at asian portal right now. I'm not gonna run into a dd on my waters, but the dozen plus 20"+ LM, a few 18" SM, a 3'+ Northern, and a 25" King that I caught on bfs last year is a fine substitute for now. A spinning set up could have done all of the same things, but the ease and comfort of casting currently takes it to another level of enjoyment for me. scott

Without specifics, I'd lean cranks and poppers both toward casting, but spinning can certainly do it. You're gonna be in a good position to compare how labels might be the same, but the rods behave differently in terms of the blanks chosen for either the casting or spinning or them being different manufacturers or even different series within the same manufacturer. For me, I'd prefer to fish baits where the bait is moved with the reel on casting, and baits that I move with the rod on spinning, but it's just the starting point either can work. scott

I am. It's not ideal and have only done it twice when I didn't load a more appropriate combo on the boat. And I babied every cast with it. I think I caught a couple on the champ if I'm remembering it correctly. I frequently abuse the weight rating on the champ 735, it has a lot of power in the mid/butt and feel the same way about the 755. But it's not the ideal rod. Most of the time I keep it tied on a MC Days 702X with a Tat 200 and definitely prefer fishing it with this set up. This rod is @$140 but shipping can push it toward $175 all in with most vendors. scott

@ufcBigtex there's lots of baits you can try out with what you have. The largest swimbaits are certainly out of the question and frogs might be challenging to hookup, but as you get familiar with various baits, your water, and how you like to fish, it'll help inform you for your next rod purchase. Try to keep an open mind, take note of what, where, and when you get bites, and add to your knowledge. In general, the weight range listed on the rod is for total bait weight, and the middle of that range is where the rod excels. That said, every manufacturer has different standards and I frequently test the limits that are labeled and find some success at the extreme limits or even outside the stated range. If you're pushing the upper stated limits, it's good practice to start with a gentle lob cast to get the feel if the rod can support what you're doing. Good luck! scott

@jonnyp4three casting an a-rig is a bit of a pain. I definitely prefer longer rods, 7'5-7'9 being the sweetspot for me. The 7'7H/MF expride has ended up being my general overall favorite but have done well with plenty of others. scott

I took the advice of @bulldog1935 and picked up a ML/BFS salt rod last year. It has been awesome for me and I quickly found reasons to fish with it as often as possible. I put a new spool in an underutilized zillion, loaded it with pe #1 to 10lb sniper, and fished various 3.5-20g in open water to much success. I fished spinning only for 30 plus years and am now currently fishing casting only. Being able to throw and work lighter baits further and more comfortably while being able to fight and control larger fish is the perfect combo for me many months out of the year. scott

Like @PBBrandon I don't have any experience with Cashion rods but want to add a 2nd nod toward a 4 power dobyns. They have a real forgiving tip that allows for precise casting toward the bottom of their stated weight range. scott

I haven't tried the CC spoon and am definitely not aware of recent design changes. I'm following this post and curious how the versions compare for you and others. The war eagle and hammered hopkins shorty are very effective for me and I'm always looking for different options in that 1 3/4"-2 1/2" profile. scott

I’ve fished the Chad shad on a 755/735. I don’t think you need any new gear till the next size up glide if you’re willing to lob cast. scott

The chad shad has been my most successful glidebait for numbers. I weight it for a super slow sink depending on water temps, and get most bites on a chop/pause style retrieve. Killer full moon bait. I think it's worth owning. scott

@AlabamaSpothunter Heck of a catch and gopro saga! Congrats!! I hope you get to visit with her again soon. scott

Not exactly the same, but it works for me and slides on the hook shank.... https://thehookuptackle.com/products/ds-14-custom-sinker scott

This rod has become my ultimate do-everything m/mf casting rod; from jigs and worms to jerkbaits and spybaits. I've thrown 4g jighead minnow to a 25g salt spoon with it. Around $250 shipped. I like it quite a bit more than my expride. https://asianportal-fishing.com/products/4573236260563?variant=44646060097792 scott

I saw this yesterday and tend to agree with his interpretation and don't think you need to sweat the ex fast action. Maybe it will be useful... scott

I like fishing them with a weighted ewg like all the other posters above have said, underwater spook action. But there's also times when a free rig or carolina rig has done some damage for me. This was one of my better fish last post spawn on a free rig 7" fluke... scott

Could be a reason they're 30% off on TW scott

Thinking the shimano world crank 73F is a size and depth that works for my water. Did it ever end up producing? Any additional thoughts? Thanks scott

Because of visibility; not that I notice. But certain lures don't retain their action....jerkbaits and jigs for me. scott

Hag's 8" Tornado in storm chaser. Geecrack revival shad worm in greenback/pro blue/smokin gold scott

scott

We've had threads on carrying capacity of bodies of water that seem to speak to me in terms of the issues described by @papajoe222. Does the lake just need time for a successful spawning class to emerge and fill those 5-6lb top predator positions, like a 5-10year cycle up here in the north? Does the lake have a forage bottleneck preventing older successful bass finding enough calories to continue growing? Did the base of the food pyramid change due to water quality issues lowering the overall carrying capacity? The best one would be just a change in behavior due to more or different feeding opportunities that are hiding the fish from you. Spending a whole lot of time on the water in early spring should be able to give you an answer because the big girls will go "shallow" to spawn. scott

Damiki air craws float up my finesse jigs and get bites. Could be interesting for you if a craw profile works. scott

@Fried Lemons I'm pretty sure this isn't scientifically accurate, but fish number 3 has a lateral line pattern that looks very FLMB to me. The ones up here never seem to fully break up and show the double diamond pattern. Basically I'm hoping to see the April 2026 pic of the DD. scott

@lunkerboss923 Not sure if you own other P5's, but their trigger made my reel selection more important and different than other sticks because of the way I palm the reel. In general, I'm in the jdm met, bantam, zillion, and zillion hd as the worthy choices for quality and value. scott

@NorthernBasser Peace and strength to you and your family. Your openness is an inspiration that I hope we can reciprocate. And if I get your humor, and I mean this with love, it isn't lost on me that you posted in the fishing tackle section. scott