smalljaw67

If you are on a budget and use multiple techniques with one line type then don't use fluorocarbon. Fluorocarbon sinks, so poppers and walking style topwaters aren't going to work the same. There was a pro by the name of Chad Griffin that won an Elite series event on Oneida in '09 using a popper on 20lb fluorocarbon, he did so because he wanted a heavy line but only had fluorocarbon in a line that heavy. The only reason it worked is he was working the popper super fast like a crankbait, he even said had he had to slow it down the fluorocarbon would have just kept pulling the nose under making it useless, other than that one time he only used mono for topwater.

I don't know how the exact bait is weighted but I know that even my less expensive jerkbaits that suspend well will sink or have the action drastically affected when just switching to a more stout hook. Adding another hook would no doubt make it sink uless it is a floating bait which that one isn't. Just to possibly put your mid at ease, all the years I've been throwing jerkbaits to PA, NY, and MD bass for a long time and I can tell that on 3 hook baits your advantage comes from that middle hook getting an outside part of the mouth on keeper size fish, something a tournament angler likes to have. However, the 2 hook baits don't seem to suffer from 1 less set of trebles, if the fish has the front hook it usually has it deeper in the mouth, and when I need to catch them I go to a Pointer 78, it isn't my favorite but that bait only has 2 trebles and my landing percentage is probably better than most of my 3 hook baits.

The Pointer 78 just produces fish all the time!! Don't get me wrong, I like the MB 110 but that is hit or miss in the waters I fish, when they are on it nothing will beat it but when they aren't other baits will do much better. The 78 is one of those baits that even when it isn't the best producing bait it will still catch fish while the MB is either fill the boat or get skunked, at least for me it is.

I use a 2/0 on an insider jig head for 3.5" tubes and it comes out right at the cut for the skirt. For T-rigging I use a 2/0 Laser Sharp Tube hook but that is on a pretty beefy tube. A finesse tube to me is a River Rock Custom standard tube in a 2.5" to 2.75" single dip that I use with an insider jig head with a 1/0 light wire hook, I never T-rig small tubes.

Worth or Sampo, these are the best two on the market bar none. The Spro you have will be better than the Matzuo and I say that based on how poor their QC is when it comes to their hooks.

Get this one http://www.barlowstackle.com/Do-It-Grass-Weedless-Jig-Molds-P262.aspx . I use the Trokar swim jig mold to make more of California style swim jig with a thicker 55 strand skirt and heavier hook. The Poison Tail is a hybrid jig, it uses a 28 to 30 degree hook so it tracks true when swimming it but the head is more of a rocker style so it works great dragging it on the bottom, it is the most versatile jig design I've used. The casting or grass jig is what I call a pure swim jig, it uses a 30 degree hook as well but even in the larger sizes it has a low profile allowing it to come through grass effortlessly. This also has the 2 sizes you want on 1 mold so it should work for you.

When a crankbait has a searching or "hunting" action it means it will randomly move off of its course while reeling. As Baitmaker said, it is hard to tell you what adjustments to make or anything because there are so many different variables to wood cranks that it is almost impossible to pin point without actually feeling the wood. The one thing I can tell you is that the ballast weight is extremely important. This is why a good balsa crank, like the PH Customs or WEC cranks, are so expensive, it is very hard to get the exact same action in each crankbait. Wood density along with other variations can make for some slightly different actions, this is why you hear stories of guys buying 20 baits of the same lure and only 4 or 5 end up being "good" in that it has the little extra something special that makes fish really hit it more than the other baits.

I have a Pflueger Supreme MGX, it is basically the new supreme. When that reel was out they had a regular aluminum body and the MGX which was the magnesium body but they now make just the magnesium body. It is one of the best spinning reels I own, I even got a Patriarch when it was on sale because the Supreme I have has been working so well for the last few years. It doesn't have all the bells ansd whistles but it does a great job and I haven't experienced any issues at all so I have no problems recommending it. Go to Tackle Warehouse and read reviews, most of the bad reviews I see usually end in "save you money and buy a Daiwa" or something of the sort, I don't believe you can get a better reel from any brand at the $100 price point.

Buy 5 pounds as the price is better. There is no difference as it is all pure, clean lead, the only difference is the size. The more you buy the cheaper it gets.

I'm a huge fan of the Yo-Zuri 3DB Prop, it has a single polycarbonate prop on the back that throws more water than you would think. Not only is the commotion good but the sound, the prop on that bait has a different sound and it draws big strikes. I really like the discontinued Heddon Dying Flutter as well but the Yo-Zuri is really good.

