casts_by_fly

My fish goals stay the same every year- a 4 lb smallmouth and a 5 lb largemouth here in NJ. I lost two largemouth last year that would have done it. I caught a smallie the year before that topped it. They are around and achievable, but not easy. my fishing goals for next year would be: - get more days on the water than 2023. I was down 10-15 trips this year from the prior year. - fish with my dad at least ‘twice’. Once on his waters and once on mine. It doesn’t look like we have a big May vacation this year so I know where I’ll be then. - get some more smallie focus. They are in limited waters here and get tough after May. So I have to make the choice to hunt them and have the time to do it early. I can help with number 1! You can help with my number 3

take it! We had the torrential rains on Sunday that most had the past few days. It was almost 60 degrees with that rain. I took advantage of that and did some outside stuff that would have been miserable in the cold. And we're back down to just above freezing today with 20 mph sustained winds. And getting colder.

Aside from finding them and catching them, the live imaging setups don’t come out of the box ready to roll. And it’s not the same for every set of water conditions. So you have those variables to learn. Once you know that there are fish in your ‘spot’, you still have to find them with live imaging. Fish that are tight to cover or the bottom won’t just show up. If you’re lucky enough to just find one in the open, now you have to keep the sonar cone on it, make an accurate cast, and find your lure on the screen. Then the fish has to stay in the cone (neither the fish or the boat moves) as your bring your lure through. Only then do you get to match your lure working ability to the fish’s attitude. There is a lot going on. And then you have to do it again and again. I’ve had mine for a year and it’s a lot of work. I used it yesterday to catch a pickerel and a perch. Could have had more perch as there were a couple schools around. I think I’m just about at the point of figuring out the electronics themselves, getting the cone right, and mostly following a lure. Being in a kayak means the boat moves a lot though which is tough. But if it’s calm or if the wind is steady then I’m just about there.

I will normally start with the same set of lures, the specifics depending on the time of year. Early season, crank baits will feature a little more. Later summer frogs and toads come in. Jerkbaits when the fish are finicky, walking baits anytime I think they might want one. The rest of the year, spinnerbaits, vibrating jigs, swim jigs, pitching jigs, buzzbaits, and Texas rigs are always tied on.

didn’t catch a December bass but didn’t get skunked. After a full loop around the lake to see what it looks like 4’ low, I picked a few isolated grass patches in the lower lake to use live imaging on and throw a jerkbait. I found some schools of perch and also picked a pickerel. I’ll take it for December.

That’s sharp. Clean, mildly aggressive but not over the top.

I’m going to go out on an optimistic limb here too and say we don’t get more than skim ice here this year. Normally the end of the first week or march is ice out on lots of our lakes. We are going to have 61 degrees and rain Sunday which is actually going to raise the water temps. My wife is going into the city all day tomorrow so I’m going to try to catch my first December bass.

Thanks. This is very useful. Tip heavy is maybe the biggest no no for me for a light spinning rod. Like you said, there is no need with a light power spinning rod (or most any rod). In this case, the Zodias is firmly on the list. The immortal was also on the list if I were to build one. Not sure I want to put in the effort though since an off the rack rod would also work just fine for me.

