casts_by_fly

Yep. This was even more important in the kayak with spotlock since a fish can pull the kayak around pretty well, but even in the boat my first action after setting the hook is to hit the anchor button. No being pulled into the cover I'm fishing or being blown into the shoreline. Unless the fish is hung up and I have to go in after it, it's coming to me. And sometimes, you just want to sit back and take a break. This is also a nice benefit. Are you locked upwind of the spot you're tring to fish? Walk to the back. Swirling winds? Same deal. Want a different casting angle on a laydown? I do that all the time. Spot lock so the bow is on one side and the stern on the other. Make a couple pitches to the left side of the tree, walk to the back and fish the right side of the tree. Works with docks too. You're right that it won't make anyone a better angler. And there is something to be said for boat handling being a skill as part of fishing. At the same time, once you've gotten the hang of the features they do a lot to help with angler task loading to let you focus on the fishing part of things and not the boat control part. And you don't have to use all of the things all of the time. But they sure are nice to have when you need them.

A straight 170 with a 20 (sounds like you're in PA) will do about 20 mph and just get up on plane. My dad has an older 162 or 163 which is basically the same specs as the 170 and that's what it will do with just him in the boat. Add me and you're down to low teens and not on plane. We combine for about 400-450lb. A third person would have you around 10 mph I would expect. Fishing wise, it would be plenty stable for moving around. I can bounce around the back deck of his while he's up front and vice versa. I can stand on the back corner to take a leak while he's running the motor. If I stay all the way back by the motor I can sidearm cast without clipping his seat, I just have to time my casts to not coincide with his. Put a third person on the boat and you'll have to be friendly. I'd suggest either straight overhead casts or put two in either the front or back and the 'two' each pick a side.

are you looking for something that it waterproof and how big do you want to go? Personally, I use my phone. A newer iphone will take pictures that are just as good as a point and shoot now and it is easier to get the pictures back off to where you want to use them. If the reasoning is that you don't want to risk your phone (or don't have a phone with a good camera) then fair enough. The olympus tough series (TG) is a waterproof camera, very toughly built, and takes great pictures above and below the water.

Which one did you have in the boat? Powerdrive? I agree the one in the autopilot is loud and whiney. That's a powerdrive based unit shortened for that boat. However, the ultrex is basically silent. I was surprised when I first started using it that there was no whine, no nothing. Doesn't matter if you have it in spotlock or use the foot pedal to move the head. I said it in another post, but "ultrex for the win". The foot pedal is immediate and also very easy to fine tune. It takes very little force to turn the head and you can turn it a very small amount if you want.

I’m with you. My kayak had spot lock and navigation with a power drive based unit. When I moved to the boat, spotlock wasn’t optional, it was mandatory. I was to used to fishing with it and the things it could do. There are a lot of little things that it just makes easier. Need to rig up? Stop where you are and anchor with it. Need a break to have a coffee and watch the world go by? Anchor down. Going down the bank with a buzzbait or something else covering water? Navigation and constant motor. And none of that is even traditional spot locking off an offshore thing and fishing.

Very cool! Sounds like a really fun night.

I have the spro pintail worm, not the minnow, and I thought it would be a great Ned trailer. Maybe for someone, but I just don’t feel it.

Let’s simplify this a coupe things: - Any jig can be working in a bunch of different techniques, some more easily than others. - Go to siebert outdoors and ready the descriptions for each of the jigs. when you’re ready to buy a new jig, just get one there that matches what you want to do. I’ve got a box full of mike’s jigs and they are fantastic across the board. - Pointy nose jigs come through grass better. Flat bottom jigs slide across brush better. Football heads are a special breed. Everything else is a variation on a theme. - The line tie in the front is better for forward movement. A 90 degree line tie is better for going ‘upward’. Grass jigs normally have a pointy nose, front line tie, and a vertical line tie, all of which promote streamline cutting through grass. An Arkie style has a flatter bottom, weight behind the line tie, and an angled up line tie, all of which promote sliding up over things. All that said, you could just use an arkie for most everything. Thick grass might be tougher, but otherwise it will work to swim, drag, hop, you name it. A football head is the most specialized and will hurt a lot in grass, but isn’t awful in wood. A swim jig does most so long as it is moving, but will stick into corners a little worst.

Probably, but only minor. They won’t change the seats and grips. Probably not the guides. Maybe just a label and accent trim like on the experts. I have been considering a head turner (I have expert and bucoo versions now) and another HCJ since it does so much for me. Maybe I should just order them now.

that’s a good point on the pricing. The experts moved to Korea and I expect the rest will follow. The Cara’s will jump to $275 or $299 I think. Get them now.

