MonsterZero

I actually grew up in Morris County, despite being from Ocean County. Spent nearly all of my summers as a kid fishing those ponds and rivers. There are some great locations if you are willing to put the time in.

Berkeley Pit Boss 4", Skeet's Hot Craw. 5/0 or 4/0 EWG. Not actually sure what weight I have on there; probably 1/4oz or so. It has rapidly become one of my favorite baits and definitely my favorite soft plastic. I have other colors, but this one is excellent.

This brings back so many memories for me. My brother and I used to pore over these catalogs every time they arrived, circling the gear we thought we would need. Never bought any of it; we were dirt poor for a long time. It was fun to fantasize, though. Surprised they still print a catalog.

Texas rigged 4" Berkley Pit Boss was a money maker for me last fall. It was my first time digging into it as well.

I fish to relax. Competing is stressful. And I generally prefer to fish alone; having to share limited space with 20, 30, 40 other people? No thanks, I will come back later.

No first hand experience with those particular rods, but my Dobyns Fury has rapidly become my favorite freshwater rod. Buying another one today, actually.

This feels like an appropriate time to point out just how many brands and doctors' offices are owned by Luxxotica. They are well known for strongly recommending their own (very) expensive luxury brands. Using doctors for marketing seems, to me, to be less than ethical, but here we are.

Not very. I have three rods to cover pretty much everything. One handles all of my topwater needs, one handles all of my subsurface needs, and one is a spinning outfit specifically for stuff too light for my baitcasters. I do not feel the need to have crankbait specific rods, frog specific rods, etc.

Sometimes. Not everyone understands everyone else's hobbies, and not everyone has a hobby they are passionate enough about to invest in. If you fish often, and fish hard, it behooves you to have quality gear that A ) You will enjoy using more, and B ) Will be more effective. I, unfortunately, only have very expensive hobbies, so I am out money no matter what.

On the record? No, I do not believe in luck as a force. Off the record? I never go out without my lucky hat, and I am heartbroken when I lose my 'old reliable' lures. Fishermen are often a superstitious lot.

I look forward to seeing the results. This is a sick idea.

The top does not matter that much, unless you have some kind of diving frog that I am not familiar with. The bottom color, profile, and presentation are what are important. We call these lures frogs, but you can use them to imitate other animals, like baitfish. So the shape, weight, etc of the lure can make a difference. And while, yes, most fish are white/offwhite on the bottom, sometimes a darker color makes a better silhouette, and that will help the fish lock on. Black hollow bodies are extremely successful.

For what it is worth, I buy older models of Costas at decent discounts. You can buy previous seasons' colors, discontinues models, etc for far less than MSRP. I usually buy my Blackfins from Sierra for $99.

Where I used to live, fishing subsurface was next to impossible. The weeds in many pine barrens ponds and lakes are so thick and and heavy that it is frogs or nothing for much of the year. But where I live now, the water is far more open. So I am going to learn to use crankbaits and jerkbaits more often, as well as soft plastics.

There are a couple of companies that make transducer mounts that go down through your scupper holes, so that they are directly beneath your kayak rather than put to the side. I am sure that there is a way to mount a GoPro to one of those, if the water is deep enough.

Hello folks. I have been fishing New Jersey's waters (fresh and salt) for a bit over 20 years. I have lived in various parts of the state and grew up fishing for LMB, trout, and catfish in the north before returning to the shore and focusing on surfcasting for stripers and bluefish. I recently moved to Burlington County, so I am delving back into the freshwater game after years away, this time with a kayak. I have been doing this for a bit, but I have found that you are never really done finding new experiences and evolutions of your craft in a sport like this. I will do my best to give at least as much as I take.