Turkey sandwich

Welcome to the forum! Jig and Texas rig fishing are almost essential skills. There are a few things that can heavily influence the feel. A sensitive fast or extra fast action rod is helpful, as are low stretch lines like braid and the appropriate size/shaped weight for the depth and he cover you're fishing. There is also a big difference between say, an inexpensive Wal-Mart rod and a gen 2 Mojo Bass or Tatula, Aetos, etc. and that better stick will most definitely have a lighter feel with a more responsive blank, but.... the technique to fishing bottom contact baits is much, much more important and once you get the technique down, you'll appreciate the better tools much, much more. I (like many other forum members, I'm sure) learned to fish jigs and T-rigs with old fiberglass and cheap slower actioned graphite. The rod you're working while not a Cadillac, is still much better than the Ugly Sticks lots of us used and can make a decent rod to learn on (it being shorter than 7'-7'3 rods might sacrifice some casting distance, but it'll make accurate, close presentations and skipping much, much easier). When fishing a jig, C-rig, T-rig, drop shot, or any other bottom contact bait, you need to remember that it's a bottom contact bait. I've spent a lot of time over the past few years teaching friends and family members to fish and the biggest mistake I see them (and tons of people with lots of experience get lazy/distracted and do this, too) making is relying on the reel to move the bait. When fishing these techniques, the general rule is that you should be moving your bait with the rod, and not the reel. There are exceptions, but this is the general rule. The reel is essentially just there to collect line and reel down quickly once a fish strikes to remove slack before the hook set. With the bait on the bottom (and I suggest learning with something like 3/8 oz), lift the rod tip slowly, allowing the jig to bump into the gravel, sticks, roots, tires, or whatever is down there. You'll feel every time that jig hits something. Over time, you'll learn to differentiate a soft bottom from gravel, wood, weeds, etc., it just takes patience and a little practice. Another mistake I've seen and have been guilty of is losing a good connection to the bait (which will mess up your sensitivity badly) and it can happen a few ways. First, a relaxed palmed grip on the reel will allow you to feel a lot better than a death grip. This isn't typically a fast moving bait with resistance like a spinnerbait or crankbait where you really have hang on. Relax, you'll feel more subtle bites and bottom features. Second, don't allow too much slack to build up. Even the best rods fished with braid will have zero feel if the line is totally slack. This is where terms like "semi-slack" and "tight line" come into play. Third, keeping the rod angled up or to the side will transmit more "feel" than if you're pointed straight at your jig (remember, use the rod to move your bait). The fourth way that I was guilty of losing connection was that for years I failed to consistently watch my line. When fishing a semi-slack presentation, line watching is the difference between detecting subtle bites versus feeling the bottom. For this, braid has made life way easier. I know this is a lot, but it should troubleshoot most feel issues. Also, as @adrenalizd mentioned, spooling with braid and fishing a FC or Copolymer leader is by far the most cost effective upgrade that will make a noticeable difference.

I use the Owner twist lock hooks with Super Flukes and they rock. They stay centered well, the hooks don't slice up soft plastics like the Trokars do, and they stay Texposed well, even if you're skipping them across the surface, banging them off of cover, etc. They're currently my favorite keel weighted hooks.

Welcome to the forum! Now, prepare to get 100 different answers... - To tie line to the spool, an arbor knot is simple and does the trick well. - To tie to lures/bait, Trilene knot, improved clinch, uni, Palomar, several loop knots and San Diego Jam all work well and have their applications. What's more important, is learning one or two that you can tie well/quickly on the water, and checking the knot and the line directly above it for damage regularly, and especially after snags/fish. For most applications, I use either a Trilene knot or Palomar because they're strong and very fast to tie on the water. - If you plan on fishing braid, you're going to want a leader most of the time. Uni to Uni (double Uni), Alberto, blood knot, and a handful of others are built for this purpose and do it well. It can get trickier when you're tying lines of much different diameters, but since most sensible leaders for bass fishing are going to have similar diameters to the braid main line, Uni to Uni and Alberto are the most common because they can be tied fast. @swandog is spot on about practicing your knots. It's worth it spend the time at home to not lose fish on the water.

