casts_by_fly

Yep, exactly what the last two posters said. An open hook jighead in rocky areas (weedless in grass or wood) and bounce it along. Try lighter heads for a slower presentation or heavier stuff to burn it along. An underspin if you want more flash. Throw one on the back of a swim jig and that's my standard combo. I don't like them on a chatterbait or buzzbait, but they add a little wiggle to a spinnerbait and some bulk for the fish to inhale. Tons of options depending on the cover you're fishing.

Also, two other thoughts. I recommend getting a meter for your main battery. With lithium, it runs at full charge and power- until it doesn't. Its an abrupt shutoff. With a meter you will see how much charge you have at any point. They are about $40 or so for a basic one (which I use) or you can get bluetooth enabled if you like. For the electronics battery, you could also consider the 32 ah 14.8V version. Its a little more money than the 30 a 12.8v, but you're getting 23% more capacity and at a higher voltage which I have read (but can't confirm) is a benefit for livescope units.

I run the genius 5 for my 80 AH and 30 AH batteries. I went with the 5 because it would work for both. You don't want to charge too hard on small batteries or you'll damage them. The rule of thumb is 10x. So a 100 ah battery gets a 10 amp charger. I'd be fine putting the 10 A charger on my 80 AH, I just didn't feel like spending another $50 for a charger. Yes, you just plug it in and walk away. The genius chargers are also battery tenders so are safe to leave plugged in 24/7/365 if you want. They also have mode for li, lead acid, and gel batteries if you run any of those still. Like MN fisher said, check out the guy who tears down batteries. Some of the cheaper brands actually have decent internal wiring and BMS. Some do not. I remember one that had something like 14 ga household wire carrying the main load through the battery. That's a mess waiting to happen. I went Amped for both of my batteries. I've run them for 2 years and I've pushed the 80 to a 10% charge a few times. I'm happy with mine and I expect to get a long lifetime out of them if I do my part.

I run an 80 AH and 30 AH amped and have used both for the past 2 years. if you have the ability to charge overnight then the best bet is to get a pair of chargers- one 10 amp and one 5 amp. the 10 amp will charge a motor battery overnight, the 5 will charge the accessories overnight. I only have a single charger (5 amp) so it is a little lower in power to not kill the accessories battery. It takes a little longer to charge, but I can usually charge my 80 AH overnight. I have the bigger accessory battery so that if I don't get a chance to swap the charger over I can still fish a second day on the same battery. I just need to plug in the motor battery when I get home. A second charger at 10 amps would solve that issue, I just don't feel like spending another $50 on one. If you're charging nightly and not running it hard, you can save $500-800 or so on batteries by not going to the huge ones. A 100 AH and a 30 AH should be pretty close to fitting your needs. I know livescope is power hungry so double check on it.

You’ve got plenty of advice on connectors and fuses. For the batteries you will need to consider your needs and how hard you’re going to use it. A 125 won’t get you two full days without charging. Moderate days maybe, not full days. I run an 80ah and can fish a solid 10 hour day in the autopilot leaving 10-15% left. That is mostly a run to my starting spot, fish around the lake, maybe make 2 jumps to other spots (15-20 minute runs), a little spot lock here and there. I moderate the runs sometimes and drop a couple settings down to save battery. This is fishing the bigger lakes. On the smaller lakes where I don’t have to make a run I can fish for 8 hours and only use 10 ah, but that’s max 1 mph and mostly not even that. So consider the lakes you’re going to be on. For me, larger is anything over 600 acres or so (600 acres and long or 1200 and fingers). A 160 ah is the same footprint to build around and would get you two full days if that’s what you really need. a 100 ah for the electronics is a lot. That’s 50 ah a day. I’m not sure if you’re pulling 5 amps for 10 straight hours. Again, consider how much you actually need. I run a 30 for 2 plus days but I’m only using a helix 7 and no live scope.

Mine is on my 7’4” falcon heavy cover jig. It’s my big jig rod for pitching and swimming. I had it on my single hook moving bait rod last summer and fall but moved it when I got the HCJ. Great reel for sure. Still not decided which I prefer between the zillion and the metanium.

We've had great service through COVID from all three of those. We have a great UPS driver (he lives in the next town over). Amazon and FEDEX have good tracking which is accurate for me. The small carrier are the ones that screw up here. Lazership is one. Completely awful. One was delivering a bottle of scotch (monthly subscription) and just threw it in the mailbox. Signature/over 21 aside, when the mail carrier came they took it back to the post office as it didn't have postage on it (as they are supposed to do). Ending up costing $25 or so and my own trip to the post office to figure it out (tracking said delivered and left in mailbox). Of course the shipper paid that cost, but that delivery service was awful on other stuff too.

I think its mostly packages we'll see on sundays but there is always a truck coming through. I don't think stopping one day would solve the problems. If the problems are manpower, either delivery the same routes half the days (and use the other days for the drivers to be mail sorters or other work) or delivery half the routes on the same days you're already doing. Either way, I'd be fine with mail one day a week for all the more we get. Anything time critical could be mailed as a package/parcel envelope.

A jig is still a jig. If there is a lot of grass you'll fight it some, but I'd bottom bounce it through the edges to start. If fish are active or shallow I'd swim it.

