Choporoz

Bite switched almost overnight from spinnerbait to bladebait

I agree with all of the above. However, I would absolutely check out the sale. IMO, there are two huge exceptions to the Livetarget lineup: Smelt jerkbait, and Bluegill lipless crankbait. Both are outstanding and I would grab a bunch of each if on deep discount.

I look forward to hearing how that horizontal line tie works for everyone. Please come back and post your experiences. I have a sense that I would struggle to work it through my typically heavy brush piles.

Tough to say.....if hook is sharp and it runs straight up and down with blades spinning, it should be fine. If not....hooks can be sharpened and wires can be adjusted.....so it should still be fine. BTW, those grips will be awesome to help you land a grouper.

Fast - 3/8 Chatterbait Slower - Rage Bug on 0, 1/16 or 1/8 Swimbait Hook; Toad Slowest - Frog, Senko -- Don't need to keep the senko outside the weed lines - rigged weedlessly, a weightless senko can go just about anywhere -- I had luck this weekend slowly dragging it across the weeds/leaves/junk and pausing occasionally, especially around holes/breaks in the clutter

Welcome. With a pedal kayak, you aren't really limited at all around here. Even winter won't shut you out too much - Fountainhead and Hunting Run....maybe a couple/few others will limit access, but most Potomac and tributary launches, a couple Rez ramps and many, many others are accessible as long as the water is soft. Some FB groups might be of interest, NVKBA, MAKBF, and Virginia Kayak Anglers - all have active membership willing to provide info and/or meet up. -Dave

I always keep a pair of readers in my pfd. But, come to think about it, I haven't used them once since I got bifocal reader sunglasses early this year. I lose and break and sit on readers routinely. So, I'm a fan of drugstore cheapies. These are some of the best as far as durability, focal range, etc Reading Glasses 3X Stainless Flex 2.50 Readers https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P1IGXVQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_sDESDbHPW1R76

I was going to say my drop shot game changed this year with a hook swap to Owner, too. I got 1/0 Owner SSW Hooks with Cutting Point and it was a whole new ballgame this year....threw out all my circleoctopus crap won'thooks

I ordered from DSG last week for 1st time in a couple years during a sale. $50 order ...FREE SHIPPING....plastics, line, hooks...total about a pound. Came in six separate shipments, including one package of drop shot worms in a box that can double as a crib for my granddaughter. I guess they had to quit the classic to divert funds to packaging shipping departments.

The discontinued Smallmouth version of that rod was my favorite for years. Snapped it on a large cat this summer. Was my Rage Rig and skipping rod.

I'm with you. If I could trailer a Hobie, I'd have gotten an Outback or PA. I was limited by weight (cartop-atility) mostly. I wasn't suggesting you move down to Compass....just that I'd be surprised if the other two weren't more than stable enough without the sidekicks

Planning to go offshore? I only ask because I've got a Compass which is same width as Outback, but shorter. I have used it inshore and on large lakes on windy days among the skiers and wake boats. I've had it in 2 foot+ swells. And I have never once thought that I should be in something more stable. I just can't imagine trying to fish around outriggers, either, though. I'm a long ways from 6'3", but I think you'll be impressed by the stability of either

I certainly love the all-in-one aspect of that. Do you feel like you've compromised balance and stability by having the battery so high, and by having the ducer, cable, battery and graph all on one side?

I have used YZH, braid, braid to leader, and this year, I've done extensive work with fluoro on a jig rod. The jury is still out. I do love the feel of fluoro and I've come to believe that 'slack line sensitivity' is a real thing. But.....and it's a big but....I fish from a kayak and with a little less leverage/swing space/whatever....not to mention reduced line visibility...I haven't gotten the reliable hooksets that I got with braid. I don't keep stats, but I'm convinced that I have missed a lot more fish on straight fluoro than any braid or braid/leader. I recognize and acknowledge those that are totally against adding another knot to the equation, but I think after a few years of experimenting, I'm going to go back to braid with leader for most of my jig fishing. (I have less leader knot failure with the larger lines on my jig rods than on finesse rigs....just need to be extremely careful, diligent and retie every couple trips.)

Enjoyed the piece. I think that you can feel pretty good about any of the hundred dollar reels compared.

