Leaderboard

Check this guy out! Long nose gar and he was jet black, crazy looking fish.

For me, the hookset sounds like your potential issue. On a long cast, even if you think your line is tight you're going to have some degree of bow in the line, be it from current, wind, line sinking, whatever. A standard swing for the fences jig hookset might not remove enough of that bow to bury that big hook. My football jig hookset is more like a C rig set. Get a bite, crank like crazy until the rod is pointed almost straight at the fish and then sweep set into them and keep cranking like crazy to help get the hook dug in.

The best time to go fishing is anytime ya can go fishing!

No Steve, this isn't your grip!! I love customers that let me experiment on their rods!! I hope I didn't jump the gun by posting this. This thing may end up in my 'Grips I'm not too proud of' drawer before it's all over!

Little Megabass bfs action...

When using jigs with heavy weights (large heads), generally football jigs, you need to reel down on the fish and load up the rod tip and then sweep. This will pull the head of the jig out of the fishes mouth and allow for the hook to penetrate. If you set the hook hard and fast it will effectively blow the fishes mouth open and pull the jig completely out, thus missing the fish. I just dont think the hook was in the fishes mouth very well.

And clean the cork before sealing with Mr clean's magic eraser.

u40 cork sealant. I'm not aware of any place that sells it for local pick up. There's a few father day sales going on that will save you some dough. A little goes a long way /w U40. Just take your time. if you need any filler, go to Home Depot or Lowes and get the Elmers filler in light oak.

Caught these this morning from the bank on a white scum frog. Who says you need a boat!?

Does that include your sensitivity issues?? The fact that you lack any sensitivity seems like an issue.

I was in a similar position 2 years ago. Had to select a premium jig rod and reel. Did a little research and decided on the 873 as the 894 and 895 were not released yet. The 895 even if available at the time, would be too stout for my usages. The 893 I was told would be a touch on the lighter side for 1/2 oz jigs with trailer. Decided on the 873 as it isn't really a true 3 powered rod. It is more of a 4 or 4.5 powered rod. The 3 comes from the CRR rating which would equate to a higher number in the BCR series. This is what I decided on and couldn't be happier. Blue 873CRR with a customized TDZ 100m. Casting distance is phenomenal for jigs and the feel and hook setting power are there.

This is exactly the reason they make light wire football jigs. I like using a standard wire hook which is considered light wire as a lot of guys fish football heads with flipping style hooks and to me, the flipping style hook in a football jig is for fishing in water less than 15' deep. I was taught by a friend that if you are stroking a large football jig or fishing it in mid depth rock flats then heavy line with a stout rod and a good hook are key, but when probing depths greater than 15' you want more feel so the rod is going to be a medium heavy with 12 to 14lb line max and a jig that has a lighter wire hook, this allows the hook to penetrate with less pressure and the lighter line with medium heavy rod will keep you from ripping it from the fish's mouth. What happens with large football head with big hooks is when you swing for a hard hook set, the head of the jig blows the mouth of the fish open and the hook either misses completely or it just gets a little skin, the way to combat that is to reel set but with a heavy hook you may not have enough pressure to get the hook to fully penetrate which will result if the fish spitting the hook. What a lot of manufacturers are doing now is they are using heavy hooks with O'Shaughnessy bends, From what I understand is the bend in the hook shank is supposed to force the hook point up to the roof of the mouth and the bend on the hook point is supposed to make it hard for the fish to throw so have this set up allows the braid guys to still set the hook without worry of bending out the hook and still getting it in the mouth without pulling it free. You also have a good number of jigs on the market which use the thinner hooks, it is amazing at how complicated fishing a football jig has become!!

My favorite is the accent hi - rider double buzz b2 buzzbait, it has floats below the blades which enable an even slower retrieve. Plus it comes in all sizes from 1/8 ounce to 1/2 ounce. The slowest buzzbait on the market.

