Spankey

I'm sort of into what you are saying. I still maintain a certain passion for stream trout fishing. Have done it since a real young age. Have always found it to be a real stress reliever. Over the last few years I've been dabbling at some fly fishing. Not going at it all full blown or anything just trying to get a few basics down, catch a few stocked and wild trout. But, this is something I really want to work at once I retire if I live long enough. Get into the aquatic life and make some flies. I'm not too bad at it now and admittedly don't know squat. It will come in time. I can see myself up at 2 or 3 in the morning tying a few flies and on the water at 5:00am trying them out. I sort of have my own life's version of "A River Runs Through It". Seem like I'm at peace with myself and the rest of the world when I'm around water.

I have the sickness and desease for sure. Crowding 60 in a couple of years. That won't slow me fishing wise because I need to make it to retirement to fish even more. It's been tough finding some discontinued Bandit and Bomber colors the last few years. Time proven colors, why they were discontinued??? heck if I know. I just like having a few extra. Not that I really need them. I think Bomber and Bandit are going down the toilet. So be it I guess. Their product quality has taken a serious header over the years. All Guatty made stuff now. Rapala has been my go to hard baits. I've been able to pick up some bait and color runs for Canada on a few series of baits. Been too long of a winter. Should head south with Tweek.

Just curious if majority use the off season to stock up, add new and replenish for up coming season or do you purchase all season through. I'd be lying if I said I never bought anything in season but anything needed I buy in the off season. I keep a running list on the refrigerator door that I add to and fulfill through the winter. I live where there is a long winter with no bass action going on. I have Wally Worlds and DICK'S near me but they are no prize. Susquehanna is a road trip but well worth trip for me. TW is my mail order outlet. For majority. BPS and Cabela's Has gotten high with their prices and BPS is more interested in carrying their house brand. I'm down to a reel purchase, a few Rapala jerkbaits and some tubes. There were a few Bandits that were a struggle to find for a couple of years but recently got them. Discontinued colors as spares. Sorry for for being so long winded. Winter is killing me.

Great post. I wear a jacket in motion but admittedly not while fishing. I'm solo 95% of the time also. Have a Lake Ontario trip solo coming up this summer and that is on my hit list of pick up items also. I figure in in the upcoming weeks we will be able to catch a decent sale. Good luck, be safe. Thanks for the post.

I'll go back with my rod this weekend and fit them up. I'm pretty much a Shimano fan but in good conscious I can't spend over $200 on a reel. If I do that I might as well go the next step on the rod for it. I picked up this Avid X later part of summer for a great price. Need the right reel. Love it. Didn't need it but, pretty psyched for a Smallie trip to Lake Ontario this summer. Already have a boat full of St. Croix rods but admittedly have bought a few reels over the years that I just didn't like after fishing them. Nothing I would consider junk though.

Fell in love with (2) reels for a drop shot and bottom contact rod I picked up last year. Current reel I'm flipping back and forth between rods is a Shimano Nasci. Decent reel no complaints. Just might upgrade some. The daiwa tatula spin and Abu revo sx. Didn't pull trigger on either because I didn't have my rod with me to fit them up. Tatula is the lightest reel I've ever had in my hands. Smooth as silk. Abu equally as smooth. Fit and balance will sell me. Yall have experience or opinions on either. Greatly appreciated.

I had two River Smallies that were basically identical. A fraction under 22". Cotton Cordell Big "O" in baby bass and a Zoom 4 3/4" finesse worm in baitfish.

I have found over the last few years that my lack of not fishing a natural (shad color) worm has cost me some fish. Or maybe just under estimating their ability by not fishing them. Like most I was always ready to fish variations of pumpkin, black, green pumpkin, watermelon, oxblood..... Lack of rain, rains not staining my waters as heavy keeping the river clearer pushed me to fish a lighter more baitfish color worm. I'm glad I reached out to that. Not sure what this season will bring. Found them to be very productive in clearer lower water level conditions in the fall.

I like it boss. I'm starting to Jones a bit now. Dealing with ice and snow still. Have my Zoom worms on order. Have a few jerkbaits coming also. Will be going to a few seminars this month. If I get anything or nothing from them they keep my mind right.

I know that I can be anal about certain things. My wife claims that is why people are reluctant to fish with me. I don't want to kill a Smallie. I don't want to see a Smallie killed. I don't like to see them mishandled. I treat them very gingerly and pride myself in doing so. I realize things happen. One may fall to the deck carpet etc. bad hook set (cut the hook). C&R on all my bass and empathize that to others that are with me. Photo than C&R. I'm up for that.

I'm way north of you. Balls cold here man. I've picked up on more than one occasion over the years that my first bass of the season was caught on a Rat-L-Trap. I have one on all the time, or its setting there to be tied on. On a bad or slow day a Rat-L-Trap has many times saved the day. The Red Eyed Shad is the rave now. Most likely as good if not better. Proven lure that you can cover a lot of water with it.

I got to meet him years ago on the Delaware River. Great guy. He had his dog with him, can't remember that dogs name though. I could be wrong but I thought it was like a persons name.He signed a few things for me. I use to love the show. I have a Fishing Hole jacket. Probably vintage now.

I wear prescription lenses. Have experimented over the years with different ones. Brown by far is the best for me. Great for fishing and shooting sporting clays. My not work well for others. Experiment.

I think I'm gonna fish up around Oswego before the 4th of July for a few days. Will be a solo trip for a few days. I'll drag my puddle jumper up a chill for a few days. Late summer I'd like to get the wife, two girls and my son-in-laws back up for some King fishing. We tore the up this past year. I think about Lake Ontario almost everyday. I got bit by that bug.

I've went back to some basics over the last few seasons. Glad I did. Found that I wasn't fishing soft plastic like I use to. Worm, grubs, tubes, craws, and lizards. Soft plastics has always been my favorite was to fish. Over the years some of my nicest fish have come off a split tail grubs. Great post. Good luck.

Smallmouth Bass are in my heart. But I like catching other species. Trout and Salmon are favorites of mine. Have to be Lake Ontario. Winter on it might kill me though.

Most mfg. have a square bill version. Over the last few seasons I've bought a few of the SK's in 1.0 & 1.5's I like the bait, fish seem to like it also. Gizzard shads seem to work well for me but I gravitate toward some Rapalas and Big O's as a go to square bills. I'm not fishing as deep as you. I'm chaseing River smallies for the most part. My larger smallmouth so over the years have come with crankbaits but I prefer to fish soft plastics.

A lot of good info. Work a few Mepps heavier types of straight line spinners at the river. You will get results.

Merry Christmas to y'all, happy holidays. Be safe.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays have a safe one.

I know nothing about making inline spinnerbaits. But I use alot of .031 stainless mechanics wire in the line of work I'm in. I will send you a spool if it works out for you. I can send you the specifics of it. Not sure of tinsel strength but probably not that important for river smallies.

I'd be doing the same most likely. Mercury Optimax.

Hope you make it happen. A bit too high tech for me. Best of luck this coming season with it.

Y'all have a great holiday. If there is anything in particular you were asking for, hope Santa brings it. I have a real short list this year. A few Rapala BX Balsa Minnows and a few Berkley Crankbaits. I want to make a few road trips happen this season. Late spring early summer Smallie trip to Lake Ontario and a fall trip across the state to the three rivers area of PA. Both doable. Have fun, be safe.

Welcome aboard also. I'm a river rat like yourself. There was a time years ago that it seemed like that was all I was throwing was inline spinners. Great smallmouth bait. I've never built my own. Have a good selection of Mepps and Panther Martins. Good luck with your new hobby and hope the best for a few nice ones on them.