UmairF

Do you have any recommendations for a budget vice? Just getting into jig making. Would be mainly for 1/4,3/8, and 1/2 oz jigs different head styles. Also, which specific tools would I need to tie skirts other than a vice? I’ve seen people use certain tools to wrap the wire or thread around the jig and also use something to do a “whip finish” (assuming that’s a knot to keep the threading in place?) Thanks!

Thanks so much for everyone’s input! Looks like I’ll be primarily using my exp b 7’3 XH for magdraft freestyles and chad shads and the 7’2 H for the swaver 168. As far as reels go, I’ll probably grab something in the 6.1:1 ratio for the magdraft. When I first tested it, seemed to work better at lower speeds. Got a high speed bantam A that ill be throwing the chad shad on 65 lb braid to maybe 20lb mono leader? Gonna crank back my drag a little too so im not yanking the treble hooks out when i catch a biggin. The 7’3 is my frogging/flipping rod so just gotta remember to tighten that drag back up once I swap back to frogging 😂

Hey everyone, I’m looking to get into throwing 6” magdrafts, s-waver 168s, spro chad shads, and baitsanity explorer gills. Don’t have a dedicated swimbait rod and reel but trying to see if I can make do with the heavier rods I currently have. Heaviest I got are a dobyns champ xp 734, expride b 7’2 heavy, and another expride b 7’3 EXTRA heavy. I know the chad shad and explorer gill might be a little heavy of a bait but just curious to see if I can make do with what I have. Also not sure if I absolutely need a 300+ sized reel with a gear ratio in the 5’s or 6’s. Lowest gear ratio I have is a tatula 6.3:1 I think but it’s a 100 sized reel that I really only use for crankbaits. Others I have are in the 7’s and 8’s and no bigger than a 150 size (I like my compact profile reels clearly lol). Don’t really use mono much more of a braid to fluorocarbon guy but if needed I can grab a bulk spool of heavier lb test mono for the stretch for the treble hook baits I listed. If none of the rods or reels I listed above absolutely won’t work, please feel free to suggest other options. Just looking for something that’ll get the job done without over/underpowering the hooks/weight. Just trying to dip my toes into swimbaits so not looking for a dedicated combo at the moment (maybe one day!). I fish primarily in Illinois and southern Wisconsin so size of fish are a little smaller than the ones you lucky ones south of us get to catch haha. Any help would be appreciated!

Does anyone have any experience with the Expride B 7’0 light? I currently use it for okashira heads and hair jigs but was thinking about using it mainly for dropshots. You guys think I cam make do with it for both nose hooking and texas rigging light wire dropshots?

Hey I know its been over a year but if you’re still looking for feedback on this I own all 3 rods you listed and fish them often! NRX+ 854 JWR: rated as a 7’1 heavy but I treat it more like a MH+. Sensitivity is unmatched. Use it for 3/8-1/2 bottom contact lures (mainly jigs) exclusively. Great dock skipping rod because it’s 7’1. I feel like its a little too crisp to drag a football jig with though however, it can definitely do it. Much better to hop things off the bottom with small precise movements. I definitely feel like I know exactly how high up my lure is popping up off the bottom. Need some more time with this rod but if Im feeing the bottom or need precise movements, this is the one! Paired this with the new zillion. Expride 7’2 MH B: My go-to do everything rod. You can literally do almost anything with this one. The balance and sensitivity is amazing at the price point as well would’t go further than this one if you just want an all-around rod. I’m used to shimano power ratings but acknowledge that shimano is a little stiffer than most rod brands. Slightly more give than the nrx+ 854 but leads to a solid backbone. Im not saying that this is spongey at all though! It’s fractionally softer than the 854. I go to this rod when I dont have a dedicated technique-specific rod for something. Have this paired with the new zillion as well. Dobyn’s 734 Champion XP Split Grip: This rod surprised me and I actually don’t like this rod for everything as I do the expride above. That being said, in my opinion this is a PHENOMENAL moving bait rod. It’s my designated chatterbait rod. I was a little confused when I first got the rod since everyone raves this rod to be an all around rod but for me, I just find it a little more spongey. Maybe it’s just because I’m used to the stiffer shimano ratings. I fish in mainly grass fisheries and love ripping chatterbaits through the grass. This rod has just enough backbone to rip through all that and enough give that you can feel the fish sucking in the chatterbait. I havent lost a fish once I have it hooked on this one for my moving baits becaused slight bend keeps em pinned. Great to sling 3/8 and 1/2 ounce lures plus trailers on. I get kind of fatigued if I have it in my hands for over an hour since I have it paired with a metanuim dc which is a little heavier than my other reels. Perfect setup for those longer casts to cover water with and find fish. Hope this helped! These are just my opinions on each of those rods but I feel that each has their place in my arsenal. Let me know what your experience has been with any of these rods if you’ve fished them! Open to trying new things on these rods too.

