FishTank

I have tried the following in a size #8....G-Finesse, BKK Fang, and Ryugi Pierce. All are good. The G-Finesse, depending on water temps, to me make the bait run shallower. The BKK Fangs maybe slightly deeper and they are crazy sharp. The Ryugi Pierce seems to be the go between. I tend to order these from Japan and they are about half the price of everything else out there but you can't go wrong with any of the three.

@Cuddy What Shimano rods are you interested in? JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) generally means... it's sold in Japan only. The closest to you I know of is The Angler in Hudson IN. Their selection of rods is usually outstanding. They will probably have the Expride and Zodias. Not sure about the various versions of Poison rods.

I have been thinking of buying another one. Out of the rods I own, it's only one where I sometimes wish I had two on hand. It's versatile enough that I could fish a BFS crankbait or jerkbait on one and then do topwater or even a small softplastic bait on the other. It's just a rod I have a lot of confidence in.

@MickDThat's my thoughts as well. Having the correct rod tip for the lure is just as critical as the reel, and even line for that matter. I am on my 6th rod trying to figure out this equation. I've got 4 winners, 1 questionable, and one that just didn't fit BFS but has proven to be good at other things. If I had to pick a good starter setup, the Dobyns Sierra Ultra-Finesse 700C and a Shimano Curado BFS would be an easy to use combo. I like this for just about anything BFS, especially topwater. My favorite is a Kistler Hunt BFS 3X Ultralight and a Shimano Aldebaran BFS. I use this setup for trout minnows and small cranks. Caught my personal best smallmouth on this setup. For micro jigs and softplastic I use a Jackall Revoltage II and a Daiwa Tatula BF70. It works but I have struggled to find a Daiwa reel that works as well as Shimanos for BFS. I think Shimano has figured out something with their braking system that Daiwa has not. I tried four different Daiwa BFS offerings and each has given me issues. Two of them have been sent to Daiwa and rebuilt/serviced. One was returned. The other is no longer used for BFS. My favorite for small crankbaits is the Megabass P5 Six Eleven and a Shimano Conquest BFS. This reel is a work horse. I can't say enough good things about it. The rod is also is something special. It loads perfectly. It has enough power to control big fish. It's a pleasure to fish all day. I have lost track of how many fish this rod has brought in. For trout and stream fishing....Basically get a trout rod. Don't make the mistake I did with thinking you can cast something like a trout magnet on rod labeled 1/8 - 3/8oz. For the reel I like Shimano Conquest BFS here as well. For line I like Sunline Invisible FC 5lb and X-braid PE #0.8-1.2 and 10lb leader. Not a fan of mono with BFS. Another, side note the aftermarket spools mentioned above require PE line. From what I have seen, anything else can crush or deform the spool.

Evergreen WH-3, if you can find it. Great bait but no rattle. I has been one my go to pond baits. It runs about 2-3 feet deep on 10lb test FC. I caught 5 on it tonight. It does ok around wood. The hooks on it are crazy sharp and don't need to be upgraded. Another one to look at....Deps Evoke 1.2 or 1.8. It has worked the best for me around wood and timber but there is no silver bullet when you have a forest below the water.

@MickD What baits or techniques are you intending to throw? What weights?

Squarebills. 😄

Right back at you.... Still like the Core 101 the best.

@Peacedivision I went out after work and took a 1/8oz Keitech Tungsten Ball Head and a 3in Largo Shad. I fished them on a Megabass P5 Whippet and 2000 Twin Power. I caught 4 and this guy below. I don't know what is special about this head but it works.

Same. I use the 1/16 heads with the #2 on the 2.75 Swammers and on the 3in 6th Sense Whale. The Whale is another awesome bait. It's like a mini Magdraft.

That 3/0 hook is pretty big for a little bait. It might not let the tail do it's thing. Are you trying to get the bait deep? I use 1/8 to 1/4 Keitech Tungsten Ball Head jigs for 3in Easy Shiners in either a #1 or 1/0 hook. I have no problem getting down to about 15 feet and also no issues with hook ups. Also, if you like the small paddle tail baits, check out the Xzone Swammer. I killed it with this bait this past season. It also holds up better than most. I still do like the Easy Shiner though.

I'm going 7' Heavy Fast. In particular, the G. Loomis 904 NRX+. By the time you take a 3/8oz head and add a swimbait, you're around 1/2oz +. So going up to a 3/4oz head, that definitely puts me in a Heavy rod.

