Junk Fisherman

Agreed. My 843 is a rod I never leave at home. I use it for pitching plastics, senkos, 3.8 Keitechs- it is perfect for a 1/2 oz Dark Sleeper. I have transferred over to Dobyns within the last few years but my 843 GLX is going nowhere.

I have used a couple different fluorocarbon leader spools and they were not better than the Gamma 6 lb Edge that I have been using since last summer. I fish smallies a lot and have gone through a lot of different leader lines and the Gamma in 6 lb (equal diameter to other 8 lb lines) is the most abrasion-resistant of any of the lines I have used. A lot of different lines are fine for weeds or wood but for rocks, give me the Gamma. And doesn't everyone have leftover spools of fluoro to use for leaders? I always seem to have 20-50 yards of line left over on spools to use for leaders for my baitcasters.

Yeah, I was planning on going to Door Co but I found campgrounds are open in Michigan so I am going to hit my usual spots. Had to cancel our 2 week family vacations where I terrorize the smallies every year. Good luck when you go. I will try to get up there in July.

How's it going? Yeap, my boat is 4 years old. Seems like it was just yesterday that I spent so much time researching. In terms of my fishing, I have only been able to get out on Lake Michigan once. I only go with south or west winds and we have gotten so many north and east wind days that I won't even attempt. Or it will be west winds but 20 mi/hr. I caught some nice ones the time I got out a couple weeks ago. I have been fishing a small lake in Indiana a lot and have had good luck at times. How about you? Did you sell your Predator?

Didn't expect to see this question on here. I was a member of Bass and Gill from 2012 to 2014. The bass fishing was great at times. I had the best sustained fishing of my life in 2012 on Strike Lake. I caught so many 3-5 lb bass flipping all the laydowns. It was my favorite kind of fishing and I smoked them most days I went out. If I didn't catch a couple 4 lbers during an outing, it was a disappointment. It was excellent until the dog days of summer but from April to mid July it was fantastic. I actually cancelled a couple trips since I knew the fishing would not be as good. 3/8 oz blk/blue jig, a baby brush hog, a frog, and buzzbait did all the damage. It was textbook, shallow water bass fishing. The next 2 years the fishing continually declined and I never had the success I had that first year. We had a drought and the water levels were a concern since so much of the water is 3' or less. I never had as much luck on the main lake or at the back launch of Strike as I did on the front part of Strike. Fletcher's has some great looking water but I never did as well there as on Strike. I sold my membership for several reasons. The water levels were a concern, I wanted to get a bigger boat to fish other bodies of water, and there was no good way for me to get there. Unless it was 5 AM, I had a congested 45 minute drive to get there. And I never fished any of their tournaments but it seemed like they were run well. Let me know if you have any questions. And shamefully, I will add that if you ever are looking for someone to fish with out there, I am your guy. Good luck.

People mix the two up. After looking at videos and diagrams, I am tying a doubled Alberto knot but guys like Seth Feider is calling it a modified, modified Albright knot. Does the Albright not go wraps up and then back down?

Try this one.

Turns out the I am using the modified, modified Albright which is when you double the braid when you wrap it and you go 5 wraps up and 5 wraps back down. Seth Feider was promoting that one a couple years ago but now he does the FG. I couldn't follow the way he finished his FG with all the half hitches and burning the tag. Just seemed like too much for me.

I just don't know why I have no issues with the FG Knot with heavier braid and fluoro but slippage with lighter weights. I am tying it the same way. At this point, I don't see myself going back. Never had an issue with the improved Albright. And while I haven't done anything differently this year I used to get the line connection knot around the first guide a couple times every outing. That hasn't happened at all this year.

Oh I know the FG Knot is the smallest, thinnest easy-to-cast knot and I still use it for 50 lb braid on baitcasting with a 15-17 lb leader. But for my 10 and 15 lb braid to an 8 lb leader, I had too much slippage and lost fish even though I thought I was tying it perfectly. I went back to the improved Albright for my spinning gear and have not had a single problem this spring. I messed around with the Rizzuto finish and a couple other ways to finish the FG but I just decided to go with what is proven for me. Just thought I would throw this out there to see if anyone has experienced something similar.

I bought my boat with a removable console and loved it when I took it out. So much more floor space. Easy to sit on the deck and tie baits. Easier to walk around and net a fish in the back of the boat. When I fish alone it is nice to put rods in the back of the boat and not clutter up the front deck. Besides protection for your partner and looks, I don't see much of an upside to having the 2nd console. It was a game-changer for my boat.

Thanks. That was one I was considering.

I agree. I am expecting to hear that this pandemic is going to push the 2022 launch to 2023. I kicked around the idea of getting a used Tundra but I have no issues with my Tacoma now. Just hoping nothing major breaks in the next 1.5 years.

What jig hook do you like for ball head jigs in the 1/8th to 1/4th oz size? I will be using the jigs for 4" swimbaits such as Keitech Swing Impact. 2/0 hook. Thanks for any advice.

You're not the only one. I tow my 19' Tuffy with my 2008 Tacoma. No issues. Waiting for the redesigned 2022 Tundra. 6500 towing capacity and I figure my package is 4000 pounds or so.

After using a 7’ rod the first couple seasons with a Ned, I changed to a 7’4” last year and it is much better. Longer casts and better control when fighting a fish. My 742 Dobyns Champion HP is my rod of choice for a Ned.

I have Attwood seats that came apart after 2 years. Terrible seats and the company would not replace them. The seats are not a reflection of me as a boat owner.

Rock Run is a place I often take my kayak. I always catch fish there. A lot of interesting things to fish there.

Basscat Caracal Ranger 519 Phoenix 619

In my haste, I didn't securely tie my boat to the dock after launching. It was a good 20' away when I returned after parking. Thankfully, it was the summer so I stripped down to my undies and went for a swim. I also fell out of my boat once. We were fishing a marina and just had gone under a catwalk. In a rush to get the first cast, I did not put my butt seat back in. When I leaned back, I stumbled and fell out. Once again, it was the summer so I just kept fishing.

The only problem I have with the Alberto knot is that I get more wind knots with it. The FG is smaller with better cast distance and I get hardly any wind knots with it. But I've never had breaking issues with the Alberto. Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I'll sort through these and give them a try.

I had inconsistent results with the FG knot last year. I had great results early and then it started slipping on me mid-summer. I was tying it the same way but I did change to a thinner braid (10 lb braid). Never had a problem with heavier and thicker tests slipping. Any thoughts?

Looking for a mold for 1/2 oz, 3/0 60 degree tube jigs for deep water smallies or cracking a tube. Those Bite Me Jigs at $1+ per are too much considering how often I lose them. Any info is appreciated.

Broke a spring in the pedal for my trolling motor. $2.70 to get the replacement kit. Easily the least expensive repair cost ever. Now if it only arrived today.....

Thanks. This really helps. I hadn't really considered upping the leader line. Our Great Lakes are so clear that sometimes I wonder if 8 lb line is too much. But I can't keep losing fish and baits. I recently took a trip and while I caught a lot of fish cracking a jig, I broke off way too much also. Switching from P-Line Tactical to Gamma Touch made a big difference. I was fishing Grand Traverse Bay where you have 20' of visibility. But I will take that advice and go to a heavier leader. Thanks.