PhishLI

I'll add to this that the majority of fish I've caught up here in the north that weighed over 5 1/2 lbs, and happened to hooked in the top of the mouth, were just barely hooked. Meaning the hook, or hooks, just popped right out. Up here that's at least a 10 year old fish, and their upper mouths are boney and dense. Last year I caught a 6+ fish that T-boned a Shellcracker G2. I was throwing it on a heavy rod with straight 50 lb braid due to the choked area I was fishing. Both front and rear trebles stuck her in the upper mouth behind the lip. I kept her submerged while unhooking her because it took me so long to remove the hooks. I felt as If I was going to break her jaw with the torque it took to dislodge the barbs. By the time I lifted her for my buddy to snap the pic my gripping hand was so fatigued that I couldn't hold on when she shook just before he snapped the pic.

Hopefully they'll leave well enough alone. Nothing to fix, IMO. Mine have never given me a lick of trouble, and it's rare that I don't have at least one in the mix, so many thousands of casts on both. Plenty of fish towed through thick weeds and pads. No sticky thumb bars, or other weirdness.

I wouldn't argue that point, but there are exceptions depending on the rod. Normally I'd be throwing 1.5oz class hard swim baits on either a Champion 794 or an Irod 7'8 SB Junior, but there are places where I wade that simply won't allow for those length rods. I can only wade out so far off shore, and overhanging tree branches in full bloom are a problem with a 2 foot lure drop before the cast, and an over head swing. However, I can squeak by with a 7'3" rod. In a pickle, I set up a reel with 20lb Big Game on my Tatula XT 7'3" Heavy F rated up to 1.5 oz. No problem slinging out those baits on that stick. No lobbing either, but full swing for the fences bomb casting. It doesn't even feel overloaded at all. Plenty of bass caught up to 6 lbs too. In fact, I actually like this combination for those baits as I'm not a big fan of the extra long handles found on most swim bait specific rods, excluding the IROD SB Jr with its shorter than usual handle length. So, as I mentioned earlier, it depends on the rod.

I hadn't noticed that a mating pair of Robins had built a nest in my deck joists, but by the time I did she'd laid 3 eggs, so I let it ride. I became a bit obsessed with their process, but figured there wouldn't be a chance of me being home once they were ready to fly. It just so happened that I was. The 1st to take the leap was already in a bush once I'd heard the chirps, but I got to see the other two go. Neat.

SDJ knot, some slobber, and you're good. Plus you'll waste less line on the re-tie once you figure out that you don't need much tag to complete the knot.

I thought this was gonna be a thread about how the Tat 150 trounced the K. Oh well.?

This? http://fishing-app.gpsnauticalcharts.com/i-boating-fishing-web-app/fishing-marine-charts-navigation.html?title=Hummel+Lake%2C++San+Juan+County+boating+app#15.38/48.5209/-122.8925

Not exactly. Deeper might be the answer, but deeper in the weeds is pretty surefire as long as you hit the shadowey sections. If you're not interested in punching, a swim jig built like the 6th Sense Divine swim jig is ideal for ripping cleanly through thick grass and weeds. Its head shape comes through better than anything I've tried, and the spring bait keeper keeps the trailer pinned. If you're able to spot baitfish near a weedline, or stand of weeds, drop a jig in and rip it through. Bass have an endless supply of dumb food right now that's easily ambushed, so they tend to hunker down in prime ambush spots. Have patience and pick those spots apart meticulously because, as mentioned above, they're usually not willing to chase much because they don't need to. Pulling or dropping a bait right past their nose is your best bet on high sun days. Deep running crank baits are also your friend on days like this.

Algae bloom there is over already?

For some people, yes, for others, no. Many of the instructional vids I've seen leave out some of the critical details that if otherwise illuminated would significantly shorten the learning curve for those who don't get it quickly. Try to get your legs under you in your yard with no less than a 1/2 oz weight, and practice pitching immediately as it'll educate your thumb faster than any other technique. I wouldn't advocate that you learn to cast one handed. You'll have far less control with regard to loading and unloading the rod, which will cause backlashes. You can control that with the hand on the butt of the rod, and you'll be far more accurate. Once you've gotten your balance, have at it with one hand if that appeals to you.

For a moment last night things were looking good for my buddy and me, but then the bucket brigade showed up with surf casting gear. There's always the other side of the lake, but that provided zero relief as these fools were wearing headlamps so bright that they could've signaled Alpha Centauri. Oh, and they never turned them off. Seems that they were shining them on their bobbers, and they totally lit up our side with the huge beams of light. We were opposite from them, so my buddy quit because he was getting a headache from the never ending flashes each time these guys moved even a fraction of an inch. There was nowhere to hide. He lost a few, but I got out with a scrappy rat fish for @A-Jay before I quit too. I'm dreaming about countermeasures for next time...

Not me, but someone we know. Might've been a NY state record, but who knows because it wasn't weighed. It was a long fight, and he didn't want to harm it by hanging it by its jaw. This place produces huge chains like this, so it's not an unusual catch.