I do not live in the most productive hotbed of bass fishing for the most part. NJ has decent fishing, and a 5lb fish is a good target as they are here, but you aren’t going to catch one every year. That said, what it lacks in size it makes up for in variety for me. Within 30 minutes I’ve got a dozen places ranging from 30 acre tiny lakes up to the biggest in NJ at 2700 acres. I don’t really fish them, but there are also some smaller ponds and bogs that can be fished from shore. If I expand to an hour that would put me in over 2 dozen lakes in the same size range and I couldn’t even tell you how many small lakes and ponds. That also includes the Delaware river for most of its length with NJ and a couple smaller rivers that are worth fishing. For a person who gets bored fishing the same place over and over again, I do certainly like the variety. that said, I have a small handful that I fish all the time. In an electric kayak, I tend to fish ‘small’. The sub-300 acre lakes are perfect in size for me. I fished the 2700 acres lake a lot the first year we were here. It’s a great lake but it gets so much pleasure boat pressure from may to September that it’s almost unsafe and there are tournaments Thursday through Sunday from mid June to October. Lots of fish are on offshore weedlines but actually fishing it from a kayak is next to impossible and certainly in pleasurable. My favorite 3 that I rotate between from June on are lakes where I have either caught big fish, lots of fish, or lots of big fish. Which one I fish just depends on my mood and what I want to fish. I’ll throw in 3 more lakes as opportunistic places. In the early season I’ll fish one of them because it has smallmouth. It’s a largemouth lake and gets really weedy beyond may but march and April you can catch the smallies. One lake is an early season lake that is hidden in the mountains so on the windiest day you’re protected. It chokes with weeds later on but in April the bass congregate. The third is really close and has a great launch. I’ve caught good fish from it, but it’s inconsistent for me. I’ve not truly patterned it. It’s a nice change up. That leaves a dozen and a half lakes that I’ve fished 0-2 times that all hold fish. I try to pick at least one or two new places each year and I try to pick on place to learn in depth or learn something new on. This most recent year I took my favorite lake and learned some new things on it. The year before I explored a couple new places. I’ll go back to some and skip the others. next year I’m going to get to the big D. I keep saying I will and then don’t. Next year it is.

we got our first real snow today. It was enough to dust the ground in most places. If you're hunting its just enough to show movement on the far hill but not enough to have a solid white background to work with. Its almost entirely gone already.

If you were to pick a blank to do what I'm talking about, what would it be? I haven't stayed current on the market the past 10 years so I'm out of the loop on blanks. Something like an MHX Elite or EliteX or maybe the point blank PB691MLXF? But the blue blank is just so... gawdy.

Thanks gents, good feedback so far. Anyone fish the Loomis GLX 722 and 782 SJ rods? At retail they are over my price range, but mint used ones are on the top end. The 782 SJR at 6'6" and 1/8-3/8 feels like a pretty solid choice based on my wish list. thanks rick I too like a tennessee handle but that's one constraint too far. If I were to build one I would probably do that. Tell me more about the Orochi? I assume you have one? Rick

For me, the specific bait is irrelevant to whether its a long cast or not. 20-25 yards is a normal, average length cast for me. That's a good 'fishing' distance when fishing cover. Its far enough that you're probably not spooking fish but its close enough that you can lay mots lures tight to the cover accurately. Its also close enough that you're not worried about line stretch if one hits it at the very start of the cast. A long cast is anything further and a short cast is anything shorter than the above. Some lures will be fish with long casts more often- covering water with a lipless, throwing a walking bait over the top of a flat, or dragging a 'thing' across an openwater point. In those cases, pinpoint accuracy isn't as important but covering water is. Some lures or situations get shorter casts and it almost always involves cover getting thicker or having more targets. Throwing along docks with wires hanging everywhere that are covered in carpet bunks gets a lot shorter throws from me because I hate picking trebles out of carpet. Creeping down a bank in the dark will get shorter throws for me because you can't see quite as well. Spinnerbaits or swim jigs in thicker pads and grass get shorter throws so I can work them through the little cuts a bit easier.

Added one to the tally tonight. I put out a camera two days ago and went to hunt the spot tonight. Had a ton of deer through in 48 hours including three bucks (one shooter). I’ve been looking for does and there weren’t any on camera in daylight but I had hopes. About 30 minutes to go for shooting light a pair of does came through. The first eventually made its way to a shooting lane and I shot. It looked good, front end, pass through. She bounced 40 yards and stopped. I figured she’d fall over. Then I realized the other doe was standing there. She didn’t know what I was still so I snuck an arrow off the quiver and got ready. She eventually started moving so I drew but I was early. She stopped where I didn’t have a shot and I ended up holding at full draw for at least 3 minutes. I was using the tree and my leg to brace myself. She eventually took three steps and stopped. I loosed the arrow and knew it wasn’t a great placement (back and high) but lo and behold she made it 40 yards and fell over. I hit the artery by the liver and she was down in 10 seconds. I packed my gear and rappelled down the tree as quick as I could to use the little daylight left. I got to the arrow and started tracking. There wasn’t nearly the blood I expected from a good front end hit. Long story short, I did the first 80 yards and stopped. I went back for the other deer, got her and my gear to the truck, and went home to the dogs. I was home for about 2 hours and when my wife got home I went looking again. I tracked about a quarter mile with the blood getting more and more sparse as I went. I eventually lost it. I’m pretty confident that it was a high shoulder shot- too high, too far forward- and non lethal. It would have been great to have a double tonight. But I’ll celebrate the one I got (a big old doe) and not be too sad since the other deer is still running.

