Swest18x

My best producer cold clear water last spring was a 110 jr+1 color "Pro Blue". Not the pro blue 2 which has a streak of yellow although that can work too. I'd spent a couple years avoiding that color because I didn't think it looked quite natural despite seeing it at the top of Matt Allen's list in virtually every jerkbait video. Last April I found out why. They crushed it in low to mid 40s on a 3-4 second pause. BTW you have to look hard to find it but there's also a great ghosty "GP Phantom" color available from one online retailer right now, in 110 and jr but no + sizes. I ordered one to see it in person and immediately ordered 3 more, I have a feeling it will be a killer color.

Wondering if anyone has tried this line? Two good reviews on TW. Nice price. Too good to be true?

Does that 7'9 Tatula have micro guides?

That Tatula 7'9 is listed as a regular action. Could I get away fishing a 5" Burrito on it? Expride 7'7 rates 1.5 oz max? I really like the look of the Izod but I think the micro guides are a deal breaker for me. It's starting to feel like I need to break this down into two rods, one for soft Baits (5" -6" Burrito, 6 - 8" Magdraft, smaller sizes most of the time), one for small to medium hardbaits.

I am a braid to leader guy...may have to change that? But if I run say 50 braid to 17 leader micro guides might be a problem?

Looking for advice for a budget rod (or two) for the following baits. Big swimbaits are not my game but a couple years ago I got laid up with knee surgery and made the mistake of binging on Tactical Bassin videos. Next thing you know I got a couple hundred bucks in baits but never followed through with gear to fish them. I'm mostly interested in quality budget rods, probably one for hard baits one for jig hooks unless looking at my tackle list you have ideas for a single rod that could do both. I was toying with the idea of an IMX 965 but that's more money than I can justify because I won't be throwing them that much. But I do want to dabble. I fish a lot of clear water, distance is a big deal to me so I'm definitely looking for longer rods to bomb. Baits I own and want to get wet this year: Treble baits: S Waver 168, 6" Triple Trout, Vatalion. Also want to throw a 6" magdraft, possibly even an 8 on this rod. Soft Baits: 5" Bacca Burrito, maybe a 6? I have a couple 6" Huddlestons too but don't know if I'll throw it that much. More interested in a rod for the Burrito, Magdrafts, and medium size glide baits. Trying to do my own homework Dobyns Fury 795SB sounds like a good beginner rod, is it moderate enough to keep the above treble baits pinned or is it overkill? Thanks

I don't own the Flyssa but from what I understand it's a much lighter rod. The Steez has a surprising amount of power further down the blank. Tactical Bassin guys like the Flyssa a lot for spybaits. Steez could throw those too but I think the Steez covers a wider variety of baits.

I just traded emails with a certain well known Megabass dealer you've all probably heard of and they confirmed no more xx. I guess Matt Allen will have to find a new favorite jig rod!

This is dumb. Real dumb. So many popular rods in that line. I would have bought two this year. But maybe that's part of the game. When a certain percentage of anglers already have your stuff, time to sell them new stuff. But an extra $100 for...plant fibers??

Would the shallow spool be a good match for 110 jrs? 3/8 ounce ...I have a 110 Stick and want a little more distance than what I'm getting with my Curado 70. 20lb braid to leader.

Has anyone tried an Expride B 7' medium? Or a Zodias?

I fish a P5 Windbuster with a Ballistic MQ 3000 reel, 15 powerpro to 8# leader. So much fun fighting smallies on that rod!

What's your go-to spinning set up for jerkbaits 110 or Jr size?

Good question Puggz: - I occasionally bring one of my kids or a guest out with me and I'd like to have a quality jerkbait rod with a spinning reel for them to use. Better if I don't have to spend 400+ on the rod, so I'm curious if there are any mid price point options. - the Windbuster is such a popular rod I would expect it to remain in the MB lineup, but you just never know. It's always good to have other options. I'll continue to fish mine but if I break a guide or snap the rod and I can't get hold of another then I want to know what else is out there. - Curiosity. I wonder if there are any sleeper rods out there. Truth be told, I love the Windbuster so much I'll probably end up buying a second one so if this one ever breaks, I can keep fishing it without missing a beat. But I'd like to hear what others are using. And isn't the Ronin discontinued? Maybe I'm making this too complicated. Think I'll end this thread here and start a new one, plain and simple I'd just like to hear what spinning setups guys are using for a jerkbait, and I'll sort it out from there.

Been down this road before but always looking for new opinions. I've got a P5 Windbuster and I love it for jerbaits, especially 110 jrs which is mostly what I'm using. I have some high end baitcasting rods too including expride 6'10 M and P5 110 Stick but they don't compare in terms of distance sensitivity and (imo) fun factor to the Windbuster. I've become so accustomed to a sideways jerk anyways and my experience with the windbuster has definitely sold me on spinning. Now I'm looking to buy a second backup spinning rod to dedicate to jerkbaits, I could buy another Windbuster but would like to explore other options. I prefer a sensitive rod and a bit of length for long casts. Best suggestions? I read somewhere the old Valkyrie 6'11 M spinning was a great JB rod but sadly they can't be found anymore. I also know the Orochi Ronin has a good reputation but might suffer on distance with the shorter length? I fish mostly for smallies on a deep lake with narrow weedbeds, they max out 3 or 4 lbs but occasionally I hook a bigger largemouth and have to coax them out of the weeds so I don't want to go with too light a rod (ALX makes a light + I was considering).

