casts_by_fly

I think that fits perfectly with the theme of this thread “they are where you find them”. Some individuals roam more. Some days the fish generally roam more. The ‘good stuff’ will keep them around a little longer but there will always be a distribution. That 8# fish was at one end of the distribution. A fish that doesn’t want to move that then doesn’t care about the conditions pushing her to move aside from the spawn (which I would suggest is a thing/pattern of its own).

looks like its this one: https://www.tackledirect.com/daiwa-ttel761mlfs-ags-2023-tatula-elite-ags-spinning-rod.html The same model number without the AGS is not the same weight rating. Since its printed on the blank, I'd go with the weight rating on the blank as the right one. I imagine the tags on yours just don't have the updated info with AGS. Possibly the same card tag for both. Possibly when they packed the early batches they didn't have a new tag in with AGS on them.

It’s upper 50’s here today. It rained all last night and will pick up again tonight. A local posted a picture of my ice out lake and there is ice, but there are also significant openings where water flows in. It’s above 40 for the next 48 hours and above freezing for the next 72. I might be fishing next week.

The good news with the dirty water like that is that (1) they warm quicker and (2) when you get clean rain you get those nice lines posted above as a clear place to fish. If you're in the chocolate stuff, then you've got the lures noted above. Big colorado blades, black or bright white lures, plastics with some thump, and lipless rattlers.

I've started thinking about bass a lot differently over the past couple years. It kinda goes with the adage 'they are where you find them'. I grew up thinking that the bass were immobile creatures. They were either tight up to a log or they weren't there that day. If there is cover around they are on it or they aren't. Black and white. In reality, bass are more like electrons around an atom. They aren't in hard defined places. They roam. They might be more likely to be around certain general areas but they still move and can be anywhere at any given moment. Different conditions may push them tighter to a location. For instance, if the water temp is 36 degrees but there's a rock bank that's holding at 42, you can be pretty sure they are going to spend most of their time in the warm water. That's how I see a pattern. On a given day they might be more likely to be around the wood docks nearer the creek mouths than way up in the creek or out on the main lake. So sure, you want to work around those wood docks at the mouths. But don't be beholden to them and fish at least some ways on either side of them. Sure, they might be keying on the transition from lily pads to milfoil, but you can be sure I'm going to toss a frog all the way back into the pads just to be sure. They are where you find them.

I would love to have a PP micro. There are a lot of places on my lakes where it would be useful, mostly in shallow clear and weed water where I'm making a lot of pitches to cover. We have a lot of natural lakes with soft bottoms, clear water and lots of grass. There are a couple places I can think of immediately where it would be immensely useful. I'm using spotlock now but a pole would be better. Alas, the spot I'm talking about above is not that. Its hard bottom with mixed sand, gravel, and rock. I'd struggle to get a piece of rebar to go into it let alone a pole, hence my anchor question. I'll have to keep an eye out for a cheap one on either marketplace or just make one from concrete and a coffee can.

Not sure how I missed this thread. I throw Keitech's a bunch most of my box is 3.2-4.2 size but I go up and down also. In the bigger vein (4.2 and up) I'm using them on a weighted hook texas rig or a jig head of some sort (weedless or not, underspin or not). I'll put them on swim jigs where I just want to swim it through grass easy (as opposed to a more active retrieve) because they give so much action and roll at slow speeds. if you want to go with big ones (4.8 and up), the swinging head style swim jigs are great (lower left, this is a strike king tour version) as they texas rig. The big one on top is a 5.8 on a 3/4 big blade chatterbait for about an 8" profile. I also have some 6.8's downstairs that I'll throw on a 3/8 weighted hook (owner, per Phish's CPS pin logic above) but that's hitting the top end of weight that I want to throw (about 2.25 oz total bait) and I'll usually only throw that if there's a chance of a musky in the lake too. I have yet to texas rig them because a weighted hook does just as well for me I think. I do want to try one on a tokyo rig though for a couple lakes that have slime on the bottom. I should add that we mostly have grass from late April until Novemeber so weedless is important (yes, half of the pictured are not).

