herder

I had Owners, Gama's, Mustad, Eagle Claw, VMC through the years. They all work, but I'm partial to Owners and Gama's, as mention keeping them sharp is key and I carry a small file with me in my vest. Sorta another case of Ford vs Chevy, you use what you have confidence in.

Wow!!

I almost dread that moment, I teared up just reading that.

Finally on the board😃 Was on a week long camping/fishing trip down in South Jersey. The plan was saltwater fishing for inshore Tog, a hard fighting bottom fish. Well that didn't work out, with the coldest winter we've had in 10 years the fish hadn't move in yet from the ocean. Spent 2 days trying that with out a tap. Plan B was lakes in the area, didn't bring a lot to freshwater tackle with me but some of my basics. We tried out 2 lakes we've never fished, one was just some Pickerel, with only a couple of small bass. The other one was much better, we spent all day exploring the lake and caught Largemouths, crappie and Pickerel. We figured out some spots that produced and came back the next day. The next day I landed 20 fish, 17 Largemouths, 2 Pickerel and a crappie. Water was 72, and most fished were caught along what I call bull rush's along the bank with 5' of water up to them,I don't know what they are as there not up north where I mostly fish. Most caught on a 5" green pumpkin Dinger, other's on a 2.8 Fat Swing Impact all along the outside edge of the "bull rushes" or in a pocket there. Also lost a bunch, and of course bite offs from the Pickerel. We saw the most turtles as I ever seen, I mean it was in the hundred's. Weather was nuts for Jersey in the middle of April, day time temps were 85 to the 90's.

Unfortunately I've had a few that have passed on, and a couple who can't anymore due to health issues. My son goes with me on some camping/fishing trips. I have one that I've been fishing with for over 20 years, was a fly fishing guide up in the Catskills for years. Were equal now as I don't fly fish. Couple of other's that we meet up a few times a year. I do a lot of solo trips, so I talk and curse to myself.

Since I retired I consider cleaning fish work, as Maynard G. Krebs said "Work??? When I was heavily into Saltwater fishing and had a boat we'd have a cooler with ice and added saltwater so it was a slurry, fish were bleed and then dumped in the cooler. Filleting was done back at the house on an outside table, it was pretty easy with the fish ice cold. There was an ample amount of cold beer too, I was pretty good and still have all my fingers! As was said a sharp knife is critical, knife of choice back then was a 8"Dexter carbon steel, after a few fish a couple of swipes on the hone and it was back to razor sharp.

They ain't fancy, but work for what I want. eBay25 1/8oz Ball Head Jigs Mustad BLN 32746 Hooks #4 #2 #1...My ball head style has no collar. All of my jigs are proudly hand-poured in the USA!

Rorer 714, that brings back some memories from a distant dark time.

He looks very comfortable in his new surroundings 😀

"Took a last minute day of work when I saw the wind forecast. Went to the big lake figuring for some topwater smallies, but of course the water was 43 degrees when I launched and the wind was blowing 5-10 (not the 2 mph forecast)" I always find that what ever the wind forecast is for there, add at least 10mph to it😀 Great call on the move, nice catching on a cool variety. I've only been out once, nothing to show for it.

Had a visitor this morning;

Every time on doing it this song goes through my mind;

Not a lost art for me, I've been doing it my whole life. I started out just river fishing, I look at that as a type of drift fishing, your casting your line upstream to drift your bait along what ever line you want to target. Later years I caught the salt bug and pretty much just concentrated on Fluke fishing which are a type of flounder with teeth. This was pretty much 100% drift fishing, either along channel edges, across channels, or on adjacent flats. Now I'm in a kayak, and most of my fishing is drifting, lakes, reservoirs and rivers. Drifting in the river one of my most productive things is just casting out a jig and letting it just bounce along the bottom. Probably to my detriment I don't even own an anchor, just adjust my drift via a rudder and my paddle.

Well you are correct! Not sure of the count, but it is over 20. There's clear lake, muddy lake, clear river, muddy river rods. Saltwater there's striper, fluke and tog rods. The monkey and I have a "relationship"

Next up are the Dogwoods, could be soon. Then that usually means gassing up the lawn mower.

Yeah, I had to read that 2 times, this is a family site

Like MRQturbo my kayak gets the 303 treatment multiple times a year. I use it on my latex seals on my dry top too. Dash gets it also on the Forester, keeps it looking like new even though I'm on my 11th year on it.

2.8" Fat Swing Keitech on a 1/8 ball head jig, I buy the jigs on ebay in 50 packs.

Round reels, man that's so last century 😉 Just kidding, there the only ones that I own, though pretty just used for striper fishing in the salt.

Nope, just here, it would help if I was catching, guess I have to be on the water to do that I do email some of my fishing buddies, my social media footprint is minuscule.

Sorry don't know about smallies down that part of the river. I just fish from the water gap north. Shad should be there now, forsythia are just starting to bloom here in North Jersey.

It changes for me depending on where I"m fishing, but the one thing I always have ready is a 2.8 " Keitech Fat Swing Impact on a 1/8 once ball head jig.

Being in a kayak, I bring at most 4 rods. The only one I bring that's technique specific is a drop shot rod, which is only brought on certain lakes. The other's do multi-task.

Haven't fished Pompton Lake, it's on the list for this year though. There's Potash lake above it that might be on the list too, it's small though. Might give Cranberry lake and Wawayanda a shot too. First camping/fishing trip is a month away down at Belleplain State forest, mostly salt for tog, small lakes around there too if the wind is too bad, mostly pickerel in those but it's something. Then a week at Worthington on the Delaware river, June will be a week up in the Adirondacks then later in the month 5 days in the Catskills. July a couple of days at a friends house for fluking on the Manasquan river, August a week up in Salem Mass for stripers, September another week at Worthington and October back to Belleplain for another week. Retired life is good.