softwateronly

I'm relatively new to baitcasters, but I will say that the JDM Met is one comfortable and amazing reel. I'm very happy with my purchase, but I do find the shorter handle being something I might change in the future. Sometimes when chopping my retrieve, I feel like I lose a moment of control. I also might get better muscle memory with it over time. I haven't used the Curado 70 for comparison, sorry. scott

I haven't used it, so I can't say, but the daiwa tatula 7'3" swimbait rod has kept my attention even though I don't "need" it. Looks to be a good blend of length, power, weight, and action. Maybe that fits the application and price? I have the 7'7" Mod/fast Heavy expride, rated to 2oz if you want to stay in the shimano family, but you'd end up near the rods limit and it might feel underpowered. scott

I second this. I busted out a tip insert a few years ago on the Mojo drop shot and reshuffled my reels. Still haven't fixed it. This rod is the only technique specific rod that I have that really felt pinned in to that technique. I never found anything that this excelled at for me. Fyi, the ML Avid is my favorite spinning rod. scott

This is slightly off topic, but this thread seems to have loads of crawfish knowledge. I mostly fish a spring fed natural lake in Michiana. I've been on this water for 13 years, fishing, swimming, boating etc. The water is 12'+ visibility naturally, and about 5-6' when the weeds and boat traffic have reached their maximum. Everything I've read and heard is that crawfish have to be in this water, yet I've never seen one. My question is, can a huge and healthy turtle population out compete crawfish making their population low? scott

I just drove from the city to Mallard Lake way out there for me in Roselle. Some open water at the shoreline, but I think it won't open till that forecasted rain.....

I like that thinking though! My wallet is hurting a bit, maybe I'll sharpie up the blades on one of my rigs instead. Plus shipping the last few weeks has been a crapshoot. A non-bladed a-rig might not show up till the 4th of Juy! If that doesn't work, dykes do! scott

Someone earlier in this thread said and glide baits prove this, that Bass take center mass and head shots very frequently. More than I realized until last year. I'm guessing that the bulk of a trailer lowers the center of "displacement" and improves their targeting. Making me type that out, just made me regret only picking up bladed a-rigs. A-rigs are new to me and I can't wait to give it a shot. Now, more shopping scott

I've been using a spunk shad, fluke, zako, single tail grub, etc as trailers. I believe it's an honest question for sure and it cuts to the core of my spinnerbait fishing, it's not super effective for me. I basically think of texas rigged 4-5" swimbaits, open hook swimbaits, chatterbaits, swim jigs, underspins, and spinnerbaits as doing the same thing but working different depths and levels of weed cover. Just roughstimates...t-rigged 50%, chatterbaits 30%, open hook 10%, underspin, swim jigs and spinnerbaits make up the rest. Chatterbaits have dominated the 12'+ water, open hook has been 5-10' down over the weed tops, and t-rigged is in all depths. Where spinnerbaits have been effective is post spawn/early summer when the deep weeds haven't come all the way up. I throw uphill and roll it down hill, and find it's best post memorial day when the water gets stirred up from recreational users. This bite seems to last 2-4 weeks at most. This year, I plan to use swim jigs a lot more frequently, including the deep weed clumps. My time in deep water with chatterbaits ripping grass has told me that the painted blades are more effective which leads me to believe painted blade spinnerbaits might be the ticket on these lakes. Taking it a step further, I think the vibration and displacement in clear water can be a plus, and so can flash albeit much less frequently. So a real long answer, that should have said.....You're correct, I throw the trailer only, a majority of the time. scott

The St Joe has flatheads. I'd soak some sort of cut bait in the deepest, slowest water, but I don't really know. My maps of the St Joe are incomplete, but there's a lot of deep water in the section between Elkhart and Mishawaka, about an hour south of you. scott

My observations, using a trailer on a spinnerbait has eliminated blade strikes. The water I fish is clear to crystal clear. After reading this thread, I think these things are directly related. scott

No intention of hijacking this thread, but I just picked up a picasso double willow spinnerbait and I didn't notice till i got it that it has a swing head design. Seems genius for action, hook up ratio, and the removal of a jumping bass's leverage during the fight. Haven't gotten a "real" spinnerbait in awhile, this design been around? Does it do, what I think it's gonna do? scott

