JETSWU87

Ive used this line on all my bait casters for a few years. It's tough as nails. It takes me a while to get through the 600yard spools and i notice. a lot more memory in the line now. When and how are you guys conditioning the line? I would use the l&l when spooling up, how often are you guys using it?

LOL This is true, slippery slope. I don't own any "nice" rods, I'm a $100 rod kind of guy. However I want to see the value in a higher end stick. Since I fish this technique so much now I can see the value of it, if it's a noticeable difference. Even though I'm T-rigging, I'm using #2 lightwire Robo worm hooks. They are sticky sharp and hook anything from dinks to my PB on this rig of nearly 6lbs. I don't see myself fishing an exposed hook where I live, I really like the lack of hang ups I experience now. I was a power fisherman before falling in love with the DS, I don't miss the hang-ups. I see a lot of talk of the St croix rods here, I just want to make sure if I spend <$300 on a Rod...it's a noticeable difference vs my $100 carbonlite. My main question for everyone here that has gone to higher end rods...was it a "I wish I did this years ago" experience or ehhh sure it's better experience.

I've been searching many threads about dropshot specific rods. I started throwing a dropshot last year, and honestly fish it 90% of the time anymore. I fish mostly shallow(less than 15ft) and for LMB, I only T rig with small roboworm hooks. Since it's shallow water I'm casting this out all of the time. I also am not afraid to throw my current setup around laydowns, got to hook them first to catch them is my thought. Here's my current setup 6'6' BPS Carbonlite (original black blank) M/F Pfluger president (2500 or 3000) 15lb braid to 8lb floro Robo worm #2 hooks T-rigged usually fishing a zoom 4" finesse worm 1/8th ounce weight 90% of the time. I don't have many complaints with my setup now, I love all the different ways you'll feel or not feel the bite. However as everything in bass fishing, what could I be missing too? I don't lose many fish, and have caught a few 4-5lbers. With the M action I can't cast the light weight a mile, but still a good distance. I'm shy to go with a ML setup as I'm T-rigging, I currently set the hook with a quick but smooth jerk. I keep my drag pretty loose and adjust while fighting the fish. It's a game. So for you guys that may of fished with more a generic setup for dropshot, what are your experiences going to a higher end setup? What am I missing?

Helix 10 si on clearance now for $850, they were as low as $825 a few weeks ago...not many left. This unit has the HDSI transducer which is the step above what you have with your 7 DI. It does have the auto mapping feature but has a limited trial run of it, you could purchase the auto chart live and still be in budget I believe. https://www.mygreenoutdoors.com/humminbird-helix-10-si-gps-combo-409990-1/?gclid=CjwKCAiAhfzSBRBTEiwAN-ysWDaANFxJKQbNA5TDzRdlK-cQfONFHXV57RmzFw6OCmnsQXuvIPGDAxoCiLsQAvD_BwE

I posted a lot more screen shots on the "other" board for review along with my install, I moved the transducer around but after comparing to other shots people posted I felt I was within reason of expectations. The 93sv for $599 is capable unit, the 2d was very sharp and the GPS was fast. Everything else was just OK at best in my opinion. I did end up getting the Helix 10 SI, I did install it a few weeks ago but the weather around here has been pretty poor for the last 5 weeks so I haven't been on the water with it. With any luck I'll get out next month and post some comparison shots, I will say the menu system and navigation between them is far better just sitting on the boat. The SI/DI Enhance is going to make on the fly adjustments easier with the bird. Also the bird basemaps have my lakes but lake any real detail like the garmin maps...Nothing new, same with navioncis. I have been watching some youtube videos to get an idea of basic settings and what to adjust, benefit of the birds is there's a ton of that info readily available. I think with the Helix 10 SI @ $825 it's a lot of unit for the $. It's also apart of their "Select" group which get's you an extra year of warranty and some customer service perks.

These are continuing to drop, I just ordered mine last night. I wouldn't be surprised if they continue to drop. $827 https://www.mygreenoutdoors.com/humminbird-helix-10-si-gps-combo-409990-1/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkrTwwob41wIViFp-Ch380wkJEAQYASABEgJ2F_D_BwE

Well a lot has changed since this post. To update: I purchased the 93SV at basspro on black Friday, after going out 3 times with it I'm not happy with the image quality on the unit. Pros: 2d sonar is nice quickdraw mapping for free is cool built in mapping (but my lakes lake any real detail) Easy install Menu system is simple Price Cons: SI quality is ok, but looks not near as quality as the competition DI quality leaves a lot to be desired in my opinion Not a ton of adjustment available as the menu system is so simple No favorite buttons for quick switching of combos On the fly adjustments to sonar not as simple as comp. Needless to say I removed the unit from my boat last night and am returning it to basspro. I will be purchasing a Hummingbird Helix 10 SI (HDSI) that is on clearance right now for as low as $825. Still doesn't link up with my xi5 but the image quality on these units looks far and above anything else. Below are a few screen shots of the SI/DI of the same tree in the water. Picture below is the same brush...and than another example of a SI shot with a school of fish.

It'd probably be worth contacting them to see if they want to offer it at that price or lose the sale.

I'll PM you as the it doesn't seem this board allows you to link to other sites. haha forum drama?!

It's not the guy who rants and raves on every single forum... That was the *** thread where they did some side by side testing. What setup do you have? What do you think of it? Any screen shots?

I did some significant reading last night about the CV52 vs the GT52 transducer drama...holy cow, so much to digest. http://www.***/showthread.php?t=827658 After that's all said and done it has me gun shy on the garmin.

