softwateronly

Phenix feathers are also high quality rods at a great price point. They run a little light; a listed MH fishes closer to a M. scott

I think they have a higher threshold, like $200, for free shipping, but its been awhile since I ordered from there. scott

Those tightrope jigs are slaying for me on lake michigan and I have a major craft days 6'9M/F w/ 10lb sniper. I've had great hookups and don't recall losing any. You can certainly use a MH too, nice stout hook. The MC days rod is around $135 from digitaka, MC benkei is $145 at tw. Jackall 3.8" i-shad as a trailer is sneaky good in goby water. scott

-Feider's has 2 hackle feathers tied in with craft fur, hence the name. -I throw it on 7'6 MH 30lb braid to 16lb shock leader, 14-16lb should be just fine. -1/2oz is a nice slow glide while tight lining, I surf it down the weedy breaks in 8'-15' -I've definitely done best post spawn till turnover, but I think there's ample opportunity to find a cold water bite, especially a warm up in early prespawn. Just haven't done it yet with the big hair jigs. -I'm without electronics, so my suspended schoolers are the toughest to find. This is one of my search baits for em. But my best action is swimming/coasting them within a few feet of the bottom. I like to think of it as a swimbait; big, natural, and subtle. -mikeybalzz fishing and milliken on youtube has lots of preacher jig action as well. scott

I'm in the 7:1 camp and would go to 6:1 if it wasn't available. I keep my one 8:1 on my jig rod. scott

I started messing around with preacher jigs based off @WRB's recs last year and it's quickly become a staple for me. When on, the bite is tremendous and leans towards big fish. I definitely recommend out cast tackle's chicken jig, 5/8oz works really well from 8-25' and great place to start for big hair jigs. scott

Work's a mess, but the time available has been great over the last week... scott

These are the 2 feathers I own. The ML is a blast and the 7'7MH is confounding. I heard the MH fished like a M, and was hoping it could be a long caster for lightweight finesse ballhead paddletails, but it just doesn't have the tip to sling or control light baits. Been tossing a 1/2oz outcast chicken jig with it recently and it's fun to bow up on some chunky fish, but for this it feels just a hair too light. It currently straddles a no mans land for me, but somewhat luckily it has a manufacturers defect in a misaligned first guide. I'm going to trade it in and pay the difference to give the 7'7XH 2 piece a try as a light travel rod flipping stick or a 7'3XH 2 piece to cover frogs and pitching duties. Keep going back and forth in my head and interested in others opinions. scott

Giant catfish that lives in a muddy river where human remains are always available for consumption? I'll pass.... scott

I have a couple dc's and couple 71 mgl's. I'm not replacing my dc's, but I'm also not getting more. scott

Well, I must be wrong that they can't get into it. Maybe, I just haven't been able to fish through it, ie under the canopy, in any effective manner. My experience with it has me fishing over it, and weightless soft plastics that don't drop all the way in or through the canopy, just like what you're explaining with your neko rig. And I've had success. Those weeds definitely hold life that bass feed on at times. But my best success has been where those weeds meet anything else, particularly the tall cabbage, milfoil, etc on the deeper edge. scott edit; For clarity, the "cloud puff weeds" are some of my least favorite cover and I do search out other areas or the transitions out of them.

I'm in the no rattle camp, but I only fish clear water and am not a guru. Matter of fact, when there are multiple options with baits, I have more confidence in the silent version. I lean towards more water displacement when visibility is poor(er). scott

I like this. Played around with a mag fintech and 7" fluke before with decent success. I'd like to try a big fluke on a free rig, might be nice for those fish that are relating to the bottom but not quite on it. I like the way you're set up, the 2 additions that I'd be ready for is 5/8oz big hair, preacher, chicken jig and some deep cranks. Good luck in the derby! scott

I don't know what weeds they are, but I've fished around them often. It's usually a less productive species for me on their own. If you're throwing bottom contact, too often it drops in and any decent size bass can't get through that canopy or there's none to few voids under it. I've had better success weightless resting on top with hops or topwater and swimming mid column. But like you said, the line where they meet other species is definitely the best area to concentrate on imo, especially the deep side. scott

Sometimes with top water, the bass seem to smash the bait closed mouth, trying to stun it or kill it, which makes it a tough day. A follow up wacky rig or fluke right where the strike happened works well for me. Unfortunately, it has to be on a 2nd rod because timing is key. All the hook upgrade recs sound good to me, I'm still new/undecided on what hooks perform best for me. scott

RH? scott

I've never held either of those rods, but there's been enough talk about them on this site by people I respect and have learned from that I know you can't go wrong either way. If I were you, I'd lean toward the Ark because it's very affordable and gives you another quality company to get familiar with. scott

The truth is, you have to get the feel. IPT changes through out a cast no matter what speed you're throwing and fish want different speeds on different days. Learn the feel, adjust the speed accordingly. For me, that's slowing down a 7 speed and using a relatively sensitive graphite rod. scott

How do you fish/rig your flukes? Texsposed 5” in or around cover definitely prefer a M+ for me. Nose hooked? M or ML spinning / casting. I like the backbone for punching thru the bait. scott

Been playing around with flutter spoons this year and have had good success so far with LM and pike, I would think it would play well in SM waters. I'm also gonna be watching for gizzard shad getting blown up in open water, and dropping it through. Just a note from my newbie experience, a 5" nichols spoon is 1 1/8oz. I think a 7" spoon is gonna be closer to 3oz. scott

I don't know man, sounds like no casts to me scott

So this is something I stumbled into and have been playing around with. So far it's been successful, but still limited time with it. I have a 6/0 1/8oz gambler duz-it nickel blade and a 6.5" hogfarmer spunk shad. I hit it like an alabama shake but with the rod tip to the side and either straight reel or chop it. With a fast twitch/shake cadence the bait hangs about the depth I start the retrieve at and the head has a small walk the dog action while the tail quivers all while staying horizontal. It also can horizontal slow sink in the holes. It's been getting choked. scott

This thread stuck in my mind with the early open water and cool spring, less boating, the hydrilla is way up, so a 3/8th oz free rig with a rage bug does nothing but catch. It's almost like horizontal pitching. You can cast anywhere into it and pop/stroke your way back, getting that vertical fall between the strands. Numerous times last week I could make 5-6 exact same casts and catch on every one while other nearby boats weren't. Appreciate being reminded of it's effectiveness. scott

You feel nothing while fishing too, the only way to know is to feel your lines and visually inspect it frequently. It just has to become habit or heartbreak. scott

I have this problem less frequently now. 16 wraps, 2 alternating half hitches, pull/set knot, trim leader, 2 alternating half hitches, 4 turn rizzuto finish, trim braid to 1/8" My rizzuto will unravel every now and then, but I just cut it back down and keep fishing. Those 4 half-hitches, while slightly unsightly, have not ever failed me. scott