Spankey

I fish a lot of my soft plastics on 6# test (not Yozuri). Trilene and SunLine. To beat my PB for a lake Greenie will have to be 7 lbs. The fish is there. I’ve lost fish that I thought May have been a new PB. Line not breaking or something or anything I feel I did wrong. Just happens. Hate the feeling. Yes, I spin myself into the ground over it for a short bit. Reflect over the shoulda, woulda, coulda moment at the time. What can you do? Fish on. Go back after that fish. As Hammer said check your line often. Especially if you are a light line enthusiast. I fish a lot of 6 and 8 lb. test and am pretty anal about line replacement. Try to tie good knots also. Too many line wraps may be just as bad as not enough line wraps. Knot strength is important. A 2 pounder can break 6 lb. test. A 2 lb. Greenie is a nice fish.

Just the fact that it’s a chartreuse with black back will most likely get it done.

Might be something that you’ll just spin yourself into the ground over. May have been something as a little abrasion. POP! The fish is gone. Maybe a drag set issue.

Where I am here in Penna. it might not be as bad as August but summer looks to remain here looking at long term also. I look forward to Columbus Day. History of nice fish at that time, than the shutdown begins. Wish we had a true fall like years ago. A fall transition would be great.

I’m a crankbait fanatic. I’ll beat the water to death with various versions of them. But I often will have days you can’t buy a bite with them. The Shad Rap is a favorite all season long. I’ve had many days throwing the Shad pattern and nothing is happening and as a change up I tie on the Jointed Shad Rap of the same pattern only to have that save the day. Multiple fish sometimes in the stretch of water.

Many of my more productive crankbaits that are Shads, herrings and dark green craws, darker brown craws I have a few spares of them. Some of these spares I have tails tip painted with Chartreuse or Orange paint. Some bellies painted some side stripes were added. A Bomber Model 6A in Dark Green Craw untouched factory finish has been a favorite for years. I make no hesitation to have that tied on and be productive to some degree. But I have a couple of orange or chartreuse doctored up versions of it. Sometimes it just takes that little bit of a difference to draw a bite on some days. I don’t have a small air brush, I just hand paint it on by hand. They are not done sloppily but I don’t think it matters all that much. I just believe they are reacting to that small amount of color difference.

Weight and length I realize always pull it together. But, it might be somewhat of a yankee thing but, we (a lot of guys up here) are always ready to talk length first. Trout, bass, musky. Never even get into the weight. Regional thing I guess.

Nothing close to breaking a PB this morning but grateful for my time out. Management (3) @ 14”-14+“. I know that doesn’t seem like much but they came out of the same short stretch of a chunk rock bank. They were healthy respectable fish. Pulled off a few dinks and runts prior and past that stretch. I’m not gonna kick been a weird summer. I’ll be right back in that stretch tomorrow morning. I had a largemouth on for a short duration within my first handful of casts, no real prize but in that 14”-15” size, got what seemed like 3 ft. out of water and spit a Big ‘O’. Gonna hit that spot first and see if he’ll hit again. Didn’t throw anything but crankbaits this am. Cottons, Bombers and Bandits.

23”

I get out as much as I can. It will never be enough. This week it will be Thursday and Friday. I love doing back to back days. Bass biting? I don’t know, I caught smallies my last time out and figure they will be hitting again. Severe weather or a family emergency could change things. I’ll deal with the weather the man upstairs brings me those days. I’ll be fishing to break my PB Smallie. If it doesn’t happen my day will be fine. The majority of the time I fish alone. Days fishing with grandson are more of a special time. I enjoy fishing alone because I don’t have anyone that want to fish seriously.

I don’t want to sound cheap. But I find split shot to be as practicable if not more. Cause a lot less total losses.

I just picked up today a universal camera/cell phone clamp I can attach to my windshield. Maybe I can get a chance to play with it Thursday and Friday. I don’t own a Go-Pro. I’d like to get a couple short movies with my grandsons. Handicam should work.

I was born and raised in the area I live in in Penna. for my 63 years. I’ve known them as crawfish. I refer to them as craws if we were to be talking baits. But I think you guys are right, crayfish is a northern thing. Maybe crayfish are crawfish when they are small and juvenile? Not sure?

I was told at one time they will do a special run for a person. I should have dug up a few guys who were interested in black. I'm pretty sure they are not interested in doing 100-200 pcs., maybe 1000 to make in worth their wild.

You are correct but it is not black and not available in 4.5 length of straight tail, straight tail fat or curly tail. There must be something to RW’s logic to not put this out. They do make a great product and any color pattern I’ve purchased has produced fish.

