Dens228

I can't cast a spinning reel accurately on a consistent basis to save my life. I settled on a MegaBass Swingfire with a Tatula Elite, 20 lb braid with 10 lb mono leader.

I use 20 lb Smackdown for crankbaits and jerkbaits. Second year with it and no issues. 30 lb Smackdown for pretty much everything else except punching and frogging for which I use 50 lb. The only issue I've had with the 20 is since it's very limp it can foul the treble hooks every once in awhile. Solved by a short mono leader. As far as digging in and causing backlash or snapping off lures, no. Line slipping on the spool? No. Have I ever backlashed? Of course, but hasn't just about everyone with every type of line? And despite a fear of jinxing myself I don't think I've backlashed yet this year.......well until tomorrow now! LOL

Yep, the myths of braid............Digging in and causing backlash, line slipping, poor knots, don't go under 50 pound test.........etc...... I love braid, sometimes with leaders, sometimes without. No issues.

Same here.

I love my MegaBass rods. But I use the OrochiXX so I'm using the $300 rod, not their top end. Are they better than my $220 St Croix rods? Yes they are, especially for presentations that need sensitivity like jigs. I always laugh when I read the threads in these posts............every other hobby I'm involved in people love the high end stuff and aspire to have the latest and greatest. This is the only sport where I constantly see those with lower end gear ridicule the higher prices stuff and those that have the higher priced stuff being asked to justify it. The first time I ever fished, back in the 60's my dad handed me a cane pole with several feet of braided line, a hook and a nightcrawler. Can I still catch fish with that? Of course! Do I want to? No. Can I be more successful with what I have now? Without a doubt. Plus the truth of the matter is I only have to justify the cost of my purchase to myself, not strangers on the internet........lol

I've caught several frogs over the years with a frog. Once or twice I had to stop using it because all I was doing was being chased by and catching frogs.

Probably 99% of my bottom fishing with jigs is with a 3/8 oz Arky style of jig with a crawfish type trailer. Either a Sweet Beaver or a Spicy Beaver depending on what action and fall rate I want. I can do virtually anything I want with it. If I'm fishing a spot with a rock bottom filled with crevices I will use a football jig. With swim jigs I also use 3/8 oz and a Keitech Impact Fat, usually a 3.8 or 4.3 inch. I fish jigs more than any other lure and don't follow the notion that you need many different styles and colors to be successful. They are fish, with fish brains.

This right here. I video a lot of my fishing and when I watch them later I'd say a large percentage of misses were because the bass missed the frog. I still didn't get the bass but it made me feel better.....lol

I can't think of the last time I fished without throwing a jig.......From muddy to crystal clear water. Regardless I tend to use brown skirts, brown and purple, and brown and red. Usually a Green pumpkin or watermelon craw trailer. If it's sunny I will use the same but with red flake in it.

I like my MegaBass Orochi Swingfire

Of the various places I order from, including other places in California, no, I can't name a place that has gotten as slow, or been as slow to recover, as TW. And I'm a big fan of them, just not impressed with their service at this time.

Jigs, jigs, jigs.........................

MegaBass Orochi XX Swingfire

For me it varies......sometimes I get bored with my usual waters so I search out new waters to see and try and learn. Sometimes I'm tired of small to medium bass so I go places I don't catch as many but when I do they're big. Sometimes I'm tired of fishing for hours for a couple of bass so I go places I know I'll catch a lot. Sometimes, but rarely, I say home and work on the honey do list.

I keep thinking of going with a Spotlock TM. I just can't get myself to switch from this setup, so convenient and light.

That is my exact setup. I've had it for two years now. Total weight added to my kayak is about 10 pounds. If I didn't need it I can take the motor off and the battery from behind my seat in about 2 minutes or less. But it's so light that I've gone to lakes with too many weeds to use it and just didn't put the rudder down.

I use 30 lb Smackdown with 12 lb mono leader.

As in smaller popper style, and walking baits.

I use straight FC for crankbaits, jerkbaits, topwater like poppers. This year is my second time trying it after trying a few years ago with cheap stuff. This year I tried much better quality and love it for what I use it for. Straight braid or braid to mono leader for everything else though.

First choice is a spinnerbait with silver blades, usually 3/8 oz, with a Impact Fat paddletail on the hook. If that doesn't work or the water is clear, high skies, little to no wind I go with an underspin, same paddletail.

Siebert Extreme Arky is about as versatile and good quality as you can get.

I'm in northern Illinois also. Yes, they suck most of the places that I go to at the moment. I find it easiest to cut off the lure and slide the big ball of seed off the end when it gets too bad.

I love mine. Has SideVu though. I held off thinking it wouldn't help. I was wrong. I've found bass attracting structure in water I've fished for years that I never knew were there and now hardly ever let me down.

If it was just lipless and medium cranks I actually do use 12 lb Tatsu. I have 30 lb straight Smackdown on my chatterbait rod. If I was using one rod for both I'd lean towards the braid.

I used it most of this morning.......with success.