Functional

Freedom from the British and Freedom from the ICU! Glad to hear she is making a turn can get more sleep. It's oddly one of the few things hard to come by in a hospital. Still thinking about you both. Hopefully you can get in to see her soon.

I have better luck with watermelon red than I do GP in any water clarity I'd throw GP. As I deplete my GP baits I've been replacing them with watermelon red.

@Further North I dont disagree. He said weightless flukes and figured if he went too heavy he would lose the action. Steel leader is still the preferred and what I used on our annual pike trip.

Agreed, use a steel leader or at a minimum bump that up to a 20-25# mono leader. Big Game or Trilene XT.

I dont know why but my dad bought probably 100 of these and I keep coming across them randomly in boxes. Why do you prefer these hooks? I always avoided them thinking the "bend" wouldnt give me great penetration being off line of the tie point like that.

Best: Always willing to try a new bait or technique (even drop shot...i hate drop shot). Worst: Fishing a lure I like way too long even when its not working....then trying something new and changing it ever 5 minutes if I get no nibbles. Just to end up right back into my favorite lure(s). This is why I need dedicated days to try a new lure or 2.

Z hog, Sweet Beaver, Rage Bug, D-Bomb Those are my non craw beavers

My lews LFS SS reels are probably my favorite reel I own. It just works and is easy to use. Unless I'm dock skipping its still my choice over my Tatula SV.

I think thats the difference between kayak/non motored boats and motor boats is (or maybe my inexperience showing). A non motored boat you kind of have limited areas to try and really need to key in on what they want. While a motor boat you can fish 2-3 types of bait you really like and just find an area with bass that want that. This is something I'm very guilty of.

I don't even know what to say man. So sorry to hear all of this. Can't even imagine how this must be for you. Thinking about you both.

@ol'crickety you clearly have lures that work, I'd like to see what a jitterbug would do on that lake of yours though. Especially at the early times you launch.

I fished every lure i do now with a MH st croix mojo bass (gen1) since before I could drive up until about 2 years ago. Is it the best tool? maybe not but it works and if it fits your fishing best who cares. Post em up!

lews speed spool 95mm with the flat knobs is my favorite. nice thin knob with a little flare and good grip even when wet. the SLX mgl reels I have are very similar but for some reason the handle feels longer than the lews even though its 5mm shorter.

I gotta say this is pretty funny considering the state of some parts of CA with no consequences. I've never heard of these floating toilets before, sounds like a good use of funding if they are maintained decently. Empty gatorade bottle in the boat for #1, although I never thought to liberate one of the urinal bottles form the hospital. My wife has access to them for kids to play with (she does speech therapy at a hospital) and I may have to see if she has a spare. #2 I've never had an issue yet, but I have lost a few socks in my youth hiking/motorcycles/hunting. I now carry some TP and bag just in case, just never needed it now that I'm prepared.

will do bud! I'm debating bringing my boat next time and hitting Candlewood for some smallmouth. No idea when that will be but if you are up for struggling with me maybe well plan a day.

I'd like to think color doesn't matter but for me its made a bit of difference. For example I have horrible luck with everyone's favorite, straight green pumpkin. Now watermelon with red flake I do excellent with. Likewise I don't do so well with blue/black but give me a purple that's a deep purple or grape (culprit grape is perfect) and I do excellent (black, no dice). Perfect example is I was shore fishing, pulled 3 fish in (last fish had 2 trying to rip the worm out of the mouth of the one I hooked) and they tore my last watermelon red and had to use a GP. Not a single fish after that. Could have been the bite suddenly shut off but its not the only occasion this has happened. Jigs I've had more success with browns and light tans than I have GP. Not that I kill em on jigs but I've yet to hook any fish on a GP jig. On the other hand, those 2 colors seem to work great for me in both southern waters and northern waters.

if @Pat Brown was a little bit more tan....

only 3 inches but that might give you a softer tip. I'd do the reel down and set hookset method but I'd give it a bit more oomph on the sweep.

is....that megan markle? I wonder if the royals know this exists...

@Skeet6 My father is from Portchester and my mother Eastchester with a lot of my family in the area. My fathers house was right next to Portchester highschool and my grandfather owned a Tailor business on Main street. I had plans to do some shore fishing at East Branch Reservoir but never got the chance. My father, uncle and myself had a row boat on that lake for as long as I can remember. Its one of 3 lakes I grew up fishing as a kid.

Thats a hard hit for sure bud. Thinking about both of you!

for this very reason I keep a empty gatorade bottle on the boat. Peeing off the back in open water and got hit by a small wave a jetski left I didnt think would throw the boat. Had to wash the back deck after the stumbling mid stream on that one.

Pulling through swim jig paddle tail bait with belly weighted hook horny toad with weighted hook T-rig Casting parallel to weed line spinnerbait crankbait chatterbait T-rig top surface (walking, popper) jerkbait

not sure how it would effect things but can you use an ovel split ring instead of the circle? Either way very weird and no, never had that happen once lol. Bent hooks, ripped out hardware sure but not that.

oh yea, always good to see family. Tried to get out early when everyone is still waking up and getting breakfast and then had the afternoon with everyone. It wasnt that bad, got to use techniques I dont use much in NC and got a feel for them again. Also was surprised how clear the lake I fished was, probably 5ft-6ft visibility which is much more than my typical 1-3ft. Hudson valley. More specifically Fishkill/Hopewell/Poughkeepsie area. I had family that lived in Saddle River NJ for a long time. They moved out to the bay somewhere in NJ for retirement though.