Tiller

I am interested in getting the FG2 jacket and bibs and have some questions for anyone who owns them. -How warm are they? Are they ok for 60-70 degree temps? Worried about them being too warm. -On the bibs...does the internal gusset keep you being able to ‘relieve’ yourself without taking the shoulder straps off? Overall how do you like them? Thanks, Joe

My anti-reverse is only working intermittently. As I reel the handle and check it it works about 60% of the time as I go around and it's not in the same spot. I've taken the reel apart and I can't identify any broken components and the spring looks like it's in good condition. Any ideas on what components could be causing the issue? It's a pflueger supreme. It would be cheaper for me to buy a bunch of components then to send it in to get looked at. Thanks! Joe

What thread is that? Color and brand? And did you is color preserver?

The Longville area has exactly what you're looking for. Otherwise I would say Vermilion but that's a bigger lake although it's made up of many smaller bays that are manageable to fish. Joe

The Gambler shaky shad good minnow imitator that I've caught some nice smallmouth on. Joe

You can buy a 7mm shaft coupling off eBay as well for a couple bucks. I purchased a 7mm/8mm coupling and just used an 8mm bolt to connect to my pvc chuck.

I was able to catch a number of very nice fish swimming a hair jig I tied.

I would suggest a Rainshadow Revelation. Won't break the bank for your first build but also a great performing blank in my opinion. Joe

Does anyone know of a good source for painted jig heads for tying hair jigs? I'm looking for black and/or green pumpkin in 1/8-3/8oz range, preferably round head with a good 1/0 or 2/0 hook. I can find quite a few unpainted heads but would like to find a source for some painted heads. I know I can paint them myself but I'd prefer to find a source before exploring that option. Thanks! Joe

I fished a couple northern natural lakes this past weekend and found most of the smallmouth to be suspended off structure and chasing baitfish. I tried a number of things but only hooked one and then got a couple that swam to the bottom as I went over them in a dropshot. Anyone have any successful baits or techniques for targeting these fish? Joe

What's your favorite style of topwater for smallmouth? Poppers, walk-the-dog, prop baits, wake baits, etc.?

I'm going to order some 4.5" robo worms with plans to try them on a drop shot. What style hook and size do you suggest? Thanks Joe

Using the same contract manufacturer doesn't mean that the reels are the same or are of the same quality. Some companies may purchase and use similar or the same components or sub assemblies but others may not. Without understanding the specifications/requirements/design and the contract, saying that they're from the same plant means nothing as far as performance and quality. Many companies use the same contract manufacturers because they specialize in certain manufacturing technologies but the product they produce is not the same.

What do you prefer for a drop shot leader when connecting to a braid main line? I was thinking of trying 8lb Seaguar red label, will that work? Just looking to hear what works for you before I order some line. Joe

I bought 3 different butt caps to try on two new casting rods I'm building and now I can't decide! What do you think or have you had better luck with a particular material for butt caps? Rubberized cork, plastic, or EVA?

If you are missing a guide your rod will bend at a more acute angle between the two adjacent guides putting it at a greater risk of snapping. This is especially true toward the tip of the rod where it is flexing most which it sounds like it is. I would find a local rid builder to repair the rod and in the mean time, if you plan to use the rod, be careful not to high-stick it. I believe the repair should only be $10-$15. Joe

Just finished my first open water rod ( I started with an ice rod early in the winter). This will be my new drop shot/shakey head rod build on a RS Revelation 610MXF. I used Fuji KR concept guides which turned out great and an uplocking Aero reel seat. Built using a homemade wrapper and drier as well. Just order two casting blanks and can't wait to get started on those. Joe

One of my favorite jigs and readily available here in MN. They get through weeds better than any jig I've used and are very affordable at $2.50-2.99 most places. Joe

Im thinking of a new jig rod for my next build. I usually throw 1/2 oz jigs and would like a rod in the 7' - 7'3" range and would like to stay around $100 or less. Any suggestions? Thanks, Joe

I'm planning on building my first spinning rod and am looking for help choosing a blank. It's a little difficult to choose without being able to handle them. I'd like to build a rod for drop shotting but I wouldnt mind if the rod could handle some other finesse tactics as well. I'm looking at either the MHX sj842 or the ds822. Any opinions on these two rods for my application? I plan to use 10lb braid or 6lb mono on this setup and weights from 1/8-1/4oz. I've also heard the MHX blanks run a little heavy compared to their power rating, should I consider a 1 power? Thanks, Joe

I learned on a magnecit brakes only reel about 20 years ago and have never seen this issue with the dozen or more bc reels I've owned which is why I ask the question about this reel. I cast very easy with this reel as I know a hard cast could turn into a disaster quick. After a few tough casts with it on sat. into a light wind I picked up a bps PQ with a buzzbait on it and the bait tumbled through the air but with no overun at all making me start to think that there is something up with this reel. I'll give it another try in the morning to make sure I'm not missing something, otherwise I'm going to pull the trigger on a BB1. Joe

I have a Lews speed spool ($99 model) in 5.4:1 for cranking and I'm having a lot of trouble casting cranks with it. The spool always overruns in the beginning of the cast and although I usually get through it, it kills the distance. I've tried all combinations of the mag brakes and spool tension. I really think it's the lack of centrifugal brakes on this reel that's giving me problems. I've never had this issue with any other reel and I've owned a few with mag brakes only. Anyone else run into this type of issue with mag brakes or this reel? Thanks, Joe

I fish weedlines that average about 12ft and I have many dt10s, 14s and SK series 5 cranks. I just want 1-2 more feet and they'll be getting right where I want them. I can buy a spool of mono for $8 or some red label for $12. I only put on the YZ hybrid because I have lots of it. Joe

I agree, however, I bought the baits I have to cover the range I need and they're running a little shallow. If I can get slightly more depth with changing line then they'll be right we're I need them to be. YZ runs at a higher diameter for its rating so I think if I go down to 10 lb. mono or fluoro I shoul get the extra depth I'm looking for. Thanks for the replies, Joe

I have 12 YZ Hybrid on my cranking rod and I noticed that I am only getting a DT14 down to 11-12ft and a SK series 5 down to 9-10ft. Do you think this is a result of the line diameter? How much more depth would dropping a line size gain me? How about going to fluorocarbon? How much extra depth do you see with fluorocarbon vs mono? Thanks, Joe