Darth-Baiter

Fetching a bait i casted into a shoreline bush yesterday. ( hey! The sun got into my eyes) . My kayak shifted in the current and the bent branch catapulted the lure into my hand. Thankfully it didn’t bury past the barb and I yanked it out quick. But it was close. it think a tool capable of clipping a hook would be great. Just simple smaller freshwater hooks. What are you using? Not sure my leatherman would get it done.

Took my New rod out yesterday. Paired it with a Vanford 2500 spooled with 20lb braid. (8lb flouro leader). Rod is the PHX-S 723M. Med-fast. I bought it because i LOVE my Phenix Maxim MAX-S72M. Also med-fast. I drop shot with the Maxim and I want the Recon to toss the rest. Wacky and weightless things. the handle on the Recon is nice. Action is a tad slower than the Maxim. Understandable since the recon is a tick lighter in line rating. Working a Texas rig weightless worm it works great. The longer handle is throwing me but. It is more cumbersome in a kayak. I’ll get used to it. I fought in a 3.5 lb bass yesterday and the rod definitely bends under the exertion differently than the Maxim. Bass didn’t stand a chance. overall it’s a great rod and I’m happy to have it on board. It will replace a similar rated Dobyns Kayden. Not sure I can honestly say it outshined my (lower priced) Maxim. It does look way better. Haha.

I think it would be a blast!! stand up paddle board fishing! water needs to be glass smooth for me for sure or warm and shallow. hahah. anyone doing it?

Today was a surprise cold front. Well, the morning was cold. I kept putting my hands in the lake to warm them. started at 6;30 am when the park ranger opens the gate. 10:30 - 11:00 and I’m cold, hungry and well into a skunk. It was so grassy. I worked the problem. Swim baits, swim jigs, wacky worm, etc. I even punched. Nothing. Teeth chattering I rigged up yet another offering. This time a 4” SENKO, weightless Tex-rig. I let it fly and sink into the grass. Twitch….Bam. I 3.5lb fish spun my kayak around but I won. And that was it. The missing piece of the puzzle. It was game on. I even let my friend know the secret code and we got into them. So much fun!

I buy cheap 3/16 oz drop shot weights almost exclusively. I lose so many of them. If I used tungsten I’d tie them on tight. Which would snag me up I imagine.

Great movie reference

Haha

I’m a civil engineer. I took a single electric engineer class and even passed it with flying colors. But, I understand home electronic systems with a blind faith. I plug things in, and turn things on. I have an electrician at the house installing our Tesla charger. I can hear the dumb questions coming out of my mouth! I need to step back and telework and shop fall fishing baits.

This is me in a nutshell.

I worried about nothing. I ordered my crankbaits. I just got shipping notice - they are sending me ONE CRANKBAIT in a box. Haha. so much for maximizing my shipping efficiency.

I lust filmed myself. I’m cast very well non-dom. Accuracy isn’t there, but I have distance and thumb control.

Arrgh. I have an order pending. I want a specific worm in morning dawn. Back ordered. as I wait other things sell out and go on back order. Haha. So funny and frustrating all at once. Trying to maximize my purchase to save shipping and maximize efficiency in general.

Wow. It’s kinda rainy. Later this Afternoon it will be here. !

Battery. Lighter equals more expensive. Buy a Dakota lithium battery which is much much lighter. But way more expensive. I think a smaller more stable boat? Nucanoe frontier 10? Your existing motor would suffice. It’s about 62 lbs empty. And tiny so it’s less unwieldy. and congrats to fishing. Super cool you’re so independent. Kudos.

There is only one ramp open at Clearlake CA to boats. Crazy! And it’s nearing closure as well. so as a kayaker, what do you think? This fall, if we don’t get enough rain to open some Ramps to boats. What does that mean? The lower fishing pressure means we will do well? Or the drought itself will shut them down? I’m rooting for a deluge. I want lots of rain. I don’t mind boat traffic.

Funny you mention it. A coworker brought me his rod building stuff to see , “if I would like the new hobby”. He spent an hour explaining his love for it. The tools, the stacks of blanks, etc. I had heard enough, I put it all back in his truck. he thinks his divorce could be partly blamed on it. My buddy obsesses over things. Building furniture, tinkering with cars.. he said he would sneak out of bed at night to go glue things. Haha no thanks I’ll buy a few and hope to call it good.

I’m sad to report that I still backlash enough I seem to have fresh line always.

I had to do it. I got rid of a bunch of archery tools and that $ was burning a hole in my PayPal pocket. I just noticed a rod I’ve been eyeballing is back in stock. The Phenix Recon Elite spinning rod. I like my current Dobyns Kayden but I just had this itch. I love everything Phenix has put in my hands. The rods just feel “crispy”. Not sure that makes any sense. im going to put a 1000 series reel on the Kayden and try to harass crappies with it. The noticeable slower action should be perfect. I have the 723 on the way. 7’2” medium extra fast. I’m a drop shot fool with the slightly beefier Phenix Maxim rod I have. Two finesse setups are perfect on my kayak to supplement my casting setups. I can’t wait. Ready for fall drop shot action.

It’s been decades since I tried it. Last time was at Lake Huites in Mexico and we smoked them. I want to try again. any bait? Worm craw? heavier weight? I have some 1/2 oz worm sinkers. I have all the components. how about the tiny zman finesse craw? thanks in advance. Figure a med heavy rod huh?

Gah. I should have tried the c-rig yesterday. i would have peed on a spark plug if I thought it would have helped. My drop shot was an utter fail. I should have covered more ground with this rig. next weekend.

Nope. Toughest fishing day in a long while. I was so bored I started casting lefty. I got pretty good at it. i caught two on a crank bait.

Let’s do this! I am an addict. Next week my brother is in San Francisco. I’m not gonna see him because I have a fishing trip planned. Secret lake. The kind you fuzz out the background in pictures. ‘’I’ll see him thanksgiving;)

That first pic. Looks like a 70lbder! great fish.

This is the stuff I used.

I think my brother must have left it here on one of our wilderness backpack trips. I used it last time on my braid to flouro FG knot and it stayed tight! probably very much overkill, but it seems to button down the tiny cut ends. Anyone using this stuff? I think it would be a good lube to cinch tight instead of saliva and then hit it with the UV light to cure. It cures soft and pliable.