casts_by_fly

A used jet ski trailer also works well and is already the right size and water tight. I'm looking at doing that now and just waiting for a cheap one to hit the local marketplace. We have a lot of lake houses around here and people keep their jet skis on docks or at the marina year round so they don't keep the trailers. I've never seen one for $50 though. The usual price around here is $500 for a good one, $300-400 for one that needs sanded and painted.

You're going to get a lot of options on this one. That weight range fits a lot of rods, both MH and H. Action is personal preference. That price range has a lot of winners in it (I'd go so far as to say that's the sweet spot for performance vs price). I'm a falcon guy and love mine. I also am a kayak guy (though I stand to fish). I would suggest looking at the Falcon Cara Heavy cover jig. Its a little longer than your range at 7'4", but it doesn't have a long butt. Its rated 1/2-1 which hits your sweet spot (3/16 plus plastic is about a half ounce). I fish mine with 17 mono. Its rate heavy and fast, but that's a 6-power heavy (which for falcon is a light heavy) and while its a fast action it could have been called a moderate fast and you'd believe it too. Its right on the edge. It was designed for dragging baits through deep brushpiles and is a great texas rig rod (I think that's what's on mine right now). I use mine for that, pitching jigs to moderate cover, bigger swim jigs (1/2 oz and up) and even moving bladed baits. Great rod.

When I learned to pitch, I held the bait with my left and the rod in my right. I'd swing the bait out and manage line with my right thumb. I've seen most pros and a lot of others never touch the bait with their non rod hand. When they bring the bait back, they use the momentum of the lure to swing straight back out. That's faster for sure and I see why its done. I've started doing it myself for short stuff. I'm curious how others pitch.

I don’t use fluorocarbon outside of spinning rod leaders. I’ve tried it and not seen the benefit. Premium mono is a great thing. If you want no stretch then go to braid. if I was pitching heavy wood all the time then maybe heavy fluoro is the answer. But I fish grass primarily up here with lots of rock and a little bit of wood. I fish moving baits mostly so a little stretch is no biggie. I love topwaters so sinking line doesn’t help.

Growing up along a major river, the medium creeks around us would fill up with smallies every spring when it flooded. There were also a bunch of resident fish. We also have a cabin up north with a TON of smallie creeks that we'd fish all summer. You could grab an old plastic rat'ltrap box and have enough lures for the day. Two panther martins (I liked the 1/8 oz black/yellow gold blade), a zara spook mini (not made anymore, 2" lure) in both white and clear, a couple maribou jigs in 1/16th and 1/8th, and a couple 3" pearl sluggos rigged with hooks. I'd have a couple #6 or #8 hooks and a couple split shot in case it was a tough day and I had to grab live crayfish. All of that fit in one pocket of my shorts. I'd have a pair of forceps clipped to my shirt instead of pliers. 5' or 5'6" ultralight with 4 or 6 lb test. That's a solid fun day of fishing catching 8-16" smallies, rockbass, fallfish, and the leftover trout. the hybrid hunter JR is still a pretty big bait. It might only list at 3" but its wide top to bottom and side to side. And I don't think that includes the bill. Its a bit bigger than anything I'd be throwing in a small stream. The tiny bombers and rebels are a great size.

True on the zero lines card, though the GPS part of the maps come loaded in the unit and there is an amount of storage on the unit itself without the zero lines card. Its not a ton, but will do a couple local lakes highlights. That said, I ended up with a zero lines card as a christmas gift because it wasn't enough on my 7. I guess we need to know if the intention is to personally map the lake for depth or just have GPS for lake outlines and navigation.

that's the one. It might have also come in a 2-hook version but the same ~4 1/2". Apparently its called the chug horse.

I have 10 lb superbraid on a spinning reel and 10 lb 832 on my BFS reel. Eventually I'll have 832 on all of my spinning reels. Super is fine, 832 is better for me.

So now that you have a bunch of recommendations, can we know the application you want to use it for?

