casts_by_fly

So based on where you are and what you’re talking about, I don’t think you’re too far off where you need to be. PA doesn’t have the big heavy cover so much. A medium heavy covers most of what you want with a heavy thrown in here and there. id take rod #1 and make it your topwater rod. It’s a little shorter and perfect for walking baits or even buzzbaits. I’d probably leave it with the 8.5:1. I’d use 17 lb mono or similar but ymmv. Leave the fury for what you do with it, but put the pro qualifier on it. If you like braid for that then great. I prefer mid size mono like 16 supernatural, but you pick for you. The bucoo sr is also known as the trapcaster. It’s too light for a frog rod, but it’s a perfect crank bait rod. Put the slx dc on it with the 6.x:1 gear ratio. That’s a perfect setup for small to medium crank baits 1/4-1/2 oz. that leaves a hole in the heavy/fast department. Only having one, you’ll want it to cover frogs, heavier pitching, bigger bottom rigs, etc. Length is your preference if you like longer or shorter and which of those things is more important to you. Something around 7’-7’4” rated 3/8-1, maybe 3/8-1.5 depending on the maker and rod. With those four rods you’ll cover anything you normally will be fishing. It won’t cover big swim baits and it won’t cover finesse (you’ll need a spinning rod). But with that set you’ll catch a bunch of fish.

I think it was @A-Jay that turned me on to weather underground from his posts here. very customizable, free. It has been very accurate if you know how to read it. It uses weather stations from backyards, businesses, and various other places all connected to a central server. You're getting real time weather monitoring for current data. From there, the model can adjust the forecast. Its been very accurate for me. Obviously the further into the future you go the more uncertainty, but the 3-5 day outlook is pretty close. I don't know what model they use for predictions. The wind predictions are usually good on WU, but I find windfinder to be better plus has a better visual. I don't mind if its windy, but I want to know where its coming from so I can pick my lake accordingly. A strong wind from the south west and I don't fish 'budd lake' on this map. A 10 mph wind there whips across the top of the mountain and will turn into hefty whitecaps with few places to get away from them. A 10 mph wind from the north west though gets blocked by the mountain on that side of the lake and gives pretty calm conditions. At a minimum the whole north west side of the lake is fishable. You were referring to wind above. Speaking to wind, windfinder has been very accurate for me and I plan to it within a 24 hour bracket for both hunting and fishing. For today for instance, its saying 6 mph winds now, dying down to 3 mph by 5 pm. That concurs with WU also. 6 mph is accurate for what I'm seeing out there now. I'm going to be in my stand by 230 or so using the wind to mask my noise. By 5 pm its going to be pretty still (and the wind is shifting a little). Tomorrow looks the same and I'd plan for that too. But I might go fishing instead.

I'm a falcon guy so can make recommendations from that lineup. I just did exactly those two things in your neck of the woods the last trip out. Two texas rigs- one rod with a 1/4 oz and a smaller bait and one with a 1/2 oz and a larger bait. For me, the 7'2" Cara swim jig is a great lighter texas rig rod. I throw it down to a 1/16 oz and up to 3/8. It can do more, but if I'm fishing heavier then I want a heavier rod. I run 30 lb braid on that rod as its also my swim jig rod. For the bigger rod, the 7'4" Cara heavy cover jig is a great rod. It fishes great with 3/8-3/4 oz of weight plus plastic. This past trip that was 1/2 oz plus a regular rage bug or 10" worm. I run 17 lb mono on that rod. Both are great all around rods but they are definitely in the wheelhouse for what you're asking.

I do it very seldomly. It’s always for a follow up bait. The past two months I’ve had a frog rigged and ready. If I’m throwing another topwater then the frog is ready to go. If I find myself switching back and forth a bunch I’ll leave the frog hanging for a faster follow up. I’ll do the same with a Texas rig or jig at times (though less because of casting style). I don’t reel them to the tip (that’s not good for the ceramic insert in the tip). Also since it’s the closest rod to the boat on my ‘hanging over the side’ hanger the only real risk is if I drift over some brush or weeds to catch it. A frog or anything cast side arm or overheads it’s faster to leave it an inch or two from the rod so when you cast you hit the button and swing. For a plastic or jig I’ll usually use the hook keeper since i‘m pitching them anyway.

yes, ages ago.

A 2" grub jigged through a livescope school should tell you pretty quickly. if they are perch/crappie/white bass there will be at least one that will eat it. Eventually you'll get a feel for the size of the fish on the screen vs what it is in real life. You just have to catch a few that way first. The other thing is to note how they are schooling. If they are stacked vertically off the bottom then they probably aren't bass.

The bobber stop is a neat trick. I think I saw someone else' post about it a couple weeks ago here. When my dad and I went 2 weeks ago I couldn't keep a bait up on the bend (with a thin wire EWG). It was the right hook for the setup, the head of the bait was just worn. Rather than grab a new one I threaded a stop up the hook and problem solved. I didn't have to rerig it once more throughout the day- just reskin hook it after a fish.

