livin2fish

I don't think my PFD would allow me to get deep enough. Never learned to swim.

You mentioned top water being not usable. In light chop, I've often had good luck with the Smithwick Devils Horse, which is a top water with a prop on each end. Normally fishing is better throwing into the wind which is sometimes more difficult. As RoLo mentioned the food for the bait fish is being blown toward you, and the larger fish are positioning to eat the bait fish, so your lure is supposedly coming toward the fish you are targeting. If I am having a problem using my baitcasters throwing into the wind, I revert to my spinning outfits, and use a low roll cast to try to stay under the wind. There have also been days where I could not get a bite in the wind and moved to a cove and fished just inside the mouth of the cove, sitting in the calm and casting to the edge of the wind and caught fish. If you try enough things, eventually the fish will like something. But not always. That's fishing.

The reason I use a less strength leader is so I can break off when snagged and just lose the lure and leader instead of losing a long bunch of expensive braid that can float and get tangled in someone's TM or engine prop or the lure they are fishing.

Geometry was not my strong suit. Questions: If I cast my lure based on the waypoint (distance from the transducer) and let it free fall, as with a spinning reel, would the lure fall beyond the actual target structure (assuming no line/water friction, which is of course impossible)? If with baitcasting reel casting to the same waypoint but not allowing the lure to free fall (again discounting line/water friction) would the lure land closer to the target structure? Seems to me that in both cases you would have to cast somewhat beyond the waypoint (distance from the transducer) because there "is" line buoyancy/friction, whatever, causing parabolic decent of the lure.

My two favorites are Sweetwater 420 and Goose Island. To me, each has a hint of grapefruit taste which is refreshing.

Sorry to dig up this old thread, but recently had a fail with this knot. I like the knot but, would suggest that it not be used with thin braid line, unless a "closed" eye hook is used. Had a fish on (using 15 lb. braid), and then the fish was off. Reeled in the line. The fish and the hook were gone, but the line was not broken since the drop shot weight was still on the end of the line.

I gave up on it a couple of times, but have gone back for spinning, 15# braid to 8# leader (hybrid line). Practice has improved my ability to tie the FG knot. Some say slight pressure on both lines while tying is necessary, others say not. For me pressure on both lines works best.

I'd give this^^^a try but don't get your hopes up. Friend of mine in a HOA with a 21 ft. Ranger had to use a unsecured storage lot, so had to load all his fishing tackle and then unload it all when he returned from fishing. He always left before 5 AM and mostly returned around dark. He parked the boat in his drive the night before and loaded his tackle and parked it in his drive the night he returned and unloaded his tackle the next day. He was reported by a resident who drove by and saw the boat. He finally was voted a waiver by the HOA board of directors for this "particular" activity, but was reported again when he made the grave mistake of fishing 2 or 3 days in a row. Yup, reported again. And it wasn't even his next door neighbors who reported him. They had no problem with the boat in the drive, as they had done each other favors and they were good friends. My friend is still there. I moved. It's a shame his garage wasn't large enough for the boat.

I had a 12ft Portabote for 10 years. What Tim said is very accurate. I weigh 160 lbs and with a 6hp Honda motor and a deep cycle battery for the trolling motor rigged on the front it would plain very nicely. Couple of things: How far are you from the water (may need the Portabote light weight two wheel trailer that clips under the boat for hand held pulling)? What state are you in? The Portabote is polypropylene with polyethylene seams. It is very durable, but it prefers reasonably warm temperature so the seams are pliable when setting up. Snap in 3 seats and the transom and setup is complete. A military bag for storing the seats and transom. Folded up, the boat looks like a surfboard hanging on the wall. I lived a block from the water in NC and set it up in my garage and pulled it one block behind my golf cart to the lake. All that said, crabpots, big old cooler, cast nets, gear for overnight, would be a overload for the Portabote. Additional thinking. Looks like you have some area above the blue car. Could you develop a pulley system above the car to handle the john boat you originally wanted? Within HOA limits?

I only have 5 spinning and 12 baitcasting combos and find as I have gotten older, I'm using the spinning more than the baitcasting due to the fatigue factor. It's less effort for me to "flick" a backhand cast with spinning, vs overhand or roll cast with baitcasting. Pitching has to be baitcasting just for the accuracy and quiet entry. Both systems have their good points. Don't want to give up either. At about age 60 watching a novice with his spinning reel upside down, I learned a better way to hold the line when casting. He was pinning the line to his fore grip with his thumb. I had always held the line with the forefinger of my right hand, which on a backhand cast felt like I was throwing the rod into the lake. Now when opening the bail I lift and pin the line under my right thumb. As I cast, the centrifugal force just pulls the line from under my thumb. It has much improved my accuracy with the spinning rod and reel.

