RDB

Actually braid is most commonly used on A-rigs...it’s a heavy tackle technique. Fluoro is probably second and mono third. And it’s not about visibility. And how do you know bass don’t care about line visibility in clear water (which is what was discussed)? I think it has been shown that bass can see line in clear water and that fluoro is virtually invisible. There is a ton of information out there about line shy bass, especially in clear water and pressured situations. Is it about the line? Is it about experience? Who knows. But until it is proven that line visibility has no effects on any bass, I’ll choose the option to give me the best odds...even if it is only 1%. I’m sorry it makes you sad...you must hate watching pro tournaments. But then again, few of them have ever caught a 12-13lb bass ?.

Your post said you fish clear water and some bottom contact and if it were me, I would use fluoro over mono. The only time I use mono is for some topwater applications. As far as backing, size or quality doesn’t really matter as you aren’t going to get to it anyway. And a braid to fluoro leader is fine if you tie a quality knot. I use an FG and never have failures. I’ll bet you a dollar the solution is not about switching from fluoro to mono ?.

I guess to clarify, I don’t use backing on spinning reels. I use a full spool of hi-vis braid with Sniper or Tatsu as a leader. Backing quality or size doesn’t matter because you are never going to get to it. I prefer braid but it really doesn’t matter.

I’m not sure how they handle the Shimano/G Loomis relationship but I broke a G.Loomis Conquest this fall and all of my communications, emails, etc. were with Shimano. They agreed to replace under warranty without any issues and the confirmation came from Shimano. Simple process...filled out the form with a short explanation, shipped the rod per instructions, and received a reply within a reasonable time. However, I just don’t know whether they have different processes/standards for G Loomis v. others.

I typically remove all of my line every other year on baitcasters. Except for 2 Aldebarans which have small capacities, if I want fluoro, I use braid backing and only spool around 60 yards of fluoro. It always amazes me when I see co-anglers with reels 1/2-3/4 full because they broke off and are trying to milk the remaining line. On spinning reels, I never use straight anything. All my setups have 15 or 20lb high vis Smackdown to 6-10lb fluoro.

I use the Edge jig box and am happy with it. For terminal tackle I use the Bass Mafia Bait Coffin 3700 deep. The small plastic bags come from an arts and craft store called Michael’s and I use a label maker to mark the sizes on the bags. I can put 3-4 items in each slot so I can keep everything in one box.

The Conquest 842C is an awesome rod. Mine snapped this fall and G. Loomis is replacing under warranty (though I am still waiting). I am actually replacing it through a distributor with an 893C which I previously sold and now miss. I found myself using it mostly with moving baits and though I love the rod, $700 for those applications is overkill in my opinion. I use spinning for smaller bottom contact applications. I will also add that I had mine paired with an Aldebaran (4.8 oz) and it was one sweet setup. That rod & reel is not much heavier than your Antares by itself.

It is frustrating to get front ended all day. I don’t know the types of tournaments you were fishing but you might consider looking for co-angler opportunities in team formats. It can be more difficult to find backseats but not only is there no incentive to front end but it is detrimental to team performance. There are also some clubs that have separate payouts for the captains and co-anglers. I fished one at Fork last year and know of several others in our area. In both of those scenarios, not only are you more likely to get fishable water but the owner is usually more open to thoughts/ideas.

Hello all...new member and first time thread starter so be kind as this is likely a dumb question. Understanding that there will be environmental issues, is it possible and has anyone ever mirrored their sonar screen to a larger monitor on their boat? I know there are waterproof monitors that are crazy expensive but I recently saw a $150, 16” portable monitor with HDMI and video ports that had an iPad type cover for protection when not in use. Ultimately I guess my question is would it be possible to have 2 total sonars (1 front; 1 back), 2 monitors (1 front; 1 back), and mirror the monitors to the opposite sonar (rear sonar mirrored to front monitor and vice versa) so that you are getting the viewing equivalent of 2 sonars at both front and back while only having 1 sonar installed at each location? This is probably as clear as mud.

It has been a challenge. I lost a tankless hot water heater.

That’s what I hear. It doesn’t look like we will get any more in Dallas. Stay safe.

? The weather we are experiencing here is probably called a Tuesday up north but because we don’t experience it often, we just don’t know what to do when it does.

^^^This^^^ The question was about success using a t-rig with a weight. There are a lot of techniques out there but that wasn’t the question. When people say I caught them on a Texas rig, they typically mean a hook with a pegged or sliding weight. Sure a Texas rig is a way to attach a bait to a hook but we don’t call fishing a fluke, Carolina rig, Neko, weightless senko, Tokyo, etc., etc., etc. Texas rigging even though they typically are Texas rigged. Bottom line is a t-rig works with all kinds of baits. Bait choice and presentation is often determined by fish mood which is influenced by many factors (environmental, fishing pressure, etc.) which can influence many choices (bait size, type, rate of fall, color, etc.). Nobody on here is going to be able to tell you what is the best choice. Let the fish tell you what they want and don’t think only one bait or style can be successful. You said you have had success with a jig. Look at how many choices and presentations there are with jigs (hop, crawl, stroke, dead stick, swim, etc.). Chances are you just haven’t gotten the feel for it yet but it will come. Stay open minded, experiment, and don’t overthink.

