Fishing_Rod

Greetings All, Yup, right there with you all as there are times when you hit and then when you miss. The winter time blues, new locations, or even just off day vibes. It is all there to contribute or detract from angling success. Backup a bit for the moment and take a grand view of not just the particular angling adventure. Consider how things have gone for you in the past month, year, decade which may improve your overall perspective on the situation. Using that grand view helps me with perspective on many issues. You may find you are doing rather well and simply experiencing those timely influences mentioned earlier. Keep on keeping on! Be well, and Cheers!

Greetings All, I am grateful, I have not experienced those significant variations in angling passion. I attribute this to my perspective of "recreational" fishing. So the fun factor is good for me. I have had interference from professional and personal responsibilities which temporarily prevented me from devoting time for fishing. My angling passion has never dimmed, just scheduling challenges. Oh, I should add that in my location there are no convenient angling opportunities. So there is at least an hour of travel involved. This changes the consideration for scheduling goof off time as you've got to program in that round trip aspect. Wishing each of you happiness, well being, and good fortune for the New Lunar Year! Cheers!

Greetings All, Too interesting! I recently witnessed a fella that arrived to fish a public lake catch two different species of fish that were just resting along the shoreline. He carefully approached and scooped each of them out of the water. Too fun! Although I personally appreciate being on-line! Be well, and Cheers!

Greetings All, I suspect at a physiological level, a moving object simply presents a limited opportunity for analysis. Basically a gross interpretation, just to identify it at a rudimentary level of detail. It may be a different situation if the target is not moving or slower moving providing opportunity for more detailed examination. Although I believe this may be another reason to go fishing to figure this out, right? Have a good day! Cheers!

Greetings All, Happy Lunar New Year! My “Range” for angling adventures is basically defined by Arizona. The state ranges from about 900 feet to just over 12k feet elevation so there are a number of angling opportunities within that range. I have a good time with the angling challenge presented, stream, pond, river, and lakes (in my kayak and from shore). I’m happy to go fishing and occasionally I get to call it “catching”. At various times in my life I’ve lived in Eastern, Northern, Central, and South Eastern portions of Arizona. My angling adventures have taken me all around the state. Water is a very important resource here so there are lots of reservoirs, with many that support fishing. We are fortunate to support a wide range of warm (often hot) and cold water species all around the state. I enjoy seeking the adventure of a place and the ability to get a fish to play for a bit. So while my equipment is pretty basic it is effective which suits me and makes me happy. It is easier to travel with just enough of the right equipment. Not too much or not enough. I will explore new or revisit former angling destinations within constraints of time and motivation. There are no expectations beyond exploring. If I manage to find fish that are interested then it is even more special. My angling adventures are my opportunity to be not busy. I enjoy that feeling of exploration as I did in my youth goofing off in the river bed taunting shad, carp, and catfish where ever I could find them. Fortunately all that adventure was a ten minute walk from the house growing up. In my teens my dual sport motorcycle expanded the area I could explore and fish. Nice to have a telescoping fishing pole that fit in the backpack too! I eventually upgraded to the Daiwa Minispin and Minicast kits. Those were great for travel, and backpacking. The Gila River was fun in my youth as it provided plenty of adventure with the large hungry catfish. The high alpine lakes and streams provided opportunities for cold water fish, trout, pike, walleye, and perch. The challenging terrain of Eastern AZ provides backcountry small mouth bass and sunfish when you’re able to find them. If you’ve got the motivation with equipment, it is really fun seeking those deep canyon creeks for small mouth bass. These days I’m doing less hiking and relying on my faithful old 4x4 to get me there and back. It is much more comfortable. The angling adventures are still fun, just less personal effort involved, I’m recreating, right? I am amazed with the performance of advanced traction control features. It is nice to have all four wheels working for you. The 4x4 just goes over the challenges with very little fuss and lots of control. Back in the day there was way more need for momentum to carry you through, hopefully without breaking something. There is great comfort in knowing that you can simply get there to enjoy a wonderful time taunting fish and then safely head home after it all. I am so happy to be able to travel in safe comfort. Lately I have been doing a mix of kayak (simple and light weight, under 50 pounds) angling and shore pursuits at the various lakes and ponds in Central and Southern AZ. Trout are stocked frequently in the winter months but I will occasionally find a bass or two that want to play even in the cold water. I recently refurbished (cleaning and lube job) a bait cast reel and was trying it out at one of the Tucson area lakes. Much to my surprise there was a bit of activity at the other end of the line. It turned out to be a nice 1.5 pound bass from the shore. Much like the lottery, you can’t win if you don’t play. Glad I was bestowed such good fortune, indeed a Happy New Year! My goofing off in Central AZ has includes chasing bass in the canal systems up in parts of metro Phoenix. It has been great fun. Along the canal system is an urban trail system. There are very few other anglers to deal with and I can simply enjoy the pursuit in tranquility. There is a recent trend of hostile and rude anglers that I seem to run into. They brazenly encroach or are overly aggressive with poor behavior. Sad representation of society where courtesy and consideration are limited or just not there. I was accustom to folks maintaining enough distance to avoid cast interference. Even simply a kind greeting with request can go a long way to avoid issues. Because of this I simply prefer to find places where I can be without too much company. I just don’t need the stress or bother to deal with those displaying those poor behavior. My time is valuable and I don’t care to waste it dealing with that. Angling in PHX is rather hot though. Last year there were several 115 F days, this is the air temperature in the shade, even hotter in the sunshine. Again you have to have motivation with proper gear to be safe. Also it is important to know your limits and seek safe harbor with a plausible exit strategy too. I will say the amount and size of the bass, crappie, sunfish, tilapia, and catfish make it very fun to try those very warm waters. Lastly I’ve also been exploring many of the smaller waters in different communities, away from the major metro areas. I do some satellite view studies, and figure out travel aspects to experience new angling spots. It just adds to the recreational angling that I enjoy. I figure out things such fuel, food, medial services (if needed), primary and secondary angling options. It is nice that we have so much information available to us. Back in the day it was limited to a fan fold paper map with someone’s suggestion to try a place. That only tell so much of the story. I could do without the struggles of learning how to better use a bait cast reel. I continue getting better at it. I’m doing it by paying the price in wasted fishing line. So it goes in trying to learn new things. Yes, old dogs can learn new tricks. I suppose being stubborn helps in that process of achieving goals. I am familiar with being able to toss light weight small baits using spinning and spin cast gear. Trying to do similar with a bait cast reel is my challenge. Yes, using a BFS reel helps greatly with that goal. However, I’m trying to accomplish it using my low cost traditional bait cast reel and four pound mono. I am having some limited success. It is a personal challenge to see how well I can or can’t do this. Thanks for the opportunity to add my $0.02 worth. Wishing everyone a wonderful New Year with many angling success stories. Be well, cheers!

