Hogsticker

I throw a jerkbait early spring till the dog days of summer begin, then pick it back up come fall time (generally October) . Dog days of summer I don't even reach for one. For someone who doesn't throw them often as general rule of thumb, the warmer it gets the faster you move it. Erratic. Cooler water, pause and cadence need to be played around with. The only jerkbait I've had success with when it's just stupid hot is a Spro Mcstick 95. No twitching, yank and pull, reel like a mad man type of deal. Smallmouth strikes are usually violent, but again to many other more productive baits to reach for imo.

Very sweet indeed. Digging that handle.

Me personally, short answer - No

Rather than trying to find another Senko type bait, use a different style worm all together. Lots of stick baits out there, but I don't think another actual Senko is available. They flat work so why bother is my take. If I'm not using a Senko, I'm using a Jackall Flick shake and would encourage you to try them. Only two worms I even bother with rigged various ways. Neither have been duplicated to perfection and will catch fish when everything else fails.

Just spooled up with some 30. 1st impressions are I find it quite similar to Sufix Performance Braid, only a tighter 8 strand with a slick coating. I tightened the drag and gave it some yanks. It doesn't seem to wanna dig. Definitely stiffer than 832 or Smackdown, not as supple and limp out of the box. I hope it gets better in that regard with some usage. Little bigger diameter than the 30 lb Smackdown I've been running, but I've encountered a few break offs at the knot with 30 lb Smackdown. What I really like about this P Line is it doesn't fray at all when I cut it with my boomerang snips. Smackdown frays just a little, where as Super Slick frayed a ton. I will be ordering a spool of J Braid soon. If I don't like either better than Smackdown I'll just step that up to 40 lb. Just sucks it's 10 dollars more a spool. Just in case anyone is interested/wondering -

Wait, which co poly stretches less than any fluorocarbon? Is that even possible? Every co poly I've ever used stretches way more than the likes of Toray, Shooter, or the like. Even more so than Sniper. Invivx is a whole different story, but across the board I have to disagree.

Paddle tails -

You forgot "repeat".

Rainshadow Revelation spinning rod blanks are like 35 bucks,and something you may actually want to keep when moving on to more expensive blanks.

I tried Co poly on my bfs set up and it was terrible. It was okay for treble hooks, but I don't know how you guys are getting solid hook sets with soft, light rods, and stretchy line on much of anything else.

If actively feeding on top try a small popper. If actively feeding on bottom use a grub as a search bait. I once upon a time went on a guided trip on the John Day. We swam grubs the entire time and caught so many smallies my forearm was sore the next day.

Are these swimbaits pricey? They look fantastic.

Anyone using these. Either the 4 or 8 strand. I've been thoroughly impressed with Seaguar Smackdown but like trying new braids, plus I wouldn't mind saving 10 bucks a spool. I know some folks are convinced Power Pro is the finest braid ever made, but I'm not in that camp. I found 832 a little sticky and didn't care the fraying I encountered with super slick. I'll also order a spool of new Daiwa J braid to test, but my local store carries pretty all P Line. So if you're using it let's here about it.

All if the techniques you mentioned are considered bottom contact with some sort of weight involved with the exception of a wacky rig. I'd go with braid with the only downfall being you won't have the slack line sensitivity fluorocarbon offers with the wacky presentation, and your bait won't sink as quickly which can be good if fishing them in shallow water. I do use Sniper on my dedicated wacky rig, but the stretch drives me bonkers.

I'm not opposed to your thinking as long as you're not going to venture off as you stated. If you have the area you fish dialed in, and plastics are both your thing and primary all that's usable, why not get a combo that will maximize your potential and effort. Just don't skimp on the line you will be using. I can't stress that enough. Another thing I'd recommend is buying a reel where you can purchase an optional drop in shallow spool. When I beat the banks I bring two rods, two reels, and two additional spools to accommodate different techniques.

My old faithful was an original Kistler Helium LTA built on a Shikari blank. I made the mistake of trading it in for an American Rodsmiths Titanium model. Company came and went pretty fast. I think I bought the Kistler in 02, and got rid of it in 09. I'd love to have it back and rebuild it.

I agree, Izorline, P line, and McCoy make good Co polys, but they all have significant stretch compared to both Defier lines. Standard Defier also just handles and casts so well it's crazy. I love it for burning lipless cranks in the 13 lb test. I also use 11 lb test for jerkbaits. I have zero knocks on this line and I can usually find something to rag on.

It fishes more like a typical mono than it does a co poly. It doesn't have that somewhat brittle feel to it that some Co polys do. It's got some stretch so it won't be as sensitive as a quality, low stretch fluorocarbon. With that being said it is the absolute best line I've ever used for treble hook baits. It handles so well it's almost odd, casts like a dream, and doesn't have excessive stretch like Invivx. Price isn't to bad if you back 3 reels. I'm referring to the green Defier, not the Armilo. Whole different animal there.

Yes, they are titanium framed guides. This is Major Crafts top bass rod. They retail between 240 and 280 depending on model. It's a lot of rod for the money. Even factoring in the 50 to 70 bucks you'll pay in shipping for a 1 piece, it's still a lot of rod. Major Crafts build quality is 2nd to none. They have a factory in Vietnam where all rods are assembled. It has also been confirmed at Icast that they are bringing over 2 lines to the US market this year. One is the Corzza, the other I haven't confirmed yet, but I have a suspicion it will be the Speedstyle.

I'm not sure one could classify a medium powered rod as finesse. What are you planning to use it for?

The new Daiwa 105 may be marketed as a finesse reel, but believe me, it's so much more. Fully capable of handling an 1/8 Oz jig or burning a half ounce lipless crank. Of course the appropriate rod and line help. This original question is the exact reason are market hasn't seen finesse oriented casting reels until recently. Companies are under the impression us American anglers want tough as nails, large line capacity reels. The reality is with bass fishing there isn't much you can't do with 90 yards of Line. If people who think the 50 series were versatile, this Usdm Alphas SV will knock your socks off. To me, that's what it's all about, versatility.

Wileyx P17, 60 bucks on that auction site. Get the smoke gray lens for all around fishing conditions.

Love that auto correct function. Tinkle, not tick.

My father in law taught me if you can't catch them, at least you can tick on them. You get the idea.

Hopefully the 105 is also made in Japan. I'm sure it is. Daiwa knew if they brought another Tatula framed reel to the party they might be sending some innocent fisherman to prison! I wonder if the Zillion Tws sales will suffer with the introduction of the 103 with the most versatile spool they have ever made. Talk about a work horse.