Everything posted by smr913
-
Shimano Stradic Ci4 Replacement Spool
Trying to find a spare spool for the new Stradic Ci4, but can't seem to find one online. The model is STCI41000HGFB. Anyone know where I can find one?
- crappie baits
-
So I've been actively fishing for smallmouth in a narrow river with very little success
Sounds very similar to the river I fish. In the spring and summer I have a lot of luck with a plastic craw on a shakeyhead. I target rapids and directly below them. If there is a Boulder or tree giving current breaks that gets a few extra casts. I'll be honest and say I've been struggling to find smallies regularly this fall. The river is very low right now due to no rain and my usual holes are now barren. I've been having the most luck with a spinner bait with a swim fluke instead of a skirt. Try to cover water and find the aggressive fish then you can narrow it down.
-
Latest Tackle Purchase Thread (Bait Monkey Victim Support Group)
Finally pulled the trigger on the first half of my river smallie set up. Got a St. Croix Legend Elite 7' Light Power Fast Action. Right now going to pair it with a Sahara 1000 until I can get a Ci4 1000 around Christmas. Hoping to put this baby to good use when it comes in next week.
-
River & Stream trout & panfish setup advice needed
I am in the process of deciding on a similar setup as well. Right now I am looking at the St. Croix Legend Elite 7 ft Light Action 1 piece. It is rated for 1/16 - 1/4 oz. Probably going to go with a 1000 Stradic Ci4 with 10/2# PP or maybe a 4# mono. I'm targeting more river smallies than trout and panfish so you could probably get by with a true UL. I've had a Premier UL and liked it. I can only assume the Avid UL is really nice.
-
Moderate action + braid for treblehooks?
I use 30# PP on my Avid X 7'MM. The rod has a ton of give on it so I don't feel I'm losing anything by throwing braid.
- Pflueger President 6930 and Shimano Stradic 2500 Spinning Rod Pairings
- Does the color of a Whopper Plopper really matter?
-
Went smallmouth fishing on a small river yesterday, didn't have much luck. Any pointers?
My go to's are: 3/16 oz shakeyhead w/ green pumpkin ultravibe speedcraw, 3' diving red craw crankbait (Academy has a great one that is cheap. It is a translucent red), 90 size whopper plopper in loon, 4" grub in white or green pumpkin on a 1/8 oz ball head jig, and a 1/8 or 3/16 black buzzbait. The river I fish in TN has low water right now so I am focusing on deeper slower water above and below riffles. Any overhanging trees, prominent rocks, and weedlines get worked from multiple angles and presentations. I carry between two and four rods depending on if I'm wading or kayaking. 1) 7'2" Med casting rod with 40# braid 2) 6'8" spinning rod with 8# Yo-Zuri Hybrid 3) 7' Med Moderate casting rod with 40# braid 4) 6'8" MH casting with 50# braid. Be patient, learning a new river takes lots of time. The first year on my river I caught a lot of small fish, but knew there were bigger fish in there. This year with the help of a kayak I have caught multiple 18"-19" smallies.
-
Good Spook Bait
Super Spook Jr.
-
New Shakeyhead Rod
The 852 was the one I was leaning towards. I like the extra length. Thanks for the input!!
-
New Shakeyhead Rod
Interesting thought. Although I am trading in several rods that are no longer used to fund this purchase.
-
New Shakeyhead Rod
So I am trading in a bunch of stuff I have accumulated throughout the years to focus on fishing out of my kayak. I fish a shakeyhead craw 80% of the time so looking to make a big investment into that set up. I'll have enough in trade in to upgrade to a NRX and am between a few models. I'll be fishing mostly a 3/16oz shakeyhead with a 3.5" ultravibe speedcraw. May expand to some tubes and flukes as well. Pairing with a Ci4 2500 with either 20/6 PP or 6-8# FC. Trying to get my hands on these before I pull the trigger, but interested what others have done. NRX 852S JWR 7' 1" B 1 6 - 12 1/8 - 3/8 Medium Ex-Fast NRX 823S SYR 6' 10" B 1 8 - 14 3/16 - 5/8 Med-Heavy Ex-Fast NRX 822S SYR 6' 10" B 1 8 - 12 1/8 - 5/16 Mag-Medium Ex-Fast
-
Greetings from Middle TN
Welcome! Nice to have some more Mid TN folks.
-
Why do people think these are junk fish?
I think it comes from the fact there isn't a lot of inherent skill in catching them and they are not table fare. I loved catching them as a ten year old living on the intercoastal. They are bulldogs, but I wouldn't make a trip solely to catch them like I would redfish, specs, tarpon, or snook.
-
Latest Catch Pics Thread
This is a little late, but took the yak out two weekends ago for about two hours. It has been crazy hot so I knew they were deeper, but with no electronics I had to cast blind. I figured they were in about 15' of water on main points. Started by looking for a topwater bite, but no takers. Same with shakeyheads and mid depth cranks. Decided to try a Carolina Rig in deeper water. Rigged up my Powell Max 734 and Shimano Chronarch 200e7 with 50# braid, 1/2 oz brass bullet weight with a bead, 2' of 15# mono leader, and Brown/Red Flake Pit Boss and started chucking. Caught one largemouth right off the bat about 15" then a second one right about 16". Boat traffic picked up and I booked it back to the house. I keep going back and forth on if I'm going to upgrade this kayak with a depth finder, anchor trolley, and other goodies or just keep saving for an outboard.
-
Whopper plopper
I use the 90 size in Loon, but I'm fishing a small river and usually throw it on a Medium casting rod. You have to keep your rod tip high or it spins in the water. I do a straight retrieve fairly slow. You can tell by the sound of the plop when you are doing it right. Most of my hits come in slack water immediately below riffles in 1'-3' of water.
-
Strategy progression on ponds
1/8 oz pond magic spinnerbait in a pumpkinseed color. Start casting parallel to the bank and fan 180 degrees. Once I build confidence on a new pond with that bait I start experimenting.
- Cranking rod between 200 and 300
-
Artificial fish attractors
Just a heads up in regards to the Cedar trees and concrete blocks. If they are still green I have found that they are very buoyant. It may take more than one concrete block to sink a large one. Don't be like me and sink one only to watch it resurface and float out into the sunset.
-
Hair Jig Trailer
I like the smallest size of paca chunks
-
"Dr pepper" horny toad?
I prefer Miller Lite Horny Toad. Drink Miller, Cast Toad repeat until wife starts yelling
-
Power Pro Super Slick 8
I have 20# on my Ci4 2500 and a Chronarch 50mg. I like it a lot. Only complain would be the weave can come undone a bit. Had some hooks actually get stuck in the braid like it would a rope. Got the hook and didn't look to have damaged the braid.
-
Hooked by a Smallmouth ...
I joined that club earlier this year. Pretty similar too. Smallie on top, but mine was a Whopper Plopper. I was wading in a river and it shook its head and I got one hook in the pad of my pinkie and another in the pad of my ring finger the point of the hook was just showing on its way out of my fingers. All the while I had about a 2 lb smallie thrashing on the other hook. I was by myself so I just grit my teeth and backed the hooks back out.
-
Live bait
If you have never done trotlines before and like eating catfish you should give it a try. Just a word of advice: you may think you are organized but having 40 6/0 hooks and 40 snap swivels out on the deck can be a little overwhelming when you are trying to grab a bluegill and secure it to the mainline before you move too much.