casts_by_fly

or the digital version of that- screen shot the section of map and draw. that said, navionics has marker points on the website. I'm not sure how people have put them into navionics in the first place but there are waypoints/markers all over my local lakes. When you click on them on the website it pulls up information about the waypoint. When you try to add a marker or edit the map, it says you have to do it through the app. I've not done that myself, but I imagine on the app you can put in custom markers and not share them.

When fighting a freshwater fish, you’re not going to put more than maybe 5-6 lb of pressure and that’s on a fish bigger than a bass, so absolute breaking strength isn’t the biggest issue. like you said, straight braid works just fine for tons of applications. Where you might want a leader is for abrasion resistance around rocks or (for mostly saltwater) around fish with sharp skin/scales/teeth. Or as noted above, casting some treble hooked baits. Trebles and braid can tangle in the air and be fouled before it hits the water. Similar for walking baits- a limp braid will pile on the surface after a twitch and the lure can run it over on the next twitch. A piece of stiff mono can prevent that.

If you want fast and easy to get on the water then small pontoon would be quick and easy. You can get them down to 50lb or even less. If your vehicle is big enough you could leave it inflated and assembled. Just carry it to the water.

another nj guy here. The attached picture was a month ago when it was still 60 degree water. That same place right now will be matted with that same grass and four times as dense. On Thursday the lake I was on was getting there and almost impassible in an electric motor. Not all of it, but it was getting thick. anything with a treble hook is wasting your time. Even targeting the edges or the cuts you’ll still have grass fouling you on every cast and it’s worse that you can just rip through. A chatterbait can get around the edges and cuts of the lake isn’t solid yet. I caught one Thursday on a chatterbait fishing the shore side of the grass where it breaks up. A swim jig, Texas rigged swim bait, or another Texas rigged plastic is about the only thing that will go through it. I’ve had success doing that. Otherwise you can over it. Frogs and toads go over well most anywhere. A buzzbait works if it’s patchy mats. I haven’t tried it but a speed worm along the top would work. If you’re on the deeper lakes, remember that the grass grows about 8’long here. So in 14’ of water you’ll have about 6’ clear on top of it. A dt-6/4 over the top is effective. There aren’t a ton of places to make that work but there are a couple lakes for it. where in NJ are you?

A pond that size I would have some 1/16 oz jig heads with a mix of twister tails and small swim baits plus a 3” fluke trig weightless.

You'll have to check on the weights, but I think there are some pretty hikable ones. I know guys hike them into the high mountain trout lakes. And, you'd save not carrying in waders and fins. A quick search shows me one at 43 lb which is pretty packable. I don't know that boat but I wouldn't rule it out. https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/classic-accessories-roanoke-pontoon-boat

Forgot about the forum question. There aren't many good, local forums on the web unless you're in a high volume area. You have to search around and look. Lots of forums have a local section, but how much traffic you have locally will vary. I'm sure the north alabama forums are full. NJ forums no so much. Google is your friend. Facebook groups will have more in my experience. Also, I find that on local forums asking for specific lake recommendations is a big no-no. Very few people will answer 'what lake is that from' and some even go to the extent of blurring backgrounds. I understand. Certainly around here there is a lot of fishing pressure. Some lakes get concentrated pressure because they are unlimited horsepower (there are only a couple of them around). Some lakes are small (under 100 acres) so 3 boats can be a lot of pressure. There are a couple lakes that I don't talk about (I'm sure everyone has their own Menderchuk or two). So in that case, you're in the right forum right now. BR will give you the info you need.

I'm not a finesse guy. I don't have the patience to dead stick a bait. So for me, a chatterbait is my de-skunker. I'll fish it from 45 degree water until the water is 45 degrees again. Burn it across the top, slow roll it on the bottom, yo-yo it, rip it through grass, or pitch it just like a jig. You can cover a LOT of water if you have a big area or you can fish it tight in small places. If there is any kind of grass around you're golden. Since all of our lakes here are grass lakes its become my go to.

Doesn't that require a paid Navionics account? I tried the app and did the trial, but didn't want to pay for it in the end since I don't use it on the phone much. The free web version was just fine for me.

