As I stated in another thread, I had points from a work program that I could use to purchase goods or gift cards. I used them to outfit a new finesse rig. It’s a Shimano Sienna 2500 on a Daiwa Procyon PCYN661MXS rod. I’ve had the reel since early July but just got the rod last week. Spooled up some 8 lb. YZH and was ready for Friday. Except I had issues at work (even though off on a vacation day) and then my brake line failed on the truck. Had to wait until this morning. 
 

Got out at first light. Man, was it dead. Whopper Plopper, spinnerbait, chatterbait, T rig...nothing. Caught one dink on a weightless 5” Senko WR (luckily on the new finesse rig) and that was it. 
 

As the truck was still in the shop until late this morning, I had to use my wife’s SUV to get my Sea Eagle Packfish7 to the pond. I had to deflate it to get it in the SUV and after I was done fishing, I had to open the valves and deflate it for the ride home. 
 

As I was waiting for the boat to deflate, I grabbed the new rig and decided to cast a few times from the bank. As this is on the landscaped side, it’s where all the kids fish, as well as adults who don’t want to walk around to the opposite side where it’s overgrown but has much more structure. First catch was Stick On! I chuckled at that and walk around to the other side of the small tree I was standing under and flipped the watermelon Senko out about two feet. It hit the water, sank and the line went running. I figured bluegill or a dink bass. I flipped the bail, reeled in the slack and the drag started screaming. 
 

The ML Procyon rod bent hard and I knew I had something. It started running for the roots of that small tree that stick out through the bank into the water and I thought I going to lose it there. But I tightened the drag and turned it. I got it close to the bank and remembered that I had already put the net, fish grippers and scale in the SUV. So I grabbed the line and horsed the bass up on the grass and grabbed its lower lip (got some nice bass thumb lol). I ran back and got the scale and weighed it, took some pics and let it go. 21-1/2”. 
 

 

 

Well, I guess I’d say the new finesse rig shined. It caught the only two bass of the trip, and the last one was a nice one! 

Way to break it in!    How are you liking the Procyon?  I bought my brother-in-law one and he gave it to a kid.  It was the nicest rod he had (and nicer than any he has).

 

Talk about bass thumb....you should try pickerel thumb.  I had quit fishing for 23 years.  Without thinking I lipped a pickerel caught on a Smithwick with 3 sets of treble hooks.  They have a tendency to flop a lot more than bass.  Got a treble in my thumb.  No one around to help.  Got the hook out by putting one side of the treble over my rod and pulling.  Finally got the hooks out of the pickerel so I could release it.  My thumb looked like it had been caught in a meat grinder.

 

So......I am not the only one that gets calls (and emails) from work while on vacation...or off sick? 

 

BTW, nice pictures.  Thanks.

So I have two Daiwa Aird X’s (a 6’6” and a 7” casting rods), which I really like. But I much prefer cork grips, and this Procyon has very nice cork grips for that price point. It’s also very balanced and the sensitivity is decent. All-in-all, I like it! 

That is one pretty bass.

They are green bass down here for sure. And most of the ones I’ve caught have beautiful dark green lateral line markings.