Hi All, As per title, I'm wondering if anyone remembers the old, old devil's horse, circa late 80's, that was a single prop with a flat nose. Around the mid 90's the discontinued it and they disappeared fast. It was from Smithwick as they all are now and came in the same colors as they did with the double blade which came after it. In the water, you got the prop spray but also a splash similar to a popper. It was my dad's favorite topwater at the time and I think I ended up losing the last one on a big smallmouth in Erie when my loop knot pulled out (who need a loop knot on a devils horse!?!). There isn't anything quite like it on the market right now. The closest thing would be taking a current devils horse, cutting the front 3/4" flat, and putting the line tie back on. That's still a bit thinner though as the single prop had a much bigger front face, maybe 3/4" diameter. Anyone know it or have one?

you'll have to watch the weather. A week ago I'd say it was more than safe, but you're going to get out and drag it over rocks for stretches. Today I'm going to tell you it isn't safe after the rain we just had.

A humminbird Helix 7 MSi GPS G3. Pick up a lightly used one for $250-$300 or so on marketplace or other places. Its the best image quality you're going to get on equivalent units. And the 7" screen is the biggest 'small' screen so it is usable in split screen (with limitations). Smaller screens are tough to split screen and even can be tough overall size unless you just want 2D sonar. With side imaging, the 7" makes a difference.

A rod and one I still own. I loved my falcon bucoo 7’ heavy (3/8-1, heavy fast). I was upgrading all my rods to the expert equivalent and bought the 7’ 6-power 3/8-1. Turns out the expert version is a moderate action and much closer to a 1/2 oz crank bait rod than what I was looking for. It’s a great rod if you like a more moderate action for chatterbaits and similar. But it just wasn’t what I wanted and it was all my fault for not reading the description well enough.

this has my attention. I picked up a pack this winter for Texas rigging but they are big and I haven’t gotten to them. I think on top of the water thought that might be a lot of action in all those legs. Love it.

For an extra $50 I’d get a jdm current model.

Post spawn there is a major feed to replenish calories from the spawn. That’s why they were all fat and why you caught so many. You got a good day and they were on the feed. Enjoy it when you get it. the big fish probably moved to a different area, maybe deeper, and maybe focused on bigger bait.

Any polarized will be better than none for sun protection. Expensive ones might be clearer or have better coatings and durability. For sun protection though, just pick one and wear them. Not just fishing also, driving or anytime sitting in the sun.

the 3.8 fat is my starting point for a swim jig. Bigger fish, dirtier water, or later summer I might bump to the 4.3. Skittish pressured fish I might drop to the 3.3. There is no wrong answer though.

Durability aside, I like a keitech SIF on a swim jig. Fast or slow it always wobbles and wiggles. You only get a couple fish out of one, but it’s the best action I’ve found. a rage craw or lobster has a ton of action also and works well if the fish are active and chasing. More durable for sure. Slightly different action from the keitech.

I think that’s even stretching it. Okechobee would have been the place that you would have said that ffs would be no use. Then look at this years tournament. If there is water deeper than about 4-6’ then I think there will be an application for ffs and other electronics. We might not know how right now, but someone will figure it out.

Need some better pictures. Is it a grass/plant? If so, is the grass quite different to the rest of the grass around? The color has the characteristic color of poa. Poa is a family of grasses that are an obnoxious weed to most people. There are two main ones that most people experience. Both are kinda like green vs dark green grass. One version dies when the temp goes up and leaves a brown bare spot.

Sure if you want. Ultimately you have to find what works for you. 4 vs 8 carrier braid feels a little different also. The cover you’re in makes a difference. It it was heavy lily pads then no less than 50 and I’d even look at 80. Rock bottoms and 30 is fine. Anything in between is in between. For what you described, I’d start straight at 50lb 832.

I have the helix 9 on my autopilot. I have mega live on it. I upgraded from a helix 7 g3gps msi. Great unit. Amazing imaging clarity. The only way to follow contours is if you install a bow mount motor on the kayak. If that’s your plan, then just get a paddle version of the kayak and add the motor. Do some research on motor mounts for kayaks already on the market. One objective is the main one. See what mounts are already available and base the boat on that.

I wouldn’t put it on the rod you currently have but on a proper heavy like those being recommended here you’re fine. I pitch on straight braid. My big rod is 50 lb for 3/8 and up. I also throw lighter Texas rigs on my swimming rod which is a mh fast with 30 braid. That goes up to a quarter ounce or so.

on 50 lb braid you can throw a 3/8 on jig and trailer farther than you can reliably detect a bite and set the hook.