RDB

Probably 18-24” is typical for me. If there is some vegetation, longer will help the bait stay higher.

I forgot about spike-it...I do use that in both the pens and jars. With Megastrike, do you use it on jigs? I know it’s pretty greasy/gummy. Does it interfere with skirt movement?

Just think of it as a finesse Carolina rig without the swivel/bead for shallower water and pressured situations. I personally don’t like to use a split shot because I don’t like the line crimped. Plus the split shot will often slide if it meets resistance. Instead I use tiny Bullet weights and put 2 bobber stoppers above and 2 below. That also makes it easy to change the length from weight to bait.

I was rearranging some gear after a trip and noticed I had an open slot next to the pliers. The pliers were telling me that they were lonely and wanted a neighbor so I decided to buy a couple of attractants (yes my gear talks to me...yesterday my drop shot rod said it wanted a sister). I have never used attractants other than those built in to baits and am curious of others experiences. Do you feel they are more to cover human scent and/or increase hold times and/or actually attract fish? Or, do you think it’s just snake oil meant to catch fishermen? Have you seen a difference in hold times/catch rates? Do certain attractants (like gels) impede skirt movement on things like jigs? Just curious...it’s a month to month lease so I can find another tenant.

Some refer to offset as the z-bend below the eye. Others refer to the angle of the hook point relative to the shank below the eye. Typically I think most manufacturers use offset to refer to the z-bend (I.e. many Gamakatsu EWG’s listed as offset). You also see different EWG point angles...some in line with shank below the eye, some point inward, and some extend beyond. Because point angles vary, I look at worm hooks as either straight shank or offset and styles as EWG, round bend, O’Shaughnessy, etc. All have their place. EWG work well if you have bulkier baits that can ball up in the throat. Round bend for reasons stated above. If you are just looking for the best hookup ratio, I don’t think anything can beat a straight shank flippin’ style hook with a bait keeper and tied with a Snell knot (critical). They don’t have to be for just heavy cover as they make heavy wire, light wire, finesse, etc. Because the point faces out and the hook kicks up on the set, hookup percentages are excellent.

Doesn’t look like they have a 3/0 (they have 2/0 & 4/0). It doesn’t look like there is a lot of room for the plastic on these either. They also make another head with a removable hook. https://www.ebay.com/itm/TT-Snakeheads-Weedless-Jig-Heads-Various-Sizes/303604414276?hash=item46b03bb744:g:GYwAAOSw0o9e8sWJ

A day without a delivery is like a day without sunshine. NRX 893 with Aldebaran NRX 852 with Luvias LT I now have a comfy spot on the couch...d**n delivery guy. From now on all orders ship to my brothers house.

I had a guy call my spinning setup a fairy wand once...ONCE ?

Wow...this really turned into a junk measuring contest. To answer the OP’s question, I fish from a boat for largemouth and my average cast is probably 15 yards (45 feet for the anti yard folks). The only time I bomb cast using something other than straight braid is for deeper cranks where I need distance to maximize time in the desired depth zone. As far as line, I guess it depends on how you fish. For me, 50-60 yards is plenty. If I get to the point where I am exposing my knot, I am probably far enough below the lip that it is time to add new line anyway. I will add more to my wider spooled cranking reels because you can lose 20-30 yards still have a pretty full spool.

I love the Edge boxes but for small & medium crankbaits, I still use the 3707’s. I haven’t found anything I like for larger cranks. It would be great if the Edge series introduced something in the 3707 style. For jigs, swim jigs, and chatterbaits, the Edge boxes are great.

4” gummy worm weightless Tangerine dream in clear water; sour apple in muddy.

I almost always use trailers on spinnerbaits and always on jigs. Spinnerbait trailers enhance the profile, provide additional movement, and add buoyancy and lift (how/where it rides in the water column). Much like blade size/shape can influence depth and retrieval speed, so to can your trailer choice. If you want to minimize lift and buoyancy but still enhance the profile & movement, something like a Zoom split tail would work. You could also use some of the replacement skirts with elongated strands (I.e. Strike King Perfect Skirts) which basically function as a trailer. As far as trailer hooks, I always use unless conditions do not allow. Yes you will have the trailer catch on the hook occasionally but you will also catch many on the trailer hook only.

Lot’s of good advice. I skip from my boat and kayak with both spinning and baitcasters (usually spinning for finesse). People always say it’s like skipping a rock but it isn’t. When skipping a rock, you throw sidearm and finish on the same plane. When skipping a bait, you will release low but finish with your rod tip high. Follow through is very important.