Hello All, I am new to the site but have been a long time bass fisherman. Recently I have been spending quite a bit of time fishing out of the Hobie. Nothing quite like fighting a good fish from a kayak. For most of my life I have fished for pleasure but several years ago I was convinced to join a fishing club as my kids have gone through a wakeboard phase and I couldn’t justify 2 boats. While the club has added a level of competition and I have enjoyed the friendships, I have found that I don’t really need the competition with other fisherman. My enjoyment comes from trying to figure out the fish and that’s the challenge that I most enjoy, competition or no competition. However, I would add that for those who don’t have access to a boat or would like to expand their fishing game, being a co-angler is a great way to make new fishing friends and learn from others. Anyway, I look forward to learning from you all and occasionally tossing in a pearl or two. Most of my knowledge comes from my many fishing failures but I’m sure that is what has kept me so engaged with these silly green fish for all these years.

The first thing I would do is talk to a wildlife biologist in your area. I can tell you that in Texas, Texas A&M has conducted quite a bit of research on fish population management. I have included one for private waters below from Texas A&M. This is Texas...growth, etc. varies by region but this may help with the thought process. FYI, a stunted bass will usually have a head that looks out of proportion to it’s body. http://agrilife.org/wildlife2/files/2010/04/3_Fish_Popl_Assessment.pdf Bass fishing is obviously huge in Texas but I would assume there info. out there for your state/region on managing fish populations in ponds/small bodies.

There are a lot of good knots but you need to make sure you are tying them correctly. The best will be the ones you consistently tie correctly. I use: Braid / fluoro - palomar, San Diego jam, modified uni Braid to leader - FG Flipping hook - snell A clinch/improved cinch will work fine with fluoro or mono (not braid) but there are stronger knots that are just as easy to tie. Below is a site with some good videos: https://www.saltstrong.com/articles/fishing-knots/

There are many ways to fish soft plastics. The OP said he was using a t-rig with a weight and a stick bait which is very common, especially when fish are relating to the bottom and you need something a little more subtle. At the end of the day, your weight size is going to depend primarily on the water depth, cover, and the rate of fall needed. Like Catt said, most people pick up the t-rig before the jig. The good news is that in my opinion, the jig is the more difficult of the two to master.

Roadwarrior gave some good advice though I would up my line weight. Fork has some huge fish and a good amount of cover so no need to go too light. My first double digit came from Fork. As far as gear, you have made some excellent choices. However, since you said you have the ability to switch, I would suggest that there may be a little bit of overkill. All of your rod choices are high dollar and super sensitive which is not necessary or even desired for many applications. I would use high end rods for anything bottom contact. Destroyer & Z-Bone MH will cover most bottom Spinners can cover finesse applications For for the other 3 casters, you don’t need $500 rods. For moving baits, there are many choices. Since you purchased some Z-Bones, you could look at something like the Kistler Feel & Reel which is awesome for crankbaits, chatterbaits, etc. I don’t know but I would guess you probably bought these during one of his sales where if you spend like $1000, you get 40% off. If so, maybe he would swap out for the same discounted rate. Since you said you are a blue collar guy who saved his pennies, you could easily downgrade some of those rods used for moving applications, not lose ANYTHING (probably gain) in performance, and have enough left over to help cover your new reel purchases.

You might try a Phenix Rock Crawler. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Phenix_Rock_Crawler_Weights/descpage-PRCW.html

Great suggestions A t-rig is generally a bottom contact bait. If you are catching them on a jig, there is no reason you shouldn’t be catching them on a t-rig. As a matter of fact, you should typically get more bites though the quality is often better on jigs. I’m not sure the depth you are fishing but assuming there are fish, I would go up in weight (min. 3/8 oz.), dump mono & stick with Fluoro (sinks), peg my sinker, and pretend it’s a jig. It’s likely not the bait choice (stick worms are fine) but in your setup. If you are talking about casting and dragging, there are better options like a c-rig, split shot, football jig. Also, with the light weight you are using, I would be surprised if you are keeping bottom contact while dragging your t-rig anyway. When you are fishing a wacky rig, you will typically be catching fish higher in the water column (on the fall) so the fact that you catch on wacky but not t-rig doesn’t really mean anything (different techniques & applications).

First thing I would do is cut 6 rod holders from PVC, strap 2 each on 3 sides of my milk crate, and carry 6 rods ?. I think I would have withdrawals if I only had 3-4 rods. When I see other guys with 2,3,4 rods, I get the shakes.

I have several Kistler Feel and Reels and they are great for pretty much any moving bait application.

You said you have a rod you like for heavier cover and deep dragging. I think my decision would be based on the specs of that rod. However, based on what you have shared, I would go with the Conquest 843 MBR or the NRX 873. The 873 is 3” longer but I have no issues skipping, it’s super sensitive, and both should cover everything below what your heavy application rod covers. I personally don’t think the Conquest gives me anything more than the NRX for bottom contact applications. If you expand beyond that, the Conquest is certainly more versatile. The GLX rods are great as well so it depends on what you want to spend. My philosophy is that for bottom contact, I want the best, most sensitive rod I can afford. For everything else, it’s not that important.

I think the need for technique specific rods are based on the individual. Weekend/pleasure anglers really have no need outside of a few possible areas. For example, if you throw deeper diving crankbaits where casting distance really matters, a longer parabolic rod does have value. Also, if you are fishing heavy slop/cover/frogs/big swim baits, a heavy/XHeavy rod has value. Other than that Med and M/H will cover most needs. However, if you fish competitively or you have the means, some technique specific rods may get you an additional fish or two. I like the OP, scaled down my collection a few years ago from around 30 mid/higher end setups to 10 higher end setups. Unfortunately what I found is that I am a tackle junkie and now I am just satisfying my fix with more expensive gear. I would also add that if you feel the need to get into the higher end rod world, I would focus on bottom contact rods only where feel and sensitivity are important and can make the fishing experience more enjoyable. Otherwise, you are just spending high dollars on a need that can be satisfied at a lower price point. Just my 2 cents worth.