DogBone_384

When the 'monkey' first got hold of me I bought a couple Pflueger reels that came with spare spools. I had every intention of carrying them with me, but I succumbed to the practice of one reel = one rod and never carry them. My family thinks I'm bananas.... ADD: I didn't read the post properly. Spare baitcast spools.. NO. I AM bananas...

Might have to bail on work Sunday and check it out..... temps are supposed to float around 60..... Looking at Google Maps, it might be a little challenge getting the kayak to it, though I'm not afraid to ask permission from a resident. I've got day shifts off the rest of the week, perhaps I'll take a drive down there and investigate.

Will do. Have to start bringing a cooler and/or stringer line with me... they taste G O O D....

Do you have any 12V power tools with lithium ion batteries? I use my Milwaukee batteries to power a Lowrance Elite-4 HDI. I was out 6 hours today on one battery. I keep them in a small Pelican case with a waterproof disconnect.

Texas rigged Zoom U-tail in gourd green, followed by a 4" Senko.

The photos Google gave me show Brook Trout being darker, with an almost orange/red belly. The closest match I could find might be a faded/young Brown Trout, but I've never caught many trout, with all but this one being rainbow or california rainbow. Either way, it's better than getting skunked.

A 1/2 ounce jig, in water, weighs less than a pound of feathers..... that much I'm sure of....

Thankfully my last Physics class was 30 years ago.... I'm OUT!

With a day off and beautiful forecast I launched my kayak @ Lout Pond in Plymouth for the first time. Spent some time exploring the place. It's a little kettle with steep drop offs, one point, some trees in the water and a fairly shallow bank by the road. What it didn't have today was any fish for me.... There were three others fishing from shore while I was there. I saw only one fish caught while they were all there. I moved over to Little Pond around 1:00 or so. It's a known good for bass and trout. I didn't get so much as a whiff at my normal spots on the pond. Trout started hitting the surface around 3:00 and two were nice enough to accommodate my little rainbow flavored jointed Rapala. Both participants were 1-5. One was obviously a rainbow, but the second one I'm not sure of because I never caught one like this:

Oh well. It's still a great multi-tool.

I own three Veritas (6'9" MH/F, 7' M/F, 6'6" M/F) and one Villian (7'1" M/M). The Villain is lighter and a little stiffer than the Veritas. I like the Veritas more because they 'feel' better and load really well regardless of what bait I toss. My MH/F is rated for 1/4 - 1 oz and is the one I use the most. I'd call the Veritas a more rounded rod and the Villian 'classier'. Either way you're getting a great rod.

If you paid $75 or more for it, it'll be a 600 or higher. The American made ones say USA on the side.

Gerber Multi-Plier 600. It opens with one hand and is still made here in the USA. I've broken two over 15 years and Gerber replaced them both under warranty. Not all Gerber products are still made here. You can call or email them to find out which are/aren't.

I bought a Spiderwire backpack a few years ago. It holds 4-5 3400s, has lots of pockets, holding straps and two rod holders. I use it for shore and kayak fishing. It's held up great.

Jig, jig, jig .... That's my 2016 plan.

X2

Installed my new Lowrance Elite-4 HDI in the Lure 11.5 and went fishing at Whitman's Pond in Weymouth, MA. The HDI's, interesting, showing a lot more detail than the conventional view. I can't say I'll use the GPS/chartplotter a lot, but it's there if I want. I like the clock feature very much. I bought it for the HDI and because the retialer I got it from had it marked down $100 on Monday. It was too windy for my 3 1/2 pound anchor so I played with a 1/4 oz Silver Buddy for as long as I could. Water temps hovered around 45 degrees. I've never had much luck there, so needless to say, I didn't catch anything. This is likely my last trip of the season. Hunting season is here and that's where I'm going tomorrow.

Try Sennheiser. They're a German company known for high quality headphones, microphones and audio equipment. They're not as bassy as Beats, and are known more for wider staging and detail. Most of their product is made in Germany and Ireland, though the 'more affordable' models are likely Pacific Rim.

Of course you couldn't ... that was a LAYUP!

Best of luck! One word of advice, though. My Father was in the Navy and one day I was on base with him at the non-comm club and saw a Marine in full dress. Being a youngster, I said, hey Dad, that's a sea-going-bell-hop.... My dad had to buy the whole club a round because of that.... So my advice is don't call a Marine a sea-going-bell-hop.

I'll chime in here with my two cents. I started baitcasting with a 7' M/F Ugly Stick and 7.1:1 BPS Tourney Special reel. I spooled it with mono at first because it was cheap and I figured I'd be picking out nests. By the end of the first season I felt proficient enough to buy a Pro Qualifier and Johnny Morris M/F rod that were on sale. It turned out to be a great upgrade. I found practice was the key to learning, starting with the reel's brakes set heavy enough to prevent ALL backlashes, and easing them up little by little as my comfort level increased. Three years later I own Shimano Cores, 14-1 Concepts, various Diawas mounted on different brand rods (BEWARE of the Tackle Monkey!). Depending on your budget, I'd say start with a BPS Pro Qualifier or Shimano at similar price points. I find the PQ was great to learn on, and the Shimano's the best overall reels I own. As far as rods, a medium-heavy / fast rod in your budget that feels good in your hands is the way to go. You might look for sales too. Best of luck taking up bait casting. Once you get the hang of it, you'll likely stow your spinning equipment. ADD: I ended up giving my first setup to a electrician friend's 1st year apprentice so he could get hooked while saving for his first house.

I just picked up a MH/XF Kistler on sale from T** W*** that's rated as an all purpose rod that'll throw 1/8 - 3/4 oz. I've tried it with Con**** A and Shimano reels and put it right up there with my 14-1 and MH/F Veritas rods, which are my two long time favorites. There are so many great rods at your price point, you can't really go wrong. Best of luck choosing your 1st (of many, hopefully) BC rod.

Try tossing a jig out there whose rate of fall you know. Count how long it takes for your line to go slack, that'll give you an idea how deep it gets.

Tom, the floor looks great. I just finished chair rail around my 1st floor. Next comes crown moulding in the front living room and dining room. After that, tile in the two bathrooms and kitchen. I'm going to pay someone to install hardwoods upstairs next year. Then LOTS of fishing!​

Good to see you back Br1an. I might start with a buzz bait, rolling it as slow as you can, or a topwater/shallow running jerk bait. Do you know how deep it gets?​