Thanks for the replies. I went back there last week and lost a monster smallie when he tangled in my anchor, you can bet I'm going back to find him again. That was in daylight though. The big swimbait idea is an interesting one, and I need to pick up on the strolling thing sometime, maybe I'll give it a try next weekend.

Happens to me every time after I've caught a bass on the previous two casts! Those are the good mornings. My powers of clairvoyance are much stronger on the bad mornings. On those days, I know ahead of time every single cast that I won't catch a fish!

There's a wide bay on one of my fisheries. 12 feet of water, 4 to 6 feet of visibility, mud bottom. When I arrive in darkness, my fish finder is lit up with suspended fish. They scatter before they get active, then after daybreak I'm picking them off with moving baits. My question is, what technique would you try to provoke some bites while they're still schooled up in low light? They don't usually react to my topwaters or cranks in this situation. Smallmouth and largemouth here.

I will probably try out the Phenix 7'6. Another thought I had was the Megabass Flyssa, but I'm not sure what the tip section is like on that rod.

I bought a Zodias 7'2 ML last year as a bfs rod, it didn't give me the distance on light baits I was looking for. I'd like to hear more about the Expride 7'6. I have a couple Karashis I like to play around with too, what's the tip like on it? Distance is a relative term. I'm chasing blowups on a canal from shore with this rod. The distance I get with a 110 Jr on the Steez is about what I get with a full size 110 on the Windbuster. The Windbuster is my 110 Jr go-to rod but falls a few yards short when I need to reach the opposite bank. But if I could get that far with a smaller bait I'd be good. The baitfish are small here and they are ignoring or just swiping at a 110 Jr but clobbering the X80 bfs. Some of it might be the movement of the bait because they also take a full size trick darter better than a 110 Jr in these situations, but not nearly as good as the 1/4 ounce bfs. It's a very specific case but this will go on for weeks in the middle of the summer here. Sometime in August they'll stop being so selective, until then I'll come across crazy action at the top but they turn their nose up at anything you throw at them. These tiny shallow running jerks are the first thing I've seen them hit consistently. It helps that jerkbaiting is my favorite way to catch a smallie!

I'd prefer spinning at this point, if there was a long bfs rod on the market that fit the bill I'd consider it. Looks like Cashion introduced a 7'6 at Icast but not available yet, and I don't know what the tip is like. I don't have any hair jig rods, but I was assuming they have a soft tip? I like a crisp tip for working jerkbaits. Let's assume no budget. I'm open to any and all suggestions.

Looking for a rod for a specific situation and presentation, namely light jerkbaits (picture bfs style, like a Lucky Craft bfreeze, megabass x80 bfs, 3/16 to 1/4 ounce). First priority is I need to send them a MILE. I'm fishing them from an elevated bank and I jerk sideways so a long rod is a benefit. Right now I'm alternating between a Cashion 7'0 light /Curado bfs, and a Steez MML 7'6. The Steez sends them a bit further but not far enough, and is really too heavy to be ideal for jerkbaits that small imo. The Cashion doesn't send them as far as the Steez, and I need more distance. So what I really want probably doesn't exist: a long, light, whippy spinning rod with a jerkbait tip. In this application, I like the rod long, that 7'6 length feels about right. And did I mention that I like my jerkbait rods to be super sensitive (for reference, my favorite overall jerkbait rod is a P5 Windbuster). Along the same line, the 7'0 Cashion is ok but too soft in the tip imo for an ideal jerkbait bfs rod. Has anyone come across a true bfs jerkbait rod? I'm thinking that niche hasn't been explored too much by manufacturers yet.

My night fishing experience last week with no moon convinced me that the fish couldn't see any better than I can in the dark. Lots of strikes and misses on topwater. It's mostly a smallmouth fishery, if that makes a difference. I might give it another try closer to full moon and see if there's a difference.

With the remnants of Beryl forcast to interrupt my 3 hours of fishing time tomorrow I might just go out anyways as long as it's not thundering. How heavy of a rain do you find to still be productive fishing? I've had good days in light rain but haven't fished in anything much heavier. FYI I primarily use moving baits. Was thinking about using a jerkbait and a lipless around rip rap for this trip.

Old thread but in case anyone else is researching this rod I've been surprised to find this is now my go to shore fishing rod for a 110 jr and +1. I jerk sideways not down, if you can adapt that style this might be the best rod in existence for the jr. I like my jerkbait rods sensitive, of course the Steez has incredible sensitivity but most importantly you cannot believe how far you can cast a 110 jr on this rod. More distance= more water covered, no drawbacks to this rod as long as your fishing situation can accommodate the extra length. It might sound unconventional but it's crazy good in this application.