Hook2Jaw

I want to try the Hard Labor Creek reservoir sometime in the future, I wish I could have hit it right after it opened. I remember a 12 or 13 being pulled from there shortly after it opened. I'm still jealous you're so close to big water, we can't be friends.

Wow, @J Francho. You must have excellent balance to do that on a consistent basis. I'm regularly high above the ground balancing myself on tree limbs, but still can't manage to propel myself enough to keep me pitching at a decent clip. Excellent review of that rod, as well. I'm sure it is as much a pleasure in your hand as you make it out to be. Attaining a heavy stick with the sort of two stage action you describe is a bit out of my price range, I do believe. My budget regulates me to less than 100 dollar offerings. I have a feeling it will bite me one day, and I will probably step into more expensive rods like the rest of you guys eventually. After further thought, I think the 7'4" heavy frog rod will be much more accurate with my sidearmed pitches. Sweeping 7'11" sideways sounds like a smoothbore musket shot, as I won't be able to line the upward sweep up with my target. I think you're correct, though, in that I should add the longer rod to my arsenal for pitching apart big laydowns and pad fields from a more stationary position. I'll be able to stand for that type of fishing. I'll also undoubtedly need it for punching. Thanks, man. @TBAG, I understand the shorter rod concept. They pass under overhanging obstacles much more easily. I'm trying to devise a way to have my crate mounted rod holders swivel to a horizontal, out the rear of the boat setting so I can more freely bomb overhead casts. For the time being I accomplish it by casting at a diagonal. Still, I find the benefits of casting distance and leverage far outweigh any cons a long rod presents in a kayak.

I perform my pitching game on the move, accurately placing my baits quietly and quickly into and around cover just as most of you guys do with a boat. You probably do so from a standing position with your foot on a trolling motor control. To stay on the move and cover water and present my bait more times, I'm often pedaling and I perform my pitches with a side arm sweep of my rod, moving my rod horizontally. I've been using a 7' MHF for the approach, but as paying off the kayak gets closer and closer, I will most definitely be adding a 7'4" heavy, extra fast to my arsenal among other rods as a frogging rod with 50# braid. I've also considered adding a 7'11" heavy, extra fast for the pitching technique. Initially when I wrote out my list of technique specific gear ratios, rod lengths, powers, and actions, I had lumped frogging, punching, and pitching into one rod. That rod was the 7'4" HXF. Do you guys think I would benefit from dissecting those three techniques into two rods? Any input on the side arm pitch, is it more easily accomplished with a shorter rod?

Definitely not my gig, either. I did a months worth, augmented with testosterone at 26, and put on 28 pounds. I can understand how the combination can be easily abused, I felt fantastic. A lot of that is undoubtedly because for a good stretch there, I cleaned up my diet and only consumed water. I'll try again soon. These days the only motivation I can find is to go fishing, it seems no matter how tired I am, I always have the energy for 7mph sprints on the hobie or to stomp the bank. I regularly run to get in range of busting fish. Kids, don't do drugs and stay in school. I'm going to stop talking about a brief foray into the bad stuff before Glenn hits me with the hammer.

I can understand how one could not like the appearance of the Fuego. Personally, it has grown on me and even looks...um...not terrible on my Daiwa Aird-X now. My other Daiwas are on a different line of rods altogether and look fantastic. As for narrowing it down, I think you made some excellent choices for a finesse reel and believe that casting setup will perform well, too! I've never used a rod so highly touted as St. Croix, but I catch just fine on what I do use. Please let us know how he likes them and post some pictures of his fish when you get a chance, @Glaucus!

Oh man, she is a machine and the pregnancy has really done a number on her. She's barely put on any poundage at all, still looks amazing, and is in a huge tizzy about her physical appearance. She was a D2 Soccer Captain and twice a finalist in her division, and then she was a lawyer by 25. Somehow I landed her. Being a 30 year old foreman at a line clearance company must have been the equivalent of landing a world record bass on 2 pound dry rotted mono out of a fresh lay-down, but I managed it. One day I'll tell you about the time I got the bright idea of seeing how hard she could kick with my thigh. ? But anyway, back on topic. Do the protein shakes provide adequate energy for all the training? When I did work out to the best of my ability, I was on some *ahem* performance enhancers. It truly ignited my motivation. Are you an advocate of the pre-workout drinks or is the additional influx of protein enough?

@A-Jay, I'm sure I'd be doing better if I would cut soda and fast food, and I definitely should. The fiancee and I are supposed to start meal prepping on Sundays, so that should hopefully help. I'm hoping to be able to kick my kayaks around for a looong time.

@A-Jay, you are an absolute beast. I climb trees for a living, and at my best I was working out on the regular as well as day to day spiking trees, and I've never been that jacked. Now I'm 210 lbs with a kid on the way, and I've definitely noticed my abs no longer show like they used to. I need to get I disagree back on a better diet and work out program.

