FryDog62

Anyone have experience with this reel - good, bad or otherwise? It looks light and I’ve had good luck with Revos before but it’s been a few years since I owned one.

Anyone fished this week in the Brainerd area? Going tomorrow (Thurs-Sat). Open to whatever species is most active - smallmouth, largemouth and even walleyes. Any ideas on depth, cover, presentation, etc welcomed.

Drop-shot for LMB, but not so much for SMB.

Actually most waters could. They eat all the other game fish and stunt size of fish. Some of the best eating pike/pickerel are the 20-25 inch variety. This selective harvest helps other fish thrive and actually yields larger pike in the lake over time. I spent a day with guide Billy Rosner who has a YouTube video on how to easily clean the Y bones out of pike. Worth watching. The meat is excellent and helps the lake achieve a more healthy balance.

Kistler 7-3 Heavy Extra Fast for 3/8-3/4 jigs w/trailers.

I use 30 lb braid, and an FG knot tied to a 12lb Yo-Zuri Hybrid leader. I find the YZH more abrasion resistant than mono, and better knot strength than fluoro.

Am planning to put a rod up for sale in the classifieds, but of course will involve shipping costs... so thought I would ask the Minnesota guys first. If not appropriate for this forum Mods, feel free to zap. The rod for sale has been used once, perfect condition, $350 + tax new and is currently sold out on TW. Selling for $250. Specs: Dobyns 744c S/H HP Extreme baitcasting rod. Specs: 7'-4" 1pc. 10-20lb, 1/4-1oz, Heavy Fast Action TECHNIQUES: Buzzbaits / Horny Toads / Jigs / Senkos / Spinnerbaits If interested, send me a PM. Thx

I’ll have to admit, my expectations for this being a sensitive rod were probably a little too high... I have some other higher end rods and wasn’t sure how it would compare. Threw 3/4 and 1 oz Dark Sleepers with it using braid and a fluorocarbon leader. Cast out over a steeper drop off I’ve fished many times. Would bring it back and could tell the second it nudged a weed or pebble and everything else on the entire retrieve. Yes other rods do this, but this was much more pronounced. Good to know what’s down there and if you’re staying in the strike zone. I also like like the extra length at 7’-5” ... it really launches..

Orochi Braillist... oh my

If Wayzata Bait is near enough, see Tim...

Just remember , In Fisherman is based in Minnesota... and as a self-deprecating state placed us just outside the Top 5

Welcome aboard ... and true the others are mostly all walleye oriented. I’ve mentioned various bass species on the other boards and have been labeled as a “green carp” fishermen. I am am what I am, but at least am out of the closet here

I would say no to the St. Croix rods... very heavy rods especially in the tip. Dobyns is better balanced but lacks sensitivity. The suggestion above for the Tatula at $100 is a steal. You get a light weight, strong rod with superior sensitivity. A far superior rod to the others you listed.

As a user of Yamasenkos for years... yes they are still great. However I have switched to two others that I catch as many fish, have a stronger scent, are more durable, and cheaper: •Kalins WAC-O-Worm •Maxscent General I also use the sleeves from Cadman’s Custom Jigs and get twice the life out of the Senkos

Not a pistol grip but a Fenwick Boron, 2 piece, 6’-6” Medium-Light spinning that was my dad’s all-time favorite rod. He caught a million smallies and walleyes on it since the 80’s. Okay maybe 2 million... After he died 2 years ago, on what would have been his 88th birthday, I ceremoniously caught one fish on it on the lake where he was born (literally when his parents were on a fishing trip in 1928) and then I retired it on the wall of my office. Thx for bringing up Boron and a good memory ...

I’ve owned one for 2 years as well. I told Ajay that I wonder why more boat manufacturers don’t make a Deep-V Hull with a bass platform.

Somewhere someone at the top mentioned the Steez SV TW for finesse fishing. Great reel. Don’t know if you’re interested in a left retrieve but it appears I will have a very lightly used one for sale (still in the box). My surgically repaired wrist is not doing well and I need to switch back to a right retrieve. I’d sell for a good price so I can buy another one if you’re interested.

It was my sons Captain America shirt from when he was young and wore a size small (I about needed surgery to get it on/off)!!

Minnesota frog bite has been tough for me this year, but tcbass may be right. The ones I caught have been on Toadrunners with paddle tails like this one caught in the West metro. Not getting even a sniff this year on my usually good pad crashers. Forgive the shirt, it was the 4th of July and I sent the photo to my son because he had to work that day To the OP, this was caught at 11:00am so close to mid-day.

This is blasphemy I know... I love my Orochi 7’-2” Heavy “Perfect Pitch.” Might be my favorite rod. But I also have a Tatula 7’-2” Heavy. Same length, power, color, etc. In fact, they both lay on my front deck and I have picked up the wrong one more than once. I have to be honest, they both function as premium rods and if my eyes were closed, I don’t think I could tell them apart. The Tatula is a great, well-balance, strong and sensitive rod... and half the price of the Orochi. ...I’ll probably get struck by lightning next time I’m out fishing for just saying this..

Whopper Plopper 110 Jitterbug Heddon Crazy Crawler

Dobyns has great balance, but not especially sensitive. I have 3 and would say to also consider Kistler Helium, Daiwa Tatula, and Megabass Orochi. Have not owned a Loomis in a while to have an opinion there. Hope that helps ..

Awesome smallmouth! I hear you on the pike bite-offs. When I throw expensive topwater lures like a Whopper Plopper, I use the 2 inch leaders that Wayzata Bait sells. Doesn’t prevent all bite-offs but the majority of them anyway, and the leaders are small enough not to effect the action of most lures. Looks like you had a great day on the water... good you got out - I’m hearing 2 straight days of rain now ?!?

Well, I made the switch to the biggest bad-alec jig and trailer I could find it worked!

Winner winner. If you ever watched Knot Wars, they made the statement of the leader knot should be just in front of the first guide. In slow motion during the cast you can see that the majority of line slap against the guides is the first one. A knot before the first guide not only slows the cast down a bit, but also stresses the knot more. Especially when using fluorocarbon, the line can get brittle and weaken the knot faster than mono or braid.