All good info above. I tend to use EWG and creature/craws more than worms. In fact I just had to order a bunch of round bends because I was out of them pretty much. Two practical points of info (one mentioned, one not)- a round bend doesn't pick up as much grass bringing it through the slop. A lot of times an EWG will hold onto strands of grass on the retrieve when a round bend will slip right through. A straight shank (which I use a lot of also) slips through pretty clean also. It all depends on the bait and how you've rigged it up. Separately, I think Toxic mentioned it on another thread about guiding clients in the past, but an EWG in a slightly larger size is harder for a bass to swallow quickly. Moving from a 3/0 RB to a 4/0 EWG makes a much larger hook to catch inside the mouth without being swallowed. I don't have enough time fishing both to confirm it, but it makes intuitive sense.

Very nice. If I were to go with a new bow, that’s the first one I’d go shoot to try. Enjoy it! im shooting a bowtech rpm 360. I bought it used from a guy who babied his gear and always had a half dozen high end bows rigged and ready. Coming from an older browning mirage which was my dads bow from 2009 or so, it was a big change. I also got the bowtech adjusted and tuned to me. Turns out in the past I was shooting about 2” too long of a draw. I might lose a good bit of speed dropping down to 27”, but the bow is rock solid and I shoot it better than anything I’ve ever shot. And the rpm 360 is a 360 fps ibo rated bow so I’m still getting 265 fps at 60# and 27”. I can’t complain about that.

Bow season opened last weekend here and I had planned to be out early. We’re in an earn a buck zone until October so I planned to shoot a quick doe and be flexible on shooting an early buck if one came through. 40 yard groups were looking good and even backing up to 55 yards I was looking pretty good (I wouldn’t take a shot at a deer that far). Unfortunately with my mother in law passing we were back in PA for the opener and even once we got back here I had a bunch of catch up work to do. I will get out this weekend for a shake down hunt just to get in the woods. my plan for the year is much like last year. We have a 2500 acre wma at the bottom of our road that has a bunch of deer on it. I can hunt it on sundays also. I have a few locations that I bounce around on it and hunting from a saddle means I can keep moving around. There are two township properties that I get a permit for which are similar. One borders the wma and my own 3 acres which is handy. Then come the rut season in a month or so the bucks start roaming the ridge behind the house. There are a couple doe bedding areas within 200 yards of the house and the bucks run between them in the mornings and evenings. Starting around the 26th or so and running into the second week of November I’ll be in the backyard tree as much as the wind permits (I have Wi-Fi in my stand). Last year I was on a guys trip the prime first week of November and have a picture of my target buck under my stand as I was climbing into the car to the airport…. Not going on a trip this year.

I have never liked u40. longer answer- scotchbrite and soap or some 400 grit.

I’m not a golfer but Oakmont and then Erie is a combo that I’d take up golf for. Pick May next year and pair 5 lb smallies with par 5’s. https://www.oakmontcc.org/course-tour

the lake back home that I was fishing with my dad is like this. By far the only lake where I've noticed how prominent the teeth were. My dad noted it too. Since this lake was only refilled recently, the fish are only 3 years old. My suspicion is that over time they will wear down a bit more. Also, these fish are fish eaters. The invertebrate population isn't back there yet. So that might tally with other observations above.

I forgot about those. Like a hard body jointed sluggo. I bet there is one kicking around downstairs.

for me it depends a little on how far I'm walking in and what my plans are for the day. If its a hike to get into and I'm staying a while then I'll take a little more and maybe a second rod. If its a pond or lake and I'm near enough to the truck and/or spot hopping that day then I'll take less to the shore and leave it in the truck. What I specifically take depends on the pond/lake. Some places/times that means grab a frog and be done with it. More realistically a chatterbait or three, a couple jigs with trailers on them, a handful of plastics (which could be used as trailers too) and terminal tackle, some lipless cranks if the weeds aren't too bad (which means early season here), a spinnerbait or two, and that's about it. Pliars and nail clippers round out the set. Everything goes loose in a fanny pack I have except for the treble hooks. They will go in either a small plastic case or an old rattle trap box.

Also don’t forget about soft jerkbaits. That’s my favorite way to fish them. Less than a foot under the water and fished fast. After checking a bunch this summer I’ve settled on the dshad per @TOXIC’s recco as the best for what I want.

Nice. Just make sure that you treat/coat the wood since it will be in contact with water.

could be bluegills or small (< 8") bass that are just grabbing the tail and running off. I get that a lot with big worms. If its a bass, its going to get all of the worm almost all of the time to the point that I don't wait to set the hook. Just reel down tight quickly and set it.

