Boomstick

I put together a wishlist of things that I was going to buy anyway, and conveniently waited until I got married this past Saturday which was inline with the Memorial day sale. I bought some more 12# Sunline SX1, Daiwa J-Fluoro Samurai in 16#, 12# and 7#, some more tube heads and drop shot hooks and weights - some to keep in my tackle bag for shore fishing as I have a separate 3700 tray that I keep in my kayak and one promo Tackle Warehouse t-shirt.

If you aren't using real thick line the MGL 70 is the way to go, else the 150. The 200 holds a ton of line, probably more than you need.

The Strikers are pretty solid units all around. The biggest thing you lose out is they do not have maps, but if it's one lake just drive around the lake and make your own chart. The quality of a 7" Striker Vivid compared to a 12 year old $129 unit will blow you away. The 7" and 9" have the same number of pixels, so the 7" will appear sharper but the 9" is a little easier to see in sun glare.

A 7'1" M/F should be fine as long as it is not one of those mediums that are closer to a medium heavy. It would fall somewhere between my ML/XF and my M/F so either works.

I've had pretty good luck with spinnerbaits myself. I like them best in stained or dirty water or when there is some chop on the water. They can be particularly effective right before the sun goes downwhen there is still some sunlight to create a reflection and right before a storm rolls in. Many times I have been out fishing and the wind picks up and then rain comes in and then I start getting bites.

Typically, use gold/nickel and chartreuse or white/chartreuse in slightly stained water, dual nickel and white in clear. If I only had to have one, I would definitely pick dual nickel & white but most of our water is clear most of the time too.

Yes you can! I would suggest using a shorter rod from the bank, float tube or kayak than a bass boat but that said I have learned to skip decently on my 7'5" jig rod sitting on my kayak so it can be done, it's just harder (I learned on a 6'10" rod though). You also want to be throwing lures that cast ideally on your rod. For example you might be able to cast a weightless senko on your typical med. heavy fast rod but if you can skip that reliably and accurately I will build a statue of you in my backyard. Finally, I can skip most arky head jigs but Strike King makes a jig designed for skipping with a slightly wider and flatter head which would be a good choice.

I have used them in the past with decent success as well.

Thanks, that is nice to know. I figured using a 6-8lb leader on 12# line I wouldn't have that issue so it might be worth a shot. I think I'll stick to the originals, I've never broken them or even bent them out and they always hook them in the side of the mouth as well.

I have been using Owner Mosquito hooks for drop shots and wacky rigs for a few years now with great success. I have to order a few more and I'm curious if I should try the Mosquito lights instead?

Hey everyone! I realize I'm a bit late. I was hoping to schedule something in early May but have been too busy planning for my wedding (and fishing when I can). Hopefully we can set something up in early June after I get married.

I have fished the point at button bay on Lake Champlain from the state park. That is an amazing fishing location! We got fish every day, on football jigs and spinnerbaits as the sun was going down and a crankbait or topwater as the sun started to set. The last day I was there was a cool day after a heatwave and fish were biting every single cast. Amazing fishing! I fished the St Lawrence but was relegated to Goose Bay due to the current and being in a kayak. It's all weedy and largemouth there, but we got a few.

Can't complain! Here's a couple of catfish recipes that are sure to impress. #1) Blackened catfish. Generously rub cajun seasoning into your fish and cook for one minute on high on each side and 2-3 minutes on medium on each side on an iron skillet. If you can find a cajun seasoning that has more cayenne and less salt than usual, even better (catfish is a fatty fish and it won't be too hot for most people). This recipe isn't too dissimilar from how I make my own except I would switch the amounts of cayenne and paprika. Blackened Seasoning Mix Recipe | Allrecipes #2) Fried buffalo catfish. Throw your filet in a freezer bag with a wing sauce of your choice. I like the Melinda's habanero wing sauce personally. Let it sit in the fridge for at least 45 minutes, and then coat each filet in flour and fry in peanut oil. Serve with tartar sauce and/or a hot sauce.

I got the 7'1" M/F Brent Ehrler dropshot rod last year. Probably overall similar with a fast tip instead of an extra fast. Great rod, can throw about anything on it. I definitely did not score that good of a deal, but if I could only take one rod out with me on many days it would be this one. That is a great moving bait stick

It depends on the day. I really like my Steez AGS bottom contact rod, it's my goto jig rod. I also really like my 7' Tatula Elite M-MH/XF rod for finesse jigs and soft plastics - throws them weightless but has enough power for lighter cover too. But on many days if I bring just one rod, it will be my 7'1" Tatula Elite M/F spinning rod. It's well suited for throwing a finesse jig, weightless wacky rigged soft plastics, drop shots (not too overpowered for smaller drop shots but ideal for larger baits), shaky heads and finesse tubes. Also a good choice for 1/4oz inline spinners and 1/4oz poppers and other smaller baits. Basically I can catch fish any day of the year with this rod and never miss a bite.

Most of my Mepps fishing is the real small ones for trout (at one of our local lakes, they won't hit anything else!) but they definitely work for bass. The 1/4oz version can be deadly for smallies.

