Big Bait Fishing

exactly what i was saying about what side retrieve people use , comes down to what hand you use to work the rod , not if your right handed or left handed ........

X2 , the uni-to-uni is a pretty easy knot to tie and works great , just moisten the lines before you cinch them down

because that rod is not what he was using to throw that bait !! most of the hoopla was about the Rago swimbait and how it "won" the tournament , so by having it tied to a duckett rod , it gives the impression that this was also part of what "won" and that is pure misleading marketing to me . what if he was sponsored by Shimano and was promoting cumaras but was throwing a 8" hudd and was fishing it on a Rogue swimbait rod , but then takes pictures with the bait tied to the cumara , see what i mean . what makes this standout so much is that there was no way to fake it that he wasn't using ducketts rods , they are stark white and Rogue rods are blackish brown !!! oh well , i'm done on the subject ........

then did you notice that in the pictures of him posing with the rods that he had the Rago bait tied on the duckett rod , here it is :

being right or left handed has nothing to do with the reel you use , it has to do with what hand you are acustomed to working the rod with , your other hand will work the reel handle i am right handed , i work the rod with my right hand , i have a left handed retrieving reel .....

some guys that have a right handed reel (handle on right side) pitch with there right right hand and then as the bait is falling have to quickly switch hands to put the rod in their left hand as to be able to put their right hand on the reel handle and engage the reel . you following me so far ?? so these same right handed reelers would often opt for a left-handed reel (handle on the left side) so as when they pitch with their right hand they can have their left hand on the handle as to instantly have control of the reel incase they have to engage it instantly if they get bite right away

the first question everybody should of asked is are you using braid ??? if you are , the problem might be that the braid is slipping on the spool

the line guide has nothing to do with how far you can cast the reel , a lighter or heavier spool will determine that . a lighter spool will give you better start up speed and there for give you better casting distance if you are able to put it to your advantage (quick spool speed at the onset of your cast) . as for the line guide , titanium or ceramic , that just represents how well it will hold up to the lines you are using as it passes through the line guide . those things are both polished good , so i don't see you getting any farther or less distance because of the material , a manufacturer to state that it does is splitting a mighty fine hair :

i have been using the double fluke rig and it does well in shallow areas with grass , almost like a frog bite with big blow ups on it !!! as far as it being a pain to set up , i rig mine by putting two different length leaders to two swivels and putting hooks on both , i keep them in one of my worm binder pages . then when i want to put the rig on i feed the shorter leaders swivel up the main line then then tie on the swivel to the longer leader to the main line , so i end up just tying 1 knot like if i was tying on any other bait !!!! try it like that and it will be very easy for you , make you want to use it more

my vote also for CXX , i also have 6 lb. CXX on my spinning reel , have been switching between 8 lb. and 10 lb. CXX on my baitcaster . i really only use flourocarbon lines in open water for crankbaits . i just can't trust flouro for anything else unless you get into the bigger tests which ain't worth the hassle with line managability and memory issues , same goes for CXX in the bigger tests unless i'm just using either for leaders on braid

if you are gonna go with Dobyns , i would suggest the 805 for a 8' rod or the 766 for a 7'6" rod . both are heavy powered rods with fast actions

if you are gonna change out bearings , you might as well try to find a lighter spool for it , that will get you throwing light lures just as good or better than the core !!

as for power and action , you want a medium powered rod with a moderate fast action , meaning it will flex through the upper third of the rod to keep pressure on the fish with out pulling hooks out . if you think you might be throwing deeper diving baits or heavier baits than 1/2 oz. , i would look into a medium heavy powered rod with the same moderate fast action . as for brands , that is up to your preference , find one that is light and has a good backbone . as for length , i like longer rods for crankbaits and lipless crankbaits . if you are roll casting (side arm/low trajectory casting) you would want a 6'6" rod , if you are throwing in open water , i would choose at least a 7' rod ( i like them 7'6" or longer , i get longer casts and more rod to fight the fish ) . there are many rods out there that are good cranking rods , shop around and handle as many as you can before you buy . good luck and hope you find a good one

the one above your post ;D J/K !!! seriously tho , when you get a hook the size of the one i posted ( Owner over sized worm hook ) they have a decent gap allowing excellent hook penetration , so you get an all around hook out of this one ( longer length , good gap , and very sharp hook ; cutting point hook )

to my thinking , i throw big trout swimbaits , that big bass don't neccesarily think they are a trout ( the lakes i fish that are stocked with trout are 15" and up !!) but key in on them as being shad as they suck them into thier mouths rather than grasp them around the head of the bait . that is why i never "tex-pose" them ( after the hook is run thru the back and the hook point inserted just underneath the skin of the bait) but make sure that the hook tip is not in the bait but laying smooth on the back of the bait .

x2 , pearl colored flukes and the albino colored ones seem to produce better than the natural colors

didn't mean to bash on gamakatsu , i just think that with fishing hollow-bellied paddle tails , you want a stiff , sharp hook with a good sized gap to be able to set the hook quickly thru a big plastic body and not have the hook flex . sorry to "malboroman" , the original poster , didn't mean to turn this into one of our famous "Owner vs Gamakatsu" hook debates ;D . i hope you are catching em good with the baits you got , sounds like you got on a good pattern at your fishing spot . one thing you might also think of getting is some "Mend-it" soft bait glue , it will make those paddle tails last alot longer by being able to repair torn ones so they can be used repeatably . stay away from the super glue types that make the bait crusty and brittle

when summer times comes and the bass are semi-shallow and the grass is up , you have to have one tied on !!! a VERY productive lure . if you want to take it up a notch , try the double fluke rig (check recent past posts on this if your not familar with the rigging ) and you will be blown away

a few people have said 7/0 off set hooks by Owner , but i use the Owner "over sized" worm hooks in 7/0 ( they also have an 11/0) these work VERY good for 9-12 " worms !!! i don't like the off set hooks cause i feel they make the worm spin when i throw them weightless over grass and i want the worm to track straight with no twist , just twitching it giving the worm alot of action and no twisting of the line these are the hooks i'm talking about below

here's one !!!

you get more distance with a baitcaster , with a spinning reel you get line friction from the lip of the spool and line slap on the first guide as when the line is cast , the line comes off in big loops that cause alot more friction . as far as spinning reels being thought of casting farther , i think that stems from being able to cast as hard as you can without fear of backlashing where as with a baitcaster you have to have the reel dialed in precisely or you get over runs .

people like the color white so they can see it better , doesn't really matter the actual bait ...

there was a topic about that lure , consensus was that it was a gimicky kind of lure if i remember correctly , as for me , nah , i wouldn't buy one , looks like it wouldn't be an advantage to having the hook that way and would get fouled up in the line on a cast easier ....

just make sure you handle it first , for me , the Powell's have short handles , the model you are wanting has a 10" handle , way too short for me :-/ but you might like it http://www.***.com/Powell_Max_Casting_Rods/descpage-PCR.html# click on the rod , then look to the right where they show the rods ..........

He wants to improve the Revo S, not downgrade it. X2 , in my opinion the Revo s is twice the reel the citica is ......