The Saavy was WAY overpriced for what it was. Nice looking rod but even at $70 there are better bottom contact rods. As others have said, get the Champion for $100 because even at $70 you'll be disappointed for bottom contact. On that note, you can get a new Veritas at that same price point and that rod is head and shoulders above a Saavy for bottom contact, I never understood how they were selling the Saavy for $150, as I said it looks nice but has the same feel as a 2X4.

Silver Thread AN40 is really good, I always liked that line. The abrasion resistance is good as is the diameter but the main attraction is the handling. AN40 is one of, if not the best handling line on a spinning reel, Mean green is good too but the AN40 handles better and my only experience with the super natural was 1 spool of 8lb line that seemed to break easier than the 2lb line on my trout rod but it may be better by now.

Try a pair with glass lenses on first, as I said before, the optical quality is unbeatable but if you sweat while fishing they will become annoying because the weight, and glass lenses weigh noticeably more than the polycarbonate. The Maui Jims that I had made my nose so sore after a full day fishing that I could wear sunglasses for a week, and Costas frames aren't the same across the lines. Costas have some of the best lenses and optical quality but try them on, the large size in one series is different that the large in another line and it is the same with all their sizes. The guy at Bass Pro Shops told me that Costa uses the same dimensions for each size across all lines and unfortunately a slight variance in shape changes the way they fit, so if you don't have a deal close by to try them on go with a different brand, I wanted so bad to buy a pair of Costas but the only frames that fit me didn't come with the lenses I wanted unless I special order them.

Just like Cadman and Seibert Outdoors, I too buy my lead from Rotometals, I get both pure lead and 3%-5% antimony added to make custom alloys. The price is good and you won't have any problems with it, and it can save you money as I know several people that have ruined their melting pots by using scrap lead and not knowing what was in it.

Get a cheap catfish combo as dsqui has mentioned. You could really use any anything but a spinning set up with mon will be the best bet for a few reasons. Braid is fine but it can dig into itself and please don't take offense to this but, the term "open face" spinning is something I remember being used in the 70s and isn't thrown around too much anymore except by casual anglers that I know that aren't into newer methods or equipment. So that is why I think you make it as simply as it can get, the spin cast would also be good but I think seeing the line to make sure there is no tangle before casting would be the best bet, and as long as the rod can handle the weight of the unit you'll be fine.

When a spinnerbait is leaning to one side it is very seldom caused by the wire form being off. The biggest cause is the blade size is too large for the speed of the retrieve. The easiest way to know is by slowing the bait down, if you slow the bait down and it is upright then you know the blades are too large to go too fast with it. Most spinnerbaits on the shelf are what I call "all purpose" baits, they use a larger blade set to optimize flash and vibration but if you reel them a little faster than a casual cranking speed the torque from the blades will pull the bait to one side. The bottom dweller has thin blades as A-Jay already mentioned, the thin blades don't create as much lift or torque so you can fish them along the bottom without having to slow roll because the bait will not lean or get too high off the bottom because of the reduced torque. If you use a standard 3/4oz or 1oz spinnerbait you'd have to slow roll it to keep it down and from leaning because the blades would create much more torque and lift, the only way to compensate would be to use a size or two smaller blades which would cost you much needed flash when fishing them deep.

I use to have Maui Jim glasses, the optical quality from glass lenses is amazing but they are heavy and you begin to notice that weight when you are in the heat and sweating. The polycarbonate lenses are slightly better in high end glasses but not enough to justify the more than $100 in my opinion. I think Costa Del Mars are one of the best made but you need to go to a place that carries them and try them on, their frame sizes differ between lines, I have a big head, they make 1, yep, 1 frame in an extra large that actually fits comfortably that isn't squeezing my temples to the point of headache and it happens to be a line that only has 2 types of polarized lenses. You can special order but they you have to add an addition $100, just not worth it so keep that in mind, if you need larger frames Costas need to be tried on first. Oakley and Maui Jims are the only other high end ones I have experience with, for fishing I'd say Maui Jims aren't what you want, Oakley glasses are the best bet, their polycarbonate lenses aren't as good as the Costas but their frame sizes and the comfort is a lot better than Costa Del Mar.

