T-Billy

I'm a big fan of the Fuji K Series micros. My Ark rods have them, as does my Tatula. They are larger and more robust than the tiny micros on some rods, but considerably smaller than standard guides. Just right IMO. An Alberto passes through them just fine. The only issue is they freeze up easier than standards, but for all but a handful of days per year, I much prefer them.

It probably could at this point. LOL. It's been a good rod. Seen a ton of use and never an issue.

VS 20 some odd year old cheaper grade cork on a Quantum Tour Edition. Gave it a heavy coat of U40 awhile back to try and keep it together. 6'6" M-F It's a handy little blank. My wife loves it for light trigs and small cranks. Nice to see it back in service. It was one of my favorites years ago.

Heavy power rods, reels with plenty of drag pressure, and 40# braid at a minimum are the only way to fly when fishing in heavy vegetation and wood tangles IMO. Gotta bring their head up toward ya on the hookset and don't give an inch until they're clear of the cover. I get hung up in cover with small fish more than big ones because the flippin hooks point often comes out through the top of their head or gill plate and buries into the wood. If a fish does get me wrapped, giving them a bit of slack works maybe 50% of the time.

The toothy critters were up shallow again Monday night. Had another much bigger musky steal a chatterbait from me. I even found a nice floater right at the ramp @gimruis!!!

Berkley Lightning Rods. Lew's Hank Parker series. Both are very good for their price at around 45-50 bucks.

This is all that's required in the manmade reservoirs in my neck of the woods. "Offshore" is just a big mud flat in them for the most part. When the thermocline is set up, I simply find it, then parallel the bank around that depth in areas that have been productive for me closer to shore. When there's no thermocline, I'll watch my sonar a bit to find the depth the bait is suspending, then fish structure areas at that depth.

Is that the round reel that looks like a Shimano Calcutta Mike? I have three of those and they're super smooth and cast a country mile. I haven't used 'em for a few years, the thumb bars started sticking, but I think I'm gonna send 'em to DVT this coming winter for rehab.

https://zmanfishing.com/cms/products/zinkerz

I grip a baitcaster the same as A-Jay. With spinning the stem goes between the pinkie and ring as well.

Ha!!! It DOES give me anxiety!!! LOL. Years of accumulation. I gave a bunch to my grandkids last year, and was down to 36 I think. Then I went on my Ark buying bender. The Essence I bought yesterday puts me back at 54 I believe. I'm hopeless. My wife fishes with me though, and we fish for several species. There's a couple dozen in regular rotation. We just moved in may, I'll build a rod rack sometime this winter for those that get used. None taken my friend. I know I'm a disorganized mess. I'm not in denial, I just don't particularly care!!! ?

11 more on the deck of the boat, and another on the way. Fargin monkey.

Not near as many as those molds would make if I could get 'em to shoot. Next time I make baits, I'm gonna try wiping the cavities down with mineral oil and see if that helps.

A Trigged beaver style bait has a great gliding spiraling action on the fall, and a profile that resembles both a baitfish and a craw. It's my choice anytime I'm fishing in heavy cover regardless of clarity or temp. Something with flapping appendages has been better for me when fish are active, relating more loosely to cover, and willing to chase. I probably burn through more Sweet Craws than all other plastics put together.

I really like mine. It does cast light baits very well, while still being up to pitchin heavy cover. Smooth, precise feeling reel that's easy to dial in. I finally talked my wife into throwing baitcasters this year. My Hakai was the first she confiscated as she's able to get decent distance with it without having constant overruns. She's also taken over my Lew's Pro SP and both my Fuego's with shallow braid spools. Please don't tell the monkey about this situation. We all know what he'll do to me if he finds out.

Well... It happened again... Sitt'n here reading through this thread, when out of nowhere, the monkey jumped on by back, beat me senseless, dragged me to the auction site, and made me order an Ark Essence 7'4" MH R. Mostly for throwing paddletails. Sigh... It never ends.

I prefer an Arkie head over a football, but the jig has been putting fish in the boat at night lately. Weeds are dying back and I'm finding more fish relating to rock structure in 6'-12'. A paddletail slow rolled along the bottom has been getting it done too. Bass and eyes both love that thing.

I know several flats like you describe. The productive ones always have a feature that draws and holds fish, a point, spine, ditch, knob.... the spot on the spot.

Right on. Glad to hear they do that. Thanks for your service.

I think a Sierra is a good buy at $126. Not so much at the $189 I paid for mine. Mind sharing who has them at that price?

I like my 744 Kaden alot for spinnerbaits, paddletails, swim jigs... I think the the taper speed of the Kadens gets WAY overstated. Just your typical fast action. The 744 actually has a fairly parabolic bend and is excellent for single hook moving baits. Sweet spot is 3/8 - 5/8 IMO.

? It all started when I broke a Dobyns Sierra flippin stick. Dobyns didn't have a replacement in stock so I started looking around for something else while I waited on Dobyns. I decided to give Ark a try. I bought a Tharp Series "King Cobra" 7'6" HF and liked it so much better than the Sierra I ordered a "Money Maker" 7'3" MH F. Long story short, I'm now the happy owner of 14 Ark rods. LOL. My Abu's are all collecting dust, and the only Dobyns that sees much action is my 744 Kaden.

My grandpa bought me Zebco 202 and 404's when I was a kid. Lots of great memories growing up fishing with them. Caught my first bass with a 404 and a Big O. Been hooked ever since. Bought a 404 off of the auction site several years ago for nostalgia's sake. What a hunk of junk!!! LOL. Modern reels? Gotta go with my Super Duty G's. They're up for anything from light Trigs to punching and A-rigs. I have other reels I really like, some I even like better for a particular niche, but if I had to pick just one for everything, this would be my choice.

I've averaged a rod a month this past year. A reel every other, plus, line, baits, teminal tackle. It's shameful really. Oh, and then there's that new boat....