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mixermarkb

Fishing Buddy
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Everything posted by mixermarkb

  1. Amen Dutch. Find a way to flip that thing.
  2. MBR-842 is the rod you want then, same basic action, 7' instead of 6'6"
  3. Before you spend any cash, it's worth a shot to ship those two rods back to St. Croix along with a nice letter and see what happens. I'm not sure of the official warranty policy on them, but most of the rod companies are pretty good about standing behind their products, and you might be surprised what they do for you. juat a thought-
  4. Loomis E6X, GL3, or IMX, MBR-782C, used can save a few bucks if you can find one, with a Lews BB1HZ, 6.4:1 ratio. I am a topwater addict, with spooks and the lucky craft Sammy my go to. The MBR782 is 6'6", so you can walk a topwater without smacking the rod tip in the water, and casts a mile when you load it up.(I'm 5'10", so if you are well over 6' you may be fine with a 7' rod) I also like the plain lews BB1 for distance casting, 2 brakes on with the spool tension nice and loose works for me, I don't like mag brakes on a distance casting reel, and the extra bells and whistles of the BB1 pro just don't do anything for me. Trilene big game 15#, or if you are willing to spend the cash, Sunline Defier Armillo in 15 or 17#. It outcasts the big game, and has very, very low stretch for a mono line, so you can get the hooks in that fish that blows up on the very end of a long cast. I tried braid a couple seasons, but got frustrated with the way with will hang up in a spool every now and then, and went back to mono.
  5. Bass didn't seem to be biting much better than the crappie today. I have the kids with me, so didn't get a lot of fishing in, but just from messing around a couple hours, they weren't exactly jumping in the boat. I did have one 3.5-4 pound LMB on a big swimbait, on a point outside a spawning pocket, and a few hard hits without hookups on an Arig. Might go chase some smallmouth with Mr. Ned and the family tomorrow. I think that might be my best chance to get them on something that will bite.
  6. I'm with wrench, I can see a red flash on something like a trap or topwater being a good thing, though I don't buy hooks based on color. I have some really sharp daichi trebles that are red, and I don't think they hurt anything. Not sure that I'd change to them, but when I need to replace a hook on a trap, those are the ones I've been using.
  7. I love fluorocarbon on finesse spinning stuff. Braid or Nano to flouro is fine, and I like it on some things, but straight Sunline Sniper FC is amazing. I like how it casts and handles, I like how it sinks and doesn’t float and blow in the wind like nano or braid. I’m convinced 6 or 7 pound green Sunline is what God himself said to use for grubbing and ned rigging. I’m pretty sure it’s written somewhere in Leviticus.
  8. I'm sorry if I'm sounding arrogant, but are you guys with the big line twist problems on the eggbeaters closing the bail by reeling at the end of a cast or reeling against the drag when you hook a fish? Flourocarbon is picky, and Sunline handles way better than any other brand, but even with mono snap swivels shouldn't have to be a thing. Don't overfill, close the bail by hand every single time, and never reel against the drag when hung up or when a fish is hooked, and line twist shouldn't be an issue.
  9. Also, lay the line filler spool in a sink, pan of water, or live well when filling your reel. Winding it on wet makes a huge difference.
  10. Sunline Sniper, and a squirt of your favorite line conditioner every couple of trips. Problem solved.
  11. My theory is that the predatory impulse to smack a whole school of shad (Arig) to get an easy meal makes them less cautious. I use 25 pound green Sunline Flourocarbon on my Arigs though, and I'm sure I get more bites compared to braid. I also use rigs with black or brown wire and swivels, not shiny metal. Call it a confidence thing, but I'm convinced it makes a difference. I also believe that fish look a lot longer at a little slow moving single bait like a grub, or even a jig. Line size can really matter, especially with smallies, and especially around the spawn on the flat calm days. Bo is right that line size and type can effect the fall rate and action of the bait, but visibility matters as well. Maybe not on days when they are biting, but when it's tough, it matters, IMHO.
  12. +1 to what Champ said.
  13. Hope that wasn't Zebra infestation that caused you to lose your custom sticker... sounds a lot like the way my line has come back a few times at Bull...
