softwateronly

I've read phenix feels a power down in the feather series. Does anyone know if the m1 might also feel like this? scott

I have that rod and fish water right near Kzoo. It'll definitely do what you want and I think you'll love it. You could add in a weedless magdraft and other 6-7" swimbaits. I found it to be super versatile when the weeds get thick in the summer, horizontal punching w/ heavy grass jigs being one of my favorites. scott

Adding in my TX trip in 2022.... Maybe 7lb - 4" Scottsboro swimbait, smelt, on a 5/0 flashy swimmer Maybe 8lb - 1/2oz jackhammer, gp/shad, w/ a BB swimmon gp chartruese Maybe 10lb - 100mm D walker, ice white, on a 5/0 flashy swimmer Much bigger fish on smaller lures, match the hatch won again. scott

I have the 300k in 6.6:1 and almost exclusively fish 7-8" glides with it. I do have to reel consciously slow on the retrieve, but I've enjoyed the line pick up while getting them to the boat. If I had to do it again, I'm 60/40 I'd stay with the same decision. scott

I know I don't set the drag properly on single hook presentations, but this is working for me. I fish large hooks and lots of weedless presentations for my northern LB quarry, so I like to really hit the fish. I also have relatively quick reactions for a hookset, but poor reaction time to get my thumb properly set on the spool. So I've gotten good at a hookset with a locked down drag and an immediate drag back off once I feel the headshake/weight, before I start cranking. I then use a light drag and thumb on the spool to fight the fish. Like most, I can still get burned by green torpedos speeding directly at me because I have to flip my usual order of operations or lose that crank time loosening the drag. I also fall victim to not returning to a locked down drag on the next bite way too often. But your dilemma is about a thin wire finesse hook. In my system, I'm setting the drag properly then adding 2-3 clicks more is where I would be. My time in a kayak fishing says hooksets happen in awkward positions more than not and leverage gets compromised frequently. Personally, I sometimes forget the swept rod hookset when that low to the water, so I'd want a bit more drag for the less effective snap up hookset. With trebles, I'm the opposite and completely rely on a properly set drag and softer rods. I think you'll get the next one, BFS or not. scott

Maybe I worded it poorly. 1 is strictly jigs, 6 are strictly reaction or large swimbaits, the remaining 8 are versatile and can do certain weights, cover, and rod length. Those 8 also do everything else and me junk fishing means it's a process of elimination sometimes; my jerkbait rod does finesse jigs, my frog rod does heavy flipping jigs in heavy cover, my spinnerbait rod can double as a 2nd 3/8-1/2oz jig rod, etc. I usually get on the boat with 6-8 rods. scott

Bass bite everyday. I'd target shallower water, I like 3-6" swimbaits slow rolled and dragging/hopping jigs. I think the big girls are feeding up in those conditions and season. scott

This year I will have 15 BC combos, 6 I will never tie a jig on and 1 that is always a jig. That leaves me 8 that can and will serve as an excellent jig rod for a specific case/circumstance based on type, depth, preferred rod length, and what other presentations that I thought would be successful that day. scott

This is exactly my view but opposite conclusion. The truth is, it's a system and each line has positives and negatives. Most of my rod purchases, choices, and applications are done with use of braid in mind. Now braid is least expensive for me, because my rod cost is already "sunk." I'm positive both of you are aware because there's a good chance I've heard you say it on this site, I just want to fill in the gaps for anyone else. scott scott

I would. My experience says this time of year, the big girls moved up to feed and no cold front is gonna stop them completely. I think they're the first ones back in on the attack and it pays to hunt them in the cold. Less bites, but all are the right ones, and that's why I fish. scott

For me; - I fell in love with the solid core body of the bantam and met. Seems like they'll last decades with simple maintenance. - MGL III spool scott ps - drawbacks; the aluminum gets cold

I don't know if it's me or others, but I see the same trend on my little lake (275 acres) as @ironbjorn, bigger baits lend themselves toward bigger fish most of the time. And with the water very clear, bigger but subtle action is my starting point. 5" beast rigged swimbaits, 4-5" trailer on a swim jig, 1/2oz trimmed skirt flipping jig and full size craw trailer are my starting points unless I'm on a specific bite. 2 out of those 3 are always on deck regardless. scott

