casts_by_fly

It does sound like too much spool tension. Here are a couple things for the test. 1- back of the spool tension so that there is a little side to side play of the spool with the spool release button depressed. Turn the handle to click the button back up. 2- take off the side plate as you noted and inspect for a loose wrap of line that got over the edge of the spool. Inspect the bearing in the side plate for heavy corrosion (like you got saltwater crusties on it) that would stop it turning. 3- put all 6 brakes (4?) into the locked down position (aka off) and put the side plate back on. 4- Check that your line isn't overspooled and catching on the frame between the spool and the reel foot 5- depress button and watch lure fall (stop it with your thumb before it hits the floor and backlashes). It should freefall to the floor with no issues.

I’ve got this catfish bite down it seems. About a 6-7# fish tonight and there were more around that I should have chased. Also found a bunch of perch for another day. This guy was 14” and on another day might be a keeper (with a few of her buddies). Did manage a half dozen bass, but nothing worth picturing.

I smoked the Drew estate fat bottom Betty tonight. It was a good smoke overall. It is an infused cigar with a sweet tip but not what I’d call flavored. It had a good flavor, but the wrapper didn’t want to stay lit. It was definitely the most uneven burn I’ve had on a cigar yet. It was a tough one to smoke in the boat since I was constantly up and down touching it up. But, I’d have one at home and will probably get one in my next order. @Choporoz- the T52 is the one I was looking at. Next order…

Hi gents, Thanks for that. That's all helpful advice. I think I'm coming down the same path (longer cigars, keeping it in my mouth, etc) and just need more practice. @Junger- I've definitely noticed the difference in the smoke based on how hot the embers are running. I think that's where I need to refine my technique. I am probably getting it too hot and that is impacting things as you noted. And no, we're not talking about gas station cheapies. @Choporoz I think the clipminder is what I remember you mentioning also. I'll have a look. I have had a few non infused also. When we came back from Honduras this spring I brought back 3 different cigars (5-packs of each)- one milder with a connecticut wrapper, one medium to full with a maduro, and a romeo y julietta (original production location...). Then in other instances with the guys I've had a couple others, though not sure what they were. In my latest order I added a couple as well. I smoked the My Father La Opulencia Robusto already and it wasn't for me (too big/heavy). I've got a Karen burger Halftime (4x60, medium-full, maduro wrapper) still to go. Incidentally I did end up ordering a bunch from the overall brands owned by Acid. I didn't realize it at the time but know now. Drew estate, Acid, and deadwood were all in my order The Drew estate tabak especial was okay (it's an infused). The deadwoods have been good. I haven't gotten to the acids yet but the Kuba is on my list. The Liga Privada brand from them looks a non-infused traditional cigar that I will want to try. At this stage, I'm throwing things at the wall to see what sticks- infused and not, dark and light wrappers, different shapes and sizes, etc. So far, I am liking longer over shorter for in the boat (no difference at home), darker wrappers over lighter, though the La Opulencia with an Oscuro was too much as a whole (I won't hold that against all oscuros), and the box pressed is a nice feature. Also, 'infused' is a broad term that could mean heavily flavored or just a hint of something. When I get through this set that I have, I'll make another broad order of some different things to try. We also have a pretty good shop that is ~35 minutes away that I'm going to try to make a trip to. Nothing like in-hand knowledge.