The only times I've been close have been big channel cats or carp in current while fishing for smallmouth on 4-6# test mono. On those occasions, I've had some pretty crazy runs down stream. Those times were mostly on light or ultra light gear fishing drop shotted live helgramites and those were not short fights. Still, even fishing that light, I've never had even big smallmouth come close to spooling a small 1000 size reel, in current, on 4# test.

Do use 12lb hybrid leaders for cranking and it's excellent - strong, super abrasion resistant, etc. 8-12lb is strong enough for just about anything and it's seriously under-rated for breaking strength (12lb test carries a breaking strength between 17-20lbs). Hybrid is my go-to anytime I'm fishing heavy cover, especially rocks. It's been a long time since I've fished it as a main line, but I remember it being much less stretchy than most mono or FC lines, but also having a ton of memory. I've heard line conditioner pretty much does the trick for reducing memory.

I have a pair of Orvis waders that were somewhere in the $150-200 range and a pair of felt soled boots from Cabela's that I was able to pick up on sale for around $60. They don't get uncomfortable when it's warm, and you just layer accordingly. Breathable base layers, good synthetics over cotton, and good wool socks can go a long way when the water is cold.

I think tubes are amongst the most versatile tools in your box. Fishing for smallmouth, I almost always have one tied on. I'll fish them on a jig most of the time, but there are a TON of T-rig variations that can change the action to match almost any condition. Keel weighted hooks, stuffing them with broken Senkos, gluing rattles inside, Dip'n'Dye to add fluorescent colors, and even just C-rig or dropshot all provide completely different presentations and can allow them to mimic almost anything. Also, @Megastink is spot on about turning tubes (especially large 4"+) into pitching and punching baits. I'm actually shocked we don't see it more. They clear heavy cover well, collapse to allow a good hook set(even in heavy salad), and tend to be a lot more durable than most punching baits because there isn't just a single flappy appendage that gets torn off on the first fish/snag. With a tube, you just turn it and hook it again.

Great fish!

I've had two over 6 here in PA. As a kid, mounting them was never really an option since I was pretty broke, and at this point I'm glad. For a largemouth over 7 or a smallmouth in the 5.5 range, I would consider a replica, but I'm not really pushing to mount something on the wall.

Also, when you say helgramites, do you mean live helgramites?

Well, the Bills have already fired one coordinator somehow not named Ryan. On the upside, Facebook Live has made trolling press releases awesome.

While I've never owned a Daiwa reel, I own several Chronarchs purchased for around $180-200. I also own a Lews SS BBB1 that I bought for around $160. I actually really like the Lews, but it is nowhere near as manageable as the Chronarchs and at times a pain in the ass when the wind does silly things. Even in the midrange category, Shimano's Curados and Chronarchs are a pleasure to fish and I would take them over the Lews I've fished any day.

Current with stained water - go bigger, louder, slower, and darker. Moving baits like spinnerbaits, Crankbaits, (rattles) and lipless cranks (rattles) are great ways to cover water, though you probably want to slow your presentation down some. You can slow down and fish jigs and tubes, but upsize them with rattles if need be. Also, dark or dark/chartreuse color combinations are your best bet to increase visibility.

I like poppers during a hatch - dragonfly, damsel fly, stone fly, mayfly, etc, etc because it represents a bigger, easier targeted, feeding baitfish. Yes, bass will eat all kinds of larvae, spinners, and low flying insects, but so will virtually every baitfish in that body of water. If that bass has the option of breaching to feed on very low calorie flies, or to pick off easy meals of distracted panfish, minnows, trout, etc feeding high in the water column (and being that predators need to be opportunistic to be successful), it would make a lot more sense for that bass to dine on fish that night. I also don't think anything simulates baitfish feeding on the surface better than a popper, especially in low light. This is at least the logic/strategy that's served me very well during hatches. I do like the grub idea, too.

