NorthernBasser

I'd say the trailer is the most important part of a swim jig. Some paddle tails will give it more roll than others. Some trailers like a Rage Menace rigged vertically won't give the jig any roll at all (which I like in colder water). Craw-style trailers will help keep it higher in the water column. As far as weight goes I mostly throw 1/4 oz and 3/8 oz. 1/4 oz is I'm fishing rather shallow. I'll sometimes bump it up to 1/2 oz if I wanna fish it deeper. 3/8 oz is probably the most common size people throw. Colors...I fish black/blue a ton. I fish a lot of stained/dirty water. White works well, too. In clearer water I'll throw bluegill colors or green pumpkin. Those 3-4 colors, or a variations of those colors, are really all you need. Sometimes I'll dabble in fire craw and chartreuse colors...mostly in the spring. As far as brands, Siebert's gets my vote. But I probably have 15 different brands. I also like 6th Sense, Greenfish Tackle, Satone, Strike King, Beast Coast, Dirty Jigs and Outcast Tackle. The Lethal Weapon IV comes thru grass really well. Oh, and I do like the Missile Baits Mini as well when I want a smaller profile.

Oh duh, I forgot you were in Canada. Never mind me.

Aren't the Whipper Snappers only $7? I know the 13 Fishing Loco Special jerkbaits are reg. $15.

TW has the Lew's Custom SLP marked down to $139.99. I think it just came out last year. Awesome reel. Very compact as well. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/catpage-LEWREEL.html?from=basres

Yes. Did you sign up for their St. Croix rod giveaway that they were running the past few months? If so you would've gotten it in an email. And it seems it's tied to your account/email because I gave my code to someone and they said it didn't work.

Gosh, you're not kidding. The most beautiful sound to my ears. A few years ago my buddy and I were fishing the Turtle Flambeau Flowage in northern WI. Just an absolutely beautiful lake. So much wildlife. Well it's getting to be dusk. The sun is behind the trees. No other boat to be seen. No other sounds to be heard. The water was glass. As we're fishing we see a single loon off in the distance. And then it stars calling. I swear you'd be able to hear it from miles away. That echo. For that small moment, everything was right in the world. It was so beautiful. Just everything about it hit me. Next thing you know there's a tear running down my face. And then my friend yells "are you crying?!!". Thanks for ruining the moment, a-hole. Lol.

I was thinking of a rebuttal, but I got nothing. ?

PMed ya.

Do you have issues with the Magdraft Freestyle rolling on you? The rigged/harness version rolls on me if I'm not swimming it at the correct speed, but I don't think I've ever had issues with the Freestyle.

I think I may have asked you once before, but what are you primarily using that rod for? Jigs? Heavier t-rigs? I've been wanting to try the Extreme but can't decided between the 745 and 746.

If you're looking for a rod for your lighter big treble hook baits, check out the Jenko Savant.?

Yeah, just make sure you enjoy that kind of fishing before you jump in all the way. A lot of people go nuts buying all these expensive baits but then don't have the patience to fish them. You're never gonna catch the numbers on them like you will other conventional baits. But like you said there's just something about catching a bass on a big bait that get's the heart pumping.

You'll have to report back and let us know how you like it. If you want a bigger wakebait check out the PB Rat. The 3 piece puts out some nice commotion and just has a cool clacking sound. The 2 piece is great as well. Little pricey tho. But the entire body is solid resin, so it's very durable. Another big bait is the Baitsanity Antidote Tug. It's 9" and 4 oz. I haven't fished it but have watched a few videos on it. Matt talks about it in TB's latest gear review video. I like the sounds of it and how it'll jump out of the water as well. That jerky was gone within 2 minutes of me opening the box. Nice little gift Omnia throws in from time to time.

Few small orders. Just more stuff I didn't NEED. I'm a Sniper guy but figured I'd try Invizx on one of my jerkbait setups. Have never fished that exact wakebait. But most wakebaits perform best the slower you retrieve them. But they all have their sweet spot. You'll figure out what that is. Wakebaits are awesome tho. The 6th Sense Speed Wake can be burned fast, and the strikes on it can be vicious!

You have the old model as well, yeah? Can you list both their weights when you get it (if you have a scale)? Thanks!

So what's the main difference between these and the previous model? Just the new reel seat? I wonder how much lighter that actually makes the rod.

Are you talking about these? With the gray Winn grips? They were $100 but they'd be on sale for $80 from time to time? If so I couldn't agree more! I bought them both around 6 years ago. These rods definitely punched above their price tag. I've heard that Lew's made them for them, but not sure if that's true. I have the 6'10 M spinning shaky head model which I used to use for dock skipping weightless wacky Senkos. I don't use it much anymore. I switched to a 6'9 Zodias for that now. And then I have the 7'3 heavy frog rod. I've tried "upgrading" it multiple times over the years. but to this day it's still my primary frog rod. It's just so good. Plenty of power to get them out of the thick stuff, but also has a really nice tip for walking frogs in open water. Also, it weighs 4.68 oz. Which is good for a $100 7'3 H rod. My 7'2 MH Expride A's weigh 4.60 oz. 7'2 Megabass Orochi Diabo weighs 4.98 oz.

Hey, I hear ya buddy. And couldn't agree more. I love my 'higher end' stuff. But I also have some cheaper stuff that I love just as much for various reasons.

Somebody got their tax retuuuurn!

I have it and only fished it once. I didn't like how it swam. It kept rolling for some reason and literally cut it off after about 10 casts. I honestly don't remember what weight/size hook I used but it was a weighted Beast hook. I need to mess around with it more.

Yeah, that is a cool idea/design. I know companies rip off other companies all the time. Heck, Strike King pretty much copied the Keitech Fat with their Rage Swimmers, but some people like those better because they're a little more durable. I use them as well (along with other similar baits). I think my biggest issue with the BassMafia version of the Magdraft Freestyle is how they and Zaldain are acting like they invented the wheel. How they put all this time into it. Zaldain talking about how one of the designers having a military background etc. It's friggin' hilarious. Dude, you literally took a Magdraft and had them change a few MINOR things. I think they're safe with that one. ? Tho the Cover Scat (which is a great bait) already has companies trying to keep up.

Make sure it's the gel control. Works great.

Megabass is 2 for $15. I'm not saying they won't be a good bait or anything. Just talking about brands copying each other.

I'll see your Cull Shad and raise you a Bass Mafia Daingerous Unrigged Swimbait. Zaldain obviously used to be with Megabass and totally ripped them off as soon as he left. The description is the best part. No shame at all. Painstakingly designed and tested by Elite Series Angler Chris Zaldain. And here's the Megabass Freestyle. I guess the Freestyle is looking down, while the Daingerous is looking more straight ahead. Very innovative, indeed.

Oh God, this is TOUGH. Berkley Pit Boss Yamamoto Senko Strike King Cut R Worm Z Man Finesse TRD Zoom Trick Worm Honorable mention: Jackall Archelon Strike King Rage Bug *I wasn't counting swimbaits like Keitech's