FryDog62

In reality, I use my gas motor 10% of the time and 90% TM. I always max it the trolling motor and have never felt like overkill. Two batteries will last you all day where one may not only lack power but tap out prematurely...

4.25 inches long - anyone tried them and if/so what technique? Kind of an “in-between” size... maybe too small for a Neko or Carolina rig, but too big for Ned? Maybe about right for a split-shot rig? Assuming they sink.

Get better!!

Heck I may never come back..!

While fishing under a bridge on southbound 35w my Mepps flew a little high in a crosswind and I caught a 16 wheeler doing about 72 mph...

Do you ever use the Talon and Spot-lock together to keep from spinning around - and is it a pain to work two remotes/buttons?

I don’t know which came first, A-Jay’s ice-out prediction, or my proclamation of 100 days until I fish open water in the spring. Don’t know, but I like the way he thinks! So here’s my annual proclamation that in 100 days I hitch up the boat and head out of state to fish (even if open water, our season in Minnesota is closed until mid-May). However, I did see a recent “Strike King-Fish Hard” episode with a guy from Minnesota that hitched up the boat last February and drove south to Tennessee, Alabama, Texas. That gets a guy thinking!!

Interesting topic, am considering adding Talon(s) myself. I have Panoptix Livescope in the bow, but also have Humminbird Helix in the bow and at the console. I also have an Ultrex with Spot-Lock. But to A-Jay’s point, sometimes holding in shallow water with just Spot-Lock isn’t ideal. You can kick up silt or just the vibration of the prop when I’m sneaking up on spots, skipping under docks, etc. To me, it’s an easy decision for Talon over Power Poles. But the one knock against Talons IMO is they weigh more than the PP, about twice as much. I already have a jack plate so I’m used to some extra weight in the back and have no issues with power or getting up on plane. A-Jay have you noticed any balance/weight issues with 2 Talons in the back? Probably not with your 200 ponies... Another thought I had was adding only one Talon. Less expense and less weight. I get the spinning around in the wind/current issue, but my thought is in those conditions, I put the Talon down but can also hit Spot-Lock in the bow if needed to stay in position. The Ultrex prop shouldn’t spin as much if the rear Talon holds like it should and only engages if the bow drifts (would engage the Ultrex less often I would think given the Talon doing its job?). But then, I would have two buttons to push at times (I know, I sound a bit spoiled to have to hit 2 buttons instead one one - lol).

O-ring or shrink tubing. As far as hookup percentage, best I have had is with a Size 1 (not 1/0) VMC weedless Neko hook. Rarely ever lose a fish and almost always hook them in the roof of the mouth.

There is another video on YouTube that shows holding the line with a Swivel-Eze instead of your teeth. I have also just tied the line to my belt loop instead of my teeth and snip off when done. Holding line in the teeth works until you’re the age when you need bi-focals lol...

Yes, I certainly expect a ban on lead and live bait before plastics... but anticipate more changes ahead... Maybe we can just make Soylent Green lures someday ?

Could be something like the State of California will ban them... then company(s) will come up with biodegradable options that will most likely suck at first. Then other states will jump on the bandwagon which will present a significant revenue opportunity for lure manufacturers to improve/perfect product offerings. The whole process could take years... I’ll say within 3 years California, then another decade as more states change their laws and new/improved products that may work to some degree will roll out. I think more likely with AIS, all live bait (with maybe the exception of worms) will be outlawed in many states in the next couple years... Minnesota being a likely state to start that tide rolling. There, I hopefully crafted this without making it political (but I was very tempted) and getting the thread zapped...

I think the MH and Heavy St. Croix rods are very thick, heavy and as someone above said especially in the tip. Dobyns are not a light weight rods either but much better balanced than St. Croix IMO. Daiwa Tatula, Abu and others are good options around the $100-125 mark. If you decide to spend more, the ALX Toadface is exactly what you are describing for frogs, jigs... Hybrid rod that has a Heavy butt section, MH tip to walk a frog. Very good sensitivity for jigs too.

I haven’t used them for spots but they work for smallmouth and white bass in my area - 3 inch Dark Sleeper in 1/2 or 3/4 oz. Very compact, versatile lure. Can’t go wrong with the Keitechs mentioned above either IMO...

Admittedly I’m clueless on this issue, but how can they legally sell a knockoff?

I used 4-5 in the bag... granted these were 1-2 lb largemouth but yeah they caught a lot! I just checked, my bad they are TRD crawZ not crawbugs!

A split shot rig - EWG Hook and pea-sized split shot + whatever plastic is on sale. Two years ago I got a bag of $2.99 Yum Crawbugs and threw them on a split shot rig in some drainage ponds/ditches in Florida while on vacation and must have caught 100 fish on half a bag of craws...