Are the pontoon style inflatables allowed? Sitting in a tube in the water is okay, but sitting on top is a lot better. Inflatable tubes but a metal frame to hold them together. Also, what about an inflatable kayak? If you are limited to a tube, then you'll want waders. Type depends on the fins you choose. Some are designed for boot foot waders and just strap/lace over them. I'd go that route since you have waders. Make sure the tube you pick has at least two if not three chambers. I got a puncture once and it was close getting it back to shore.

https://webapp.navionics.com/?lang=en#boating@14&key={qyxFpspfM Navionics for the win. The maps aren't perfect but they are pretty close. Make sure you swap to 'sonar chart' in the bottom left. Then once you get on the water you can use a fish finder. If you really want to try and get close you can use a combo of navionics and google maps satellite view. Pick your spots on navionics then drop waypoints in google maps that correspond. Then on the water, your phone has your scouting spots marked in google maps. Its not as slick as riding around in the boat and dropping pins, but you can do it from home when you have time and your time on the water becomes fishing and not looking.

agreed. My favorite in the Falcon lineup and of all my rods, this is the one I'd have multiples of first. Given the rest of the rods I carry, I tend to keep this one for walking baits, swim jigs, and 3/8 bladed baits but it fishes squarebills, light T-rigs, finesse jigs, and more.

Are you set on the mid-seven foot length? It seems like it based on your initial rod thoughts, but in case you're not I'll throw one out for you. The Falcon expert 'lizzard dragger' is a great chatterbait rod. I fish a lot of chatterbaits on a lot of rods. At one point this spring I had 3/4 of the rods in the boat rigged with a chatterbait. Different actions, lengths, powers, etc. I also prefer a more moderate fast rod. My favorite right now is the Shimano Crucial IM10 crankbait rod because it just flings them. The falcon is right next to it. 7', 3/8-1 oz, moderate fast (on the moderate side of that), heavy power (though closer to a MH+). It flings a 1/2 oz CB and trailer really well.

For walking baits or similar that I am actively working the bait I use my 6'10" falcon expert finesse jig/topwater model (5 power). Its a lighter side of medium heavy (though not quite medium) and fast action. Perfect for for walking baits. I have an Abu MGL on it and the whole thing weighs a shade over 9 oz. For buzzbaits and ploppers I use the 7'3" Hudzon special. Also a 5-power but totally different rod. Moderate fast but twice the diameter of the finesse jig/topwater. Tons of power down low with a lighter top third. A true medium heavy, it throws a 1/2 oz buzzbait a long way (I did it just last night in fact) but can also throw a 4 1/2" unweighted sluggo (also did that last night). Both rods have 14 lb Suffix Elite mono on them (0.015" diameter).

i have my dads and my older Plano boxes from the early 90’s. One is the double sided, two are the top and bottom latched with bulk and spinnerbait storage on the bottom. I remember thinking they were the best thing ever at the time. Now? Meh. I use them to store spare lures here in the house. I’ve standardized around 3700 size boxes. I went Plano guide series and mine holds 5x 3700, 1x 3600, and the side pockets each hold a dozen or so bags of soft plastics. I picked up a spinnerbait box and a soft plastics box. I wouldn’t get the soft plastics box again. I would definitely get the spinnerbait box again (maybe two). I fish from a kayak and I don’t fish tournaments. This bag is basically all I carry. To do it again, I would either go bigger on the bag or standardize on 3600’s. Right now I swap out lures based on the season because I can’t carry it all. I have hard baits in a 3700 but have a second 3600 with off color crankbaits, seasonal selections, etc that I may or may not throw in. Frogs and grass spoons are in a box together that I just started carrying now that the grass is grown up. I make it work, but sometimes I want something that’s in a box I don’t have. A set using 3600 size would all work easier mix and match. A bigger tackle bag for 3700 size would be nice. rick

I wouldn’t do field alterations. Just fish it and keep fishing it how it is until you’re home or in a place where you can work on it. A file is messy. A hacksaw is better. A dremmel tool or arrow cutoff saw is better yet. Wrap the blank in masking tape where you are cutting it.

they used to sell a 4” version of those (they might still but I haven't looked) that were the bees knees for fly tying. I still have my 20 year old pair in with my tying kit and I’m confident they could cut any hair, feather barb, or tying thread right now. Not only did the blades stay sharp, the pivot stayed incredibly tight. this is a timely reminder as the scissors I was using for braid tonight just weren’t cutting it (pun fully intended). When I have a short tag end I don’t want to have to put tension on it to cut it. I’m going to update my Amazon basket tonight.