The XX rods are flat out awesome and compare very well sensitivity wise to my St Croix Legend Xtreme rods. X2 on what Kickerfish1 said about contacting Gary at the Tackle Trap for help, he will absolutely steer you in the correct direction. That said here's my two cents, for the weight jigs you primarily throw, and especially if you throw them into any cover they will recommend the Perfect Pitch. I've not handled it but talked to Gary about it quite a bit. I e been told it is very well balanced and has the most traditionally fast taper of any of the XX lineup and is the best dedicated jig rod in the lineup. I've read and heard that the EMTF isn't ideally suited for fishing jigs over 1/2 oz but Kickerfish has experience with that rod and has weighed in so I'd consider his feedback. The Xheavy Jig and Work also seems to meet your specs, but I've been told the Perfect Pitch does all the same things, some better, and is more balanced. I have the Diablo and so far love it. I think it is and will be one of my favorite rods. I got to be more of a dedicated jig and worm rod for lighter jigs/trigs in moderate cover. Gary helped me confirm it would work well for my needs and it's still versatile enough to do all the things Kickerfish listed for the EMTF and even throw lipless and squarebills in a pinch. Unfortunately I haven't had a ton of on water time with because my we just had a baby and I'm not fishing much. Some have said its just a touch not moderate then the EMTF. Some have said its taper is more like the Spinnerbait Special but having both I totally disagree, the SS is def in more moderate, has a softer tip and a bit less power in my hands. I'm not sure if the Diablo would handle the 3/4 oz jigs too well, for that weight I'd definitely pick up my Tour Versatile. The TV is another 7' rod you may want to consider that has the power to meet your needs. I use it for Carolina rigs, frogs, heavier trigs/jigs, and heavier cover fishing with success. I love my XX rods and I'm sure one of them will suit your needs if you want to try them. The build quality and finish are too notch and as good as they come. You may want to ask Gary about and look into the Jackson Rods Super Trickster series, The Tackle Trap is the first US distributor if these JDM rods and. I've read some great things about them. I believe they have a couple 7' or 6'10" rods that may suit your needs. Good luck and let us know what you end up with and how you like it. Oh and fair warning...you can't own just 1 Megabass rod.

Some may prefer short rods, but my recommendation for froggers is minimum: 7ft MH, 7 speed ratio reels, and 40 lb braid. Ideal, in heavy cover: 7'3" 7 speed ratio reel (hawgtech handle) and 50lb braid. This kind of setup is a tank.

The poultry industry was hit hard with the bird flu this spring. That is the reason why you are seeing the jump.

My story with these 2 rods is: Owned a 7' MH Ghost, thought it was ok. Wasn't thrilled with the guides and the quality control can be really hit or miss it seems. Felt light, fairly sensitive, but just seemed poorly made and felt a little cheap to me. Sold it and a month later got a 7'MH Micro Magic Pro which is a much better rod and worth the price increase. I bought a Fury 735 a little over a week ago. Feels very well constructed, doesn't look or feel cheap at all, feels pretty light and is more sensitive than I thought it would be. It fished great and I can seem them selling very well once people get them in hand. For me it's a no brainer to go with the Fury or wait until the new *** Black comes out and compare it to that. Hope this helps.

My philosophy is this; I'm always pleasant and polite with people as long as they are the same with me. Even if I'm a paying customer in a restaurant, that doesn't make me any better of a person than my waiter/waitress. Just the same as a customer coming into my job doesn't make them any better than me. Everybody has bad days and you don't know what someone's situation may be. If people are pleasant, then being pleasant and polite back will get you further and make life more enjoyable for everyone. People who are unpleasant for no reason usually have an issue with themselves, not the person in front of them. Pretty simple concept if you ask me.

Chinese?

Out at one of my local haunts tonight dragging a Booyah Pad Crasher through the slop. Twitch, twitch...slow retrieve....stop...twitch...when I heard the unmistakable "toilet flush" of a HUGE bass suck it down. I played it perfectly. Gave it a 2 count and tried to break her neck. SOLID hookup. Was throwing my Pro Qualifier with the drag turned all the way up to 10. She started swimming away from me like it wasn't even there. I kept the pressure on her when she suddenly about faced and came straight at me. It caught me off off guard for a second and as soon as she felt that slack she came straight up out of the water. She was beautiful and would have beaten my PB (9.3) by at least a lb...maybe 2. She got completely out of the water.....and spit the hook. ...and somewhere....the Gods laughed. I'm coming for you ol' girl. I know you're in there now. You will be mine..(for a minute or 2 until I put you back!) That's my tale of woe. Let's hear yours