Personal preference but I would prefer a Fast action rod for jerk baits over an XF. Especially if you use braid I think you keep them pinned better with Fast action. Also, I would even opt for the 6'-8" Medium Fast in the Mojo over the Avid X... because its not only Fast action but its handle is also about an inch shorter. Not a big difference, but when you're snapping the rod down you're less likely to rub against your forearm/side as much.

Depth is the primary determining factor. If you can find fish on your electronics and what depth they are at is key... and if they are bottom-oriented or suspended. If you don’t have electronics, start shallow and move out. If shallow I will throw a Caffeine Shad or Wacky Worm. Post spawn and the fish move out to mid depths, I find the Neko lights out as it gets down much better/faster than a wacky worm. As the fish move deeper throughout the summer I use a dropshot and sometimes Ned if conditions allow to let it sink well enough to desired depths.

Must of caught over 100 fish in that 3 week period - had hoped for just one of those big Florida monster largemouth!

I’ve been a bank-beater for years, but I totally agree there are many times throughout the season the biggest fish are off-shore, outside the weed edge, on a rock pike in deep water, etc. I invested in Livescope to help me ID fish in those areas and then figure out how to put the right lures in front of them. I still love to throw plastics to shore and skip docks, but have a new appreciation for drop-shotting rock piles, or tossing a Neko just outside an active deep weed edge... anything to build confidence in techniques during times when fish are scattered..

I fished Naples this time last January for a couple weeks... Fished ponds, canals, Lake Sugden from shore and also by boat on the lake at the Quarry. Most productive lure by far was a wacky worm, followed by a Whopper Plopper 75. Lots of 1 to 2.5 lb bass. Went with a guide on Okeechobee one day, but a mini cold front came through. Largest was 17 inches/3 lbs.

I'll be the odd-ball here and add that I use Sniper 7 lb as a main line for finesse and a lot of times as a leader tied to braid. I previously used Invizx as a main line, but did a stretch test and found Sniper to stretch a little less which helps on deep water hook-sets. As leader material, either brand would be fine...

Good post... Primary goal over the offseason is to get elbow tendinitis cured! Second goal will be to break 6 lbs in either the smallmouth (current PB is 5 lbs 12 oz) or largemouth (current is 5 lb 15 oz) categories.

I think the Steez SV TW and Phenix Feather 7-1 MLF would work very well for wacky rigging and skipping. The Phenix and Loomis are very similar in terms of power even though they are rated ML and Medium. The primary difference is the taper being fast on the Phenix and XF on the NRX. Actually I think the Phenix may load slightly better with a weightless worm, the same I prefer when trying to get distance when throwing a light Ned rig. Here are my line/hook set ups: NRX/Steez for wacky. VMC Neko hook "weedless" Size 1, not to be confused with 1/0 (best roof-of-the-mouth hooking rig I've ever used - and keeps them pinned!). I use high viz braid with a fluorocarbon leader. Okay, I push the boundaries on the line diameter of braid to use on a bait caster. Most say don't go below 30 lb or you risk "burying" the braid in the spool. Maybe, but for finesse (and better distance skipping weightless) I use 20 lb braid and I've had very little problem with burying. Just make sure you pull out some line and make sure its free and clear after a snag (or hopefully a big fish). I use Sufix 832 high viz 20 lb and any 8 lb flouro leader for just wacky worming. If I'm around dock posts, overhangs, my leader is 8 lb Yo-Zuri Hybrid (thicker than flouro but tough as nails against abrasion, awesome knot holding too). Phenix MLF or MHXF/Alpha for Neko rigging. Size 2 (not 2/0) VMC weedless Neko hook. I use straight fluorocarbon - 10 lb Berkely Vanish TRANSITION Fluorocarbon. Invisible underwater and some color above to detect bites on the way down, which happens a lot. Phenix Feather 7-1 MLF/Alpha for drop-shot: VMC "Spin-shot" Neko hook size 4. Sunline Sniper fluorocarbon 7 lb test. Plan to use this rod/line set up for spy baits this coming year too. Majorcraft Iovino/Alpha for Ned: 20 lb Sufix 832 High-viz + 7 lb Sniper fluorocarbon. Since these rigs are so light and I like to experiment, I may try a "sinking braid" next season to see if it helps keep the lighter Ned rigs down in deeper water: YGK G-Soul SS112 Yellow 20 lb. We'll see... may try this braid on the wacky rig too. Tat Ehrler/Tat SV TW for 5 inch Caffeine Shads - Sunline Sniper 14 pound test with - and this is key - 4/0 Owner Twistlock Light 3/32 oz weighted hook. Swims horizontally on its own, changes direction, dying action unbeatable. Skips even better than wacky worms. #1 fish catcher for me the last 2 years. Any other Q's - feel free to send me a PM. Thx