casts_by_fly

Mine just broke yesterday. I had them on a lanyard around my neck when I pulled on a fish. The fish missed and my rod went straight to my chest. The nose piece broke at both points of attachment to lenses. These are Ray Bans that I got in the UK and they aren't available here in amber lenses. I guess I have to do the 'need new glasses' shop.

Shimano spinning reels in the $75-100 price point have been good value for a while now. A sahara paired with a Falcon Bucoo would fish well and last a while. It should come in just under $200. Size wise, I'd probably go with the 3000 size sahara since the 2500 is the same weight but slower. I like a 2000 size, but there are fewer around now. The Sedona would save a couple bucks and the Falcon Lowrider would be a modest upgrade. That combo would be about $215 but I'd prefer it for the extra $15.

I have a bunch of falcons but none spinning. I've shaken the spinning rods in a store and they seem comparable to the casting rods. I like my Bucoos just fine, and for the price point I think you get a heck of a rod.

We fished Monday in that rain and again Tuesday morning. We caught fish both days. The storm monday was pretty heavy and intense. The lake we fished Tuesday was the dirtiest I've ever seen it. Its usually ~6' visibility as there are only two small streams that flow into it and it has plenty of depth. It was down to 2-3' visibility. If anything, I'd say that the sudden drop in visibility is a good thing here since 6-10' visibility can be tough at times, especially with the high blue skies and heat we have right now. That said, I'm waiting for the heat and sun to break before I'm out again. 95, sunny, clear, and still is not my idea of fun.

Sure you can measure it. 20' minus 12' is 8' different. From a fishing platform perspective, my autopilot and the way I have it set up will fish a lot like a bassboat with a spotlock trolling motor. You're standing just behind your motor, you have a small bit of boat in front of you to fish past, your electronics are right in front/below you, and your rods are at foot level laid down with tips to the rear. Its not as stable as a bass boat, but its still very stable. The trolling motor will take you down a bank or lock you on a spot just the same as the big boat. During the act of fishing, its actually surprisingly comparable. The big difference is the rest of it. Motoring to spots is very different, as is the storage capability. Given the lakes around here, that's the most functional for me as well. Something 16', tiller, decked. A 9.9 is the restriction on most of the lakes I fish (electric only on most of the rest). The unlimited lakes around are small except for 1, so a gas 9.9 would be great. If I could put a 9.9 powered electric motor on then all the better. Maybe by the time I get a boat purchase authorized the battery and motor technology will be good enough for it. Its close now. Similar conversation. "Honey, I'm taking my dad's old bass boat and refurbishing it". "No way". "How about I get a kayak instead".

yep. The lake is big and has a lot of baitfish. It also is pretty deep quickly off shore and doesn't have a ton of cover. So the populations are a bit sparse but the ones that survive grow large. Smallies to 5 lb are caught annually, good sized walleye, and of course muskies. We didn't get skunked, but I've had better days of fishing.

I use the web version all the time. I did the trial on the app this spring and didn't find a benefit for me. I have a humminbird with a zero lines card, so I chart everything as I'm fishing to make my own maps. Navionics online shows me places to start at for lakes I've never fished, but that's about it. The sonar charting isn't bad, but it isn't always right. A couple of my local lakes are missing some detail in Navionics that are important. Since I charted them myself now, I have those details. Bottom hardness/type would be useful. Autochart records and displays it, but I'd like to have it on the web page for navionics for trip prep.

If there is sunshine access, then you might be able to use a solar charger to keep the main cranking battery topped up. If not, a circuit disconnect switch would keep the drain to a minimum and if you're not leaving it for months at a time it should be enough to start it up when they launch it. I'd keep trolling batteries topped up at home and drop them in when you get there.