Welcome to the forum and world of river fishing smallmouth. In current, especially, they're excellent fighters and once you get the basics down, it's not uncommon to have 20+ fish days on most healthy river systems. It can be overwhelming trying to learn everything at once, so focusing on a few high percentage baits and how to fish them can be a great first step. WRB is spot on in terms of simplifying your approach. Grubs, tubes, and inline spinners like a Mepps are some of the first lures I'd suggest you learn, though, locating active smallmouth is typically much more important than what you're throwing, especially early on. Current breaks, eddies, green weed beds, and heads and tails of pools are great places to start. This forum contains a TON of good information about fishing smallies in rivers. I suggest using the search feature and going back through previous threads on the smallmouth forum. You'll find more info about locating fish, presenting lures in current, reading rivers, and answers to a million other questions you either have now or will have. Good luck on the water!

I think I agree more or less with @WRB Even without super tuning my reels, I have no problems throwing 1/8oz baits or even most weightless worms on a Medium power Fast action St Croix Rage and size 50 Chronarch. I suppose I could spend money on bearings, but I don't see a reason. Most of the finesse fishing I'm doing isn't going to be on 50 yard casts (whose is?), so I don't see a reason to need to cast a senko like a full sized Zara Spook. I think once you start going much below 1/8oz, baitcasters tend to lose any real advantage in presentation. I even prefer the much slower gear ratio of my spinning gear for finesse presentations because it forces me to slow down and keep the bait in the strike zone longer. Just my .02

I was kinda surprised with the tip. I haven't fished it yet, but I've felt plenty of rods with a similar feel labeled "fast". It has a TON of backbone.

You'd be surprised. Things like rod action and he stretch of line can make the difference between feeling th vast majority of strikes versus not feeling them and landing e vast majority of fish versus spending a lot of time cursing.

Dude, that is awful. I always thought of them mostly as a Great Lakes/ Finger Lakes curse/blessing, but it seems like you run into them a lot. That has to be unbelievably frustrating at times.

I just picked up that exact Aetos and I'll likely pair it with a 7.1:1 Chronarch and use it for spinnerbaits/chatterbaits and some deeper diving crankbaits. I spool braid on virtually all of my reels, so I like the little bit of forgiveness in the rod tip since I won't be getting it in the line. That said, if I fish this rod and totally hate it for spinberbaits, it's still super versatile for big walking baits and cranks.

What they said, lol. The thing is, all of the different techniques, lures, presentations, etc are tools. They can all be effective when fished in the right conditions, or useless/frustrating when fished under the wrong conditions. Learning those conditions is part of what makes this sport a different challenge every day. My .02 on top water... I've caught excellent numbers on all of the baits mentioned above, and have generally found that top water fish tend to be bigger than average fish. I guess it might be helpful to ask where, how, and when are you fishing poppers and frogs? There are plenty of folks here capable of giving you pointers and upping that success rate.

They're that bad in Kansas?!?

Seriously, Francho is spot on. The level of forgiveness you'll get from a Chronarch/Curado/Tatula/Revo etc is MUCH different than what you'll get out of a cheap baitcaster with a cheap breaking system. Unless you're trying to backlash, a Chronarch is about as user friendly a reel as you're going to find at any price range and you could always upgrade the bearings if you want to get into hot rodding it to perform like a $$300-$400 reel, but that's well beyond the scope of this thread. You can easily upgrade bearings, breaking systems, not so much.

My question wasn't intended as an insult, sorry if it came off that way. This is what you posted. This is suggesting aiming the wide end of the transducer forward, no? This would also indicate the opposite of the picture I posted, showing the narrow, more streamlined end of the transducer facing forward. If that isn't what you meant, I'm genuinely sorry, but your above quote sounds a lot like facing the transducer backwards.

Yep. Just checked - Aetos are now $125. Still a great value. I ordered one last week and I guess snuck in right at the end of the $94 deal. Still, especially with a fast action Rod that you'll want to use for things like bottom contact baits years from now, I'd suggest spending a little more than just an Ugly Stick. The Fenwick HMX and HMG lines are both good values right now. I have an Abu Garcia Veritas that I use regularly ($100 range). In the $100ish range is where you'll start to really see a a lot of quality rods enter the market. It really just becomes a matter of preferences at that point.