craww

The Smithwick Rogue has consistently got me more bites over the years than anything else. The original, non super rogue in particular will catch fish on those really tough days with cool temps and bluebird sky’s like nothing else- for me anyway. The super rogue has a massive following as well- it’s a different bait than the suspending rogue….But I haven’t committed to throwing it for whatever reason.

This is a great break down. I’ve always loved the falcon rods I’ve owned. A 6’6” MH original, a lizard dragger bucoo and Cara, and the 7’M Mod spinning rod in the bucoo line. I love throwing smaller cranks like RC 0.5’s and the occasional rebel wee craw and that bucoo spinning rod is just a sweetheart to use. Very light and comfortable, parabolic but fast enough to target cast accurately. I do wish Falcon would make some XF rods. I cast jigs and weighted caffeine Shads alot and everything I’ve ever seen from them has been a bit too slow for my tastes.

It and the X5 are great line. I run 5lb (?) on an ultralight and 15lb on a few general purpose spinning rods and am very happy with both. Holds its color well, casts great, no weird, random management issues or unreasonable abrasion/break offs. It’s just “really good” at anything I’d want a braid to do.

DVT mentioned REM Oil….There was a post on TT years back that cited REM oil has having the lowest viscosity as essentially any oil in a group of a dozen or two oils listed…I’ve found that to be the case, you need to apply it more frequently but if you want a bearing to spin fast with minimal resistance, a tiny drop of rem oil is the best I’ve found. If you want something to protect a firearm long term…not so much lol.

Use them both quite a bit. Defier Armilo is my favorite treble hook line ever. It’s pricey, but it’s also extremely durable for a nylon line. There are trade offs with nylon lines, but extremely good handling and durability don’t usually go hand in hand. It does with Armilo. It’s that good and the fact it lasts so long factors into cost….Advance is decent- one of the most sensitive nylon lines Ived used. I also seem to find way more noticeable knicks and rough spots using advance fishing the same waters as armilo and Yozuri Hybrid. Yes it’s cheaper than armilo, but you’ll be respooling much faster.

I’ve developed a lot of confidence casting/pitching Heavier or weighted Fluke style baits like the Yamamoto D shad into a tree that I think may be holding fish and allowing it to fall to the bottom. In 30+ FOW I’ve reluctantly found a spinning reel is the better tool for the job as you don’t get the pendulum effect pulling the bait away from the cover. I fish it like some guys punch mats. More focused on line-watching the initial descent and then onto the next target.

The Fuego keeps coming up- need to keep in mind it’s a reel that’s made for saltwater applications, as Daiwa illustrates by putting it in their “saltwater spinning reel” category on their US website. There are a TON of folks in specifically in the US market that use it for such, like myself. Line capacity matters in that arena. I absolutely love that my 4000 holds its own inshore fishing, and can also crossover into general fresh water stuff at just 8.6 ounces….with a large arbor that does help with distance. That’s a VERY rare niche that virtually no manufacturer offers.

Theres a difference in my experience. Generally, leader material is more abrasion resistant and stiff, but likely wont behave itself that well as a mainline. Ive had great results with lines marketed as leader, and pretty good results using mainline as a leader. Diameter matters, but I tend to use mainline a lb test or so heavier in the same situation as leader mtl to be safe.

BPS Pro Qualifier Tournament. I have 2. They were a long forgotten special run reel added for a summer flyer I believe...Same reel as the famed Gold Carbonlites everyone loved, but I believe it had brass gears instead of aluminum of the carbonlites. So theyre smoother. Handles light weights pretty well for a doyo dual brake reel. Just a nice, smooth casting, well mannered, ergonomic reel for $69 (+/-) or so about a decade ago.

Lucky craft Sammy 85 in MS American shad. Ive had a couple 50+ bass days on this lure chasing schools of spawning(?) threadfins around a lake.

Mono is the way to go for big, "tossable" treble hook baits that give the fish leverage when they head shake. Braid can and will tear the fishs flesh a little more depending on where the hooks buried. Bigger hole = easier to throw the bait at the end of a super long cast. Will that be something you see every outing? No, but it may cost you a big fish at some point.

There was a 7'3" Heavy XF in the Cabelas arachnid series that was the perfect, absolute perfect long distance heavy fluke/Casting jig rod. Broke mine and still cant suitable replacement 3 yrs later.

Always wanted a Chronarch D7 and when a 101 appeared 3 ir 4 yrs ago I picked it up. I buy left handed reels now. Still use both, and probably still like right better for higher resistance.