For you guys who smoke cigars while you’re fishing, how do you manage the cigar and rod all at the same time? I’ve been taking one with me most evening trips. I’m normally lighting it up about an hour before dark, roughly the time when I’m picking up more active baits and making some progress down the bank. So not exactly the sit back and chill time of throwing a slow finesse worm where you can take a couple puffs between casts. So I try to figure out which way the wind is blowing and stick it on the downwind side of my mouth while I work my way down the bank. Sometimes I’ll stick it in my tool holder and let it smolder while I do something. I feel like there has to be a better way. I think @Choporoz mentioned a cigar clip in another thread but I haven’t figured that one out. Also, my method doesn’t work well for short cigars because the heat of the burn gets real hot on your face if you mistake the wind. Also in the context of this thread, I’ve been working my way through a bunch of different ones. I’m still learning. I know I like Acids but I haven’t smoked one lately. I got a couple variations on them. I grabbed a couple deadwood’s (fat Betty, crazy Alice, sweet Jane). I brought a few back from Honduras. Then a couple others that the descriptions stuck my fancy. So far the Leather Rose petit corona (4x43) has been the best and I think I would get it in the torpedo (5x43) to try. I really liked the box pressing of the acid 20 and it is an easy smoke. It isn’t sweet like the other acid series though for anyone looking for that same profile.

I haven’t fished Wilhelm in 30 years when I still lived with my parents and can’t even really remember it now. However, my dad says it is supposed to be fishing well right now based on some guys he’s talked to. He refuses to deal with the construction between him and there so won’t go up to fish it.

I should have been clearer in my reply above. I was running around and didn’t elaborate. I have the 7’2” BFS rod. I don’t have the 7’2” spinning. When the BFS was first introduced via a YouTube video (which is still available) you could read the specs on the rod and it said 5/8 oz on the top end. That was confirmed by a falcon rep in the comments. Between then and the launch, they changed the upper weight designation to 5/16. I think they did it because 5/8 seems really high for a BFS rod. But they certainly didn’t have time to change the blank- just the printed specs. Based on the feel of this rod and the descriptions/videos of the spinning version, I am 95% convinced they are the same blank. The specs are identical. The flex looks the same. Based on that and the intended BFS side uses, it would make a ton of sense that they would take the spinning blank and put casting components on it. That’s one more rod they can add to the lineup without making any changes to the blank or to need new mandrel or flags. It’s an easy new product to launch. Given the structure of this blank and how much power there is down low, it would be easy to cut 3” off the butt and still have basically the same feel in the rod. I don’t have the 6’11” and since I have the 7’2” I don’t need the 6’11”, but at the same time I’d like to hold it to confirm my suspicions. The difference in numbers of guides is easy to explain. You can get away with fewer guides on a spinning rod. On a casting rod you need enough to keep the line above the blank when it is flexed. On a spinning rod with the guides under the rod you don’t have that concern. Manufacturers can put fewer guides on to save money and it’s fine. The BFS version is no problem to load up with 1/8 oz. With a spinning reel it would be easier yet. The BFS feels so good that I nearly bought the spinning. I ended up with the 7’2” ML poison adrena instead and don’t regret my choice, but I’d have no problem with the Cara given my suspicions. Yeah, the full falcon lineup is great value for price and I’d put the Caras up there with higher end/more expensive rods. They were made in the US until late 20-teens and then they started migrating them with the lower end ones first. The Caras moved a couple years ago now, 2021 maybe? And now they have moved them again, starting with the experts.

the original designation when they did the preview video was up to 5/8. The spinning rod im pretty sure it is based on is 5/8. I think they took the blank exactly from the spinning rod for the 7’2” and then cut the butt 3” for the shorter one.

What do I win? Maybe send me all of your black and blue jigs that don't work for you.

truly against the current isn't my preference, but down and across is killer. That's the standard way to swing streamers on a fly rod or to throw an inline spinner in current. A tiny torpedo is a great smaller stream lure and even look at the Teeny Torpedo which is only 1.5" and the fish absolutely hammer it.

pumpkinseed + orange- the normal brown/craw type patterns. Call it alabama craw, spring craw, brown craw, whatever. The strike king example is below, but anything in that similar brown/orange tone is a non starter for me.

they are a good hook. They are a decently priced hook. The thing to be mindful is that they are a cutting point so the edges are all sharp to cut a hole, not poke a hole, in a fish's mouth. They tear up plastics a bit more because of that. And when they cut a hole in a fish's mouth it is a bigger hole in my experience. Gamakatsu have been my go to hook almost across the board for 30 years. Bass hooks, fly tying hooks, trout/salmon fishing hooks, etc. I've got a ton of confidence in them and they have never failed me.