I have a pretty tricked out kayak. Electric motor, spot lock, nice graph, horizontal rod holders, lights, lithium, etc. it’s a great boat. The past two days I fished with my dad from his 15 year old tracker 165. We fished electric only places so ignoring the gas motor on his and comparing equally, I’d have a small aluminum decked boat in a heartbeat so long as I could rig it as my own. I love my kayak. I can do 4 mph at top speed. I stand to fish and have nothing in front of me to be in the way for casting or pitching. If you are beating a bank or locking into a spot and picking it apart, it’s an awesome platform to fish from. That said, even a basic 165 (or a home made decked out aluminum) is far more capable and more stable (and my autopilot can’t flip). I wish I could leave my rods and tackle in the boat and just launch it. I wish I didn’t have to decide which rods I’m leaving home because I can only take ~5 comfortably (ideally I’d rig ~8-9 and leave them in the boat). I wish everything didn’t get soaked when I go in the rain and I wish i didn’t get soaked myself when launching. I’d like to store my rain gear and maybe a spare shirt or hoodie in the boat and not have to plan to the Nth degree and decide last minute if I was taking something. Tackle isn’t a limiting factor- I have 5 3700 plus a bit- but it would be nice to put it all in dry storage and not have to load and unload it every trip. And, even with the most basic outboard you have far more range and speed than running a 4 mph electric. An electric kayak like I have (I can’t speak for pedal or paddle) is great for 300 acres and under. Really great for 150 and under. If you know the water really well and know where the fish will be then you can go straight there. If you like to fish ‘big ponds’, I.e lakes with no ramp and up to 30 acres then that’s the optimum solution really (easier than a truck bed Jon boat I’d say). If you like to explore little backwater areas then great. That’s not my preference. I grew up and still fish ‘tournament style’ with a compliment of rods rigged on deck and fishing maybe faster than a lot of people. I have rigged my kayak that way and choose places that suit my style. for me, money isn’t a limiting factor so much. We have a 3-car garage but it’s small doors (just over 7’ wide) and only 19’ long so it limits what you can fit. Also my wife said no to a boat but a kayak was okay. Yard storage isn’t an option. On balance, it’s a fine solution for here in north Jersey given how many electric only and horsepower restricted lakes we have. But given free reign, I’d have a 16’ aluminum tiller boat with a full deck and compartments. I’d have a 9.9 on the back (maybe electric) and spotlock on the front (like I have now). I might have a 40-60 on the side for a couple bigger lakes but that’s a luxury. It would store a full set of rods and tackle, plus have dry storage for rain gear/clothes, snacks, gear, etc. i don’t need a livewell but if it fit I’d have it. for reference, I grew up in a 14’ aluminum and then an 18’ glass boat with a 150. I fished in a kayak first in 2002. I’ve done it seriously over the past 18 months since we moved back.

Size 2000 spools are plentiful and cheap in the used market. I’d just grab a cheap one and use that.

afraid not. I was shorebound for the first half season when we moved here. It’s tough here for that. Spruce run is a good bet but it’s a bit of a haul for you.

Clinton is part of the Newark water permit system and they don’t allow kayaks so I don’t know it. If you were planning to kayak fish there you can’t. Same for echo, canistear, and oak ridge. Boats are allowed and I think shore fishing is allowed (though the terrain is tough) but not kayaks. Check the Newark water website for details. https://www.newarknj.gov/card/boating-fishing monksville is called skunksville and I can see why. It’s steep off shore in a lot of places and there is a lot of the lake that has no type of shore cover for fish to relate to. It doesn’t mean the fish aren’t there, just means it can be a tough lake. Not sure how far you want to travel. Split rock is a beautiful lake and a lot of people catch good fish from it. I fished it once in April and the launch is down over a hill that makes launching my kayak prohibitive. Musconetcong is a 200 acre shallow lake with a lot of good bass 15-20”. The gras was sprayed 6 weeks ago so the fish should be in their summer patterns now with whatever is left. Probably lily pads and pond weed. Most of the lake is 5’ deep with a little bit shallower. Budd lake is right nearby and at 375 acres isn’t too huge. Fish the west woods bank and it’s 2-7’ and hold bass, pickerel, and pike. Tons of cover to cast to, free kayak launch. Pompton lake is still on my ‘to explore’ list but based on what I’ve read and seen, I’m pretty confident in catching bass there. If you want to stay north then green turtle pond/lake between monksville and greenwood would do you well.

cheap london dry, yes. Something like a seagrams is pretty rough. A juniper heavy good gin will be pretty pine heavy also (tanqueray for instance). But there is so much variation in gin that some are like a spiced or citrus vodka more than gin. The Malfi lemon I mentioned above is in that category.

