bishoptf

Understand, I was unable to get out today, three boats were already out and I didn't realize with the 2 days of really cold weather that we recently had 2/3 of the lake had ice on it. Going to stay warm for the next week or so and will get out next week. I think I am going to try besides the jerkbait, a ned rig, football jig and small swimbait. I have thrown the swimbait some with no takers but think with all the bait in the lake thats probably not a bad thing to throw.

Ah, bummer I know at the time they also had them on the Abu Garcia website, hate when Amazon does that....

Which abu reel deal? If it was the max pro you could also get them off amazon for the same price, just wasn't sure which reel...although the slx dc reel is a nice reel...shimanonis my reel of choice,

Its not, everything I have ordered has comebin new condition, many others have ordered from the and I have never heard anyone say they have had an issue. I agree on the website part but otherwise they ship quick etc...their eBay store has almost a 100% rating and they have been around awhile, but by going direct you avoid the ebay tax. Not associated with them in any way, someone on this thread brought them up and that is how I found them...

Good point I should have mentioned but its whatever they on hand but ya cant beat the prices when they have something your looking for...

Eh you can pick those up from Shelton either on their site for ($105) or fleabay ($119) - https://stores.sheltonsclothing.com/daiwa-tatula-80-baitcasting-reel-6-3-1-left-handed/ It's a legit place that deals in overstock and they have been selling the Tatula 80's for a while now.

Funny, means more coming from you but I was going to post the same thing. Most of the reasons mentioned are based on myths and there are plenty of videos to show that a lot of these reasons stated are no different than mono. I've been using mono and have continued to use mono since most of the reasons stated are not accurate. I've started dabbling again with fluoro but for me the main reason is strength to diameter ratio. Not all but most fluoro are rated higher strength wise per diameter. Allows me to run say a 12lb line but with the diameter equal to 8lb mono etc. Now saying that, in pristine condition it will meet their # rating but it is the same diameter as the smaller mono so any nicks in the line and its rating goes down to what the mono is rated at and the same for mono. But for certain things like moving baits that I would like a smaller diameter line yet stronger line I will use fluoro. The other caveat is that this probably only matters on really clear lakes where a smaller diameter line may be beneficial, any color to the water and not going to matter and I will probably throw mono. Believe it or not and I know most probably don't, a good mono will out perform on most of the items that people have been posting here vs fluoro. Just my opinion...

Yeah, not sure I have any 3/4oz football jigs pretty sure I have 1/2oz but only time all year I have been skunked was like last year when the water temps were 40 and below. I wish I didn't catch anything over 4.5lb last year, I had a couple that I lost that I think would have been more but just haven't been able to really get on them. The other thing I am going to try is a ned, I mean I'd just like to catch something at some point. I get Ned Khde newsletter and folks in Kansas catching anywhere from 20-40 fish an hour...ouch, my catch rate has been zero, lol...Good point I need to try more stuff and quit trying to force things, lake is not that big you think I'd have an easier time figuring things out... I did pick up a suspending deep rattling rogue and and a H20 express jerkbait +1, not sure I would call it a 100 size but it only has 2 hooks but goes to 8ft so something to try when I get to go back out...looks like Monday will be back in the 40's after sundays high of 10, lol...and then rest of next week warming back up in the 50's.

They usually start doing that last week of Dec and first week of Jan...bought a lot of stuff last year really cheap, it is hit and miss but can be very good.

Ive actually tried that too...lol but ive not thrown spoons much not sure in the winter how fast to pull them off the bottom...

I've tried multiple times with a blade bait and have gotten better at working but not a single taker..Here is one of the shad balls that I was poking around and they see, to stay in one area. My range rings are 20ft so as you can see its a lot of bait, lol...thrown mutiple things around them and even snag one (gizzard shad) but never have caught any bass.

Dang I wish I had your luck, where do you find them?

They look like a dang near copy of the rk and the smaller wart...dont get me wrong I like the rk just not the price, lol..

Lots of good information,. appreciate you taking the time write it out. Water temps have hit the 40's and ive been twice without a bite. I do not have FFS so hard for me to know where they really are. I do have electronics though and can find the bait with 360 and the lake has lots of bait but just not having any luck and thought maybe something deeper would help. Ive tried crankbaits some warts and have the r2s dd and others just no takers. Lake has fish I just not sure how to call them up or find them so far... everyone else is crappie fishing, lol. Again thanks for the information, I have a couple of spybaits also just haven't ever caught anything on them but good to know.

Depth varies but my understanding that they tend to want to stay in that 10-14ft range, from what I have read. The bottom varies and deepest part are 30ft but majority is shallow. I would be targeting the 15ft or less range and yeah I understand but nothing else I have been trying has worked and with the shallow Jerkbait they maybe are getting to 5ft. Lots of bait on the screen so fish are moving was just thinking that maybe being a little deeper might be the trick...

I like throwing jerkbaits but besides one day about a month ago I have found that for whatever reason they are not wanting to travel up for the shallow jerkbait. Lake that I am fishing more like a pond, 60 acres is really clear right now, we haven't had a lot of rain and water temps are 40-42 range and with the cold weather that is coming through this weekend it's going to go even lower but hoping that it's not going to freeze up since we have some warmer weather next week. I really thought the other day with the wind it would have been a good day to throw them bit not a single taker, it was clear sunny though. I started thinking that maybe they were just deeper and didn't want to come up all that way to feed so I am thinking that maybe a +2 jerkbait might get down 10ft or so and maybe be the difference. I do have a +1 but for whatever reason kept trying to force the other jerkbait that I have had decent luck on and just kept throwing it. Just thought maybe I would pick up a couple of the +2 and see but was wondering if anyone has had any luck with them, thanks.

Going to chime in since I like crankbaits but also cheap...the rk crawler is a nice crank but spro is proud of it and they are not cheap and lets be honest if your throwing them where the fish live they are going to get hung up, even when you have a retriever....anyway I fish dd warts and the rk but found a dang near duplicate of the rk crawler which is a headhunter fire craw they have a 300 size (wart) and a 400 size (rk crawler)..about half of the rk and you can sometimes find them on sale for even less, I like them just as much and my wallet likes them even better, lol.

Yup that was my original issue, couple of lakes I fish have lots of brush vs rock and exposed hook not going to cut it. I have been told that there are thicker #1 hooks that will work and that is what I am going to try.

You would for sure not like any of my setups...they pretty much are a clash....I think the Veritas would be a good option for matching and is a decent rod...Kind of depends on what his budget is...

Ive tore both of those reels down and they are solid and should serve him well...i wouldn't worry about the color of the rod, at least I never cared about that stuff. If you have an Academy near you the H2O express house rods are decent especially for the price.

Almost all the sales have been underwhelming...is what it is at this point...

Amazon has Abu Garcia Max X reels for $36 and Max Pro for 54, at least for me the Max Pro has an additional $10 off coupon making it $43. Pro is the better reel with 7+1 and the Max X has 4+1. These are actually decent reels and not sure you could beat them at this price point imho.

Yeah understand and this isn't for smallmouth, lakes I fish are largemouth and just worried about breaking/bending hooks.

Thanks, I don't use enough to start making them but thats exactly what I am looking for, just need to find someone making them.

Thats what I am looking for, im in st. Louis can you make me any? Just shoot me a PM if you have the time etc....