casts_by_fly

my phone is either in the latched dry hatch or in my chest pocket (either in bibs, a vest, or some other shirt I'm wearing) and always zipped. The only time it comes out is when I go to take a picture of a fish. In that case, I always have a routine- net fish, secure net under foot, put rod in holder, unhook fish (if trebles), take phone out/turn to photo, set it on the floor, pick up fish held over boat, pick up phone held over boat, take picture and phone gets put away. I don't take pictures of every fish but my phone is either in my hand or below the top edge of the boat all the time. I don't really use tethers on much of anything else. I have my clippers tethered, but that's a hangover from where I used to keep them vs now. My rods have a strap for the horizontal rod holder that I'll use getting in and out of the boat or if the waves kick up. My seat strap clips through my tackle bag strap, so worst case that isn't going anywhere. If you're not really using them on the water then a basic drybag from Amazon for $10 is plenty. We have one that we take diving and other water sports for just that purpose. Drop things in, wrap it up, and clip it off to something. Its never leaked on me.

I think they would be great for places where you are drift fishing. For casting down a bank a little less so. Maybe you could anchor and fish off shore locations.

A Lowrance Hook reveal 5 with a split shot transducer is running $279 right now at TW. For another $60 you can buy the same but with inland maps included. If you don't want side imaging, this is the best deal running right now. I run side imaging in my kayak all the way down to 0.5-1.0 mph and have a good picture. Sure its more information faster at higher boat speed, but tune your scroll speed to your boat speed and you're fine. If side imaging is useful for you then get it. I love it in mine.

and while you're doing that, double check that you didn't lose/break the ceramic ring on the tip top. The ceramic rings have a nice smooth, large diameter for line to slide and roll off of. If its just the metal you'd definitely cause this problem.

I guess it kinda depends on what you want to class as purely ornamental. I have a fenwick HMG sitting here that is < 10 years old that has a pair of 'framing' wraps above and below the decal. They are simple black wraps with gold, spaced thread inlays, but they serve no purpose than to frame the Fenwick logo and rod info. Like said above though, as labor costs started to add up on rods, its an easy place to save a couple points of margin. Trim wraps are another one. For the longest time there was the main guide wrap and then a contrasting thread wrap on the end (often metallic thread). Then trim wraps disappeared on the top halves of rods. Then on the bottom halves. I have a set of All stars from the early 90's here that have the full trim wraps. I'd have to check in the basement on some other rods. The more ornamental things like diamond wraps or spaced out spirals I would say started disappearing in the 70's. I have a couple 70's vintage fiberglass here with them.

I do about the distance of 3-5 thread wraps. You need just enough to be sure the thread is coated. Any more is aesthetics and preference.

@S Hovanec maybe? You don’t need a large to turn one of you have a cork clamp and an electric sander. I did a bunch that way. Rough file to take the heavy off, then 240 grit on the sander. Flip it upside down between your knees. Hold the rod with both hands and turn it with just light pressure. Get the shape right and the work your way down 300/400 grit.

I have the expert amistad and could wholeheartedly recommend it for what you want. You may want to look at the expert over the cara. The recent caras are supposedly stiffer at the tip in the amistad compared to the expert.

I too placed an order last night, though the bluegill jigs were in my previous order from ~2 weeks ago. I think I went blue oyster and a few others. Last night was spinnerbaits mostly.

A 'bluegill' swim jig up under docks is a given. Pick your poison for color. I also want to try a berkley gilly when they are eventually back in stock. I think they could be dynamite on a weighted swimbait hook up under docks and run through the weeds we have here.

spawn or not, bass love bluegills. Most of the lakes up here don't have shad so bluegills are the primary forage. A bluegill imitation that comes past a bass is going to get eaten. For me that's chatterbaits and swimjigs mostly. Also my lighter colored crankbaits are usually a bluegill type instead of a shad type. I've never seen bluegills spawn in the summer or fall. That's not to say that they don't, but I've never seen it.

bluegill are basically the same. They are more tolerant of other bluegill nests nearby (compared to bass who are less tolerant of other nests nearby) and bluegill are more tolerant of open areas whereas bass prefer to have a log or rock on one side of the bed. I'd be surprised if you haven't missed the bluegill spawn. They are due to start up here in NJ anytime now (water is around 70). You must be 3-4 weeks ahead of us.

832 is the only braid I've been able to get along with. Not tried smackdown, but I'll check it out next time I am ordering.

same for me. I'm still fishing new lakes in this area so go through the initial 'how do you approach it' process. I try to do recon via navionics or other maps ahead of time and make a short list of things to try and places to check depending on time of year. But absent that and I'm just driven to a new lake after work by a buddy? This time of year the water is warming up and the fish are either spawning or post spawn up here. Temps are getting to where shallow water is still the ticket. The shad spawn and bluegill spawn are imminent or happening. Windy and raining? I'm throwing a spinnerbait and covering water throwing to any piece of cover I can see. Use the wind to your advantage and fish the banks that are getting peppered with it. Wind blows food and baitfish follow food.

My last shipment from Alf was the same. I had that once from swansons via Amazon minus the paper between.

i think you’ll be happy with them. I actually had put in an order about 3 weeks ago for some shot callers of similar color sets and other stuff so this order was a bit lighter. I’m trying the spinnerbaits and bulking up my mixed jigs collection.

ive not had it on spinning but on a baitcaster the solution is a looong cast every now and then and put a little tension on it. That hardens up the line base so the looser stuff later doesn’t dig as bad

Any chance they checked it and it was fine but then melted after? I’d want to know why it melted in the first place so that it didn’t happen again

Thanks Bruce! I’ll have a look at both. also for reference, my kayak is motorized so I don't mind reservoirs up to 800 acres or so for a day trip. I fish 2000+ acres here but it takes a couple trips to learn them. 800 I can fish most in a day unless it’s super long and skinny.

Thanks! I’ll get clicking.

hi All, I'm from western PA originally and never really fished the eastern side of the state. I'm in NJ now and working my way through the NJ lakes. I bought a PA license this year to fish with my dad back home so that opens up eastern PA for me. Anything worth targeting? Obviously the Delaware is already on the list. I'm in a kayak so Wallenpaupack might not make the list but any other suggestions? thanks, rick

I keep a can of reel magic handy. I've found suffix elite mono to be super supple and low memory but for whatever reason it will occasionally go curly-cue. I don't know if it is being left in the truck in the heat, because the weather was cold/dry/humid/hot/whatever, or something else. A good spray of RM and a stretch are usually enough to get it back to good. On my spinnerbait and chatterbait rods I don't mind as much but pitching a jig or throwing a walking bait gets tough. Like said above, it doesn't help with hooksets or bad knots. If you're snapping a double uni between 50 and 17 on a hookset I'd suggest checking your knots better when tied.

can't wait to hear the verdict on it. I keep my head turner as a short pitching rod with mono for when I'm around brush and trees (the amistad with braid does grass and pads pitching) but it also does double duty for bladed baits depending what else I have on which rods. I tend to like a MF for blade baits but the head turner also fishes a spinnerbait really well. I've got a dozen and a half trips in with the expert head turner now and its a great rod. If you like topwaters it works really well as a big walking bait rod too. The faster tip gives really good control.

is there a way to filter items to see what is in stock? I couldn't see it if there is.