casts_by_fly

I took a morning off because my back has been sore…

I have my kayak now and it’s a 10 minute job from starting the truck, backing up to the kayak (on a cart in the garage), loading everything, and pulling out. I don’t mind if the boat takes a little longer there because I’m saving it on the lake side with not loading and unloading every trip. And I can pull the boat out at 1030 in the morning between meeting for an afternoon departure time. No quad or lawn tractor. We also only have 2 cars. My wife’s is in the first bay. My truck sits outside. Local storage is expensive. About $150 a month for an outdoor parking space. Garages only go to 20’ here that I’ve found and I have that at home. thanks. That’s a good suggestion. Do you only roll it on concrete? We have concrete in the garage but pavers in the driveway. And a 1” lip to get into the garage door. And an ever so slight incline. The more I talk it through the more I think I need a lawn tractor.

if you can mount them securely, then there are a couple options. I love my horizontal rod holders from mariner sails. I don’t think they will work great for you in that setup, but have a look. I also have a pair of the yak attack omega which are highly adjustable. I used to have two as my rear rod holders. I kept one and the same spot as a net holder. The other I add once every couple trips when I want a sixth rod.

Related ask. How heavy of a boat combo can you comfortably wheel around (with or without trailer dolly)? I ask because my driveway and my garage are 90 degrees (maybe a touch more) oriented. It might be possible to back it down the driveway and jackknife the trailer to get it closely aligned, but there is no way to use the truck to get it into the garage. I’ll have to take it off, move the truck and either hand push it or use a dolly. I think a dolly might be the best option in which case the weight isn’t critical (they all start at 5k lb total weight). But if I can make it work without then so be it.

I use size large bobber stops on thin wire hooks. I carry them anyway so why not use them. You have to use pliers and tact to get them on, but they do a great job.

Well, I may have gotten your hopes up unnecessarily. The picture above is the discovery solo. You said you got a next. The discovery has tracks built into the thwarts (front at least and you could add them to the back), the next doesn’t I don’t think. if you have tracks, then start here: https://www.yakattack.us https://www.mariner-sails.com/kayaking/kayak-fishing-accessories/ most track mount accessories are for kayaks so look in those categories. if it’s actually a next, then I’m afraid this might not help as much.

you are absolutely correct. I’ve said it here before when people talk about glass rods. There are graphite rods that give you the same action and power for a lot less weight and better responsiveness. It makes for a more crisp casting rod and a lighter overall setup with less fatigue at the end of the day. Dobyns rods are heavier than they need to be in the first place. They add weight to the butts. Gary dobyns has said in the past that they prioritize swing weight/balance over absolute weight.

That will be a nice fishing canoe. Having tracks to mount a few things will be helpful. Not sure how you manage tools, used lures, or ‘daybox’ type lure bags but there are lots of cool accessories for that stuff that use the tracks.

Both for me. In the kayak I am limited on space. And early season I don’t fish plastics as much as mid to late season. But there is a small amount of plastics that I need to have all season whether it’s paddle tails (jig head, trailer, etc) , rage bugs (jig trailers, wobble head, Texas rig, chatterbait trailer), or some other core plastics that I could use at any time. They all go in one 3700 box. I keep the type of plastic the same but colors mixed. I go through them fast enough that color bleed isn’t a big deal. Then, I have two KVD speed bags that have more types of plastics and more colors of the same shapes in the box. This is all in addition to my 3600 with sonar minnow baits and a 3700 thick (2 compartment) that has all of my Ned gear. The sonar minnow box is always with me. The Ned box depends on the lake and time of year (and if I’m carrying a rod to throw it).

