casts_by_fly

High end reels where it makes a differnce. For me, moving baits, heavy stuff (for the durability), and really light stuff. Those are where you're pushing the limits or where you're doing a lot of reeling under tension. And as Catt said, once you have a good reel it will be a good reel for a long time. High end rods where it makes a difference. For me that's bottom contact or any rod that is the first rod you pick up every day. The first part is obvious. For the second, if there is a rod that I am constantly using as the first rod out of the gate or is the rod that I'll just lock in my hand and keep fishing then that one needs to be higher end for its lightness and overall feel. If I'm using it the most I want the best rod in my hand across all attributes. The tricky bit is when the rod that you're first picking up is also a moving bait rod for instance. Then you want a high end rod and a high end reel for it. That's the case I have with my head turner, hence it has a metanium on it. Also, when you're bottom contact rod is also a heavy one. That's my Amistad and bantam. Those are two rods that I fish more than not so I don't mind putting the money into both.

thanks. For the double (as an example) is the 3" for the head and skirt length or is that from the line tie to the back of the skirt?

Chris, I'm like Phish in that I started to dabble last year. I know I need to do more finesse baits in the boat but I hate a spinning rod so I picked up a used kastking here in the classified and put it on a 6'6" ML/M casting rod that I built 20 years ago on a Lamiglas blank (6'6", 1/8-1/2, moderate action). I threw some 10 lb 832 on it with 6 lb mono fly rod tippet. I used it a couple times in the super early season but like Phish, we end up with too much grass too quickly to justify carrying that combo on the boat. I picked up a spinning rod for this year to do the same and a bit more so the kastking will probably sit in the basement. Bulldog, What spinnerbaits are those and how big are they physically? From the picture I'd guess about the size of a beetle spin but built better. thanks rick

When I'm in a different place, I look for things that I can't get at home. Regular old gamakatsu 3/0 EWG? Those are next day shipping here in the US. So look for the things that you can't buy here and get 3 of everything. I agree with Ajay- a suitcase full of JDM only megabass which are in part designated for a bassresource.com/forums giveaway would be pretty fun! And I'd be splitting my meals between ramen and sushi. I love both and can get pretty good of both here outside of NYC but I bet the real thing is a whole 'nother level.

Didn’t manage one the last trip I posted about nor the trip after that but tonight went well. The friendly spike was under my tree and I crept within 40 yards but of course I wasn’t going to shoot him. He left and about an hour later I saw three creeping a ways off in the distance. They took their sweet time to get there but eventually they made it to me. Just as the big doe was coming in I drew but she decided to stand facing me for what felt like forever. She eventually decided she didn’t like what was hanging in the tree and stomped twice as she turned 90 degrees. That was enough and I cut one loose. She ran off about 100 yards with the other two and they all stood there for five or ten minutes. I figured she must have dropped and the others were just hanging there. After ten minutes the other two came back to me and got to about 20 yards but I didn’t have a shot or else I’d have two tonight. im going out with a buddy Saturday afternoon and might shoot another doe. If that’s the case then I’m probably done hunting ‘hard’ for the year. I’ll go a few times for hang and hunts in some spots I want to scout but it will be time to focus on being ready for fishing season.

I'm right in the middle of the spectrum. We have a ton of grass in our lakes here and many are natural lakes with negligible features all of which makes electronics less useful. There is a 250 acre lake very nearby that aside from an old canal that runs across one side of it there isn't another depth change feature on the bottom anywhere. I've mapped it before the grass grows up and its a big flat/bowl. Electronics are pretty useless there, EXCEPT when and where the grass isn't full grown you can find the edges. On the other end of the spectrum we have a couple reservoirs where electronics are mandatory. One in particular (that I don't really fish) goes down to 200'. The shoreline is mixed rock and gravel the whole way around and there is some isolated grass in a few spots but mostly its just a big rocky bowl like a lot of western lakes. You'd fish your way around the lake for a long time before you find where they were holding. The rest of my lakes are some where between and even on the smallest ones I've found that electronics can be useful. Mega live picked a couple fish in a 30 acre mountain pond last year that I wouldn't have gotten otherwise- not because I saw the fish but because I could clearly see what the grass was doing and that let me pick up a bait to fish it well (which was a crankbait that just skimmed the top of the grass). Then there are other days when I'm on one of the two main lakes I fish and know like the back of my hand. Those days I just leave the electronics in the truck and don't even throw them in the kayak. Could I fish without them? sure. They help accelerate the learning curve on a new lake, but you can just put in the time. Will I ever give them up for good? No. For all the places I fish there is always something useful in there.

