FishnMtlHd

Thanks but I'm fairly certain they're using large diameter lines in these vids which makes it much easier to tie and some acknowledge this. I tried with 15lb braid to 10 or 12 lb fluoro (name brand/high quality lines), failed miserably every time, and have zero interest in trying again hence the inquiry about the Daichi tool. Thanks, what lb braid and fluoro are you tying with?

I've read many posts and comments here about FG knots, different ways to tie them manually, and a few about this 3-clip tool which I'm very curious about. Most of this info is from a year or more ago and thus I'm seeking an update, the latest. So, for those who ACTUALLY USE this tool to tie FG KNOTS (10-20 lb braid to 8-12lb fluoro), are you loving it, not so much, tips or advice?

When fishing from the shore I find getting to deeper water to be very satisfying and fun, especially when a biggun' hits the bait within a few seconds of it hitting the water. Detecting the bite and setting the hook is more of a challenge as is bringing the fish in, especially when you have to navigate through or around weeds, structure, etc. Then there's the gloat cause you're the goat: hold up your hog, show it to your buddy or buddies not on em' or at a dinkfest and say: Long bomb cast brah!, gotta get it out there!, etc. On the drizzop shizzot, want me to re-rig your rod for ya? 😁 Yep, the Long Bomb Cast.

I'm looking to get some new spinning rods, price range $130 or so, may go more. My 1st priority is rods with guides that are ideal or best for braid to leader knot pass through. Surely there's anglers here that have experienced rods that are better than others at this. I know to stay away from micro guides and I'm thinking maybe there's a specific guide brand/type/model/material that is best to look for. Any insight or recommendations?

Read a bunch about this rig here, latest being from 2021 I think and I watched a few vids. I love the classic finesse DS, always have 1 tied on, and I have a bunch of chipped bullet weights and split rings gathering dust so I thought I'd try this. Those using this heavier DS rig regularly since 2021, any tips/updates/improvements on rigging? Line, hooks, weight, split rings, rod, etc.? Preferred baits? Other?

Thanks all, phenomenal info and answers my inquiry perfectly. 2 of my 6 rods now have jigs.

I spose I should've simplified and not even mentioned Jigs, certainly not added them to my post title as they're merely related to my main inquiry or the crux of my post which is Feeling the Bottom. Simplified, whatever you feel, great, but how does feeling whatever (on the bottom) help you catch more or better fish?

Greetings all, I've read a lot about "feeling the bottom" with your bait, especially with jigs or t-rigs, and I'm wondering exactly how this helps you catch fish or why it's so important? If you determine the bottom is hard or soft, then what? What do you do with this info? I've also read some anglers say they can determine more than this, such as weeds, rocks, logs, brush piles, or other structure such as medieval ships (JK) yet they never say exactly HOW they do this. More often than not, I'm finding the bottom is a mystery or perhaps I'm not paying enough attention or thinking about it enough. I suppose I can tell soft/muddy vs. hard/rocky and I understand weeds due to snagging but at the end of the day, if you're not getting bites no matter where you are, regardless of what you feel with your bait, shouldn't you just move to a new spot or ditch the bottom and fish the water column?

Alright guys, it happened! There were several days this past October that I did really well with jigs!! Totally stoked lol. They were 1/2 and 3/8 oz rigged w/UV Speed and Z Craws. Several 16-17", 3 18" and change, a couple 19's , and 3 in the 20" range which are definitely Hogs in my waters! A couple from a boat but most from the shoreline. It was a freakin blast. I fished them very slow - let it drop, a few hit on the fall and after twitching a bit but most came after hopping it 2-3 times and just letting it sit which I read on this site somewhere. I thought it was a reply to this post but I read through and it must be in another post, not one of mine. I remember specifically the person said to hop the jig 2 or 3 (or just 3?) times as "that's what a real craw does". This stuck with me and it's precisely what I did and it caught the majority of my fish so that's really cool. I can't say this one tip was the only reason why I caught em' but it certainly helped and I think it gave me more confidence, as did plenty of other replies here that were similar in terms of imparting action, weights, patience, etc. Anyway thank you to all, the people on this site have definitely made me a better angler and I seriously can't wait to fish jigs this Spring!

