casts_by_fly

While i can see where you’re coming from, with the advent of the internet you can see a picture of just what it is so descriptive colors like you might find in a mail order catalog aren’t needed anymore. I’m sure you also know that three of those are named by (or after) the anglers who developed them with Roboworm. And since they were successful with them they kept the core concept color and expanded on it (there must be a dozen Aaron’s variations).

But I definitely don’t get how they got to margarita mutiliator (which is the base for MM3).

I love how many different lures you've cycled through over the past couple years to catch fish. I remember when the plopper was your big numbers bait a couple years back, and a paddle tail before that. Now it's a texas rig. Who knows what the next one will be and that's the fun of fishing.

You also have me thinking about my next trip challenge. First it was the all soft plastics, then it was the all spinning rods, and then all finesse. I think I might have to do a 'trick worm challenge'. Any rigging, any color or mods, any rods. But only a trick worm for an entire evening. Maybe next week.

I take 'small to medium' to be 5"-7", something like a smaller magdraft or a 6" trick shad. If you're talking single hooks in that 5-0/7 range then you really want a heavier power to drive it home.

Ignore the specifics of depth for a second, but what I'm reading is that you're standing roughly on the X and the far bank goes from shoreline to 'deep' very steeply (in this case to about 6-8') where a small ditch or drain would have cut against it before it was a lake. Then your side is more gradually sloped up. You want to fish a bottom bait slowly down that far bank, but once it starts over the hill it just tumbles to the bottom. About it?

Assuming yes, then yeah that's about right. If the bank is super steep and doesn't have any ledges to stop on, then that's what will happen. If it is a mud bottom then you might get something to sink into it, but that's defeating the purpose. The real question is why is it important for the lure to stop halfway down that slope? Are the fish suspending halfway down it? Are you just trying to keep the lure at a given depth on that side? Many ways to skin a cat here. A very slow sinking weightless plastic will stay in the strike zone longer as it falls and is less likely to roll when it hits the bottom. A dropshot will keep the lure up off the bottom regardless of where the weight is. You don't say if you can cast from another spot, but paralleling the bank a little more (move up and left from my red X) is another option if access is possible.

I weigh a couple of decent ones a year early in the season to get my eye in. But anything 15-16" and under doesn't get weighed. That's a nominal 2# fish. Maybe 2.5. Maybe 2.25. If it's fat I'll call it a chunky 2.5. The difference is meaningless for me since I'm not putting them on a tournament scale. When we start up around 18-19" then I'm a lot more curious.

For me, head size is thing that makes me take notice. A fish's gut will get bigger and smaller but it's head keeps growing through its life. And the head/jaw is the place you grab most any big fish so you get a good reference of your own hand. When a bass's jaw (largemouth) is big enough that you start grabbing it with multiple fingers in the mouth and your thumb on the OUTSIDE you know you've got a good one.

I had one on the autopilot and it was a godsend. I just used the double sided tape it comes with. The key is prepping the surface clean and then giving it 24 hours to properly set before you use it.

I also enver sharpened mine. The design isn't such that absolute sharpness is critical. You need to get the blade as close to the rotating part of the prop as you can without interference and the prop works like a pair of scissors in conjunction with the blade to pinch and cut the grass at the same time.

Moving to the boat, I didn't put another one on. On the autopilot, it was a real problem to get access to the prop because it went through the hull. On the boat I just lift it up, clean it, and drop it back in.

For a $250 budget I'd just grab the Falcon Cara all 'round. It's 7', 1/4-3/4, MH/MF. I have the Bucco version and have toyed with getting the Cara. The bucoo is my rod for exactly what you describe- squarebills, lipless, and divers down to 10'. I fished it for spinnerbaits/chatterbaits to a half ounce for a while and have even used it for light texas rigs. The Cara version is what Jason Christie uses for the same as well.

Ok, so it sounds like you can catch them when you’re told what to throw and where. That’s part of the battle- knowing how to work a bait.

Next up (or first up) is knowing where to go in the first place. If the fish aren’t where you’re fishing then it’s a long day. The lure decisions won’t help there, so first work on finding them.

