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Thanks for the comments. I think I’m too concerned about twists and I guess once I get one inevitably I’ll just use the ball bearing swivel trick. I think I’m going to use 8# mono with a fluro leader because I plan to fish senkos on it mostly so I want to be able to watch my line which I can’t do with fluro and the mono is cheap so if I have to cut it off at some point it won’t be a big deal. My only other question is how long of a leader would you guys suggest? I’ve never used one and I fish small ponds that aren’t incredibly deep so maybe a short leader would be good but if I need to retie it seems like a hassle if the leader is short because I would have to retie a new leader right? Thanks again for the help and comments

So I have a couple baitcasters and I just ordered my first spinning reel and I’ve been reading about how to spool it and how to avoid line twists and I’ve heard all the tricks but I don’t have any 20-30 pound braid to put on it and I’ve read that this will virtually eliminate twists. Maybe it’s a rare thing I’m too worried about but I fish from the bank so I can’t do the trick where you let it go with an open bale behind a boat so I’m afraid if I get line twists it will be hard to get out. I don’t really want to buy braid or line conditioner unless I have to. I plan on using random mono as a backing but am I overthinking it? And if I spool with fluorocarbon as my mainline will I get a lot of line twists problems ? I can get braid if I have to I’m just wondering if mono or fluro would cause an issue how bad would it be. Thanks

Check your local Walmart if you’re looking for some cheap jigs, they have strike king 1/4 oz bitsy bug, 3/8oz swim, 1/2oz football and 3/8 oz rattling pro model jigs with 3 trailers in each box for $2.50 each. They had these deals months ago but they just showed back up at my local Walmart. They come with either rage menace twin tail grubs or strike king rage craws, many colors too

Ok thanks, my gear ratio is 7:1:1

This makes sense, before Tom also suggested switching to a sweeping reelset so does this mean I reel down on it like normal and just sweep to the side a little bit up and reel as I do it and keep reeling for a second as it’s back? I also assume this is a smooth but firm sweep rather than a crazy snappy sweep? I also have a hook sharpener being delivered today

Thanks for the insight and I understand that it seems like reaction strikes rather than eating the jig because it makes sense that if they’re just biting it and holding it in their mouths or not fully eating it the hook would barely hook the skin on the lip on the way out so I understand waiting longer to let them eat it or shortening the trailer so they have nothing to bite but hook but my question is since I’ve heard bass drop the jig quickly how long should I wait? I’m afraid if it’s just reaction strikes they won’t ever fully take the jig anyway and it seems like if it wait they’ll just drop it. I have some garlic scent I spray since I’ve read that it makes them hold on longer but I don’t know if this would make them commit to taking it fully rather than just striking off reaction and dropping it. Also I’ve gotten 4 or 5 bites when I wasn’t swimming it total I only got once yesterday and barely had him hooked so it’s not like it’s only reaction strikes when I’m swimming it I’ve gotten the most bites throwing right up under bushes or against weeds on the bank and feeling the taps as it falls but I look at the line to try to see jumps twitches swimming to the side etc and I never see it, maybe I’m missing the bites that are eating it because they suck them in and don’t chew them or tap. I don’t know if that’s how that works but maybe that’s it too. The only bite I remember that wasn’t a series of a few taps was one really hard thump I felt on the drop a few days ago and I set the hook on him but he jumped and spit the hook. He was probably 4 or 5 pounds sadly but it felt different when he bit it because it felt like one solid thump rather than taps so maybe that’s the difference between eating it and striking it because it felt different but I still struggle to see it

I’ve dedicated myself to learning how to use a jig recently and I’m throwing nothing but jigs. Specifically I’m using a bitsy bug mini jig with a strike king baby menace grub trailer on a 6’6 MH/F casting rod. I chose this small jig because it feels more comfortable than the half oz football head jig I have and it feels similar to the T rig Weight I’m used to using, I also assumed these small jigs would increase bites and this pond is very pressured so I just want fish not necessarily the biggest ones. The ping I fish is a heavily pressured pond on campus and today I caught 3 on the jig in an hour and a half (which is the most in a day I’ve gotten so far there) I’m happy with these catches because these were only my 2nd 3rd and 4th fish with a jig but every fish was hooked in the edge of the mouth not outside or inside the lip bit square on it and barely hooked by a small bit of skin. One I just got a foot from the bank as I was swimming it and that hookset was kind of a wash but the first fish I threw into some bushes overhanging off the bank and once I felt him pulling I reeled down the slack until I barely felt him and set the hook up hard without hesitating because I’ve read they drop jigs fast (He was 1.28 pounds for those wondering) And the second fish bit it while I was swimming it so I just set the hook up since I was already reeling it in the hookset position (he was 1.68 pounds, we won’t speak about the third because he was basically a minnow). Maybe this was a fluke but it seems like it’s something I’m doing to cause both fish to be barely hooked square on the lip. Does anyone have any experience with these or idea why this might be happening ? Thanks in advance for the comments I really enjoy the jig and I can see how it could really be the best thing to use for these pressured ponds

Today I went fishing at my on campus pond because it was supposed to start raining at lunch so I fished from 9–11:30 and started with a weightless fluke because it’s the only thing I consistently have luck with here (it’s my 5th time fishing here) I got 4 bites within 30 minutes but only one was a real take the others were bites but before I could set the hook or feel if they were on they dropped it so I was discouraged and figured I was cursed to not catch anything so I switched to a strike king finesse jig with matching trailer I got on sale at Walmart. I did this because I’ve never had luck with a jig and this was a chance to force myself to use one. I was casting to cover and hopping it a few times then reeling it back steady on the bottom giving it hops through open water and the first fish came 10 years from the bank while straight retrieving it with twitches and the next cast I threw it a little too far and it landed on the edge of the bank in some reeds so I drug it into the water and felt a bite, I set the hook hard but I don’t think I had reeled down enough slack first because he jumped and spit the hook but he had to be at least 4 pounds. My questions are: was I not having luck because my splashes on the cast were spooking the fish? I never overhand cast with a jig but the only bites I’ve ever gotten on a jig were either soft entries or away from where I casted. Also I used to hop the jig all the way back and I think it may be wasting time to slowly jig it in open water so should I keep casting into cover as soft as possible and speeding up to bring it back? I also usually only fish around lunch or the evening and this was the first day I fished in the morning. Should I use a jig in the morning and something else later or was this coincidence? I had a good day and I ask because I want to make sure what I’m learning from this experience is actually what’s happening and I hope it can help someone else who was stuck on the jig like I have been. Thanks! The fish was 1.4 pounds btw if anyone’s curious

I’ve been using my baitcaster for a while and I was thinking it’s low on line and I was wondering if someone could give some input. Am I ok on Line or should I respool it? I’ve never done it before so I’m not sure when I should change it