Grim_Reaver

I started fishing a spook with inline hooks (instead of trebles) through them like a frog last year. Cast up into the thickest patch and work it through or fish it along the edge, they'll hammer it. The inline hooks don't seem to get hung up very much, if they do at all.

Good info @ww2farmer. Will be testing different rod actions to see what works best for me.

It has the S A-RB bearings so it will be fine. For reference, the discontinued Casitas has S A-RB bearings and I've used mine inshore a lot down here in the Tampa Bay area. I even submerged it last year in pure saltwater after dropping it in the sand to clean it out and it still ran like a champ. Just mist it with freshwater for a minute or so and wipe it off with a damp rag. I never oiled it (which I probably should have now that I think about it) and will see if I can get it serviced by a local guy for the first time since I bought I a few years ago. It developed little bit of a squeak on the retrieve after beating up on some MS trout and reds in September. I'm not saying you should neglect your reels but just giving an example of what they can do. My new Shimano's will definitely be taken better care of though, lol.

I've dropped a bc reel in sand fishing a beach and submerged it in pure saltwater to wash the sand out. Only thing I did was rinse it after I got home as usual and it still works good as new. Your reel should be fine.

Minnows, especially fathead minnows, are a common forage species in a small/closed system like a pond. Bass are opportunistic predators and aren't picky.

Use a dip net or cast net in the shallows and identify/research what you catch.

x2

12lb line and Medium power rod (6'6) is what I started with and it worked really good all around. 5/8oz is MH power territory but it could work on the right M power rod. Check out the Falcon HD series. My Mach II/Falcon HD (6'6 MH) combination is very light and easy to fish. I'm planning on getting a kayak myself soon so I've been getting rods under 7' (due to recommendation) and honestly haven't noticed a difference from my longer rods. My next rod purchase will be the 6'8 M Falcon HD whenever they are back in stock (specs should be perfect for you too).

You could but I wouldn't. A three row suv would have been a better choice.

A pearl u-vibe speed worm, texas rigged, swimming right under the surface.

Good to know. Thx for the info guys

I've been eyeing those magnum flukes but haven't pulled the trigger. I just discovered the green albino color in flukes and they look like the perfect baitfish color (greenish back/pearl belly).

Pretty nice looking rig. Does the double split ring method catch more grass? My understanding from what I've seen from videos is that the single split ring doesn't allow as much movement in the bait?

Does anyone make their own jika rigs? If so, how do you make yours?

I thought about that after I posted. I was wondering why I didn't call it a "mudfish" myself.

x2

Too big a hook lose some action in the bait. 3/0 twistlock (xxx shank due to the MH rod and 16lb line) for the senko/stickbaits because the nose will tear easy. For worms, I use offset hooks (https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Owner_Offset_Shank_Wide_Gap_Worm_Hooks/descpage-OOSWGW.html), 2/0-3/0 offset for the trick worm and 4/0-5/0 offset for larger worms. I usually stay towards the smallest hook I can get away with. In my experience, a bass will almost always eat a worm head first so no need for a giant hook. If you want to use an EWG and have a interchangeable hook for worms/flukes, 4/0 EWG for 7-10" worms and super flukes.

7' Medium Power/ Fast Action 7:1 reel 12lb line My bread and butter set up for 3-4" swimbaits.

A bowfin broke my favorite rod yesterday. A replacement rod is on my radar too.

For far too long we have let corruption in the bass fishing world go unchecked and this is the final straw. Where are my crusaders?! We will retake Lake Guntersville!!

Snook and redfish do the same thing down here in Florida where they'll bury you up in something like mangrove roots or a boat dock. I'm specifically talking about fishing grass because wood or rock is easily gonna abrade braid of any size, which is why you would use a leader when in an area with those factors. No need for gigantic line. When fishing grass which causes much less abrasion, you would want a smaller diameter that can saw through the vegetation easier so why use 65lb. Seth Feider made a point about this in a recent *** video when he mentioned why he uses 30lb for frogging and flipping.

Well that's wood, which is solid and rigid. Braid is more akin to a fabric in that it is soft and pliable. You can increase the thickness of a fabric in a garment like a shirt and it will still get abraded and cut just as easy as a thinner shirt of the same material. Just like if you take scissors to your braided line, there is no difference in difficultly when cutting 30lb vs 65lb.

This is perfectly sensible, I'm not specifically mentioning your case. I guy built like KVD can handle long rods with no problem. I agree with the management part but the abrasion resistance makes me skeptical. If the the two different sizes of braid are made from the same material, how is there a difference in abrasion resistance?

Tuna primarily live in open water and therefore there is more time to play the fish without it running into something. Try wrenching a grouper away from a wreck with a long rod and see how fast he'll break you off because you don't have enough leverage to muscle him out of it. That would be more analogous to the techniques I mentioned.

There's nothing wrong with using a rod that long. Anything much longer is really giving the fish more leverage to work agaisnt the average angler (say 5'9 to 6'0). I too fell in love with my 7'3 when I first got it, but after using my 7' rods more this year, it has started to collect some dust. I can report the same experiences.