poisonokie

I always think parasites like leeches when I see that

Since you can't to to bps, go to dicks and see what they have. I'd stay away from any wm tackle. Ugly sticks might be hard to break, but that doesn't make them good rods. I think you're good to go with what you have, though. Like I said, look at some smaller reels. You're in better shape than most of the guys I see trout fishing out there.

Oh, I gotcha. Okay, I use an UL bps micro lite 6'6" for trout and it's pretty awesome. It'll launch an eighth ounce lure. I'm sure your Okuma is similar if not better for that. You might consider a 1500 or smaller reel, though. I use a 500 size Daiwa Laguna with mine. The while setup weighs less than half a pound.

its best to do what you did and see for yourself what they look like in the water you're fishing. Crawfish can be very area specific. For instance, my honey hole has big black and blue 'dads with orange tipped pincers and I've never seen them anywhere else. Here is a pic of a detached pincer next to a 4" worm, and one being eaten by a crayfish snake.

1: Zara Spook in baby bass 2: Rebel Big Craw in Stream Crawfish 3: DB Structure Jig with Rage craw trailer, both in falcon lake craw.

also, I use very thin 10 lb power pro spooled to the rim of my Lexa 2500 reel with a 6' 8lb invisx leader. No line mgmt issues whatsoever. I don't know how that peen reel is setup, but add a bearing to your line roller and one to your drag if possible. That will really help things.

Don't use a trout/panfish rod for bass. That reel is fine, but you need some backbone. Get a ML 6.5-7 ft fast action dropshot/shaky type rod. I use a 7'2" Daiwa Lexa MLF and I can cast weightless 4" worms like jackall crosstail shads as far as I need to and I have no problem with hook penetration with light wire 1/0-4/0 ewg hooks. Very versatile. I wouldn't use it for trout, though.

I also have the 761hfb for flipping, pitching, Carolina rigs, jigs, and deep cranks and its excellent for all those uses. It doesn't feel heavy pr fatiguing at all to me and balances well with a tatula type r. It's ridiculously sensitive on a short line and stupid powerful, too.

I agree with the reaction rods fishing as mod-fast. I have the 711mhrb and I use it for t-rigs, jigs, swim jigs, etc. I always use 50lb braid with a short 15lb fluoro leader, so I prefer that action. It's very sensitive and I always get positive hook sets. It wouldn't be bad for deep cranks, but I think the 721mhrb is geared more toward that, especially the glass model. I also have the glass 771mrb for cranks and it is an ounce heavier that the straight carbon rod, but you can't beat the action or feel. It's for tip down presentations, anyway, so I don't see why weight matters that much.

Dude, I love every technique. I have almost as much fun putting rigs together and customizing cranks and I do actually using them. A big part of the allure of angling for me is the deception involved in getting a bite and seeing just what will be deceiving enough, which rig to fish and how to fish it. It just depends on the situation. And I can tell you that if a certain technique catches bass, it will be my favorite until it doesn't. However, if I had to answer... Favorite: Jigs Least favorite: Buzzbaits

if only it could Snell a flippin hook with a bait keeper. What a PITA that can be!

Zara spook. That was my personal best bass, too.

yeah, I've never even heard of lawtonka, but it's closer than tenkiller. Next weekend, for sure

thanks guys. Need to get up there.

You might be interested in either the 6'3" or 6'11" ML Tatula spinning rods. They have the specs you seem to be looking for. Check Amazon.

I have 2 6'6" microlites. One UL and one ML. The UL is great for trout and panfish and the ML is awesome for 1/4 oz cranks. I don't know that I'd use either for weightless slug gos. You need more backbone than any UL rod will give you. I also have a Daiwa Lexa 7'2" ML and I use it for weightless plastics all the time . I wouldn't let it ride in the bed of my truck though.

Yo-Zuri 3DB in parrot. Great action, you can burn it, sharp hooks, it's durable, and most of all, it slays. Also, storm arashis rock.

I know they're in the Illinois, but who wants to brave THAT madness? Tenkiller, maybe?

Anyone know where to hook into some bronzebacks in the sooner state?

Use finesse techniques and keep moving. Float like a Zara Spook, sting like an Owner treble. Angle, young man, angle.

it's crazy the things you snag sometimes. Just in the past year I caught a huge frog (on a frog), a big pearl mussel, a diamond back water snake, 3 snapping turtles, a soft-shell turtle, a catfish on a wacky Senko, and a gar on a spook.

Tried this rig last night for the first time (zman trd + shroomz) and had what I imagine to be the same experience most people have. I caught a bass (a dink) almost immediately and then lost the rig on a snag almost immediately. Looking forward to the new weedless shroomz they unveiled at icast.

I swapped out the stock bearings on my T3 with some Hedgehog Studios Kattobi Air bearings and that was totally worth it. They're quieter, smoother, cast easier and even farther than before, and I think they're probably more durable to boot.

I'm just glad the catfishermen keep the bream population down at my local honey hole

That's not true at all. If you catch a bass on a crankbait, he's going to remember that crankbait for months and you'll have to catch him on a jig. If fish only had a 20 min memory, pressured waters would be a non-issue.