I just saw where you live. There's a possibility I can put my XP706cb and a FR705cb in your hands if we can make schedules work and you're interested... scott

This is a somewhat terrible answer, but here it is anyway. I have a FR705cb that I fished with frequently for 2 months. I bought a XP 706cb and only got a few casts in before ice up. The 705cb is an absolute blast to fish, I threw a lot of different things on it because it was new. The whippy action is really fun, but wasn't ideal for single hook applications, which is pretty obvious. The thing is, it wasn't terrible (1 - 5lb bass and 1 - 35" northern on a 4.8" weedless keitech), so I grabbed the 706cb. In my hand, this feels like a real sleeper of a versatile rod. It seems like it has a softness/backbone combination mixed with above average sensitivity that can really handle any treble baits under 1.75oz and deliver a good sweeping hookset on 1/2oz chatterbaits, swimjigs, spinnerbaits, 3/4 oz open hook paddle tails, 5" texposed swimbaits, etc. It's a stick that I'm really excited to get a fish on in the next month, if ice and work let up a bit. I've never fished a glass rod or a hybrid, fyi... scott

No idea if this is gonna get the right attention in my waters, but I gonna spend some time with 9" uptons custom reapers on a 1/2oz mag shakey head in deep water post spawn thru summer. Also thinking of swimming it on a swing head/tokyo rig. Pretty sure it'll produce a decent pike or a mammoth northern largemouth if I put it in the right spot. scott

I hold the head in my hand and "swim" the tail half in the hot/not boiling water for a few 15-30s rounds. I haven't run into a situation where this doesn't work yet for the plastics I have. scott

I'm thinking the tokyo rig and the swing head can be used interchangeably at times, mainly when bouncing off of hard bottom or chunk rock. My guess is that muck would make the tokyo rig better and that a swing head would provide a better presentation if the bait is swimming just off of the bottom. Don't have enough experience to say definitively. scott

I just bought one and can't wait till open water. Absolute insane price to me, but the craftsmanship is remarkable and the versatility at that length was most appealing. I figured my most expensive stick will fish the baits I enjoy the most, reactive glides, swimmers, frogs, big topwater, 6" soft swimbaits, big swimjigs, etc. Hopefully, everything you and I heard is true! scott

I have the Fury 795swbt as well, and had it paired up with curado dc. This year it'll be with a curado 300 because I spent way too much and added a whole arsenal of rods and reels over the fall/winter. I also have a Tat 200 on a Champ 735. The S waver 200 seems like the max to throw on the 795. I definitely lob a sidearm cast with it and get great distance, but it's a gentle motion for sure. In an alternate reality, I wish there was a 796. That said, I love that rod. It gave me 8 bass between 4.5-6lbs, and 3 35"+ pike in MI in the span of 6 weeks from a 250acre lake. Big baits have changed my mindset on these bodies of water. My only tip, in deep water (15'+) be patient and count down the swaver 200 or better yet let it fall to the bottom before starting the retrieve. That accounted for 3 of those 8, including the largest 2. Also, fishing uphill in the middle of the day seemed significantly more effective in the colder water. Watching a big bait follower commit to eating is now my favorite thing in bass fishing. Congrats on the new addition to the family, sounds like the perfect reason to fish less for a year! scott scott

Yep! Always learn here! Thank you

A-Jay, Most successful for you....Drop shot? Swing head? Ball head? something else? Those look real useful for Lake Michigan. Thanks scott

I do have 2 hands, and think this knot is made out to be way harder than it is if you tie it like the video link. Maybe it was expectation thing, but this knot is now my thing....

Curious, are you using the XH 7'3", 7'6", or 7'11"? I haven't been able to handle any of them in person. Thanks! scott

I thought I'd never tie an fg knot because of the difficulty, but it turns out I find this easier than a blood knot. I don't tie it fast, but I also don't have to tie it often.

That sunline fc 100 shock flouro is really the only dedicated "leader" I have. Everything else is just snipped off of a spool. That said, the fc100 is pretty amazing and I think it'll take over all of my heavier applications. scott

I grabbed the 7'7" expride Heavy/Mod Fast this winter. While looking for opinions online, it seems to not be talked about much, but that 7'6" XH was almost completely missing from the places I searched. Sorry I have nothing to offer, just would love to hear what you think about whatever you choose. Best of luck! scott