DogBone_384

I'm off Tuesday & Wednesday next week and plan on hitting Hedges and/or Halfway ... if anyone wants to meet, lemme know.

I'll have to get down there again next week and bring just a couple of blade baits and jigs. That'll force me to figure out what I'm doing wrong with them .... other than not catching fish ?. I have a brown/orange and a black/blue punisher jig. Any other suggestions are welcome.

I tossed a brown/orange hair jig two of the three days I fished there, without success. I've never had much luck with jigs or blades. Hedges is pretty clear. Perhaps I'll try a different color next trip down.

Hedges Pond in Plymouth, off exit 3. Was there AGAIN today for a couple hours. Lowrance showed 46.x - 47.x again. Coaxed one smallie to devour the Halloween flavored Shad Rap Deep before the temp dropped like a stone and heavy rain came through. A Mepps spinner, GY Heart-tail w/ 3/16 weighted hook, and pumpkin/black/green 4" Hula Grub on 1/8 oz. Keitech jig head couldn't buy a bite for the 2 hours I was there.

I own too many Pflueger spinning reels, according to my wife, a few of them are Presidents. They're great reels: light, smooth, and reliable. Can't speak for the rod myself, but I'm sure the membership will chime in with good words.

I have a '14 128T and my foal blocks move around a lot so I made replacements out of marine grade plywood with a router. I also routed 1.5" off the edges so I can stow a couple rods in the hull when I leave the kayak in the back of my truck. I use one on each side of both hatches, for a total of four. It helps stiffen the hull, which was a problem with my generation 128T. Good luck with your kayak.

Got back to Plymouth again, launching around 11:00. Started out with the lures I caught smallies with the other day. Didn't get one on the first cast, but my jointed Rapala came through in about 8' of water. It was quiet for a little while so I switched to a yellow perch shadow rap deep and Mepps 1/4 oz spinner with a brown tail. I got one with each, with the bigger coming from the Mepps. I also tried a brown/orange hair jig, copper/red Senko on a 1/8 Keitch jig head, a green/red flake tube, and a chrome/blue shadow rap deep without success. The biggest of the three had a minnow in it's mouth, and all three had more fight in them than the two I got the other day. All three smallies were good sized, but skinny, under a pound. Water temps were 46.x - 47.x. I plan on returning tomorrow for another go around. Perhaps I'll try some different colors.

Mepps.

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/seafit--folding-grapnel-anchors--P005_153_003_004?recordNum=18

I use a Milwaukee M12 high cpapcity battery to power my Lowrance fishfinders on my Lure 11.5 and Ascend 128T. My Lowrances have dedicated power harnesses so I use a small Pelican case with a waterproof connector on a pig-tail and velcro it in one of the kayak's storage bins. I easily get a full day out of one battery but the Pelican box holds two nicely. I use Hobie grommet kits to route the Lowrance wiring into the hull. When I use the batteries for work I keep the lowrance head in the Pelican case.

All Plymouth waters I've been by are open.

Mike, do you use an anchor? I started with a five pound claw and moved to a seven. I have trollies on both sides of my Lure and one on my Ascend. The seven pound anchor keeps me still in all but really harsh winds. I got it at West Marine in Braintree.

Me too. I hope catching a smallie on my first cast of the season sets a good precedence. And with next week's forecast calling for 50's, I'm going to burn a LOT of gas next week driving to and from Plymouth!

Finally got my kayak wet! Got some recommendations from swamp hawgs (THANKS MIKE!) and drove to Plymouth after dropping my daughter off at work. Launched around 11:00 and got two nice smallies straight away (one on the FIRST cast) on a Rapala Shadow Rap deep dressed in Halloween in about 8' of water. They were both good sized, but skinny, weighing just under a pound each. It got quiet for the next few hours. I threw the Rapala, a brown/orange hair jig, a Silver Buddy, and jointed Rapala Shad Rap disguised as a smallie with not so much as a whiff until about 3:00 when something took it. Headquarters called me back to work as I reeled in my prize, and as luck would have it, whatever I had on felt the slack line and spit me. One or two casts later I caught possibly my PB yellow perch on the jointed Rapala. It was nearly as big the two smallies I caught. After putting the perch back I had to high-tail it back to my station. Water temps started at 46.x and topped out at 49.x on the Northern shoreline. Barometric pressure at 3:00 was 29.6x and falling. A good first day out for sure.

I fished with Fishing Rhino last year. He uses them and catches 4 or 5 to my 1 with them. I started using them and caught up.... a little. Fishing Rhino still out-fishes me when we go out....

Where's Fishing Rhino? Tom, you still on vacation? Sounds like we need to invade Sawdy in numbers shortly...

You caught more than I did! Try as I might this week, I just can't get my kayak wet. Got called back to work again this morning so Plymouth Smallies were safe. Got out of work mid afternoon and drove over to Ponkie to see what there was to see. I saw ice with a lot of round, healed, holes that suggest someone was ice fishing. The water level was high, a good thing for post thaw fishing. Kayak is still dry. Drove by BHR and St. Moritz on the way home. BHR had a thin layer of ice ans St. Moritz was half open. I'm gonna give Plymouth another try Saturday.

I'm not working tomorrow, as yet, so if I don't get a call in the morning, I'm heading south to Plymouth, or Cape Cod... This is one case I'm hoping not to work OT... Good luck to everyone else who gets out this week!

Jump in the Diawa pool already! I own both, including a couple JDM models of each. My T1016 is the farthest, most effortless, casting reel I own. My Cores are the smoothest in my collection. I really enjoy the luxury of being able to choose between the two based on my mood. Buy the Diawa and enjoy yourself!

Where's Fishing Rhino? Hey Tom, what's Sawdy look like?

OPEN WATER? Where? I have Wednesday through Saturday off, as of now, and my kayak misses me.

Any open water out there? Local forecast calls for 50's this week. I drove by BHR this afternoon. It looked gray & cloudy. I'm not confident enough to give it a go, though IT, and St. Moritz (further down Wampatuck road, behind Shea Rink) both appeared to have many "healed" round holes all over. I'm not working tomorrow, as yet, so I'm planning on taking a road trip to Plymouth/Cape Cod to see what waters look like.

I bought a Spiderwire backpack in '11 and it's still going strong. Holds more than I need in MOST cases. It has two integrated rod holders, holds 4 3500s, and whatever you can stuff in the top compartment. I don't believe it's made here in the states, but it's well built.

I'll add to fishnkamp's post: I own the 6'9" MH/F Veritas rod he mentions. It's my favorite MH rod.

My advice is to skim through this forum and read members' opinions. There are numerous threads on the 'best' rod/reel combo and you'll get an idea of what you want. After you've read some, head down to your local shops and handle the rods you're most interested in to get a 'feel' for them. There are enough good rods at $99, to pick a price point, it'll make you dizzy. For example, I own Abu Garcia, Shimano, Kistler, BPS, Fenwick, Diawa, St. Croix, G. Loomis, and other rods. Some are duplicate power/action but one brand 'feels' better with this bait versus that bait. As for reels, I started baitcasting in '12 with a BPS Pro Qualifier because it has a reputation as being easy to learn on, well built, and durable. It sure was. I still have two of them. After owning Diawa and Shimano reels for multiple seasons, I'd say you can't go wrong with any of the three manufacturers' $99 offerings, IMO. Like rods, it's also a good idea to go see/touch them in person if you can. Best of luck with your set up!