I use the x8 for salt water applications where I want to spool alot of line on a reel for cheap. Also been using 10lb for chucking at chain pickeral in my creek next to the house. Its good line and im comfortable recommending it. Dont have a single thing bad to say about it. Its also really cheap with a ton of color options. Just pay attention to diameter.

As said- it needs to be stripped down to the frame and inspected/cleaned/lubed. Every ball bearing has taken on water, much less sediment and such. Theres stories of reels “being fine” and the way shimano cakes on grease to protect certain ones- maybe so to a degree....But the one way clutch in the handle side plate will take on water and the pins rust in a heartbeat.

Just get new ones, theyre cheap. The shimano ones are actually better or as good as most of the ones you can buy elsewhere in real-world fishing... just lube to your specifications. Alot of the brands that have popped up look a WHOLE LOT like the ali baba stuff you can buy in bulk for cheap...Doesnt mean theyre bad- but in my experience some just spin better than others no matter how much you fool with them.

If its raw distance comparing similar diameters, I prefer mono’s extra degree of forgiveness when I really push it to its limits on casting gear. Whether its tension of the braid clinging against itself or dig in Im not 100% aware of- I’ve learned pushing braid as hard as I can over the course of a day is usually more trouble than its worth slinging topwaters max distance.

Tail weighted topwaters that sit almost 90 degrees at rest. First time I threw a sammy 15 years ago I was expecting a fluke type posture & traditional walk the dog uniformity when retrieved... Thankfully, one epic early fall afternoon while wading I happened upon what seemed like every big smallmouth in the river in a shallow boulder patch. Turns out that erratic retrieve that zigs/Zags, rolls under the surface, spits, jumps out the water, etc has been rather effective over the years.

Agreed. The only time i have a problem is when fishing with my kids who have a habit of holding the rod completely straight up (bad things happen then lol). Ive found a short, stiff leader helps solve this problem.

One thing that I think has mislead folks is thinking a sammy is supposed to walk the dog like a spook or are put off by the vertical posture. Dont get too hung up on that or achieving any specific rhythm. The 85 is extremely hard to walk in a textbook fashion. But the beauty is in the erratic way it spits, darts, jumps out the water, rolls/dives, etc. It looks exactly like a baitfish frantically “flitting” (for lack of a better term) on the surface. My best success has been in 2 scenarios: - When little pods of threadfin shad are schooled up and bass are hitting them (again the 85 in MS American shad is a perfect mimic). - Target casting it at specific ambush spots in current like downstream of boulders, little pools below a riffle, etc. The smaller sammies can kindve “work” over a specific spot a tiny bit longer- like halfway between a spook and a popper if that makes sense. Once Ive gotten above the 100 (?) size Ive found a bit that erratic yet subtle magic is missing. They do tend to walk easier in my experience.

Tactical bassin is great, but alot of the nuances Matt rattles can be a bit much in my opinion. Ive thrown them for years and have had some of my most productive days on them. I legitimately got tired of catching bass one day with an 85 in MS American shad. Maybe its anecdotal, but since they’ve changed the packaging around a decade ago Ive yet to replicate the success I once had. I honestly dont know if they’re in fact different. I dont think its the bass in my waters have been smartened up to them. I still throw them, but have gravitated towards larger lures in this style. I never liked the bigger sammys as much as the medium and smaller sizes.

I put 14lb through its paces last summer on the river. I like it, in some ways hard to quantify but I dont love it. I experienced no breakages,or issues..Its got some sensitivity to it...on par or slightly better than yozuri hybrid perhaps.....But the line just seemed to get a bit beat up to the point I felt I needed to change it more frequently. I noticed a few new deformities here & there with minimal rubbing against structure.....It is cheap so respooling doesnt hurt the wallet. For me sunline defier has lasted a full season of river fishing reaction baits on multiple reels and passed w/flying colors. Its expensive, but doesnt get beat up as quickly so perhaps it evens out.

Until they start making RC 0.5’s again, yeah, yeah I do lol.

This is very true. I had a few nice rods that had been sitting around for a few years after losing inserts. Got cabin fever a couple years back and found it was a very easy process to replace a guide...you dont even need speciality equipment. Now you likely wont be laying down thread as aesthetically as a pro. But its easy to get them structurally sound and fishable....Fwiw, permanent marker covers a multitude of sins lol.

Paca craw on a drop shot about 4-5' up from the weight. Cast the weight past horizontally leaving the plastic in the bed.