Greetings All, So relatable. Much empathy. Yes, I frequently resemble that. I'm a relatively new bait cast reel "user"? The skilled use is improving over time. Unfortunately there are those days. I have a handy pocket knife at the ready. First is the the use of the toothpick to help with less complicated issues. If not, then going to the micro screwdriver or even the straight pin for some level of remedy on those tighter situations. Then there is the final solution with the scissor action as despair takes over. I am getting better but the tuition paid in sacrificed mono is significant. It usually due to clipping an obstruction and not getting on the spool quick enough or the less than helpful wind gusts here in Southern AZ making things more complicated when I should be "recreating". I just got my new annual fishing license and I'm doing my best to avoid those spool over runs. Be well and cheers!

Greetings All, My recreational BFS setup is simple and effective for fish taunting adventures. I'm not an accomplished bait cast operator so using them is new to me with BFS even newer. My rig is composed of a Kastking BFS Zephyr mounted to a 5.5 foot Zebco medium light rod (rod came from a Zebco Slingshot combo). Nothing fancy, and didn't require a huge investment. This configuration is pretty light weight overall so it handles easily. I have it spooled with 4 pound mono and it sends the various baits from about 1.5 grams to 4 grams reasonably well. Baits are everything from soft plastics on jig heads, to inline spinners or spoons. The learning is realizing how to better manage my casting technique. Improvements there have greatly diminished the time and line wasted to backlashes. Using the BFS is closer to my principal use of ultra lite techniques. The ability to use both BFS and UL spinning gear is handy. The retrieve speed is very helpful with those in-line spinners and spoons. The retrieve speed is also helpful in keeping tension even when the fish swim towards you. The BFS experience has added to my angling adventures. Nice to have a newer way to catch fish. I am only just feeling comfortable using it in all the different weather conditions such is higher winds, greater than 15 mph. Good luck in your research and with your BFS adventures. Be well, and Cheers!

