Fishlegs

Gorgeous fish! Well done.

If it’s the blue that’s so loud on the rod then Legalis might look OK since it’s also blue…if that matters.

Daiwa Fuego, Exceler, or Legalis are solid reels in that price range. They can all be found below MSRP.

I think we need to see if there’s a spinnerbait on the back of that shirt. ? ?

I can’t answer how long it would last, but I would suggest that you consider using a mono backing. Filling a 4000 size reel with all fluoro would be fairly expensive.

I don't have a picture, but I use the type of hooks you referred to for my rod storage. I hung them horizontally because of space constraints. They're screwed directly into the studs in the wall in my garage. Three hooks per row seems to support the rods pretty well.

How awesome is it to live in a bait shop? Curious minds want to know. ?

If you've caught zero fish on a plopper that means I'm ahead of you by one. Maybe we're doing it wrong. Congrats on the fantastic day @ol'crickety!

Got out a couple times this week. The fishing was tough in the heat, but fishing is always good for me. The first largemouth hit a 3.75 Rage Swimmer, and the second one was on a baby brush hog. The smallmouth is my first smallie of '22 so I'm happy about that even though it's a dink. It always amazes me when a 10" fish attacks a 7" worm. ?

Nice smallmouth!

Looks like a fox that isn't in very good shape to me.

Sorry to hear about that. Hope you get better soon. Don’t be a stranger on BR. Your posts are always a good read.

Tell her your fishing friends are with you and that we are pulling for her.

Interesting. That would be good news for the future of one of my favorite spots.

is 16" long, and answers to the name Peyton. lol Seriously, that's a cool fish!

The heat has made the fishing trips sparse, but I snuck out for a brief trip to one of my favorite bank spots. The wake boats, & jet skis had the water churning pretty good. I threw spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, swim jigs, 10" worms, topwater, & a Ned rig without so much as a nibble. My last option was the wacky rig. I got this 20 incher on a watermelon red Yum Dinger. The bite was not subtle. She smoked it. Good fighting fish. She didn't jump until I reached to get her, but it was pulling drag the whole time. This is my first fish over about 2.5 lbs since April so it was a good trip even though I only got one fish. It may be hard to see with the BR logo on the pic, but the tail was pretty beat up. The top half of the tail was practically gone. Any ideas why it would be like that in late July? Late spawner? Slow healer? Also, it's not easy for someone with t-rex arms to get a selfie with a long fish. ?

You found a fun way to remove lily pads from the pond.

Nice fish. Congrats!

Prayers for you and your family.

What kind of water will you be fishing? Creeks, rivers, or lakes? I'd recommend starting with soft plastics like worms, swimbaits, craws, creature baits, etc. Those are inexpensive and can work most anywhere. Welcome & good luck. It's a fun hobby, but you will soon develop a love/hate relationship with something we call the bait monkey.

That image looks like clutter from underneath the kid's table after a snack. ?

The free version gives you good info, but there are additional features available if you subscribe. I have subscribed for the past few years. I'm a map guy so it's worth it to me to have the shaded relief & bottom hardness options. As others have said, YMMV. Here's a link to what you get with a subscription. https://www.navionics.com/usa/apps/navionics-boating

For me, anytime I have an opportunity to go fishing it is a good time to go fishing…regardless of the previous day’s weather conditions.

Don’t get frustrated. Keep fishing the way that you prefer. Once you learn a few techniques your friend may be asking you for help.