Tatsu, to me, stands alone at the top. There is nothing quite like it. There is Sunline Assassin but not quite as good Tatsu. I tend to like Sniper Invisible and BMS better but they are still pricey. The closest I have found to Tatsu is Seaguar R18 Limited. I order it from Japan Lure Shop. It's usually around $12 for 100m spool. In order to make it worthwhile I usually order line every time I make a purchase.

I have worked out off and on since I was 12. Competed in powerlifting meets, even qualified for the Arnold and was sponsored at 16 by Twin Lab. Now that I am 52 and have a bad hip, things are tough. I have taken two years plus off and just started to go back after doing physical therapy when the insurance would cover it. So far things haven't been too bad. I won't be deadlifting or back squatting any time soon. I think my overall health is going to be the priority from now on. I did have some guidance...... My Grandfather lived till he was 94 (drank and smoked a pipe forever) and my Grandmother 87. Both died in their sleep but they had a hard but simple rule when it came to a healthy diet. If you can grow it, catch it or kill it, it's good to eat. So no fast food, nothing that comes from a factory or in a box (including hamburger), very little bread and nothing fried except eggs. Funny thing is, my doctor told me the same thing last week. A life style change is a change for life.

This sums it up for me. 😁

I have one of each: Zillion, Zillion HD, and Silver Wolf. The Silver Wolf is the only one that has given me issues. The brakes seem to work for about 15-20 casts and then all of a sudden no brakes.

Not a huge expert on this but..... heavier wire will flex less so you could use heavier baits and it will hold up better to big fish. Lighter wire will have more flex and allow for lighter baits. Another way to look at it is the retrieve. With a heavier wire you can fish it faster because it has less flex. If you burn a light rig with heavy baits, the hooks, wires, blades or baits can get tangled.

I have not used that one. If I read the description correctly, it has a heavier wire than the one I have.

Hog Farmers. I use the mini flex and the BFL Flex Rig. We are only allowed 3 hooks in Indiana. I can set these up with 3 hooked baits and two dummies. What I found is, you want a rig that is light enough to flex on a stop and go retrieve but not too light where the hooks get tangled. How fast you retrieve it and what baits you use can also make a difference.

Casting most of the time but I do like to throw a few of the smaller ones on spinning. With that said, BFS gear has definitely made an impact for me when it comes to jerkbaits 3/16 and under. I just seem to catch more fish with it.

I like my Curado DC but I don't think Daiwa will go that route. They simply don't need to.

I have the Tatula 300. I have had problems with it backlashing as well but I am using 22lb Sunline Defier Armilo. It will cast fine for about 10-15 casts and then I need to up the brakes about 2 or 3 clicks or it will backlash again. So if this is what you are experiencing, I don't think a different braid will help. Daiwa has been no help. Also, I am not a big fan of braid only with swimbaits. Braid to leader has worked for me in the past but I like the Defier better. In X-Braid/YGK's line, OLLTOLOS WX has been great for jigs, it's super smooth, and it comes in bigger sizes. It is white though and leader is a must. I have been using the same line all year for jigs in the worst conditions and it has not shown any signs of wear. I do use Seaguar Grand Max FX for this set up. This leader has more stretch and is pretty durable but it's also sensitive.

I have had it on a spinning reel for two seasons or more with no issues. It does fade and start to absorb some water over time but I have been pleased with it. It also holds a good leader knot. @DEPS_250 What are you going to use it on? Spinning or casting? What diameter or weight are shooting for? As far as being water repellent, X-braid is my favorite. Check out Japan Lure Shop and look for lines that have the WX coating.

I had a couple of Smoke reels and one Tour S3. I ended up selling them. They just weren't getting used. I had no issues with them. They were just taking a back seat to my other reels. I had a few issues with Quantum over the years but this series of reels was solid. A lot of stores stopped carrying them and they seemed to stop distributing them to mom and pop shops. I think this has hurt them in the long run.

Well they won again. 10-0 and they moved into the top 5 in AP poll. It was not that impressive but they got it done. It seemed they had the opportunity to blow Michigan out but they made a few mistakes and the refs in the second half did not help. I saw a ton of no calls, including a hold on Michigan where an OL linemen got his finger stuck inside an IU player's jersey. My buddy was like, "Are these refs from the last KC game?" 😄