MediumMouthBass

For rods. Anything ultra light, and light will work great for trout and panfish. Medium light can be used for panfish, trout, and bass. But should really be only used with ned rigs, and very light baits for bass. Medium rods are great for bigger trout lures, but will be mainly for bass fishing. Medium rods excel at smaller and lighter bass baits, like weightless soft plastics, jerkbaits, and crankbaits, Ned rigs, tube jigs, paddle tail swimbaits on a jig. Medium heavy rods are more for things like Texas rigs, jigs (football, flipping, pitching, skipping, swimming), buzzbaits/spinnerbaits, bigger jerkbaits and deeper diving crankbaits, among others. And when buying a rod for catfishing dont go by its power, but its ratings. For example i have a medium heavy rod thats ratings go to 1oz at the highest, but i have a swimbait/catfish rod thats only a medium, well its ratings for lures go up to 6oz. For reels. 500-1000 sized are for trout and panfish. But some guys have used 1000 for very light finesse fishing for bass. 2000-2500 (even a 3000) are the best. Holds the most line, while still not being very heavy. 4000-4500 these are really only for musky, catfish, salmon and steelhead. Thats up to you. New rods and reels wont do a single thing to catch more bass, they will just make the experience on the water nicer. Its a tradeoff half the people want, and the other half not. @Glenn makes a ton of helpful posts on here that would be beneficial. Then theres youtube. Learn as much as possible before hitting the water.

In the spring the lipless dominates every other lure i have. I fish 4-10' with 1-3' of grass off the bottom. I will cast it out as far as possible, and do one of 4 things. 1. Wait a few seconds and do a slow lift up, and let it fall (yo yo). 2. If i think they are higher in the water column its the same as 1 just without the wait, also i will do fast lifts. 3. Straight retrieve. 4. A mix of yo yo and a straight retrieve, with a pause every now and then. (ill fish it kind of like i would a chatterbait). Ill fish a lipless year round, and everywhere in a lake. But personally i have a saying, if its not ripping grass, there will be no bass. 85% of size and numbers have came after ripping it through grass, for me atleast.

Sadly its not. It started out with the reel nuts slipping and spinning into infinity. Then mass reports of rods snapping easily, in a short perod of time. Several guys on here talked about how theirs broke, a few even said about how they customer service treated them very poorly. Check recent reviews of St Croix rods, on several sites, TW had a bunch of them before they changed their website.... And the problem isnt rods that were just bought, its when they were made. This is happening all over the world, in several industries. Look at the news, mass recalls on food, vehicles, appliances, etc... During and after covid all these companies had to let go of most of their staff, and then the shortages, they couldnt get the right or quality materials, so they bought whatever they could to keep producing what they sold. This led to lots of failures across the board in again every industry. And now post covid quality control is awful. People hired idiots to run things to replace the people they fired, and most are highly incompetent. Look at the new Tundras for example, the guys the hired didnt realize that dirt CANT NOT get anywhere near an engine being built. Well several hundred thousand recalls later because they didnt hire a single person who knows this basic rule, the Tundra fanbase is destroyed and no one trusts them with their money. Call any companies customer service team, you will be shocked to hear how the new hires treat you. So after all of this, is a rod company with a much smaller budget having qc issues like the rest of the world that hard to believe? Again this isnt all companies but most. I would love St Croix to make a comeback, they had nice rods for all budgets. And it only seems like its half or even less of their rods with issues, its hit or miss like buying anything today. And to add, look at the US and global economy, companies are going bankrupt left and right. So to stay in business costs have to get cut, who goes first? Customer service, next the quality control team gets downsized, then start buying lesser priced although lesser quality materials to make your product.

I fish chatterbaits alot, just not as much as a lipless or a ned.... I use a very stiff MH fast action rod. I love ripping baits out of the grass, and thats when the bass hit them. Using a glass rod works alot for most guys, but letting the rod load up on grass and it popping out just isnt as aggressive, and wouldnt work for the way i fish them. Plus ripping it out of the grass is half the fun! I understand why alot of people use glass rods, but i dont think ones better than the other, i think its all the person using them, and how they fish it. I havent had any come off the hook yet and keep my drag quite tight, i use hybrid line too. Same goes for crankbaits, everyone says you need a moderate, or a glass rod for them. I fish almost all my crankbaits, especially lipless on the same rod. 7'3" MH Fast Aird X. Ill just loosen the drag just a bit, havent lost any bass on that either, including a 10lber. Again rod actions, and materials are just guidelines for what works best for most, not what works best for you. It all comes down to the individual using it.

