Jon G

I really like 12lb Sniper these days for a weightless Texas rigged senko

I use the Sand Diego Jam. I make about 7-8 turns while using 16lb Sniper if that gives you a reference

I think a spook or a buzzbait are the easiest to learn. You say that you see fish hitting small bugs, are you sure they are not panfish?

I spilled chartreuse JJ's all over my hand about three weeks ago. Use a mix of of rubbing alcohol, dawn dish soap, and hand sanitizer. It's not going to come out all at once so you are going to have to spend anywhere from 30 min to an hour getting it out.

I use a 3/8 75% of the time

The only thing I don't use a 7 on is deep cranks. I even fish squarebills on a 7 now lol

3/4+ weights are to much for a 4 power dobyns. Get the 5 power

Save $50 more and get an Avid or Avid X and I bet you will think you are using a different company

The more I tinker with it, it seems to settle a little bit. Hopefully after a few trips it will be just fine I already had done that on my initial cleaning. I'm just going to slime it up a little and see if that can fix it lol. I'm optimistic if all else fails I'm sure DVT can fix it up. I played with it in the yard for an hour a two and I'm pretty impressed. I thought about getting a hawg handle with some cork knobs but I don't know anymore it seems perfect just the way it is lol.

New reel finally came in the mail today, Shimano Metanium MGL XG. Got it in the mail and I cleaned it and flushed the bearings. Really smooth and is an EXCELLENT caster. Only problem is it is pretty noisy, maybe it just needs to be broken in or I may need to send it to DVL. For sure going to pair it with an NRX 893 but I really need to sell some gear before I do because I have a few rods and reels that haven't seen water in 2-3 years She sure does look good with her sister

green pumpkin, brown craw, and black and blue

If you are new to fishing frogs and are having hookup issues try this to get your confidence up

You could possibly find one used. TW has the old (non 2016) model on sale for $190. You can find the Stradic FK for $165-175 on auction sites as well. Shimanos tend to hold their value for a long time if they are super solid built reels, just look at the Curado 200e7. So in all honesty I think it may be a little difficult to find one at that price.

I'd go with the Champion. I'd personally go with a 734 or 735 all depending on the weight you are using.

I was planning on going to the store tomorrow, if they have LTBs on sale I'm really going to be in trouble....

I use the San Diego Jam for every type of line now with absolutely zero complaints.

My tip if you still have not caught a fish on a jig is to slow down. Stick a rage craw on it and drag it until you hit something (stump, rock, ect) and just shake it, like you would a shakey head. I found that usually the slower I fish a jig the more fish I catch

They are pretty good. Don't be afraid to splurge a little more on a top water than you would normally on other baits. It's pretty hard to lose top waters so you could potentially have that bait for life.

Spring: Jig, Bladed Jig, jerkbait, Keitech, Texas Rig, Squarebill Summer: Jig, Bladed Jig, Keitech, Texas Rig, Squarebill Fall: Jig, Bladed Jig, Keitech, Texas Rig, Squarebill, Lipless Winter: lol There's a lot of other baits I use but these are my favorites. Honestly I use the same baits almost year round but just change the speed and location

Jigs and flukes

I use to be a huge Abu fan until the gen 3 Revos. With the Gen 3's (which includes the rocket) don't use the centrifugal brakes just use the magnetic from some reason the centrifugal brakes completely shut down all of the casting difference in the Revos, but the magnetic brakes work just fine.

well I just placed an order at digitaka lol. Now I really need to settle on which rod I want lol

I'm trying to find an HG but no one has any stock it seems like. I think I'm about to get my first XG reel lol

Yeah I was actually considering getting both lol. But I "need" to get a metanium mgl very soon since the jdm prices are on the rise. As of right now I'm definitely more on the nrx side of the fence but the more and more I look into it the megabass becomes more appealing

Well as of the past year I've really moved away from Dobyns and moved into the St. Croix line. Nothing wrong with Dobyns but I just prefer St. Croix. However, I can not seem to find a rod that really replaces a DX 744 for me. My favorite rod as of now is a St. Croix Legend Elite in terms of weight and sensitivity but they don't offer a model in a 7'3-7'4 MH. A MH rod in that length is honestly my favorite rod specs because I use them for everything 3/8-1/2 oz jigs, bladed jigs, texas rigs, keitechs, and a lot more. In my quest to find a rod to replace a DX 744 I've really been stuck on the Orochi XX EMTF or the NRX 893. I've wanting to add a few Orochi XX rods to my line up to fill in some gaps and was thinking of starting with an EMTF but I held the 893 the other day and I really do like it. The 893 would be nice for texas rigs and jigs but I'm not sure how much I'd like it for bladed jigs and some other reaction baits in that nature. That is why I was leaning more on the EMTF for the extra versatility. If anybody has an opinion on which route I should take I would greatly appreciate it.