Hey I know that I’m almost 2 years late to this but really glad I found it! Recently got the nrx+ 854 as well so it’s nice seeing someone go through the exact same rabbit hole as I did. It’s funny because I was looking for something for the exact same situations that the OP also listed 😂. I paired it with the newer zillion reel and it’s smoother than butter. I like the 7’1 length because I can cast it a good amount and also be pretty accurate for those dock or laydown scenarios. How have you liked the rod so far? I’ve only really had a couple months with it. I’ve designated it as my 3/8-1/2 oz jig rod however, I wonder if I can use it for micro jigs 1/4 ounce plus trailer? Itll probably be closer to a little under 3/8 with the trailer but I’m just curious if the rod is too powerful for the finesse jig hooks (keitech model 2 jig for reference). Thanks!

Hey thanks for the idea! Yeah maybe for now an inflatable is more practical then I can bump up to a nicer one down the road!

Hey any update on this post? I’m interested in either the Megabass Triza or the Zodias travel set. Any opinions on these two? How are the build quality and sensitivity? Probably will get one casting and one spinning. Thanks!

Anyone have any update on this post? Was thinking about the zodias travel set as well but still researching more before I buy. Is there a significant difference in the spinning and casting models as far as performance? How does the build quality feel? Thanks!

Hey this topic has peaked my interest since I’ve really been debating on getting either a jon boat or kayak. I fish in Chicagoland, IL and there’s not too many bigger bodies of water within an hour (for fishing trips <2-3 hours) that allow bigger boats with motors unless they’re electric. A kayak would allow me to fish the smaller bodies of water and get in and out of the water relatively quickly, especially since I only really get 2-3 hours to fish a couple days in the week. Have a couple questions for you kayak guys (or anyone that has input): - I’m currently in an apartment so does anyone have any ideas as to where I can store a kayak if I got one? I would get a kayak that has pedal assist in it preferably. - As far as transportation goes, would I need a small trailer for it? I have a sedan right now not sure if I would be able to pull it but maybe it’s possible? The goal is to get a bigger place someday soon but just wanted to have a couple questions answered as I continue my own research. Thanks!

Am I the only one that hasn’t had much success on FC Sniper? I used to spool up my chatterbait reel with 20lb and my t-rig reel with 14 and the line just frays so easily. Lost a bunch if jackhammers now… I thought it was just my knot but I’m pretty good at the san diego jam knot and I noticed that the line isn’t breaking at the knot. I mainly fish ponds but tournament fish too. I definitely fish in a lot of different types of structure and cover but mainly grass. Sometimes I’ll skip docks with it too. My line definitely gets beat up more than usual but I re tie often and check my line for any fraying as well. My rod guides are fine as well nothing would scratch it up like that. It breaks off way too often considering how much I pay attention to my line. Any ideas as to why this is? I’ve had multiple spools of sniper at this point and am open to new FC line suggestions if there are any better ones for fishing in the environments I fish in. Thanks!

