casts_by_fly

Hi gents, I have a 3 car garage which is part of the house (a bedroom above and the wall borders the dining room). It is unheated and that’s not been a problem, but now with the boat sitting in the garage I’d like to heat it some in the winter to take the chill off so I can be out there working on things. We aren’t the frigid north where it is 0 degrees outside. For the most part it is in the 20-35 range outside which pulls the garage to 30-40 inside. I am going to insulate the garage doors to mitigate temps better and that will give me a couple degrees. But I want to add a heater to try to hit 55-60 degrees or so (70 would be even better). It would probably even lessen my main furnace heating a little to keep the garage a little warmer. I have a 220 dryer plug that is a 14-30. That limits me to about 5000 watts (18k BTU give or take) on an electric heater. I might be able to get that to 7500 W if there is a 40 amp breaker already there, but I don’t think so. Anyone else here run a 5000W heater that can input on how effectively it can heat up a garage? Online guidance seems to say that 30k BTU is about right but since this is part of the house I suspect it can do with a little less. For less money I can get more BTUs in a propane heater, but I don’t want that for an enclosed space with no ventilation if I can get away with an electric option that I just turn on the switch. Any thoughts? thanks, rick

I just got my original shimano bantam from my dad when I was home (and his also). I haven’t fished one in 30 years or so, but might just have to put one on a rod for a trip or two this year. They are still silky smooth. They just don’t have infinite anti reverse which is annoying.

Dedicated and sync’s screens would be really nice. If I was tournament fishing then I’d definitely want that. The extra couple touches and part seconds to swap around (not to mention the mis-taps and misplaced waypoints), the reduced number of pixels on a target due to split screening, etc all work against you and time. Having a map with waypoints on one, side imaging on another, and down/2D on the third while moving around and then mapping/live/2D+down on them while fishing with only swapping one screen (SI to live) would be pretty sweet. I don’t need it myself now but with unlimited budget and space I’d have it.

I ascribe to the three layer model and have for all cold weather pursuits. - base wicking layer - mid insulation layer - outer protective layer The layers change based on the conditions and temps, but the base layer is what keeps sweat off your skin. Sweat on the skin cools as it evaporates and makes you cold. Wick it away first. The mid layer is your ‘air’ layer and the bulk of your insulation. The goal is to trap air. That can be fleece, wool, down, or something else. Your outer layer is protection against wind and rain. No sense going to all the effort to wick moisture and hold heat if you’re going to let the wind blow it away. You can vary the layers depending on the conditions and with 2-3 variations of each layer you can be out in conditions down to zero with fair wind while still comfortable. On the base layer you can get really thin, skin tight wicking layers up to a heavy weight merino base layer. For the mid layer, a lighter technical hoodie is a good start but a heavier fleece (like AJay mentioned) or wool pullover is a good heavy weight option. Then on the outer layer a technical windbreaker shell is a good lightweight option; a rainproof shell with a zip in/out liner is a versatile mid and heavier weight. Put that all together and on the light side you have a wicking skin, a light hoodie, and a windbreaker. That’s good for 50 degrees and a light breeze. A mid weight merino base, a decent fleece, and a rain shell will be good down to 30 or so and also cover you for rain. If it warms up mid day just lose the shell. In the coldest, a zip in down liner for the rain jacket over a heavy base and a heavy fleece will keep you warm at zero degrees while sitting still in a tree. You don’t want to walk far or up a big hill unless you pack in the outer layer. You can mix and match depending on all the things and your own preferences/tolerance. A heated vest between the wicking layer and mid layer will let you go a layer lighter in places for a given activity (or go a temp range colder for a given layering). Interchangeable zip in/zip out liners are great if you have a system that works with them. Electric hand warmers in a hoodie pocket that is inside an outer shell makes a nice little warm spot.

