Maw69

I really enjoy my Lew’s Custom Speed Stick Lite (7’ M/F). Light and nicely balanced with a Daiwa Fuego...

The moderators should add a question mark to my title as I was a bit too fast to jump to conclusions ?

Thanks guys? I ll go for the time tested and approved glycerin/anise oil if the lures seem to need some lube, and put them back in their bags. Thanks again for ur answers.

I was browsing for some formula to help keep my soft plastic lures supple and moist, and I was about to use a little glycerin when I happened to read that glycerin can actually dry the upper layers of the lures if applied pure - as it can do with your skin. It acts as a moisture attractant, so if you apply it pure it will soak the moisture out whatever is most humid, whether your skin or the air. If the air is dry, it will actually dehydrate your skin. There is no reason why it wouldn’t work the same with soft plastic lures. So it seems it would be best to dilute glycerin with a fairly large amount of distilled water using a 10% formula before spraying it on the lures and putting them back into their bags ... How do you keep your soft plastic lures as new?

I wouldn’t go as far as dropping to the conclusion that the Bitsy Bug Mini is crap. Ahahah South Park should be outlawed. How dare they make fun of the Old Continent a great many of us ,soggy shrubs, originate from :))

Some additional info, just for the sake of contributing, or for those who only have one rod and have to order online: actual weight of 3/16 oz Bitsy Bug Mini jig out of the box: 8.7 grams. Cheers

Good tip. It gives you a rough idea when you decide to order some jigs online without having been able to weigh them beforehand. I agree with the selection of the lure coming first, it is true for all types of fishing -for hunting too, you choose your bullets/cartridges according to the type of game you’re after, and pair the ammunition with the right gun. It is common sense indeed. Problem is being sure of the specs advertised. Seems vital to me.

Right. It would be nice if the manufacturers indicated the weight of the completed jig, as it comes out of the box/bag... On light tackle, with the weight of a trailer added (rarely mentioned either) it can make a difference.

A 1/8 oz Bitsy Bug Mini jig weighs 6.65 grams (0.235 oz), which is between 3/16 and 1/4 oz... (1/8 oz = 3.5 grams). A rather big difference (I actually like it this way, as all I have to do to get it a tad bit heavier is coil some thin lead wire)

Thanks! ?

It would still be pretty close to the stated weight. I m asking because I ve weighed a couple jigs (another brand) that were close to almost twice the stated weight, consistantly. So I was wondering if it was common practice - maybe just weighing the head and not taking into account the hook and skirt...

Good evening, Would anyone know the exact weight of a Missile Jigs Ike’s Micro Jig 3/16 oz? Thanks a lot in advance Cheers

Well, I replaced the Ardito with this 1 piece rod: Lew’s Custom Lite Speed Stick “All Purpose”, 7’ Medium - Fast , 1/4oz-5/8oz. I also changed the reel and went for a Daiwa Fuego. The reel is definitely WAY better (quality, ease of casting etc) than my previous Kastking Assassin, and the rod is perfect with a 5” Caffeine Shad or a Bitsy Bug Mini jig 1/4 oz + 2.5” to 3” trailer. Line: Tatsu 12lb Fluorocarbon. ??? Happy, at last!

I have come to the conclusion today that this rod is way too rigid and fast for me as a beginner. I am probably going to get an OkumaTCS Scott Martin series and will beselling the Daiwa. The TCS have been advised to me as very beginner friendly. Either the MH 6’9 or the MH 7’ Thank you guys for all your advice and encouragements ????

“Coming from spinning gear, as my spinning casting skills improved, I was more and more able to deliver "line drive" type casts, straight to the target. Casting with bait casters, you've got to lose that "line drive" mentality and visualize your casts in curves and arcs. You have to learn how to feel the rod loading.” A wonderful piece of advise, found in an old post. There are countless videos on the Net, but I have yet to find one that really explains the casting techniques, in details. The right amount of line overhang, amongst other things, is rarely discussed/explained. Hopefully there are DVDs out there that go into all that in details - the like you can find for fly fishing. I ll drop another post to enquire about such DVDs - or books. ??

????

Sounds like the best way to trigger a heart attack, fall into the water and drown Most dangerous game indeed.

Second update: VERY fast tip. Rather unforgiving, especially with my 1/4 oz + trailer combo which is WAY too light and turns into nothingness once immerge. More a MH with a very fast tip. If it was lighter, it wouldn’t be too much of a problem, but it’s definitely heavier in hand than whatever I ve used before. As I was told, more a summer “heavy” vegetation rod. I’ m initially a brown trout guy (light spinning and #4-5 wt fly rod) so the whole thing really feels on the heavy side. Might be LM bass won’t be my cup of tea after all ...

Thanks a lot guys ??

Hi, Does anyone know the weights of a 4” and a 5” Strike King KVD - Caffeine Shad ? Thanks a lot in advance ?

Update: I guess I let too many people around me know about my quest LoL: I ended up with a Daiwa Ardito Medium power / Fast action for Christmas..! Also received a Kastking Assassin reel - I had planned on buying the Fuego CT but you don’t turn down a gift Maybe I ll get one later. I ve ordered some Power Pro Maxcuatro 30lb yellow braid and will put around 40 yards of it on top of monofilament backing. Leader will be Maxima Green 12lb, about 5’ . As for the rod, being a complete beginner at baitcasting, I can’t really review it, but it certainly feels fairly stiff. Quite a fast, rigid tip for someone who’s used to spinning and fly fishing for trout. It is a little bit heavy, as mentioned in a post above. As far as balance, it could do with a slightly heavier reel than the Assassin (which is uncommonly light). I ll start experimenting with jigs and trailers as soon as I have some line on the spool. Bought a Z-Man Power Finesse jig 1/4 oz + Yum Wooly Bugs 3” for that purpose. Should be around the sweet spot as far as weight. I ll let you know about it. Merry Christmas to you all, and tight lines :))

I see. For other techniques and species, I like to fish as light as I can , like for trout on a spinning rod, so I would have been biased towards the M... I ll try and find the rods to “test” them. The M is rated 1/4 - 3/4 oz , but I guess you can’t really trust the manufacturer’s indications (can’t be worse than fly fishing rods though ) Plus I suppose it depends on the casting technique used: casting, flipping, pitching, skipping ... I sure would want to be able to use jiggs, swimming or pitching, and chatterbaits. Water is not so clear in the lake I m targeting so Senkos probably wouldn’t work so well... but it s no more than 12 feet deep, so there s no need for a lot of weight or huge sizes... Thanks again for your answers , much appreciated. Keep them coming ? !

Thanks a lot ? When you say 1/2 oz max and around 3/8 oz as sweet spot, is it the total weight of the lure + the additional trailer or , for instance, just the weight of a jig without the trailer? Trailers can be pretty heavy with all the salt added.

Thanks guys ? YoTone, any recommendation for the reel weight (balance)? What would you say is the sweet spot for the M as far as lure weight? Have a good one

Hi to everybody First post on this forum, just starting LM bass fishing. I’m looking for a 7’ M/F casting travel rod (fits in the trunk = safer and easier), and I’ve noticed positive comments on the Daiwa Ardito 7’3 MH but very little on the 7’ M/F... It would fit my price range and seems well made. Does anyone own and use the 7’ M/F model and tell me a bit more about it (balance, recommended lure weights, lines, best applications etc...)? Thanks a lot in advance for your input ! Have a great week