Greetings All, Thought provoking questions. I'll have a go at sharing my considerations. I am just a recreational angler so my motivations are to enjoy the experiences. As such I'm seeking an understanding of the environment which helps my goal of get better at both casting and catching. Not using sophisticated electronics is a deliberate choice. I appreciate keeping it simple. I catch enough fish that I'm not compelled to see more advantage. When I'm on the water, in my kayak, or dinghy, I'm bringing only the essentials. Similarly when casting about from the shore, I only carry a limited scope of gear. Mainly I just don't want to involve too much effort when recreating. Size of the water is not all that relevant to my decision to not use electronics. My approach to angling adventures remains similar. The difference on larger waters involves more considerations for safety. Always helpful to be able to reach safe harbor quickly if needed. Also I'm generally not seeking bites from deep, greater than 30 feet depths. That is just not my style of angling. Besides I don't have a long length of anchor line, which is my old school depth guage. Yeah, my decades of casting with catching has been within those lesser depths. @ol'crickety I am all for conservation of energy, mine! A large number of my angling adventures are solo runs. Thus, I don't have assistance with a gear sherpa to help me convey all the gear to and from embarkation. My simple watercraft are easy to load and unload by myself. I keep all the gear in a backpack which works for both in the watercraft or when on land. This consists of my angling tackle, lunch, and hydration bladder. Oh, and a simple care kit (first aid and such). Yup, I am aware of what the different electronics provide as options to enhance the catching. It is simply not something that will enhance my angling adventures. I see this as similar to all the vast variety of baits marketed out there. Sure they could be fun and interesting to try. I just don't care to add more to the kit as I would then have to remove something to make room for it. Currently my simple selection of gear is very successful and I'm reluctant to change unless I resolve a reasonable motivation to do this. Over the years of goofing off, I'm usually casting within 5 to 15 minutes of arriving (with or without the yak). I'm doing what I can to maximize the goofing off. My $0.02 worth of input and perspective. Best fishes for you in the new year! Be well and Cheers!

Greetings All, Yeah the fishing vs catching thing. I typically fish pretty slow all the time. Cold weather times, I have to go slower, often tortuously slow. All the bites I've got recently here in SE AZ where we've had some pretty cold storms go through with early morning temps in the upper teens and low 20 F range, have been had during a pause segment. Even when I'm moving the bait, it is only about a 2 -6 inches slow drag, then a healthy pause 15 - 30 seconds (length of short commercials). Because it is a deliberate working over and area, I'll stick to areas that are near the deeper edge of known submerged weed clusters. I will target the interior deeper portion of the weed ring about the shorelines. Of course this is easier using watercraft but it is somewhat doable from shore too. You just have to pick where you can reach. From shore there is a higher risk of snag hazard. This time of year I'm using the fishing rigs with more sensitivity as the bites are often very subtile. Here is where the very low mass delicate graphite UL rods work well. You don't get a peck or a thump to indicate interest. The bites typically occur after a good pause. I have observed, as you begin to add tension for the next dragging movement, you'll simply feel some slight additional drag, like weed resistance. When I feel that, I'll simply pause while holding that minimal tension just to see what happens next. Often you will feel either a slight movement or change. You can often feel it in the line if your finger is touching it, possibly through the rod blank too. Otherwise you can simply look at the rod tip to see if there is movement (deflection). At that point you confirm activity, then a simple simultaneous combination of reel winding and rod sweep (lift in some cases) is all that needed to pin them. Then let the games begin. Yes, I'm using fine wire hooks so not much effort is needed to stick. Besides I'm also using 4 pound mono too so there are limits to my hypocrisy. I hope these observations and experiences help on your next angling adventure. Let's be careful out there and dress appropriately. Be well, and Cheers!

Greetings All, Another recreational angler here too. Just doing what I can to taunt fish. I keep it simple as that is what seems to help me go from casting to catching. I use curly tailed grubs on light jig heads along with the 3 - 4 inch weedless worms with a light bullet weight too. The pistol grip rods are in my beloved collection of Daiwa Mini-Cast travel rods. I've recently managed to get one of the Bait Finesse System reels adapted to it. Only issue is the polymer grips even after all these decades (one is from the 70s and the other from late 80s), still have quite the chemical odor. Otherwise they are a hoot to toss about and work the shorelines with. The segmented fibreglass (?) rods have a nice moderate action and work well as a ultra lite fun. Contemporary or legacy gear is all good as long as you get on-line when using them. Be well, cheers!