there are no gears when you are casting. When you click the button, you are in freespool. There are a number of bearings and bushings (it varies by reel) that keep the spool spindle in place. When you click the button, your lure should free fall to the ground (fast or slow is personal preference and style. The zillion should be fast if you’re using the brakes). The gears and bearings should have negligible resistance on the spool when the lure is in flight. The amount is governed by the spool tension knob which on a zillion should be ‘negligible’ tension. On other reels that have good brakes you also may want negligible spool tension and let the brakes do the job. There are two different but acceptable ways to set up a reel. 1- negligible spool tension and enough brakes to not overrun. 2- negligible braking and enough spool tension to not overrun. you could crank both up to eliminate backlashes but distance will be poor. You can crank both down and just use your thumb like old timers but it takes a lot of practice. Scenario 1 above is the recommendation for a zillion, SV spools, other reels with shallow spools and good braking mechanisms. The spool is free and flows with no effort or restraint from tension. When the spool spins fast from a cast (like a hard cast or quick flick) the brakes slow down the spin to help prevent overruns. This type of reel setup works well with high lure speed wrist casting, roll casts, etc because the brakes help tame that initial burst of input. Scenario two is often where new casters start and many never leave. It’s the “add enough spool tension so the lure drops slowly and the spool stops when it hits the ground” club. This is how my dad has cast for 40 years and how I learned. The spool tension is constant through the cast and more than negligible. It’s constantly slowing the lure. This type of setup works best for casting styles that have a smoother application of power and more constant lure speed. A casual sidearm cast is a good example. This often pairs well with slightly more moderate actioned rods that have a smooth power stroke over a longer casting stroke. If you are experienced, you can pick up either type and get on just fine. I sometimes have both types set up in the boat at the same time. You just have to remember which one you picked up before you make that first cast. are you sure you haven’t over spooled the reels? Shallow spools don’t take much line and over spooling would cause the issues you’re seeing.

Fun morning in the blind but an odd one. Seven deer in all, all at 15-20 yards and could have shot all but the first (too dark). One button buck and six bucks. No does. That’s really weird here. the biggest is the 8 in the dark cell cam picture. The rack is high off his head and decent, but one more year…. There’s a wide 8 there with short tines that I passed previously. He was with a really tall 6 where the rack is almost straight up in the air. Take the best of both of those two and you’d have a shooter. Then a couple forks and a 5. I’m going to give it as long as I can since I hear more down in the woods.

or they are making YouTube content. If you’re out fishing anyway, might as well film it and turn it into something.

Find someone near you (maybe a helpful member here?) that knows how to cast and have them cast it. Or send it off to DVT for a once over and ask him to cast it first before pulling it apart. If it was one reel, bought as a blem, then who’s to say. But three of them and my original opinion (from your previous thread) still stands. There is something you’re doing in your casting stroke that the rod/reel combo doesn’t like. I’ll even make you an offer(genuinely). If you can’t find someone local, send them here. I’ll put all three through their paces to give you a second opinion and fresh set of eyes before you give up on them. I’ll do side by side vs my own zillion and shimanos. For the $10 shipping to get them here you can have an answer once and for all. And if I’m wrong in my above statement, I’ll send them back with a handwritten apology. PM if interested.

I don't know if it was the original but that was certainly one of the colors. I have a bag downstairs.

go for it! Knoxville isn’t on my list but could be !

for sure! Our plan is to start this spring and visit a bunch of areas over the next couple years. We have plenty of time to explore. Then as you say, we’d rent a place for a year or two and split time. Not the worst thing having a lake house somewhere. And the best time to buy a house (car, get a job, etc) is when you don’t need to. Northern Michigan would be great. until my dogs tell me that they aren’t up for this:

topwaters. Not for bringing them in faster but for quicker line management. sometimes you just need it.

All of these things and then some.

I've got a horizontal rod rack that holds 4, plus one in my hand. I can throw a spare rod holder on a rear track and keep it parallel to the water. A two piece spinning rod will fit in the rear well if I really really wanted to do that. I've also got two rear facing tubes in the back well built in. About twice a year, usually on the shoulder season between no grass and grass (mid may) and on bigger lakes that offer options I have to make choices about what I take. Past that though? if I can't make it work with 5 rods then I have made some bad choices.

I normally carry 5 since I'm in a kayak and they are always 'on the deck' if you will.. If I had a rod locker I'd have another half dozen all of the time for those edge cases, but for the most part I can manage with 5-6. Even with only 5-6, I often will have two of the same technique tied on. A light and a heavy texas rig, a pitching jig and a swim jig. Two walking baits of different options. Sometimes the day starts that way, sometimes it ends that way. I'm not fishing tournaments so I don't mind sitting down to retie every now and then.