If you’re not going to fish any braid to leader then you’re fine. You don’t even really need the pair of 5’s. A single 10, 5, and then the 4.5’s the rest of the way is fine. Then again, we’re splitting hairs at that point.

My grandma had a bait shop for longer than I can recall. The bulk of the business was trout season in the spring and then guys just buying worms for the river. Most every worm sold in that shop was picked by hand, at night, by my dad. Starting in march (feb in a really warm spring) he’d be out most Friday or Saturday nights picking. This was after a 40 hour week in construction. you have to find a good location. His best (and about the only place he needed most of the time) was a soccer field that had good soil and lots of use. Then a good warm day and /or rain in the evening was enough to bring them out. The more warm rain the better. I joined as much as I was allowed. The really warm and wet nights would have worms crawling around on the surface which were easy to just pick up. Less wet nights had worms part way out of their holes and you had to pin them with one finger and pick them with three more. You could get into the hang of it without hurting them. You’d be on one knee (your picking hand) with your other knee up and the light in that side hand. Elbow on your knee, light by your head. No LED lights here- they would be too bright. A metal coffee can with a rope through a pair of drilled holes was your bucket. Pick, drop it in the bucket, find another, pick, move, repeat. From sunset until you couldn’t do anymore. my dad built two wooden boxes that were 24”x18”x12” deep with latches on the front and hinges on the back. On good nights he’d fill both boxes in an all nighter. On really good nights he’d fill both early, bring them to grandmas shop, and go back out to fill them again. Grandma kept plastic ‘worm boxes’ in the downstairs fridges which I think were originally clothes storage boxes that were 10x18x3”. It was a full sized fridge and they were multiply stacked. I think you could fit 4 dozen night crawlers in one and at least 10 dozen red worms in one. I’m going to guess between the two fridges she’d have 40 containers at a time going, maybe more. That’s in addition to the full two fridges in the front room with them packed by the one or two dozens. Worms were the biggest volume and when you’re picking them for free you take advantage of all you can.

thanks. i also forgot the obligatory thumb picture.

Still here in Pa at my in-laws for another day or two. Unfortunately my MIL passed last Monday. The week was full of arrangements, logistics, and tears. When most of the family came into town I was able to sneak away for a morning with my dad on the same lake we fished together a couple weeks ago and then that I fished last Sunday on my own. It did not disappoint. he’d been doing well there all summer catching near on 200 bass in 6 weeks mostly throwing chatterbaits in 4-12’ of water on the flats. I tried that Sunday but never touched a fish doing it. This trip through we fished the shallows until a bit after sunup. They were short striking me on a frog and not hitting his buzz bait. I picked a couple but not what I expected. After the short strikes, I decided a walking bait with trebles would at least keep them pinned and that was right. Almost every tree top in open water had a fish. The best of them was 16” and none were particularly aggressive in eating. About that time the sun was high and the surface bite stopped completely. we moved down the lake to the flats. He picked up his trusty chatter bait and I went to a wobble head with a rage bug. I figured we could work moving baits until we found them and slow down from there. The wobble head wasn’t the right tool for the job. The head was catching grass and the muddy bottom meant it was more of a drag. But it caught a few and was enough to learn what the fish were doing. The chatter bait was getting a little nip here or there but not a bite to the boat. Putting the puzzle together, the fish were there and were holding tight to the grass. They weren’t chasing anything but if you put it on their nose they would eat. Long casts tight to the grass would get bit on the drop. Longer casts into the grass and ripped out would get bit on the drop after the rip. He persisted with a chatter bait, mostly out of stubbornness. I swapped to a Texas rig to get through the grass better. He had two flop off at the boat, but that was it. I would use his ‘nips’ at the bait as locators and play cleanup. After a while I put all of my rods away except two and I had two Texas rigs (small/light and big/heavy) I was fishing through. The bass didn’t mind which plastic as we caught them on a bunch of different things (he swapped to a worm eventually and got one on the first cast) but I mostly stuck with a rage bug and a boar hogz. all in we got 22 (17 for me). Biggest fish was 3.92#. My best 5 were all over 3.5#. I think I had 7 that were between 3.5 and 4 lb. Only two under 12”. It was a pretty good day for sure.

If you just want it done and are going to rewrap it, then strip off the finish and old thread, rewrap new thread, and just use polyurethane varnish if you have some. It’s thinner to go on and will need more coats, but the first couple will dry in minutes and it’s more forgiving to put a bunch of thin coats on rather than one thick one. if you insist on epoxy, then get 1-hour epoxy instead of the 5 minute stuff. Are sure you might a lot more than you think you need. Mistakes in not getting the right amount from each tube are minimized when you have more pushed out of the tube.

I have the bps microlite in the 7’6” ultralight model. It’s a great rod for what I do with it which is 4 lb test light bait trout fishing. I have a 500 series Stradic on it and it’s fantastic for throwing weightless single eggs and drifting them through pools. If I wanted a rod for what you are describing, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another.