My autopilot is unflippable unless you're in the surf or get caught sideways on a wave. You're not going to flip it on flat water by standing on the edge. I do that all of the time to pee. The primary stability lets the boat tip to about 15 degrees and then it locks up. I stand to fish pretty much exclusively and only sit down if I'm making a long run or tying knots. I've got the autopilot 120. The 136 would be the same for lateral stability. Its the same underneath, it just a foot longer in the front well and 6" longer in the rear well. Both boats are heavy but incredibly stable. If you're infirm or a klutz maybe. If you're of average physical condition then there is no problem whatsoever standing and fishing in a stable kayak. I've got over a thousand hours standing in mine over the past 3 years with no issues. I will motor at 4 mph while standing at times when I'm bouncing between nearby spots. Like my comment above, if you're generally unsteady then maybe outriggers or an assist bar. But if that were me I wouldn't be looking at a kayak in the first place and certainly not with the intention of standing in one.

what you're describing is the Falcon Cara heavy cover jig. 7'4" H/F, Falcon 6-power 'heavy' which is a very light heavy or an upper end MH for some. 1/2-1 oz rating. A texas rig with a 1/4 oz weight and a modest sized bait is going to be okay. If you're talking about something like a 3" beaver or a baby brush hog then that might be too light. This rod realls shines with a 3/8 weight texas rig (and about any plastic you want to put on it). It's labelled a fast action and that's true, but it has a good flex to it. I use it for a lot of things- mid sized texas rigs and similar jigs, big chatterbaits, 110 ploppers. With 30 lb braid it would be a great rod for what you're describing. Mine has a zillion on it and its one of the combos I don't leave at home for any trip.

much to my surprise, the snow has hit us a little earlier and harder than expected here. We got a couple inches overnight and its still coming, though its the thin wispy snow that takes a while to accumulate. Regardless, its nice that everything is covered without being a disaster on the roads.

the original packaging they came in. I don’t carry them out of the house.

Neoprene is fairly heavy, not breathable so you get sweaty, either constricting if they are a little smaller cut or billowy if a generous cut, and floats you if you get too deep. They are warm for sure if you’re standing still and hot if you are walking. I can see for standing around a duck blind they wouldn’t be the worst choice. They aren’t bad for abrasion resistance either. rubber waders are the toughest of the lot for abrasion. They are also the heaviest, not breathable, and will rot over time as they dry out. They don’t provide any insulation of their own. breathables are the most comfortable by far. With a light wicking layer you can wear them in the warmest weather and not be too hot (with lighter weight breathables). With good layering underneath you can wear them in the coldest weather and not be cold. It’s like good hunting clothes. They are the lightest and easiest to move in. They pack down the smallest at the end of the day. Abrasion resistance is not as good as the others and depending on the fabric a heavy briar might be enough to make a cut. Multi flora rose briar hooks will tear lightweight waders. Mine are a heavier multilayer laminate with a tough and smooth outer which is a lot more durable. It makes them hotter but I don’t wear them in the summer anyway. For what I use waders for, I won’t buy anything but breathables ever again.

neoprene is just miserable in the first place. Not breathable, heavy, and if you get much up over your thighs you start to lose traction because they are floaty. I fished them for a while because they are cheap and moved on not long after.

12-14 lb supernatural mono. I run 12 for cranks and 14 for top waters. Pick which is your preference on size.

I’m going to disagree with them leaking eventually. I have a pair of simms g3 guide that are still good, 18 years on. I fished them hard for a couple years and lighter for a couple more. Before that I had another pair of a now defunct brand which are still at my parents for my dad to use. I fished those really hard for 4 years and they are in great shape. It all comes down to good quality gear (reinforced seams and high wear areas) and how you use it. walking around briars and thorns is a biggie. Crossing fences hurts. Shale is tough on them. I use all of the options- chest, waist, hip, and wet. Hip boots are my least favorite. I’ve moved to waist waders in their place. Waist waders are are like wearing pants for comfort. You can also sit down on a wet log or rock and not have a wet butt (unlike hip boots). Chest waders are great for colder conditions as they are another layer. Also required if you think you’ll be belt deep in the water (I’m usually not). I used to prefer wet wading, but anymore I’ll just take the waist waders. getting a good fitting boot is the most important part for me. I had a pair of Korkers that I loved but when I swapped to the g3 simms they had a heavier neoprene booty and the boots didn’t fit. I went through a couple pairs to get into the ones I have now (I forget what they are). Most importantly though, they fit while wearing a heavy sock and have good support in the ankle.

