Jrob78

chartruese/black back tennessee shad ghost minnow

I don't think you will be disappointed. They are really nice baits and a steal at that price. I would consider them a slow sink swimbait. I like them better than the little Spro 4" baits and the now discontinued Tru Tungsten small swimbaits, especially considering the price.

Awesome report!

I can't say as I've ever seen a ball sinker with a wire screw. If such a thing exists, I would love to see a picture of it. Your best bet might be to contact someone who pours sinkers, they might could rig you up something.

I use one of these Rapala scales also. I am very happy with it.

My mistake. I was thinking of the older TD jerkbaits, not the newer DB Minnow, disregard what I said above. I'm sure the DB Minnow is a good bait (most Daiwa baits are) and it's only $6.99. There are always exceptions to the rule.

The Daiwa DB minnow IS a great little bait! Most of those TD baits are really good. But........I think the db minnow was a $12-$15 bait when it was originally released.

If you want your bait to run more shallow, throw it on mono, the heavier the mono, the shallower the bait will run. If you want to get it deeper, throw it on fluoro, the lighter the fluoro, the deeper your bait will run. If you fish a suspending jerkbait super slow with fluoro, it will actually make your bait sink because the line will drag it down. Choose the right line for the given situation. Also, in general, the heavier you go with your line, the less action the bait will have. For me, 10 lb fluoro is a good all around jerkbait line.

I'm a big fan of the Rattlesnakes, Honchos and Mutants. They make a nice bait with a good scent.

Jerkbaits are a completely different animal than crankbaits. They have to be weighted, balanced and produced properly or they will not suspend with the correct orientation or even suspend at all. In suspending jerkbaits, you really do get what you pay for. It is completely absurd to think that you need to buy 10 baits to get 2 that perform flawlessly. If you want to buy cheap sq bills, you can probably get away with it, don't skimp on the jerkbaits.

Often times a good thorough cleaning and relubing is all that is needed to get stock bearings humming again. I do upgrade a lot of my reel bearings but it isn't always necessary for a noticable performance increase. If you have access to an ultra sonic cleaner, that's the way to go.

ABT makes a slow sink deep crank. I've never used one and don't know much about them but in theory, they would reach whatever depth you wanted them to, within reason.

It really depends on which KVD reels your talking about. BPS sells a KVD signature reel that costs $110, it is a BPS exclusive and probably a piece of junk. BPS, TW and other retailers sell KVD reels that cost $299 and are Quantum's top of the line reel. They are probably great reels, as far as Quantum goes.

You are correct. The TD Pro is an Exceler made exclusively for BPS with some added bearings and a different paint job.

I'm not discounting your experience at all. I have no experience with factory "micro" guide rods but I have been building and fishing micro guides exclusively for about 4 years. My experience is quite different from yours. All I really meant was, you've pitched one micro guide rod for a short period, not in a fishing situation, that's not enough evidence to discount a proven system. Don't give up on them just yet. They aren't the "miracle" some people make them out to be but they do offer some real world advantages in many situations. This is a video Fuji did to illlustrate the benefits of their new K-R Concept guide system. It is really long and there is no sound but the slow motion video of line going through various guide configurations is really cool. It is worth watching, IMO.

I don't think an hour of pitching in your backyard, with 1 rod, is quite enough testing to form a solid blanket opinion on a guide system.

A sharp knife works great for cutting through a stand of braid but what about for getting the knot off the line tie?

X5 on the Boomerang Tool. Most efficient and convenient braid cutter on the market.

He said keep it at or under $10.

It sounds like you put too much finish on the rod. If your coats are too thick it won't level properly and the finished product will look lumpy and uneven.

I like shorter mhf rods for moving, single hook baits. They usually make great spinnerbait, chatterbait, swimjig and buzzbait rods for target casting. I will also use them for large walking baits like the Super Spook. I generally prefer longer rods for fishing soft plastics but that rod should be great for t-rigs and lighter jigs too.

Most rod builders don't do it full time, so there's a good chance they're not going to have fancy websites. If you spent the money to buy a Z, you should spend the money to get a proper rod for it. Do a little research on some of the rod building forums and look at pictures, you can probably get a better idea of who to go with. You can also trust the recommendations that have already been given to you, DVT, Otterrods and ALX all do good work. You can check out Mudhole to get an idea about components. Educate yourself before you spend the money. A good builder will talk to you and answer any questions you may have as well as help you pick out components.

I wouldn't worry too much about the visibility of the braid with crankbaits. You're primarily going for a reaction strike and line color shouldn't make much difference. The main reasons a lot of people don't use braid for cranking is the absolute lack of stretch and because it floats. Even the stiffest fluoro made has considerable stretch compared to braid, the chances of tearing hooks out becomes much greater, according to some. Also, the stretch in the line allows the fish to take the bait deeper before the hook set. Some of this can be counteracted with a glass rod. As far as the floating, this shouldn't be as much of an issue if you're not shooting for maximum depth. You should try it for yourself and come to your own conclusions. Be aware of your lines capabilities and adjust accordingly.

You can use sand paper to sand down your grips but it's going to be near impossible to keep them round. If you can live with that, go for it, it won't hurt anything, other than the roundness of your grips.

I like the XCalibur EEratic Shad, it's a great bait for the money. The H20 baits are also really nice and the price can't be beat. The only thing about their jerkbaits is the only one that suspends is the deep diving model. The 2 shallow jerkbaits are floaters. You might also check out the new Strike King KVD jerkbaits. I haven't used or even bought one yet but they look awesome. The color patterns are outstanding and it comes in 2 sizes.