Craig P

Is there a BFS Monkey because that guy is really messing with me. $50 off, I couldn’t resist the price but I need a rod to put it on. BFS Expride arriving today. Got me again! lol

I have a small 7 acre local reservoir I like to fish for quick outings. A few days ago, SW winds, gusting up to 17mph or so pushed fish into a flat that also has a small feeder stream. Even with no precipitation for weeks and the reservoir being low, it was a perfect storm IMO, a flat, a small stream and wind pushing into it, vegetation too. Fish were happy to take my spinbait. With the above in mind, yesterday and today a slow 5mph wind is pushing NW, exactly 90 degrees clockwise from prior winds and we should see some 20mph-ish gusts in that same direction tomorrow morning. Unfortunately, the bank the wind is pushing into is a quick steep drop-off. A steep drop-off to me at this time of year seems to be the total opposite of where you would begin to fish. What would be your approach? go directly to the spot the wind is currently pushing into, even though it is deep, or start where you left off and hope you find them somewhere in-between? I already know I will just start where I left off, especially since the wind swept in that direction. As mentioned, it is only 7 acres so covering all of it is simple enough but I am curious to how others would approach this and maybe gain some insight I can apply to larger bodies of water to be more efficient when on the boat.

If you watch any YouTube Video or Read an Article about Bass Fishing, most will tell you when you’re starting to get a nice 7’ medium to medium heavy setup and you’ll be well on your way for most presentations…..and they’re right….but only up until a point. This year I spent alot of time being scientific matching rods, reels, lines and presentations. Result, it’s been rewarding and more fun because my “tool” is doing exactly what it is suppose to do. I cast further than I ever have, I detect more bites, and misses! Hook-ups have increased and it has narrowed down my rod selection to just 7. 2 of those setups are specific to 2 different lakes due to vegetation and only see action when visiting those lakes so I typically only carry 5 rods on my boat. If I can’t catch fish with these 5 setups in my region of SE PA, it’s literally just not my day! And of course, it’s the fishes fault! Do you get super-analytical with your setups or do you just go fishing? For a couple of years, I thought I was over-thinking this stuff as I honestly just didn’t truly understand the importance of “line weight”, “lure weight” or “action” written on the side of a rod. I would feel a rod in hand at the store, liked it and bought it. At one time too I thought people who bought rods online were crazy….how could they possibly know how it would feel in hand? Now I get it….

I sold my FFS this past spring after seeing fish on bed literally scatter when I pointed the transducer at them. Mind you, I was close to the beds but I wanted to learn what they would do. Coincidentally, I had not caught a bass that morning yet either. After seeing that, I turned it off and I started picking up fish, it turned out to be a good day, without FFS. I believe fish have become keen to the sound as it’s more popular now. I was on the fence about keeping FFS anyways this year, if I were a crappie angler, I’d still have it but I am not. I much prefer being stealth and just fishing. This season without FFS has been really fun. My catch rate has increased as I am not looking for that perfect target, it’s just that I make more casts now. I don’t tourney fish, I’m just a regular guy that goes fishing when I get the chance. I won’t lie though, FFS taught me a TON! over the years and seriously reduced my learning curve.

I have a numbers mind so I can’t help but count though I do not record it. I take a picture of the first and any larger fish thereafter in spots I fish just so I document on my photos/map area where I found action. I have learned through the years that while my every day memory is downright lousy, my fishing memory is off the charts so I do actually remember some fish I’ve caught before, trees that have moved in or out, stream banks that have changed when fishing streams or rivers, etc. It kind of freaks me out at times, how could my memory be so good there but I can’t remember anything else. Fish on the brain I suppose.

I don’t see any reason to not buy online, as long as you have your prescription and know you’ll like the fit of the frames you are purchasing, it is no different than your local eye doctor ordering them.

I see that my wife created an account here under the alias fishhugger. Sorry dear, the answer is still, and will always remain, the fifth.

I will only add 2. 1. Casting Accuracy Applies to any species of fishing. If you can place your presentation where the fish lives, your bite count will go up. 2. Know your region What works down south may not apply up north and vice versa, the same goes for east - west. With that said, when you seek advice on the internet, you’re going to get an amazing amount of variation. Understand that poster is giving you advice based on what works for them. All is great knowledge but make sure it actually applies to your region or world, you will save a ton of money!

I fish trout, bass, salmon and salt so my setups are all over the place. I am guessing around 20 but I can honestly say that all see action during the year. I do have a few “archived” setups that will never see action again but they stick around for nostalgia. I think a fun follow up thread could be “How many setups do you actually use”. I would wager that most hobbyists / enthusiasts find themselves with the same 1 or 2 rods in their hands every trip.

My routine is to photo the first catch and any big one after that, thinking it may be the fish of the day. If a larger one tops that, I’ll photo that. I use the map feature in photos to see where I have caught and it helps me to create patterns where I fish.

I feel your pain! I am in SE Pa too and looking for flows. 1” of rain is suppose to come Tuesday / Wednesday. Should be enough to bump up my favorite Skook spot for a day or two so I’ll have to seize that. I have been resorting to hitting the banks of my local little reservoir for some LMs but nothing of size and I much prefer fishing from my boat.

