NYWayfarer

BBFTB reels for me in order are my Shimano Symetre (aluminum body) Pflueger Trion (rear drag), and Pflueger President (both have the wooden handle knob). I never leave home without one of these reels. They are the perfect balance of great price for great quality to me.

Pflueger President Lews Mach II Shimano Sedona All great reels for dropshotting and in your price range.

I fished a few trout hatcheries in upstate NY. I came in with my roostertail lures and caught a lot of fish while watching others try and fail with pellets and live bait. One time my crew and I caught so many we had to lose a few on purpose due to "slippery" fish not to bankrupt ourselves with the pay by pound fishing system there. good times and memories.

I like lighter reels that match up with the medium-light, fast action rods I use for drop-shotting. A good drag is important as I use 4, 6 and 8lb mono when fishing this style. I also like a reel with a fast retrieve rate. My Lew's Carbon Fire spinning reel fits all these criteria. It was favorite reel this summer.

I finesse fish 99.9% of the time. Crank and swimbaits in my tacklebox are mostly for show.

I have had my eye on the Kastking Sharky II for awhile. Once I read Roadwarrior's link and found out about the company was started by some Syracuse University entrepreneurs, I bit the bullet and ordered one. Happy to support the sponsers as well as my fellow NY'ers. For the price it will be hard to beat a 10 bearing waterproof reel with brass gears.

Senko's 5" texas or wacky rigged, 4" or less for drop shots Zman TRD for Ned rig and dropshotting.

Fantastic bass! I know the winds you are speaking about. Much respect for you braving the elements to fish.

I ordered one of the Cabelas auto inflate PFD that they have on sale. I have the same worries that you do about only opening under pressure but not enough to overlook the price. I can always re-arm it. My two main methods of boating are a canoe with a trolling motor or a Meyers 14' pro aluminum boat with a 15 horsepower motor so I am not concerned with getting a high impact PFD

With the snow we got here and the relentless 25-30mph winds whipping through I am ready for spring 2017! Now comes the hibernation period of watching fishing vids and shopping deals on fishing equipment till I can fish again. Got a new auto PFD on sale and will be getting a fishfinder on black Friday. I will be building a motor mount for my canoe and a DIY fishing crate to store my rods and gear when I am on the water. That will keep me busy until the lake freezes or I take a trip way south.

I use a Jawbone 370 tackle backpack I picked up at dicks. I love it as it has plenty of space and is comfortable to carry. Here are the specs: Includes one (1) 370 utility box with customizable divider inserts Large main zippered compartment capable of holding three (3) 370 utility boxes Large zippered pocket on front capable of holding two (2) 350 utility boxes Lower zippered convenience pocket on front for valuables Side zippered pocket for tools and other accessories Conveniently placed tool holder on side Water bottle holder and tie off on side Adjustable padded shoulder straps for easy transport Fabric: Abrasion resistant 420D nylon Dimensions: 18”L x 13”W x 8.5”H $24 at Field and Stream/Dicks.

My wife and I were living down there and working in lower Manhattan at that time. To this day I have moments where I am brought to tears at the thought of all that occurred that day. Never forget.

That deeper flexed arm mount is way overpriced and it is not well suited for a canoe. when clamped on a canoe gunnel it forces the arm to be bent at a weird angle to get the deeper in the water. I would tie a line on the deeper and trail it behind the canoe as a better, cheaper alternative. Luckily the new iPhone 7 is waterproof and with the brightness turned way up you can see it. It beats my old iPhone in a Ziploc sandwich baggie waterproofing system. I also use one of those neoprene armbands to hold my phone for easy viewing.

That seems to be my wife's problem with my buying fishing gear. She recently said to me how many rods and reels do I need, and why don't I sell some to get new ones if I really want them. My comeback to her was I will sell some rods and reels when she sells some of her handbags. She is right in the respect that I want a new reel or rod but don't need them. I just can't pass up a good buy on some of my favorite brands like Shimano, Lews, Pflueger and Fenwick.

Ask questions and listen to learn is the best advice I can give you about guides. I learned a lot from some good guides on my local lake about rigs,baits and presentation that I did not know prior to the trip. I like to bring my own equipment to fish on a guide boat. Most of my fishing enjoyment comes from using my toys. I have not met one guide yet that minds this as it saves wear and tear on their own stuff. I did have one bad guide once. He didn't put my group on many fish at all and actually ran out of bait quite early. Lucky I brought my tackle box of lures or it would have been a quick trip back to the docks.

When freshwater fishing I target smallmouth bass so that's what I get most of the time but I take what the water gives me. Rock bass, sunfish, catfish, pickerel, carp are all pleasant surprises to catch but I do not target them. I try and go trolling for lake trout and salmon when they are in season at least once a year. I do enjoy an occasional trip down to the ocean for some bluefish, fluke and flounder saltwater action.

Sadly you can't teach folks common sense. It is something sorely lacking these days.

I was at the Wilderness Lodge in Disney and they make a dessert drink with maple whiskey, vanilla ice cream and salted carmel syrup. It was quite delicious. I have made it at home on special occasions.

My best drop shot idea was when I was fishing for bluegill and pumpkinseed. I used a split shot as a drop shot weight and put a half a real worm of the drop shot hook on ultra light rod and reel. Worked better than a bobber and hook presentation.

Sounds like an allergic reaction to the sulfites, they do evil things to me as well (stomach not head) If it's sulfites that are the problem, try organic wines they contain no added sulfites. you could also try a non-drowsy allergy pill (Claritin or Allegra) before drinking.

I like a nice Shiraz. Yellow Tail or Little Penguin are decent brands. For pinot noir or melot I like Bogle Vineyards

Speaking of pig whiskey, I recently tried this spiced Irish whiskey. A decent shot or neat drink. I like it better than Fireball. I am a fan of the flavored whiskeys that have seemed to have saturated the market. My favorite is Black Velvet toasted carmel followed by Jack Daniels Tennesse honey and Jim Beam apple.

That is one awesome canoe!!

My usual Friday night drink is a shot of Black Velvet whiskey in my Yeti 30oz cup with some ice, twist of lime and a can of coke zero. I find Black Velvet is a good balance of price and quality perfect for whiskey and cokes. I usually mix my whiskey with something but I just tried some Crown Royal vanilla yesterday and it was nice and smooth. My favorite whiskey to drink without mixing though is Macallan 12 single malt scotch whiskey. I usually treat myself to a bottle once a year.

I have a few Mitchell's in my arsenal including an old 1960's 300 all metal with the clicking retrieve. All have served me well, from the Avocets to the 300 XE and I believe I caught my PB largemouth on a 300 X Other reels I like are the Pflueger President and Trion, Shimano Sedona and Lews Speed Spins.