Then once you’ve found them, figuring out what type of thing to throw is next. That depends on where they are and what they are doing. You have spoons, a couple FFS designed jerkbaits, some crankbaits of various types, some plastics, etc. You’ve got lures to cover a range of locations for this time of year in particular and the waters you’re fishing. if you haven’t already, look at the footage and summaries of the last two big tournaments there. Quite a few fish were caught (and will continue to be caught) on lipless and shallow crankbaits right now. With FFS I’m sure the swimbaits would have played more. Same with jerkbaits. It might be a little early for pitching rage bugs but give it 10 more degrees and you’ll be there. I don’t think there is anything in your list that I would get rid of. It comes down to finding them and putting the time on the water.

I mean you could do it with the 4-runner.


We're similar here- end of culdesac and my yard is the 'straight' when they push the snow up the road. On top of that, the plows don't just end at the road. After the bulk of a storm is done, they come back with front loaders and get the snow off of the road- and pile it on the yard. I still have a bare spot the size of a sheet of plywood from 3 winters ago where the salt burned it. Nothing grows there now, not even weeds. I'll dig it out and replace the soil one day, but the snow piles will continue so maybe not. I had a 10' high wall of snow from my driveway to my neighbors. It's starting to melt, but it will be a while. When we have the snow storms I'm fortunate to have big blower so I clear the patches in front of my and my neighbor's driveways in real time.

@Swamp Girl - I think you're on the right path with a sign and a conversation over a gifted bottle. You're in a small place where I presume everyone knows everyone. I'm sure it isn't malicious that they are piling it there. It looks like a driveway that doesn't lead to a house and doesn't harm anyone having it there. It was probably being piled there long before you bought the property and they just don't know the impact. Certainly for future snow events I'm sure you can find a solution. It doesn't help the mound you have there now though.

Is the current mound crusted and a solid ice? If not, you might be able to get them to push it further down the driveway and then off the to side gradually. That would at least get you access. Not sure how feasible that is but worth a shot.

I haven't watched any of it yet, but there is a commercially avalable system out there. I think it might have been posted here on the forum about 6 months ago. It looks like a foam/plastic block that sits on top of the rod locker lid with long channels cut out for the rods to lay in.

which models are they? I assume they are networked already. If so, maybe just add one as your upgrade? You're not going to get much for them on the secondary market unless it is the current model (which at 5 years it almost certainly isn't). But 5 year old electronics are still pretty good especially if they were higher end models in the first place.

Pretty sure a Carolina rigged rapala has been around a while just for that purpose. 

The best is to get the gift cards at Christmas when they are 10% off.  Then in March or so when they run 20%off sitewide you apply the gift cards for almost 30% off anything they sell.  

i am going to have a similar project on mine this winter.  Mine just has flat sheet metal (with rubber trim) leading into the main hatch and live wells.  The trim isn't perfect and even if it was the water would pool on top of the sheet metal.  I'm going to put in a drain hose so it goes down through the floor of the hatch/cubby.  There is already a drain there, but enough water comes through the hatch opening that it soaks the boxes inside.
 
Just drilling a drain hole in the hatch lip won't help.  It will still drain right down into the hatch itself.  The drain has to be connected to the bilge area somehow.

Stocking foot waders with a decent boot are far more comfortable if you are in anything rocky.  it is not even close.  Boot foot waders have basically no ankle support.  Also, if you are an odder size you size the waders to your body and then the boots to your feet.  I’ve fish all of them in all materials over the years.   I keep rubber hip boots around because they are easy and durable.  If I only need to be knee deep or if I am walking through briars or kneeling a lot or going for a quick trip then they are easy.  I have waist waders (stocking foot)if I am going to be fishing all day, in an out of the truck, if it is hot, or if I am in a place where it is mostly knee deep but occasionally need to get waist deep then these get the call.  Then I have my main chest waders which I will wear if it is cold, if I am fishing nearly waist deep a bit, etc.  I bet I fish the waist waders the most.  it is like having waterproof pants on.  You can sit down on a wet log, kneel in the mud or otherwise not worry much.  if you have to wade waist deep then you better make sure you know the bottom and also the water speed.  Being waist deep when the water is flowing is not a good place to be.  

For casting light baits, a longer rod is going to be an asset for you.  A shad rap is a bugger to cast distance because they are so light for their size.  A longer rod rod is going to help you get more distance out of it. 
 
To your other question, no, they don’t just cut 6” off the rod. Can you?  Sure.  Most makers don’t though. When you cut a length off a blank, you slow the action.  If you cut 6” off the butt of a blank you will notice a big difference.  

