T-Billy

I set my drags and forget 'em. They stay tightened down even while in winter storage for a couple months. The only issue I've ever had was a Super Duty that was over lubed from the factory. I degreased the drag stack and it's been fine ever since. If you're having an issue with a modern drag slipping, it's probably a lube or wave washer issue.

I've had this happen with brand new FC. Seaguar invizx, red label, p-line, BPS, Trilene... There's a reason I don't use it anymore. I get the slack line sensitivity, and sinking attribute, but it's just not worth the fragility trade off to me, especially as a leader where it's sensitivity is negated by the braid. Mono leader is a much better option IMO. XT and Siege are super abrasion resistant, and have great shock and knot strength.

Darn right it woulda been bigger. Because it woulda broke me off!!! No way I coulda pulled her outta there with that see through sissy line!!! ?

Got an early start this morning, 3am, hoping to run into some saugeye before daybreak. Started with a chatterbait. Had three fish just drill it, knocking slack in the line, with zero hookups. Thought, enough of this, and switched to a paddle tail. Couldn't buy a bite. Wind was blowing a steady 10 or so. I don't think the swimmer had enough thump to get their attention, so I picked up a black/chrome RES. First cast a musky stole it. Tied on another. Five minutes later it was gone too. Grrr. OK, back to the chatterbait. Three more bites. Three bitten off tails. Grrr. Time to change things up. Moved to a rip rap point and caught two small LM and a nice smallie that weighed 3.24# on the chatterbait. All three had it choked. It was interesting how they went from swatting at it, to nipping at it, to choking it over the course of a couple hours. Spent some time switching between the chatterbait and a spinnerbait after first light. After an hour or so without a bite, I laid 'em down and picked up a flippin stick. It was the right call. Water's down to 64 and the fall flippin bite is under way. The front moving through had 'em all buried up in the brushy stuff. Ended up catching 16 LM including my second 5# of the year. This girl just squeaked over the line at 5.02. Winched her out of the middle of this tangle. She was buried up deep in it, under the trunk of the tree. Say it with me, STRAIGHTBRAIDBRIGADE!!! ?

Why not stick with Lew's? My super Duty G's are holding up great, and all they see is heavy duty work. The oldest is on it's 5th season and the newest of three on it's 3rd. They cast far, have great line capacity, and the LFS frame is very comfortable IMO. They just upgraded them recently with the P2 pinion support, making an already durable and great performing reel even better. Flippin and A rigs are exactly the kind of bassin they were designed for.

No offense taken, or intended. I was just clowning around, but also making the point that braid works well for a lot more than some would have us believe.

Amen brother. Imagine how boring it would be if we were all the same. I'll fish a mono leader when fishing deep rock to make breaking off easier. That's the only time I use one. Edit to add: Get your butt out there and catch some on that Invoker. ? I'm anxious to hear what you think of it.

LOL. I don't get too "serious" about it, but I am an "avid" angler. I fish roughly 80-100 days a year. I ended up going with mostly straight braid just through experimentation and experience on the water. I started with just mono like most. Fell for the fertilizer that the line companies and their sponsored pro's spread about fluoro, like many. Failures with that crap lead me back to mono. Started doing all my heavy cover fishing with braid, and that lead to me trying braid for other techniques. Turns out that at least in most instances, fish don't give a crap about seeing that braid. I REALLY like the way 832 handles. It holds up well, even in rock with 30# and up. I retie WAY less with it than with mono or fluoro. I can move fish out of places I wouldn't even attempt to fish with mono or flouro. Braid's just the best option for me for most of what I do. There will never be a concensus on this topic. Different strokes for different folks and all. Ya gotta get out there and experiment. Find out what works for YOU. Then when you get tired of breaking fish off on that other stuff, come enlist in the #STRAIGHTBRAIDBRIGADE. ?

The bass bite has been warming up come mid morning for me lately, and continuing through the afternoon as the water falls into the 60's, but I've still been starting early in an effort to get on some more of those big pre-dawn floaters. ? As the water continues to cool, late morning on will get better and better.

Hi, I'm Tim. Nice to meet you.

I like straight mono for finesse stuff. I think those little baits just move more naturally on it. Straight braid for everything else.

Ha!!! Same here in my neck of the woods. Hillbillies are hillbillies wherever you find us!!!

Ark Tharp series "Hammer". One heck of a value at $129, and they're on sale at SO for 25% off if they have that model in stock. 40 ton Japanese Toray graphite and Fuji K series guides. Edit to add: Just checked, SO is out of stock on that model in both the Tharp and Invoker series.

I bought a 7' MH XF for skipping, and based on Catt's recommendation I gave it a try for Trig's and jigs. I ended up buying a second. It's all I use for light trigs in moderate cover and jigs on structure these days. It casts light baits a long way on 20# braid, is super sensitive, and has enough power to suit me in light to moderate cover. I move up to a H F rod, and 40# 832 for thick stuff.

It was a trophy to him though. You're opinion of it is irrelevant. Perhaps the correct response to him is, Nice fish, Congratulations!!!

This is exactly how I go about it. Hit 'em HARD. Get 'em coming your way with the hookset, and WINCH on 'em. Don't give an inch. That lift up and reel down stuff will get you wrapped up in heavy cover. Get 'em coming with the rod. Keep 'em coming with the reel. Forget flouro or mono in the jungle. #STRAIGHTBRAIDBRIGADE!!!

I'm in this camp.

In bed at 7, up at 2 for work. Off days, it depends on what time I want to go fishing. Sometimes I sleep in clear up until 4 or so.

Thanks Katie!! The fish ain't bad lookin either!!! ???

Cat.

My Lew's Pro SP and Okuma Hakai are great in this scenario. Both are tough, heavy cover capable reels with light spools that start fast and help compensate for a rod that doesn't have the tip for light baits. Not ideal maybe, but they help, and it beats going in there with an underpowered rod and getting your heart broke by a biggun you couldn't control.

I just bought a Scorpion 70 from Digitaka for $148 and change, free shipping. Arrived in three days. Outstanding casting distance with the weights you mentioned and even a bit lighter. JDM is the way to fly right now with the exchange rates.

I was just checking out a used crucial at my local tackle store about a month ago. I forget the model, but it was either a 6-8 or 6-10 MH. Picked it up just because I hadn't seen one in a while. I had forgot how nice they were. I may pick up a used one one of these days just for nostalgia's sake. They were above my budget when they were in production.

I also make most of what I use. Torn up baits go into a container to be re-melted. Rigged baits stay rigged on my rods. I don't use salt in my baits so rusting hooks is not an issue. The factory baits that I do use get pitched after they get torn up.

Well... I just bought my 3rd Ark Invoker Pro 7'4" H MF casting rod. Lack of a full handle is the only thing that keeps it from being the perfect chatterbait rod IMO. I'm also liking it very well for spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, and paddletail swimbaits. Just an excellent blank for single hook moving baits. The split grip really isn't a big deal as it's a large diameter blank, but I do prefer a full grip on my chucking and winding rods. My Ark Tharp "King Cobra" would also be replaced immediately with another if broken. Great heavy cover pitchin rod. It's light, sensitive, and very well balanced for a rod of it's length and power. I spend a lot of time with it in hand, and rarely pitch cover with anything else anymore. I've muscled a 5+ LM from deep in the cattails, and two 3' musky out of bushy laydown tops just in the last couple weeks with it. Day after day it gets the job done in the jungle.