DogBone_384

@Mr. Aquarium strikes again! Only 6 more weeks until open water and we can terrorize the SE coast. I've got a whole box of swimbaits ready to go this year!

Welcome back.

What about balut? How many members would go for that? 🤔 Rice & eggs w/ tomato and onion is a staple in our house. I'm lucky a neighbor has chickens and a surplus of eggs.

True. I mixed a few colors in one bag to keep in my sling pack. They bled a little.

Spool it up and fish it.

I’d have to put a crankbait first, followed by a jerkbait, and lastly a wacky Senko. I fished jigs a lot more in ‘24 and am continuing that for ‘25. Hopefully they’ll replace Senkos in the near future.

The next 30 minutes of play will tell. Anything can happen. The Budweiser Frogs are still the best.

….28-3….

Ditto

We're locked out here in SE New England. No February crankbaits for me this year, at least not with the forecast ahead of us.

I have dual super powers. My first super power is my wife that works full time and wants me to stay retired. My second is that I can still get @Fishing Rhino on his boat, fishing, a few times a year. I've posted before that Tom's in his 80's and no longer drives and can't operate a boat by himself. He was generous with his Nitro's back seat when I joined this forum in 2013, so I now put him there with his favorite baits and run his boat. There's going to be a last fishing trip for all of us, and for now, I can keep his off in the distance.

I wonder how far south we have to go to get open water ?!?!??!?!?!?!?! I guess it's my auger and shiners tomorrow ....

OK …. I need OPEN WATER!!!!! Anyone else?

I use 1st generation Concept A, C, and Es. They are workhorses. Like @dk2429, I have a couple 2nd generation Concept reels and would pass on the Z-slide, even at $99. The new generation reels are decent, but don’t see them as durable. I’d spend $99 on a Shimano or Diawa.

Are you good with a pin striping brush?

I’m right handed, reel with right, and hold rod with left.

Yeah, I tell my wife the same thing. I’’ve slowed down quite a bit, but trying new stuff is part of the game I guess. Also, in the 30 years we’ve been together, boss-lady’s never pulled me drunk from a bar.

I was betting you got on a plane and went south! The only open water I know of is the at the end of my street … the Atlantic ocean.

11 years for me, and I AIN’T stopping!

I’d probably crash Glenn’s server if I listed all my rigs. In short I mix & match my rigs based on mood, like my wife & daughter wear shoes. Most of my rods are Kistler. I have a few new Douglas rods I’ll put in service when open water returns. I use Shimano, Diawa, 13, and Abu reels.

I keep a 7’ M/F Diawa Tatula travel casting rod in my truck for quick stops. It’s on the heavier side of medium and comes in a nice padded case. Fit and finish is typical Diawa. It’s around $130. Look at Ike’s travel rods since you’re already familiar with how Abus fish. They offer casting & spinning models. They also come with padded cases. Good luck picking out your new rods.

…or a ‘68 GS400 convertible … 😉

How dense is the vegetation in your waters? A heavy or heavy-medium-heavy (Kistler) would be a good addition. I have a Helium HMH. It's just enough extra backbone without feeling like I'm fishing a broom stick.

My brain tells me I'm still in my 30s, early 40s, but my body tells me much different things sometimes. Yes the torch has been passed. I'd like to see the new generation fish a few 'fun' tournaments against the 'old guys' using the 'old days' technology. That'd be worth a good long thread on this forum. The same thing is going on with my FD. We've hired so many new kids in the last 5 years (some are younger than my daughter) I don't know many of their names. Having young blood is good - they can hump the 4" feeder line down the street to a hydrant in full gear!

I’m lucky to have caught fish in open water for 3 years 10 months, through New Years’ 2025. I tossed my sled, tip ups, and ice rods in my truck and drove to Plymouth. There I found 5-6” ice … booo … I set tip ups at 12’, 15’, 18’, and 20’ off a point. Two bald eagles cruised overhead while I drilled more holes around the area and jigged a brown hair jig, white/chartreuse feathered jig, and gold blade bait. My 12’ flag went up and through the ice came a 5_2 LMB, like a bag of sand. I’ll take it! I stayed until winds got past 20 mph. I moved my tip ups around the pond and continued with my jig rods without a bite. Water temps were 36.x, winds started light and increased steadily from the NW. Air pressure was 29.8.