Boomstick

I usually don't use a trailer hook unless I have to (ex the spinnerbaits blade starts past the hook and I'm getting short strikes and not from tiny fish) but I will agree. I had bought some 5/0 trailer hooks because that was all the store I was in had, and those were obnoxious. Then I got some 3/0s, and those were a little better. Finally I ended up with some 2/0 size and they aren't too bad.

Update 2: So it seems like we're a go, I just need to find what platform will work the best (zoom, Google Meets etc.) To get this moving along, can you guys PM me your email addresses so I can start to set something up and send a calendar invite once I get a date.

I believe you are right. And the EchoMap UHD transducer was upgraded as well to the GT56 from the GT54, but the rest of the unit is identical. Not sure if the transducer upgrade will be all that big or not, but the old ones packaged with the GT54 are at a great price - which is what I have on my 93sv and it does the job nicely so I'm pretty sure the units I bought will in fact have the transducer, the unit without it hasn't changed so why would it be clearance? As long as these EchoMap UHD 73svs ship with a transducer, my kids will have the 7" version of the same unit I have which is a nice upgrade to the Striker 7sv or possibly Raymarine unit I was likely going to get them. It's actually kind of nice because if they need help with it, I can tell them exactly what to do

BPS is selling the Striker Plus 7sv for $380 with a transducer right now - it's a clearance item since they upgraded it for next year. I personally don't think they'll get that much cheaper for a clearance item on Black Friday.

Yeah, that's what I said. But just 2 and 3 days ago, someone replied in answers and said they got theirs and also a BPS rep replied. So, if I don't get a transducer they're going back.

WestMarine regularly offers great prices on fish finders on ebay. I just checked, the EchoMap 73sv that Bass Pro/Cabelas is selling for $450 does not come with a transducer matching the model to their website, but people said in questions that it did, so I ordered a couple which are gonna be the boys Christmas present this year. They have a good deal on the Striker 7sv too which was what I was going to get, but this is a better buy for sure plus I have the 93sv UHD so I can show them how to use it.

I can confirm that 4-5mph is a little high. The max speed I can paddle my kayak in most water is around 4mph and it works just fine once I get to close to 1mph. Around 2.5mph seems to be its sweet spot. Bass Pro as a good deal on the UHD, at first I was thinking it was clearance because they upgraded the transducer for 2021, but I'm not sure the $450 73sv even comes with a transducer

Hey guys, just an update, I am still waiting for my kid's hockey schedule to be posted. They delayed opening the rink another week until 11/23, If I don't have it by next week, I'm going to assume they may not open it at all this year.

Oh, so my first thought was correct then, so I will move timing to second place - although that's still a tough one to place when they aren't biting, but considering when they chase everything and you're in the right location, you're going to have a very good day.

I'm going to say location , bait type, timing, presentation and then color At first I thought he meant time of day too which would be as important as location, but then I thought about it and I think he means timing on hooksets.

Welcome

I have used the Strike King Baby Burner and Booyah Mini Shad out of this lot, and have also used spinnerbaits by Nichols but not the 33 mini - I have the white pulsators with colorado blades that are fairly small in size, and I like them - I'll likely be buying some willow bladed models for next year.

Well it certainly looks like there is enough interest! I'll start working on picking a day and getting something setup shortly once I find a day. EDIT: I am going to have to find out my kid's travel hockey practice schedule before I can pick a day for certain, which should drop this week sometime as they start next week. I'll try to pick a later time so it should work for you west coast guys as well as us east coast guys

I did go out this weekend. I caught a chain pickerel and a bass on Saturday, and just missed a good sized bass on Sunday. All in all, a good weekend.

Personally, I've actually had notably better luck with Senkos holding up longer in virtually every scenario, but the scenario where the Ochos really don't hold up for me has been fishing them around weeds, timber or rocks or something they can deflect off of and wreck themselves sometimes before I get a fish. I haven't had that problem at that level with any other soft plastic. In areas with nothing to bump it into, I've gotten 3-4 fish on one as well and at that point I'm actually pretty happy because they are cheaper than Senkos, and the reason I keep buying them is they downright catch fish as good or better than any other stick bait.