All dogs start as good dogs, its the owners that make them not good sometimes. Dogs also have short memories. I also have zero time for anyone who is mean to a dog.

Hi all, I fish a spinning rod about twice a year from the boat. Once is the first trip at ice out when I'll fish for bass and pike all morning, come back around the launch, and pull the spinning rod out to go catch a bag of crappie. The other will end up being a random Tuesday when I think finesse might be in the cards that evening so I chuck one in the back well of the kayak 'just in case' and then never use it. Its not that I don't know how to use one- I've fished a spinning rod for 35 years now. There's nothing else I'd carry right now if I was going for trout in the creeks or panfish in a pond or walking the surf. I've got those covered. It's just if I'm fishing anything from 10 lb test or heavier and a 1/4 oz or heavier then I'm going to throw it on a baitcaster. That said, I try to add something or learn something every year. I might just dedicate 1 of my 5 rod slots in the boat to a spinning rod for most of this year. I thought about it last year but I don't love the ones I have enough and in fact when I pick one up I think I'm losing something or downgrading. The only way I'm going to pull the trigger in the boat is to pull the trigger on a new rod. So here's what I have, do/don't like, and what I'm prettty sure I'm looking for. Then you tell me the rod I need to pull it off. I've got a 25 year old $25 (at the time) ML berkley from Walmart that's my lighter rod. It was cheap then and is about the same now. Its light to fish, both physical weight and power. Its a moderate action. If it was faster action and more crisp then I think it would be right. It will fling a 1/16 trout magnet a long way and a 1/16 head plus a 2" grub goes further than you can properly fish it on that rod. That's the bottom end of weight I want to throw (in bass terms, 1/20 head and a 2" TRD creature). I'll probably be in the 1/16-1/8 ounce lead plus a 2-4" plastic range most of the time. I've got two Fenwicks- one HMG and one HMX, both 10 years old. The HMG is 1/8-5/8oz and lists ML power, though I would dispute that. I'd call it a MF action. The HMX is a medium power, 1/4-3/4, and MF action all of which I'd agree with. The HMX is way too much rod for me, though its nice and light in the hand. The HMG is closer to what I'd class as a medium power than a medium light. It will throw 1/8 oz, but the rod will probably also throw a 1/2 oz without thinking about it. That's more than I want. I think my practical top end total weight will be 3/8 oz. That would be a 4" plastic on a 1/8 oz head or thereabouts. Whatever rod happens along, its getting a 2000 body sized shimano (probably) reel. I really love that size factor if I can find one. It might be JDM. Something like a Miravel to Stradic level. That's for another thread. It will also probably get 10 lb 832 and a light leader (6-8 lb). I prefer shorter to longer. That's not popular now, but 7' feels long in a spinning rod. If the answer is a 7' rod that would be okay, but I'd prefer shorter I think. If it can be 2-piece with all of the above then you win. That lets me pack it down in the rear well instead of taking a slot in the racks. My rods are mostly $200-250 range. Something in there would be great. You might be able to sell me on a $350 rod if it was the best thing since sliced bread. From the above, i 'think' what I want is a 1/8-3/8 ML XF in pretty high modulus and 6'8"-6'10". Some rods I've thought about on paper: Falcon expert 'dropshot' 6'10" 1/8-3/8 F. I fish falcon rods already, the expert series are great- light and sensitive. Safe choice. Shimano Zodias 6'9" ML, 1/8-7/16, F. My dad has the 7' M zodias and it feels good, but is more rod than I want. The ML might be more than I want with the 7/16 rating, but I'm not sure. The 7' Light model at 3/32-3/8 is interesting also and might even be a better choice for me. The expride B equivalents have the same specs for some extra $$. St Croix Avid 7', ML, 1/8-3/8, 2 pc. I've built this rod before for a customer and its a pretty solid choice. It was a while ago though and I think I'd like something with a touch lighter tip and a touch faster action. Its a good baseline to compare against though. St Croix legend Elite ML 6'10" 1/8-3/8 XF. This hits all the specs on paper except price and pc. If I went this high, I doubt I'd be throwing it in the rear well of the boat so 2 pc is less critical. I know how good legend elites feel. I built a bunch of SCIV spinning and fly rods for customers and I still have the 9' 10 wt downstairs. Its premium graphite. I don't think I want to built a rod right now, but if I was pushing into this price bracket I'd consider it. With sales and bonuses I think I coud get this close to my price point. St Croix legend Elite ML 6'3" 1/8-3/8 XF. Wildcard choice. Maybe too short, but I fished a 6' rod for a long time. I'd love to handle this rod and see what its like. Anyone own any of the above or another rod that hits all of my marks? I've got plenty of time to work this through since we're at the 'skim ice' season here. I could also be open to JDM options since the reel will probably be JDM also, though would need more info. Thanks, rick