Always hard to be 100% sure. Also, you’re not moving very fast at 0.2 mph so that is going to stretch things left and right even if your scroll speed is 1. That said, the vertical stacking more than 2 or 3 high says ‘not bass’. That’s more crappie and white bass that will do that.

dropping down from 20 to 15 to 10 lb range lines (and yes it varies by maker and type) you’ll see a notable difference at each step for a given line. 20lb big game just doesn’t stretch on bass. 10 has a good bit. As you go down there comes a point when you have to lighten up your hook wires and/or go with a little stiffer rod. when I fished steelhead a ton we threw 4 and 6 lb XL. A 9’ light power steelhead rod with 6lb xl on a 4k sized reel with a 1/2 or 3/4 oz spoon (kastmaster, ko wobbler, etc) will cast a mile (in reality, about 100 yards) but if you try to set the hook that far you’d struggle. 50 yards with that setup and good sharp hooks are you were okay. Very extreme example but the point is the same. If you have too much stretch and not enough rod then adjust the wire appropriately.

I’ve caught a bunch of big fish on 4-6# mono (mostly trout, salmon, and carp). Just realize the limitations on your setups. Even in open water you’re going to struggle to get a good hookset on a medium rod, 6# mono, and a whopper plopper with #2 hooks. There is just a little too much give to set that thicker hook well.

Do you have an on board charger and other batteries? If so, I would stick with all 12v. There are more options of straight 12V chargers. If you’re going to have a dedicated charger for just this battery then it doesn’t matter.

When NJ couldn’t produce enough pheasants a few years back they bought chukkars and stocked them on the same wma’s as pheasants. They also put out a few thousand in the 3 weeks leading up to pheasant season on the wmas that have dog training areas. You can’t shoot them for those three weeks but you can once the season opens.

@70diesel Japan. Digitaka is $250 flat right now, plus a bit of tariffs.

I have the aldebaran on the 7’2” Cara and love the combo. also, you have the zillion listed. It won’t do bfs without a spool change. It does light baits great but you’re not going to throw a true 1/8 oz total bait weight on it.

So I’ve hesitated posting on this thread because I know I’ve suggested a few things in other threads and didn’t want to seem to be pushing one thing or another. But after the info above and what you’re looking for- I’ve been in your shoes the past two years. Not quite true BFS, but using the benefits of a BFS rig to give some versatility in lighter weights. You’re talking about 1/8-5/16 total bait weight range (3-10g). Some ML baitcasters will do it but the reel is the real key. The low startup inertia of a BFS reel lets the line flow sooner in the cast. When @scaleface talks about the lures going left, that’s a right handed sidearm cast with a ‘not light’ spool. The spool doesn’t get moving so the lure doesn’t start going away until later in the casting stroke. So for a right handed sidearm cast arm cast that will mean the lure isn’t out far enough as it is swinging from right to left on the cast. A light spool will solve that. You might even have rods that will work for what you’re doing. So I’d start with the reel and adjust from there. That said, If you have the budget and want to jump in then the 7’2’ Cara bfs with a BFS reel (I have an aldebaran) is exactly what you’re describing. That out of the way, picking something (like ‘finesse’, ‘swimbaits’, etc) as a thing to focus on is great. I try to do something every year like that. I did finesse baits two years ago (after some experimentation 3 years ago) and I learned a whole lot. It’s very worthwhile to add to the toolbox like that. I would suggest just keeping it simple at first to find what works for you and for your fish. My biggest limiting factor for finesse plastics for instance is grass. And, if I really wanted to keep it simple, a 4” senko with a couple head shapes/weights, in 3-5 colors, and with a chartreuse highlighter pen would cover all of the subsurface work. Fish it full, trim it down, chartreuse tip/belly it, swim it, dead stick it, doesn’t matter. You can do it all with it. I’d start there and adjust to what works for you.

