gulfcaptain

I second that. Next question.

TW sales.....20%

Underwater camera....then you can visually see what you're looking at.

Braid on EVERYTHING. Leaders.....Big Game, InvisX, and CXX. Going to try Flouroclear in 6lb though this year on a smaller spinning reel that has a deep spool and doesn't perform braid very well.

That rod A-Jay and I have is a beast, but no longer available. If I ever have to replace it, I'm gonna have to get that Irod blank and have it custom made for the handle length or find another blank similar and have it made. Not a fan of long butt sections.

They don't make the one I use anymore (Quantum Tour Tactical Greg Hackney model 7'11"), but Irod makes one in the Irod II...believe it's the Bub's Punch Rod.

I fish Monkey Butt and Rainbow on my 130's, Monkey Butt and Shad on the 90's......had a perch colored one that did really well too but it had issues and had to return it and they were out of that color so ended up with shad.

Any baitcaster you purchase around $200 is going to handle braid....well most baitcasters will handle braid. The $200 models are normally ligher and nicer though. Pick what you like and spool up.

Look at fishing the Bass Patrol football jigs, they are a smaller jig. Try using the 1/4 oz where you would fish a shakeyhead, and you can swim the 3/8oz as well. Both work well with smaller 2.5 to 3" trailers (I used tiny paca chunks on the 1/4 and 2.5" Trigger X Flappin Craws. 3" Flappin Craws and Paca Chunks on the 3/8 as well as Tiny Paca Craws) May help you get some faith in jig fishing once you start catching fish on them to throw a jig more often. And they do catch big fish as well.

I think he works with the hotdog guy too....10 hotdogs to a pack, 8 buns......lol but it is what it is. Okay I'm done, no more hijaked post. Back to squarebills.

Man, that was a long reply....lol No worries, I read it and looked at the two baits before even replying and it was an observation. Besides, you know we have new people all the time on here that will run with that info, even if it's wrong. Had to put it out there. No bad intentions or jabs. As for my hooks, I was off a bit, a little more then a $1......$1.18 each to be exact less tax of course. Pack of Mustad 1x Strong 2x Short are $6.49 a pack of 11. 2 packs does 11 baits which would average 1.18 a bait. The price per bait does jump a bit when I move to the #2's though to $1.26. LOL, now you have the name to my treble guy.

Spro 30 and 40 rats Gonna hopefully catch a fish on one of my Triple Trout swimbaits I have.....hopefully.

Most of my 1.5's are older, think I've bought 2 in the last couple years. May be a cheap production model Rick Clunn wanted and uses though. His jerkbait had a lot of people upset that the Lucky Strike jerkbait was really similar to the LC Pointer. Maybe they compromised for him on his bait and in that price point.

Yes but not phrased that way. I can't see why the complaint about not paying $13 for a bait? Rick's cheap Lucky Strike Squarebills caught fish and were almost the same price though. Caught many many bass on KVD 1.5's over the years without any issues. So not sure what the quality problem is other then swapping out hooks which runs all of what maybe a dollar? So that KVD with upgraded hooks would be about $6.99. Now if you have to buy a LC for that price as he stated and change the hooks, now you have an $8 bait. Same quality....well then it's an overpriced crankbait if it's equal to a KVD. But I get what you're saying.

What? There is no way LC would sell Strike King Baits under their name nor are the two baits even the same size or weight. If you looked at his Lucky Strike line of baits they are around the same price point. You're idea of them being KVD's sold under LC is just unrealistic and false. But nice try.

There are lots of pro's that fish both. Why not.

Totally agree Tom, have to respect the ocean at all times, well any body of water really. You don't respect her she will show you how disrespectful she can be. Okay, think we have hijacked the op's post enough.

Going there next week. They have a couple Champions I want to look at. Being that I work on the ocean, yes the farthest I'd take a bass boat is the Long Beach harbor (inside the breakwater not outside). Mainly wouldn't leave Newport, Mission Bay, Alamitos Bay, or Huntington Harbor if I was to go bay fishing. Wouldn't take a bassboat any further then that.

X2

Dropshot and smaller swimbaits (3-4"). Possible a-rig as well. Jigs as well and I'd say lipless baits. But all depends on how much rain comes this winter on the West Coast at what stage or how the water looks on where they will be staged or is they will be done spawning or not.

Why is everyone hating on the smaller ones. I have both sizes, and at times they won't eat the 130 but will smash the 90. Agressive fish seem to smash the 130's and work great in spring and fall, summer when it's hot around where I'm at, they don't draw to the 130 like they do the 90. But then they are pressured heavily and the more suttle presentation of the smaller one seems to draw them better.

If you're only using it 4-5 times a year in saltwater, just make sure you take you boat and trailer and give it a good rinse down and bath. Looking at buying one myself and will more then likely fish bays here in S.Cal as well. Rinse it down when I pull it out and head for the carwash on the way home to finish the job.

One of the combos I have although a faster retrieve (6.4) that I use almost all the time for smaller squarebills as well as 3" hammer swimbaits is a 7'M Moderate action Falcon Bucoo Micro ($129.99 retail) and an older BPS Black Carbonlite ($99-129.99 depending on sales) although the new ones are white. Rod comes in at around 3oz and the reel at under 6oz. Figure around 10oz for the rod, reel, and line once its spooled if that and around $250 well inside your budget. If you need a little stiffer rod, then jump to the 7'MH Md Fast same price and around the same weight.

Me with a 10" Forshner Fillet Knife I've had for the last 10+ years and 15yrs cutting fish on the S. Cal sportfishing boats. When your rip through 200-300 different kinds of fish a trip, you get pretty darn quick with a knife, no batteries or cords needed.

You can dropshot small Berkley mice tails and trout worms just like bass fishing. Also the smaller gulp baits work as well. Hooks normally are #6 or #4 mosquito hooks. Works well out here on stocked trout and can also use small tubes ment for panfishing with a piece of trout worm on the hook extending out from the tube. Of course, small inline spinners will work also but dropshotting those trout baits seems to get a lot more fish compared to the inline spinners in my experience and observations.