I can comfortably have 5 rods out- 4 on deck and one in my hand- all on the passenger side of the boat. If more are casting rods than spinning rods I can go up to 6 or 7 in total. I don't like to, but I can. Generally they stay separated and I'm not running any big or rough water or at any speed so I don't even strap them down. From a 'how many lures' perspective, I will go in phases throughout the trip. If it is a morning trip, I'm normally throwing a topwater first and have another moving bait in backup (spinnerbait, bladed jig, etc). I'm not using FFS much if at all that time of day. Then as the day progresses and the fish stop looking up I will pull out a texas rig or jig without putting anything away. When I progress to a finesse rig, I've probably put the topwater away. Similar if I'm on a lake where open water FFS is important- I'll pull out the rods that I fish for that set of techniques and normally put other stuff away. I hear what you're saying about some baits fishing better for FFS and some not. But there is no scenario where I need to have a dozen rods on the deck- depending on the lake, time of day, what the fish are saying, etc there are only 3-5 things that I will be throwing at any given minute. If the lake and the fish are lining up where throwing a texas rig into grass is the answer, then I probably don't have a jighead minnow on the deck. I might have a neko rig or jig. I might have a frog or toad. I'll be looking at FFS to see where the grass is and what the bottom contours are, but not looking at fish. If I'm on a lake where isolated rock piles are the thing, then I don't have a bladed jig or spinnerbait on deck. That's going to be a jighead minnow, neko/dropshot, maybe a jerkbait, maybe a bigger swimbait. Regardless of the specific situation happening, I don't need a dozen rods for all those baits. If you watch some of them, if they are laying the rod down for more than a little bit they do the line twist around the guides trick. And lures are usually hooked onto the reel in some way.

I too have the ML phenix. I fished it for 2 years and then this year I picked up the Falcon Cara BFS 7’2”. I prefer the falcon- it has a lighter tip and a faster action. I would say it has a little more power up the rod also. I would call it “BFS-like” but not a true BFS rod. With an aldebaran on it, it will cast down to 1/16 oz total bait weight reasonably well. A 1/16 or heavier piece of lead plus about any plastic and there are no reservations- it will cast further than you ever need to. For me, I have a lot of weedy cover which means Texas rigged Ned type baits, either with a slider type head or with an actual Texas rig. That means having enough rod to actually set the hook through the plastic. It also means having enough rod to pop through cover or turn a fish breaking for it. The phenix was good in that regard with enough power, but it took a minute to get into it on a hook set. The Cara is just a step better across the board for me and my preferences.

Yes. Early bass boats didn’t have coangler rod storage. Then the first iteration was a little ramp to the left of the passenger seat. The butts snugged up to the rod locker wall or under the console if a DC boat. Then manufacturers started putting butt holders like that so the rods can tucked in just a little further.

I've told this story in other threads but growing up my grandmother had a bait shop. My dad would pick worms at night for hours on end to fill the shop in the spring. I'd help here and there, but I was fairly young at the time. I did learn how to do it though so every spring when the worms first start coming out at night I'll usually pick a couple dozen and drop them in the fridge. I don't fish bait for bass, but if I go for trout I'll take some small worms with me. Also good for taking kids fishing. I've been meaning to get a minnow trap so that I can do the same. We have a creek at the bottom of the hill with plenty in it. Again, I'll grab a bucket once a year or so (purchased) to take a non-angler fishing. Growing up though we'd seine them and then take a bunch in the creeks for smallies. 4' long seine on bamboo poles and walk through the smaller pools in the local stream. You herd them towards a shallow flat and then slide the seine up under them. We'd usually flip some rocks for crayfish also, but a seine was better. Find a good undercut tree root and put the seine up under it, then use the poles to knock the crayfish off the roots. And you'd always end up with a trout up under one here or there. Always fun throwing the seine up under a tree and pulling out an 18" brown trout (which was released of course).