When I got my truck I debated cap vs hard tonneau. I went hard tonneau similar to yours and am happy with my choice. Over the past 5 years or so times I”ve been extra happy with my choice or would have preferred the other choice: - lawn work and hauling. I’m cheap and more DIY oriented. I have a great local place that does bulk mulch, soil, sand, etc. A couple times per year I go get a load of something for around the house. Can’t do that with a cap. - oversized stuff. It’s rare, but I have the ability to get it just by folding up the tonneau. Mine folds into thirds and then I can tip up the last fold against the glass to have a full bed available. About once a year it comes in handy. I wouldn’t take the cap off unless it was really worth it. - longer trips and packing stuff. Downside of a tonneau. When we were going to the beach for 2 weeks we had two coolers, clothes, groceries, lawn games, fishing gear, you name it. The cooler I had (yeti 110 sized) was just a little too high to fit under the tonneau so I had to adjust the mounts to make it work. The total space to carry bulky things was limited. Since we had a truck and no kids, we would end up with things like a case of paper towels and TP which are light but take up volume. A cap would have allowed us to stack. - A tonneau is good, but not water tight. Maybe I could redo all of the seals and adjust it better, but I just live with it. A cap is drier for sure. - Airflow. Not sure how a cap would be for you, but I love that I can open my back window and crack the sunroof for a LOT of airflow. No need to open the windows and get buffeted and loud. Then if I open the sunroof and back window both it is a TON of air but super gentle. I don’t think a cap would allow that same. - A cap is darker in the back seat. I notice this in my dad’s truck. The cab in total is darker, but the backseat is definitely darker. If you have backseat passengers often then maybe a thought.

I think you’d be surprised what the bass actually sees/feels despite the thick vegetation. There is also the element of how you are working it. If you are fishing it rod tip high and just sliding it across you don’t make much commotion but if you are tip down and twitching it like a jerkbait you’re going to make a lot more commotion. Also, don’t put dropshot weights inside a frog. You’ll sink it like you found. Use Carolina rig beads, the 1/4-3/8 sized plastic ones. They are close to neutral buoyancy and make a heck of a rattle.

that’s what I use it for. Frogs and toads primarily. Check out my review in the falcon rods thread for a more complete opinion. The tip is borderline heavy for a frog rod if you’re using the smaller ones but for a half ounce with a decent reel it will sidearm roll cast all day. I’ve never had a problem working frogs with one.

I think you’re going to struggle with a true 1/8 oz without having a bfs reel. Just get the aldebaran bfs and be done with it.

There is the curado which is between the SLX and the Aldebaran and available in DC, but it is the 150 size. Other than that its the aldebaran or met.

I figured based on your description, but thought I’d ask. The edge of where the bill inserts is a weak point in the main body (from an engineering perspective). But that doesn’t make it right and it still shouldn’t happen in normal use.

Did you slap them on the water to clean off grass? I learned that one the hard way with a DT fat.

New to me? The 4” senko. I’ve fished it as a Ned and as a Texas rig with a 1/32 needle nose. I don’t like that/when I have to, but it certainly works. I’ve caught fish to over 4# with it. I’ve had 20+ fish evenings on it. I have 5” senkos, but they just never caught on in my rotation. The first time I tore the head up on one (from the grass, not fish) and turned it into a Ned bait it was Katy bar the door. There are a couple on deck that need more time to soak before I proclaim them favorites, but the 5” Yamamoto cut tail has some potential. The missle Ned bomb has been very good also, and might make the list by the end of the season. I have the scounbug and clean up craw in the rotation right now with limited success so far.

I fish the same line setup as you and similar worms, though I'm not fishing them fully weightless (either a 1/32 needlenose or on a light ned head). I have no issues picking up those bites on either of my three rods. I have the 6'9" zodias ML and the 7'2" poison adrena ML. I'd have no problem recommending the 7'2" ML Zodias ($220) for that work or the 7' medium if you want a little more grunt in the butt.

you probably wont get a thermocline in your bogs. It is shallow enough that wind action will make enough current to keep it mixed. Past years have given me big prespawners, but this year that wasn't the case. I didn't get out as much as I wanted and the conditions were never as good as they could have been. Now that I've got the boat sorted out and dialed in, next spring will be a different story as I get a start from ice out. However, this time of year is my usual big fish time. Jar says fish different places and is probably right. For me, it is 'fish different times'. I don't know if you're comfortable fishing your bogs at night, but when the weather is 90 degees during the day that is just miserable in the first place. Night time brings on a whole new set of challenges but the bass get to roaming more. The last two hours of dark and first hour of light are my favorite. They have calmed down all night and forgotten about avian and human predators (and swimming mammals if you have them). In your bogs they will be the baddest animal around at 3 AM. They feed heavily and get heavy. You don't usually have to be as tight to cover to catch them either. I'm getting excited just thinking about it.

Ah, yes, the start of concrete NJ. I work in parsippany and it is usually 10 degrees or more hotter than here at the house in the south west end of Morris county.

You must be just a little further south than I am. We're at least getting a break starting Friday and it stays around 80, assuming that front actually comes through. We have guests coming starting Thrusday and the balance monday after so I'm going to get all of my outside prep done this afternoon. Starting the day with 75 degrees and 95% humidity (like yesterday) is just miserable.

I have a few falcons also. I own the eye crosser and if you break it then you’ve done something wrong. It’s a pretty stout beast. Im pretty sure that nothing changed but the design and location of manufacture. And I think the warranty replacement is only $25. I broke an amistad expert and they only charged me $75 to upgrade to the Cara ($25 plus the retail cost difference).

enjoy! Can’t wait to hear how it does for you.

not my bag, but my dad has a lake where they suspend like that on the bridge piers this time of year. He counts down an underspin and catches them. If it were me in that scenario I'd have a jighead minnow with FFS, but that's not for everyone.