I got out for a good evening fish last night and can finally say that I made progress catching bass on a jig. I decided to fish a jig and ONLY a jig and I can truly say that if you don't have confidence in a lure, that's the way to gain confidence. I will admit that I had a t-rigged rage craw tied on as well for the times when confidence got really low and I needed a break. It was already a hard day of fishing because of a cold front that moved in and dropped temps a good 10-15 degrees while the wind picked up to 15-20 mph gusts but I managed to catch two bass on the jig. The first was on a 3/8 oz. black and blue Siebert Outdoors dredge arky head/Rage Chunk combo that I skipped under a dock. A lil dink decided that he had high hopes so he slammed it as hard as a lil dink could. That was after a good hour and a half of no action whatsoever! The second one is a rather depressing story. I threw the same jig combo right up next to a thick lay down and right away a toad of a bass slammed it. At the time, I didn't really know how big he was because he was swimming towards me. I got him to the boat and instead of reaching down to grab him by the lip, I tried to flip him into the boat. I finally got to see how big he was when I got him about 3 inches outta the water and he was a TOAD!! It was at that exact moment that he fought one last time and the line snapped. Not only did he get away but he got away with my jig in his mouth. I definitely wasn't happy about losing the jig but I felt really bad about the fish having to live with a big ol jig hanging out of his mouth. Hopefully someone else catches him soon and is rewarded with a free jig and relieves the fish of having to live with my mistake.

Finally a fish worth pulling the camera out for. On my local Maryland reservoir yesterday after work. Of late I've been doing alright with the 15" to 17" largemouth but the better fish have been eluding me. This one went five pounds on the nose. 3/8th ounce football jig with a baby paca craw, I tie the skirt with round rubber. I was working along the 18 foot deep contour line. Made a long cast, let the jig hit the bottom, then just let it sit still for 30 seconds. Did not feel the tap, just saw the line start to move. The water is extremely clear in this reservoir and the place gets a lot of fishing pressure. Frequently the best retrieve is no retrieve at all. A bass hunting along the contour will see the jig and craw just fine. Excessive movement seems to deter the older fish.

I've got a XX EMTF, it's my 3/8 and 1/2 jig rod. I use a different rod for 5/8 and up, but it could probably handle it as long as you stick with 3/4 and under. This is for open/deep water jig fishing, which I do a lot of. Having said that, you could probably do anything with this rod, its extremely versatile....Cork and reel seat are high quality and comfortable and it balances perfectly with any reel I've put on it. It loads great for long casts. It is very sensitive and the backbone is solid...It has that 'connected' feel when setting the hook, even on long casts in 15-20 feet of water. I don't have any Dobyns to compare to, but I have Legend Elites and Legend Tournaments and the XX is better than both of those series. Nearly all of my rods are Legend series St Croixs, but after getting this XX I don't think I'll be buying anything else moving forward. I just can't decide which model is my next addition, the DSR, Jerkbait, and Perfect Pitch are all calling my name .

These aren't rep samples... brand new!!!

Dobyns 705CB Glass Fast I use it for squarebills and mid divers but have used it for everything you have mentioned. If you haven't done any research on the rod, it has a graphite butt section and top half is glass. It fishes like a traditional fast action rod until you have a fish loaded up. Then it acts as a glass rod. I don't know what the second post in this thread is talking about, it has plenty of power to set the hook. I use upgraded thick EWG trebles on a lot of my square bills and they are always pinned. I would only recommend the graphite if you were ripping grass. The glass can do it, but it can become a chore unless you use braid.

Man, the EMTF is a rod that should handle all of that well. The cork is average but in 2 years The rod hasn't pitted on me after sealing it with U40. My jig fishing weight classes are the same as yours when you include trailer weight. What can the EMTF do? Chatterbaits Spinnerbaits Small paddle tail swimbaits Rage rigs Weightless plastics Texas rigs Bottom jigs like brush or football Swim jigs Maybe KSchultz will see this and reply. He has a good knowledge of these rods and has a few. I talked to Gary at the Tackletrap before pulling the trigger. This was the model he noted as one of the best jig rods and feel rods in the lineup. I have thought about getting a second because of the rods uses.