Can’t help with loomis or caras, but now you’re talking experts and bucoo I’m in. That’s about all I carry in the boat now (I have one shimano specialist). I fished the trapcaster, lizard dragger, and pitchin stick in the bucoo lineup all last year. At the end of last year I started bringing in experts and have the amistad, head turner, finesse jig/topwater, hudson special, and table rock. you said you’re looking at the medium cracker (aka Mansfield) but didn’t specify quite what for unless I missed it. I’ve not fished that rod, but I’ve held and flexed the bucoo version. It is lighter than I want to fish. If your plan is 10-12 lb line and crankbaits up to a 1.5 kvd or Spro little John around open water than you’d be good. It doesn’t have the backbone for any type of cover to me, and I wouldn’t want to try and throw a half ounce with it. Maybe the expert or cara versions are better and more powerful, but the bucoo wouldn’t be enough. If you want a lighter power treble hook rod, the 7’ all-round is a great rod. I have the bucoo version. I fish it with 30 lb braid for some added sensitivity on the bucoo blank. Occasionally I’ll throw a fluoro leader on it but mostly it’s straight braid with lipless and small cranks (up to a dt-10). I fished it all of last year with 10-14 mono and even 17 fluoro for various things. Biggest fish caught on it was a 7 lb hybrid and it did just fine. I don’t think the Mansfield would have done so well with that fish. The 7’ cara all round is Jason Christie’s small crankbait rod. a bit bigger is the Hudson special. It’s physically more imposing than the all round but has a nice moderate fast action and bends deep on a fish. I fish it with ploppers and buzzbaits primarily. I’ll take either this rod or the trapcaster depending on the lake. If the plan is cranks, I grab the trapcaster first. If it’s topwater I’ll grab the Hudson. Both will backup the other and kinda duplicate each other. rick

which one are you looking at going to? In your area there are a bunch to explore but some are better than others. If you only have a month and a half, might as well just hit the good ones. I’m going to be up your way tomorrow morning at Monksville. rick

which lakes are you talking about? I think you mentioned Oradel in a previous post. Lost of the north nj lakes get a thermocline and oxygen depleted zone below in the 25-30’ so no use going deeper. When you say 20-50’ I think you mean that depth range, not that the lakes have dropped 30’. I don’t know any lakes here that are that low. Round valley is down about 15-20’ but it’s been that low for over a year due to dam works. this time of year around here, the fish are 1-12’ deep mostly. On a couple lakes the smallies follow bait deeper but if you focus on the 5-12’ edges and weeds you’ll catch fish.

Yes, bass will herd up the shad or herring like tuna do ocean bait. Get them to the surface and start busting.

i know this wasnt to me, but I do have one of the seat front pockets. It’s great.

We are doing dinner out an hour away tonight or else I would too. One martini and one of anything else and I’m done for being functional. Plus one martini usually leads to three.

I generally agree with you and expressed that concern to the creator initially. We had some back and forth emails and phone calls and he put me on the tester list. I just mounted it this week and will test it out. It’s a clever design and I’m less worried about scupper holes based on what I’ve seen.

I don't have either of these, but a shimano SLX BFS and a BPS microlite will be close (I think). The SLX is $150 from digitaka and the microlite casting is $59. I have the microlite in a spinning rod for trout and they punch above their weight. The ML casting is rated 1/16-3/8 and is nominally a F action. Heck, this has me thinking about this combo for myself for trout and panfish.

got it. I've been on some sit on tops that are similar. My autopilot is steady as a rock, so I don't have the problem, but I fished standing up in a smaller sit on top when we were on vacation and I was fly fishing. You had to keep your wits about you. if you really want to get into standing, a grab bar would help a lot. They aren't cheap, but they will help you keep your weight centered.

I fish mine on MH and H Falcons (Hudson special and Lizard dragger 1). Action MF. 14/17 lb mono or thereabouts. I'm using a 110 most of the time, but might drop to a 90. The hooks are sharp and fish generally attack them hard when they hit them so are often hooking themselves. I treat them like a big crankbait when it comes to the rod. I also don't prefer true moderate actions for crankbaits. rick

I dislike spinning gear for bass and generally. It doesn't fit well in my rod setup in my kayak either so that limits me more. I rarely fish anything under a 1/4 oz let alone an eighth, so no issues there. I agree a $25 spinning combo can throw a light worm far easier and more efficiently than a baitcaster- i just don't like spinning setups.