I ran a helix 7 for 2 years. I very quickly learned that a 10 ah lead acid was nowhere even close to enough for me. I would turn on autochart at the start of the morning and then ran side imaging while fishing. A helix 7 draws 0.8A max power and with screen brightness on 10 and autoshart running I think that's about all of the things that would pull power. I would get 4-5 hours of run time every now and then. 6 hours was an average day. I think the difference was that I'd turn down the brightness in the mornings. A 10 ah lithium might have gotten there for a full day but would have been close. An 18AH would be my choice in that scenario now if trying to minimize outlay. I went with a 30 AH. (1) It allowed me to fish 2 full days without charging, meaning I could come home late one night, plug in the main battery which would be drained, and be good to fish in the morning without having to switch plugs. (2) I figured I'd upgrade in the future which I did. A 30 AH is now how much I need for a full day.

yes, quite. We don’t have the best food sources around I estimate he’s a 4.5-5.5 and gained the width but not the mass. He’s around 19” inside as best I can tell. He’s well past his ears and wider than his butt looking from straight behind. there is a scrape halfway between him and the camera actually. That’s why the camera is there. He’s not on it but he could have made another.

Sunday morning after thanksgiving when I wasn’t able to get out my big 7 showed up under my stand. I just pulled the card yesterday. Only time he’s been around lately. Seems like once every two weeks he’s making a rounds. At this point I just hope he makes it to next year. He’ll look great with another year on him.

I don’t mind early. The tricky bit for smallies only is that only 3 of my local lakes have them. One is the biggest lake in the state which I swore off fishing due to pleasure boats. One grasses over come late April and is a big shallow bowl more suited to largemouth. It would force me into some new waters for sure. Delaware river here I come.

NoCo Genius. I'm using a 5 which is suitable for both smaller batteries and larger batteries. I have a 30 and an 80 in the kayak. Mine is single bank, so I have to swap the plugs after one charges.

And all in different conditions- sunny/grey, windy/flat, crack of morning/midday (guessing those from the pictures). All plenty cold though... I had to go back through my pictures and memory bank for this year. I didn't get to fish the early season for smallies the way I have in past years. My top 5 smallmouth are actually only 4 bass and the biggest is less than the rounding error on @Dwight Hottle's total for the year (about a 14" pound and a halfer). As such, I'm not even going to take up the board bandwidth for a picture. I'm considering doing something crazy and dedicating an entire year to smallies next year (with limited exceptions). I'm going to have to sleep on that a couple times because it will limit where I go a good bit and will definitely put me out of my depth a lot of the year. Bait monkey will love me.

separate batteries for FF and motor. Will you be adding livescope? LiFePO batteries are not the ones with inherent burning qualities. LiFePO chemistry is far safer than the lithium batteries you find in small toys and the like. LiFePO is what most EV cars are moving to. If no livescope, then a 10 aH lithium will probably get it done for you. Garmin says typical power draw is 1A, max is 1.6A. If you run the battery down to 10% that's 9 AH, so 5-9 hours on the water. A 15 AH batter would be safer and isn't much more money. If you're going livescope, then I'd go straight to a 30 AH.

@gimruis is that enough to melt what ice you have? I know you won't hold it off forever, but mid 40's and sunny with some wind is prime ice killing conditions.

just loosen the cap before you turn the microwave on