TheBaitMonkey

any standout models in it ya like best?

d**n I was hoping the spinning reel seat/grip from the Ultima would trickle down. Looks like we’ll have to wait another cycle? Hopefully they add in a 276 spinning model over time if not it’s the time to pick up some more before they’re all sold out

I really like those Midst jigheads - I’ve found the weed guard to be surprisingly weedless as it is stiffer than most. You’ll be hammering them with it and those 4” Flash J’s!

That looks nice! What hook did you use?

He pulled out the truck stick on Levis!

Weedless dropshot marabou and bucktail fly -

My initial take at a bluegill hair jig -

Fought off the winds in the kayak today to land this 5lber off the edge of a weed line in 10’ FOW before a drop off -

Got a solid one out there today, 54 degree water temps. Got it on a squarebill running over the top of the grass in 10’ of water -

A 3" swimbait with a ballhead is always on - usually rotating between a Spark Shad, Largo Shad, and a 3.25" Jenko Booty Shaker. Sometimes I'll use the Okashira Screwhead to switch it up vs the normal ball head. They smash fish!

It would need to be a certified scale but even if everything looked good on camera I don’t think they would accept it, unfortunately. A few bad apples that would game the system would make it too hard to police accurately.

d**n, I wanted to try one out when they came out but have held the monkey off since I don’t need another jig specific rod - now I know one’s gonna end up in my cart during the upcoming iced up lake season because of this specific comment ? What all do you use it for?

Trying out the new Daiwa Airity to compare it to the 23 Vanquish. I got the 2000 size and my god is it light at 145 grams. I have it paired with a 7’4” Rebellion and the combo weighs 8.7oz - we’ll see how it compares!

Trying out the new Daiwa Airity to compare it to the new Vanquish. It pairs really nicely with my Daiwa Rebellion -

It’s a sick stick! I’ve found it really versatile so far too. What reel did you pair it with?

Thanks guys, I really appreciate it!

Anyone here fish up on Lake Geneva in the fall? I’m making a trip up there next week and I’ve never been fishing there before, was thinking of starting in Williams Bay. Any tips would be much appreciated!

Some more mini baitfish imitating goodies for the fall -

My new combo - Megabass P5 Addermine with a C3000SDHHG Vanquish:

I got it out on the water this morning, I really liked it. I've never really used one so I thought it would feel awkward but it didn't.

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Some fun stuff just made it’s way over the Pacific -

I live in Illinois and fish a lot of similar bowl lakes here and in Wisconsin and have been trying to find the perfect rod for Texas rigged dropshots. I’ll split the rods I think you’ll like into 2 categories depending on if you favor long casts along weedlines or shorter pitches to weed edges and dragging through some pads around the grass - Shorter more accurate casts into the grass - - Loomis: the 802s JWR and 822syr models from Loomis are great choices, I’d recommend the SYR model for this (avoid the DSR at all costs since it’s gonna be way too soft) - Megabass: the Shakyhead rod in the Orochi lineup would fit the bill nicely, would pick it over the Whipsnake from this lineup in grass. I have the new P5 Addermine and have been really liking it for Texas Rigged Roboworms (Fat 4.5” & the 6”) in the grass so far. Longer casts on the edge of weedlines - - Daiwa: the Steez 76MML “the one” would be my top pick of all of these due to the versatility. The 7’6” MLM Fast action Tatula Elite AGS would be perfect too. - Loomis: their 872s JWR and 902s models excel at this (872s for thicker and 902s for sparse grass along offshore weedlines) - I fished a lot of St Croixs living in WI, the 73MXF’s are nice and would be great for this. Good luck on your quest to find the perfect stick, you have a lot of good options to choose from and it will really come down to personal preference (maybe you like a certain handle style) or which brand you favor. Some have more premium fit and finishes and some have better warranties but I assure you all of the above will be sensitive enough — so pick your poison.

I’ve used it for frogs before in a pinch and it worked pretty well. I can’t say I’ve used a 3/4oz Texas rig on it but I have used a 3/4oz weight in a Carolina rig with it and it was good for that. IMO it’s more like the FMJ than the Perfect Pitch

I’ll ditto the others, the 873 is a great choice. I favor it over my 893 for 3/8 and 1/2 oz jigs pitching around cover. It’s really crisp and casting those weights accurately comes easy with it. I also really like using it for throwing a 5” Miyagi swimbait on a 1/4oz owner beast hook.