yugrac

I have been using P-Line C21 line for the last few years, this line is tough, and has good knot strength, with the right knot. However, this stuff has LOTS of stretch. I mean to the point where you cant break it, I have been hung up before in places I cant get the boat to, and have had to cut the line, I even broke a hook on an inline spinner and it flew several feet and hit me but never broke the line. The issue with this is on long cast I am missing, or losing fish due to poor hooksets. I dont use braid on spinning reels, I fish mostly with spinning gear but do have 3 baitcast rigs, including a G Loomis crankbait rod. The question here is what do any of you guys who still fish with mono use now. I used to use Stren for many years, until I got some bad spools, [thats what I get for buying it a Wal Mart] and I just kind if strayed away from it. Dont care for the super lines, I do use braid on the baitcaster that I fish heavy cover with. I am looking for something that is supple, yet still has low stretch and good knot strength. Dont care for straight floro, to stiff on spinning gear. Looking for opinions on mono for the most part, thanks for your input.

You had said you were also wanting to throw crankbaits with this setup, crankbait rods are not heavy rods, also you will want to get the rod in your hand before you buy if you have never handled a certain rod, There is no industry "standard" for rod ratings. One companys heavy is anothers medium heavy, ones fast is medium fast to anothers. Its hard to buy one rod to do everything, but typical jig and worm casters all think you should buy a rod suited for that and compromise on every other aspect.

St Croix rods are an great choice, [as I am sitting at my keyboard with my St Croix shirt on] The big issue on rod selection is length, action and speed. If you are wanting to throw a little bit of everything with it I would go with a 7 ft medium or medium light, stay with a fast taper, didnt say if you were using spinning or baitcast. I have a abu garcia silvermax that is about as good as my $300 baitcasters, but my go to spinning reel is the Pfluger president. That said quality rods, like st croix are well worth the money. I have a g loomis crankbait rod that is way above the feel of the cheaper store brand rods. Dont let anybody fool you with the " I got a $19 rod thats as good as any of them high end ones" Bullcrap, I have fished with all of them in 55 years of fishing, and the is nothing like the feel of a quality rod, st croix or others. Fenwick makes a pretty good stick to, but st croix is made in the US, if that means anything to you. Now just sit back and wait for the NO! Thats wrong because thats not what I would does, to roll in!

I had went to Northern PA to fish with my son for a weekend a few years back, we were at a small [200 acre] electric motor lake with a small gravel ramp with no dock, there were some railroad ties spiked along the bank with a few cleats on them to tie to. I was standing on the bank as he pushed the boat off the trailer, and then threw the rope to me and he got in the truck and pulled the truck and trailer back to the lot. As I pulled the boat back toward the shore the rope simply came off the bow eye, he looped it through but never tied it! I could only watch the boat float out into the lake until he got close enough for me to yell at him, there was no reason for me to swim out to the boat, I never would have been able to get in the boat once I would of got to it, to old, to fat. I never seen a guy strip to his underwear that fast in my life. Got the boat back and fished the rest of the morning. I was at a local lake one morning and had just launched my boat and I seen a guy standing at the end of the next dock with his hands in the air shaking his head as his boat floated out into the lake, I gave him a ride out to it so he didnt have to swim.

Was your ball latch down when you got out? I know this may not seem likely, I will tell you of my mistake. Left early, about 4 am one day last summer, drove to my "local" lake, about 35 miles away, fished all morning into early afternoon, put the boat on the trailer and headed home. When I backed the boat into the garage and went to unhook the trailer imagine my surprise when I seen I had forgot to latch the hitch! It was down on the ball, but I never pushed the latch down, 70 mile round trip, 60 mph, and never lost the trailer. The thing that saved me is my trailer loaded weighs 285 at the hitch. I was telling my son about it, he has had a few trailer issues also, he said "bet you will never do that again!" I did it again earlier this year! I see some trailers at the boat ramp that look very scary. My tire pressures are checked EVERY TIME before I go out, Wheels jacked up and wheel bearings checked every 3 times and lights checked every time out when I hook up. If I could just come up with a foolproof way to latch the hitch.

They [uS Army C.O.E.] are starting to drop the water levels in a few of the northern reservoirs that I had fished lately. How do some of you approach dropping water levels and what methods do you use? As of today the lake I am planning on going to Sat. has been dropped 2 foot from summer pool. This lake has water from 50 foot to 5 foot deep. Lots of deeper submerged cover, and lots of coves and ledges, humps, ect. My son is coming in from north Pa this weekend and we are planning on going out Sat and Sun, but to 2 different lakes, one in Indiana and one in Ohio. Any opinions helpful. Thanks.

I am ready to fish within 1 day after my last outing, I put the battery chargers on when I get home, take them off that night or next morning, Any rods or gear that need attending to is done early the next morning before work or at lunch. The closest lake to me is 45 min away, and is a poor example of a fishing lake, 1,200 acres of carp and catfish. I work until 6 pm and makes it 6:30 before I get home so after work trips are not really do-able. Sundays are my only real option, some Sat. afternoons, I work on Sat mornings so thats tough too. Wish I got off at 3 and had a lake that close!

I am right handed and use all left hand crank reels, both spinning and baitcast. The biggest advantage I like is fishing shallow cover or shoreline. When you dont have to switch hands you can be cranking as soon or before the lure hits the water, this saves on many hang-ups and snags. Also I have had reaction strikes as soon as the lure hits the water, and would have missed fish if not for holding the rod in my right hand and cranking with my left.

I use them on the classic "safety pin spinner" I buy different sizes of jig heads, spinners and grubs, and rig my own. Black is my go to color in this configuration.

St. Croix, "Best Rods on Earth" nuff said.

