txchaser

I didn't, and it's one of the biggest fishing mistakes I made in 2019. The Anglr button is pretty good, click it and it'll record time/weather/etc to your phone, you can tell it size and lure, add notes, oh and it gets the GPS from your phone too. Or just click it and records everything but size and lure and you don't have to do anything at all. I thought I could keep it in my head and I was dead wrong. Also the ideas of what all didn't work at all are really good too. Plus that one great "I wish I had X" during the ride home.

A while back I was struggling with breakoffs on flouro leader and YoZuri co-polymer as a leader, and I've learned a few things here and on the water that might be helpful. Like quite a few new (or re-starting) anglers, the idea of braid to leader was really interesting so I went that route. Lots of breakoffs and it was making me a little nuts as I recalled very rarely breaking off when fishing as a kid. I made it a little harder on myself by not wanting to use heavy line/leaders, so every mistake was amplified. And even with the drag set correctly I was still having issues. My breakoffs are extremely rare now, and here's why: 1) Clinch knots, palomar knots, do-the-do-youtube knot, stuff from knot wars, etc - ignore it all. San Diego Jam knot is pretty easy to tie, and for flouro it is meaningfully better than the other knots. I know knot wars had a flouro test way back when and it said use the berkley braid knot. It's a PITA to tie and it's not as good anyway. This is subjective, as I haven't done head to head personally with the specific knot on the specific line, but my starting place was that I was getting the same info from the big bass people here, and a guide that only guides a lake with significant DD potential. I paid attention and got results. You can also solve your knot problem by oversizing your line and throwing 17lb heavy line and making it 12lb line with a marginal knot. Don't do it. 2) I used a snap because I didn't have enough confidence yet in what I was going to throw and I had two rods. Plus I didn't want to retie leaders all day. The snap isn't inherently bad, but I made a critical mistake - I chose a thin wire snap because why would I use a 30lb snap on a 10lb leader. Here's the problem: most of the light snaps use thin diameter wire. Thinner the wire, the more it is like a knife. I think (and there's a decent amount of info to support it) that flouro is really bad on tight bends. So I was bending it tight and jamming a knife edge on it. No wonder it was breaking! Anyway I looked for the smallest snaps I could get that also had larger diameter wire. For presentations where I think the bulk of the snap matters, I use Tactical Anglers micro clips. For a heavier line with something like a chatterbait I'm using P-line technical snaps like this https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/P-Line_Technical_Snap/descpage-TPBB.html - but as I'm getting more rods I'm mostly moving away from snaps. 3) I'm sure you've read this, but if you are using flouro, check your line for nicks and abrasions after every fish, and anything snaggy. And any time you think about it. I was shocked at how often I found a nick. Your PB will expose that nick on the line and leave you holding a slack line and wearing a sad face. 4) Ok so this one I learned the hard way, by failing a bunch until I noticed some specific behavior I had. When that fish gets close to the bank or the boat, it's going to make one (or more) last runs trying to get away. Some of you may have an urge to pull back, I know I did. Or to hold the rod dead still so it doesn't move. Don't do either of those. Those two dangly things attached to your chest that you are holding the rod with make great shock absorbers! That last run usually doesn't go far or last long, so use your arms to buffer the shock - just let the fish pull the rod down or out or whatever. Don't overdo it, but don't try to manhandle that fish at the end. 5) Set your drag around 1/3 of the leader test. It will help with a safety net for most of the above. 6) My opinion (maybe there's some facts somewhere?) is that flouro is particularly bad with shock loads. Don't yank or snap. And it is made way way worse by being a short length on the end of a long bit of line that doesn't stretch at all. Slack line hookset will ruin your day too. 7) Kind of like #6, if you are on braid to leader, there's no reason at all to try to "rip lips" - you need to move the hook far enough to penetrate, and the fish head far enough to turn it. Maybe to overcome some bow in the braid. The pro and youtuber full body hooksets are on full mono or flouro, and if you do that on braid/leader you run the risk of snapping your line right off. Sure you'll need to do it harder if you are putting a jig hook in the roof of a mouth, but a sweeping hookset on a tightish line will also give you a chance to stop, where a full body hookset won't. What tips do you have to add? What did you learn the hard way?

For flouro, the San Diego Jam knot solved many of my break-off problems. It is also reasonably fast to tie, and easy to see if you didn't do it right.

Someone decided they had enough stores that they could save real money if they turned the lights down, and got a big bonus for the brilliant idea. It isn't your eyes. Too dark in our local stores too. Going to BPS in person is a last resort.

If you are going to use autochart Live a blank SD won't do much for you. Ok here's the deal, you have two choices, the easy low drama way with limited features or the multi-step more complicated and expensive way with lots of features. 1) Get the Zero Lines card. The internal memory for Autochart Live (on your device) is just a demo. You get 8 hours of free recording and then you have to overwrite the whole thing. Not complicated just get the card and put in and record via the autochart selection. You are recording depth at a given location and nothing else. 2) Get the software called Autochart (PC) or Autochart Pro (PC). It includes the zero lines card. Turn on full recording of everything. Import that to your computer and make really cool maps, overlays, sidescan mosaics (pro) etc. Allegedly complicated, obviously powerful. Think of the autochart zero lines card as a key that unlocks autochart live functionality, and it is also the unlocker and carrier for new maps whether they are made via autochart live or autochart PC. I ended up getting autochart pro PC because it came with the zero lines card (which I definitely needed) because I knew I'd be aggravated if I wanted the software later and ended up buying the zero lines card twice. Bonus that might help someone later, Reefmaster (PC) software (third-party) is really cool, but it appears that it cannot write its output to Humminbird because of some encryption. Might be a workaround, or an update, but I haven't found it.