I spent around $10k for kayaks for myself and my two kids plus a trailer and accessories, another $2k for fish finders. I would estimate $2k in rods, another $2k in reels and probably $3 f9r rods and reels for the kids (often bday and Xmas presents). At least I can honestly say that each of our arsenal is pretty complete.

I may try a drop shot with a short leader next time. The drop shot weight will comes through the same rocks.

You can throw them but they do not cast well. It casts senkos with a 1/4 oz weight real well. For the Dobyns line the Sierra 703C is fantastic for weightless Senkos.

Yeah, I was using a fairly light wire hook. That's what I use for wacky rigs, and 12# fluorocarbon on casting gear. I plan to pick up some even lighter wire hooks, and then I could use my medium spinning rod. I did break off on a rock before hand, and I'm fairly sure I did not cut off enough line

Two things happened to me on Sunday that never happened before. First, I lost what had to be at least a solid 4 pounder, when my knot broke. I've never actually lost a fish from a broken knot before. I knew it would happen someday, and it's been a good run. Second, I was casting a wacky rig and my senko flew off and my hook hit the water and I side hooked a rock bass. I'm not sure if the hook flew right into the fish in the water or what, but it was pretty quick after my cast tanked out and I had a horrible birds nest. I've seen a young girl catch fish on nothing but a red hook so I know it's possible but that's a first for me.

I live in North Adams. We don't have a lot for bass in North Adams (there is Windsor lake which is small and mostly small bass although now and then someone gets a good one) but it's not that far from Cheshire Lake, Pontoosuc Lake and Onota Lake (I just fished the causeway at Onota yesterday and had my knot broke on a pretty good bass and stopped at Cheshire on the way home and caught another). Then there's the Stockbridge Bowl in Lenox which is solid fishing, and if you go towards Lee, Becket or Otis there's a ton of small lakes around, some of which are small but yield some pretty decent bass. I've spent days lake hopping shore spots down there because there's a lot of them. There's also a few small lakes and ponds over the New York line from south county, but I haven't really fished them much. Several lakes in the Berkshires will only have largemouth and minimal or no smallmouth population, which is not normal for the surrounding area as well. Cheshire's southern basins are weedy and I usually fish them with frogs in the summer. Nothing giant, but it's our local spot with lily pads. If you have a bad day catching bass on Cheshire's northern basin, throw a 1/4oz spinnerbait and you'll catch chain pickerel like it's going out of style. Pontoosuc and Onota will typically yield larger bass. Pontoosuc does not offer too many great shore areas. There is one by the d**n that's usually taken, and one by a bridge and a causeway which have produced bass, but are generally better for trout and carp. The boaters on this lake are notorious among the locals for being jerks too so careful if you're on a kayak - one of them ran their boat at high speed two feet from my kids kayak needlessly and I've heard the same from countless others. Onota has a few shore spots, Burbank park, Thomas Island Rd and my favorite, the causeway on Dan Casey Memorial drive. That entire half of the lake is shallow, but in the springtime once they move shallow you can get some good ones. There is also a culvert which is mostly (maybe fully?) collapsed but large bass tend to sit in. Being from the northern part of the county, I usually go into Vermont when I take the kayaks out. With traffic in the past few years, it's almost a guarantee that it will take me a hour to get to Pittsfield of driving behind someone constantly braking for hallucinations which makes it not a fun drive. I can hit Emerald Lake in a little over a hour which is a great small lake with tons of drop offs that is usually tough fishing but holds some giant bass. I can hit Lake St Catherine in about a hour and a half and it's a much more pleasant drive and the Wells General store which is on the way has the best sandwiches I've ever had as well. Neither lake is as heavily fished as most of our lakes as well. If I'm feeling a little more ambitious, I can drive to Lake Dunmore as well which is the clearest water I have ever seen (the trails over the mountains on the northeast side that lead to a vista overlooking the lake as well as the other way around Silver lake are amazing as well). Another spot that's a bit of a drive is the Oxbow in Northampton which is a great spot if you're a kayaker. And if you drive a couple hours into New York, the northwest side of Great Sacanadaga Lake is typically a great spot for smallies. I've had a blast on the fishing pier in July watching the drunk boaters go by but generally that arm of the lake is pretty good and there is a bridge south of the boat launch that wields smallies and walleye. Pittsfield itself is getting pretty rough. There aren't too many affordable areas where you won't get broken into left anymore. Personally, I would probably avoid moving to Pittsfield altogether but any other town in the county should be alright. And if you have kids and move to North Adams, look into school choice as soon as they hit 7th grade (there are options but the main high school here is terrible). South county is alright but super pricey - even food at the Supermarkets is pricey down there. North county is generally fine as long as you like the house you end up in. Prices are high all over, but still very friendly compared to NYC. For work in the area, unless you work in contracting, electrical, plumbing or can work remotely, there is not a whole lot.

It's fully remote. I may go in to meet people in person but travel is generally not required. I will be working remote (same as the old job)

Northeastern. I almost went there - got accepted even just opted to stay local.

So today is my last day at my current job. I will make it a little over a month shy of 15 years. On Monday, I start my new position as a backend developer for a university, creating APIs that fuel both mobile and web apps. This is a very exciting change of pace and will have a bit of a learning curve. I am both excited for what comes next but it's also a little scary, having been in the same position for so long where I know everything about everything to starting all over again. Wish me luck!