Spankey

My buddy who just passed was a carp fanatic. He was big time into it. He use to fish light noodle type rods. Made his own vanilla and strawberry dough baits. These can be bought. He had a disease for catching carp the same as we go at it for bass. Good luck. I know nothing about carp other than over the years I’ve caught some on grubs and a few on Shad Raps Smallie fishing. On 6# test, ML rods, hold on.

Cooler pond explains that. I’ve seen on some of these smaller ponds they stock them for kids but I believe they want to be a put and take situation with them. But your survival rate with them is great. Catch them and grill them.

Daiwa Tournament SS. Made in Japan. 80’s and still fish it on the river. Love it. Bought a spare one from eBay Cheap and rebuilt it with upgraded bearing kit. Not sure where or if they are still made.

Always. For what I have no idea.

Great post. I know to stay out of it. Just recently in a thread about rods and China tried not to get too political. I generally do and will not. I’m not in tune with politics real well admittedly. Please don’t boot me. I like you guys too much to care how you swing politically.

We are about the same Work back ground. 40 yrs. in the heavy industrial equipment repair trade. See the same things. Not many want to work like that. Maybe you guys are not getting my point. My point is China loves selling/shipping that stuff (goods) here. I really have no idea how big the rod market there is there. Huge I imagine.

I’m not in the “we”. I certainly have no love for China. Political and Big Business greed behind all of it. Basically you as a consumer can’t control much of that. I can’t do a political rant on this site. I won’t do it because I love bass fishing too much in life. And don’t want to get tossed off of this site. I’ve long long boycotted Wally World and a few others like them. They WW are the Chinese turned inside out. This nation loves the Chinese. In a poor economy brought on by a pandemic the WW parking lot is probably packed right now. But y’all buy what you want from whoever you want. My last words on this because I don’t know who in bed with who on this.

In my case I’m going Sunday am. A couple of things will be tied on prior for Topwater, they are on now actually. A lite t-rig for worm is rigged and ready to go now. Conditions and feelings at the time will dictate others.

I agree 100%. I won’t get political but recent rhetoric about bringing all this imports back to America is not gonna happen. Political jargon. Fishing rods will be on the bottom of the list. I see a trade agreement settling and current differences lightening up. We (US big business) loves China. And China Loves us.

Abu Garcia Revo “Winch”. I like mine. Have my second ready for the rod. Rod is back ordered. Hope to have it for the 1st of October. Suppose to get here sometime this month. I’m pretty much a Shimano Guy. But have gotten and started thinking outside of the box lately. I bought it for the deeper baits. I’m not trying to crank over 18-20 feet deep. Mostly to 16 footish. All day of deep cranking will wear you out. I’m to dang old for that.

My dad did the same thing to me one time with a decent split grip Pinical rod set up I use to have. Out on my boat though. I was ticked, he felt bad. He had been wanting to fish the split grip. Crap happens. It was nice, great Smallie setup, but that was moons ago and not as nice as the stuff I fish today. Even for than it wasn’t high dollar but...oh well. It will come together for you. Good fishing.

Thanks bub, that was my thought on the trouts. I’ve seen stream spawning trout over the years. But you can buy fingerling fish. Most breeds I guess and stock a pond. Probably best to do it legal but to each his own. Hard for me to believe some type of panfish is not already there. The trout are eating something. Why are the trout in that pond. And how long have they been in there? Trout will not tolerate warm water very well. These fish have held over a long time?

TW, Abu Garcia and St. Croix usually have something going on. A lot of times the tackle shop will give you a hat or give you that $25.00 Shimano hat for 10 bucks. I know what you're saying about the hats and shirts but I'd be happy with just a few plastics samples to fish prior to buying. At the show you can get samples generally.

Never heard about trouts ability to spawn in a pond. Thought it was to happen in rivers and streams.

I fall in line with you and many others and am basically fishing all the same baits. Been doing it a long time like you also. I throw a lot of 6# vs. the majority of you guys. I’m a Shimano 2500 and a St. Croix guy. For the most part.

A slump. Most of which you can not control. Every MLB player has been in a slump. The just hit their way out of it. “Never give up” as Ike would say. You said you were not giving up. You will work your way out of it. You’ll be ok.