Sorry forgot a comma, i meant to say if its an older Fenwick then you should be good.

I tried a drop shot once, it was the most boring minute of my life. But ned rigs, are the only, and i mean the only slow/finesse type of fishing i can do. And i just love to throw them, whether it be for largemouth or smallmouth. I am very different than most people with my ned rig setup, i will use a 7'2" M F rod. Its extremely stiff too. Paired with 10lb braid. I cant cast far with any rod 7' or less, i cant stand wimpy ML rods either. And i also have the drag locked down. Ive caught hundreds of both species of bass and not one ever came off the hook, including my 4lb PB smallie. The rod is made by a smaller brand, that most bass fishing guys hate on for having BOGO sales throughout their start. Its an Akylos, and its the best rod ive ever used. but ive yet to find a rod thats stiffer, casts farther, and has better sensitivity. The rod cost $60 years ago and was sadly discontinued.... I really regret not buying a casting version, but again since they are a smaller brand theres not many used ones for sale either.... But i will also rotate a MH rod in for ned rigs every once in awhile too. People often think im crazy for fishing ned rigs this way, as its the opposite of the 99% of people who fish ned rigs, but it works for me and works well. However i would like to start fishing them on a baitcaster because my confidence in spinning gear isnt what it used to be. Oh and to make people cringe more, i fish ned rigs fast. The baits reeled back in within a minute.

The lipless crankbait is my #1 quantity and quality producing lure for bass. (Ned rigs #2). I have one or several tied on year round, no matter the weather, or season. Such a versatile lure, with so many different ways of fishing it. I have about 50-75 of them now but find myself wanting to try more than the two i fish the most, but im not sure which other ones to try. My most fished and prized lipless is the 1/2oz Berkley Warpig. It sinks like a rock and lets me fish fast. I like the yo yo retrieve with these, i can feel it vibrate like no other lipless i have ever used, even on the fall i can feel it. It comes through grass better than a chatterbait or spinnerbait too, i just rip the rod to the side and the hooks just slice right through it. This is more my shallow (10' or less) springtime go to. Its good until the grass gets too high, and way too thick. Even with its hooks going through grass like a hot knife through butter, it just falls too fast into the mess. Then i will use it in open water thats deep. I cant understand why they dont make these in 3/4oz. The bass where i fish absolutely annihilate this lure. Next up is the 1/2oz Strike King Red Eye Shad. Such a completely different lipless. It feels weightless compared to the Warpig. Still casts a mile though, these just fall so slow. I love fishing these later in the year, especially around summer when the grass is everywhere. I will rotate with a yo yo, or just burn it over the grass retrieve. The trade off with it falling slow and the ability to fish it slower in shallower water is that if even a small piece of grass gets on the hooks the lure fouls up, and has to be brought back to the bank or kayak. Ive tried and tried, but ripping the rod up or to the side doesnt fix it, it just gets the trebles wrapped around the line. But even with that it excels with catching bass in the summer. I know theres plenty others like 6th Sense, Bill Lewis, Spro, Cotton Cordell, Googan, Rapala, Yo Zuri, Booyah, and other brands that make them but i just dont have the confidence in anything other than the 2 i mentioned. I realize if somethings working dont change it, but i would really like to expand my ability to fish these more, and that requires trying some new ones. Whats your go to lipless? And how does it fall? And is it good or bad in grass?

Fenwick was bought by Pure Fishing. Almost all the rod companies PF acquired ruined their brand, fanbase, and quality. Berkleys, Abus, Fenwicks, etc... They still have a high star rating with reviews because of the huge amount of older reviews, but when you filter it with newer reviews its very bad. Majority being snaps easily. (if you already have the rod and its older then you are probably going to enjoy throwing lighter jerkbaits with it, and avoid whats written above). You didnt mention what size Megabass jerkbaits, if they are Vision 110's the Aetos rod you mentioned may or may not work for it. Try casting it a few times to make sure the rod can properly load the lure. Ive found most ratings to be just a guideline thats usually not 100%. So a 3/8oz might be too much for a ML. Or might be perfect. Im 6'2". Anytime ive tried fishing jerkbaits from shore any rod 7' or longer always ends up hitting the ground. I have a 6'6" rod that i tried and it works for me, although its a MH, but i prefer stronger powered rods more than most people. Maybe this years black friday sales will be good? I would hold out on any rod purchase till then.

