ww2farmer

Sure fire way to ruin your guides. Either learn to tie the leader knot, or don't run the swivel through the guides. A properly tied alberto knot between the braid and fluro has almost ZERO failure if you tie it right and are using a properly matched combo of braid/fluoro/rod power, and the reels drag set right. 50lb braid tied to 10lb fluoro, with a MH/fast rod , and the reels drag locked down tight is just a recipe for disaster no matter what knot you use.........just to give an example. The alberto knot is so rediculously easy to tie, and just about as bullet proof as it gets. So much so, that I have to question anyone who says they don't "trust it" knot tying skills.

I am not much of a swimbaiter, but I have had good days with them. The 4" Netbait BK swimmer has by far been the most productive for me. I will Rig it on a 5/0, keel weighted 1/4 oz. Gamakatsu superline spring lock for swimming over grass, and will use a Gamakatsu 5/0 EWG worm hook with an 1/8 oz tungsten worm sinker pegged to it's nose for swimming it through grass. For hard swimbaits, I have yet to branch out in that area much, but have had some decent fish on the Strike King King shad. None of those baits require special swimbait gear, I toss the soft bodied baits on a 7'MH/fast casting rod that I would use for spinnerbaits, swimjigs, etc....and the King Shad on my deep diving crank bait rod.

About 75% of what I buy comes from Tackle Warehouse, the rest from the chain stores in the local area Gander Mtn., Dicks, Wal marts,etc... and if we are out that way Bass Pro shops. I would buy more locally if I could, but there are just not many (that I know about) locally owned and operated tackle shops that actually have what I would want, or use.

If I am throwing a beaver, it's Reaction Innovations or nothing.

Sorry to hear that man............prayers and well wishes for all.

I don't open them up at all..........too many small parts for my big dumb hands. When I have problem with one I send it to a pro like DVT. But I do perform some maint. on them. At the end of every season I take the spool bearing out, thats easy enough to do as long as you don't let the little clip that holds them in go flying. I soak them in acetone, let them dry, reinstall and add ONE drop of lube to them. I also use a q-tip and clean any gunk that has accumulated in all the nooks and crannys, like up under the "hood" where the level wind is, I clean the inside of the break race, and the spool bearing recesses. I also add a drop or two of oil to the level wind worm gear, wipe the reel down with a lint free rag, and that's about it. About once a month during the season I add a drop of oil to the spool bearings and worm gear as well.

Original Megastrike for me. I put it on every thing that does not already have scent, like Zoom, GYCB, and Reaction Inovations plastics. Stuff like Berkley power bait and gulp, Netbait, and the SK coffee scented stuff I don't add it to.

I don't fish tubes for largemouth much any more, IDK why not, they always produced. Back when I did, I used alot of different ones, Venom, Mizmo, Yum, Strike King, Zoom, and on and on....No one produced better than the other, but I found I liked ones that had a little solid place on the head better than ones that were hollow all the way to the head. Now when I do flip tubes for LMB, it's usually the SK coffee tubes, the 4.5" flipping model does have the solid head. For Smallmouth, I still use tubes often. I have tried lots of those too. My favorties are ones that are only single walled, with a thinner profile. While I have caught fish on the 3.5" SK coffee tubes, they are pretty thick. I took a shine last year to Yamamoto tubes, they are nice thinner profile tubes like I like.The Zoom small tube is also a thin profile tube too, BUT, it has a solid head..........good for T-rigging, but I don't like it for inserting a tube jig head.

I also use the rubber nets. Mine is a frabill. Plain jane fixed handle that is about 4-5 foot long.

I can't say that one is any better than the other for me. For every big fish, or great day I have had on something greenpumpkin, I have had days like that with some form of watermelon.

I throw my soft swimbaits with the same rod/reel/line combo that Iuse for spinnerbaits and swimjigs. For me it's a 7 ' MH rod with a 6:1 geared reel, and 30 or 50 lb braid.

It's some thing I usually have rigged up all summer long, maybe not 1.5 oz's, but I will use a 3/4-1oz when docks in shallow water. They have more use than just punching mats

I switched to Seaguar Red label last year for my leader material after using Berkley Trilene 100% fluoro, and Vanish for a long time. Never had any issues with either of the Berkley lines (as leader material), but found the Seaguar better than both. It's a little more $$ than Vanish, but cheaper then the Trilene fluoro. But seeing as I only use it for leaders, a 200yd spool lasts me a long time. The things I liked about the Seaguar better than either of the Berkley lines was #1 it was more abbrasion resistant than Vanish, and just as good, if not better than the Trilene, #2 it is more sensitive than either of them, #3 it is less visable under water (at least to me, I have no clue how fish see it, but it makes me feel better) than both. #4, it's smaller diameter line compaired to equal lb tests of the Trilene. And #5, I have had zero knot issues with it (that were not my own fault for tying bad knots in the first place).