Greetings! Based on your description it looks like you are prepared to enjoy a new year of angling adventures! Yes, you'll be positioned well using the configuration described. You will most likely find more than bluegill interested in that rig. I often use a similar rig frequently, and I use it pretty much all year round. I do mix it up between the hook styles, small fine wire extra wide gap hooks, or the fine wire offset worm hook. I usually prefer the EWG hooks as there is a greater than 90 degree bend available with those to better hold the soft plastic in place. As for the soft plastics I use it is a collection of salvaged bits and pieces. Usually it is some segment of a torn or used worm that is 2 - 4 inches. Sure I can purchase like the small 3 inch version of cigar worms, I do have a few packages of those handy. During my angling adventures I'm forever picking up garbage along the way. Some of the discarded soft plastic bits get recycled by me for this type of ultra lite angling. I'm more about catching that casting. I'm good with any fish on-line. During the warmer months I send it out weightless using either a UL spinning, BFS, (when not too windy), or spin cast (Zebco Omega Pro, which works great regardless of wind.condition). During warm season, there is plenty of shallow activity, so going weightless is very successful in the shallows or in cluttered areas. The strikes generally occur rather quick so no need for a fast fall or to get tangled up either. During the cooler months, depending on the location, a 1/32 oz or 1/16 oz bullet weight is used just to reach the depths a tad quicker or to provide more bottom contact feedback. This past weekend this accounted for a couple of bass and whole bunch of trout. I did not manage to find any bluegills in my regional lake. The water temperature was on the cold side. Realize fish of all sizes will be interested in that size and type of offering, just be sure to give them time to realize it is there before them. It is one of those baits that does not require much input to be successful. Have a great time this weekend! We'll be looking for your posted results. Happy New Year! Cheers!

Greetings All, Just adding my $0.02 worth in as a recreational angler. I’ll gladly echo @ChrisD46 theme. I’ll add that I prefer the smaller sized baits for use all year long. I generally work them low and slow. Bait speed is related to water temperature. During the warm months I’ll run just slightly above bottom bouncing speed. Otherwise it is much slower so I can go from casting to catching. Be well, cheers!

Greetings All, BassResource is a wonderful repository for information (knowledge, opinions). There are ample examples of those categories. The support for the angling community is helpful for individuals at all levels for the different angling ambitions (recreational, competitive). Personally it is nice to review and harvest information casually when time and motivation permit. It is also beneficial to be able to contribute to the body of knowledge on those occasions where it is appropriate. @Mike L provided a good characterization of many topics recently addressed in the BR forums. These exchanges improve situational awareness and provide consideration for our approach to angling adventures. My recreational angling endeavors are considered basic in nature, usually soft plastics weedless or on a jig. This does not preclude learning about new options and techniques that may result in eventual adaptation. An example: recently I collected an abandoned lure. It happened to be one of the more popular top water hard baits. It presented an opportunity for me to try and through some research on BR I was comfortable in my successful approach to using it. Similarly, I get to read about topics such as angling on a kayak, which I do frequently. It is very helpful to be able to see how others approach this. It is all about the information exchange. Glen, and members, have created an environment where information exchange is facilitated and managed well. Personally, I frequent the site as time permits just to see what is going on and to do what I can to keep up with the Cool Kids <grin>. Wishing all a wonderful Holiday Season, Best Fishing and Be Well! Cheers!

Greetings All, As I emerge from food coma, I am thinking about going fishing tomorrow. I hope each of you enjoyed Thanksgiving. I aspire to keep things as simple as possible. Thus in looking at the weather forecast for the region it appears we are going to breezy to windy conditions for tomorrow. Those conditions will affect my selection of angling destination and approach. It is too windy to be on the water in my kayak so I’ll be fishing from shore as I want to do more casting rather than paddling. I admit it is fun to consider a few options for my pending angling adventure. When it comes to tackle, I’ll stick to my low and slow theme for small soft plastic baits as that has proven successful at the busy urban community water. I’m not opposed to more dynamic baits, I’ve just not had a history of success at that location using crank baits or spinner baits. I am hopeful my aspiration for an angling adventure will be realized and not interrupted by other responsibilities. We shall see. I’m hoping others who want to go fishing are able to as soon as possible. Gotta make the most of the fall fishing while you can. Be well and best fishes! Cheers!

Greetings All, I have some safety thresholds that I’m not prepared to cross as there is respect for the power of storms. I want to enjoy all my angling adventures and there are those times where it is not good to be exposed. These days as I get older I make sure I’ve got an exit strategy at the ready because the conditions out here in AZ can change rapidly. Depending on conditions, I will fish in less than nice weather while safe. Once things turn bad, I’m leaving. So there is a battle of conflicting interests, valuable precious limited time to go fishing, and the need to be safe. I have not noticed a difference in fish catching quality during either fair or poor weather conditions. I just know I’m having fun taunting fish. Wishing each of you well. Cheers!

