casts_by_fly

Yeah, I'm with RW on this one. If I'm out to fish, I want to catch fish. It's nice when you're out, the weather's great, and the birds are chirping. Sometimes after catching a half dozen I'll just take a break and sit back to take it all in. We have a lot of bald eagles, deer, and water mammals here, so I'll usually stop what I'm doing for a minute to observe them (I'm not fishing tournaments). But at the end of the day I am out to catch fish and if I don't catch them I'm disappointed that I couldn't figure them out.

I'm not sponsored by anyone but my wife, so can't help with that aspect. However, knowing your worth is always important whether it is sponsorships, workplace pay, or some other area. What you choose to do with that information is up to you, but if I were underpaid by a significant amount vs the industry average or what I could get by moving, I'd want to know that and weigh it against your current circumstance. As an example, the company I work for typically has lower base pay but higher bonus pay. In a boom year you will make significantly more than most any other place. In a bust year you will make less than you could elsewhere. If guaranteed steady highest pay is your determining factor then you'd look elsewhere. I have chosen to stay (I could leave for a job 25% higher base tomorrow) because my workload is great and flexible and the boom bonus years are great (this year is shaping up). Regardless, I know what my worth is elsewhere and have made a conscious decision in what I'm doing.

Freighters are limited capacity right now so they are trying a new method to move containers…

Clear priorities, clean separation of work and home, a solid home life that allows for pastimes. There are only 24 hours in a day. If you’re only paid to work 8 of them (or 6 or 10) then work that many of them. Home life is important. If you have family, friends, etc then they get as much time as you prioritize to them. Only you can decide what’s important to you. If you decide that you want to do 6 days and 12 hours at work, then decide you want to hang out with your friends for another bunch of hours, then that’s your choice of how you spend your hours. Find what works for you, your family, your friends, and makes you happy.

Remember, the weight of the rod tells you the size of the lure you’re fishing. The length of the rod generally depends on the places you’re fishing. Usually smaller lures in smaller places tracks to smaller fish (like native brook trout) and bigger rods and bigger flies means bigger fish. Having one rod for small trout streams and bigger bass flies is pushing what you can do a little. Since you said you have bass covered (and an 8 wt will cover all bass fishing), then let’s focus on trout and panfish. In that cast, the biggest flies you’re fishing are going to be just fine on a 4 or 5 wt, and I don’t see you making 80’ casts to bluegills. I would pick your length based on the smallest place you’re fishing (probably the trout stream) and probably end up at a 4 wt. I have, have owned, and have built/sold 4 wt rods from sub 7’ to almost 11’. For panfish, I think that’s the perfect weight unless you’re going into sinking tips and fishing big waters and lots of wind. For trout, it’s also a great weight for most eastern fishing and presentations.

what he said. If the braid is slipping, that’s an easy fix. Make a mega bomb cast, strip another 10 yards, and mark the spool where the remaining line is. Then strip off the rest and fill with mono backing to that mark. Then top with braid. if the actual drag is pulling, then it could be a couple things in the drag and warrants being looked at by a professional if the reel is worth anything to you.

The falcon amistad is a good a-rig rod. Rated to 2 oz in the expert line. For me, that’s a medium rig with 4 small keitech (3.3) plus one bigger one in the middle (3.8 for me). I put 1/8 ounce heads on the bottom 2 and middle. The top two were just hooks. It comes in around 2.5-3 oz all in, but the rod can handle it just fine and cast it more than far enough.

this is why I asked the question in the first place- to see what I could be looking for in different reels. I’ve fished a baitcaster for over 30 years now so I know how they work and how I like them. This year is really the first year of going into the truly higher end of things and top end attributes. I don’t have both on the same rod so I can’t do a direct 1:1 on them. I’ve bounced the chronarch across a couple rods since I’ve had it longer. The zillion has only been on one rod (and the chronarch wasn’t on that one). So different lures, lines, and rods make it hard to compare. what is the SV BOOST experience in plain words to you? I know what the marketing blurb is, but what lures, weights, presentations does it come into play for you? I might not be taking advantage of it. For me, I run reels loose now, negligible spool tension, and turn up the brakes to my liking. If I’m throwing more than 3/4 oz and throwing shorter I might turn up the spool tension to save my thumb a little. For both reels I’ve been using them in the ‘normal’ bass lure range of 3/8-1/2 oz most of the time, and the ‘average’ casting range up to 25 yards or so. I have other reels for lighter stuff and both will bomb out just fine, just not for the rods and lures on those rods they are all paired with.

If you don't have to have a throwable in the boat then I'd choose something else. If its just for a kayak seat, there are a bunch of aftermarket options available.

Do you have Shimanos to compare with? i agree the zillion is an awesome reel and I'm happy I have it. I don't know that I can call it better than a chronarch. Both are incredible reels with not much between them. I'm curious of what others are looking at in reels that I'm not.

I did this exercise a couple months ago. If you look for my started threads there is one about spending my money on a reel. I have a chronarch and a bunch of abu Garcia of all shapes and sizes. The jdm zillion was suggested based on the exchange rate and getting something special. real world results are that I find it very comparable to the chronarch mgl. Both are aluminum gearing, similar weight and shape profile. Both have a slightly shallower spool profile. Casting is effortless for both and both will cast further than you should be fishing away from you. Both are incredibly silky on the retrieve. The jdm zillion has small knobs and I think a shorter handle. Mine is an 8.1. My chronarch is a 7.1 and has the American shimano handle and grips. I paid basically the same price for a jdm zillion and a used but excellent chronarch. At the same price I would call them dead equivalent to me and I am happy to interchange them (gear ratio and usage aside). thanks rick

for $65 I think I need to get one. That’s cheap.

i class the OG as a squarebill also. I fish the 6’s in the spring prespawn when the fish want a tighter wobble. The dt fat is my summer square.