Nucanoe kayak with an electric motor. These are the boats of kayaks. Extremely wide, super stable, 360 degree swivel chair. Tons and tons of room on the deck. With no ramps this will be the best option as you can buy a kayak cart and just unload anywhere thats flat. Put the cart on the back of the kayak and strap it down until you leave. And these kayaks arent hard to get in. The seat is very high, unlike most kayaks on the market. Takes up very little room too. Another option is a 10-14' Jon boat with a trolling motor.

If you are using snaps one thing to think about doing is going the JDM Vision route for all your lures. Buy a pair of spilt ring pliers and remove front rings on your most used lures. It costs about $10 but the real price is how much time it takes to do this. I didnt like tying knots every time i wanted to change lures when i first got into bass fishing, i only used snaps. Connecting a snap to a ring created a bigger profile and changed actions on certain baits, so i bought the tool and it made it much better. I then learned the SDJ knot and went all in on it. Plus i also didnt like how much good quality snaps costs. The cheaper ones bend and snap.

Wouldnt be a bad idea if companies offered rods at a discount for a no warranty option. But everything made today isnt made to last sadly, quality control is a companies last priority these days. Hopefully in a year or 2 qc will return to where it was or better, if thats the case then warranties would be truly pointless. I agree and disagree with your 30 days, its probably all thats really needed to see if a rod goes bad, but some of us (mainly me) will buy a rod and leave it in a corner for a few months before using it. I have about 8 rods i bought within the last 2 years that i havent used yet, and about 6 reels too. But yeah the 10-15 year is meaningless, its not even a warranty, its an insurance policy. A 1 year is great, but 10-15? I mean cmon new St Croixs wont even take a week to use it.

Lipless cranks. Jerkbaits. Crankbaits. Spoons. Topwater walking baits. Bigger paddle tails. Smaller swimbaits. in the under 1oz range.

The Fuego CT is a great reel, i think it excels more for heavier duty fishing. Feels like a tank that can handle anything. Atleast mine does. However its not worth the $120 MSRP. Nor is it worth $100 when it rarely goes on sale. The Tatula CT, is smoother, casts farther (T wing), has a nicer finish, better handle grips, all for about $10-25 more when on sale throughout the year. I have no idea why Daiwa doesnt sell the Fuegos in the $85 range. They would move alot of product if they did. I use a similar setup for Texas rigged senkos and creature baits/craws. 7'3"MH F Dobyns, 12lb YZH which is more like 14lb. Paired with a SLX XT, or Tatula CT, but with any baitcaster this is a great combo for those types of baits. Only thing i would recommend is to pick up some heavier senkos as well, i like Caffeine Shads because they are much heavier than the very light Yum's. Its good to have a wide variety of brands for senkos, different fall rates, and the ability to cast closer or farther. Setting up the baitcaster is very simple if you watch a youtube video or one of the ones Glenn has on here. Another thing i would recommend is use cheap line first. That way if you get some backlashes and have to cut them out it doesnt hurt the wallet.

I would throw a shad colored A rig. For one reason, if you dont have any shad and only sunfish then most likely everyone that fishes the lake fishes sunfish patterns. Bass are feeding for survival, if they see something different they will eat it. Just look up big bass caught on giant trout swimbaits, in lakes with 0 trout.

Already have on multiple occasions on here. And im not brand bashing, i simply pointed out i have had 3 defective out of the box reels. When 2 guys claimed there is no way possible a reel can be bad out of the box. Brand bashing would be me saying all Daiwas are horrible. Which i havent, i just stated no matter who makes the rod or reel we live in the worst time possible for quality control. Look at any news site, mass recalls like never before, its made its way into the fishing industry. I did no such brand bashing, i only pointed out the warranty is needed now more than ever. Which is why i dont think saving $10 is worth ordering a JDM one without it. Oh and i love Daiwa rods and reels btw.