I get blooms here and my dad gets them in western PA at times.  If the water is sediment clear but bloomed then treat it largely like sediment cloudiness.  Black and blue or your favorite black variation on one end and whites on the other end.  Both have the highest visibility (but for different reasons).
 
As noted above, when the bloom first hits the fish will shut down and the fishing will be tough.  I find the same for when a storm rolls through and the visibility goes from 6' to < 1'.  That first day after is tough as the fish get really tight to cover.  Then as it clears a little and as they get used to that lack of clarity they will turn back on.  

the HCJ feels like the right rod for you.
 
A 3/8 jig plus plastic is 6-power falcon territory as a starting point.  Lighter and heavier rods will also do it, but that's the sweet spot for a 6-power which is the HCJ and the head turner.  I don't have the SLX or invoker to compare.  A 6-power falcon is rated a heavy by falcon, but it is on the lighter side of heavy.  In a St Croix, some of their MH would be about the same power as a 6-power heavy Falcon.  If the 7'2" MH SLX is similar to the 7'2" Curado MH, then the HCJ has a little more power, but isn't quite as fast an action (plus 2" of course).  I use the HCJ with heavy mono or fluoro for bigger swim jigs (like a 1/2 oz SK pro tour swinging head with a 4.2 Keitech on the back) coming through grass (others are on my 7'2" swim jig rod).  It's a great rod for that.  I also use it for that same texas rig setup- 1/4-1/2 oz weight plus plastic so it will definitely double that for you.  With 50 lb 832 this would be a good setup for what you're talking.  One thing I like about it is that while it is a fast action, it isn't a jig and worm taper.  It bends just a little deeper on a fish and keeps them pinned.

The side imaging single side only is a known issue with some units.  When that happens, it is because one of the two piezo units in the transducer has gone bad (broken wire internally usually).  That means a new transducer.  Are the two sets networked together (solix and helix) and what SI transducer is the Helix using (TM built in?)?
 
The lines look like interference.  In the first/next to last picture it looke like you were motoring along with all that interference and then let off the trolling motor to take the picture.  And there is no interference there.  So that tells me the motor is interfering with whatever transducer is generating that image.
 
If you tell me that the two head units are not networked and that the trolling motor is the transducer for the SI and 2D for the Helix then my suspicion is the transducer in the TM is the culprit.  

Most FF have a demo mode, but they are not default shipped in that mode.
 
The screen will continue to scroll whether you are moving it not.  The transducer is constantly pinging the bottom of the lake and showing (on the right of the screen) what it sees.  What is scrolling to the left is what it 'saw' a few pings ago.  If you're not moving then it's going to show the same thing right to left but it's going to keep scrolling and pinging.

Yes, but you’re not going to like it.  If you bolt the trolling motor to the boat and hook it up directly to the battery (let’s say with crimped on O ring terminals) it will work just fine.  Until there is a problem.  You want a breaker of some type in case you have an overload. It is unlikely, but the motor is $1500.  You want to do as much as you can to protect it.  The kill switch is optional, but it is good safety practice.  I never got knocked out of my boat and if you’ll never wear the kill switch then don’t do it.  The QR plate for mounting it is also optional.  If you are never going to remove it then leave it there.  Plenty do.  The QR plate is a nice to have.  

this is diagram for a Minn kota but they should all be similar. Part 5 is the external plate that comes off the back. 18 is the seal. Thinking about it, my brushes kit came with a new seal I think. You don’t take 3 or 19 off. 9 is the brushes, 1 is the armature. 

If the fish stays still and you have a good grip, and, and, and, then it might be fine.  But I’ve never weighed a fish that held still long enough to not flop off a hook.  In that case, the could lightly unhook themselves and rehook in the gills.  They could catch their gills while flopping around anyway.  They can tear the gill plate (even tear it off).  Like Gim said, they can flop off the hook entirely and hit the ground.  A gripper based clip is so far superior to a plain hook that I can’t believe manufacturers even sell a hook anymore.
 
If you need to weigh a fish, in a bag is the best choice.  If not, then in a wet rubber net will do also.  Otherwise a lip gripper.  if you only have a hook based scale, then get a bag or hook to hold the fish for you.  Or, don’t bother weighing them all.  

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.  

If it is only 3/4” then you won’t notice anything.  When you start talking 2-3” then you will.