Cara Swim jig. 7'2", MH/F. Ignore the posted weigh range. I agree its a great rod, but my initial through was the swim jig. Just a bit more length, about the same light tip, but a bit more backbone. I've gone down as low as 1/16 oz and a light plastic with it on 30 lb braid and of course it will throw 3/8 swim jigs. Either is a good choice and I have both here (the FJ is in the expert series) but if I'm doing what he's saying, I'm picking up the swim jig rod. P.S. I wish they would change the rating on the rod. I know the 1/8-3/8 rating is to describe the swim jig weights it was designed for, but the rod is more versatile than just swim jigs and I think that rating puts people off considering it since that's the rating for a 'light' most of the time and this is definitely a MH/F. Rick

are you looking for heavier or lighter than the head turner?

I think you might want to rethink the trilobite logic. Trilobites became extinct around 250M years ago while Perciform fishes started to exist around 60M years ago. I think there's a mild gap there.

I'm planning to get back to PA with my dad at prime time this year for both smallies and largemouth on his waters. The lake we caugth so many 4-4.5 lb fish last year has had them growing at 1.5 lb per year. They will slow down, but there are going to be a lot of 5's in that lake this summer. I don't know the exact weight on my PB largemouth as it was 25 years ago before we truly weighed fish but it was a 5-something. My recent PB (since 2020 when I restarted bass fishing) is a 4-15 and that's getting broken this year. At minimum with a 5-08 with him. I lost a 6+ last year locally with him in the boat, so... maybe I should just predict my PB will come in my dad's boat. Its going to come on a texas rigged something, maybe a rage bug, maybe not. Same for smallies. My PB is a 4-03 on a local lake 2 Marches ago. I plan to hit another 4+ from that lake this year which may or may not break that PB. However my dad's lake is good for plenty of 5's a year for him. Last year he got a 6-08. Almost all on topwater (sexy dawgs). I'm going to go out on a limb and say I catch a smallmouth bigger than my largemouth PB this year. I'm going to say 5-03 on the smallie. Almost certainly on a sexy dawg, maybe on a small keitech.

I'm with you on this one. Maybe not in the early season, but in the summer I try to get 2 hours in before the sun comes up. That's tough when it rises at 5 AM but worth it when you're catching big ones on the surface. I prefer fishing moving baits and especially topwaters and for the lakes I fish those bites turn off most days within an hour after sunup.

It will be silt or rock where I'm using it and I have a motor to back it out if it wedges in the rocks.

I don't know the x-zone bags, but I hold 10.5" Zooms in my speedbags. Its a pretty significant sized bag. If you go the 3700 route, that's what I'm doing for my Ned kit. I grabbed a 3741 which is a deep and waterproof 3700 with only 4 compartments. There is a 70/30 removable divider that cuts across the short side. Then you can divide the 70 into 3 equal long compartments. I'm leaving it split 70/30 and putting worm bags in the 70 and hooks/heads in the 30. It will hold 20-odd bags plus more heads and hooks than you could need. For throwing it under a kayak seat the waterproof is a good feature. Its there if you need it, but if you leave it and forget about it you never have to worry about drying it out. Also it's $15.

I carry two speedbags that I throw in the rear well behind my main tacklebag. One has beavers and craws. The other is worms and plastic jerkbaits. Super useful bags and if you push them they will fit quite a few more than the 20 bags suggested. I don't always carry both and I might revamp what I carry where since I have a side pocket in my main bag which will hold 10 bags or so. That would let me leave the speedbags in the truck most of the time and only carry the essentials from them every time. Who knows. I've got time to sort it.

For you guys who are using anchors, what weights are you able to get away with? I see 5 lb mentioned above. Can you get away with less? I have an autopilot so don't need it most of the time, but I have one spot that I want to get shallow and fish uphill for some spooky fish. I'll be sitting right about the limit for the trolling motor depthwise so I was thinking to drop an anchor on my approach in and sit silently while working some edges. The wind is consistent so not worried about a trolley setup. I was thinking a 2' chain might be enough at about 3#.

Cara's not enough for you? They are tough to beat in that sub $300 bracket. Depending on the length and heft you want there are good options across the board.

I could see those being handy in that layout. On my autopilot I have the foot pedal tracks on the inside of the boat where the pliers would hang down so I couldn't use the accessories. However, I do have a nice space on the left under the seat that can fit a 3600 sized box. In my case I used a plastic silverware tray cut to fit. I throw my used lures in there to dry. It drains to the self draining scupper under the battery box and the silverware dividers keep most trebles separated. I can kinda use it as a daybox if I'm throwing soft plastics and leave a bag or two there. Then I added an aftermarket organizer to the front of my seat (under my legs) for pliers, scissors, clippers, scale, etc. I sit to tie on lures or land fish so that works great.

