Master Bait'r

That's kind of funny, I like to remove all the red if I can. Something about red on rods and reels I'm not a big fan of. I'm plotting against the red bits on my Ito Ai right now actually- I'd love for them to be green, black or gunmetal. Every time I look down it's like the reel has a hangnail haha

Well you can't exactly think of "memory" in terms of what we experience. Think of a Dog- he may not remember exactly what happened day to day, but they learn patterns and cues such as commands, sounds, times of day etc... You have to simplify the aspects to which you're prescribing "memory" in your own mind and apply that to a relatively very primitive and simple creature. They have no use for specific memories, so instead patterns may be imprinted and "learned from" so to speak. They may not remember what happened, but they may learn over time that the purple worm = bad. We honestly don't know for sure but I would say that as with any animal that has successfully adapted to their environment, experience breeds knowledge in some form or another.

I have an 852c and absolutely love it for weightless mid-sized plastics around cover. Lots of Slug-gos, worms and craws for sure and it does that perfectly. I have it paired with an Alphas Ito Ai and could not be happier. I can't imagine it being anything but awesome for Senkos although I'm not a Senko fan myself.

I've been really getting into very light jigging since the end of last season when I broke through the skunk doldrums with tiny presentations in a big way- when the bite got tough into the fall they still hammered the tiny jigs, tiny t-rigs and stuff like the Ned rigs- the smaller the better it seemed. Anything from 1/16oz - 1/8oz, but tie on a 3/8 jig and nothing... I really like tungsten as it pinches down the profile even further and I can also feel the clicks and ticks of the bottom a little better. Also wire weed guards are my preferred type. So far my favorites have been the Eco Pro Gnat jig, Bitsy bugs, the Keitech mono spin jigs, those Damiki Micros and a smattering of others, but I'm wondering what others are using that is similar that I may be overlooking. I'm pretty dialed with the tiny T-rigs and Neds, but I know there has to be finesse jig companies out there I simply am not aware of that I should be. I should say that my golden weight seems to be 3/32oz... it is just perfect for 99% of that I like to do with them. Thank you in advance for your thoughts and input!

I have to agree with what Catt said. Fish may not be philosophizing down there about the nuances of each presentation and their merits/ detractors but they certainly do learn. Some bass have been alive for the better part of a decade and they did not survive by being unaware of their surroundings, dangers and environment in general. So are they down there on their fishy porches in their little fishy rocking chairs talking about the good old days? No. They are, however, learning and observing and aware of the most basic parameters of danger, risk and reward that your lake has. If they weren't, they would not be there.

Especially from R2S. I'm struggling to think of something they've made that I've been impressed with. I'm sure there is something, but it definitely is not coming to me at the moment. They always seem to come up with weird gimmicky type lures that look cool and don't work all that great.

Patriarchs and supremes are darn light too. I love my Supreme XT from a couple years ago, and the price is killer for what you get back!

Thankfully for JLS a new underfold AK wasn't on that list eh?

More finesse jigs, tungsten heads and teensy plastics on the way. Made the big switch too... and by that I mean changed my shipping address to my shop haha

Honestly if you can find a way they don't work I'd be more surprised than the other way around.

Actually yes. Not buying it was the hardest thing EVER haha

Wasn't a very big fan of the EVA grip models but these new green blanked ones are GORGEOUS. Seriously if they made a ML I'd have it.

OP what you're describing is essentially a rage rig and yes, it is awesome. Pretty much makes any piece of plastic a creature swimbait. Now go try it with a smokin' rooster, just load up on the Ibuprofen first if your elbow hurts already

It would be if I had more money!

Misdirection Poppers all day, man. Yep, landed a 7#er over yonder on a yellow one.

Daiwa Alphas Ito Ai. Still a killer reel after all these years.

Heh... Let's just say "They don't serve my kind".

Really? Lol that's kind of funny. I love the butt, mostly because I fish a lot from a kayak and it tucks easily. Just goes to show though, I guess... It's all personal preference!

Agreed. I don't use backing so it's a non-issue for me. Sunline makes amazing line that's for sure! SX1 and FX2 are both awesome. 7'3" 13 *** Black HXF. A little expensive but holy crap it's amazing. I went through 3 other rods before I got to that one and I couldn't be happier. It's just a joy to fish across the board and incredibly versatile. Soft tip for light baits but incredible backbone on tap and incredibly light. Probably not worth swapping out your stock guides on a smoke, but you wouldn't be that far away if you sold it fwiw.

You might be thinking of the Toray Bawo Braid- Smackdown is nowhere near double the price. Last time I checked FX2 went for ~$20. I got my last spool of Smackdown for $27. As I said before it's pretty ideal for me since I have recoil guides and the FX2 sounds like I'm pulling the fish into the boat with a zipper lol. I love everything about FX2 except for how rough it is, and that's the sole reason for me saying I want it for my frog rod.... And my finesse casting rig which also has recoils. (The 10#/15# is absolutely killer for finesse) But that's just my experience and circumstance. if I has SiC guides, etc. I'd probably just stick with FX2.

Wow so you cast out your entire spool with every toss? Chuck Norris is that you??? It's true that FX2 is noisy... It is very different from PP though. FX2 is insanely tough and still dark green a full season+ later. I personally was not a big fan of PP. Also it's worth mentioning that Smackdown is a whole different animal and also an 8 carrier braid- very quiet and smooth but also very strong. It feels strong like FX1 but smoother. No idea how they do that. My frog rod has recoil guides so the quietness is kind of a big deal to me.

It's true. They have their place for sure but I must admit I have a vendetta against them. I went through a whole bag in an afternoon and said never again... I bought some zinkerz last fall and literally still have a few left in the bag. Definitely a personal preference thing but I do not like "regular" stickbaits strictly for durability's sake. Those baits blow apart when you give them a nasty look and that plastic clogs up the fish's digestive tract often killing them. It's not just a presentation thing, it's a precautionary thing too.

If you're interested, check out that boat's full build thread in the boat forum. I just finished it up last week.

If you're buying a stickbait and it isn't a Z-Man, you're literally throwing your money right out of the boat. Senkos are about as durable as a wet napkin. No idea why people are willing to use something that is so fragile when other options exist. To each his own though I guess. Whatever makes people happy is cool with me.

Electro fishing rig for sure Lol