Steveo-1969

I totally agree with @waymont. Now maybe because of the much smaller hook on the Missile Ike jig we aren't really comparing apples to apples with the Strike King Bitsy Bug jig? But when I'm fishing for river smallmouth in a shallow rocky (snaggy) river the Bitsy Bug has been my go-to jig for years. I have no problem with the hook, I think it's a 2/0 Eagle Claw bronze hook (?). They are usually very sharp out of the package, but also sharpen easily with a hook file. And best of all I can buy them for $1.79 online all day/every day. The Ike jig is $5.99? Holy moly. With as many jigs as I lose I'm easily saving $100 a year and don't feel I'm compromising productivity in any way. YMMV

I have had the Rage Bug outproduce the Rage Craw on a swinghead jig. I buy Strike King plastics more than any other brand but I've had the Keitech Crazy Flapper outproduce both!

This spring I bought the Mojo Bass 6'10" "Dropshot/Finesse" spinning rod and have also been impressed with it for the cost.

I'm an admitted Loomis fanboy and have a GLX spinning rod and 2 NRX casting rods. But the last two rods I purchased were a St. Croix spinning rod (MojoBass SCIII) and a custom casting rod built with a St. Croix SCV blank. I love all 5 rods and wouldn't want to choose just one manufacturer.

Dang it, you are WAY smarter than me Tom! Thanks for the tip, I'm going to remember that next time. (Although knowing my luck I would take the spool off, accidentally drop it in the water, and watch the current take it away!).

When I have to break off I pull straight back. I don't use the rod because I don't want to break it. Sometimes I can pull the obstruction to me. Sometimes I straighten the hook. Sometimes I break off at the lure. Sometimes the whole leader breaks off. When I'm snagged on a big rock or tree trunk with 10# braid, that rock or tree trunk is staying where it is.

This was 10# Sufix Performance Braid.

^^ This. Abrasion resistance, ease of breaking off, and saving expensive braid. Last weekend I was standing in the middle of a river, got snagged, and broke my leader off. Grrrrr.... I didn't feel like tying on a new leader so I tied my bait directly to my braid. Eventually got snagged again and when I pulled to get it out the braid broke at the reel. Great, now I had to get the braid through the guides while standing in waist-deep water. Which I did, then realized I forgot to put the line under the bail first! Pulled it all out and did it again. Took me 15 minutes to get all this done when I could have tied on a new leader in under 5 minutes and been back to fishing. Not to mention I lost 20 yards of braid which was now in the river and that I would snag occasionally.

Holy moly! I believe it though. I think my record is 6 lost jigs in one day, but that's because I'm usually wading and only carry 6 in my small tackle bag.

In my local river from April to October I'm fishing a jig more than any other presentation and I lose them frequently to the rocky snaggy bottom. I buy in bulk during the winter and hope they last. This past winter I bought 25 jigs and I only have 5 left. Uh oh.....

Brown fish!!!!! Welcome to BR.

I use an "over one shoulder" bag for wading like @Scott F. Specifically I use a Plano crappie print fishouflauge bag. It's pretty small (14" x 7" x 6") but holds everything I need. Besides the baits/weights/hooks/jigheads, etc. it also carries sunscreen, fishing license, cell phone, car keys, needle nose pliers, Spike-It dye, a tube of Megastrike, hook sharpener, line cutters, a spool of line for leaders and a can of Smokey Mountain tobacco-free snuff. I use this same bag if I'm shore fishing.

I fish both paddle tails and curly tails and my experience is the complete opposite of the OP @billmac. I have more confidence in paddle tails because I catch more fish with paddle tails because I fish paddle tails more than curly tails... ?

I'll never forget the first time I took my son wading for smallmouth. Good times, good times.

I have 10# braid on a spinning rod and use to attach an 8# FC leader (I tie a double uni knot). When I got snagged and had to break off it would almost always break right at the double uni and I would have to tie a new leader on. I switched from 8# FC to 12# FC and now when I snag and break off the FC breaks at the terminal knot.

Sounds like a beneficial agreement for both companies. Rapala group gets more softbaits and adds quality rods and reels to their hardbaits, softbaits, fishing line, etc. And 13 Fishing gets more help with marketing and distribution of its products.

Being an extreme introvert I find it exhausting to constantly interact with another person/people. So it's more relaxing and enjoyable to fish alone.

I fish soft plastics and jigs exclusively because I'm allergic to treble hooks. Don't laugh, I can produce a doctor's note upon request!

Yup! Fishing with a jig is my favorite because of the "thump" and the hookset. WHOO!! The 893 was the first NRX rod I bought......

This sums it up perfectly for me! And Gravity Falls is one of my favorite shows... ?

I don't fish for catfish but based on the amount of empty chicken liver containers I see strewn all over the banks of the Upper Potomac River I would say the bait of choice around these parts is very obvious. ☹️

To cut braid I use the Rigrap Ceramax Super Cutters. They are scissors with ceramic blades that are designed specifically to cut braided line with no fraying. They work great. Right now they are on sale on DSG website for $5.

I don't use FC for reduced line visibility. I fish a shallow rocky snaggy river and use FC for better abrasion resistance than my braid, and for ease of breaking off when I can't retrieve a snagged lure. In my experience 10# Gamma Edge is more abrasion resistant than 12# Seaguar Abrazx. (Hmmmm, now that I re-read that maybe I should buy a spool of Edge to use as leader material.....)

I've never used Gamma Touch FC but last year I used 10# Gamma Edge FC as a mainline on a baitcasting rod. The diameter of the 10# was .012" which is between Seaguar 12# (.011") and Seaguar 15# (.013"). I liked the Gamma Edge 10#. It handled well on a baitcaster, tied strong knots and it's abrasion resistance was the best of any FC in that diameter I've used. But at $26/100 yard spool it's even more expensive than Seaguar Tatsu and I just couldn't keep buying it. I use braid on my spinning rods and tie on a FC leader, right now I'm using 12# Seaguar Abrazx. It's adequate, but not perfect.

You are correct, the thicker the line the better the abrasion resistance. I have not noticed a huge difference between FC and nylon (mono) lines for abrasion resistance, maybe with the exception of Gamma Edge FC (fantastic but even more expensive than Seaguar Tatsu!!). I fish a shallow rocky river and am currently using 12# Seaguar Abrazx as a leader. Abrasion resistance is ok, but I still have to retie often because of nicks and scuffing.