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Fall 2023
ROD: 8-foot Heavy Action Daiwa Tatula Elite Series Signature Ish Monroe Punch Rod
“It has a soft tip, but a lot of backbone,” he says. “The whole rod bends to do what I call ‘bungee-ing the fish out of the mat.”
REEL: Daiwa Tatula Elite 7:1 Flip/Pitch Reel
“The 7:1 will take up three-feet of line with every turn of the handle,” he said. “Some guys want to go to an 8 or 9:1 gear ratio reel; but those are too fast. You want a lower gear, but not too low or you will miss strikes.”
LINE: 65-pound Daiwa J-Braid x8 or 70-pound Daiwa Samurai
“Sixty-five is the minimum pound-test I will use,” he said.
“Most of
the time I use the J-Braid, but
when I want something
that is less grainy,
slicker, and smoother,
I go to the Samurai.
The graininess is what you hear when you hear the line zipping in the guides.”
WEIGHT: Anglers King EZ Weight Exclusive to Fisherman’s Warehouse 3/4- to 2-ounce
“I will use black or green pumpkin – whatever matches,” he added. “I use whatever weight I need to get through the mat.”
HOOK: River2Sea New Jack Flippin Hook “For a D Bomb a 5/0,” he said.
BOBBER STOP: Any
“I use any peg stop that will keep the weight connected,” he explained.
That’s it. Tie on a D Bomb on, drop it through the mast, and set. Sounds easy enough. Keep it simple and you too can drop bombs like Ish. •
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