Sorry I meant the most recent Metanium DC from 2018 I believe. Thanks for the insight though!

I run my chatterbaits exclusively on a dobyns champ xp 734. Especially in grass it has enough give in the tip to “slingshot” the bait right out leaving enough time for the fish to react to it. I’ve fished chatterbaits on medium heavy and heavy rods before but the 734 xp is a happy medium for me in terms of being able to rip it outta grass and keeping fish pinned. I have it paired with a metanium dc and 20lb fluoro. Usually run 3/8th and 1/2 ounce jackhammers with the trailer it adds a little more weight. Only con to my setup I can say is that the metanuim dc feels heavy in my hand by the end of the day. I think that’s a good thing though because it forces me to switch over to a different presentation with a different setup. I tend to gravitate towards a chatterbait more than I should sometimes since I have more confidence in it, situation depending.

I run a braid to leader for most of my setups. A big reason I like it also, that hasnt been mentioned here, is that you can keep a spool filled with braid for a couple seasons without changing it depending how much you fish especially if you have a fluoro leader on. The only time I’m really cutting off braid from my main line is to re tie my leader every so often instead of every time I need to change lures. A couple feet of fluoro every so often isn’t gonna hurt as much as a whole spool’s worth. Saves some money instead of changing the entire spool once the mainline gets a little low, affecting your casting distance and gear ratio even more. To each their own, I see more pros in having a 6ft fluoro leader where the knot doesn’t go into the spool. Less wasted line, more sensitivity, less visible in clearer water, and hey, you’ll get more practice tying FG knots. It’s the only connection knot I’ll run, especially with spinning gear too. IMO a lot of people are hesitant with a leader just because of the connection knot. I used to be the same way but trust me, it’s not as bad as it looks. Especially with all the video tutorials online once you get good at tying it, you won’t go back (depending on the situation)!

I have a vanford 2500 with an expride b 7’0 light and its a phenomenally light combo. Highly recommend it. I use it for spark shads with okashira screw heads, small hair jigs, and light dropshots. Still figuring out what else I can do with it. If anyone has suggestions on other techniques with this combo please let me know! Fun fact: I recently caught a pretty nice sized catfish on this combo and didnt feel like it was going to break at all. I was fishing from the shore behind a tall grassline and had to wrench it in. Don’t know why he ate a spark shad but nonetheless, was one heck of a fight. Was using 10lb suffix 832 braid to an 8lb fluoro leader. Shoutout to the FG knot for not breaking on me with that catch haha! How do you like the nrx+ 852? Can’t wait to get my own someday. Can it fish 1/4 ounce jigs well?

I have a 2020 Metanium DC. What’s the difference in the spool for the 2023 version? Can I upgrade the 2020 spool with the new one? Thanks!

Hey Eric thanks! How’s the fishing been by you? Hope you’ve been catching some tanks.

Hi everyone, My name is Umair. I've been fishing since I was a kid but got more serious about bass fishing the past 3-4 years. I love fishing local suburban ponds, wading in the fox for smallies, and recently joined a fishing club which I've been enjoying competing in so far! I'm a little bit of a gear junkie but it keeps me busy during the offseason for sure haha. Used to make my own baits but don't have the space to do so anymore at the moment. Will definitely get back to making them again once I get a bigger space. Possibly get into kayak fishing too. Hope I'm not too late this forum. I see that it's been running for around 15 years now so I'm hoping that there's a lot of knowledge and anglers willing to share their experiences or advice on anything. I'm in the Chicagoland suburbs but if anyone wants a fishing buddy, whether it's pond hopping or in a boat, please feel free to reach out! I'm looking for a couple ponds to fish that have more of a rocky bottom kind of similar to Vulcan lakes that I can fish from the shoreline in the suburbs. Want some more practice on dropshots, football jigs, and crankbaits. Anywhere with lots of laydowns and brushpiles would be another spot I'd like to practice at as well. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Looking forward to meeting you guys on here