  14. I have bought my NRX stuff used, or on special sale events. If you are a careful shopper, there are deals to be had in that 30-50 percent off retail rate for gear. I'm also not cocky enough to think that the guy in the 12' topper Jon with budget gear can't dial the fish in better than I can.
  15. I have to (sort of) disagree here. There is a difference in sensitivity between my loomis NRX rods and Falcon Cara's. Is it enough of a difference to make it worth the extra $200? Jury would be out on that, but I'm selling the 7'4" Cara Mike McClelland football jig rod and keeping the two 7'3" NRX rods I have for footballs and Crigs. Same reel, same line, same bait, I've fished them side by side, and I could definitely feel more of what was going on with the NRX. I don't have any sublimated jerseys at all, though I did consider having my boat wrapped for Bernie.
  16. Old Plug, I agree that prices for good gear are a little high, sometimes a lot high, and it is often an incremental improvement after a certain price. (For rods, I'd say that's around $100, give or take $20) Where I really see the difference in high end gear, and where you might could really benefit from one or two really nice combos, is in weight. The newer mid to high end rods are reels are soo much lighter than the older round bait casters and cheaper rods, that it really makes a significant difference in wear and tear on joints and muscles over the course of a day of casting. I can fish longer days, and more active types of baits without getting near as sore as before low profile lightweight reels and super light rods came along, and for me, that's worth it. Of course I also built up my gear before I was married and had kids, so while I have a real nice pile of junk, I couldn't have done it had I had a family to support before I had most of it paid for.
  17. Ike has grown a lot on me, but that was still harebrained. I’m sure some of the running fast everywhere stuff is a made for TV moment, but common sense should trump ratings on public waterways. I’m all for derby fishing, and I love fast boats, but one derby guy (or derby spectator boat) runs over a crappie fisherman or some kids out playing on a standup paddle board, and we all are going to have speed limits, boating licenses, and all sorts of revenue generating red tape.
  18. Boat control is HUGE. Heck, probably worth a teaching day with Champ right there. Learning what to do with the boat, and why, and then having enough time on the water doing it so it becomes totally automatic and doesn’t take any brain power away from casting mechanics and feeling bites is one of the things I’m convinced really separates the serious fishermen from hacks like me.
  19. I’ve had a few good days on Bull with the orange trick worm. Never caught a big girl on one, but the bucks will smack them hard. Fun to watch that worm all of a sudden zoom off to the side about 6 feet when a bass picks it up and moves it. Honestly, it’s been best for me the same time top water heats up, and I find a spook a lot more fun to fish, so I haven’t given it anything more than a solid experiment. It will catch fish when the buck brush is flooded.
  20. I'm still breaking from Wrench on this one, and saying that the OP's triton is overpropped by a size or two, and that if he swaps down in pitch, he won't need the bandaid of a foil, and that he will have a better handling, most likely faster/more fuel efficient, and more fun to drive boat. I also still say that a correctly dialed in manual jack plate will also put a huge smile on his face the first time he floats it off the trailer and punches it. He isn't gonna blow up his motor the way it is now, but he's sure not seeing the potential of that boat, and IMHO, a foil isn't gonna make it what it could be.
  21. Haven't fished a Denali, I'm generally a Loomis guy for bottom feel baits and Falcon for most everything else. I'm sure the ducketts are fine rods, but to be honest, something about Boyd Duckett just rubs me the wrong way, so I won't really look at his products. I've had very good customer support with Falcon, and the same with Lews. Both companies, and Denali for that matter, are based in the region, and I just enjoy spending money with somewhat local companies. Good luck and have fun with the search!
