Kevin22

If it comes with crooked guides you simply call up the place you bought it from and tell them the rod is defective. I've never heard of a company that wouldn't honor a return for a defective rod! Most will even pay the shipping to send it back. If you find a company that won't take the return, then simply call up your CC company or paypal (whichever you used) and open a case through them. As long as you don't send a check or cash in the mail, you are covered- so don't worry!

Yep, thats a smallmouth! They are often over-estimated on weight because they fight so hard. Judging by the mouth size compared to an adult man's thumb, and the length of the fish I would put it right at 2-2.5. Looks to be about 16-17" and pretty skinny. If your 6# largemouth was the same length then that would put this smallie at 23" or so and about 8-9#? Don't think so! Or your 6# largemouth was 16-17" long. Once a smallie his the 4# mark they look totally different, you hear the term "footballs" tossed around but that is exactly what they look like. They are almost as wide as they are long! A 4# smallie is usually right at the 20" mark and would have a mouth almost twice the size of yours. Look at the smallie in my profile picture, look at the mouth size compared to my hand. That fish was 4# 1oz and 20" long.

Whats (in your opinion) the best oil and grease to use on a fishing reel? Sorry if its a trade secret, just ignore me if I'm out of line for asking. I've mostly used hot sauce in the past, but hate the red dye. Lately I have been running some Benelli gun oil that came with a gun I bought. I have to say its been good stuff! I've been using it since last sept and have had nothing but good results, even with ice fishing reels in -0 temps.

I am using seaguar red label (walmart has it for the best price). Maybe just the slightest bit of memory, but not bad at all. I have NO problem feeling my bait move while keeping the 1/8 weight on bottom in 20' of water. Best cheap fluoro out there IMO. I don't use any conditioner on it, but I suppose if you pick up a bottle of line and lure it would be even better.

Absolutely. Melts into a ball which you can pick right off.

I think the point DVT is trying to make is that its very unlikely you will get a good cleaning from daiwas $12 service. Probably just add grease and oil and send it back to you!

That brings up a good point that should be in every lead melting thread. NEVER EVER put ingots made by others, old weights, old jigs, bullets, or tire weights in a pot of melted lead. Always fill your COLD pot with these items, place your pot in an open area and let it melt with nobody near it. I've been guilty of not following my own advice, dropped an egg sinker in my pot and it had water trapped in the sinker somewhere (sat in my lead pile for months), out came a splatter of lead at mach2 and covered my workbench. Luckily I had glasses on.

I don't like braid for drop shot. Don't really have a set reason, I just don't like it. I use 8# seaguar fluoro (6lb dia).

Both. Haven't really noticed a difference to be honest. The leader line seems to be a little more abrasion resistant, but is also much thicker and stiffer. If I want a thick leader I just grab thicker (heavier) line.. Doesn't matter if the line is labeled 17 leader or 20 regular line, if its the same thickness and breaking strength its going to perform similar as a leader.

Just gives off less flash. When the bass are on shiners or shad you want the silver flash, otherwise if you are trying to imitate a bluegill or craw you don't want a bright silver flash. You can buy blades online in many different colors. Or use blade dip to change the color. I use blade dip on a lot of mine but I don't have black, which is why I said to use a black sharpie. The sharpie gives a purpleish black color which goes nicely with a GP jig.

Original chatterbait, with either the split tail trailer that is included or a 4" grub. GP jig with a bright chartreuse grub is a killer for smallies around here. Hit the blade with a black sharpie.

Okay. I agree, you could technically punch with 1/16 in duckweed I suppose. But the point of my post was that with such light of a rig you do not need a punching set-up.. Do you agree? Or do you use a long H Parabolic rod with your 1/4oz senkos? I sure don't when I do that on the river.

I use a lighter, just dont light up your keeper!

Contact lowrance for help, they'll have a list of what you can safely use on your screen. A damp soft cotton cloth (glass cleaning cloth) would be okay, if that doesn't work you need to talk to lowrance. Wayne is right, no spray items in the boat! If you have to use that type of sunscreen, get down low and spray it into your hand then wipe it on. Same with bug spray!

With 3/4oz your are flipping/pitching, not truly punching (you wouldn't be able to punch through anything thick with 3/4).. So don't think that you need a huge XH rod or anything like that. When you get into the 1oz+ range and july slop, THEN you need the technique specific gear. Until then, your normal flipping/pitching gear will work. Remember to not set the hook until you feel the fish swimming with it. They'll try to rip the rod out of your hands when they hit, you have to pause for a couple seconds or you will miss a ton of fish. Its very similar to frog fishing.

For 3/4oz that rod should be plenty. Using ROUGH braided line is key, that way it saws through the vegetation. Flip it in and let it fall to bottom on tight line, lift up once and let it drop to the bottom. Lift up higher and let it fall but not to bottom and pause it, shake it and pause it again. Then lift up until you feel the bottom of the mat and shake it, pause, then reel it in and flip again.

I'd fish that bait for sure! Looks like a gill and a craw in one. Two birds with one stone!

Cold fronts really mess with the fish during spawning times! We hit 52 degrees about a week and a half ago, then a major cold front came and dropped the temps back to 41 (talking river here), water is back to 47-48 now. We are catching pike full of eggs yet, they usually spawn at 36-38. Walleyes and perch are full of eggs as well, haven't caught any post spawn yet. They spawn at 42-46 here. Went to a lake last week, south end was 42 degrees and north end (wind blown) was 55 degrees. The bass are all over the place right now. One day they are shallow and feeding and the next they are in 15' of water hugging brush.

20# for 3/4+. 3/8-1/2 in sparse cover gets 17#. There is a big difference between 17 and 20 IMO.

I use trion 25s and shimano sienna and sedona 1000s for panfish. You don't need a $100 reel for crappie fishing. I make thousands and thousands of casts with my panfish rods each year and I have not had a problem other than the siennas having weak bail springs. I'd suggest the 25 trion for panfish... and either the president or supreme for bass. Size 30 for finesse, 35 if you need bigger line or more capacity.

Senko by far. Its more versatile of a bait. Lunkers TV did a good video on senko rigging the other day!

Interesting. I bet they fight pretty hard being so streamlined! If they are invasive and breed like rabbits, why did you let it go? Wouldn't there be a law against letting it go?

I bought a speed spool off ebay the other day, couldn't pass up the price. The listing said "sluggish" which I think deterred a lot of buyers. Anyways I scored it for a heck of a deal, figuring it was probably either gummed up or just needed bearings replaced. I got it today and he was right, it was sluggish. I had a few minutes over lunch so I took it apart to see what was wrong. Took the side plate off and oil dripped out of the bearing... took the rest of the reel apart and it looked like someone dumped a half a bottle of quantum hotsauce in it through the spool shaft hole. Dried everything out and lubed it properly and it runs just like new. Moral.. LESS IS MORE. One drop of oil and a small amount of grease on moving parts is all you need..

Had that happen to someone at a fishing resort I was at a few years ago. After a big rain his motor would go up then pause for a few seconds and start going back up again. He had a hell of a time getting it back on the trailer, It was the one on the motor so he had to haul the boat to a local shop and get it fixed so he could fish the rest of the week. They gouged him something awful, as you can imagine. Was something like $800 to replace the switch.

No, no hybrids yet! Just whites. We don't usually hit the hybrids until mid summer. Big bait big fish. 1/2oz blades, 7'M rod with 12# fluoro.Let it hit bottom then pop it up 6-8" just so the blade wobbles 3-5 times then let it fall. They'll take the rod out of your hand if you aren't holding tight.