1 hour ago, WRB said:

Can't find that rod searching the Internet. There is a baitcasting rod that meets your discription except 1/4-1 oz lures, medium heavy fast. Based on the bait casting rod, your s would be rated heavy, definately not medium lite even for off shore use.

Pinnacle is a site sponsor so a few members may be familiar with your rod? 

This is why not having any power rating standards gets frustrating.

I assume the hooks are hanging on splits rings and not direct to the lure hook hangers?

Changing the line to 50 lbs braid or 15 lb Big Game should help get a firmer hook set.

Sharper hooks would also help.

Tom

 

 

My reel will only handle 12 lb of mono and the rod is spin rod not baitcast. Would it be heavy with the line and lure ratings it says. The hooks are on split rings. Look I look at getting a heavy baitcaster combo?

35 minutes ago, BassinFLNY said:

My reel will only handle 12 lb of mono and the rod is spin rod not baitcast. Would it be heavy with the line and lure ratings it says. The hooks are on split rings. Look I look at getting a heavy baitcaster combo?

Bait casting rod/reel is a better choice IMO, you have more control casting, more line options and stronger drags. You can use braid to help over come some limitations or set the drag using a scale 5 lbs, trust it and make make a faster reel set with firmer rod sweep.

Tom

39 minutes ago, WRB said:

Bait casting rod/reel is a better choice IMO, you have more control casting, more line options and stronger drags. You can use braid to help over come some limitations or set the drag using a scale 5 lbs, trust it and make make a faster reel set with firmer rod sweep.

Tom

Well for now is my rod fine until I can afford a new baitcast combo?

My Chug'n Spook came with good hooks. If they won't dig into your fingernail, sharpen them. I use a 6'6" M Lightning Rod with a 7.5:1 Lew's Tournament MB reel and 15 lb mono for big topwaters. I have more expensive rods, but this one feels perfect for this application. The line and rod give enough to keep from yanking hooks out. The reel is fast enough to keep fish headed your way when you get them turned. If the fish wants to jump stick that rod in the water and keep pressure on them.

 

BTW, this is a really good lipless crank combo.

On 10/7/2017 at 7:22 PM, Sword of the Lord said:

One of the things you do is, DO NOT let them jump, if you can help it. Keep your rod tip low and try to keep them down.

Yep.  Fish goes up, rod tip goes down!

 

...it helps if it's already down, but try to stick it in the bottom of the lake if they get airborne.

The rod is probably ok, not great but switch out your trebles with Gamakatsu hooks and use braid.  A medium rod with flouro or mono is too much stretch and you're not pinning them properly.

38 minutes ago, BassinFLNY said:

Well for now is my rod fine until I can afford a new baitcast combo?

Yep, try the reel and hard rod sweep hook set to take up all the slack line, keep the rod upright and keep the rod load, you be OK. You can also try braid.

Tom

Alright looking at budget baitcaster and rod combos, Any suggestions? One that's good for spooks?

 

trying to keep it around 100-130$

50 minutes ago, BassinFLNY said:

Alright looking at budget baitcaster and rod combos, Any suggestions? One that's good for spooks?

 

trying to keep it around 100-130$

Lew's American Hero combo $80 @ Academy 

 

Reel smooth casting, great drag, 7.1:1 gear ratio. 

 

Rod: 7' medium heavy fast or extra fast

If the original poster is going to fish a spinning rod with mono I would suggest light wire hooks on his baits like the bronze Gamakatsu hooks or the new Gamakatsu TWG finnesse treble hooks if you can spend a little but more. As others have suggested do your best to keep them from jumping and keep tension on the line. The good news is your getting bites from big fish, Good look when the next one hits .

You can't keep bigger bass from jumping when they are more than 30' away from you. Lowering the rod tip doesn't change angle or leverage unless the bass is close to you, keeping the line tight by reeling and rod loaded helps to keep control of the bass. By lowering the rod you can put slack in the line and that ends up in hooks being shook out.