Picasso had that mold made, like Munkin said, it is spin cast and not hand poured. If someone for the exact mold it is either a custom that was made to copy it and is a one of a kind or it is a discarded spin cast mold. Most of these companies only have R&D capabilities, they use some type of CAD software and design the head and either use an existing hook or have a special hook made and then they send that information to a bulk manufacturer like cast industries to have them make a spin cast mold and produce the jig in large numbers. There may be a dozen or so know brands that spin casts their own products, but you won't find too many Do-it type molds that are exact replicas of marketed products.

http://www.barlowstackle.com/Do-It-Football-Jig-Moldbrwith-Wire-Keeper-P3029.aspx

I have a few original Vision 110s because I got them when they were hyped as being the best thing since sliced bread. They are a good bait but just like every other bait there are times and places that one bait works better than another. I know some will find it hard to believe but I've had days when a RC STX was getting crushed when I couldn't get a sniff on a 110 in the same color, and I also had days when a 110 was the only jerkbait they would hit. When that Shadow rap is on, a 110 won't get much play, it has happened to me a lot, and why is something we'll never know but I discovered a few things that seems to point to the suspending properties of a lure that make a difference. I found that if the fish aren't willing to chase, the RC ST was better than a 110 and the same thing with the Shadow Rap, if the fish were more lethargic the Shadow Rap seemed to work 100% better than a 110, and the reason is simple, the 110 is a slow riser. Most suspending baits will rise, but the rate they rise is how I gauge them, if a bait rises 1 foot in less than 5 seconds it is a floater, 5 to 8 seconds it is a slow riser and 10 seconds it is a suspender and the 110 is a slow rising bait that does best when fish are willing to move a little further and faster. The 110 is a great bait but a lot of times that Shadow rap is more effective.

I'll give you the same answer as CroakHunter, underspin with a small swimbait trailer. Those were developed for that very purpose and while I haven't set the world on fire catching suspended bass on them in warm water, I have been able to catch a few that normally would have had me going home with a big fat zero for the day so I do consider them to be effective on suspended fish.

It is tough to narrow down a favorite and I enjoy fishing them all. There are 3 baits that generate strikes from big fish more often than others, including buzzbaits. The first two are walking baits, I'd say it is a tie in effectiveness, the Super Spook Jr. and the Yo-Zuri 3DB Pencil! The edge would go to the Super Spook Jr. just because I've only had 2 seasons with the pencil but both of those are wicked effective for calling up the big girls. The 3rd bait is the Yo-Zuri 3DB Prop, I really like the Heddon Dying Flutter and of course the Smithwick Deveils Horse but the 3DB Prop is a different animal. It is similar to the 3DB Pencil in the body design but a little shorter and it has a single rear prop that is plastic, I dismissed it until my buddy got one and was thumping big smallies with it. The plastic or polycarbonate prop is UV treated so it has a light blue tint to it, I don't know if that really does anything, but I can tell you it makes a different sound than any other prop bait and the big fish respond to it and the prism finishes work in gin clear water, that is the one topwater bait I'd take for smallmouth if I could only have one.

The DT series is a reasonably priced balsa crank that is very effective. I have a few DT Thugs along with a good supply of DT-4s, DT-6s, and DT-10s and I also like the DT-Flat 7s and the DT-Fat 3, they all work well. A lot of issues can pop up with balsa cranks because balsa isn't as durable as plastic but they also float higher and faster which is why balsa square bills seem to get through cover better. I have had 2 bills break on me, one was a DT-Fat 3 that I wedged in a log and the other was a DT-6 that I banged into a rock in 47 degree water. I don't consider it bad to have 2 bills break after I've made thousands of casts with all of them, I have about 40 or 50 DT series cranks at my last count so I take that into consideration as well.

If the price is right get one of each but the slow sink will do the job the best. I got one 5 years ago or so and I'll admit I didn't do well with it.....At first. It may be different for you depending on location but in my waters it seems to be really good when the water temp gets to the upper 50s to about 65 or so and then it isn't as effective. I know what you are thinking, most lures at that time work well and that is true but with the magic swimmer the average size went way up over other baits. What I noticed is a slow steady retrieve for a few cranks followed by a pause and 2 jerks, as if fishing a jerkbait, seems to be the best for my waters, and the reason I added the jerks was because that lure draws the fish to it and you'll see a lot of followers but if you just pop it on slack line it will turn sideways and they end up hitting it when that happens. If I'm throwing a spinnerbait or chatterbait and I'm getting a lot of small to average size fish a switch to a hard swimbait like a magic swimmer and it doesn't take long to realize the larger fish like that but you have to give the rod a pop every now and again to trigger the strike. BTW, the discontinued Storm Kickin' Stick and the lipped Swimmin Stick are very good as well but just like the magic swimmer they work best mid Spring and Mid Fall.

The very first outing with the Shadow Rap I had was all it took for me to be on board!!! I got 2 to try, after the first trip I drove to Cabela's and grabbed another 10, moss back shiner and ghost shiner have been the 2 patterns that have been the best but albino shiner has been the winner if the water has a little stain to it.