Ajay’s thread is the gist of it. If you’re doing it for the first time, do it in a lake you know well. Go a couple hours before dark if you can and fish where you’re going to fish for a bit. Then when you come through in the dark it is familiar. It also helps to get your casting accuracy in a good place before dark. Get where you’re pinpointing your casts with muscle memory and that will pay off in the dark. Fishing as the sun goes down helps your eyes adjust really well. Until… Don’t use a white light. Even the briefest exposure will set your eyes back. Your eyes take up to a half hour to truly dilate to low light levels. It takes a half of a second to reverse it with white light. I have a red headlamp for tying knots or unhooking fish. I can switch it to white and bright if I’m in a bind, but i try to avoid that at all costs. Otherwise, no lights on in the boat. I take black electrical tape and cover the LEDs on my trolling motor foot pedal and heading sensor. I normally turn off my fish finder since I’m on a lake I know well. Here in NJ there is enough light most anywhere that even on a new moon night you can get around once your eyes adjust. Simple is best. I agree that nighttime bass are eating bluegills and shore bound bait, at least the ones I’m fishing for in < 4’ of water. The big bass that live shallow all the time but are wary will get more careless. They get out into the open and you never know where they will be. Color doesn’t much matter. Either white (maybe with chartreuse) or ‘dark’ which can be black or can be a darker green pumpkin analog. Keep it simple. My one caveat is that on a bright full moon night I’m starting by throwing white- frog, spinnerbait, jig, doesn’t matter. I’ve seen it too many times that white is just the hot color in that instance. Mostly though, it’s more important to put it in the right place and have the approximate shape/size/vibration. Some nights they are on top, some just below, and some towards the bottom. Since I’m targeting fish in 4’ or less mostly that’s an easy range to cover. I’m in weedy lakes and the baits fit accordingly. Buzzbaits, frogs, and toads on top. Spinnerbaits and chatterbaits below the surface and down to the bottom. A swim jig with a thumper tail that you can just feel if you’re really getting into the weeds. That’s about it for me. I want just a little feel on the lure. I’ve tried fishing a big worm on the bottom and it’s just not for me. If the fish aren’t actively feeding and eating baits with some feel then I’m going home to bed. I also want to feel when the lure is fouled. A buzzbait you’ll hear it. A spinnerbait or bladed jig you’ll feel it. Sometimes, the bass take a minute at dusk. I suspect that they just need a minute to relax from all the predators that are out during the day. If you have ospreys and eagles, herons, otters, etc then they are all out feeding on fish in the daylight. The fish are on high alert when it’s bright. They hold onto that for a bit when the sun goes down and sometimes that hour from pink sky to black sky in the evening is tough. I still keep fishing and mentally prepare myself that it will turn on at some point and be great. But just know that going in. The first couple times take your dinner, a cigar, or something else to pass the time for an hour. Take a break before you restart. I find the opposite in the morning and often prefer a morning stretch. If I start at 2 AM and they are biting, then they will keep at it until the sky turns pink. And then they shut off. I fish as hard as I can in that period (which flips around 530-600 in NJ in August) because once they shut off they are off for a bit. I’ll motor out to the middle of the lake, pour a cup of coffee and have a nice sugary donut, honey bun, or similar. I’ll have been out since 2 at that point so some fuel is good. I think the bass that I am targeting in open water, sparse cover, shallow areas just sink into the cover or out a little deeper. They get less reckless. I’ve found that after that hour of rest they are catchable on Texas rigs (sometimes the underwater baits mentioned above) on my lakes. I think for that hour they are moving, getting wary, and just not in a biting mood. They find their daytime place and settle in. And then eat. Aside from ‘be safe’, the answer is ‘just do it’. It’s a different experience and I love it. For a couple years my wife thought I had a second family. Truly. I confessed I did and her name was Betty- Betty bigmouth bass. To be fair to her, the lake I mostly fished had basically no cell service and she couldn’t see where my phone was. And I was poor at communicating while I was out. I’d launch on a weekday evening around 3 and fish until 11 or 12. If I didn’t have to work I would have stayed out longer. Once July rolls around, my favorite time to be on the water is on a still, warm, night. You’re by yourself, it’s quiet, and the fish are usually eating. What’s not to love.

Being new to having a boat and not yet having a routine at that point, I forgot to latch the trailer one trip. It was a quick trip early in the season to test out props and I didn’t have much time so I was running out to my closest lake to run the big motor. Fortunately, it was only 8 miles of 2 lane road. A couple bumps and clunks but it all stayed connected. I had the chains on of course, but still.. Another time a couple years ago I forgot my entire tackle bag in the truck. When I had the kayak, I left the motor, tackle bag, fish finder, and the rods in the truck from April to September. For some reason I had taken the bag out and forgotten to put it back in my rush to get out to the lake (get the theme?). I had 5 rods with lures tied on plus the dozen or so cutoffs in the drying rack. Learned a few things that trip about adapting.

Are you in a boat, shore bound, kayak, etc? I have been using the 3700 sized wire bait box for a long time. That said, it’s not perfect and I would swap it and might. I have moved my buzzbaits to a waterproof zipper envelope bag. I only carry 10 or so and they are all roughly the same but I won’t be swapping. Spinnerbaits are in the Plano 3700 but I’m looking at soft bags for them now. The 3700 is pretty good and will do 30 baits with no problem but I still don’t love it.

