NYWayfarer

Truly a shame there are so many knuckleheads in a sport we love. I always say it's hard to hate someone when you get to know them. After all we have so many things in common, family, bills, jobs, etc. When you see someone fishing you at least know you have that in common and it can be a springboard to start up a conversation and make a new friend.

I also scored the big spray bottle of Berkley gulp crawfish scent for $1.50 I plan on using it for baits that have little to no scent like my Havoc flat dawgs. I can spray them before casting or transfer the bait to a ziplock baggies and spray them 3-5 times then seal the bag.

Last trip to Walmart today as the clearance blitz on fishing gear seems to be dying out. I scored a 7' M/F Abu Garcia Vigilante casting rod for $19.00 This rod is fantastic looking and the action seems to be just what I was looking for in a baitcasting rod. I tried for another berkley shock in store pick up but after making me wait 3 days they sent me an email message saying this item is out of stock. I gave up on the power pro going any lower than $12

Regular braid, not fireline, is great for fishing in dirty water with heavy vegetation. I rarely fish this type of water so it's no wonder I have few reels loaded with braid. I fish clear open water for smallmouth and prefer Fluoro and mono in that order. You can pull up a stump with the right rod and braid. Fireline is its's own beast. It's a braid that wants to be a mono, it's neither and not a favorite of mine as its cost does not match its quality. If you got it for $3 I would say it's a good deal.

After a day of fishing I spray WD-40 in a paper towel and wipe down my reels after a fresh water rinse. Have no idea if it helps but it makes me feel better. I feel compelled to mention I have reels that are decades old that look and feel like new that I have treated this way.

The night before I take a fishing trip I prepare 2-3 set-ups. Usually a drop shot, Ned rig and a Texas or wacky rig. All of these I use a Palomar knot to tie. It's strong and reliable. It has yet to let me down. When out on the boat, eyesight and dexterity limit me so I purchased a Hook-Eze. I use this when changing baits. It ties a clinch knot in seconds and leaders when I need to almost as fast. While not as reliable as my Palomar knot I trust the clinch knot enough to keep using my Hook-Eze.

I have the same reel and I have all 4 centrifugal brakes turned on and the magnetic turned to max. With 14 lb mono I cast a mile and am still mindful of my thumb on the spool. what might help is once you get the side plate off loosen the two screws that hold the magnets down. Just a little seems to do the trick. Once I master casting this way I can't wait to see how much farther this baby can sling a bait.

That canoe is simply awesome. I am happy with my stadium back seat, Yakgear milk crate with rod holders, Vexilar T-pod fishfinder and my Igloo quantum cooler with cup holders built into the lid. All that comes into the canoe with my son and I and leaves it at the end of the day. Even with all that I can not be in the canoe all day as I need to stretch my legs. The beauty is once the trolling motor is up I can paddle to shore and get out for a few minutes.

Snow and ice here today and tomorrow as well. Trout season opens tomorrow with an expected 8-10 inches of snow on the ground. When I can finally go fishing I will be pitching a skirted jig with a Christie Craw or Zoom Super Chunk trailer. Ned rig and drop shot GYB Shad shaped worm after that.

On Monday 3/27/17 on the Walmart.com website I searched Berkley Shock. Out of the search items I chose the casting models. I then went through the various sizes. the 6' M , and 6',6" MH versions came up as $39.99 when I chose the 7' MH it came up as $9 and it was available for pick up at my local Walmart as it said "in store purchase". If you don't see this deal then I can only assume there are no clearance rods available in your area.

I recently inherited a 6' Medium power Fast action casting rod. It has a short grip. Short enough to make casting 2-handed awkward. What type of fishing would you use this for?

I agree with J Francho, the Stealth is not bad. As a perk of KastKing being a sponsor of these forums, you can get a 10% discount on the Stealth by using the code KStealth until March 30th Mine cost $51 after discount and taxes. I have a plug on it and have been practicing casting in my snow covered yard. It casts a mile and then some. My advice is to turn all 4 center pin brakes on and the magnetic control to 10 to start. With the discount you will be paying $10 more than the Royale but you get a lighter, stronger carbon fiber reel.

I own and love all three reels you mentioned. The Shimano Spirex RD, Pflueger President and Pflueger Trion. I consider this class of reels to be my workhorse reels. Great quality, great price and I don't get so worked up if they get a little boat rash. They haven't let me down yet. My Pflueger Supreme on the other hand I handle with care. My fishing partner was rolling when he saw me wrap a towel around the reel before I put it in the rod holder to prevent scratches. He said way to baby that reel by putting a diaper on it.

I agree with this. I have some cheap setups (and cheap for me is cccchhhheeeeaaappp) to loan out. The $9 shock falls into this category. I have on occasion used these loaners when bank fishing in some rough areas. Those are places I don't want to take my starter stuff and risk it getting banged up. When I go fishing I will take 2-3 setups with me all around the same quality as my starter.

This. I had 3 choices when I searched Berkley Shock (2 different casting, 1 spinning) 2 of them were $39 but the last one was a 7'MH casting rod and that was $9 when I clicked on it.

You can try Walmart.com as well to find the $9 Shocks. I ordered a $9 MH 7' casting rod and got free in store pickup. That was the only size and action Shock available in my area for $9

I took a trip to my local Walmart after work today. I have had my eye on the Daiwa Jupiter rod that you mentioned. It has been on clearance for $35 down from $49.99 It finally dropped to $25 this week. Half price was good enough for me. I picked up a 7' MH casting rod for pitching worms and jigs.

I use all the baits you mentioned and they work great. In addition I recommend the Yum Sharpshooter, Strike King Dreamshot, Berkley Gulp Alive Minnow (2" or 3" size) and Biospawn Plasma tail

The Sojourn is a budget, entry level rod from Shimano. Step up to something a bit higher in their line up like a Sellus or Convergance and you should see a big difference in both quality and sensitivity.

Wish I would have thought of this before they were gone in my Walmart.

It's for people with really small cars that hate 2 piece rods.

I have been visiting my Walmart clearance isles on a weekly basis. It seems they lower the prices every week. I got Gamakatsu drop shot hooks for .75 (last week $1, the week before $2) a pack this week. Trilene XL 14lb test for 1.50 a spool and Gulp Crawfish attractant for $2.50 (last week 4.50) Still waiting on the power pro to get lower. Still $12 a spool.

Sorry. I learned this lesson at an early age while saltwater fishing. I bought a $9 lure with my allowance, went fishing with my dad and while testing the action a Bluefish came up and bit through my mono stealing my lure. Also bank fishing I was not willing to take a swim to retrieve snagged lures back then.

I take care off my fishing gear and by doing so I extend the life of my gear. The extreme temps that can be reached in a trunk in summertime can damage your line, rods and reels over time. If you live in the north, like I do, the cold of winter then the heat of summer extremes will be murder to your gear kept in a car. Why take the risk? I used to keep a cheap set-up in the car and when I needed it the line was so damaged it was unusable. I had to go home and get something else anyway so it didn't save me a trip

I use the Jawbone silicone skirt jigs. Decent enough for the price.