I think you've hit it on the head. I don't know that we have it here locally, but I'm going to look closer the next time out. We have the pondweed and lily pads that all grow in together, so maybe we have this too. A 3/4 might be enough to get through it if you don't have a lot of skirt or appendages with it. I use a 3/4 in heavy pads here a bunch. You just need to cast it at the edge of a pad or where a couple meet instead of onto the middle of one. Even the smallest of holes is enough to get it the rest of the way down through.

Only if you have weedless and light heads (1/15 is where I'd start). Some bits are typical freestone riffle/pool/tailout but the slower bits get weedy like upland streams are prone to.

Round bend gamakatsu are my replacement hook of choice. 1x short with the magic eye. Size depends on the lure, but a #4 is my starting point for most things. I used 2's for some bigger stuff. Rarely I'll replace with a 6. the G-finesse are also very good hooks. I ordered a pack accidentally when I was looking for round bends and got the wrong item. They are much lighter physically (though I don't see a meaningful difference in stiffness) so take that into account when you're looking at topwaters and the attitude of the bait in the water. I'm leaving the G-finesse for crankbaits.

It looks like pondweed. Long leaf pondweed is very similar, though the leaves are even more elongated. It might still be that. This is an example from Missouri DOC. If there is minimal vegetation underneath, you can swim a swim jig or texas rig through it. Otherwise, drop a texas rig into the holes.

I have an ap120 with a 5’7” bed. No issues. I load stern first and have a double strap that I fit around the nose of the boat. Then two straps into the bed hooks. if it’s a heavy boat it will be challenging to get the stern up onto the tailgate but for a 100# boat or lighter you’ll be fine

Small swim baits, Texas rigged worms either weightless or a tiny weight, a small inline spinner on the ultralight (like an eighth ounce panther Martin), small topwaters if the are looking up. also, wait until after the rain we are getting Monday. The higher water should get the fish feeding.

I don’t see any figments of photoshop, so I’m going to call this one stupidity. I’m also on the flipped over in the water group. The only way to do it off the dock would be to have the trailer going down the ramp and cut the wheel hard to get the truck up the dock. I think you’d notice that, and even if you did it, the truck would be on its side, maybe, and not upside down. I don’t know how it would flip while floating, but it would be a lot easier to flip at zero weight than full car weight.

Teeny tiny micro guides are already on the way out. I think manufacturers are settling in around the size 4 or 5 guide as the all around point of balance and are now working with the guide manufacturers to thin down the ceramic rings. Remember- a guide is measured on the outside of the ceramic ring. So two guides that are a size 5 could have very different inside diameters. I think the Alconites were the first to really trim down the ceramic and give a lot bigger hold for a given size of guide. Also, thinning the ceramic helps bring down weight too which is the ultimate goal. Where in NJ are you?

Before you go too far down the rabbit hole of extra deep cranks and specialized rods, figure out if (1) that's a technique that works on the water in the first place and (2) if that's a technique that works for you as an angler. Throwing 20' crankbaits all day is a workout. Glass rods and rods with full on moderate actions aren't for everybody either. A lighter and slightly faster graphite rod (still moderate to moderate fast) is a better choice for a lot of people. if you want to try a couple of those options while you're refining what you want, drop me a line. I've got a few you can try out.

No doubt that central PA is one of the best places on the east coast to locate yourself if you're a fly fisher. In addition to the quality of fishing is the variety of fishing. Big freestone streams, small mountain streams, tailwaters, rivers, and even a few limestones are all within a short daytrip of anywhere in the region. The yellow breeches was always a favorite of mine for a long time when I was in Pittsburg and I made that trip more than a few times. We also have a family cabin up north central and fished all of the streams that become the susquehanna and allegheny rivers. So much variety and quality.

Point of diminishing returns really. Removing weight is good, but removing a fraction of a percent but losing another function is pointless. I built a steelhead casting rod for float fishing some years ago. I wanted it as a counterpart for my 13' centerpin rod as a shorter/lighter rod but for higher water. I ended up using #2s or #3s for the top half. It did keep the weight down, but I could have gotten away with 4's or 5's just the same. Of course with the tiny guides I couldn't take it out if the air was below 32 since they'd freeze instantly. Durability wise though, that rod worked really well as a mackerel rod when I was in the north of england. We'd run to the school of mackerel and catch a couple dozen for bait. The rod got knocked around a lot, guides occasionally bent, etc and its still going strong.

I'm just south of 80, about an hour from the gap. I'm looking at north of the gap since my plan is to take my kayak (which has a trolling motor) and I understand there's still a bit of water up there at the moment. Otherwise I'm looking at that stretch you mention (yardley to the gap) nearer 78 area since there are some bigger holes that would be fishable. I grew up on the Mon river and the Yough was about 20 minutes away depending on the stretch. I don't know about the current water levels, but normal summer levels you could catch a couple dozen bass in a half day float. tons of 12-15" bass and quite a few that would push 15-20" also. You also get walleye and musky in the bigger pools. I think the state record (or very near) walleye was just caught out of there in the past year or two. Sportmen's clubs stock trout and there are plenty of 15"+ fish in there, some going to multiple pounds. If you're a half hour away I would say its worth a trip.