DogBone_384

Where are the Christmas lights?

Good casting rods at $150? That's a long list. Go to your local tackle shops and handle as many models as you can. If you already have a reel, bring it with you and ask an employee if you can mount it to the rods you're looking at. Whichever feels the best in your hands is the one for you. Good luck shooping for a rod!

Friday looks to be the last day we're going to see temps around 50. As of now I'm not working and am going to be in the Plymouth area giving it a go for smallmouth and or trout. Right now I'm planning on Big Sandy with my Lure 11.5 or Great Herring with my Ascend 128T. Good luck to anyone else that gets out there. ADD: Didn't get out, likely the end of the season for me; hopefully not, but if it is, I had a great '16.

My daughter aske me what I wanted for Christmas. I told her I wanted a clean room and good report card. She said I was out of luck.

Not that I need another reel, I let the Tackle Money coerce me into buying a 7.9:1 today. Can't say I'll get to use it until next season, but It'll be in the garage waiting for me.

Mike, it sounds like you need to put a net on your Christmas list... ? BTW, if anyone is in the market for a size 35 spinning reel, Gander Mountain is closing out Pflueger's Patriarch XT at 50% off...... I already have too many spinning reels but thought I'd pass this along.

Just thought I'd toss this out there to add to TW's sale. I just got an email from Dick's Sporting Goods and they're having a bigger Cyber Monday discount than TW..... Methinks it's time to stock up on some Senkos & such... Read the fine print: there are exclusions. Beware of the Tackle Monkey...

I'm of the same opinion as Kickerfish1 in that I have many baitcast and spinning combos that I prefer for different techniques, waters, etc., but to narrow it down to my favorite 'universal' setups, here you are: My favorite baitcast rod/reel is my Abu Garcia Veritas 7' M/F that has a light blue 6.6:1 reel from ************ on it. No matter what I baits I use, this combo just feels right to me. My favorite spinning setup is an Abu Garcia Veritas 7' M/F with a Pflueger Patriarch XT hanging below. It's my favorite spinning setup for the same reasons above. I wouldn't have bought the Patriarch XT if I didn't get it for an unbelievable sale price. The XT is feather light and S-M-O-O-O-T-H.

I had a good '16, with a new PB for LMB, SMB, and Yellow Perch (I don't keep weights for perch, but I caught a really nice fatty recently). For '17 I'm focusing on learning to read my Lowrance and hit my targets better and catch fish with jigs. I've caught just a single rainbow trout with jigs and reading so many success stories with them, I'd like to figure out what I'm doing wrong. Other than that, keep working, keep fishing, and keep working..... ADD: Fish with more members.

You sound like me. I think of a few different places the night before then often make my decision once I hit the road.... Tomorrow is a maybe, depending on wheter or not I work OT or wife's 'to do' list if I don't. It'll be a 'game time' decision. Can't get out Sunday, it's Quincy's Christmas parade and all off duty FD personnel are encouraged to march in it. Good PR. I'm off Monday.

Where are you thinking of going?

Gander Mountain has a Lowrance Elite 5 HDI on sale for $169.99, after rebate.... Yes, it comes with a transducer.

??? Any luck ??? I'm torn, whether or not to get out again on the kayak or to go hunting Monday....

X2 - I have two on my Lure 11.5 so I can switch based on wind direction and which side of the lake I'm fishing.

Dunno. I've not had a mullet since forever....

I own Vendettas, Veritas, and Veracity spinning and casting rods. I had a ML Villain, but it's at the bottom of Ponkapog Pond, but that's another story. I own Kistler, Fenwick, BPS, G. Loomis, St. Croix, *************, and Diawa rods and agree that Abu rods run just a little heavier than their rating. My favorite is the Veritas line. They're light, sensitive, and seem to load up better than most other brands I own. If I had to fish only one rod, it would likely be my 7' M/F Veritas. Best of luck rod hunting.

Made in USA: http://americansworking.com/listing-category/backpacks-made-in-the-usa/

A FRISBEE TOURNAMENT. I've not heard of one of those since college, 30+ years ago..... I haven't been out since last Thursday at Great Herring. I'll try to get out once or twice before ice over. I've caught fish every month except January and April, so I'm not giving up, unless work and weather prevent it.

'bout says it all...

Congratulations!

'Bout sums it up for me....

You 'guess' you need to buy a kayak ?!?!?! Don't forget to send us pics when you're catching bass and not bouncing lures off hard water this winter!

Janderson45, I'm trying to stay away from soft baits because I don't use hard baits or jigs as much as I think I should, especially this time of year. In fact, I can't remember catching a bass with a jig at all, just a good sized rainbow trout at Long Pond last fall. Admittedly I get pretty frustrated not catching anything for long stretches, but I have to force myself to use different baits and be diligent about keeping track of where/how I use them so I can better my skills. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Don't get nervous about getting a baitcaster. If you're already looking at Shimano's metanium, just go get it. It's one of the best baitcasters made. Spool your purchase with 12 pound mono, set the brakes: http://www.bassresource.com/beginner/how-to-use-baitcaster.html), and go fishing.

Got the 'honey-DO' list done yesterday and hit Sunset Lake in Braintree for a few hours before work. Water temps were 54.x, most of the weeds wilted, and the water level was up a little since the last time I fished here. Kept it simple with a lipless perch flavored Rapala, a 1/8 oz. gold Mepps spinner, and a jig dressed in bluegill. I worked along a 5' - 10' drop off and managed a PB yellow perch (didn't weigh it, but was the biggest I've caught BY FAR) and a feisty white perch on the Rapala and Mepps, respectively. No OT this morning, so off to Great Herring went I, in search of some late season smallmouth. I launched about 8:45, with water temps high 51.x and an overcast sky with nary a breeze. Deciding to start at the far end and work my way back, I trolled a jointed Rapala DT10 in smallmouth down the west side. Without a bite down 2/3 of the pond I stopped when I found two humps 25' off a dock and switched off between the DT, a Silver Buddy blade bait, and a black/blue jig. Still striking out I moved across to 'the Red House' to work the shallows. A little smallmouth ate the Silver Buddy straight away in 8' - 10' of water. Again switching between my three baits I produced nada, and around 1:00 I decided to head back to the shallows left of the launch. By this time the wind picked up considerably too. Again I trolled two different jointed DT10s up the eastern shore - without so much as a sniff. I stopped at a point my Lowrance said was LITTERED with fish and tossed my three baits PLUS a bright red Mepps spinner. I wish I had a grenade, because nobody liked my offerings. I even tried a smaller Rapala Scatter Rap, but struck out. When I got to the shallows my Lowrance AGAIN told me I'd hit the jackpot. I threw my Silver Buddy, a gold Mepps spinner, and a Ned rig (since nothing else worked!) landing a little yellow perch with the Mepps. A lot of work for just a few small offerings, but the highlight was around 2:00, when a 6 point buck walked into the water by the first point (left of the launch) and swam across, only 20 - 30 yards in front of me. If I don't snag an OT tomorrow, I might just give it one last go for the season, possibly Big Sandy in Plymouth, maybe to try a drop shot. If the bass don't cooperate, I'll hopefully get some nice rainbow trout again. Best of luck to everyone else that's still out there.