I only have 5 spinning and 12 baitcasting combos and find as I have gotten older, I'm using the spinning more than the baitcasting due to the fatigue factor. It's less effort for me to "flick" a backhand cast with spinning, vs overhand or roll cast with baitcasting. Pitching has to be baitcasting just for the accuracy and quiet entry. Both systems have their good points. Don't want to give up either.

I'm right handed. When getting back into fishing after about 40 years my right elbow began to show tendinitis symptoms. I forced myself to learn to cast with my left hand. Figured I'd need be able to switch off as needed. Now I feel comfortable casting with either hand, but still use two hands on the rod to take the strain off the elbows and wrists. Pitching is one handed, and I prefer pitching with the left. With spinning I change the reel handle back and forth from left side to right side based on my whim at the time or if my right arm is getting tired from casting.

When the topic "throw away society" is discussed, dehumidifiers come to mind. I have had 6 in 6 years, only using one at a time. Two of one brand and 4 of another, all 72 pint models. Used in a clean environment. All maintained monthly (filter cleaned and drain hose flushed). Cost range, $250-$300. Every one, the compressor quit working. None were made or assembled in the US. I purchased the first one, and the third one because I changed brands. The rest were covered under original warranty, no extended warranty. The last one seems to be the best. It has run for a little over 2 years. Cheaper to replace than to send a service person.

Wow!!! That guy has more stuff than most small fishing tackle stores I've been in.

I don't know if there are gar in OK, but ripples and barely breaking the surface is a characteristic of gar in NC. They have fooled me a few times.

In terms of weighing your boat + trailer, and then just the trailer, in your part of the country, any small town grain elevator will have a drive on scale. Hopefully you can find one closer than 40 minutes from the water. I grew up in Iowa.

Those are some fatties. Awesome fun day. Happy for you and your partner.

I've had so little luck with red or red/brown craw color crank baits that they just don't get thrown. Is it possible, here where the threadfin shad are really plentiful, that they are a easier meal for the bass to catch than crawfish?

Ahh, vertical fishing. Are both lines, the PP Super Slick, and the Sniper the exact lines you were using successfully before? If you were successful before, with different line, that is what I would go back to. 1/16 oz isn't much weight to overcome inertia and the friction through the guides on a straight drop. A good spool on a good 3000 spinning reel should not cause problems. More often it has to do with the line. Not necessarily "bad" line, just the wrong line. Over night thought. For a vertical drop presentation, with a 1/16 oz jig on a 6 foot leader and a 7 foot rod just have most of the leader out through the end of the top guide, then you will have the weight of the jig and the weight of the leader to start your vertical drop.

Others may differ but I like the line to be about 1/8" from full spool. Guess you are running a long leader that winds onto the spool. A shortened leader that does not wind into the spool will (correction, may) stop the springing fc.

Have a speedy recovery. The bass have been asking about you. They are happy you are taking a break. We're not!

Wife had pain running down her leg. Primary care doctor misdiagnosed (simple x-ray would have seen the problem). Sent her to physical therapy. Month later no improvement. PC doctor suggested she go to a pain clinic. Not wanting to be on pain medication the rest of her life, she went to a neurosurgeon who had attended her after a car accident. X-ray showed the problem to be a disc very much out of alignment, probably caused by a more recent auto accident. Spinal fusion surgery out of which she was pain free. Never took any pain meds after surgery, just a few Tylenol. Important to make wise decisions about your body.

Ollie's re. fresh, good, or just decent fishing gear; some stores yes, some stores no. Luck of the draw. Unfortunately, the store near me is a nothing for fishing gear.

I use the method initially until it doesn't work, then use a round toothpick or a long slim finishing finishing nail to pull out the loops under loops. My wife says keep my hands off her crochet needles which work very well.

Sorry you haven't gotten more response. I'm from NC so won't be much help, but I'll give as much as I know. Only fished there on a two day trip, and we fished exclusively for bass. Also we were there early summer. First, a couple of questions. Where y'all coming from? Are you pulling a boat or will you be renting when you get there? Have you looked at the lake on Google Earth? It's obviously big water and once you get outside the channel markers good sonar with mapping is important as underwater stumps and trees are plentiful, plus I can get lost going to the grocery store. The two days we fished, the first day we put in at Stumphole boat ramp, near Stumphole Landing. Put Stumphole Landing, Ellerie, SC into Google Earth search. You will see the ramp and parking just above Stumphole Landing. We went straight across from the ramp and fished the whole day in the Cypress trees with the floating Hyacinth under them. The second day we put in at Carolina King and fished out from there until early afternoon, then drove home. The second day there were more lily pads and we spent quite a bit of time fishing them. Not as much luck as the day before in the Cypress trees. An interesting thing under the thick floating mats of Hyacinth on day one, we could hear fish feeding and moving. You did ask about lures. We fished mostly soft plastics, finesse worms, trick worms, stick worms, all mostly tx rigged in the Cypress knees. If you are fishing for other species, no telling what you might land. Hope y'all have a wonderful time. Be safe and tight lines!