My stack of paddletails (mostly Keitech Fat and Jackall Rhythm) has gotten out of control. Too many colors and sizes, and I probably don't need them all. I hit my breaking point when I got some of the GP/watermelon laminates (a favorite color for me in soft plastics) and the bluegill (vs bluegill flash) which are basically just the top color that's on the bluegill flash. It always bugged me that the white was on top when I flip it over. I fish a mix of muddy water to ultra-clear, with forage ranging from bluegill, threadfin, gizzard shad, and even one place with some tilapia. More often than not I'm using as a chatterbait trailer (upside down) or on an owner underspin (all three regular sizes). I probably should throw it on a weighted hook more often than I do. Not sure why I don't use the stack of zakos on the chatterbait, I guess because I get bit a lot on the keitech, and haven't fished the zako enough to know when I should pick one over the other, or if it actually doesn't matter. What are the core Keitech Fat colors? Sizes? While I'm at it, am I missing a presentation with these that is worthwhile? bonus q: I have some paddletail flukes/caffeine shads hanging around. Give away or they still have a useful place?

What are the conditions that have you reach for a flat-side crank?

Tatula elite long cast is built for what you are trying to do. SV spool is probably better for lots of control on lighter baits. I saw a video test of the elite vs the DC, DC was a smidge longer cast but it was by like 5-7 feet.

I think that is specific to the retailer. I see basspro do that sometimes too. And the same rage bug is listed on academy's site at two different spots and prices. tackle warehouse still has sane pricing.

Three things for me: 1) Figuring out the puzzle of where are they and what do they want. Both the "cold read" of assessing the situation and immediately getting on them, and the sometimes painful trial and error. 2) The second puzzle of "yeah good for you, you found them" but where are the bigger ones? and what are they eating? (targeting vs getting lucky sizing up on #1) 3) Every now and then that perfect moment on the water. Sometimes there's even a fish involved. Time stops and I get to keep that moment.

On braid just set the hook the same way you set a frog hook; for me that's reel the slack until I feel the fish and then set the hook. It's about one-one-thousand count to do that. Depending on what else is tied on I'll put the buzzbait on the frog rod (tip is a bit too fast but workable) or on the chatterbait rod (most often) which is braid, more like a MH mod than an MH/F.

Spend a couple of hours max trying what is posted above. Maybe you'll get on just the right thing. But if/when that two hours runs out, move. Water temps in north texas are similar right now. As an example, this weekend I fished a spot with stacks and stacks of bass over deep water. They wouldn't bite anything I tried. Decided based on some posts I've read over the last few weeks here that I needed to go find fish that were interested in biting. So I started moving, fishing a chatterbait (was low vis) and covering a lot of water and started catching fish. Basically there were two groups - the suspended bass that were inactive (at least to me) and a different group that was out hunting and were catchable. Might also look at shallow water next to deeper water for a spot to fish slow. Fish slow. near the transition.

I learned on here to carry pliers strong enough to cut a hook. I've gotten one out stuck past the barb before, but I can see getting hooked in places where that's not possible if you are alone.

Ask the teams that are consistently winning to help you figure out how to make a great experience for everyone. Acknowledge that they are consistently better than everyone else and thats why you came to them, they are the only ones with the experience and skills to help solve it. Maybe they end up volunteering to teach, or to mix teams sometimes, or something like that.

That's awfully kind of you Tom. I'm in!

No more room in the big worm box, back off bait monkey!

What are you going to put it on?

Got it. Reefmaster and Autochart pro (pc) look pretty interesting, but they may just be toys given how I fish. Point being waypoints may get it done anyway. If you haven't seem them take a drive-by.

@A-Jay do use any of the pc sofware or just do it all on the device?

Recent owner of an SI Helix, and the autochart is pretty cool as most of where I fish is unmapped. I'm a bit fuzzy on the choices though, as there appear to be multiple competing software packages out there, and the sideimagingsoft forums aren't always recent posts. In some of the things I've read it sounded like only autochart (pc software) can put a map back on the card and on the unit. Some other packages have SI stitching and a bunch of interesting stuff. Anyway, where to start? I think I need a zerolines card if I use humminbirds software, but the included maps already show the outline. I'd rather not buy something and a few weeks later wish I had something else... Who's got better stuff than what I can get direct from humminbird, or similar but at less crazy pricing?

The large fits like a large. Big enough for a couple layers, but I'm not swimming in it.

It is the quality I would expect from a jacket in the few hundred dollar range. After seeing in person it was definitely a good buy. It is also definitely not a summer-weight shell, I'm guessing I'm getting it out for 50 and below.

Our local shop is pretty good, guys in there actually know what they are talking about. We have all of dicks/academy/cabelas (2)/bass pro. I can't see any reason to ever go to bass pro or cabelas for fishing gear ever again. Frankly the in-store experience is about as bad as their web sites. Shopping online I don't wander three isles looking for something, I find it in a couple of clicks. And being able to cruise bestselling and new arrivals is really useful too. Likely to have every size and color. Five bucks for two-day shipping? That's less than the cost of the gas. And if it is urgent I'd rather give it to the local guy anyway. The only problem with online for me is that it's too easy. Monkey doesn't even have to get me out of the chair. And yes I'd overpay on Amazon before I give the Dicks any money. You don't have to sell any particular category, that's fine by me, but I don't have to shop there when you make a scene about it either. ps If you are in north texas, Academy's outlet is around here. I have no idea how they decide what goes there - I went there accidentally as it used to be a regular academy. Last time I went there were piles of owner hooks, larew baits, lake fork ring frys, zoom trick worms, and booyah frogs... in good colors. Much of it for less than a buck a bag. /shrug

Pinch down the barbs, might have a better shot getting it out with the forceps.

I'm sorry to hear that Tom. You and your family will be in our thoughts.