Tom

Update: just got back, I had a few explosions on the spook, only one managed to actually hit the hook which I failed to hook. I noticed that when I get a hit with this I tend to just reel, do I have to set the hook hard with this lure?

24 minutes ago, BassinFLNY said:

Update: just got back, I had a few explosions on the spook, only one managed to actually hit the hook which I failed to hook. I noticed that when I get a hit with this I tend to just reel, do I have to set the hook hard with this lure?

I use the same hook set as a crankbait except hesitate to feel the bass weight before reeling and firm rod sweep. Yes, you need to hook set!

Tom

Topwater,,,,

They tend to slap the bait first then turn and strike it. As soon as the topwater action starts watch your line for movement. If it moves do a quick sweep back hook set "quickly".

3 hours ago, bigbill said:

Topwater,,,,

They tend to slap the bait first then turn and strike it. As soon as the topwater action starts watch your line for movement. If it moves do a quick sweep back hook set "quickly".

Okay so when they hit it let it sit and they will come back

3 hours ago, BassinFLNY said:

Okay so when they hit it let it sit and they will come back

I don't agree with the slap concept, bass eat and kill using thier big mouth not thier tail. If a bass misses it's because they either misjudged the speed or turned away at the last second. Dead sticking a top water lure after a miss then a few twitches sometimes may get the bass to strike again. Usually it's better to continue the retreive and make another a little cast passed where the bass missed giving it another shot or follow up with a different lure.

Tom

On 10/20/2017 at 10:51 PM, WRB said:

I don't agree with the slap concept, bass eat and kill using thier big mouth not thier tail. If a bass misses it's because they either misjudged the speed or turned away at the last second. Dead sticking a top water lure after a miss then a few twitches sometimes may get the bass to strike again. Usually it's better to continue the retreive and make another a little cast passed where the bass missed giving it another shot or follow up with a different lure.

Tom

Idea: after missing one should I follow up with a senko or nedrig?

19 minutes ago, BassinFLNY said:

Idea: after missing one should I follow up with a senko or nedrig?

Big bass I would follow up with a full size pearl white Fluke light keel weight hook.

Tom

I found that using a skeet reese crank fiberglass rod helped reduced my lost bass tremendously.  However I do lose them on occasion due to the slow baitcaster i use. 5:1 can burn you when they run at you. I prefer trokar trebles. Losing bass is part of fishing.  Don't point at them and try to prevent slack line.

On 10/20/2017 at 10:51 PM, WRB said:

I don't agree with the slap concept, bass eat and kill using thier big mouth not thier tail. If a bass misses it's because they either misjudged the speed or turned away at the last second. Dead sticking a top water lure after a miss then a few twitches sometimes may get the bass to strike again. Usually it's better to continue the retreive and make another a little cast passed where the bass missed giving it another shot or follow up with a different lure.

Tom

They are territorial and will tail slap when they are annoyed and not feeding.  I've seen it many times in a small retention pond next to my lake that I stock.  Sometimes if you keeping running a bait in the area after a tail slap they will try to eat it just because they've been angered enough.

Bass aren't high enough in the animal kingdom to have emotional tempers, territorial yes.

Tom

21 hours ago, WRB said:

Bass aren't high enough in the animal kingdom to have emotional tempers, territorial yes.

Tom

I have a "pet" 6lb LMB in my retention pond that I can hand feed minnows.  I've seen her attack other fish after several dominant displays like tail slaps and opening her mouth wide to show off her size.

Tight lines.  You get slack and a fish will get rid of a lure no matter how good your rod, reel or tackle.

Alright happened again fish jumped went back down and next thing I knew I was just reeling in the lure. Saw it head shake and it was big. Am I the only one that gets this heavy feeling after losing big fish?

If I remember correctly the OP is using a 4000 series spinning reel, don't know the IPT but it will be over 30".

It's become obvious the tackle can't control the bass or the OP doesn't keep reeling and the rod loaded to control these fish.

Tom