CrankFate

I can’t. Just knowing that there’s an extra knot in there bothers me. My father was fishing it most of my life. People would see it and tell him he was crazy for fishing with “string.”

I cast down to the arbor all the time with braid. I have never had a slippage issue.

Yes and no. There is no middle market in Japan. America is all middle market. In Japan it’s either $50 or $1,000. They buy the expensive stuff because a lot of guys are lucky to get out 3 days a year, so they will spend the money to make the little time they get out as perfect as possible. That’s what I have been told by people from Japan.

? Actually, it’s on the Kistler. I have it backwards, though. I put a curado BFS on the heavy Levante and the Aldebaran on the BFS Kistler.

Friction tape. It looks like electrical tape that’s made out of fabric. I’d put something like a zip tie first, then friction tape over it. Buy a name brand like 3M. They have it in Home Depot near the regular electrical tape. Like $3.50-$4.50 a roll.

When you get those first few days where the wind is hot, the saltwater fishing here really heats up.

I’m happy with my $400 Kistler Magnesium and $200 Megabass Levante. Between the two of them, I still have enough left over for an Aldebaran. Oh the horror of fishing such cheap junk...

The towel.

Does anyone have a link to a site that sells $1,000 Megabass bass rods? These rods must be so good, they don’t even make them…..

I wouldn’t look at the chart. A fisherman is not going to do the best by studying these things. You can follow that chart religiously. It’s not going to help with the most important things. Finding fish, knowing what to throw, rigging it right for the conditions and proper action in the water. Even if these four things are the holy grail, none of us can do them all all the time, even if you know them all. You just have to observe listen, read and fish.

They are not as better as the price is too high. There is no way you’re making a better graphite stick and ceramic or metal rings wrapped in thread with epoxy for $1,000 than you can make for $250-350. You can use gold threads and sapphire crystal guide inserts on palladium. It’s going to cost more and look cool, but still only work as much better as a solid gold toilet will when compared to white ceramic. Because that’s where your moneys going with that.

They can’t be doing the same thing in the same spot and nailing fish after fish when you get skunked.

I use an orange plastic bead. I use it to protect the knot. I will be experimenting with black beads. On a T-Rig, especially with certain plastics, I think the plastic bead gives a tiny bit of lift that increases flutter and stays higher up in the water. Without the bead, the action is different. The bait goes deeper. Sometimes the hook doesn’t center, depending on the bullet weight. I can’t say what works better because I always use the bead.

I don’t sharpen them. I just replace them.

I don’t know? But I think you’re too caught up in the details. Forget about how you’re rigging. Look at what you’re rigging. You have 6 things (3 worms, 2 craws and a frog). So really you’re only throwing a worm and a craw in the water. And a topwater. The rest is just how you’re rigging them and what you’re fishing them with. You can easily have several more offerings. How bout something that swims like a fish? Something that has a hard body and treble hooks? There are so many things you can add here. I use a sewing box smaller than a 6 pack cooler. In it, I easily pack 5 or 6 different hooks. 4 or 5 different soft plastics, 5 or 6 different hard baits. 3 or 4 metals. And my jigs, leaders, sinkers and swivels. To me you got worms. You got craws. You got hard sticks, fat sticks and jointed hard baits. You got hard swim baits. You got metals-spinners, blades, spoons and chatters. And then there’s fish (soft swimbaits). The most underrated offering of all. Focus on a major iteration or two from the worms, the craws, the hard sticks, the hard swimmers, the metals and the fish. Then you basically got everything. Fish them until you find out what works. Sizes, colors, rigging and everything else comes from what the fish want, your gear and how you fish. The rigging style doesn’t change your offering. It just offers it in different locations or with a different movement. I use the rigging style to put the offering somewhere first and then to make it have a certain movement second. Because if your bait isn’t near fish it can’t get bit. A half ***** presentation where the fish are will always do better than a perfect presentation where there’s no fish.

They are one of the best eating fish around here. Cooked up some fried fish sandwiches for dinner. The shirt says Dinkasaur. I call big small fish Dinkasaurs.

Brooklyn Panfish.

I cracked 219 today. Even after dinner. This is a major mile stone after only making a half ***** effort for two years after a few avoidable injuries, that have all healed. Finally under 220. For over 2 months I was strict on diet Monday through Friday. I really believe you can shrink your stomach and intestines by eating less volume. And I think I’m there now. I’m going to stay dialed in on diet during the week, with some weekend piggery. No more gaining 10lbs over the weekend. After July 4th. I will return to the gym. Aiming for 208. My traps, shoulders and neck all got too thick. d**n you genetics.

Original stren, purple. I am cracking open a spool from at least 25 years ago for tomorrow (not for bass). 17lb it is the stretchiest line there is, especially of that vintage. The newer version still had rubber band stretch, but the mid 80’s to mid 90’s had to be a different formula.

Several 20-25lb striped bass on a $20 ugly stick Shakespeare rod/reel combo, prespooled with red Cajun line on it.

I tried a few but there was no interest. I will be trying again as it gets hot here.

I can’t even remember my last cocktail. Maybe a Moscow mule or something. Now a days, if I’m drinking a cocktail it’s vodka and water or scotch with ice. My days of drinking beer and cocktails are over. White claw. I’ll drink to that. But currently, I gave up drinking. Need to lose my last 10 Covid pounds.

Stealth? Wear a hat, mask, dark glasses and a shirt that breaks up your form. Keep your legs together. Keep your rod to the side. You will all of the sudden not be visible to the fish. Especially facing the sun or in shade. I really think the fish are looking for eyes, noses, mouths, eyebrows, ears, hair, ^ in your legs, and a rod like / or \ basically, don’t look like Bill.

All depends on the knot. Ideally, with the right (heavy enough) line, an overhand knot in the leader to a uni knot in the braid works best. Easy to tie on the water, too.