Swimbaitstud

Possum does great around spawn and post spawn too during the day as well. I fish em thru the pads and eel grass. Here’s so good recent pickups. I do love me a good wake bait

Another good way is curtain rods and just use like 20 gauge wire to hang them. Or paperclips

Stole the words out of my mouth. Smallies will wreck a Deps 250 all day long if you give em a chance. People are only limited by their mind. Had a guy tell me recently he has “swimbait rods” and “tournament rods”. Apparently bass won’t eat a swimbait if it’s during a tournament lol. I’ve been winning tournaments fishing strictly swimbaits for 20 years. Nice bunch of baits, btw. If you like the BGC 9 you gotta try a bullshad 9. I spy a couple pats there that would probably $300+ each as well.

The Dobyns rods CB models are great. I do all my squarebill and mid range cranking on the Kaden 734 and 735 cb models. Those are non glass. You can also get cb model in the fury and maverick. I really love the flex on the kaden and champ cb’s. And unconventionally, I crank with light braid to mono leader myself. I feel like the ultra thin diameter of like 20lb braid paired with the zero stretch get em down good. Then once you hookup the rod does everything

Hard to go wrong with the strike kings for the money. All the way from the squarebills to the 10xd. Two main color will do 85% of your work; shads and craws. In spring fish reds and oranges, and later on browns and greens for craw. For shads, natural shads and chartreuse shads. I think gills, perches and others are more niche colors for certain situations. Like a jig, make sure you’re keeping in contact with bottom regularly. Stop, go, fast, slow is always a great retrieve. The truth is all brand get bit. Get what you like the look of. Confidence goes a long way

I spent my teens and 20s spending around $50-$100 on a rod or reel. Always told myself that expensive gear doesn’t make you a better fisherman. How dumb was I 🤣 In my 20s I got my first Dobyns champion swimbait rod and never looked back. Spent my late 20s and 30s fishing strictly swimbaits on Dobyns champions and Daiwa Lexa 300s. So about $400-$450 per setup. Now, after a couple years back into conventional, I’m realizing I see a huge difference even between a champion and a champion extreme HP. I’ll know as soon as ice melts how much nicer the xstasy is as well. So I’m gonna say around $350 for a rod and $200ish for a reel is a pretty good spot. But I’ll also be trying out a new zillion sv tw this spring, so maybe closer to $350 for a reel as well.

Now did you say Hinkle’s? Lol But yes, baits are all tools. Most people just use the adjustable wrench their whole life instead of taking the time to figure out which tool for which jobs

Then you have done something wrong lol. I’ve caught literally thousands of fish on a Tk. And dozens of fish between 5 and 7lbs on them. My guess is, you haven’t put in the time or haven’t had the right insight on fishing them. My PB smallie came on a Tk at 5-4. My pb 7-9 came on a joker. I’m in Maine. You and I have different opinions on the word, “awful” 🤣 Here’s a few 5-7lbers

Ok so technically it’s a tiny klash. I’ll give you the short version of my rant. If someone lives in the north, likes chasing big fish, and wants to get into swimbaits, the Tk is the best cold water bait there is as far as swimbaits go. HANDS DOWN! Belly weight to suspend and start snapping(“jerking” didn’t sounds quite right here lol). This is the only way I fish a Tk. I have 30 or so and all are weighted. The Tk comes in a few good red colors including Magma and Red Tiger if you can find them. And both slay in spring and fall

Within a few weeks of ice out, it’s easy. Wherever the warmer water is. After that it’s easy, too. Wherever it’s shallow 🤣

As I get older, it seems like I have more to do in preparation for the start of the season haha. Prob cuz I never had a boat before. Still need to address a potentially bad wheel bearing on the trailer, but I feel your pain. We had a record cold winter in Maine. I’m guessing there’s still 15” or more of ice. We have a while still….

I know you’re thinking that’s not a jerkbait. But TRUST ME, it’s a jerkbait.

I’d say currently my most valuable would be a couple Hinkle shads. I sold a handful last year for $550 each. Like someone said, it’s not that some cheaper baits are better, but that they do different things. I’ve caught big fish on Hinkle’s. I’ve caught big fish on swavers. But they do different things. I also agree with what was said on spending money on one swimbait vs a million soft baits. I’ve really only been back into conventional tackle a couple years and I’ve spent more money on jigs, trailers, and plastics than ever before lol.

Absolutely love the tuna’s!

6-0 within a day of ice out

Coulda been a Hinkle…..lol

First Deps 250 I ever bought when they were around $160. Snapped it off like 5th cast. That sucked pretty bad

Over this winter I’ve picked up an 805cb and 806cb and have high expectations to take over all deep cranking duties

This is where you’re going wrong. There is no “may”. You NEED to!

Ya the difference was just unbelievable. The Dobyns cranking rods are graphite but built on very parabolic blanks so you still get the sensitivity. Pair that with a heavy power rod like the 746 and it’s a killer for spinnerbait and chatter. I love it for a magdraft too and some big topwaters! And of course it’s a good cranking rod for medium and deeper cranks, but the handle is a little short imo for the deep stuff

I vote for a Dobyns 5 power cb rod. But they don’t make the KD in a 705 so you’re either thinking of the KD 735 or the xp 705. Either works for what you want!

That makes more sense haha! 40 just feels about right for that bait. Cast well, thin enough where I can fit plenty on a reel, good around heavy cover, doesn’t dig into itself. As far as the mono, I’ve always liked big game. Very abrasion resistant, tough and stretchy. 20lb is great around the rocks and wood I fish a lot of. Slight shock absorption and less visible than the braid. The rod is key! I had been fishing them on a Dobyns 734 xp for a while and noticed many trips I was barely Landing my fish. Hook would fall out in the net or just barely hooked in the lip. Went to a Dobyns 746 cb and they’re sucking it wayyyyyy down. Just throwing it on a 7.3 tatula CT. But that rod is the real deal

You mean these sizes? I just like the heavier ones. They cast better. They stay down better and I like to be able to really get them near bottom around the cover and keep them there. If I’m throwing the in less than 4’ I’ll go to a 3/8-1/2oz

It’s definitely not. I have talked to dozens of guys getting the same thing. It’s the tariff fees and then all the crap they add on for “handling”, “processing”, “thumb with no lube” fees and just throw it all in. Trust me….i used to order about $1,000 a week in tackle from Japan prior to last September. Since then, I made one order and got taxed out the wazoo. If there is a way around it, I sure haven’t found it yet.

Here’s my two silly cents. Up the braid from 30lb to 40lb. I was breaking off my frogs on 40. Went to 50 and solved it. I think often the smaller diameter braid cuts into the leader and eventually cuts through. I also agree on the thoughts of the leader taking all the shock on casts and weakens it. Personally, I’d ditch the flouro and swap to a strong and stretchy mono….IE big game. I throw my bladed jigs(always 9/16-3/4oz) on 40lb braid to about 6’ of 20lb big game. Never had an issue and caught a lot of fish doing it. I also tie an Alberto knot for my leader.