ElGuapo928

That’s the lesson that they need taught - they are by no means undergunned without that stuff. Skill and confidence will always be there, while a dead battery or something causing electronic interference makes some guys a complete non issue. To me, if anything the kids in the decked out rigs are at a huge disadvantage- they aren’t learning boat control, topography and triangulation, or myriad other skills that would allow them to be thrown in any vessel, on any body of water and be competitive. As any of us who have ever seen an 80’s movie will instinctively know, there is great joy in handing the rich kids’ butts to them.

That’s exactly it - next time I rig one up I’ll grab a picture. The cheapo 50 lb is about as stiff as weedeater string, so it works really good.

I had the 7’3” MH and I liked it. Little lighter than it’s rated, and kind of soggy in the tip would’ve made it great for treble hooks and spinnerbaits. Unfortunately, I bought it with the intention of a dedicated spider jig setup, and it was way too loose feeling. I gave it to my neighbor and he’s still slinging cranks on it.

Same here, work great and cheap enough to keep spares on board.

I winterize my boat by putting an extra sweatshirt in the glovebox. Seriously though, for you who have a real winter, it’s cheap insurance to do it right.

I was told a long time ago to always pull double the rod length of braid off and retie after pulling it out of the locker. Supposedly the vibrations of the boat/travel cause it to get microscopic weak spots where it rubs against guides or the level wind.

Well said.

Certain colorants stiffen the plastisol, others soften it. The stiffness and movement affect the fall rate. Different flakes will affect the movement as well. There’s a local guy here that adds ground glass to his, gives them a different wiggle than just salt.

There’s a lot of different ways to look at it, but at the end of the day, it comes down to what you have the best feel with. Higher end rods are lighter, usually more sensitive and usually better built. I personally carry a mix of higher end stuff, mid range stuff, and stuff that many here would call garbage, but it works for me. I can tangle my $44 BPS flipping rods in the brush the same as I can a $300 Loomis, but $44 is a whole lot less painful to break the tip off of.

High dollar titanium frames do absolutely nothing when it’s hung up in a submerged tree or wedged in a gap between rocks. In 40+ years of throwing spinnerbaits, I have had precisely one stick around long enough to damage a wire beyond repair, and it was/still is a Stan Sloan Aggravator that tangled with the trolling motor (looks good hanging on the “log of shame” with the other broken/mangled stuff). And you are correct, I don’t think I could identify a pike in a police lineup.

My favorite is a 6’6” Gary Yamamoto “Dropshot” with a 2500 Sedona on it. 10lb Sufix braid, 10 ft 8lb fluoro leader. Sadly, it’s getting old and close to retirement with cracking epoxy, and the EVA grips hardened. Second is a 6’10” 13 Fate ML. Currently got a cheap Source X 300 size on it, 10lb Fireline (still deciding whether or not I like it) and 10’ fluoro leader. Hooks, weights and baits all vary, but most common starting point is an 1/8 oz sinker, #1 Gamakatsu hook and a 4” 5150 worm.

There’s really no difference in fluoro lines for visibility. Just go with the thinnest diameter possible for conditions. I recently got turned on to Seaguar Pounce leader, and I’m really liking it. Takes a beating from the rocks and brush, and fairly cheap to keep multiple weights on hand.

Another good point.

I forgot to add, with winter coming it’s a good time to get a couple McCoy V Twins in the lineup.

Being as spinnerbaits have a pretty short lifespan, I try to keep a cap on costs. I’ve become really partial to the Shimano Swagy (3 bucks at TW currently) lately, and the Googan Zinger is remarkably good for a sub-$6 bait. Bass Pro XPS are pretty solid, and don’t rule out the $1.99 Strike Kings from Wally World - when you’re fishing in really nasty brush, your wallet will thank you.

I will cast a few feet behind it with a fluke or a topwater. During the shad spawn and early fall, I keep a spinning rod with a 1/16oz darter head and a 4” green weenie worm on the deck, then give my trolling motor a workout chasing boils.

When I was a kid, one of the boat shows we went to had a row of buckets for kids to pitch a casting plug into, kind of like the old Bozo the Clown Show (which prepared many of our generation to be beer pong champions). They had prizes for each bucket, going up in value. I hit the second to last bucket and got a Cardinal 752 reel.

Also have to ask what color(s) were you throwing? There’s times when a darker/less translucent color like a green pumpkin will present enough silhouette to spook them - especially when the sun is high.

Every one of them has subtle differences on the fall. Even the pre-GSM Senkos are subtly different from the new ones. On occasion, it can make the difference between getting bit and not, especially in clear water. For the record, the closest in action and fall speed that I have found to a straight up, OG Gary Senko is oddly the cheapest - The BPS Stik-O.

I’ve run across several pretty good ones on there, pretty much all of them have some knowledge.

This^^^ Pretty much every auto parts store and hardware store has them. Saves lots of headaches down the road. Some even have a low temp solder in them that melts and flows with a bic lighter, making your connection that much better.

Arizona: John Murray Danny Westfall Floyd Preas Bob Hirsch Greg Hines Dick LaPorte Bobby Garland And a bunch of others I’m forgetting, plus the younger guys out there too.

I always found the wacky senko/stickworm to be feast or famine, and it leaned a lot heavier toward famine. I quit them completely and fish a Cover Scat or Imo Kemushi in the situations where I would have thrown a senko before, with much more consistent results.

My buddy that is a pathological minnow shaker swears that a sharp jerk of the rod tip makes the followers bite. I’ve never gotten into the minnow thing, so I can’t verify.

I’ll check into them! Thanks!!