I got my TW order in. I think eagle claw's sizes are off from others. A #3 eagle claw split ring is right on 1/4" and a good size for treble hook replacements on crankbaits. The next size bigger would also be okay. I ordered SK tour grade in 2/3/4. The smallest size 2 is already at 5/16" while the biggest is 3/8" OD. I see what you mean about #4's being big for bass baits- these ones certainly are. The eagle claws wouldn't be but I don't like their wire. I wish everyone would just publish a size chart with physical measurements.

I stand to fish and fish 360 degrees in mine, so having anything vertical is a no-no. Having one in the vertical/forward rod holder would drive me nuts. I typically carry 5 rods- 4 laid down and one in my hand. If I need to set down number 5 I have 4 holders (each side, front and back) built in to put it in. I'll do that to tie line or land fish. One option for you would be to mount a 'mighty mount' rail. They are about 3" and big enough for a single mounting point item. You could then add a rail mounted holder of your choice and put it basically anywhere. That's how I started with mine. I put one on each side of the seat (on the boat, not the seat) and put two yak attack omegas facing backwards. That gave me a 3-rod solution. Later I mounted the horizontal holder to the port side mighty mount (and the port front rail) and left an Omega on the starboard, but I used that to hold my net when its open.

Ha! Maybe so. It does have an elastic band on both racks which I use when I start in the morning, when I finish for the day, and when I'm making a longer run anywhere that there's a potential for boat wake or waves. I don't bother on electric only lakes. I've only 'lost' one rod. I was fishing at night and was landing a fish. I set down the rod with the fish and the butt went underneath the last rod on the rack and lifted it out. I didn't hear the plop but after I released the fish I looked down and saw something wasn't right. I have pretty bright nav lights on the front of the boat and was only in 6' of water. The tip sank but the butt of the rod was buoyant between the cork and the air inside the blank. No harm no foul. That's not bad for over 1000 hours of using it. The other one I mentioned but didn't link has the ability to slide back towards the seat more and only 2 of the rods are overhanging if that helps you. Otherwise you're vertical in the blackpak.

I use these in my autopilot and would never go back to anything but another horizontal rod holder. There is another one out, I thought Yak Attack but don't see it now, that is a more robust option with a little bit of adjustability. I think it was 2x the price of the MS one below but if I were starting from scratch I'd probably look at it. https://www.mariner-sails.com/ms-horizontal-rod-holders.html I'm with the guys above about sliding on foam (especially lengthwise). I have a bed extender that I wrapped with pool noodle and duct tape. I lift one end up onto the extender, move to the other end, and slide the boat the 2' to hit the truck bed. The friction to slide it on the extender is a lot and that's only a 6" wide strip. I use PVC pipe on my garage cart and added some carpet from a cut up entrance mat from Lowes. It slides right across it into the truck bed and back with ease. I used gorilla glue spray to hold the carpet down and 3 years on its in good shape. For a trailer that you're going to wet launch I think carpet is the right material to have in contact with the boat but straight PVC is an option too.

yeah, that's what I meant. Its the same engine I have (mine is on a craftsman). I had something else with a Briggs engine that made me think that.

My wife was traveling the week it was first cold here and we had a warm front coming the following week. I did all of the oiling and clearning for every reel. I only stripped line from one through because I don't like to put it on too early and let it sit there. Nothing quite like fresh line on a reel. So i left the rest with line on, just in case... We've got ice on everything, but this will take care of it. 60 degree rain and 10 mph wind should bust it all up. Now the trick is whether I can get out before it freezes again. Is that a briggs and stratton engine on that blower? It looks identical to mine.

I owe you a beer or three. The discount should have come off at the receipt for those for me. A quick live chat and he's going to push the refund through. That's nearly $50 you just saved me. I wish they didn't do it that way. If the discount had applied in my cart I probably would have gone with the expride B for an extra (prediscount) $60. I'm not sad about the zodias by any stretch and I'm sure its perfect for me. But I'm a sucker for a sale so I probably would have done it anyway.