I don’t dispute that in total. He’s been doing it for 25 years and has earned a place. But for the past couple years he’s not been in any contention in the major circuits. 2022 nothing in the top 20. 2021 nothing in the top 20 except kayak and a single open on his ‘home’ waters. I didn’t dig further so I could be wrong and am happy to be proven wrong. But when I watch the two main tours on tv I’m not seeing him. sponsors have to make decisions sometimes based on various business factors. If you’re out of the visibility for long enough, then I can see where allocating resources elsewhere is a better business choice.

Or they decided to drop him. While his social media presence is good, his tournament results less so…

missing days breaks your streak but doesn’t count as a loss. I had a 400+ day streak before the times bought it but I didn’t transfer the data properly and lost it. correct. 1 loss in 201 games will round to 100%. If you add up my data it’s 426/428. Going back to the start and including data I’ve lost it would be 4 games out of about 850 or so.

what small football heads are you using? I don’t fish football heads much since so many of our lakes have black algal slime on the bottom but I do have a couple places.

I play daily but haven’t been putting my results here. Today was. Pretty good day for all three games though. Connections Puzzle #216 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟦🟦🟦🟦 Wordle 938 2/6 ⬜⬜🟩🟩🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 and a queen bee on spelling bee. Wordle was a little lucky but my second guess was a good word based on the letters left to ensure I got it by three. The perfect record is still intact.

Hi gents, Anyone throw tiny beavers for smallies? I’m thinking baby rage bugs, baby rodents, etc and Texas rigging them. Last year was great for me with the regular size for largemouth. I’m sure if your put one in front of a hungry smallmouth it would eat it. But as a ‘keep one tied on’ bait is it worth it? I’m looking ahead to spring and in my head I see smallmouth more as roamers (outside of the spawn). When I’m throwing beavers at largemouth it’s because I’m throwing to cover. I’m sure as a trailer or on a swing head they are effective. I’m thinking outside of that. rick

It’s okay, this is the only big snowstorm you’re going to get this year…

Assuming you're talking a texas rigged bait and not open hook, it seems excessive to me. 1:1 is more than enough for me. For instance, an EWG 4/0 on a standard rage bug gives about 1:1 and that's caught a bunch of fish for me with no issues. If its softer plastic (like elaztech) I'm happy to go less. I'm more concerned with the length of the hook matching the bait so that its not too long out of the back of the lure. I'll take a smaller gap to get a shorter hook if that means it doesn't impinge on the action of the tail/rear body.

Well, I’m up in a tree and I jumped at least five on the way in. That’s 5x as many as I’ve seen in the past two weeks. It’s early enough I’m hopeful they will browse their way back over here.

No, we're not the same for a true uban season. We have something like 50 different numbered zones across the state (and NJ is small) and each is under a different group of regulations (9 groups). The group that I'm in is probably the most permissible and also encompasses most of the urban areas on the east side of the state towards the city. Its unlimited does and the season is basically open from the middle of sept to the middle of Feb. I hunt from a tree saddle so lightweight and mobile is no problem for me. This time of year I carry a long rope and a short rope. The long rope is my top tether and also is my rappeling rope to get down. The short rope is a bottom tether with a foot loop. I can climb most trees with it and get up to 30' pretty effectively if I need to. I also can climb single stick or multi stick depending on the tree. Two tether is super light though and as long as the tree doesn't have too many branches to pass on the way up its pretty efficient. Early season I tend to pick lower trees with lots of small branches and leaves to get better back cover. The leaves are gone now though so I try to pick trees that 'Y' a time or two around hunting height. You do have me thinking though about picking a random small WMA and going for it. Better go gab my stuff though if I'm going to make it in time.

I guess technically we are 'urban' archery here in this zone. We're right on the border of mountains, farms, and suburban here. The farms are all high fenced though for crops so not a lot of food sources there. The mountains just have woody browse this time of year. Backyards have all of the green stuff that the deer might browse. That said, all of mine have disappeared. I passed a button buck last week. I have a grainy picture in the rain at 1 AM of (i think) a doe passing from this week. Otherwise nothing is showing on camera. When we had snow on the ground I drove around watching for tracks and found a single set (I think a spike because I've seen him there before and I think he's a home body). In the mile radius of the house here its sparse which is surprising. In past years the neighborhood deer will still be around munching on landscaping but not this year. I've physically seen 1 in the past 2 weeks. I was/am planning to go this afternoon but I'm torn where to go. With nothing on camera and nothing visible anywhere locally I feel like I just need to go for a long walk in a new place until I cut some sign.