RDB

Got a Tabby there a couple of weeks ago...solid store.

I’m confused on which one you are looking at but I have used both and didn’t notice a performance difference. The Canterbury Compact Flippin’ comes in a 5/16, the Clausen Compact Pitchin’ comes in 3/8. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Dirty_Jigs_Scott_Canterbury_Compact_Flippin_Jig/descpage-DJSCC.html https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Dirty_Jigs_Luke_Clausen_Compact_Pitchin_Jig/descpage-DJLCC.html

Not much help on the reels but as far as ratios, for me it’s a question of perfect v. practical which is self defined. In my hands, the 6:8 would be more versatile but the 5:8 would be more ideal (all the lures you named are in the medium to deep category). Outside of deep cranks (5:1, wide spool) and bottom contact (8:1), I think all of my reels are either 7:1 or 7.4. In a perfect world, I would have the ideal ratios for every technique. Since that is not practical, I stay relatively close and just adjust retrieval speed accordingly.

About 60% of my jig boxes are Dirty jigs. I use the compact flippin’ as well as their regular finesse and football finesse jigs and they are all outstanding. If you want a smaller profile, all of these jigs work great...keeping them pinned is not a problem. They also make excellent replacement skirts if you want to switch things up.

I fish a lot in flip flops and I would wrap the braid around my big toe ? but now I use my pinky finger. The knot is easy once you get the dexterity part down. One thing you might consider that helped me when learning was to use larger test fluoro/mono to practice (smaller tests are less cooperative). I practiced with 15 fluoro and 30 braid. Once you get the dexterity part down, the transition to smaller lines was seamless. Today I am surprised that I struggled but it’s just because the movements now feel natural.

I use a 3/0 EWG for weightless Senko’s because I like the extra throat clearance and think they skin hook better. Also, that looks like the regular Gammy finesse hook which is a medium wire. Gammy also makes the Aaron Martens G-Finesse which is light wire. If you have confidence with that style but want something that is more Senko friendly, that is another option.

Some amazing smallmouth lakes on that list.

Funny you say that...when I first started tying an FG, I almost gave up after about 10 tries. To me, the most difficult thing is figuring out the best way to manage the lines. I started off with the braid in my teeth and almost went cross eyed.

As far as rods, I would go with the 873 every day but I am biased as the 873 and 893 are my favorite rods in the Loomis lineup. As far as reels, I don’t own the Steez A but do own multiple Steez SV’s, including one on my 873, and it is an excellent combo. I have heard great things about the Metanium but don’t have enough experience to have an opinion. Whichever way you go, I don’t think you can make a bad decision. Edit: Guess I’ll find out about the Metanium. Had a rod come in since my first response so I decided to pair with a JDM Metanium from Digitaka ($285 shipped). I told my wife I was buying it for you.

I use braid to leader on all my spinning rods (typically 20# to 8#) and don’t have any issues. The only difference is I use a #1 Neko Hook. I have tried most of them and feel I get much better hookups with Neko’s. I also use an o-ring.

I don’t know what to tell you. You asked so I was just sharing what the argument is for not wetting knots. If the question was rhetorical, my bad. I’m not trying to convince you one way or the other.

I set mine at 3/4 the maximum capacity minus 2 standard deviations from the mean divided by 5 times Pi. In other words, feel depending on what and how I’m fishing. Sometimes I hand feed line on spinning reels. Sometimes I use the thumb bar on baitcasters. Most of the time it is fine. Just today I pulled an 8 off a bed using a merthiolate wacky worm with 8 lb leader and though I had to feed some line a few times, I had no problems. It’s fishing...not calculus ?.

I think the argument is you can get a liars knot (a twist sliding over itself) if you wet. I wet the knot sometimes (out of habit) and I haven’t had a problem.

Went old school today on a heavily pressured lake and broke out the merthiolate trick worms. Had a solid bag.

Lol...I don”t have 120 bags of hooks. I have a tackle problem but it’s not that bad yet. I have most of my terminal tackle in the box...hooks, weights, jig heads, neds, Carolina, etc. We are probably pretty similar on numbers of hook bags.

I agree...though I’m really not very careful. I guess worst case scenario is I would lose the 5-6 items in the bag. I have rust inhibitor strips in the box but I’m sure the impact is minimal...maybe if I forget to seal a bag I guess.

Have used this method since the Bass Mafia box was introduced and have literally never had a hint of rust.

Wish I could be satisfied with 3 colors of skirts. Somehow my brain has me convinced that having 3 more strands of a different color matters.

Great article...thanks for sharing. It really doesn’t change my thoughts. I have never looked at moon phase in a vacuum but just another piece of information as it’s difficult to isolate one variable and draw any scientific conclusions. Is it instinct or environmental impact or both? Does a full moon trigger a primal urge to feed at night or is just opportunistic lighting conditions? Does barometric pressure have some sort of swim bladder effect that influences comfort level and desire to feed or is it that pressure can represent weather conditions. If forced to choose, I would choose environmental v. instinct but it’s not going to influence whether I wet a line.

Any quality fluoro would work. I use Tatsu and Sniper but only use leaders on spinning. Personally if I were going to pay $15 ish for 25 yards of leader, I would just use Tatsu (great abrasion resistance) and get 200 yards for $40 ish. However, we don’t have toothy critters so there may be qualities in leader line that I am unaware of.

I have also bought quite a few including one several weeks ago and the only problem I had was that I ordered something from Tackle Warehouse at the same time and received my JDM reel before Tackle Warehouse even processed my order.

Some lines have more issues with memory than others but as long as you use a quality line, you should be fine. You are going to get some line coiling at times, especially if it has been sitting on unused reels for a while. I would assume many of these northern fishermen who have to put their reels away for months probably have a few issues their first trip out. I don’t use line conditioner but I fish year round and one fish fight will give it a good stretch so I don’t have issues. Lot’s of the northern guys seem to like conditioner but it’s probably because they can’t catch fish..........I mean because of their long winters ???.

I think if you look closely at that trailer, stamped on the side it says “insert teeth here”.

Sounds like you’re filling your spool too full or you’re reeling in slack line and it’s laying loose on your spool (maybe both). As far as coils, make sure you are spooling the line on correctly and if you still get coils, strip some line off and give it a stretch.