I don't know. My neck hurts now. Congrats!

Hit two spots right across the road from each other last night with a buddy, and we fished hard before the lightning chased us out. No LM for me, but I racked up about 10 Walters on a Livingston Bullnose, which is a bait worth your consideration as it gets bit a lot, and a hard fighting pickerel on a Gantarel Jr in RT Bluegill. For some reason I've neglected to throw this particular color Gantarel Jr, mostly because its yellowish hue didn't make much sense to me. Since I decided to put more time on it, starting a several weeks ago, it's been money. PS: Two Fridays ago I had a great night with this bait, Towards the end I bumped in to a few guys I know, and fished next to them in a wide cut. I was mindlessly casting while we we talking, then had a small fluff up at the end of a cast, but neglected to fully flatten out a loop in the mono. On the next cast I heard and felt the zip of that loop slapping against the reel's frame. I thumbed it to stop the line from paying out, but it was too late. My RT Bluegill Gantarel, that had just bagged me a near 6 pounder, sailed off into the lake with about 100 ft of 20lb Big Game trailing it. I really gave it a heave, so it went way, way out there. We couldn't see it because of ripple, but still tried to snag it. No luck. I was buzzing from the catch, so I just chalked it up. I bought another one the next day. During the following Wednesday I was out fishing with my SIL when I got a call from a bud who was at the very lake where I lost that bait. He was there with his nephew, and trying to turn him on to fishing. He casted out a spook as far as he could, then let his nephew reel it in. The kid started shrieking with with glee as he cranked in his first fish, but it was my Gantarel Jr! My bud couldn't wait to tell me. It must've hung up in a weed bed about a 100' feet out. This place gets hammered with pressure, so I'm amazed that no one else had gotten to it first, especially because five days had passed since I'd lost it. He cut off the Big Game, then kept it for me. Now I have two.

Which Shimano baitcasters use a plastic main gear and pinion? Got pictures?

Search this: [SHIMANO genuine product] 19 Scorpion MGL Spare Spool (Bass Fishing)

Thanks. There's a no gas engine policy on this entire island, and there's a no boats policy in my entire county. There's only one lake locally that allows my yak, and it's meh. My brother and I have a 12' jon boat we're out on every other weekend in his county. We try to fish new-to-us lakes each time out. It allows us to launch in some super shallow spots, and my SIL owns the pictured Sun Dolphin. It's cramped at 8' long, but it's super stable, so it's very suited for standing to bomb cast, and for pitching. If he steps up to the 10' version I'll have to give him a kiss.

The sun was high yesterday, and the heat was cranking at 93*, but a nice ocean breeze made it feel just about perfect out there. The bass were tight to pads, so we got them pitching jigs, but could only find a bunch of 2 pounders. Switched over to cranks that we chose for the depths we graphed, and they wanted them ticking the grass,. The 6th Sense Crush Flat 75X was gold in 6-8ft of water. More of the same 2 lbers though, but I managed to get a decent fish with the same bait. Threw a Magdraft at the end for the fun of it, and got one small dude to gobble it.

Check out the opinions on the nitpickity site about AL gears in the Steez line up. Very hard to find a negative one, and those guys can find a complaint about anything and everything.

I'll know when I can put some time in in it. Yesterday was blazing hot with high sun, so it was a cranks bumping bottom, or pitching jigs into the pads, type of day. I have this bait rigged weightless on a SB hook, and on keel weighted hooks. Where I fish, I've rarely gotten bites buzzing this toad on top. Most bites come when I run it subsurface, which is easier to do with a keel weighted hook. Adding the element of flash might call fish in from a greater distance, and who are more willing to chase. Throwing spinner baits here is generally a nightmare, so this bait with it's munchable profile and with added flash, might be the deal during times where a spinnerbait bite would be hot.

Daiwa 21 Steez A TW HLC (Hyper Long Cast) 2021- 2021 NEW Model STOCK Steez A TW HLC is the modified Daiwa Steez A (aluminum alloy body model) with Hyper Long Cast (HLC) system. Steez A TW HLC is specifically designed to cast 14g 1/2oz or heavier up to 2oz Calolina rigs the longest, using long 7-8' rods. Due to the brake profile best suite the described usage, it is not the reel to cast light rigs like 1/8oz. Its spool is enlarged from 34mm to 36mm dia to cast longer. It has new Magforce Z Boost brake system, in which brake rotor will be popped-up by 2 steps by different spring rates. Rotor pops out by far at the beginning of strong cast, and then it retract to the middle position to emit the least brake force to control to cast the longest. It features Hyper Armed Housing system, where the main frame, gear side cup and spool holder on the palming plate are made of sturdy aluminum alloy. G1 air craft grade extra strong duralumin spool accelerates quite fast and casts great distance. TWS T shaped level winder system let lines move more freely in casting to add about 5% more casting distance.

FlashToad 3000

Keitech Noisy Flapper on a Lazer Trokar Swim Blade.

Ohhhhh, I have a feeling...?

Those are some good looking NE coastal bass. I think we have an edge over the interior NE.