rtwvumtneer6

Agree with @Catt here... I would go after a reaction bite. When the clarity changes in my local water they get finicky (is that a real word or a regional thing)? for a couple days. It seems like after a few days of adjusting they go back to their normal behavior. @th365thli I'll gladly trade you places for a couple days and try and figure them out... My moving baits are less than effective in ice

Thanks!

I found this crank digging through some old stuff. Anyone able to help with ID? Looks like hooks are a #6, and it has rattle that sounds like a few BBs. Reminds me of a faint Rat-L-Trap. Not 100% sure how I acquired it, but it could go back as far as my grandfather. No markings on it, but it reminds me of Rapala. Any ideas?

I like to watch other people fish, whether it's a stranger near me on the bank, or a friend of mine who was kind enough to invite me onto his/her boat. Regardless of what we have, or don't have, afford or can't afford, or if we are on the bank or in a boat, the biggest observation I've made is how little time some people are actually IN the water. For the best chance of success, whatever you deem that to be, we have to maximize the amount of time our presentation is in front of the fish. We all know the guy who makes 3 casts with a lure, and immediately grabs his scissors and digs through his bag for a new presentation because "they must not want that one today". He spends half his time looking for baits and tying knots, and I've never seen anyone catch a bass with a dry line. We can also prepare off the water, too. Tackle organization, checking our equipment (loops in a spool, rod guides, fresh knots, etc) that help us to minimize headaches on the water. I took a trip this spring that we were supposed to have a full weekend on the water. By lunch time of the 2nd day we had 2 fish in the boat, a completely toasted trolling motor battery, 2 9.9 motors that were on the way to the shop, and had to row back to the launch. (Ok that might not be you, but I had to let that one go! Lol). Anyway my point is, whatever situation we are in, as long as we are ON the water, we should be focused on maximizing our time IN the water! A late Merry Christmas! And a safe and blessed New Year. Rob

Is this your primary casting rod, or an addition to your aresenal? It will likely be pretty versatile. Poppers, jerk bait, sqaure bills, lighter jigs and Texas rigs, etc. As long as you don't go heavy punching or ultra finesse, you should be good to go! Try to stay within the suggested lure rating printed on the blank. I have the Pro Qualifier 7'M/F that I got in a combo deal (I only wanted the reel) and now I rarely get on the water without having that rod with me. BTW "Medium" refers to the power of the rod. The "action" or taper (where the tip bends) would be expressed as moderate, fast, extra fast, etc on a BPS rod.

See below.

In my immediate area of PA, a lot of people associate the opening day of trout (mid-April) with the "start" of the fishing season. I'm hoping there's some truth to the "slightly above average" and a March thaw. Let's say March 21. Happy birthday to me!

Those two in the middle look like Mustads... correct me if I'm wrong. I tried them, and wasn't a fan of that bend (that's how it's designed) and how it held a plastic. Grip pins aren't bad though. I played with a few brands last year (gammy, mustad, owner, VMC) and found the most confidence in Trokar. I believe it's the TK120 or "magworm" EWG and I pitch with it on 50# braid. I prefer an EWG over a straight shank flippin hook, but that's a whole different topic. IMO, though, the straight shank is probably a bit stronger (less flex) than a comparable EWG simply by design.

I've been using, and liking this ones from owner. They snap into place and don't fall off. I generally only use them on the lures I have tied on, so 1 pack in a couple sizes does me just fine. Also colored by size so easy to grab what you need. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Owner_Treble_Hook_Safety_Caps/descpage-OHC.html

2018 Accomplishments: -Gained confidence in moving/reaction baits -Entered (and won) first tournament -Established a handful of confidence baits across several techniques -Accumulated a rod/reel arsenal that I'm confident I can cover almost any situation/condition on my local fisheries -Broke my PB on public and private water 2019 Goals: -Organization (tackle) -Efficiency (time management) -Enter 3-5 tournaments and cash 2 checks -Become more consistent in number of catches - improving my skill with my current techniques and not trying to learn it all at once -Outfish my partner from the back of the boat 30% of the time (may seem low but he kicks my tail!) -Fish 3 new lakes +1 guide trip (headed to Texas over Halloween) -AND... Effectively skip a jig!

Curado K is tough to beat at that price point. I flip/pitch (really just pitch) with the 8.5:1. Thumbs up.

