GetFishorDieTryin

I used to buy red EWGs with 1/16 from walmart all the time and use them on bass Assassin worms at night and flukes. I think the ones I bought were Arkie brand. I throw flukes all the time, but hardly ever in FW anymore. The Gulp 5" jerkshad are killer inshore baits for everything. The Sakamata shads look great, but the price keeps me away. I did invest in some Duo Pintail recently. The action is amazing. They shimmy on the fall like a spybait and walk like a pencil. The Bayruf darter heads are too small for the 4 and 5", but a company called heavy hitter makes a winged darter in 1/8,3/16 and 1/4 with 2,3 and 4/0 size hooks available for every weight. They use a cone keeper/wire keeper, so they arent as head heavy as the Duos, but I think that helps the bait glide even more. Now, they aren't on the level of a Ryugi or Gami, but Mustad makes a hook you may like...

They can be good at night in the summer, great for giant crappie too. As for size, it all depends on what you're trying to imitate. Keep in mind they're balsa wood baits, extremely low weight to surface area, which makes casting them in any kind of wind a good distance pretty difficult. The point of the split ring is to give the bait freedom of movement. If you remove the split ring, then a non-slip loop knot should be used. Many people replace the split ring, but as long as it's still strong its more than serviceable. Theres nothing wrong with round split rings. I've had unexpected cow stripers damage rings, but in over 30 years I've never seen 1 completely fail. Every now and then yoiu may get a ring that has a slight gap which won't close. Usually, those rings are no good. As long as the ring is still tight and you avoid seating the knot in either gap you won't have issues. Although swivels and clips may have gotten incredibly strong for their size, I only use them with baits that will twist your line like crazy without a swivel, like a Kastmaster or DD. Nothing wrong with using them, just a personal preference.

As costly and ballistically poor as steel shot is when compared to lead, I think that enforcing strict laws to reduce or eliminate the use of lead shot is warranted. WMA are often located on the bayshore here and a significant amount of shot ends up in the water. When studied the amount of wildlife that has toxic levels of lead is concerning. I applaud states that take a proactive stance to safeguard what little nature may be left. In my state, the politicians fight to keep limits and regulations as liberal as possible to maximize the profit from vacationers who fish. There hasn't been a successful year class of striped bass in over half a decade. When the regulation target 1 or 2 year classes, it dooms all those fish. Study after study can show a progressive collapse in biomass and the politicians refuse to address the problem until the only option is a 3-to-5-year moratorium, instead of just prohibiting harvest of that species for a year.

Tackle is heavy, soft plastics can add up really quick. The most important aspect IMO is ensuring the heavier tackle is centered, the balance is even and to keep as much weight as possible off the bow. Ive had some medical issues the past few years and getting my bigger boats out has been out of the question. I have a 1448 and 1752 for duck hunting and running the ICW. The 17 has a 40 Yamaha and I'll readily admit that I'm afraid to really crank on it. I get to 30mph in a few seconds, at that point anything that isn't tied down wants to go swimming. I would think you would be able to get 25mph at 50% thrust. Get it serviced by a good mechanic and see how it runs then.

Theyre essentially a Storm Wildeye knockoff. Fish them like any other boot tail.

Those bigger fish got big because they're cautious. Try being a little more stealthy when arriving and walking around the lake. Dont slam your car door when you arrive, avoid bright colored clothes and stealthily walk up to and around the lake. Try figuring out what those fish are feeding on, whether its bluegills, craws or baitfish and go from there.

I feel like so long as the line isnt grossly overloaded, the rod is the more important factor when it comes to wire gauge.

The more I think I know something or have it figured it out, the more I realize that I don't know. I would imagine a small swimbait or fluke style bait, or possibly a frog, but Ill never know for sure.

When I fish bridges from the bank in the winter, I can lose a quite a few and they're always really good jigs, like lil spottys, keitech footballs or snipers. I know where the problem areas are, but the fish are in that structure.

JBs IMO are one of, if not the deepest rabbit holes in fishing. There are so many variables at play, it can make your head spin. As virtually impossible as they are to master in a lifetime, don't make the mistake of avoiding them. JBs are a bait where the cost for a quality bait is validated, particularly in the winter. Like a jig or worm, start small. Unfortunately, the price hike has made many JBs I consider to be of decent quality to cost nearly as much as the higher end baits. An X rap 08 is great place to start if you already have one or can get one for $12. Husky Jerks are good when the water cools down, but the hooks arent great. My apologies, accidental double post. Please delete

JBs IMO are one of, if not the deepest rabbit holes in fishing. There are so many variables at play, it can make your head spin. As virtually impossible as they are to master in a lifetime, don't make the mistake of avoiding them. JBs are a bait where the cost for a quality bait is validated, particularly in the winter. Like a jig or worm, start small. Unfortunately the price hike has made many JBs I consider to be of decent quality to cost nearly as much as the higher end baits. The 1/4oz rip stop is a good place to start. The small size will put up numbers of both total fish and species. The Husky Jerk is a good one too, but the hooks aren't very good, you need to change them. Its essential that you ensure the hooks are sharp. its not as important now, but when it gets really cold, the slack line won't allow you notice the bite very well. You want the hooks to be sharp enough to hook the fish as he tries to blow it out of his mouth or if he swipes at it. It can be frustrating but stick with it. IMO catching fish on JB is about as fun as it gets.