So I lived in the Uk for 12 years and Gin is kinda a thing there... I also make my own gin (I have a small still). I haven't counted all of the gins I've had but its well into the three figures, most of them as a gin and tonic for the first time trying it so I get the gin profile and then see where it mixes best later. First and foremost is getting good tonic water. For a long time here in the US it was Schweppes or Canada dry and that was it (maybe store brand). Then maybe 10 years ago you started to get more craft or higher quality. I'm a huge fan of Fevertree tonic. In the UK it was everywhere and it was relatively cheap (about $2 for a big bottle, not much more than schweppes). Here it is expensive- a 4-pack of 6.8 oz bottles is about $6 at Target- but its worth it. Standard gold bottle original is the best overall. The light is the best 'diet' tonic I've found and great for lighter gin flavors. Mediterranean is fun, we've just tried cucumber (my wife likes it), and the lemon tonic is great with sloe gin. If you don't want to get Fevertree, schweppes is my supermarket choice. Its enough quinine and cinchona without overpowering or turning you off. I'm not a fan of Q (too much cinchona/bitterness and too dry). I can deal with Canada dry but its a bit boring. My best friend prefers tonic syrup and soda water. I do not and struggle to get into it. Ratios are personal preference. For me, a good 2-2.5 oz pour of gin and a 6.8 oz fevertree is about right. I might bump to 3 oz if I want a little more gin or down to 2 if its a navy strength gin. The more important thing is a big glass and lots of ice. In Spain you get served in a Copa, which is like a red wine glass in size and shape. Normally a dozen large ice cubes or more. You can scale up or down on the total drink, but make sure you have twice as much ice as liquid. Garnishes need to match or complement the gin. Lime is good for a London dry gin and that's the bar standard for most all gins. Lemon is a good choice for london dry also especially if the gin has more of a coriander flavor. Lemon is also great with Malfi lemon gin. Grapefruit (either wedge or just an expressed peel) does well with slightly softer gins. Cucumber is the standard for Hendricks and pairs well with light profile gins also. Orange goes with sweeter or oriental /spiced style gins a lot of the time (Opihr is a good example) or any gins that use a lot of orange peel in their distillation. Herbs are a good choice too. Rosemary is an easy one since a stalk of rosemary stands up in a glass and is very fragrant on the nose without a ton of flavor added. Basil, thyme, and mint can all do the same thing. You can also get less traditional garnishes like olives (try that paired with rosemary and Gin Mare), mango, or watermelon cubes. The main thing is to not overpower the gin and tonic. I even had a cocktail shrimp as a garnish once (Lobstar gin which is distilled with lobster shells in the still). Which Gin? So many choices now. Lots of old standards and lots of upstarts. Probably the three market leaders (if I had to guess) for this purpose would be Bombay, Tanqueray, and Hendricks. All good in their category. Bombay is London dry style but has a lighter juniper character and a bit more coriander and lemon- definitely a crowd pleaser and one I buy by the handle. Great in G&T, makes a great martini, and still stands up enough in a negroni or other big cocktail. Tanqueray is London dry but much heavier on the juniper. People who don't like the 'pine' in gin won't like this. Tanqueray 10 is a more refined version. Hendricks saw an opening in the market for a floral gin and they added a ton of rosehip/rose petal/orris root to a fairly juniper gin. Lightened up with some cucumber its a very unique flavor profile and definitely a crowd pleaser. Beyond the big three there are tons of choices. Malfi lemon is an Italian gin that is more like a lemon vodka than gin but with light tonic and a lemon peel it is sooo refreshing in the hot- almost like an alcoholic sprite. Gin mare is a Spanish gin that has heavy vegetal/green notes. Its great in a G&T with a green garnish like noted above, but also makes a great dirty martini. The Botanist is from Islay and is a very light, almost marine flavor gin that pairs well with light flavor profiles. Light fevertree, rosemary, and a grapefruit peel are the answer here. Sipsmith is based in Chiswick, west London, and we lived around the corner at one time. They have made a presence here in the US now. Very juniper forward, similar to Tanqueray but cleaner, maybe more creamy even. Monkey 47 is a complex gin with 47 botanicals. It's pricy and comes in a 500 ml bottle (so extra pricy per ounce), but has a unique flavor profile (so pair with regular tonic and a simple garnish). Opihr I mentioned above has a spiced profile with coriander, cardamom, bit of ginger even (not a ton of juniper). Great G&T, also very good in a martinez cocktail. Plymouth Navy strength (56% i think) is like a London dry on steroids. Good for a G&T (try it with Mediterranean fevertree), also does well in a negroni. Whitley Neil has some cool flavored gins- my FIL loves the quince flavor which makes a nice G&T. Hendricks does some seasonal editions (a friend just gave me Neptunia which I'll try tomorrow, mid summer solstice was great, Lunar was awesome). Aviation gin is an American gin, not too dissimilar to Botanist in the light profile category. And my favorite you can't get here (edit- looks like total wine might carry it now! YAY!). Silent Pool gin is made about 15 minutes from our last UK house. Its lighter on the juniper and big on the orange peel, coriander, and lighter florals. We used to visit when they had two stills that were little bigger than a refrigerator set up in a converted barn. For a G&T, pair it with an orange wedge and fevertree gold. For my own stuff, I have a london dry style I like and a citrus forward that is good. But my favorite of all of my own is an oriental spiced gin heavy on the allspice. Great in a G&T but crazy good in a martinez. I also did one that was very anise forward (I made a mistake in the recipe) that tasted like a cross between gin and ouzo/sambuca/black licorice. If you like that flavor you loved the gin. Not many love that flavor...