  22. The Bucco SR is a fine rod, but it is made overseas, as are the Lews and Duckett. For the same money you can get the USA made 6'8" Falcon Jason Christie rod, which is as fine of a spinnerbait rod on the planet for under $200. It will also throw the heck out of swim jigs, spooks, and even work just fine for jerkbaits like the Vision 110 and McStick. It's a very versatile stick, patterned a bit after the "angler of the year" model in the Cara and Lowrider series. I have the Cara version, and it's the best spinnerbait rod I've ever used. I love the slightly moderate taper, fantastic for roll casting a spinnerbait, and also great for loading up and keeping fish pinned on treble hook baits. IMHO, any rod that is going to load up and accurately toss a spinnerbait at visible cover is not going to do you too well for Arigs, unless you are strictly throwing small 3 wire rigs, so I think you are eventually looking at two combos vs. one. Now the blatant self serving part- I do have a B&R 7'6" heavy casting rod for sale for $75 over in the classifieds, that is a killer Arig rod. Build similar to a Loomis IMX, with a ton of backbone and enough tip to cast an Arig or Whopper Plopper a mile.
  23. 2 thoughts. Make sure and play with the PVS vent plugs so you are allowing that prop to spin up to speed fast enough. Finding the right combo of vent hole sizes for how you typically load the boat may really help your hole shot. if it was my rig, I think 5400 on top is a touch low RPM wise. I'd trade props down an inch or two in pitch, get my rpms back to 56-5700, and get the holeshot benefits of lower pitch. and, i'd put a 6" or 8" manual plate on it. Rapid Jack is my personal favorite, but there are lots of good ones. With a jack plate to adjust height, you may be able to get your RPM's up without changing props. I'd bet you a cheeseburger that if you took all your gear out of the boat, emptied the live well, and ran it by yourself, that you would have 200-300 more rpms at WOT, and a much better holeshot.
  24. Spend the money and get a jack plate, and the right prop for your rig. I'm betting if you are having hole shot problems, you are over-propped and lugging your motor at WOT. Setting up your rig with the right prop and the right motor height will make your boat more efficient, add to rough water ride and handling control, and just generally be money well spent. Hydroplanes are basically a band-aid to hide other problems, the biggest one being a boat that is propped to be within the WOT RPM range when it's empty on a cool day, so salesmen can give an unrealistic top speed number to prospective buyers. Load that sucker down with a couple of cheeseburger eaters, a dozen or so rods, half the Zoom aisle at bass pro and a bunch of Plano boxes, fill the live wells and the gas tank, raise the air temp to about 90degrees, and that 5600 RPM number is about 5100 and it takes an hour to plane, if it will at all. Boat setup isn't cheap, and it's time consuming, but if you ever drive one that is dialed in, you will be amazed at the all around performance difference it makes.
  25. Hi Guys- Back home in STL from a whirlwind down and back trip to Bull, feeling old and beat down. Hit the water at 9:45, off at 5:30. I didn't get the 6+ pound LMB I was hunting, but I had something like 8 keepers, best 5 for 13-14 pounds. Had 2 smallies in the 19" range (bump board ends at 18") and a long and skinny 3.5 pound largemouth that I'm guessing was a big male. Smallies and the 3 pound LMB were all still on bluff end or steep banks, found spotted bass on flats in the back of pockets, could probably have had a lot of fun with Mr. Ned or a grub, but I was big game hunting. I had a game plan today of chasing the wind in the clearer water from around Oakland to the Music/Coon area, and was looking for big fish, not numbers. I rigged up one Falcon super duty with an Arig, and a second with a RIver to Sea S jointed swimbait, and kept my old faithful wart and jerkbait out as well. I really didn't get quite as much wind as I was hoping for until late afternoon. Water temps are still low 50's in the clear stuff, and there are STILL dead and dying shad around, not as bad as last week, but still there. I gave up in the clear stuff around 3, and fished transitions in the Theodosia arm with the cranks and caught a few shorts and a couple keeper spots. I was really trying to commit to the big bait, big fish theory, and wow, do I ever feel it after casting those seven and a half foot, extra heavy action rods all day! I guess it was a half success, as every fish that hit the Arig was a keeper, but no love on the swimmer. One of these days that bait is going to catch hawgs, but I just haven't gotten it in front of the right fish yet I don't think. Anyway... My back! Oh my back!!!!! I'm very out of shape with my fishing muscles- I caught the fats over the winter! P.S. lots of boats out today, good luck to all the derby guys tomorrow, I think there must be more than one... I'm off of here to take some Motrin and a hot shower...lol
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