I'm a Quantum defender...for their lines a few steps up. I have had some entry-level Quantum spinning rods (and reels), though not that exact one. My experience with them have been mostly disappointing. Hopefully, you've got a Dicks close by and can handle one first. I'd suggest you look at fishermanfactoryoutlet first. They've got a few spinning rods in $30-60 price range that I am fairly certain would be better...but, no jersey

I'm in the early stages of planning to upgrade my fishfinder and I'm looking for wisdom and lessons learned. I'm working on a Hobie Compass. (This kayak has a sonar pod/plate built into the hull.) I'm upgrading from 5" down scan; increasing to 7" side scan, downscan, gps. I understand that I cannot use current sonar mount with side scan. I've found just three options: 'fixed' transom/hulll mount, arm mount, or Berley Pro mod to my existing sonar mount. I'm leaning heavily towards a Helix 7, but open to discussion of alternatives. Mostly, I'm looking for lessons learned related to: -Transducer mounting issues - arm vs. some sort of hull mount; if arm, where do you prefer it....fore, aft, transom, etc; scotty vs ram vs diy....I'm currently torn about 50/50 between Berley Pro mount/cover at existing location and using an arm -Display mounting - what worked best for you? -Features - Lowrance vs Garmin vs Humminbird vs Raymarine, etc -- $50 for Navionics worth it? Do you use visor? Screen protector, etc.? -Battery - My 9ah SLA have served me quite well -- but, I have doubts they'll do 10 hours once I add larger screen, SI, GPS, etc. What size batteries do you use? Do you have battery box? COTS? DIY? -Pics would be most welcome

I've spent the last month working on drop shot almost exclusively because it was never a good presentation for me. I worked every conceivable plastic I have. The Berkley Maxscent Flat Worm outperformed every other bait by a wide margin. Bubbling Shaker was a distant second, but their fragility made them far more expensive. I was surprised that roboworms weren't even in the running, though time of year might have been a factor in that.

For bottom contact baitcasters, I started with cheap fluoro, went to Yo Zuri Hybrid, then to Braid/leader, and then straight braid for a time, and then higher end fluoro I am going to try to simplify next season and only keep braid and YZH on hand. I like braid with and without leaders, depending on the set up and conditions....or how I feel that day. If I get the urge to fish straight fluoro, I'll use YZH, because with a liberal dose of KVD line and lure lube, I can barely tell the difference between YZH and 'good' fluoro. I'll continue to use straight YZH on cranking rods. For spinning, I'm still working through which rod, which applications demand what specific line. I love smaller fluoro....for the first couple hours --- once the loops start, it gets maddening....thin braid to leader is great....until it isn't

I have a 6'10 1/2" Veritas 2.0.....was MHF, now probably MHFaster I lost the tip top ceramic ring, too. But.....I will admit that I was using the rod tip to try to detach a jig from an overhanging tree branch. The old tip didn't come off quite as easily as my lack of patience might have hoped, so I snipped off the tip and put a new one on. I still like the rod, though I don't use it as much any more. It was a great rod for me for a couple/few years.

Seven inch SKRT Thumper is generally my first choice for getting down in the weeds. Even though it's 7", it's very slender and pretty finesse-y. Typically, with 1/16 mojo -style weight, or a 1/16 (sometimes 1/8) Slider Snagless Pro.

After a few years, I still use it on spinning reels. 18 is the sweet spot for spinning, for me. Still love it for bass. With and without a leader. Only time I regretted having it spooled was on a trip to NW Ontario for walleye and pike. Even with a leader, super sharp rocky lakes make it pretty fragile. Down here in VA, the rocks are kinder. Holds up well in wood. Whatever shortcomings it might have, are completely blown away by the superior manageability, castability, sensitivity. Pink is probably best all around color. Moss is nearly invisible....good for fish...bad for line watching. Chartreuse is bright, but if you are concerned bass might be line shy, well...this is blindingly bright.

Thanks, James.....almost didn't recognize you.

The selections are rather mind blowing, aren't they? Only about three or four years ago it was nearly impossible to find a 1/8 gopher head with an elaztech-keeper. I was krazy gluing 1/2 zinkers onto mushrooms. Now, TW has about 100 choices. Keep it simple -- 1/8 or less with a keeper like you see on z-man ned heads. I like those zman heads well enough, but there's lots of others to try. My biggest mistake was getting some bargain no-name heads a few years ago and the hooks on those straightened out when you looked at them funny. Get a few weedless and a few non-weedless. Yes, I recommend spinning gear and light line.

Fished some new Z-Man Fatty Z's the other day for the first time. Love the action and the effectiveness of the worm. Aside from TRD's, I don't have a lot of elaztech experience. I'd like to fish them on a shaky head, but of the probably two dozen different kinds that I have, very few have a keeper that will hold elaztech. I want a shakey head that is: -1/16 through about 1/2 -stands at attention on most surfaces when elaztech bait attached -wide enough gap for a fatty z (relatively wide worm) -will reliably hold a elaztech without it quickly deforming or sliding down -best hooks; thinish gage and surgically sharp -'snagless' -- relatively, anyway -- I don't expect it to come through thick hydrilla like a weightless trick worm, but it cannot have an exposed hook where I'm going to be throwing it What have you used that works? Doesn't work?