Admittedly I’m pretty much St. Croix fan. But I must say over the last few years I’ve strayed some and glad I did because I’ve found a few good rods that have worked out great for me. I put myself together a Abu Garcia Revo/Veritas Spinning Combo together that is a great all around lighter side of plastics set up. I don’t throw big plastics for the most part. The handle on this rod is an EVA foam type. Split handle. I might be still out to lunch on the foam handle but it fits my hand perfectly and is one of my better balanced combinations. Abu Garcia Veritas VTSS70-4 7’ MLXF 1 pc. I have no regrets buying this rod. It’s not an Avid. But I’d fish it anywhere in the country for Smallies. I have SUNLINE on it. Getting to like that more and more I fish it. My fore mentioned Avids are used a bit on the specific side. NEDS, Split Shot, Shaky, grubs, creatures and Salty Spiders have successfully be fished on the Abu.

There is probably 1000 answers and none being wrong. I know I’m no expert, I just give it heck. Drop shot and Split Shot being my favorite way to fish soft plastics. My favorite rods are the St. Croix Avid spinning AVS68MXF and AVS69MLXF paired with 3000 series Shimano’s. I have the ability to DS fish a few other manufacturers but believe these are my favorite. I never attempted to fish like that with a baitcaster.

Not all cork is created equal. If you have a few rods from a few different manufacturers, that you fish real hard you will see and know this. Overwhelming majority of my rods are cork. Some I’ve sealed. Some I have not. But do maintain them and some may be 30+ years old. There a 1000 ways to clean them and not be wrong.

I’m sorry for your loss. God bless you and your family.

I hope you guys faired up well with the passing of the hurricane. My property damage way very minimal compared to others in my area. My trees are huge old oaks, 250 years old or more. I can prepare to a certain degree but after that it’s up to Mother Nature. Will make a few minor repairs after work today. Hope y’all can get back on the water soon. The river will be off limits for quite awhile. The lake should of held up fine. Will find out in a few days. Be safe.

I’m with you on that. My plan is to really switch gears a bit and hit the river hard between September and mid to late October. The river has been my home since I was a young guy but Mother Nature has messed it up the last handful of years and I’ve become a laker. I’ll start to get on it and see what I can figure out. I’ve called out sick from work more than any working man in history on Columbus Day. My previous PB Smallie was caught on that day and my Current PB Smallie broken one on that day. I’ve hit every weather senerio on that day for the month of October over the years. But the majority off of memory were sunny, partly cloudy, windless days of fishing topwater, cranks, and plastics. This year should be no different. I’m not working that day.

Guy all I can say is it’s raining its butt off here @ 7:00am on Tuesday morning. Gonna get interesting only the start of it.

Everyone situations are different. My numbers are certainly not there. Oh well what can I do. I’m an essential worker in the drilling field so I have not had any down time due to corona virus. I would be fishing more. But I have caught some nice fish this season. Not a new PB. I’m not concerned about it but where are the dink’s and runts. Thought for sure I’d have gotten are real lot more of them. I’ve had my grandsons out. I for the most part don’t fish than. Don’t care to. Takes away from my fishing but it’s fun watching them. They gotten a full mixed bag this year. They need to catch a striper Then it might be full cycle for them at the lake. They need a Musky also. I just recently fished a new to me lake. Had nothing to go on but the State Park Map from online. Blind. Sort of went into it with a plan. Plan didn’t start out too well but when I got to a piece of structure I knew I was gonna hit I caught a 13”, 14” and 16” fish off of it. Gonna hit there in the fall again. I feel I had to be satisfied with my results. I use to keep a journal like you when I was a lot younger. I use to be a river Smallie addict. Still am. Use to fish for the numbers. 40-60 fish days. Some nice ones. A lot of dink’s and runts. Heck you could really only fish 3 different lures and do it. But next year will be different, so will the following. You might catch a 7 1/2 pounder tomorrow and all your woes will be non existent. But there are guys on here and out there who may not catch 235 bass in their life time. Let alone in one season. And they may be fishing as hard as you are. Sometimes you have to be happy with what it is. Not too sure how sympathetic they will be. I hope you catch a nice one for your efforts. I wouldn’t concern myself with the numbers.

I think *** does them. They give decent reviews.