dolomieu

I really loved my Tatula until I found grooves on the line guide. This pretty much turned me off to the T-wing. I'll probably steer clear until they update the model. That being said, I know lots of people have no signs of grooving.

It’s pretty simple, quite frankly. Use light fluorocarbon (4-6lb will work) and probably a medium-light rod is optimal. Make a long cast, count it down to desired depth (the Spinbait 80 sinks at approximately one foot per second), and reel it in very slowly. It is a technique that takes quite a bit of patience.

I would just go with the roundhead w/ the keeper As I mentioned, the shakey head jigs generally have the larger hook, and I think those are optimal for that presentation, but that doesn't mean you can't hook a fish with a smaller sizes. By the way, I just ran across this Black Friday sale that may interest you if you plan on buying a mold soon: http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001QexI1Y7H ... b3pBD3BA== LurePartsOnline.com 10% Discount AND Free Shipping* PROMO CODE: CYBER14A Min Order $75 - Expires midnight (CST) Dec 1, 2014 - *Cont USA Only

Hey Ben, I grew up on Norris, and still consider it my home lake even though I don't live close anymore. It can be really tough at times, but I still have a soft spot for it. It's good to see a fellow Norris fisherman on here. As for your question, if you're looking for the most versatile mold, I guess I would lean toward the round head with wire keeper. That should cover your tubes, grubs, etc, and it looks like you could use it as a shakey head too, although the hooks are going to be a little smaller than most shakey heads. Just my two cents, but I'm sure you could make any of those work. Good luck, hope Norris treats you well.

Brady? Never heard of her...

I agree with Buzzed Bait, there are better rods for the money. I’ve had a couple Bucoos for five or six years and they have proven to be some of the most durable rods I own, but they are just not as sensitive as other similarly priced rods. I use mine exclusively for presentations that do not require bottom contact, mostly throwing spinnerbaits.

Check out their "Top Sellers" list. It's usually filled with reliable lures that put fish in the boat, and the list tends to change with seasonal patterns.

I'm a biologist

Ok, thanks, that makes sense on the small bodies of water

Ok, are you sure they cited low oxygen levels as the reason for fish kills? Low D.O. in winter months is usually not a problem.

Do you have a link to that info?

I’ve had one of the Carrot Stix Wild rods for several years. I’ve caught one bass over 6 lbs and a few over 5 on it. I’ve always thought it was a nice rod for the money and have thought a few times about trying another, but every time I look into them, I read nothing but hatred for the brand. I’m sure they did have breaking issues, but I’m also sure half the people talking about them are just regurgitating something they heard elsewhere. Maybe I just got lucky and got a good one, but I kind of have a soft spot for that (really) ugly orange rod.

I see lots of minks.

Seriously, Tyler, buy some Mend-it. This is a no-brainer for someone looking to save money. I started using it a couple years ago and it has saved hundreds of soft plastics from my trash can.

A little while back I fished a lake with a lot of standing timber. I caught some nice fish on an A-rig, but ended up losing two of them to some deep trees. Does anyone here fish weedless rigs? Is the best option Texas-rigged lures on weighted swimbait hooks? Does hook-up percentage differ much from using jig heads?

Thanks DVT, but I guess I’m guess I’m little mechanically challenged, because I still don’t understand completely. Why would a tuned reel require less effort than a stock reel that is using fewer brakes?

The purpose of super-tuning a reel is to make the spool spin more freely, correct? Would not just using fewer brakes accomplish the same thing? I guess I can see where it may help with flipping or using very light lures… Maybe I just can’t cast. Do the guys who have this done ever use brakes?

Very helpful, JF, thanks.

I'm exploring spinning rod options to pair with a Pflueger Patriarch. Unfortunately, I've never even held either of the rods I'm trying to decide between. Has anyone around here had experience with both the Perfecta and the Elite Tech SM? I'll be using the rod mostly for shakey head/ grubs/ tubes, etc... Any input is appreciated before I just flip a coin and order one. Thanks

I don't think there is any evidence to support this. Largemouth are gape-limited predators. They will eat whatever they can fit in their mouths.

A couple years ago my brother and I went up to the Adirondacks in search of some smallies. Well, long story short, we ended up throwing frogs and toads of all kinds catching around 50 largemouth up to 4.5 lbs and small pike on spinning gear (6’6” MH rod) and 6# FLOURO. We had two or three breaks in 3 days from pike. We were wishing we had our big sticks with us the whole time, but we were able to get the job done.

Bucket Mouth

Yep. The million different color combinations on lures are simply used to catch fishermen.

First off, the term "turnover" should not be taken literally. The top and bottom layers do not actually switch positions, instead, the layers mix to from a condition were the temperature is uniform throughout the water column. Now, if you're fishing in Alabama, the lake was not mixing. Southern lakes are monomictic (only mix once per year in the fall). Many times in the spring or early summer algal blooms will occur and greatly discolor the water, causing some to think the lake is "turning over." Hope this helps.

Don't overlook the Daiwa Advantage HSTA.