Yeah, I tried that although tied a different way (https://youtu.be/gjjgZylsdb0?si=yjy-1a69B5fh88GK). It's pretty good but not as easy to tie as the vid portrays, IMO, and especially on a boat and with fluoro. Also, the hook has to have a closed eyelet, if not the knot embeds in the eyelet space which is problematic.

I did a keyword search for this hook here and I was surprised to not find anything so I thought I'd share. I am relatively new to the drop shot (last few years) and I'm loving it. Robo and Trick worms mostly, a few smaller minnow types. I started using the Palomar knot with the tag end run down through the eyelet and although this works, it always felt too flimsy and the hook and thus bait sags downward. I suppose anyone who uses a DS rigged this way knows or has experienced this. I tried the standout hooks which work but I'm not really sure why I didn't like them that much, too much hook perhaps? Shank too short? Recently I found something that IMO perfects the DS. The Nishine DS Hook tied with a snell knot. I bought them, practiced the knot which is actually quite easy, and had great success fishing with them. The connection/knot isn't just strong it's more secure, that is, the hook/bait stay at a right angle to the line. You immediately know this after you tie it and test it by pulling the main and leader lines simultaneously. It's ergonomically correct if you will. Of course fishing it is the real test which I have 3 times and my hook-up ratio has been superb! I'm actually blown away and the DS might possibly be my favorite way to fish now, surpassing even the t-rig. I suppose the better hook ups are partially due to the longer shank. Anyway, here's the vid on tying it: https://youtu.be/M1jiuANib9k?si=Ke6fqx1XrAOKtsxr

I'm confucious. Below every user's post/reply there's a + button which reveals a dialog box indicating "Quote 1 post" and a Quote button which reveals the entire post/reply. I have no idea which one I should use and why, who gets notified by either, and I have no idea how to "tag" someone, why I would want to, and how to know if I've been tagged. For this reply, I used the green button. ?

Not sure it was a while ago, must've read it somewhere; there's several types as I'm sure you know so maybe it's the non-quick change ones.

Thanks, I've seen these and I'm hesitant as they're lead which means big and you have to buy the skirts separate and install them which I suppose is no big deal. I was looking at the Gambler skirts that have just a small ring and you use your own tungsten weights which I have at least 30 of. I think the weight might click against the metal skirt ring which could be a bonus? These: https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Gambler_Quick_Change_KO_Punch_Skirts_2pk/descpage-GQCPS.html?from=gshop&gclid=CjwKCAjwzo2mBhAUEiwAf7wjkjRP9DJXphgMrqCb_tGTeaBPsva8RzY_Rs_bCxK_M-HJqgIa-Opi8BoCZ0kQAvD_BwE

Thank you to all for your insight and tips, here's my tentative plan: forget jigs for the rest of the Summer, continue focus on the drop shot (which I'm relatively new to and loving), then re-visit this thread in the Fall and with a cleared/open mind and some confidence toss a jig again.

SK Hack Attack, Nichols, Terminator, Berkley, 6th Sense, and many more. Keitech finesse/tungsten, bitsy bugs. Grass wizard comes to mind. Those just brush the surface, hard to remember most as last I bought any was over a year ago, Spring '22 and prior to that no clue. Weights 1/4 oz to 3/4 and all in between. Like I mentioned, all (or most) types - football, grass, casting, flip, swim, etc. I did my research before buying many of them, on this site, Bassmaster, MLF, friends, other. I very likely bought some you or others here recommended. Trailers were zcraw, UV speed craw, SK rage craw and grub, pit boss, SK and Keitech swimbaits, chunks, grubs, Missile Baits beaver bait, sweet beaver I think. Buddy used many, some same, most different such as Vile Craw and Bug and Googan stuff, rage craw copy. The last trailer I tried and the one I thought for sure I'd crush em' on was the Yamamoto Zako. Nope, no crush. Lol.

Pat, thanks for the suggestions and yes, I've caught plenty on lead and tungsten screw lock and shank baitkeeper shaky heads with trick and other worms as well as baby brush hogs, the latter being a somewhat unique shakey head bait I think. Beaver baits on swing heads negative but I have pit bosses, sweet beavers, and z-craws. Football or rugby head EWG'S yes but not nearly as much as the shakey heads. Thing is, it's not ALL jigs I (we) don't or get bites with, it's only the silicone or "living rubber" skirted jigs (some trimmed, some not) with the multi-strand plastic weedguards (also trimmed as needed) and nearly all head shapes, weights, hook sizes, colors, and many different trailers. Finesse jigs as well. One thing I've wanted to try is pork trailers, just never did.