I love my falcons and they suit me and my style very well. I don't know what type of action or weight of bait you're looking at, but I'll throw a couple out there. You said medium heavy and a bunch of bait so I'm thinking a one-rod does it all situation. I think my favorite is the 6'10" finesse jig (5 power) in the expert lineup ($200). I've thrown most everything on it. It's great for 3/8 bladed baits, 1/4-3/8 jigs with trailers, and topwaters. It fishes a DT6 or DT fat just fine (both are around 3/8 oz). If you are going heavier and like a more powerful rod or are planning to pitch 3/8 a lot then the head turner (6 power, 6'10") is very similar but a bit more powerful. I have both rigged at any given moment. I use the head turner as my lighter pitching rig with 17 mono (the Amistad with braid is my heavy pitching rig). The head turner is not my preference for bladed baits but lots of guys love it for that. For most of my moving baits (usually 1/2 oz plus a trailer), I prefer a moderate fast action and bump up to the 7' 6 power lizzard dragger. Lots of power down low, a bit more bend in use. Great for single hook moving baits, throws medium to large cranks well, will throw a 110 plopper really well. Its a little slow in action to be a regular jig/t-rig rod but it does it in a pinch. rick

I used up my Abu oil that came with the reels and moved to this because of the applicator needle. Its great oil and you can't beat $6 and prime delivery. It will last me years. https://www.amazon.com/Pro-Shot-1-Ounce-Friction-Needle/dp/B005KW7NA8/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2HXW4BVJTV1P4&keywords=pro+shot+zero+friction+oil&qid=1654191557&sprefix=pro+shot+zero+friction+oil%2Caps%2C70&sr=8-2

that sounds like a great outcome. Congrats! Now which store so that we can look out for that sale in a couple weeks.

If its glued then its glued. The process for having a shorter butt now is either a pain in the butt (pun fully intended) or a shorter rod, neither of which you intended. Wrap it and fish it for the rest of the year to see how you get on. Never know, maybe you'll find that you like it. There are some times when I fish a couple of my rods had longer butts and a couple times I wish they were shorter. rick

yep. Just clip it off to any attachment point with a snap or rope. If you have tracks on the kayak all the better.

side view is great for seeing what is off to the sides without running over it. It’s a good way to visualize and highlight depressions, ditches, and find rocks/stumps. I find that I don’t run side and down together very much. I think down is the least useful for me personally.

I have a Helix 7 with side imaging on it. If you are sticking to one view at a time, then 7" is plenty. If you are splitting the view two or three ways and moving full speed then I'd prefer bigger. So for me, that means swapping views depending on if I am beating the bank (side, often just to one side, plus 2D), targeting a specific dropoff/point/etc (chartview + 2D or side, sometimes both), transiting a distance (usually side on full screen or side plus chart if I need a map), etc. The helix lets you turn on and off views and customize each set of views, so I just scroll through until I find what I want. If you can swing a 9, I'd get a 9. I would go for the best quality you can swing in a 7 before I got a cheaper 9 though. There ya go. Just corrected it for my dad's boat which just got a slight new setup. He went from a 2000's lowrance equivalent of the Fishin Buddy at the consol because he broke the transducer for the umpteenth time and we couldn't fix it. He already had a 7" elite Ti on the front that he moved to the back and threw an Elite FS 7" in its place on the bow.

On smaller ponds that have a limited number of fish you can really lock jaw them quickly with fishing pressure. There's a good chance that you've caught a significant proportion of the catchable size bass in that lake if you've fished it 3-4x per week for multiple weeks and caught a fair number each time. It sounds like a city park type of lake I have a couple of those around here. If you shocked the whole lake you might find it only has a hundred bass in it. If you've caught 30 'catches' You've probably caught 15-20 unique bass which is going to be a sizeable proportion of the population. Scale up or down with how many you've caught. Now add up how many other guys have caught those fish on the weekends (bass don't know what day it is) and they have become educated quickly for popular lures (which I'd suspect a senko is one). If you still want to catch fish there, I'd start downsizing and going at night (not necessarily both of those at the same time). I'd also not fish a place 3-4x a week for a couple weeks personally.