My vote for soft plastic has to be the Rage Bug on a 4/0 Trokar Magworm EWG hook. 50# braid, #20 fluoro leader, if necessary. Tungsten from 1/4-1/2oz and a high speed reel. Which leads right into my favorite hard bait, a jig. Lately I've been liking the Missile Ike series Flip Out and Mini Flip. 3/8oz has been my sweet spot for the waters I normally fish. The torn up Rage Bug is one of my favorite trailers. As far as colors go, 90% of the time I'm throwing black and blue, or green pumpkin, or some combination of the two. I'm really starting to like a green pumpkin trailer on a black and blue jig. Depending on the conditions I'll chartreuse the tips on the green pumpkin, and I always smear on a little Liquid Mayhem or MegaStrike attractant. Fun post... But now I'm extra sad my water is hard ?

I don't want to assume anything, but you mentioned you were also throwing a jerkbait. What were air temps on that day? @Heartland made a good point that too much lubrication combined with cold weather could be the culprit. This happened to me when it was about 30 degrees out, but I couldn't replicate the problem at home when the reel was at room temp.

Congratulations! Great achievement.

Haven't broke this reel down for any cleaning or maintenance yet, but it sounds like you think tearing it down and cleaning it up may solve the problem?

Thought a visual might help. Apologize for the poor quality. I tried to replicate the issue at the house, but I couldn't. Starting to think this reel just doesn't like to be cold!

Good afternoon! Have a 4th Gen Revo X 6.6:1 that I picked up this past spring. Mostly threw senkos and cranks on 12-15lb line. Didn't abuse it by any means. I went out today and threw a jerk bait, and every 5 or 6 twitches my spool let loose and created an overrun. Checked my drag, spool tension and brakes, but the issue continued. I'm hoping to get some Abu-specific feedback and see if I should get the warranty replacement, or get away from this reel entirely? Thanks!

Looks like everyone covered the tackle box pretty well. My 2 cents on the tackle; I go lighter. Lighter hooks, lighter line and lighter rods. They don't pull as hard when it's cold so you can get away with dropping down and gaining some sensitivity so you can better detect the bites you do get. Now go find a ticked off 5 pounder and prove me wrong ?

@ItsHardwick @gilkeybr I've played around with them. I like their flipping jigs a lot.

Fellow anglers: I'm watching the snow come down and looking at the endless world of jigs. I've still yet to find my "go to" football jig, and was curious if anyone has used: 1.) Netbait Paca Bug Football Jigs * Didn't even realize they made jigs OR: 2.) 6th Sense Divine Hybrid Jig I use products from each company, but never used their jigs. Any feedback would be appreciated. As a bonus, comment your favorite football style jig!

Agreed. I stock up on Stik-Os anytime I can get them. 30 pack is $10 retail. They used to sell a Titanium 8 casting rod that was solid. Think the closest now is the Carbonlite series. Might be worth checking out.

The Curado K is tough to beat. It's built like a tank. The CU200XGK has a 8.5:1 at 36 IPT if you're looking for speed. 11 lb drag is plenty. It's really worth taking a look at.

Great deal. I don't own the rod, but I checked them out thoroughly in person and did a lot of homework on them. Unfortunately I pulled the trigger on 2 other rods because I'm not patient enough to wait on a sale and too stubborn to pay retail. I do, however have a JM Titanium 8 which is no longer produced, but very similar. It's a heck of a rod. I also have the Carbonlite 2.0 casting reel. I've beat the crap out of it, but it's still going. The whole line is extremely light. I say go for it. It's a good sale.

UPDATE: I've had decent enough weather to get out a few times since I posted this. Appreciate all the feedback, and took it all into consideration. I started on open water, with no regard for accuracy. I wanted to get the feel for it. My biggest challenge was the fear of the backlash, so I did it when the bite was slow, and a reel blowing up on me wouldn't ruin the day. When I was able to push beyond the mental part, I had some success with the basic side arm roll cast skip. I even got a little confident and ended up getting up under a couple docks (and picking out a few overruns). Fingers crossed that seeing a bit of success early on and practicing over the hard water months will pay off next year!

Looks like the Carbonlite 2.0 series is on sale right now. Usually $120 on sale for $80. Sale includes both spinning and casting model rods and reels.