Well first, nice selection in rod choices. I got my oldest son a Sierra 704C and Sierra 703C, and between just those two rods, you can really cover a wide variety of lures without sacrificing much. He's been running Yo Zuri Hybrid 15lb (which is the diameter of most 17lb line) on the 704C and 12lb Yo Zuri on the 703C for a few seasons. And since you have your bases covered for lighter lures with your other two rods, I personally run straight fluorocarbon on everything where possible, mono for topwater and braid on my spinning gear and with my frog rod and pitching rod for heavy cover, it's my preference. Based on my preferences, I would go the same route. From the sounds of it, I'm guessing you don't have a lot of weeds to contend with, so I would say 12lb or 15lb should do the trick but 17lb would be a solid choice if you do throw in weeds often. The main advantage of going with 30 or 40lb braid to me would be if you ever plan to throw a hollow body frog

If it's as good of a value as Big Game mono, this stuff should be pretty good!

I was a complete beginner 4 seasons ago, and I spent time reading fishing articles, watching videos on this site as well as on Youtube (and still do all the time) - and now these days I am no pro by any means but I've at least made it past the "total noob" level. Yup.. this, exactly! Even if you go with 6lb line just be sure to set your drag appropriately (25% is a safe bet) and you can still land a pretty big bass even on 6lb line. Some of the trout guys up here manage to pull out giant bass on their 2 or 4lb trout line! You can go down the rabbit holes of what gear you can buy and for what lures to use it on later, but in the meantime get out and fish

What I would do is add a rod with more tip and use your current Fury for treble hooked baits. You could buy a high end rod but if it's for swimbaits (I assume you're talking paddle tails) and swim jigs, you would be best suited with a rod like a Dobyns 703C or 704C, depending on how large paddle tails we're talking and how heavy the swim jigs are and to some extent how fat of a hook you are using. I got my oldest son a Sierra 703C and 704C, each paired with a Shimano Curado 200k (7.whatver gear ratio for the 704C) and that's a pretty versatile two rod setup. I actually prefer my Tatula CT/SV reels as they brake better, but the Curado's beat most everything in a distance contest - and the kid can outcast me even using my gear or with me using his. The 704C can fish things like weighted T-Rigs, 1/2 spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and swim jigs and lighter carolina rigs and jigs where the 703C can fish weightless or lightly weighted T-Rigs, lighter spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and swim jigs, smaller paddle tail swim baits, and is surprisingly good with square bills in grass and whopper ploppers and the like and it has notably less tip than the 704C. 17lb line on the 704C and 12lb on the 703C for the most part. Anyway, something like that would get you much further. I am actually considering adding a high end setup to my arsenal either for T-Rigs and lighter jigs or a more all around jig rod (not sure yet) but I have my bases covered so this would be for something I have rigged up almost everytime I take my kayak out and my most expensive rod is my finesse spinning rod already, and I wouldn't even bring this one out when I'm just shore fishing most of the time. The other thing I will add is that if you do go this route, you can always add a higher end setup similar to whichever one you use the most later. I can't say how many times I went out this summer with two MH/F rods, each rigged with something else.

I don't actually own any 8.1:1 reels, but I was going to buy one for frogs and jigs but I had a way better deal on the 7.3:1 so I went with that instead. Since then, I have added a few other 7.x:1 reels which is my go to for most applications. Some people primarily use 6.3:1 reels and for the most part that works too

The Ocho has real good action, one of the best of a any stick baits. The downside is after a fish or two they're usually shot. I went through an pack of them in one day fishing this summer and only caught four or five fish.

Smaller jigs like the Strike King Bitsy Bugs probably. The small size definitely picks up fewer weeds than your full sized jigs as it fits in gaps easier when fishing it in grass.

If I have to go with a single lure that always can work, I would say a T-Rig. A spinnerbait might be pretty close. I could say a jig but just Saturday I had rigged up a football head jig figuring it would be appropriate for the rocky slope I was fishing but as it turns out there were so many leaves in the water that the football head picked up every single one on the way back to the point I focused on the spinnerbait on my other rod, so in this case the wrong head broke it for me.

If I had just one crankbait to cover all situations, it would be the River2Sea Ish Monroe Biggie, probably in the smalls size. They have a moderate wobble to them but I've casted them next to baitfish, and the movement blends right in! I have a Lucky Craft silent model that is badly beat up which I think is a LC silent and that is very similar as well. KVD 1.5 and 2.5s are also very well suited to just about any situation I'd ever throw a squarebill as well. When bass really hammer them, I have had good success with the Megabass S-Crank in the 1.2 and the 1.5 (the 1.2 is the size of your typical 1.5), and my youngest son has really had a field day on a few occasions on a Booyah 2 in similar situations but I will note he did break the bill off of a couple in which I felt was a little prematurely.

I have the same problem... it seems that I have great luck with various topwater when nothing else works - but at times I think a topwater should work really well I often don't have a lot of luck.