Dirtyeggroll

The lake near my house is being drained. All of the fish are at the back of the dam trying to get back into the lake. I took advantage and caught a few of them. We had about a week of temps greater than 40 degrees to thaw the water so I am thankful to get a break in what would normally be a long brutal cold and barren winter. This was the nicest one at 5.29. Caught several just under 5.

Lets see some pics!

Odd, Cabela’s sells the fury line but only three rods not including the 795. I’d go with the Daiwa. I’ve heard good things about it.

Find a couple of dealers. You may pay a little more but most reputable dealers will triage out all of the junk and get any used boat up to date on maintenance. Many times dealers will sell used boats on consignment with a mark-up for potential fixes a boat might need once they really start digging into it when an interested buyer comes along. If the boat doesn’t need much work, the price will come down immediately. A lot of times the markup price will include new batteries and water pumps. Things that typically need replaced after a few years or so.

No poison ivy in a boat. I always seem to find it when I walk the banks.

Was it busy out there? I’m off of work until January 7th and am contemplating a trip down there on one of the nice-ish (but not too nice because I’ve heard that shuts them down at the powerplants) weekdays.

Not for me. The bill shades my eyes and the sunglasses are for the glare. A gaitor(sp?) is to protect my neck. Or a gaitor I have found that the less of my skin that is directly exposed to the sun, the more energy I have after a long day of fishing.

Those leg raises at the end were too easy. Got to add some mass to those legs to add some weight to work against to get those abs up to par. Kidding of course. You ever incorporate standing squats into your leg day? I hate leg day. By the time I’m over the soreness it’s Monday again and time for leg day again. The only time I enjoy leg day is for about the 2 hours following completing it before the soreness starts to kick in. 100% have to do it as the first workout of the week or I spend the whole week dreading it. Gotta get it done. The soreness isn’t as bad as the dread of doing it. Haha

Dobyns Rods ratings tend to be “overrated” compared to other brands. I have a Daiwa Tatula Elite H/F that is 6’9” (Andy Montgomery Skipping Rod) and I have found to be very sensitive. I have only compared it to a Dobyns Champ Mag Heavy/Fast and a Skeet Reese Jig/Worm rod. If you would plan on using it for more than skipping I would suggest something a bit longer. The shortness of the rod seems to compromise casting distance for anything under 1/2 oz (I primarily throw 3/8 jig).

Admitting you have a problem is the first step.

A couple extra split rings? Maybe a thin wire key ring? i don’t know precisely what a hook weighs and it probably varies from size and manufacturer. I do think you may benefit from casting crankbaits that are too light, rather than too heavy. Wouldn’t think hooks would change too much in the way of wind resistance.

Probably eBay vendor when there is a 15% off coupon code.

Because of the trebles? Can always take those off. Changes the weight which could be added back with something else pretty easily.

You also need a 5, a 9 and a 10.

Get that under control!

Yep, a Ranger R70/71

Get a spray bottle and wipe it down with a rag using an aluminum safe cleaner of your choice after every use. Takes 5 minutes. Less if you have your co-angler do one side.

Oxiclean + laundry detergent for 24 hours really seemed to do the trick. It was a little more aggressive in removing paint compared to dish soap + baking soda, but there was far less residue left with the Oxiclean + laundry detergent. 90 of 100+ of the baits pictured that I found in one day. I have about a dozen Shad raps and rattle traps left to clean.

I only keep about 60-80 yards of “high quality” line on my spool at once. I will first fill the spool with something super cheap as backing and then top it off with 60-80 yards of Tatsu or Invizx. This means I have to replace that top off when it starts getting short due to new ties, nicks and break-offs. This allows me to spool new line at a higher rate without the cringe of the cost. Additionally this keeps my line/spool diameter closer to the same measurement throughout the year bringin a little more consistency to my cast/thumb control. I am constantly throwing my baits into the gnarliest cover I can find which takes a toll on the line. I topped off my jig rod (Tatsu) once and my squarebill rod (Invizx) once this year and didn’t find the need to change the others. I am also adding KVD Line conditioner after every outing which seems to significantly have improved the line suppleness and memory compared to last year when I wasn’t using it.

Consider a mid to late 90’s Ranger R70 or R71. Very affordable and very good reputation for an entry level boat.

At least that’s what most people try to do. Unfortunately, if the gift cards don’t get used up during the Christmas sale, they usually don’t make it until the next big sale. Haha

1) Tighten the brakes all the way down. Back them off as you gain confidence in casting. 2) Leaders are overrated. 3) Watch a couple videos on how to adjust the spool tension. Finally, unlike a spinning rod, the action is in the wrist. You don’t need to whip the rod around to make a good cast. Just keep doing it. It’ll probably be tough at first but keep practicing through and after a night or two of sleeping on it you will find you have delevoped enough coordination to really start having fun with it. Good luck. Please report your results.

Head down to Pittsburg and fish the strip pits. You have to walk or drag a tin boat to the good ones, but there are some monsters living in them.

100 yard is a lot of spool!

Welcome! In Omaha myself. Picking up a new to me Ranger in Spring. Hit me up to go fish.