If you dry them out before putting them back into a box, they should be ok. The outside of the hook may have some corrosion build up where it exits the bait. The hooks Ive had break the most was strangley the heavier wire TT Nedlockz heads, the thicker wire ned heads with the cone keeper.

Those rage toads are great. I used to have supreme confidence into those things. They arent as weedless as hollow frog, but I had a much better hook up ratio with rage toads.

"Break in" is a relative term, but graphite blanks can certainly deform on both a vertical and horizontal axis. The degree of deformation depends on numerous variables. The graphite, resin, extent of use and time under heavy load are the more pertinent factors, although I would bet that temperature is a factor as well. I've got an old 7' UL MF Eagle that bends at the tip under its own weight. Over the years that bend has set. Just the blank changing shape on a vertical axis under load, the graphite of the blank will flex from a circular to an oval shape. The scrim ensures the blank will return to its round shape.

I would hang onto them. I had a bunch of Excaliber traps. I didn't know they discontinued them and kept throwing them. I got down to like 7 or 8 total, went to buy more and heard the bad news. Supposedly Booyah's are the same, but IME I've quite a few baits that were put back into production after being discontinued and they weren't the same.

The SK 1.5 silent is one of the better SqBs. They arent too expensive, come in tons of colors, have consistent action and are resistant to snagging. I think Shimano Macbeths are like $3 right now. I got a couple recently and just from taking a few casts, it looks pretty good.

I like the TUSH and darter head or flat bottomed jighead like the Damiki or MB heads. If weightless my favorite way to rig them was with the old Sebile doughnut weights. You could move them up and down the shank depending on action and add or remove weight as you see fit. Sad they stopped making them. A weighted EWG or hybrid hook works. You can either buy a weighed one, or wrap weighted wire around the shank.

You going to acid wrap it?

The bodies of water are really small around here. Its not uncommon to catch the same fish 2 or 3 times within a year. I caught a 5lber by a drain surrounded by a rocky bottom in early Sept on a neko rigged GB airtail. She has a scar on her back that went from the flesh clean through her dorsal, probably from 1 of the many eagles at that lake. Her right eye was milky and some googan cut a slit in one of the seams in her lower jaw so he could weigh her. (that infuriates me) I caught that same fish the second week of November, by a bridge on the other side of the lake, about 1/4mi away, on a white bladed jig. She had gained about 3/4lb in just under 10 weeks.

"...OMG, it even has a watermark....".

When did I ever say anything about "wrist snapping? Whether it's a Suzuki or NE style surf rod, you're not snap casting like you would a 1/20 head and tiny swimbait with a 6'8 ML. The ML Dialuna has enough power to push lighter baits, but you're not getting that power from the just the wrist. You push and pull, instead of just whipping it quickly. I have a 7' UL fenwick, that blank has no power at all. You just lob it. The most efficient cast for distance is a pendulum cast. If I were to pendulum that rod with a half ounce it would likely damage the blank or break it. I can use heavier baits, but the blank feels grossly overloaded. Most traditional surf rods are mod action, and they can cast very far. You have a ton of power in the lower end and the extra-long handle for additional leverage. If I didn't learn how to cast a surf rod in nearly 30 years of fishing the wash, I would have to quit.

Those style baits are generally smaller in profile and heavier in weight than most other hard plastics. Most twitching baits that will walk, are more round instead of flat. The X rap twitching mullets and minnow can walk, just not as sharp. The action is more linear. You can modify them by dressing the tail, using lighter supple line and playing with the hook layout. Mirrolure has a ton of twitch baits. The classic 17mr is more of a pilchard or shad shape, with the taller body. They dont really walk that well. I smash blues and bass on the catch 2000. Its a round twitching bait that can get to about 2". They have a catch jr, which I think weighs 3/8 instead of the 1/2 of the full size. The MirroMinnow is closest in profile to karashi. It has the profile of silversides or spearing. It stays relatively shallow, not much more than 1'. Just like the other twitchbaits, you can modify them to get a wider action by dressing the rear hook and playing around with line and rod action. Sinking pencils like the LC Wander and Duo 85 Underwalker are probably the closest, especially in the case of the Duo. They are heavy baits though. The Wander 80, which is just over 3" weighs 3/8, the 85 is 9/16, the 95 is 3/4 and so is the slim 110. LC did start making the bladed wanders again, but I've got no experience with them. The Duo 85 Underwalker is just over 3" and even heavier than the Wander 80, coming in at 1/2.