Just keep it simple. Go to Tackle Warehouse (or your favorite store) and type in wacky rig. I usually use a #1 or 1/0 hook, an o-ring and a senko or other stick bait. Google wacky rig fishing and watch a few videos. It’s a fairly do nothing technique. If you can’t get bit that way, I hear golfing can be very relaxing ?.

Since you are just getting into fishing, instead of looking at rods for specific techniques, I would look at rods for general applications (bottom contact, treble moving, single hook moving, etc.). I would look for the highest quality, most sensitive rod in your price range for bottom contact applications and Carolina would fall in that group. I use an expensive G. Loomis 7’3” MH/fast usually but it is one of my dedicated bottom contact rods, not a dedicated CRR. You can enhance sensitivity by using braid and/or fluoro and tungsten. Also, you will often have a lot of line out so line stretch is not your friend. If that’s the case, I would just throw a wacky rig on spinning gear.

Throwing a Carolina rig is not difficult, it just requires a slight adjustment in technique. The most important thing is to keep tension in the line throughout the cast. I use sort of a lasso cast where I take it back high and drop the angle on the follow through. As long is tension remains by making a loop in the backswing, you will be able to bomb casts. It’s almost like an overhead roll cast.

Who knows...I was told by the person handling my warranty replacement that my rod was ready and would be released in the first batch but that it would be the same. Could a new rod still drop in March...sure. Could it be delayed...no clue. Could it be at ICAST...who knows. Could they be surprising me with full Torzite and cork...one can hope. What I do know is they approved the replacement in early Sept. and I’m tired of waiting.

I spoke with G.Loomis last week and they said there were no rod changes coming. I can’t confirm or deny...just sharing what they told me. I don’t know what you think about Kistler but I have had a number of Helium and Z-Bones over the years and they are light, sensitive rods. The 5 powers are rated up to 1 1/2 oz and have lengths up to 7’6” (7’10” on the Helium). They always have sales...I think typically between 25-40% based on $ spent. If you need something heavier, I think these are rated up to 10 oz.

^^^Agree^^^ Socks and reel covers are cheap and they do provide protection...I can’t see a reason not to use. The only time my rods and reels are not covered is when they are on the deck. Take care of your stuff and your stuff will take care of you. I just sold 2 NRX rods for $50 less than I paid, and that was after 3+ years of use...because they were well cared for.

Agreed All of my baitcasters are Steez, Metanium, and Aldebarans and I absolutely love them. Last time I looked, you could get a JDM ‘20 Metanium for around $300. The other thing about higher end gear, if you take care of it, the resale will usually remains high. I just sold 2 G. Loomis NRX rods that I bought at a 25% discount, fished them for 3 years, and sold for $50 less than I paid for them.

You can get JDM Metanium & Aldebarans in your price range.

How bout hawg, toad, pig snatcher.

Things are advancing quickly. I had Livescope for a while and use MEGA 360 now with MEGA Live likely soon. And I learn something every time I fish, which is about 120 days/year. And there are many groups/organizations that have been studying bass behavior for years. Many state/regional/local organizations use a number of methods (imaging, tagging, surveys, etc.) to better understand bass behavior, often with funding. There are many universities who dedicate research dollars to largemouth bass (I.e. Texas A&M). It is BIG business in Texas and many other states. You lost me. Do you need a dollar?

That’s awesome...and I’m super happy for you. I won’t share my fish stories because that’s not what this is about. And I missed where you were adding to the discussion. It seemed to me like you were trying to be funny, evidently based on your personal experience from a “couple” of gin clear spots, to indicate that many bass anglers (including tons of pro’s) make you sad because I guess they are stupid. You sound like a certified trophy snatcher so surely you agree that many choices we make are based on water clarity. Color, size, vibration, etc. can all be influenced by clarity. Spinnerbaits when there is some stain or chop or jerkbaits when we have several feet of visibility, etc. etc. I’m sure you have fished for bedded bass and found those who have been pressured so much that any movement pushes them off beds. Why would it be so hard to believe that SOME bass in clear water, pressured situations, might potentially be influenced by the line. If your point is that they can’t see the line, fine...but I think it’s been shown that they can. If your point is that they don’t care, I don’t think you or anyone else can answer that. So I’ll continue to use mono for some of my treble hook applications where I need the stretch and use fluoro or braid for the rest.