DogBone_384

I’ve been trying to get a group together for years … I’m in. I have a portable grille and a kayak.

I have two of each… Cats and JDM SLX DC’s

Does that mean my non-Shimano reels are like cats?

Thanks, for me, it's not the fish waking up, it's finding them in deeper lakes. I've never been able to crack the code for lakes deeper than about 25'. @Saltysmalljaws and I are hitting Mash-Wake Saturday. He's a smallmouth guru. We should have a good time.

I took the Ranger to Plymouth for a shake down before my Cape trip. I started at the north end with a bladed jig, blade bait, wacky Senko, PBJ jig, V110+1 jr, lipless, and 3.8" Keitech on underspin. Marked little or nothing around 2/3 of the pond. I saw a some topwater action in 12' near a steep point but it turned out to be a school of yellow perch. I finished the day at the south end on a 10-12' flat. I managed two good picks on a red/orange 6th Sense square bill with a third good pick follower. Winds were light from the SW, and air pressure was 29.9. Not what I'd hoped for, but I've not caught much here in the last few years. I'll take the two picks instead of a skunk. Vegetation and fresh water clams aren't what they used to be. I'll be on the Cape from the 21st to 29th with my Ranger, hoping for some decent fish, but the forecast is less than favorable, with very high winds and below normal temps much of the week.

I fish all year, whether it’s open water or through the ice.

For drop shot it's a FX Customs Extreme Angler 7'4" M/F. For Ned it's a Kistler Helium 7' ML/F.

Rapala gets my vote.

I use a 6'9" M/MF Kistler KLX for jerkbaits. I also have a 6'10" M/MF Shimano Expride A that's touted as the perfect jerkbait rod by a popular YT'er. The Kistler and Shimano have nearly identical actions. I prefer the Kistler because I like the cork grips much better and the Expride doesn't have a hook holder. I paid almost $100 less for the Kistler than the Expride. I use a few different rods for mid cranks. Kistler KLX: 6'9" M/MF, 7'3" MH/MF. Kistler Feel 'N Reel: 7'3" M/M Diawa Tatula 7' ML/R The Feel 'N Reel is my favorite. It's got a strange tip, not MF or F, but almost like an Ugly Stick. It's very sensitive and has a lot of backbone for a M rated rod. I use my 6'9" KLX, 7' Tatula, a 7' KLX spinning rod, and 6' 10" ML/M G Loomis GL2 for topwaters. I prefer Kistler rods over most others I own. They're priced right if you sign up for Kistler's emails and/or catch them on sale. Most importantly, they're made in the USA. Kistler's customer service is also top notch.

Mom’s 83 and could still get a speeding ticket. Dad stopped driving somewhere in his mid 70’s when dementia started taking over. Common sense and your heart will tell you. When it’s time, it’s time.

If it’s your first trip for ‘25, a wacky Senko.

I’m 6’ and shrinking. My Great-grandfather on Dad’s side came from Cork and my Grandmother is from Montreal. My mother came from Germany after WWII.

Nope, have no idea what you’re talking about…. 😏 My great grandfather came from Cork. My mother came from Germany after WWII. I tan almost as dark as my Filipino wife.

🤔 🤔

Only six? That won’t keep @Siebert Outdoors busy very long!

Annual Massachusetts & New Hampshire and short term license for Vermont if I travel there for short trips. I added Maine annual non-resident yesterday. And because I live in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I also carry CCW, EMT, and Home Improvement Contractor licenses.

Same here ...

I haven't yet used the anchor on my Ranger. It's still in it's original packaging from 2017. I keep one rigged on my kayak almost every trip and use it when it's windy and pedaling doesn't help me stay in my spot.

Sounds like a quote from Tony Bean's The Last Smallmouth!

I miss In and Out Burger … we don’t have any in New England

Ditto

Is that like a 'big kahuna burger'?

The parking lot was full at my favorite Plymouth pond so I moved around to another small one I've only fished a couple times. I managed two decent picks. The first on a perch lipless and the second on a green/chartreuse Senko sitting still in about 15'. A bladed jig, jerkbait, crank, jig, and paddle tail on an underspin produced nada. Winds were stiff at 15+ mph from the S. Water temps were 44.x, and air pressure was 29.8.

Unlikely, but there's always hope.

I picked up a MB71MHF and MBSH74MF (both corkers) today at the New Hampshire Fishing Expo. They seem very high quality. I spoke to their reps for a while. I'll report back when I get a chance to fish them. My day-to-day rods are Kistler Heliums & KLXs, I have high expectations.