FWIW, I had that exact boat, 2016. The lockers regularly filled with water on rough condition days. Also, if you stop too fast, it will take on water over the stern and is possibly the source of your water. Staying on top of the bilge every couple of stops will be your friend. You will want to remove your seat post mounting plates in the lower floor area. You are not going to be happy with what you see but it’s an area that has to be dried and addressed because the foam will not let the water drain and because of the way the foam is poured, there is just no way to make a drain. For me, it just became part of the maintenance after rough water trips. Remove the plates, suction out the water, let a fan circulate in the garage or sit in the sun to dry the whole boat. I do not miss that boat……

Are you doing business in a small town where everyone knows eachother? Was this 20-30 years ago? Simply stated, bank pays dealer, buyer pays bank. Buyer stops making payments and their credit takes a hit and the item gets repo’d. Now if the financier is part of the group, owned by Johnny that is, I could see some pressure being applied but only after all parties are coordinated. Never stop making payments on a loan unless you want your credit negatively affected.

You’re kidding right? Tongue in cheek I hope. Never do this!

Check the specs of the reel and make sure your line diameter is within the specifications. This is very important.

I don’t know the history of bass tournament series but one thing I have noticed about bass anglers of yester-year and today is that they go on the road and those with kids (many) have a solid anchor at home, Mom! I don’t know that a woman would get the same kind of support from their spouse. As controversial as it is to say today, I will say it in general, Mom has always been and will always be better than Dad at raising a family.

I have stopped using boxes for bait storage. I thought they would keep me organized but I found they made me loose track of what I needed to stock up on so I moved to just clear zip lock storage bags with the plastics in their original packaging. I even use a zip lock bag for spinbaits and skirts. When I open the hatch, I see the bag I am looking for and it prevents me from banging around boxes. This method works well for me when I have new baits I want to try too. I throw the loose bait packages into the hatch so that I see them when I am on the water. If I find that they work, they go into the “proven” zip lock bag. The “proven” bag is top secret ya know but I won’t lie, every man has their price, including me. Offers can be set to……. LOL Anyways, I throw empty packages into the minnow bucket of my livewell and at the end of the day, it reminds me that I have to re-stock that item into the boat. I am not senile yet but one day I plan to be and I think this method will work well then.

I won’t say that lakes near me (SE PA) have suffered quality, arguments could be made….. but they have severely suffered pressure since Covid and a peaceful day fishing from a boat is hard to find now. Today being Tuesday, one would think you could get to the lake mid-morning and fish peacefully into the afternoon. Not so, Waverunners, Wake Boats and Skiers are on the water by 9am now, sometimes even earlier. Many people in Gov’t and Fortune 100 companies are still “working” from home a portion of the week. That looks like it is finally coming to an end in some sectors at least. I suppose you can look at it as it can only get better from here right? Right? Please someone say Right! I only have so much hair left!

Not saying it is what to do but my best practices have been plugging the boat in to charge and unplugging when indicated fully charged. I fish often but it could be a couple of weeks between trips, depending on life. Rinse and repeat. I do not charge my starting battery, my charger charges my 3 lithiums. The starting battery operates just the starting, lights and livewell. I do make sure that one is up to snuff though after winter break.

IMO, the Dobyns Champion XP line of rods, while not cheap, are in a price point of their own. I have not fished with an Expride or a G.Loomis GCX but I have felt them in hand and the Dobyns just feels better to me. I also like the Zodias line of Shimano rods. For their price point, and that handle, it’s a bargain.

I completely understand! I will add that I’ve fished it 3 times since I left my initial review. Now I’m in the same boat as you, I want another one!

I don’t focus on baits as much as I do conditions. I think the conditions will tell you the method and bait to use. I understand finding grass or wood or whatever and gravitating to it because you may have had a spectacular day one day in that scenario. I do it myself but only for 10-15 minutes. If I am not catching immediately with what worked that one time, it tells me to get back to my routine of finding fish on the graph, what they are relating to, the current/wind, water clarity and color, water temps yesterday and today and if it is trending. All of those conditions narrow the method and bait choice. So I guess in a way, I don’t choose the bait, the conditions do. Do I still continue to try to force a spinner down their throats, you betcha! but I will eventually put it down and goto the thing that the conditions dictate just to prove to myself that yes, they are indeed still biting. I don’t think I am normal though. I honestly don’t care about catching a fish, I care about catching every fish. Put 10 fish in front of me and let me dupe 2. That only angers me, why can’t I get the other 8 to bite? I know I will never figure this out but I will never stop trying.

Sorry to hear about your condition. I had something very similar a few years back, pneumonia, just before Covid and had something similar but more mild just a month ago because I recognized it. Allergies get me every year and I just think’s it a minor cold and to power through it. Staying well hydrated helps and switching up allergy meds seems to help me when I finally find the right one…that year. Get some rest!

Something to think about, warranty. Had those rods been St Croix for example, they offer some nice warranties, currently 15 years on their higher end rods. They will replace an accidentally broken rod, for a fee of course but a friend recently broke his Legend Tournament ($270) and they replaced it for $60.

I remember my first time. Fortunately, I was good at working a trailer as I towed other things previously so when I got in line to launch a couple spots back, I told the guys in front me that I was a newbie and asked them if they could give me some guidance in the process. They were more than happy to. So don’t be shy, if there are others there, let them know and you’ll learn a lot! And if you are a towing newbie, spend 15 minutes in an empty parking lot getting use to how the trailer responds. None of us want to look like a newbie but we all once were….and looked it!