>/ftt/- #2- Too Much Edition
Show off your new buys, ask questions, tell stories. Last thread hit the bump limit.
I'm about to throw on the trusty Mepps Agila #3 before the sun goes down.
>>663876
Trusty ol' Mepps Agila #3
That was a fatty
>>663884
>tfw next cast after the big bass, I get a 14" bass on the same lure
>Starting to love this yellow Mepps #3 with the silver blade
>Snag it on a rock a couple casts later
I'm sad now. I have an excuse to go back to Bass Pro now. Or maybe I will order from their website. Better selection, I'm going to grab another yellow/silver in size 2 and 3 and possibly 4. I think I already have that color combo in 0 and maybe 1.
>>663903
Go for a swim bruh
Convinced my friend to grab a lexa when tacklewarehouse was having the awesome $60 deal. It's his first baitcaster, and I think he'll love it. But I'm over here with my koreashit lews and I'm tempted to upgrade. Should I get the citica I or the curado I? I'm throwing 1/4 ounce and up grubs and paddletails for spotted bay bass and halibut inshore.
>>663908
Too late. Made an order from Gander Mountain as soon as I got to my car. They have a lot of them on clearance.
Both Dick's and Gander Mountain have been downsizing their selections of Mepps lately. I'm disappointed. I have such good luck with in-line spinners, and I barely ever catch stuff on regular spinner baits. And Mepps are the best in-line spinners of any company.
>>663910
You don't like Lew's? Their shit is always on sale and I have heard a few people rave about them. Aren't they some company from back in the day that died out and was just recently revived?
Those Lexas have always caught my eye. I have been debating a Daiwa for a long time, but their stuff seems to be either really cheap or really expensive. Not much in the range for a decent $120-$150 combo. I don't need any more rods, but I will think about grabbing a Daiwa. I've been trying to get into the baitcasters more since I bought that Revo SX, but I don't throw a ton of reel heavy lures with my pond fishing. That mediun/light spinning setup with a 6' or 6'6" rod and 10lb-15lb braid is my favorite. I can throw 1/8oz lures or 1/2oz lures on the same rod.
>>663924
The lews that I have is a generic korean made baitcaster. I should have bought a g series curado when I had the chance. Anyways, it's a good reel, it's probably tje tackle bug getting to me. The lexa he got is a very good looking reel, and it has this excellent finish on it.
The tatulas are in that range, why don't you give it a try? Daiwa is the shit.
>>663876
I want a reel/rod that I can take camping with me to catch bream and crappie. What should I look for?
>>663934
For smaller fish, I really like a 7' light to medium light fast action with a 2500-3000 size reel. Gives me tons of versatility for small jigs, dropshotting, or even topwater. Works great for stocked trout and small bass.
>>663931
When I bought that Abu, I was looking at the Tatulas. Next baitcaster I buy, I will probably grab a Daiwa.
I also have been wanting to grab a Fenwick or St. Croix rods. Those Fenwick HMX or whatever are supposed to be nice rode and they aren't super expensive. But Bass Pro doesn't have them and Dick's has a shit selection of rods. I'm hesitant to order a rod off the internet. Also Bass Pro only carries one or two types of St. Croix rods and they are like $200+
>>663934
Just get an ultralite if you are only doing bream, crappie, and maybe the occaisional bass. ~6' rod and 4lb mono line. What is your budget?
>>663941
Damn, I think I'm the only one who doesn't like super long rods. I'm happy with 6'6" on most of my combos. 6' for ultralites.
>>663942
I'd like to keep it around $100. I seen this reel and figured it should do but wasn't certain what rod I would need.
https://ardentoutdoors.com/freshwater/view/productdetails/virtuemart_product_id/425/virtuemart_category_id/19
>>663946
Haha, I'm this guy>>663910
I love longer rods. I transition from inshore to freshwater a lot so the extra length helps with casting distance and picking up slack. Sometimes I'm on jetties and sometimes I'm just walking a stream. Really hard to find a longer paddletail/grub rod that can pull double duty for wading in the surf and freshwater.
>>663942
I've heard to stay away from st croix budget rods. A lot of people swear by the omen black series. I picked one up in the store and was surprised-the balance is superb and the grip disappears in my hand. Def worth a look. As for buying rods online, any of the big retailers like tacklewarehouse or bass pro will ship your rod in a bigass cardboard tube that you can hit people with.
>>663948
Where do you live? I don't know anything about Ardent.
As far as a decent rod, everybody loves an Ugly Stik. $40, Bass Pro will have a million to choose from, and you can beat them up pretty good. Just make sure you buy one for a spinning reel. Casting reels will normally have a little trigger on the rod, don't buy one of those for a spinning reel.
Otherwise you could always look at a Bass Pro store-brand rod and reel. You will get a lot for your money that way. I know Bass Pro sells a Pflueger President reel on their BPS Graphite Series rods for ~$90. You just have to find a size you like. Bass Pro store-brand stuff also goes on sale quite a bit and you can save $10-$20.
If I were you, I would go to an actual retail store and try some stuff out. I only order stuff like that online if I know exactly what I want and have seen it in a store first. You can look at the rod and reel in the store, and it will tell you what kind of line you can run and what weight lures. For Crappie and Bream, I would get a reel that says 2lb-6lb line and run 4lb line. If you want, you can go a little bit bigger, a medium weight that will say 6lb-10lb on the rod/reel and run 6lb or 8lb line. That way you won't have a problem reeling in the occaisional bigger bass or 5lb catfish.