Hahaha well yeah, I've heard of them but unfortunately I don't have Donald Trump money for em!

The top 3 is really close but out of those it sets up best for A-Mart

7'3"H-7'6"H with 50-65lb braid is what i'd use

Everything is going up...well not everything, my paycheck has been stable for 3 years...So I have that going for me!

Maybe the bait monkey is really Glenn, or maybe RW, or J francho. You think he could be one of the mods?...lol. Hootie

Oh I see. So it's for entertainment purposes. La tee da

Mount the piano hinge to the adjoining face it's hitting rather than the subfloor.

Up in south Atlanta the bass bites been off, caught lots of crappie though at about 8 pm

i'm in middle GA but it's about the same deal here.... hot is an understatement. I'm contemplating some night fishing this weekend myself. It's just so hot and pretty busy with the pleasure boaters as of late... either way i doubt you'll see me fishing between noon and about 4 pm as I just don't care to do much of anything in the triple digit degrees

Thanks for all the replies. I guess I'll just play around with different weights and see what works for any given situation. When I tried last week I would aim for the little 12" or less 'holes' in the pads to get it through. But there are so many stems, leaves, etc in there that didn't always work. Matt

Our Thursday night tournament was won with a Ned rig last night on a lake where power fishing usually dominates. Poke fun if you like, but they were the ones laughing when they walked away with everyones money.

I feel like the bait monkey is going to take you back to Siebert's soon..... good work! nothing beats a hard jig bite

I had a bruiser give me two chances tonight on the frog, missed em both. Well, first crash he missed it and second shot I got too excited, set too fast, and just scared him real good. I know where he is though. I will give him a couple days to forget LOL!

Every lure mentioned here sounds different then its competition. The size and profiles are different. For instance the LV500 is 3/4oz and is the same size as a half ounce rattle trap. Which one do you think is better in the grass? If people payed less attention to the price or where its made and more attention to the characteristics of the bait, they would catch more fish. Another fun fact... not all lipless baits rest upright on the bottom. It is about choosing the right tool for the job.

Your request is too costly for the average guy. Even if you wanted to make hooks, you have to buy the correct temper wire, then you have to have a machine to make the hook eye, then bend of the hook and then put on the point. You have to have a way to sharpen the point next. Now you have to harden the steel to the correct temper, so it's not too hard for it to break, and not too soft so it opens up. Finally you have to then get them plated so the steel won't rust. Hardening is a process, that you would have to establish, on where you want your hook to be. This is not practical for the average person, sorry to say. If you are looking for a custom hook, you can call one of the big hook companies to make you a run of 10K. They will have all the answers for all of your questions.

I use my 8.0:1 super duty for pitching, flipping and frogs, I love it and helps me be more efficient pitching with the high gear ratio. I also love my bb1-pro for bombing casts, but my tournament pro's are my favorite out of all of them, I wish Lews made the tp in a 8.0:1 and I would be all over it. I use all 7.1 except for my super duty

I apologize upfront. But that looks like the most "jump straight out of the pages of LL Bean" setup that I have ever seen.

Biggest of the year so far.

My home is well defended...but when out and about fishing on the bank sometimes I feel a bit less secure. I don't know, I'm probably over-thinking this and worrying too much...but I love fishing alone at night and lets face it there are some evil people in this world. I fear humans much more than any snake or rock that I might slip on.

Got some fishing in this past weekend and had a friend capture a pic for me on the water of my 2015 Hobie Outback with the Power-Pole Micro installed.

I love my seaeagle and use it for all the local ponds ....

Did you run it right before you put the motor down and get 68? How does the prop look? I would doubt the effectiveness of your shop if you disconnect items instead of fix them. If the sensor is anything like a cars sensor then it reads exhaust gas and makes adjustments to the fuel system for running. I would start at replacing that first