huZZah

I tried it on a Big Bite super grub, but ended up putting it back on a jig. Just didn’t do right.

I have gotten much better about forcing myself to 2 rods when I’m walking bank. Fishing one lure around the lake, then trying my other when I work my way back to the truck. I’ll come back next weekend and try 2 others, or 1 other etc. Helps me to actually look for fish and not just lob around hoping.

To each their own. I do both.

My best producer on a 3/8 jig is a big 4-5” curly tail grub.

I haven’t used any chunk other than Zoom super chunk in green pumpkin. It was enough to move me to craws, bugs, and large grubs.

Meh, they work. Not my favorite. I definitely prefer the triangular legs though. Mostly pulling through grass but I just have other stuff that works much better for me. I also have trouble keeping the little square on the hook.

I feel you. I don’t fish tournaments or anything but I have two children constantly losing baits. Yum and Big Bite Baits are significantly cheaper and I have come to prefer them. Zoom are a little more than those but still reasonable depending on the style of plastic. Ordering big bites direct from them saves money as well. I refuse to get them at academy for $2 more per bag. I get most of my yum from wal mart. I use Wally off brand lipless cranks a lot and they’re fine. Waaaaay cheaper. I still have a few of their $2 spinners and they are ok, although the skirt is sometimes lost on a single cast lol. I ended up getting a bunch of the wahoo and reed runner or grass runner (can’t remember the brand) from cabellas...they’re like $3 but quite a bit more durable. The Creme swimbaits and beetle spinners at wal mart are also very cheap and they work as well. The only thing I won’t buy off brand are the inline spinners. They just flat suck. One thing I’ve learned is you can buy the off brand cheaper baits and they’re fine, but the hooks suck. So I have quite an assortment of replacement trebles and such of better quality. Still not name-brand typically, but I get 25 or more for $2 kinda thing. And they work great. There’s even a thread on here where he turns the Walmart spinners into underspins. I tried it and it’s pretty easy, although I don’t really use underspins much. If you want to spend $$$ on baits it’s easy. If you don’t, it’s also pretty easy.

I have a spinning and casting Daiwa braid x in Medium/fast. The spinning feels much “softer” than the casting. The casting feels more similar to my Mh braid x casting rod. Not precisely the same rod, and not high end, but I would think close enough for comparison. But they feel pretty different to me.

I love braid but not for most trebles anymore. I won’t even use it for spinners/buzzbaits cause it gets fouled so much more often. Only treble I have used on 30lb braid lately is lipless crank. 1/4oz I think...it’s small. But I quit doing that cause it’s hard not to rip the thing right outta their mouths.

I do not always carry a knife. But when I do...

My sons “secret place” is an older boat ramp that hasn’t been kept up. Lots of rocks and sunken tree branches to get caught on. Personal experience I can get a spinner/swim bait/lipless crank of any size over the top water if I keep my rod tip up and keep reeling. Best results have been a Texas rigged worm/craw/anything weightless or with a 1/8 oz bullet weight. My son and I still lose a few, but he also caught a 5lb+ fish right out of the rocks. So he thinks it’s worth the risk. ?

I carried a basic folding Gerber for years. Still have it, still rust free, minimal care. It’s now my “fishing alone at night” knife as my work doesn’t allow blades of any kind.

Yes when Jeeves brings my Bentley around next time I’ll have to compare them. ?

Kinda like how turning into the turn lane to “merge” into traffic is illegal in every state...but it still happens to me daily.

Nah younger generations feel it cause their parents tell them they are. The rest of us have to work up to it.

Yeah I do a lot if night fishing during the week year round and it’s no different than any other times. If there’s fish there I catch then, if not, I move on or go home. IMO it’s more difficult to find those bigguns, not necessarily to find any.

I have a couple Kastkings and they’re good reels.

After googling it looks like an old tool for gripping the whole fish by its body, not the mouth.

Not positive but I think you are “required” to have weight distribution and brakes if over 5k lbs. Something along those lines. If not required you’re very smart to do it anyway. Makes towing much more desirable.

Yeah all this info is on the door sticker for you. You’ll need to know the weight of the boat w/ motor and trailer so you can figure your gross weight. Just don’t exceed what is in your door for max. If you’re towing a lot, go for a max gross that is 1k lbs or more over what you will actually tow every time. Don’t forget it’s all the weight, not just an empty boat. Trailer package with internal brake is nice, but you can do aftermarket as well. The brake is the most helpful to keep from tearing up your truck brakes. Any 150/1500 truck will do it fine. A standard fishing boat isn’t heavy. A 250/2500 will be overkill. Unless it makes you feel better and then go for it. It’s yours. I will say a heavier truck (curb weight) makes towing less stressful simply because the boat won’t be able to shift you around as easily. Also 4WD makes steeper boat ramps less stressful as well, but it’s personal preference I think. I have a Nissan Titan XD, a wannabe heavy half ton, and I love it. I tow a 10k lb trailer regularly (with weight distribution setup) and it’s great. But I made sure to get a truck specifically for this trailer.

Same

Yeah. Apparently it’s a problem at Hubbard. Gave the other dude the casting reel.

The Lagunas are also perfectly fine. I have a md spinning and casting and they’re fine. As mentioned the aird x is $20 more and nicer.

I was out for about 12 years when I got married, graduated college, had kids, etc. Covid boredom showed me how much I really missed it. Now my kids and I go together most every weekend.

TPWD does a great job across the board with fishing. Limits are enforced, game wardens do their job. I’ve been asked several times to see my fishing license in the past 3 weekends. The wardens also have incredible power to levy fines/confiscate your stuff if you’re breaking laws. I even “won” a 7ft mh Lews spinning rod simply for being one of 2 people (out of 8-10) with a fishing license at Hubbard creek this past November. The others got tickets.