Great rod it is. I love the length. Rod handle is easy enough to adjust to but if you are accustomed to finger on the blank and hand at the reel seat (many are) this post is just a heads up. It’s not gonna happen. The balance with the 3000 series Shimano on it is fine. No intentions of ditching the rod. Two long time coworkers gave it to me. For tidal brackish on the Big D & CB this will work out fine. Enjoyed jig fishing with it. I’m really trying to stress the reel seat grip and fore end cork length being as long as it is and using an index finger on the blank. If this means anything to anyone I’d go look at the rod first before buying it sight unseen or taking an opinion that it’s a St. Croix and being put up on some pedestal. I am a SC fanboy, this front cork fore end grip is not like that of Avids, Premiers, Mojo’s or even the Bass X rods. For what it’s worth go feel it before you but it. Bring your reel with you also.

Never seen Roboworm put out a black worm in anything 4.5 or anything they put out. True black is not a color for them. Wish I could find that. Don’t think I’ve fished a RoboWorm pattern that has not worked.

I have a few spots that I want to target at first. Than I’m likely to drift fish a section(s). I might get luck and they are at all places I try to cover.

Stren and Trilene I’d never dis. Can’t say I’ve ever had a crap spool of it. I’ve most likely thought a spool may seem to have been superior to a previous one. Still use a lot of both. I have a few set up that are spooled with SunLine Super Natural Mono. I feel a step above the others mentioned. My biggest beef with the SunLine is I can’t seem to buy it in bigger bulk spool size. I’m not interested in 300-600 yd. spools.

One of my all time favorite setups for river smallies had a Quantum Catalyst PTI matched up with one of my Avid ML rods. Well my fishing gear is well maintained. And I realize things can fail both unexpectedly and without warning. Well the anti reverse bearing went bad. Crap happens, new bearing I’ll be good as new. Well Quantum make the bearing obsolete and puts an end to an easy fix. Turned sour and I never look at Quantum again. Never will. First and last. Replaced it with a Shimano. Still have it in case anyone needed it for parts. I’m not gonna dis Quantum, I’m sure they put out good stuff, sure plenty of you guys use their stuff, I just won’t. Went over my situation with the factory. They were willing to give me credit to an upgraded reel. I opted for the Shimano. I have Shimano reels still working long before I bought that Quantum.

When I retired at the end of May two of my coworkers bought me this rod as an out the door present. Nice rod I will say that. Have a 3000 series reel on it. Somewhat sealed Shimano. I have been using it as a Senko, shaky head and craw rod on the river for Smallies. Catching some fish but I have not used it exclusively to this point. Not sure what my opinion was. This rod is labeled as an XF, I feel it is a bit slower than that maybe fast at best but I’m fine with that. Flex being in the upper 1/3 if the rod. This weekend I had used it exclusively on the Lower Chesapeake Bay. I stayed within the specs of the rod. Fishing 8# SunLine Super Natural Mono, 5/16 & 3/8 jigs and 1/2 oz. Slip rigging blood worms. No trolling with rod just drift fishing and Anchored fishing. Caught a mixed bag of fish, Speck Trout, White Perch, Flounder and Croakers. Could not get on any Rockfish. This set up would not have handled large Rockfish but thought we might have gotten on some smaller ones. Can’t kick too bad about the rod. 100+ fish caught on it. Love the sensitivity of it. Equal to maybe slightly better than my Avids. In that class for sure. I had a good time with it. But it is not the perfect fit for me. In my opinion the front forearm cork length is longer than I’d like it to be. Had to have a different hold point. Was easy enough to adjust to but was my biggest gripe with the rod. This could be a major factory concern with others. It truly is too long because most guys using a standard grip at the reel seat and wanting to lay a finger on the rod blank will not be able to do this. Something to think about before blindly buying a Victory Rod. Not sure what the factory was thinking about with a longer than necessary fore end cork grip. The EVA foam and back of reel seat is ok, all cork would be more to my liking, butt length and butt cork I do like.

Not out of a kayak but spent some hours this weekend on the Lower Chesapeake Bay. Mixed bag of Speck Trout, White Perch, Flounder and Croakers. Could not find any Rockfish. I don’t spend a lot of time per year in salt water but generally do well when fishing it. Be safe.

My arms are a bit short for my weight. My selfies come out like crap.

Enjoy the day. No need for nerves.

When you were at the initial spot did you change any colors there? Did you change up bait styles there? I assume not. Fish were probably there. The color bait you were throwing they most likely were not interested in. Your second spot you chose a color they reacted to. So I’d say color as long as I felt there were fish on the first spot and only going at them with a single bait you chose and they were not interested in.