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@Mike L I don't have any weighted non-beast hooks right now, but I would think that the 5/0 keel would snake through the thickest salad, almost worm like. Sound about right? Post front, post spawn last year I spent a couple days dragging/worming/slow rolling the 7" diezel on a 3/4oz hog farmer standup swimbait head in 15-20' w/ decent success. I think if I had more time to fish that bite, it would have been even more effective. Trying to come up with ways to maximize the buoyancy to look like a bottom feeder. scott

The 2 biggest for sure, the first was 2 days after the cold front passed, and the last one and biggest got angry active when I ran into her @ 5pm the day a new cold front came through that morning. She literally hit my flashy swimmer just moments after the sun broke out for the first time that day. She also was the most aggressively feeding large fish I've ever encountered. She owned an ambush triangle between 2 docks and a brush pile, completely nuts. All the others seemed to be directly related to shad activity in the middle warm period between fronts, those went off for 2-3 hrs in one cove, making my best guess that they are still actively moving up/down in/out strictly for feeding opportunities. The biggest girls seemed to always lead the way in terms of time/temp. scott

I throw them on the back of swim jigs most frequently. Owner beast, and flashy swimmer are probably number two use closely followed by a spintrix underspin. scott

If you have clear water or limited mobility, the DS sails out there! I like the DS first because it can be fished faster. Thats all I got. scott

I would add cost effectiveness and flexibility w/ or w/out leader choice to this list. scott

Don't want to derail, but have been looking at the Feather 7'7'XH as a weedless 6" magdraft, scottsboro, etc swimbait rod w/ a double duty flip or punch. You have any experience? I use a Expride 7'3"XH now. Looking for a longer version to compliment. scott

It ended up being pretty great, Murvaul is interesting for sure. I got a PB on my first fish and then again on my last fish, a 25.25" pig. All way shallower than I had originally expected. I also got skunked half the time. scott

Language is limited, this is the price we pay for not being mind readers. Yes there is no clear definition of soft tip, but action, power, rating are inadequate at expressing the feeling. Soft tip to me is how little force it takes to get the tip active, not how far down the rod bends before the backbone. scott

I love it and really look forward to more time with it. I highly recommend as a high end, long, do everything rod. scott

The FH is perfectly balanced. Reel choice is completely up to you. Ive used a 6.3oz, 7.6oz and 7.8oz reels. All felt at home. The build is subtle and gorgeous imho. Cork on mine is practically filler-less. I have furys, champions, and one xtasy. I don't own dobyns for looks, but the xtasy is a looker. The last thing I'd call this rod is a pool cue, I'd actually say that the 755 feels like a MH. I have DC734 and DC735. The action of the DRX feels almost in-between. It's an extremely balanced, light weight rod that feels most at home with homerun hooksets. It has a lot of power buried in there. It's just so much fun when it loads up. I've only been able to connect once like this, but it was a lot of fun. Most of my fish have been on swimjigs with a sweeping hookset. On the opposite side of the equation, my last bass before ice was a tiny tick right at the canoe that i just reflexed with a quick snap up. Right in the roof of the mouth. It's an amazing moving bait rod, probably one of my favorites, need more time. Swim jigs and light A-rigs will be what I first tie on with ice out. The downside? There are other rods that feel more sensitive to me, barely, but they do. I don't own NRX, but I feel like the poison adrena 6'11M+F and the 7'2HF have a more tell tale sensitivity. The DRX is very sensitive. It just isn't a tick, it's a feel or weight. I know that makes no sense, but it's unique. However I do own a G Loomis Conquest 906 and the DRX 755 and they are very similar to me in sensitivity. It might be because they're longer rods, it might just be me, I don't know. I use braid to leader or just straight braid with this and all rods. scott

I have the 755FH. Got it in late November, probably caught less than a dozen fish with it. This spring is gonna be different. What might I be able to help with? Also, glad you're feeling better and this decision is fully supported by me and the monkey. scott I have the 755FH. Got it in late November, probably caught less than a dozen fish with it. This spring is gonna be different. What might I be able to help with? Also, glad you're feeling better and this decision is fully supported by me and the monkey. scott

You could easily go straight braid. I fish clear water and don't think there's any such thing as line shy on moving baits. scott Yes, I definitely know it. My 200 is straight braid and hasn't changed. I know some diawa user on here is braid to leader but I can't recall who and what they use. scott