I use a 7'6" MHF shalt not be named. 6'1", primarily from a kayak and often from a bank. I often wish the rod was a heavy, because after I've got weights, bead, swivel, hook, and plastic, I feel like I'm overloading the rod. I'm thinking of tossing Carolina on the 7'11" flipping stick I want, and then regulating my 7'6" to Texas rigs and lighter jigs along with the 7'3" I currently use for it. It's one of my favorite and most productive techniques. I feel like your setup should be fine, especially with how tall you are. Between your arm length and the rod length, you should be able to absolutely launch whatever you're throwing on a rod that long. I would just look for a rod rated to at least 1 1/2oz, personally.

Now that this thread has been moved to the fishing tackle forum, I would like to offer more insight into the flat brimmed cap. I cast farther with it on, and you will too.

Yep! Catch five in a year and the DNR will send you a bass slam placard. It's a pretty sweet little program and I'll eventually knock that out. I've only caught largemouth. We have... Largemouth Spotted Smallmouth Shoal Suwannee Redeye Chattahoochee Tallapoosa Altamaha Bartram's

There are quite a bit. Sinclair is the closest water I have to me of any size followed by Clark's Hill. Sinclair is two hours away, Clark's Hill is two and a half.

Gave you a follow! I'll let you know when I eventually have content. Awesome boat, by the way!

1. Beat 10 pounds, 5 ounces. I'm going to be targeting my personal best largie again this year. I've been letting her pond cool off for months. 2. Complete my rod, reel, and tackle arsenal. Add electronics to the Hobie. Anchor trolly, etc. 3. Catch a tarpon on artificial. I have hooked up with about a 5'er, but lost her after she towed the kayak around. 4. Start a YouTube channel. 5. Participate in KBF tournaments.

Nice, and you guys are all 5 minutes away from each other, too!

Wild. I've had no problem with Berkley Fusion hooks, I'm a big fan after wrenching oysters loose from dock pylons while sheepshead fishing. As for the VMCs, I've had good times with those. Had that very same hook stand up to countless bass, but a 27" redfish didn't bend one after a sustained fight either. The Owners and Gamakatsu are a bit out of my price range, though! When you putting me on the couch so I can fish SW GA?

If I can't fish with my grandfather, I'm taking Gerald Swindle. That dude is hilarious.

I feel you on the jig and topwater. I haven't had much luck frogging my local PFA, but it's a fun way to catch them. Anyway, back on topic. @NittyGrittyBoy, I noticed those hooks are missing the black finish on the point. Did you sharpen them out of the package before they ever touched the water? It could be a bad sharpening job preventing the hook passing plastic and penetrating flesh. As for the bend towards the eye, I have no idea how that happened. All of my shanks give before I'm able to deform that bend. This is some very weird stuff you've got going on.

I taste pine trees at work all day, hard pass. If you have to go that route, you should remove frogs, punching, and flipping/pitching from your repertoire. I hope you're familiar with the Ned rig.

It's that Georgia farmboy strength. I have the same problem. I prescribe one year of not busting firewood, engaging alligators in hand to hand combat, and shooting a 100# draw weight compound bow. To put more noodle in your 22" pythons, I suggest a diet of white meats. You'll also want to stop drinking a case of Budweiser a day and have one IPA at dinner. Also, grab a winch for your truck so you can stop lugging it out on your shoulder. We'll cityfy that set yet, @NittyGrittyBoy.

Columbia Flexfits, L/XL...because I've got a noggin that weighs more than your PB.

Gonna go with Chop's choice, minus the father.

I stepped into jigs this summer and caught a bass I may never best, but my experience with Texas rigged plastics really transferred well to that realm. What taught me the most was the brief time I spend fishing a squarebill this fall. It taught be the subtle differences in what my lure is doing during both slack line and taut line contact, and I believe it's going to transfer wonderfully to other presentations.

Welcome, fellow Georgian! I'm down here near Savannah and really jealous of all the lakes you have up there.

I'm very new to the squarebill game. I've used them in the past just chucking and winding in open water. I was convinced that trebles could never come through cover. I finally took the plunge and started feeling my way to deflecting off cover and pausing it over the same stuff. It has been an absolutely addicting way to catch them and I hope to become better at it in 2019. Squarebills, and crankbaits in general, are a much more precise presentation than I had ever thought possible. The report of a crankbait up the line, through the rod and into your hand...those subtle changes exist and without being told about them I would have never known what to look for. A piece of grass to clear with a hard rip, the dulling of the vibration as your line contacts cover and prepares you for the deflection and the bone jarring strike that often accompanies it, and every other subtle nuance of cranking are truly addicting. My two current favorite squarebills are the H2O Xpress squarebill and the Berkley Squarebull 5.5.