Shimano and Daiwa largely do all their own engineering, design, and manufacturing. And have done so for a long time. Basically everyone else buys from a couple third party private label manufacturers and puts their name on it. That doesn’t mean the ‘others’ aren’t good quality sometimes. Some of the reels they put out are great reels. Almost all of them are decent reels for the price point. Many get geary over time or have other issues. But the big two put out a consistent product and I’m confident they are going to be there when I finish my fishing journey.

@Junk Fisherman those are the boxes I was referring to above that Gim put me onto. For $13 and waterproof they are really good. I wish they were just an inch less wide to fit in my wells better but I can manage.

I’ve fished a bunch of different things and I’ve come to the same place as junk fisherman- it’s either Daiwa or Shimano for me. I have a certain price point/quality level that I need/demand/require/am used to which is Bantam/Metanium/Zillion. It’s hard to downgrade once you’ve gone up a level in performance. I still have my Revos and while perfectly fine reels I just notice the difference. I’ll use them when i want to try something different out or throw in a spare for something at times. But If I need a baitcaster (or see a good deal on one of these) then that’s the answer. Spinning reels is easier- it’s a JDM stradic or nothing.

2-3 flights unless the elevator is taking a while then I might do more. Going down? 4-5 flights. @A-Jay you joke about escalators but when I flew to Wisconsin to pick up our youngest dog I had to go through Chicago. There was one outbound to Madison that day and I had to catch it. We were late getting to the gate and I had 20 minutes from when the doors opened until they were shutting on the next flight. Of course I had to cross the entire airport from terminal A to F I think which means going down 150’ elevation on one escalator and up that again on the other side with a runway width of moving walkways between. I ran the whole thing including up the second escalator until about the last 10-15 yards when I was gassed. Made the flight though. Not recommended.

Well, the number jumped to 20k+ without power as of this morning. My restore estimate is 3 PM so we’ll see how that goes. We’ve got some running around to do anyway so no biggie. Roads are mostly passable now while crews are working on the lines.

The first winter storm was earlier this week and we got 6” or so. It was an uneventful event- a 20 minute job with the snow blower and all was right with the world. We got an inch of 50 degrees rain today and that just cleared the snow. HOWEVER a storm cell came through that was unpredicted and it brought 25 mph constant wind with gusts to 50-60 and rain/hail. There are now 4000 people without power in the immediate area (us included) and the first estimate to restore won’t even be until the morning. We have a tree down across the singular line that feeds our street, taking the internet and phone lines out with it. Generator and hot spot for the win @Jig Man.

I was thinking more 1/8 sized but it will do a quarter. If you’ve found the swim jig to be just a bit heavy for them then the bfs would do it.

That’s just a preference choice. I will say that the 7’2” bfs is a whole lot like the 7’2” swim jig in action and feel, just two full steps down in power. If you’re throwing little sniper jigs like the siebert lil man a good bit then I think you’d love it for that.

For what I know of your style and your waters, the answer is that it comes down to how far you want to jump in. Your lightest rod is the MH finesse jig which will throw a true 1/4 oz on a good reel like a zillion and light line. If I put a 1/8 oz plus the standard 3” Ned bait on mine I could fish it that way thought it wouldn’t be ideal. If that’s the type of bait you have in mind then a true ML rod wouldn’t be out of the question. The falcon 3 power BFS rods would be in that range and familiar in style for you. The phenix feather ML would be about there. I have both and both rods will do that true 1/4 oz and a bit less easily. They will do less than that again (true 1/8 oz) depending on your expectation. If you want to walk around a pond with a 1/32 head and a 2” twister tail (which is crazy effective at times) then that’s pushing the limit of a Cara BFS and you’ll need to drop down to a L power. The major craft gets a lot of positive review here but I don’t know it. For reels, you can go cheap, you can go mid or high end, you can go used, or you can convert a reel. All are viable options. I started cheap (and used) with a kastking zephyr that I bought here used for about $50. It was perfectly serviceable and a good way to learn. Buying used meant I could sell it a year later for roughly what I paid for it. The whole reel cost about the same as a new spool for an old revo. It got me into enough to know that a good reel was probable worth having.