I have 3 Daiwas that i dont use because they barely work. But they came out the box that way. And this isnt the last 60 years, this is now, which is the worst time we have ever been in with quality control. It is literally zero. Across all brands, across all industries. My dad bought Silverados one after another for decades, want to know why he doesnt have a new one? Because they are junk. Everything is being recalled constantly, companies are cutting costs at every turn, in America, and definitely overseas. While Daiwa and Shimano arent as bad as certain brands that have ruined their fanbase, they arent perfect like they once were either. And the reels i bought in America with a warranty were still about a quarter to half the price as the ones from Japan.

Depends, is it an enclosed shed, out building, or pieces of wood nailed together built in the 60's? It means alot in terms of what climate the rods will be in, and what kind of creatures might be chewing on the cork or foam....

Enough line to refill a spool costs $10, for me since i buy YZH its about $5. Yet i still will fish with the same line from 1-3 years ago because its as good as the day i put it on. Oh an i leave my line stored in very hot and then extremely cold areas throughout the year. Certain line cant handle that, and will go bad after awhile. But from july to now it should be more than fine. But confidence is key in fishing, so if you are worried about it, spend the $10.

Legend Glass cranking rod, only paid $75 for it. I would have a heart attack paying over $150 for any rod.

I bought all my reels from US based stores, with sales i got them for 30-60% off MSRP. I got my US Zillion for $10 more than a JDM. And sure that point is valid that you CAN save money, but zero warranty. With the way quality control has taken a nose dive into a mess id rather spend the same or a few bucks more and get that warranty.

My priorities of importance when buying a rod from greatest to least. #1, Warranty. Every rod can and will break, and with quality control during and post Covid, i want a rod that the company will back. If they wont even back their own rods why should i, or you? #2 Price. #3 Color. If i can get it to paint match a certain reel thats great. # Sensitivity. I truly cant understand why guys spend so much on rods for this, get some braid and tungsten for $50 all together and call it a day. But sadly most companies today cut corners at every turn, including now having bad customer service teams, poor quality control, and either got rid of warranty replacements, or increased the cost of a new rod through the warranty. Like my $275 St Croix new with tags, i cant use it because they became an awful company from recent reviews, and these rods snap easily now as well. I will sell it before i pay them $60 for another rod. To snap the next week. Ill stick with my Ugly Stik GX2s and Daiwa Aird X's. Have never snapped the collective 20 of them i own. Threw them on the ground, dragged them across rocks, tossed them in the back of the truck, etc.... I would rather buy a rod for $30-50 that will last a lifetime than pay $100-200 for a rod i will need to replace for the next season. But thats just me.

I stopped fishing 90% of the baits i bought and used for years, nothing on this earth can, has, or will work better for where i fish than a #1 lipless crank, #2 wacky worm, #3 ned rig, #4 chatterbait, #5 football jig. Maybe on occasion a tube jig if im getting bored with a ned rig. The mainstream, popular, in every tackle box across America baits and lures (Texas rigs, spinnerbaits, swim jigs, crankbaits, jerkbaits, paddle tail swimbaits, frogs, topwaters) have never worked in the almost dozen different places i fish. Only the ones above do. And dont even get me started on the giant scam of green pumpkin. Side note, am i the only person who fishes for bass that has zero interest in Japanese bass fishing, JDM rods and reels, or BFS?

This is a shocker. I would have bet money on Daiwa making more money than Shimano for fishing sales. Wow.

I couldnt catch a bass on a texas rig if it was starving. Throw it on a wacky rig and it will obliterate it. I think ill start trying them neko rigged, best of both worlds right? That^ was my experience with stick baits, others will be the opposite and weighted texas rigs are their top producer, others might only catch bass on a weightless t rig. Its an extremely versatile bait, all while being very simple at the same time. Take 3 rods out and see what your bass like.

Its unbelievable anyone still uses these. The US government has even admitted they dont work, but they still use them.... But thats only because they spent a fortune on them and dont want to look stupid, but oh wait You guys actually have to do polygraphs for bass fishing tournaments? At first i thought it was a joke, but now after ive seen this posted a few times im thinking its not. So you sit at a table in a dark room, "sir have you ever used a largemouth bass to send the Chinese government classified information" "no im just here to fish" "so you admit you are a spy!!!"