Once again, did you read my original post? The last line states what I'm looking for: Insight as to why this is happening to me and others I fish with. "Commiserate in my misery"? Nope, no misery here, just curiosity and if I was miserable I certainly wouldn't seek sympathy or pity from complete strangers on a fish forum. Lol. I understand perfectly all the comments and successes other anglers have with jigs, I'm not denying this, it's precisely the reason why my post is titled jig mystery. I'm also fully aware of all the other jig rhetoric you dished out. You seem have a knack for misperceptions and assumptions based on well, nothing. You also seem to want to inject feelings, emotions, or experiences that are not mine which I find a bit strange. Finally, I wasn't offended by the meme because it has absolutely nothing to do with my post, me, my motives, feelings, or intentions. I also don't have the faintest idea who the dude in the meme is and where it comes from. And so this exciting post comes to an end. Insert loud fart noise here. Lol.

Did you read my original post? My friend and I have committed ourselves to jigs over and over again and the fish in the waters we fish told us they do not like jigs casted, flipped, pitched, skipped, twitched, dead-sticked, hopped, dragged, or swam at any cadence. Same goes for his Dad and brother BTW, commenters on this site, likely many more, and surely countless thousands of other anglers. Saying it's a mental block or in your head is conjectural and absurd. If you were someone I knew and trusted rather than an online commenter, I might feel offended or insulted. L to the O to the L on that. "Jigs are big fish catchers" is misleading, a misnomer, an unfinished sentence. The more accurate or valid statement is that Jigs are big fish catchers for SOME anglers SOME of the time and I'd contend this can be applied to any bait an angler has the most success with. Big worms, deep diving cranks, bladed jigs, etc. Obviously everyone's fishing experience is different - how often you fish, with what and how often with it, where, when, water type, clarity, structure, etc. We all know the variables are endless.

Why?

My buddy and I have been fishing Northern IL and Southern WI lakes for the last 5 years targeting LM and SM bass. Boat and occasionally shore fishing. We use spinning and baitcasters and catch them regularly on weighted and weightless t-rigged plastics (mostly craws and worms), drop-shots, jerkbaits, crankbaits, wacky rigs, and most recently I caught a nice one on a mojo rigged lizard, 1st time trying it so that was a blast. Here's what's weird, the mystery: both of us have tried every type, size, and color of jig (skirted with weedguard) with various trailers together and with other friends ans neither of us can catch anything with them. We never got bites, maybe some taps here and there but nada. For years we kept trying with no success and now neither of us fish them at all as we don't see the point. Zero confidence in them. So, anyone have the same or similar experience? Insight as to why this may be?

I'm interested in other Anglers thoughts on this. I've been trying to buy the Trokar Tournament Tube Hooks and can't find them anywhere and so I emailed Eagle Claw this: Hello, I've been an Eagle Claw customer for 30 years and I've been looking for the TK 190 Tournament Tube Hook for a few weeks now and can't find them at any retailer - big box, tackle shops, or online. Are you making and distributing these hooks still? If so, why can't I purchase them? Thank you. Here's their response: "Good Morning, At the present time we are currently sold out of the TK190 tournament tube hooks. They are scheduled to be manufactured in mid to late February of 2023. Thank you and have a good week! Eagle Claw Fishing Tackle" Does anyone else find this odd? Why are they "scheduled" for manufacture weeks in 6 months when they're "sold out"? Are they unable to move up the manufacturing "schedule" and if so, why? Is this COVID related still? Has the demand for this product (and other fishing products) increased enough for this to happen?

Somehow "Dick's" in my post auto-morphed in to "forgot how to use English's" - ??? A technological mystery.

Greetings all, long time reader here, I have learned a lot. I came across a brand of baits called MACH or MACH Baits? on the Dick's website which I've never seen or heard of (cranks, jerkbait, and what appears to be a Whopper Plopper copy) and I'm wondering if anyone knows this brand and/or company, quality, etc. Strangely when you Google it or them nothing comes up and so is this a.....forgot how to use English's only brand or "house brand" I think is the term??