The quickdraw is one of the main features drawing me towards the garmin. I have 6 lakes within 30minutes of me here that don't have quality mapping. Looking at the videos of the garmin in use the quickdraw looks ridiculously simple.

Thanks for your reply, have you had the boat on the water with the 93cv? Impressions? What Lowrance unit did you have before?

I'm going to be purchasing one of these units here soon (maybe as soon as Friday if I can snag the BF special at BPS) I have an Motorguide XI5 on the boat already which has me interested in the Lowrance, however I'm not sure how much I would use them together. I played with both units at BPS for a short while and the touch screen on the Lowrance is cool, but on the water rocking around with a wet hand? No telling. I've read on a few forums the horror of dealing with Lowrance customer service if there's a problem with a unit, anyone care to share a recent story? Then you have the Garmin with the CV transducer drama, anyone have one of these without the GT transducer? (CV Transducer doesn't have a true down scan element) Currently all I have is a Garmin 53dv(non gps) on the boat, and we'll other than water temp and depth I find it pretty useless on the water's I fish which are all 25ft or less. Garmin 93CV Pros Pricing ($600) Ease of Quickdraw (none of my lakes are HD on their mapping) Cons: Questionable downview more button pressing to navigate. Lowrance 9 TI pros Links with my Xi5 True total scan Touch screen? Maybe a pro 9 TI Cons Price ($400 more not on sale) questionable customer support opinion of owners that have experience with these units? Thanks in advanced!

I use ones that are normally sold privately on eBay. I actually just ordered more, I bring my dog fishing with me a lot and after she hooked herself walking on a lure once I decided it was a wise investment.

I use these also, they work great. I try to handle the fish as little as possible as the pike /pickerel are pretty delicate. I find with the crankbaits a lot of times I can turn them loose without ever getting them in the boat by just grabbing the hooks they have with pliers and turning them loose. Every now and then you get the one who inhales your bait and get's it in the gills. That's where the orange grippers come in handy, keep them out of the boat and bleeding all over the place. Nice long pair of forceps work well for the deep one's. With the grippers I find having the fish lean a bit on the side of the boat will relax them most of the time. Also I always try to put my eyes on the bait as soon as the fish surfaces to see how it's hooked, if the line is close to the mouth I net them asap. We have pickerel here, so they are almost all "hammer handles" in the pike world. I like catching them, they have saved many bad days of fishing, It's cool when you get a day of them when they are aerobatic fighting.

64 bass in one day...couldn't even imagine, if I catch 10 fish period I'm stoked.

Like any other baits it's all confidence. I fished chatterbaits a ton this year in the spring/early summer. I have very little confidence in spinner baits. Caught some fish on buzzbaits this year for the first time, running them over cover but all small bass. The chatterbaits do get hung up a lot in wood, I switched to rage blades mid spring and haven't tied a chatterbait on since. Only issue I have with the rage blades is they want to rise when you reel them quickly.

Thanks for the replies, I've rigged up the light action and kept the 10lb braid on it and tied on a leader. I don't like fishing slow so I may leave everything else at home.

Just purchased some items to rig up the ned rig. 1/10 and 1/8 jig heads and trds. I have two spinning setups I can use for this setup. Pfluger president combo with 30 sized reel rod is 6'6 light power, unknown action. 4-8lb line BPS Carbon light medium power fast action 6'6 with same reel, also have a 35 series president around. I'm leaning towards the light combo as I've caught a lot of fish with it but with moving baits like small cranks...keeps them buttoned well. Not sure how this rod would be detecting bites on slow or stationary baits. I haven't fished the carbon light much as I bought right before I made the switch to casting gear. I've heard these rods are stiffer then the ratings displayed, wonder if it's too much for 6lb line and light hooks. I'm also planning on spooling the setup with trilene XL 6lb as its just sitting around. Thanks in advanced for your opinions!

Just wanted to update this. I did eventually call in to follow up after about a week of my package delivered. The lady I spoke to was very nice and even called me a few days later to let me know my package was on the way. A couple extra baits is an understatement, needless to say I won't need to purchase any 6xd gizzard or chartreuse sexy shad for quite sometime. My tackle box has more strike king lures then anything else, and it will continue that way!

Changing to a crank bait rod like the affordable bps crankin stick has drastically improved my landing ratio to I rarely lose fish once hooked. I caught a lot of fish this year on just a rear treble, even pickerel that surge hard near the boat...whippy rod and moderate drag. I fish mostly strike king lures with stock hooks. Having the drag not set tight will help too, don't try to horse the fish...sometimes just put some pressure on them and they don't even know they are hooked until they see the boat.

I pick and use the thumb method at times. I dislike the thumb method as I have to tighten the drag down and then readjust just something else to forget until you hook into a fish.

Posted this in the Garmin thread but I suppose it's more appropriate here. All these big screen shots are making me very envious. Lake is man made can be stumpy in area's. Thanks in advanced. 1. Fish arches or tree tops? I see this often while cruising. 2, Bait? Also notice the lines below 10 feet, I noticed a lot of the lake like this at those depths and lower, is that the thermocline? 3. Same as above, another example. 4. I use to run this area over with my old graph and notice it was odd, could this be an old bridge? I ran back over it with the DI but could've replicate the look. 5. Last one, I imagine a combo of bait and fish.

I take it you didn't read the line right under the link....lol. At $40, its less then half the price of the Magnum advanced thats currently on sale. A pretty good deal, I dont have a cabela's local to me so I was unable to compare in person.