Booyah, SK and Buckeye make them. The Buckeye offers black on black in 1/8.

Any kind of fishing or hunting in cold weather calls for decent gear. If you're cold or wet you cant enjoy what you're doing. Prety hard to fish or duck hunt (with the exception of field hunting ducks) without being around water and water in the winter is cold. Things like lifejackets and other safety equipotent are essential IMO. Surf fishing in the northeast or colder climates requires good gear. Everything gets wet, so tackle bags have to have grommeted drains and terminal tackle needs to be kept in watertight bags or containers within your plug bag. Bubble weed covered rocks and jetties are worse than black ice. Whether they're wading boots or overshoes, it's dangerous to fish without them. Good waders, a quality surf top with latex or neoprene cuff/collars and a good belt are needed to keep you dry. Late December trips require a heavy top underneath the neoprene outer layer and wading pants under the polyester or neoprene waders. The nature of fishing in the waves is very hard on reels. Nothing is more frustrating than a reel failure during a blitz while your vehicle could be a half mile down the beach. You can get by with water resistant reels, but the lifespan can be short. If you surf fish often its worth investing in a VS or ZB as you will spend that much in a few seasons fixing or replacing lesser reels.

Suzuki rods are fun. I bought one for late summer early fall when bigger stripers and blues are few and far between. I bought 9" ML Dialuna. It was rated for baits up to ounce or lose to it, so I thought it would have plenty of strength. I knew it was going to be a slower action, not just because of the length, JDM rods are generally slower when in comparison to USDM rods. Other than being al little tip heavy, which is solved by adding Fuji gimbal cover or butt cap to the end of the handle, the backbone of the rod doesn't have enough power to really punch anything into wind. Although it is rated for an ounce, if I were to put a 3/4oz plug on it and really put some mustard on the cast, I feel like there is a good chance of the blank folding. Longer rods dont always equal longer casts. While you're going to pay for the materials used in the blank, the result is a 7' or 7.5' that can cast as far as a 10' It does well with 3/16-3/8 jigheads will gulp/elastomer baits and the occasional mirrodine or LC wander. There are a good number of Suzuki style rods that are available here. Initially I wanted the 8'3 Daiwa Saltist Light Surf. Its designed for CIF or Westcoast style JBs like the CIF pointers and smaller SP minnows. For whatever reason that rod was virtually impossible to get for close 10 months, which is why I went with a Shimano. Black Hole, a company out of South Korea, makes some great light surf blanks. They have faster actions and a little more power when combined with similar JDM light surf rods. They have an 8' 1/2-2oz Suzuki Special Light Inshore, which is essentially like a light heavy power blank with heavy duty guides and a short rear grip when compared to US style surf rods. I think the Light inshore blank weighs like 3ozs. The Suzuki UL Surf is more of a light actioned surf rod. They have 8,8'6,9', and 9'6 lengths. They have more glass in the tip, giving them a mod F action and are lighter in weight than the Inshore Suzuki. The sug. weight range is 1/4-1.5oz and 3/8-2oz on the heavier 9' and 9'6 models. The rear grips are a little longer, like 16-18" (i think) so you can really get some leverage. The 8" blank is like 1.8oz and the 8.6 is just over 2. The 9 and 9.5 are heavier in power, so they are little heavier, around 3oz. The blanks are really good and much better quality than you get with other brands for the price. The guy who used to import them has recorded himself beating all the black hole rods to death, from King Salmon and Halibut in Alaska, Roster fish in the tropics, giant bull reds in the gulf and cow bass off block island. He's got blank testing videos too where he lifts water cooler jugs with the flagship models Both the inshore and UL surf are on clearance right now, I think either rod is under $200. Dark Matter makes a rod modeled after a MB Suzuki rod. The Dark Matter OB Surf is a 10' 1/2-1 1/2oz light surf rod. The blank loads really well. If you have the right technique, line and plug, you can cast over 80 yards. The spinning model does weigh a little more than 7oz, but Dark Matter did a good job balancing it, so you don't feel that weight as much. Its priced pretty good @$300. They have casting models as well. Okuma has some option too. They have a sub family of the Rockaway called the Rockaway SP. Its designed for Westcoast surf fishing, surf perch, halibut and schoolie bass. Just like the Rockaway they punch way above their price and have no business performing as well as they do. They were $120, im sure they went up 10 or 20$, but its still a good buy. I handed the 9' a couple years ago. It was rated 1/4-1oz, which it felt like it could handle well. I liked that the rear grip was short like a Suzuki style rod, that makes it easier to work minnow plugs and twitchn baits. The overall weight was pretty light, but the length and use of sea guides gave it a tip heavy feel. An 8 or 9oz reel would fix most of that.