Our water is generally clear to clearer. In the odd occasion that we had 'dirty' water (which means 1-2' visibility to me) I'll throw black and blue. Or if it is dark/really low light I'll throw black and blue in clean water. For most all other occasions, I'm grabbing something green pumpkin/bluegill like whether it is a pitching jig or a swimming jig. It might be straight GP or some accented GP depending if I am in a bluegill heavy lake or a pumpkinseed heavy lake. I might throw a black and blue trailer on a GP jig. Or I might tip a GP trailer with a chartreuse marker. I'll throw a white/silver/smoke swim jig on a couple lakes around here that have shad, but that's the exception and not the norm.

all just depends on the cover for me. I use a mix of straight, offset, and EWG hooks depending on the specific bait and then depending on the cover I might be texposed, full hidden, or fully exposed. I'll usually leave it fully burried if I am bringing a bait through lily pads or heavy grass. Wood is similar. If you don't poke the hook tip through initially then the bait will resist the hook poking through as it comes through cover. If you poke it through and pull it back into the worm, then the cover is more likely to push the bait down onto the hook. In light or medium grass I'll texpose it. If I'm just in rock then I won't even bother and leave it fully exposed.

I think you're making a false comparison. You have $900 into it, but that is a sunk cost- you've already spent it. Your choice is to spend $350 or $1250. I'm not saying don't do it, but just make sure you're making the right comparison.

A sniper pole is only for FFS. It will only fit one transducer. The purpose of having the pole is so that you can rotate it like FFS needs to be. The side imaging transducer needs to be mounted separately. It does NOT rotate so you won't want a sniper pole or similar for it. Depending on your kayak, mounting the transducer to the kayak itself is probably a better choice. Old town kayaks have a great mount location towards the bow on the underside. If you have scupper plugs, you could use a scubber hole mount also. If you don't want to permanently mount it, then look into the switchblade rail mount setup.

From the thread title, I would say jerkbaits for me. I understand them, but I haven’t put enough time into them to be good at it and I know how much they catch fish.

You can glue them before and also after if you care. Look up fly tying supplies for eyes of various shapes. I think TW also carries them. That said, the fish don’t care.

I’ll tell you if you tell me where they are selling for a steal… I have the 1 piece versions of the 610 UL/M and the 7’2” ML in the current year models. The 7’2” is the one you want. The UL is a really cool rod. It has the tip of an ultralight and the butt of a medium. I think it’s best use is for smaller and lighter baits, light line. It doesn’t have the casting power for a quarter ounce plus a decent plastic. I’ve thrown a 3/16 oz plus a 4” freeloader on it and that is pushing it. I really like it with a 1/8 oz plus a 3” minnow and thats what I normally have on it for FFS purposes. I’m sure it would be fine with a 1/8 oz dropshot weight and a 4” roboworm, nose hooked, but I don’t like it around too much cover either so I keep it as a minnow rod. The 7’2” is an awesome rod. Mostly lately it has been rigged with a neko setup. the hook is still on it and I just pick the plastic and weight depending where I’m going. The VMC crossover rings are great for that. I’ve thrown 5” worms with 1/8 oz weight, Texas rigged, and 1/16 oz Ned rigs. I use it to throw jig head minnows of all sizes and weights. The tip loads up great for casting but the butt has plenty of power to handle fish. The biggest on it so far was a 5+# hybrid that took a minnow for a ride. The next trip out it I will actually have a dropshot on that rod as I’m going to be targeting smallies in the 30’ depth range. I fish 10lb braid and a 3000 size stradic on all of my spinning setups with varying fluorocarbon leaders for reference.

That’s what got me too. DSG had a special on them and I think I bought 6 colors and 2 sizes out of it. They look great and I know that lots here really like them. They use aren’t the thing for me.

nope. the first hookset after you do that you'll have forgotten to retighten it. Loosen it at the end of the seaon when you put the rods away.