We have or had a lot of the issues in this thread. Until 2-3 months ago, our local post office was a shambles (we have a new postmaster now). Standard mail from local businesses to us would take a week or two. We have a standing conversation with our neighbor on the next road over with the same number ("just left you a package we got instead", "I've got one for you I'll drop later today"). My wife and that neighbor shop from the same stores so countless times they've opened a package without checking the name and only realizing because they are 2 sizes different. Last spring/summer the grass at the post office didn't get cut for the first time until June because they couldn't renew their groundskeeping contract. I think the new postmaster has improved things, or at least there is far less sniping on the local forums. I too would be happy with an every other day delivery schedule. Stop sundays. I only get anything relevant on Mondays or Fridays. Everything else is junk that we never signed up for ("to our neighbors at...").

I used advance mono but found it had too much memory for me. I’ve moved to elite for most mono, though supernatural might make a move in after trying it last year.

what reels do you recommend or see a benefit from upgrade bearings? I think you’ve said in the past that abu uses pretty good ones in their mid to higher end. I would assume Daiwa and shimano bearings are pretty good for mid to higher end.

Which one do you have? I couldn’t find a current model that was still offered new for him. I agree they probably complement. There are times when managing the remote and fishing get tough. When you first hook one close to cover and want to lock position or move away from the cover is one. I have to just hold the fish on the rod and let go of the reel handle for a second. A spotlock foot button or a foot pedal would fix that. But like you say, the options on the remote are awesome. Spotlock is great but navigation with cruise control is perfect for moving down a bank slowly while throwing moving baits.

I don’t think you can get spotlock on a 12V model. I was looking last summer when my dad was replacing his and he wanted 12v and I wanted him to have spotlock. running his boat, I’ve never gotten used to a foot control. On my autopilot I love the remote. I won’t be without one or spotlock.

My 'thinner' just have fewer and thinner strands compared to a normal jig, but you could just take a normal jig and do like you say. I just got 2 jigs from dirty jigs to try and that's what they've done.

I picked up D-bombs and mini d-bombs 2 winters ago when there was a big sale locally (I think $2 a pack?). As a do-nothing jig trailer I like them. They are pretty compact and don't add any bulk which is great for slipping through cover. The mini D-bomb on the back of a bitsy bug or sniper jig is a great little finesse jig for shy fish. However, I don't see any real benefit over many other similar trailers. I also struggle to get them threaded up a hook straight with as little solid body is actually there.

Depends on the head unit. I started with a 10 AH lead acid on my Helix 7. I have the screen on max brightness during the day and almost every time I get to a lake I turn on depth mapping to record a depth chart so that over time I've got my own built up maps. I would burn through the 10 AH in about 3-4 hours. I know the spec for a Helix 7 is just under an amp and it should have been fine, but the voltage was dropping too low for the unit to carry on. If we're talking about a Piranha unit that is drawing 2 tenths of nothing then that's a different story and I'd just go with lead acid.

I was in my tackle bag and thought of this thread so I grabbed a quick pic. this is a decent representation of my usuals. On the right are shot callers from sieberts. I’m mostly fishing the top two but have chartreuse and white for the once or twice a year I need it. These are all standard wire and 3/8-1/2 oz. Keitechs are 3.3s and the menace is the smaller one. I’ll throw a thin version of the jigs in clear water but with the same trailers. The two bigger jigs are strike king swinging hook swim jigs. I started fishing them last season as a bigger option. They have limitations but if you want a big profile these are a good bit longer than a normal jig and need a big trailer. These are magnum menace and keitech 4.3. I’d happily put the 5” keitech on one.

For anyone’s reference, the bladed jig on the top is a half ounce tremor from Sieberts (gold blade and tied skirt) with a zako on the back. Golden shiner color on the jig and I forget the zako color. It’s a pretty good approximation for a golden shiner.

yeah this is about right for me too. I’d probably start at half and I might add chartreuse tips if it’s dirty enough. A rage bug might be in consideration too.

Living in NJ my only quiet places are all of my lakes- providing I’m there between 3 and 5 am. Early season helps keep people away too.

fortunately for me, roses are low on the list that my wife likes. Unfortunately though, her preferred are peonies (highly seasonal), hydrangeas, and lilies. and she’s in Switzerland all of the time so her chocolate preferences are down that line.

yeah both don’t have much to the top notes and the top notes disappearing is the biggest change a fragrance has.

Put simply, fragrances are built with top notes, mid notes, and base notes. Top and mid notes are what you smell most when you first spray them. These are the light fragrance ingredients that jump off the page. Fresh citrus (lemon and grapefruit in particular), bright green/herbal, and watery notes (light blue has a lot of that) are top notes. These smells are strong at first but die away quickly. The mid notes are what you smell after a couple minutes when the top notes have dissipated. Lighter woody notes, fruity notes, lots of floral notes all sit in that bucket. The notes you smell after an hour or more are the basenotes. These are things like heavy wood smells, resin, incense, spices, sweet notes, vanillins, musk. spicebomb and ombré leather are both bigger intense fragrances. Spicebomb has a lot of spice but is also quite sweet are resinous also. There are minimal topnotes to it and it’s straight into the lighter spicy notes. A similar resiny sweet spicy fragrance is Gucci guilty intense. Halston z14 is an inexpensive alternative that is sold in drugstores. A higher end fruity spice version is Tom ford plum japonaise. ombré leather is even more intense. It’s a classic smoky saffron leather. There are a half dozen like it, but all are more expensive that i know of. Tuscan leather is the original that ombré leather is based on and one I have at home.

Keep your eyes out for used gear as well. Last I looked, you could get a helix 7 g3 msi for $250-$350 in marketplace.