Darth-Baiter

that one-ten is supposed to work a topwater pretty well isn't it?

that has to be human error.

It’s not the line? My reels sometimes feel crunchy and it’s the line. it makes noise sending it, and it makes noise bringing it back.

X2. Nope

I’m not doing well on Clearlake. Taking a break from the place.

The most popular discussion in my opinion is the ubiquitous “ recommend a ____ for me”. It could be a bait, rod reel, heck even a kayak. I move to the beat of my own music except once. One of you blew into my ear the words, “buy a Zillion”. Now i’m a Zillion person. Heck. I even lean into Daiwa more because of it. you? Ive after wondered what a poster went with after the blitzkrieg of advice and opinions finally settle down. collectively. You all are all over the map.

@JHoss yup. open water bait. we all have been there, seen it, heard it. we are casting to shore and we hear a ruckus behind us. we look and we see that wolf-pack of bass smashing bait out in the wide open. grab that popper and get it to them. it is almost a 100% bite for me, if I get it to them on time. in cover where the trebles won't gum up or snag..I am toss a walking bait. having said that, I only have Megabass poppers and I can almost walk them. the smaller Megabass pop-whatever. I have one on a rod I kinda hate. spinning. the rod is a Powell Naked spinning rod. it is a one-hit wonder in my hands. it throws the smaller popper like magic. the light, super stiff broomstick vibe I get from that rod just works those poppers kinda nice for me.

I only throw a popper when the fish are actively smashing bait on the surface. I think that forward splash imitates a fleeing fish very well. having said that, when the fish are boiling on the surface, is NOT the time to dig out a popper and tie it on. hahah.. fastest improved clinch knot on the west coast, for sure.

lost a good one, boated a decent one. takes a lot to bum me out fishing.

I'm going to do this, soon. but I am at a different place right now. I like it hard. (<--that sounded better in my head). I like the new Malones and Yakima off roady ones. so one day right now: I like going where no other kayaker will dare. I have lifted my kayak over a fence this year. hahha.. legally. but yea. there is one place my friend thinks we could use his jeep winch to drag our kayaks out of. it is super steep. almost a cliff. a trailer is almost like a boat access point in my mind. it isn't fun if everyone can do it..currently.

clarification. pike-minnow. ferocious, but no teeth.

homemade sourdough with cheese and slice of ham. I eat it fairly early, so it doesnt go bad. apple, good to go. I dont need much. I dont eat sugar if I can help it, so no sweets at all. on the shore I eat a hot breakfast out of a insulated food cup.

^^^ those look awasome. I bought a karashi. tossed it into my kayak box. we shall see. my bud swam his past me. it looks very good in the water. I didnt throw mine yesterday. too many pike. minnow. they would Destroy that tiny thing.

I think I "swung for the fences". I called his mom and got the green light to buy him a combo. I was so excited I ordered him a surf setup. a pond set up would have been better money spent. dang it. oh well. I think I have a pond set up I can give him. old Fenwick rod (noodle) and a tiny Pflueger.

I am wupped! slept 10 hours. no sleep from July4 spooking my dog, and me needing to sit with him all night. I still went fishing. drove 2.25 hours to my secret lake. I get there and the lake is LOW! just a sliver of water running from the ramp to the main lake body. I think "psshhh. I got this, I'm in a floaty kayak". I launch. I had two choices,..stay left, or stay right. I chose poorly. my kayak was floating, until I got in it. it beached. (hahha..how fat am I?). I had to get out, and drag it. low-shin deep of mud gravel. I get back to the right side and I could float. I paddle and paddle thru. I head out and had to paddle thru thick surface mats. we paddle until we hit open water. eureka!!! fishing sucked and as a result we end up on the opposite side of the lake. mostly to avoid the wake boats making a "weed bed smoothie" out of the best shallow water bass spot on the lake. we had to kick our pedals about 4 miles home, only to encounter new floaty mats blocking our way in. we had to paddle almost a mile, I did it standing, so I could watch for the thinner patches. and then drag our kayaks - again..and then this time we dragged out kayaks (on wheels) up the steep boat ramp..up up up, to avoid the shenanigans of the drinking lake-users. my triceps are sore, my abs are sore, my knees sore, and my legs...ahh.. I jogged slooooowwww this morning. my dog was side eyeing me wondering why I dont pull up my big-boy running shorts. whatever, at least I'm not afraid of fireworks. dumb dog..:D. hahhaha I need to get back to work tomorrow so I can get some rest!! my kayak looked like I used it to pan for gold! It was so full of gravel and grit. no gold flakes. still 100% fun. Thursday, if weather holds..I am repeating this but into the Pacific Ocean. it is gonna be a workout. the ramp out of the ocean, dragging a kayak on the beach, will be a workout.

my friends bass boat only has one shallow water anchor. he can spin in currents and winds. it think it is the single pivot point. cant be helped. a big deep diving crank bait will turn me and my kayak. wind? zero% chance of winning.

@Susky River Rat let me know when youre ready to step up to the big leagues of serious-non-serious. (at least you have a boat.. must be nice) (for the record, my wife told me to go find a bass boat..I said "No - maybe I'll just get a kayak). <--that is blackbelt level serious-non-serious. she has since changed her stance on the boat. "why, you have a kayak already!!"

We do want to pause in AZ to check out the giant squirrels. Not sure when that season is.

What was I thinking? Very few bites. One bass each. I couldn’t figure it out. Where did the fish go? I was just there!! The fish were there! I got one. Lost one. Still fun. Tried a different shore and looked back on my beloved grass flats. There were wake boats going around in circles. Pulling various forms of fun stuff. I saw a SUP person fishing and he said yesterday was pandemonium. All on the flats. Haha. He thinks they hoped to keeps kids in shallow waters?? We were guessing. I was picking apart a point hoping for a bite. I see a pontoon-boat headed straight for me. I stand up thinking it made me more visible. It did. It veered of a tiny bit and he beached on the point I was casting too! Wow! I laughed and looked at my friend. He mouths, “home?” we laughed and went home. Conga line home. I’m home, cooking spaghetti now. I drove to the lake at 3:00am. Should have slept in. Still fun tho. I got a lot of pike minnow. I was covered in slime. im not mad. Not sure what I was expecting. People were out and having fun. When I left a dude was putting in. He had a paddle and a 12 pack in the original box. He says he just had to drink fast while it was cold.

I'm a wanderer with fishing gear. I always get that sinking feeling where the confidence starts to fracture. it's the nature of my urge to "check it out". why I have a kayak and not a boat. you cant put a boat in a lot of my explorations. but thankfully, I rarely skunk. the fundamentals apply. that first fish is so cool!! I might not get lots, but I usually get one or two.

ugh...I hope you get this behind you.

last time I looked they were $7(?)...I balked. that is more palatable. I'll buy them in Japan.

that bone color is awesome. I bet an Oklahoma Striper would hit that!! awe sold out.

I've been kayaking many California lakes lately. the Deps Evoke 1.8(?) is killing it.. but my old Bill Lewis in that weird orange craw color is the MVP. it is so cool yanking a shallow crank thru weeds. the bass smoke it when It comes out of the grass.

in the kayak yes. in the truck no..everything is in rod sleeves. and we really should be eating more greens.