casts_by_fly

I throw a spunk shad year round.

For a $250 budget I'd just grab the Falcon Cara all 'round. It's 7', 1/4-3/4, MH/MF. I have the Bucco version and have toyed with getting the Cara. The bucoo is my rod for exactly what you describe- squarebills, lipless, and divers down to 10'. I fished it for spinnerbaits/chatterbaits to a half ounce for a while and have even used it for light texas rigs. The Cara version is what Jason Christie uses for the same as well.

@gim - I bought this one used in the summer of 2020 when we had first moved. It's a heavy steel craftsman with a tecumseh engine, 28" wide, 9 hp I think. I bought it thinking it would last a while with a good engine and steel construction. That's all true. But it's an older model so replacement parts are less available and especially so now that craftsman/sears is done. I had my local small engine shop service it a couple years ago and it's done well, but when he did it he said it was just limping it along. The design of the drive and stage clutches isn't a good oneso I'd always be fighting it. I figured keep it limping along until it's done and then get a new one. Just borrowed my buddies Toro so we'll see how I like that. It's a little smaller width so we'll see if it is enough for my driveway size.

yeah, this was a bad one. My snowblower just crapped the bed so i borrowed the neighbor's snow plow (what you upper midwest guys would konw as an ice pusher or snow pusher) to walk the first half of my 120' driveway and push it out into the road where the plow can push it up into my yard (we're in a cul de sac and that's where they push the road snow). Even though it is only about 8" deep, it is heavier than any snow we've had since we lived here. It is like wet sand or that awful colored sticky sand that kids play with. I managed to get enough moved to get my truck out to go borrow a friend's blower. But this blower is done for.

@gim - I couldn't believe it either. In real time I thought the canadian flubbed it and just missed. Of course being an olympian and one of the best in the sport that didn't happen. Seeing the replay was unreal. That was pur instinct from the goalie. He knew it was going that way but couldn't see anything so just stuck his stick back to where it felt right. @Susky River Rat that's an incredible picture. You could see how busted up he was on the video but I'm glad someone got it as a photo. Like you said, that's going to be an iconic USA olympics photo forever. The high stick that knocked out those teeth was pretty harsh too. If the defender hadn't been falling to the ice (which at least in aprt caused it) he would have been thrown out.

I have three of them and they are great reels for what you want.

@Jigfishn10 - yep. It was like a sand pile- a wet sand pile. I am absolutely whooped today from that one. We ended up better than expected. I have to go out and clear in a little bit but it looks like 12-14" from what I can see. Our well head it just barely covered and since there was 6" on the ground next to it already that's about another 12" on top or so. Newark airport and the east strip of NJ up this way is officially in a blizzard. The airport was around 24" (and my trip is moved 1 full week) and out friends who aren't far from there are 18-20". I'm going to call a foot of snow a 'win' this time. Now we have 20 mph constant wind with gusts to 40.

I did the first round of clearing around the 4-5” mark. It was awful. Because it started as misty rain snow, the bottom 2” was damp and sticky. I got the first half blown before what was left was too sticky and gumming up the blower. It is perfect snowball snow but it really sucks to try to clear it. It’s heavy in a deep shovel and with a pusher shovel it just sticks. If you stop sliding it glues to the ground. It’s gotten colder since and a little fluffier so hopefully it is better in the next round. We have 2-3” more since the last time so that’s 6-8” so far with the worst ahead of us supposedly. Then again, my usual forecast location says only another 6” or so. Let’s see.

@Harold H - his made up game so his made up rules! Simple as.

I think maybe I’m lucky. I’ve cast as many rods out of my hands into the water as I have broken lures on the cast (1 each). The only one I’ve broken off was an original Hart throb spinnerbait in a pond 30 years ago. Still no idea what happened on that one. The rod I cast into the water was a lot clearer. Heavy A rig, braid dug into the spool about 20 yards in, freezing hands and a wet reel. I made a good launch of a cast and that A-rig was sailing! Ripped it right out of my hands. Fortunately the rod floated up enough for me to grab it . Unfortunately the Arig was locked to the bottom and I was in a kayak in 20 mph winds. Took a good minute to sort that out (untangle backlash, line in the motor, rig unsnagged, etc.). @Flushdraw - I’m also in the camp of no leaders on baitcasters. If I want braid, i fish straight braid. The amount of stretch in a 5’ piece of mono/fluoro is insignificant relative to what you can flex a rod. Pick the rod that gives you the flex for braid use. Also, I’m in the straight mono/fluoro camp for moving baits like this.

What a game too. Incredible goalie play, tons of shots, OT.

Almost there.

Yep, we’re in the big snow band, but not as bad as the coast. The high end model for us is 27” and we are 50/50 to get over 18”. I think we’re going to net out roughly where the last storm was (which is still 4-6” of frozen hard slush on the ground). Pretty sure my trip isn’t happening tomorrow night at this rate. I don’t hate that since I’m going to be clearing snow all day.

Bit of both on the distance. I shoot my bow in the driveway so I know my yardage markers. The mailbox is exactly 40 yards to the other end of the driveway on the rangefinder. From there I can gauge 1-2-3 yards on where the lure lands. With a more aerodynamic lure the SV could have been opened up a little more. I would cast and then reduce the brakes. Repeat until it was significantly fluffing mid cast but basically cleaned at the end of the cast. Something like a plopper would let you open it up more, though the same is true for the other spools.

Rrrrgh. We still have 4-6” of slushy snow on the ground. And now we’re getting 12-14” Sunday night through mid morning Monday. Still have that morning flight… Glenn- I’d take a mid winter freezer day on the water right now let alone a pre spawn day.

i agree on the 3v3 and shootouts. Same argument for soccer and partially the same for football when starting at the 25 yard line for possessions (college). The game is the game. For the championship and playoffs I want to see the teams keep playing the game until someone scores. I don't want a skills competition.

We are starting with 35 and rain today and progressing into 32 and freezing rain saturday, followed up by a crescendo of 26 and 6-10" on sunday into monday. Did I mention that I have an 830 AM flight monday?

which thread? Usually that means either the topic has gone off the rails against a rule (politics, religion, name calling/bickering) and a moderate has called enough. Or, it is a duplicate thread on the same topic.

@Jigfishn10 - I still have a bag of pumpkinseed centipedes that just came out of the boat. I should put them back in for the tough days. A split shot rig with that on a little gamakatsu hook is a skunk saver. A 4" ring worm was another. But are you sure that's a rattletrap in your picture? I have traps going back to the early 90's and none have a scale/bumpy finish and all have the dorsal fin. That looks more like a cotton cordell spot (super spot maybe?). I have a few hanging around but always preferred the trap in the same scenario.

@Jigfishn10 - there is no core for lithiums at this point. Maybe in the future we will recycle lithiums more broadly, but they would fit in the consumer electronics bucket for disposals. The combustion issues you hear about are for lithium ION batteries, not LiFePo batteries that are used for boats. Two very different chemistries.

Boat 100% minus usually one ice out trip to the local ponds when they are the first thing open.

I go when i can. If it’s a grey day the sun isn’t warming anything up through the day.

I don’t know the quality, but a quick search just came up with carver covers having Bimini tops for a ton of boats. A Lund 1875 fisherman (current model) is $500 for the Bimini. It looks like they will do them for any boat more or less.

If you're going lead, then the duracells are the best value for money. But I'd go lithium for the trolling motor and electronics.