DogBone_384

I bought an Abu Fantastia Regista @ 50% off when Gander Mountain closed. It was still more expensive than my Kistler Heliums and like yours, the rubber coating peeled off. If I remember correctly, that rod’s MSRP was $499.

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain and don’t worry about pricing tactics. Sign up for Kistler emails if you want better pricing. For example, I’m on Kistler’s email list and his Helium rods are the same price as an Abu Veritas Tourney at Bass Pro Shops. Kistler’s customer service is top notch. I called to pay an invoice for a custom rod once and Trey answered the phone and took the time to discuss my build. The bottom line is they’re very sensitive, light, high quality rods made in Texas.

I have two jerkbait rods. My #1 is a 6’9” M/MF Kistler KLX. My #2 is a 6’10” M/MF Shimano Expride A. The Shimano’s tip is just a shade faster than the Kistler, but the Kistler’s grip is more comfortable and a little shorter. The Kistler is super light and very sensitive. It’s hand made in Texas too. Kistler has dedicated jerkbait rods too. They’re 6’10” LMH/MF, and retail for around $200. I have other Kistler LMH (light-medium-heavy) and find them to be a perfect blend of a medium tip with a little more back bone further down the blank. Best of luck picking out your jerkbait rod.

My #1 is a 13 Fishing Concept E. I picked it up a few years ago, deeply discounted, when they discontinued it. I wish I'd bought more in all gear ratios, but I already have a lot of nice reels.

All the fish were watching the eclipse! Our very own @Mr. Aquarium is a celebrity. He's on the cover of The Fisherman, New England edition, 08 April 2024! He really is Mr. Aquarium! Look it up and buy a PDF copy! Congratulations Mike! Now go get that eight pounder you've been looking for!

Yes. I also use Magic Eraser to clean them.

Nothing from Boston

The Patriots are going to win 5 games next season!

Greetings from Eastern MA. Welcome.

Hello, and welcome.

You sure about that? Nice fish though, congrats. I checked off April with a 2# smallmouth and 1.5# yellow perch at my favorite Plymouth kettle. I threw enough of EVERYTHING but all these two wanted was a Houdini 3.8" Keitech. Mr. Smallie was shallow, about 5', and came out of the water 4 times. They're waking up. Oh yeah, suckers were on beds.... Water temps were 49.x ... almost there.

Don’t be discouraged. I’m in MA and fish South Shore and Cape Cod year round when possible. 47* water temps are still cold for LMB. I keep a detailed spreadsheet and hardly catch Largies below 50*. Smallmouth are more active at these temps but are still difficult to catch. I skunk roughly 50% of the trips I take between January & April. Perch and Pickerel are often those that ‘save my bacon’. My most productive baits in winter are a blade bait, Ned/small tube, and jerkbait (in order). Fishing as slowly as possible is best, especially ‘dead sticking’ a tube. Luckily you’re in the right forum. There are plenty of resources here to help. Best of luck, and din’t get discouraged. It’s not you this time of year.

Yes....

My late Winter Cape Cod trip was short, I wasn't in the mood to deal with the wind/rain/cold this year. Only hit two other ponds. One's a regular, and the other is a LMB pond I've fished only once. I got 1 LMB and one Pick, early, in Sandwich then nothing for the rest of the day. Water temps were lower than last Saturday @ 45.x degrees. I won the skunk in Orleans, throwing everything I could think of. Water temps in Orleans was 47.x - 48.x. I also saw my first Osprey of the year. I'm ready for some sunshine and warmer temps, how about the rest of you?

I agree. Take your time rigging it. I did it one piece at a time (aka Johnny Cash). It took me nearly a full season to rig my first kayak just right. You’ll figure out what works best for you the more time you spend on the water with it. Take YouTubers’ advice with a grain of salt. It’s your kayak.

How’d it taste?

Tell me about it! I fished a small pond on the Cape yesterday afternoon and froze my tookus off. It was a grind until the 9th inning when I came up with two smallies and a cute little perch. The first smallie was 2.67# and ate a red 3XD in 10’. The second was 2.02# from 20’ with a perch Damiki blade bait. Water temps were 46.x - 47.x.

Welcome.

Lucky Craft's LV200 & LV500. Found a lot of 3 on the internet... cheap too.

Congrats on getting on the board for '24 and welcome to the forum. I got @Fishing Rhino and his Nitro on the water today for the first time this year. I caught a dink pickerel on a lipless and Tom came up empty. He'd not run his boat for the last 3 years so today was a shakedown. Unfortunately it has to go to the shop for some TLC. We fished a big, shallow pond on the South Coast. It was W I N D Y and we beat the rain. Water temps were 47.x - 48.x degrees.

Augmented reality for me is catching more than two or three fish in one outing or nabbing a single fish over 3 pounds.....😂

Are you kayaking? I use a five pound claw anchor with an anchor trolley on each side of my ‘yak so I can fish in the wind. I also have a drift-sock if I want to, well, drift along a bank.

Dropped into my home pond (shallow & weedy) this afternoon figuring the water temps would be up. Yep, they were 49.x - 50.x. The only signs of life were two eagles, a loon, two swans, and a muskrat. I threw enough of a variety for long enough without so much as a whiff out of even a pickerel, I was wasting my time. Another day.

Had a tough Cape trip. 6 ponds in 3 days netted me 2 SMB, 1 LMB, and 2 YP. The smallies were a shade under 2 pounds and the other fish were in the 1.5# range. Water temps in 5 ponds hung around 47 degrees, and number 6 just nicked that magic 50, which was where Larry and one perch came from. I threw anything and everything I could think of, and a couple recommendations from @Mr. Aquarium and @Saltysmalljaws that didn't come to mind. I fished deep, shallow, and in between. My Lowrance marked little or NOTHING in 4 of 6 waters. I'll be back on Cape Cod for a week starting next week. Hopefully I'll have better luck.

Cape Cod is wide open and water temps are creeping into the mid 40's as I type ... I have plenty of room for your on my Ranger. I can't guarantee a 8# smallie, but 4's and maybe a 5 are doable.