I deal with zebra mussels which are similar in their destructive tendencies toward braid. My solution is a longer floro leader, 15'+, specifically sunline shooter in 10 and 14lb. The mussels still win at times, but usually I can get my lure back and trim the shredded leader. I also fight fish differently on when I let them dig and when I turn them. I haven't found any braid that takes shell edges well and there is no meaningful or discernible difference in braid diameter that I've experienced.
This is difficult my friend, all these are personal choices. Here's how it would play out for me, but I'm guessing because I've never held most of what you have. I also fish braid to leader as a preference that many dislike.
Daiwa Tatula SV TW 150 (2024 model)
Daiwa Tatula BF70 BF
Daiwa Tatula SV TW 70
Daiwa Tatula Elite
Rod 1: 6’8” Mf Lew’s TP2 Spinning Rod (6-12 lb. line & 1/8 to 1/2 oz. lures)
Shimano Vanford, but I haven't thrown spinning gear in 2+ years. 15lb braid to 8lb sniper. Finesse plastics, free rig, wacky, weightless, jig n minnow, etc
Rod 2: 7’5” MHf Megabass Levante Braillist Casting Rod (8-20 lb. line & 3/8 to 1 oz. lures)
Daiwa Tatula SV TW 150 (2024 model) 30lb braid to 16lb sniper. This would be my main worm/jig rod and also throw texas rigged swimbaits in the 4-6" range
Rod 3: 7’2” MHmf Evergreen Combat Stick Casting Rod (10-20 lb. line & 3/8 to 1-1/4 oz. lures)
Daiwa Tatula Elite 30lb braid to 12 or 16lb sniper. Spinnerbaits, swim jigs, open hook swimbaits, scroungers, etc. Moving single hook applications primarily. Probably a decent trap/spook rod too, if so I'd move to mono leader for topwater. Should be good for most bigger mid depth cranks or squarebills.
Rod 4: 7’8” XHmf Evergreen Combat Stick Casting Rod (40-80 lb. braid & 1/2 to 4 oz. lures)
Money not an issue; JDM Zillion HD, cheaper tatula 200. 65lb braid to 25lb floro/mono. All treble hook 5-8" swimbaits or open hook swimbaits and large flutter spoons, probably staying under 3oz. Could also crank your 20+ divers, though the 65lb braid isn't ideal diameter so expect less depth.
Rod 5: Your suggested crankbait rod (and reel) I'd go 6'10 ish M/RF or M/F (1/8-3/4oz) here for finesse plastics, shakey head, jerk baits, small spoons, topwater, squarebills, flukes, etc and pair it with the Daiwa Tatula BF70 BF, PE 1.5 to 10lb sniper
And all of it is subject to change once I fished it. I'd then have the tat 70 in the wings for another M or MH RF/MF that compliments or slots in around the gaps of the MH combat stick and the not yet determined rod.
Not good, not good at all. Almost everyone got me for something, and always enough for free shipping.
scott
softwateronly's post in Rod Setup was marked as the answer
You seem to have everything covered. Maybe a longer bc rod; ie EMTF or Braillist, if you stay in the MB lineup, though I've never tried them. I fish braid to leader and would probably lean toward the EMTF, traps, blade baits, finesse jigs, free rigs, spoons, etc.
The 22 Bantam is one of my favorite reels, and though I no longer have a 734, when I did, the 18 bantam was right at home on there. One of my favorite things about dobyns rods, is that a 6-8oz reel feels nearly identical. Allows for a lot of reel swapping with other rod companies less interested in balance.
I almost have all those rods and baits. 6" magdraft is probably gonna be best on the EX7'2H. You could throw it on the DC734, but you'd have to really really lean into a bite, a DC735 would also work great. A 6" magdraft freestyle should definitely be thrown on your EX7'3XH. It's the perfect rods for 6-7" beast hook, weedless soft baits, imo. Swaver 168 would be perfect for the 7'2H. The chad shad and gill are gonna be best on the EX7'3XH. I throw over 2oz very frequently with that rod, you'll be fine. They're both heavy enough where you might wanna make sure you sidearm lob it early till you get the feel of the rod.
I have "real" swimbait rods, but I end up usually preferring heavy jig rods for certain lures, ie a magdraft and 168 I never tie on to my large reel rigs.
Do your wraps. I’m usually 16-20. I like 2 half hitches next. Then set the knot! I like a couple quick pops on it, then I torque down and really pull. You’ll see the knot change color as it bites. Next, trim the floro as close as possible, this is the number one source of a knot unraveling over time. Nail clippers are my favorite. Then I do 2-3 more half hitches and a 4 turn rizzuto to finish. Burn or not burn hasn’t affected me yet and I never put nail Polish on it. I think you’ll see there’s really nothing to it as you gain confidence tying them. Best of luck on the swimbait hunt!
Something that worked for me is breaking a body of water down to a manageable chunk that I could work over 4-5 times in a row, and continually come back to as I expanded patterns and learned more. I fish small lakes compared to most on here, like 75 acres and 325 acres, so I can only guess how daunting figuring out some big water can be. I picked a section that had the geography and depth to support the spawn and the closest deep water to that area and spent time on it. Over a short period of time I learned there can be a lot of dead water. Over a longer period of time, I learned that the water I thought was dead is in fact holding fish but they are not always active. Spending time on this smaller chunk of water over years has given me insights into the ebbs and flows of seasons, water temps, water levels, fishing pressure, fish migration, and even bite windows. If you have electronics, finding the shad would be my priority. If you don't, structure, cover, and bird watching would guide me the most.
It's mid 30's and raining today, my least favorite weather. These gloves are the real deal! Thanks @T-Billy for a great rec. These are also gonna make work a little more comfortable this winter.
I have the 7'3" MH/RF, 6'11M+/F, 7'2"H/F. I can say that fast should be ruled out for sure. I find the 7'3"MH/RF does everything pretty well. I haven't really thrown many trebles on it yet. I'm about to bring it on a trip where it will serve as my squarebill rod, so I believe it will be good. Blade baits, swim jigs, chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, underspins, T-rigs, and jigs have all treated me well on that rod.
We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.