Greetings All, Wishing each of you well and hope you enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday. It must have been a coincidence that I just took a look this evening at the AZ Game and Fish Live Crane Cam https://www.azgfd.com/wildlife-conservation/wildlife-viewing/wildlife-live-cams/live-sandhill-crane-cam/ So enjoy viewing and listening. It appears there are some good numbers already here in SE AZ. Cheers!

@Glenn@ol'crickety@Blue Raider Bob To each of you, Thank You! Bravo! Really well done in sharing vital information for angling success. We hope each of you are well and able to fully enjoy a Happy Thanksgiving with food and folks. Cheers!

Greetings @AzBassin, Sorry I don't have information on your NW side of metro PHX. I simply don't go over there. I don't even live in the metro PHX area either. I used to live in the east valley which is why that side of town is familiar to me when I do make trips up there. It is my understanding that several of the canals like the one near the former MetroCenter, I-17 near Dunlap has produced some fish. I recall a YouTube video showing someone angling near that location. I had to do some satellite view research to determine that is where the location appeared to be. I wish you success in your exploration(s). Much like I did with my adventures it did take some research and simply casting about to find them. I didn't look for "S" curves but that may be productive. I sought out more minor differences to focus on. Sometimes it was just a change in the wall structure. The escape ladders have been productive just as the various water control features. Overall I have had way more success using slow moving baits, like soft plastics run low and slow. Metal spoons have worked too as long as there are no debris concerns. I hope you are able to find some fun in the NW part of town. Be well and Cheers!

Thank You (Domo) Glen! That was fun and interesting to hear a different perspective. Good to add to the body of knowledge. Helpful to know. Cheers!

Greetings All, Yes, I totally agree that any sizable fish on line using ultra lite gear is a fantastic experience. Even better when you are successful in getting them in hand for a photo. It isn't bragging if collaborated by witnesses and/or evidence, right? Using UL gear has greatly improved my angling adventures. I have used the crick hopper as a crank bait and also as a top water type action too. The big blue gills will hammer it when it simply sits and floats in their area. Note: there is a good deal of drama as it gets pecked at a lot when floating still. So just as with the full sized gear you've got to use the wait and see process to see if one of the hooks takes hold. Agree, when it comes to using the fine wire hooks there are both advantages and considerations. There is a delicate balance to how much pressure to use. I have found a modest drag setting, usually on the light side, is helpful. The sharp fine wire hooks grab easily so you just need to stay connected and hold on for the ride until you achieve compliance to bring them in. The whole time you are hoping you are far enough away from snags as you don't have much to contribute to the situation. Congrats on having great fun using your UL kit. Wishing each continued success. Be well and Cheers!

Greetings All, Wally World is one of a few retailers of fishing gear in our small community. Otherwise the options are shopping on line or traveling to the regional metro area which is over an hour away, 90 miles. So yes, it is nice to browse for general angling tackle. Our local store has a modest selection which covers the basics for many different species and angling approaches. Over the years I have tried out several of the Wal Mart brand products, Ozark Trail, with reasonably good performance and good value too. Several of the lures which are similar to the major brand offerings. I do appreciate having lower cost alternatives because I am just a recreational angler so I'm not shopping for products at a high performance level. It is nice to try something without breaking the bank and it also doesn't hurt so much when the line breaks too. I have also found their other products such as the reels and rods to also provide good performance at a comfortable price point. After several years of diligent use I've not had a major issue or failure. i'm still using many of the products on a regular basis. Wally World, Wal Mart, has been helpful to me throughout the decades in many ways. Many of my community members are employed by Wal Mart so there is consideration for that too. It is important as a smaller community to have access to this kind of resource. Yup, I do frequent the angling section, not regularly, but often. Be well and Cheers!

@ol'crickety Bravo on your successful adventure. Also on fostering the farmer to be an advocate. Nice choice and good form on the enticements.

Whooeeeh! Drag peeling and screaming fun! Have a great time with that. So looking forward to hear of this after action report. Heck, enjoy some good food while you're there too! Cheers!

Hah! Rocket city... Love it!

Grettings @PixInTheSix and et al., Wow, that is unfortunate news to hear. I did not know. Thank You for the update. Yes, time passes and so do people. Jim was greatly appreciated for his professional and personal aspects. Regards.