Fishballer06, you are the closest. I have a photo I took a few years ago of a bullfrog in my ornamental pond with a sparrow in its mouth, no way it could ever swallow it, but it did kill it. I talked to my son in law about this, he is a biologist and works for the US Forest service, as does my daughter. He told me when it comes to these types of animals they will try to eat anything they think they can fit in there mouth. We have all caught bass, as well as other types of fish on lures that were bigger than the fish.

Hey, it could be worse, the last 16 fish I have caught while bass fishing were channel cat. Slimey, wiggly, grunting, and I have been "horned" 3 times, 2 drew blood. I would take a pike about now.

I have used snap swivels for 40 years, I fish a lot of inline spinners, and that helps with line twist, it also makes it much easier to change lures. I usually have at least 6 rods rigged up on deck, It depends on if I have my 105 lb dog with me, she steps on the rods sometimes and I am afraid she will break a tip. My eyesight at almost 56 years old, and my manual dexterity has suffered much over the last 10 years and its very difficult for me to tie knots, loss of feeling in my hands, and arthritis take there toll, only having to tie one knot at home helps. I was fly fishing a year ago in a small local river and lost my fly, it took me nearly 20 minutes in the water, with a slight breeze to tie a new one on, of course you dont use a snap on a fly rod, but it saves lots of pains with my other gear.

well, big bass love senkos, 'PRIVATE" is the key word in private pond. There are a few around here but they are no trespassing at all, to many idiots who leave trash, start fires and have no respect for someone else property. If you dont have permission to fish these un-pressured ponds then you have no other choice but to fish the reservoirs and public lakes. Fishing small fish filled un pressured ponds and small lakes is like shooting fish in a barrel. May as well go to the local fair and use the traveling fish tank that the kids pay a dollar to fish in.

Any one on this forum fish Brookville Indiana reservoir? Was planning on a trip there on a weekday morning this week, I will be in my boat so I can get anywhere I need to go, It will run 40 easy. I am looking for tips or advice where to start, I know no one wants to give away there "secret spot". But i doubt as heavily as this place is fished there are to many of those left. Will be fishing for bass, any type, large , small, ect. Where to start the morning? Styles, lures, deep shallow? I have only been there twice before and it was on weekends and the PBers were horrid. Almost an hour to get the boat out of the water, and no luck at all all day. Hoping a weekday AM trip will be less crowded other than fishermen. Am grateful for any help.

I live and fish in Indiana and I agree, it can be tough. A lot of bucket fishermen around here and lots of pressure in the central part where I live because there are so few lakes. The IDNR do not seem to be interested in bass at all, the same thing over and over, Walleye and crappie. Thats all they stock or care about. I have caught some fish this year, but nothing very big, 15 inch the biggest. I dont get to fish very much, maybe 3 times a month, job and other responsibilitys just wont allow any more, that does not help. Still waiting for that trip of a lifetime, just hope some one is there to share it with me.

I picked a LMB up out of an area with about 20 carp holding near a shoreline, I cast into the fish, not knowing for sure what they were and picked up a decent bass, after closer inspection discovered all the other fish were carp.

The highest priced rig I have is a baitcaster, G loomis rod with a Quantum KVD Tour series reel, that said I fish with almost all spinning tackle. St Croix rods and pflueger reels. Fished with spinning rigs for the last 40+ years, they both have there place and time, but I really like spinning better. But If you go to baitcasters, dont waste your money on cheapos, you wont have a good time and get very frustrated, I know I tried it.

When I was a kid I fished with a guy who had fished all over the eastern US, and for all kinds of fish, he always told my all the fish see is something moving in the water, bottom line is no matter what the biologist say only the fish know what they see, and they are not talking.

This is for everybody, who has been out, what have you caught, and with what lures or bait, presentation ect. Water temps? Weeds? Depths, just wondered whats going on elsewhere. Everything I have caught this year has been shallow, all but 1 on inline spinners, 1 on a jig, all LMB but 1 smallmouth and a few bluegill. Water temps in Mid East Indiana 62-64.

Thats the same way I mounted mine on a 14 ft V hull, plywood attached the upper "V", put a piece of plywood on the floor to mount the foot control. I also had an edge. WORD OF WARNING---DO NOT USE TREATED PLYWOOD AGAINST ALUMINUM!!!!!!. The treated wood will react with the aluminum when wet and eat holes in your boat. If your boat sits out in the weather and your worried about rot, spring for marine plywood.

Yeah, that @#$% job thing, 50 hours a week , plus the yard, cars, dogs ,wife, camper, sure cuts into fishing time. I go when I can, and sometimes when I should be doing other things, but hey, at 55 who knows when your last time out may be, or even at 16. Guys complain about only getting out 3 or 4 times a week, I am lucky to get out 3 or 4 times a month. Closest lake to me is 45 min away, work till 6pm does not leave much.

I have a 30 pound black and white dog, Oreo, origins unknown. She loves to go fishing with me. She is very good in the boat, sits behind me on the rear deck when I am going across the lake with the outboard. And stands on the bow when using the trolling motor. She barks at a few things but is content to just smell the air, lick the fish water off of fish tails, and just chill out. I also have a 100 pound German shepherd I dont take her unless my wife goes, handling both of them would leave me no time to fish, but my shepherd is very well behaved in the boat. Its just getting her into the boat. She is a very pretty shepherd and people are always wanting to see her and get close to her, she is very protective, and is not user friendly, so it takes 2 to handle them both. My son has a Lab he takes on occasion but has the problem with him wanting to swim, and then he has a hard time getting him back in the boat. Best advice I could give is try it, but watch the hooks when casting, make sure you know where they are, and PLENTY OF WATER, 2 bowls in case one spills. I love dogs, they are a very large part of our lives, I could not imagine living without dog fur on everything!

Thanks

Yes