Get a couple good spinning reels for $30-$50 from any of the better brands, Shimano, Daiwa, Abu Garcia, Pflueger, etc ..............assuming your talking about spinning reels..............they all make decent stuff. Personaly I prefer Shimano. I fish 100+ days a year and have zero problems with my $50 Shimano Sonora's. For "general purpose" fishing, a Shimano or Daiwa in the 2000 or 2500 size is a good choice. IDK about the Abu/Pflueger/any other brands sizes, they don't use the 1000,2000,2500,etc. numbering system Shimano and Daiwa use, and often times without seeing them in person I am confused by there numbering systems.

Out of my 12 combos, the only ones I have duplicates of are 7' MH/fast casting, I do so many different things with those rods it saves me a lot of time and agrivation of constantly having to re-tie when I want to switch. I have 3 of those now, they are all St Croix's, but not all the same line. One Avid, one Legend Tournament, and one Rage. I only have one each of the rest of my rods, and each one does at least one specific thing for me, with occasional use for something else. This upcoming season will be the first since I switched to St Croix rods/shimano reels, that all my rods will be St Croix's and all my reels will be Shimano. But that's just more of a "me" thing, it matters not to the fish.

20lb braid, gets cranks to there max depth quicker and faster than any fluorocarbon will...........I have fished cranks on all types of line, and the braid wins hands down every time. Plus you will feel every thing on it. Use a moderate action crankbait rod, and this nonsense people claim about pulling hooks out of fish because braid has no stretch will not happen. I will use a fluorocarbon leader when I need some abrasion resistant line.

Paca craw for a craw that "flaps", GYCB craws for one that don't..............both in green pumpkin.

Strike King KVD's, and Spro Little Johns.

St Croix Legend Tournament 7'10" Magnum Cranker. I have it, I use it. Can't beat a graphite cranking rod with braid for deep cranking grass.

I was 3 for 4 this weekend, I really thought Cincy would beat Houston, especially after they way Houston had played the last month of the season. No surprises, for me, with the way the way the Baltimore, and Greenbay games went. I was 50/50 on Washington/Seattle, but I did think Seattle, being the hottest team (next to Wash and Denver.) going into the Playoffs would win, RGIII on two legs might have made that a wildcard game for the ages, but.......... Next week I fully expect New England to roll Houston, it's what they do. I think Denver will win, but it's hard to tell if the Ray Lewis retirement train can keep Baltimore rolling. If Ray Rice puts the ball on the carpet twice in Denver like he did today, Manning will make them pay. I think the Packers will beat the 49er's, I am not sure Kapernick is ready for this spot. And I won't be shocked if Seattle beats Atlanta, they are hot, and I don't trust the Falcons in the playoffs.

My heart wants ND..........but my head says Alabama. I don't think it will even be close, kind of like the times Ohio State played in the champ. games, the SEC is just too strong.

For me, suspending jerkbaits in general, reguardless of brand, work best for me after ice out when the water starts getting up into the mid-high 40's temperature range and are effective through the entire pre-spawn time frame. Every body of water is different, but on my home lake I like to throw them early on the deeper edges of large weed flats, either parallel to the deep weededge, or with the boat sitting off the edge, up on to the flat and work it back to the boat. As the water warms I go shallower and shallower, till the fish are on the bank and then I use something else. I like the water to be clear, and some wind to break up the surface a little. Never been a real big fan of throwing them on slick calm water. Another place I like to use them is on the ends of points or over top of other deep water structure where I see a lot of fish suspending on the graph. I have drawn fish up to hit them that were suspended 20+ feet down, over 30 feet of water off the ends of point, or some other form of offshore cover.Again, in this situation, I like clear water, and some surface chop. I know a lot of guys like them year round, but for me, spring is my #1 time to use them, and I know I should really make an effort to fish them more in the fall, especially late, and in the same areas and situations I would fish them in the spring.

I have had way less issues with the types of guides they are using on the Rage's than I have had with guides with inserts. Fenwick used those type of guides on the Eagle Gt's and HMX's that I used for years before I switched to St Croix. Never had one single guide issue on those rods, braid, mono, fluoro, or any line I used, no inserts every fell out, or cracked, and no grooving. At least once a year I have a guide insert fall out or some other problem, like a cracked ring, be it the guides on a Mojo, Avid, or Legend Tournament. 99% of my guide problems occur on, or near the tip, presumably from getting banged around. But I never had the same issues on the Fenwicks, they may "look" cheaper, but I found the opposite to be true.

This may be overly simplistic, but when I want a jig to fall slower I will use trailer that offers more "resistance" on the fall. OR I will use heavier line. This might not be the kind of answer your looking for, but it works for me with the jigs I already have so I don't have to clutter up my jig selection with a bunch of special "niche" jigs. Another option is to buy a punch skirt, you can use any size weight or hook with them. A bulky punch skirt with a 1/16th oz weight pegged in front of it with the hook and plastic of your choice will fall pretty slow.

I have no idea how the two compair to each other, never owned the Loomis, but i am sure it's a fine rod. Loomis has a loyal following, and a great reputation for building quality products that stand the test of time. On the other hand I do have the Avid you ask about, and IMHO it is a great rod for jigs, and worms. That is exactly what I use mine for.