Thanks, this is super useful and the same exercise that we were planning. Greenville was lightly on my list so I think we'll bump that a little higher. What's the best time of year for fishing so far? march/April? St Augustine would be cool, but florida is a hard no for us. We'll still visit charleston for sure just because its a cool city break. We wouldn't live in Charleston, rather outside it and drive in (same for all of these places in the end). We're currently ~1 hour to NYC and that level of 'close' or slightly closer is what we're looking for, just on a lake. With non-NJ level taxes. "Good luck with your decision. Life is too short to freeze your arse off up North for half the year! " agreed. I grew up in pittsburgh so I know cold and snow. Maybe not minnesota, but still plenty cold. I don't mind it too much but why deal when you don't have to.

yeah but in an hour you can be in Charleston. And that’s a pretty cool city.

I mostly fish a 7 with a 32” ipt and a shallow type spool. I have a couple 8’s that I like for bottom contact, not for working the lure but taking up slack. I have some 6’s for cranks that I know to need to slow down but end up speeding up. That said, I can make all of them work for general purposes. this is the one exception for me- topwaters. I fish an 8.5 and my dad throws a 10. I’m throwing buzzbaits mostly and he’s throwing buzzbaits and walking baits on it. I want a buzzbait blade turning basically before it hits the water. You can kinda do it with a slower reel and good thumb management but not every cast. There are times when the reel speed helps and with a buzzbait I find that first 2’ off the bank is often the juice. If it takes 2’ to get it on top you’ve already lost.

thanks. We've moved a few times and are familiar with the pitfalls now. Always good for a reminder though. We will also be moving from NJ where the annual real estate taxes are enough to buy a car. Three years of not paying these taxes and I can buy a fully rigged Pro-V Bass. Outside of Hawaii and maybe California, everywhere else will be cheaper.

Hi All, I know we've had a few threads on this the past couple years but my google-fu is weak and I can't find them. It's also getting cold for a lot of us so we need something to talk about. My wife and I are still a little ways from retirement. We're not planning to move out of this house for at least another 5 years or more with the jobs we have and where things are located. Retirement is likely a 10-years from now time frame. That said, we want to start exploring options in case an opportunity arises. We are not planning a bigger vacation this year like we've done in the past and instead we'll be doing some long weekends and maybe full weeks with some remote work during the week. We'd like to find some lake houses or houses semi-near lakes for now to explore areas (ultimately we'd buy a lake house). We'd need to be within an hour or so drive of a bigger city (or less even). My wife can't handle 'out in the sticks' living so regular trips to the city are going to be necessary. Obviously I need the fishing to be decent. To move there permanently with a lake house I'd have a boat on the water and trailer to nearby lakes. For this exploring phase I'll have some form of watercraft with me but it's more important to explore the areas. My wife would also love to be close to a beach, though that's a little bit limiting and not a hard constraint. A couple that have come to mind so far: * Santee Cooper area. 1 hour to charleston or the beach. 'Santee Cooper' as the lakehouse lake. I think that might be my leading choice and one we'll explore first. * North Georgia. You're an hour to atlanta or so (we have friends in atlanta). Lanier is one option (plenty of lake hosues!) though I'm not sure that's my preferred fishing. Other lakes exist. Hartwell could be a good choice. 90 minutes to our friends in Atlanta, 60 to Greenville. * Charlotte area. Could be on either side of the border. Tons of lakes in the area generally, but I know nothing of the fishing for most of them. *John Kerr/Gaston reservoirs. An hour to Raleigh-Durham. 3-4 hours to the beach. * Nashville area. The city is cool and being able to drive there would be awesome. The lakes don't fill me with joy but I could be convinced? The Tennessee river lakes towards chatanooga would be too far to live on and drive to Nashville often. I don't think Chattanooga is going to be a big enough city but could be convinced. Probably one we should explore if just for my sake. Any other broad areas that we need to put on the list for further research? Any specific lakes in those broad areas that we should consider? I'd considered Sam Rayburn but it's too far out from a city. Austin would be a good city but lake travis doesn't excit me. Also don't think we want to go to Texas. Depending on the locations and what we find, I'll probably plan the first long weekend in late March/early April which would be pretty ideal fishing for Santee Cooper... thanks rick