>>663948
I was looking at that reel a little bit more. If you are set on that one, get the 2000. And I would probably do 6lb Trilene on there if it is going to be crappie and bream. And check out a 6'6" medium weight Ugly Stik or similar rod.
I was also reccommending somebody the Okuma Stratus V reel earlier. Check it out on Dick's. I would say the SV-35 size for your purposes. And you can run a similar rod as I mentioned above. My other reccommendation would be an Abu Garcia Cardinal reel. You can probably get a rod/reel combo for $70-$80. They are real nice for that money. And I would say the 35 would be a little bigger than you need for crappie, but will be great all around. And the 25 would be good if you think you are specifically going to be catching small panfish.
Pic related, the white reel is the Okuma Stratus V-35. Black and gold is the Abu Garcia Cardinal SX35.
>>663963
>>663958
Whoa that's a lot of info. You seem to know what you're talking about and i will make a purchase based on your recommendation. I just picked the ardent because its american made, I'm open to other brands.
Both cabelas and bass pro are about the same distance but I get so damn confused when I get the reels and rods. There's literally thousands of them and it just over whelms me because I'm not expert when its come to fishing.
>>663973
Yeah sorry that was a lot.
Honestly, if you aren't 100% set on the Ardent, go to Bass Pro or Cabelas and look at an already assembled combo that you like. If you are willing to spend up to $100, you should end up with a nice combo. And then look at the reel, it will have line weights and how much it holds printed on the spool. I would reccommend running something like 6lb line. So find the size that says something like "4lb-220yds, 6lb-150yds, 8lb-110yds". That will be a good size for what you are trying to do. And it will already have a matching rod so you won't have to worry about that.
>>663978
Why do you reccomend the ardent? T-b-h, there aren't many reviews. I think a mid range daiwa or shimano would be a better bet.
>>663982
I didn't reccommend the Ardent. I just said it doesn't look bad if he really likes it, but I don't know anything about that brand.
That's why I said Abu Garcia. Or the Okuma because that is such a nice reel for the price ar Dick's right now. Shimano won't be a bad choice either. Or a Quantum. There are tons of choices in that price range that will work well.
I honestly think he should go BPS or Cabelas and check out some stuff. If he spends $100 on a combo. It will be much easier, he will get a rod that matches well with the reel and will save a few $ from buying them separate. Whether just a Bass Pro/ Cabela's store brand, or big name like Shimano, Abu, Daiwa, Mitchell, Pflueger, Quantum, etc he can't really go wrong.
>>663987
Yeah, I think that cabelas uses the same OEM as okuma for their current line up of reels.
>>663995
Guy at Bass Pro told me their reels are made by Pure Fishing, the company that owns Abu Garcia, Pflueger, Shakespeare, Berkley, and all sorts of other stuff.
Bass Pro and Cabela's store brand stuff isn't bad at all. I used to be weary of it, but it has gotten to the point where they really do put some effort into it. They sell enough of them that they are a real competitor. And the stuff is made in the same factories, by the same people as many of the other major brands.
>>663996
I think that's why I find daiwa and shimano reels so cool. They're more unique and I like it when companies are in control of r&d and manufacturing.
>>664001
That's true. But I wouldn't hold it against any of the Pure Fishing companies. Abu Garcia stuff is still designed by Abu and manufactured to their specs. It's 1999+17, that's just kinda how the workd works these days.
>>664002
I see your point. But isn't kind of sad that abu, fenwick, pflueger, and shakespeare areall owned by the same company and are basically competing with each other? It kind of stiffles innovation. I really love it when things like t-wing and svs infinity come out.
Hey, I live in Colorado and I'm looking to get into fishing. I own absolutely nothing fishing related, but I could probably borrow some things from my dad. What do I need to learn to be a fisherman?
>>664031
Bumpin my own thread.
Get a rod and one of those little starter kits. Learn how to cast and tie knots. Learn how to set the hook. Eventually you can start using lures and learn tbe techniques for all of those.
Pic related, my 20 year old brother who has never gone fishing ever until this summer. First time I ever took him out, I had him working with a spinner on an ultralite and he's a pro now. He did snag a bunch of my lures and lose them tho. I got him a bunch of his own stuff to lose for Christmas.
>>664478
Let's say, for example, there's a lake in my city that stocks fish for fishermen. The only fish varieties I'm familiar with on the list are trout of Brook and Rainbow varieties and Channel Catfish. Should I just look up what people are recommending for catching that variety? In addition, I hear time of day and weather can be important for whether or not you'll catch any. What time should I go? I also don't own a kayak, so I'd be fishing from the shore. Is there anywhere in particular on the lake edge I should be looking for? How do I make sure that the bait is sitting at the proper depth and not on the bottom of the lake? Is that an issue? These are the kinds of questions I have.
>>664529
Google is your friend. Catfish like stinky shit on the bottom and bite good at night. Trout, I don't have a ton of experience.
There is a lot to the timing and spots and you might find some conflicting information online as well. A lot of stuff affects lure choice too. Dawn and dusk is the best for most fishing. And water temps, as well as spawning times will matter a lot too. On hot, sunny days, fish like to go deep in the lake, especially during the day. So a 75F overcast day right after sunrise or right before sunset with a light breeze is when I have my best luck. Right before and right after rain seems to help to. And barometric pressure matters, they bite more when the pressure is low.
And when I'm fishing in my little ponds and lakes, I normally have the best bet with bass in spots that they will feed. The edge of the weed beds, near sticks and trees in the water, by bridges and dams. Also look for drop-offs and curves in the shoreline. The baitfish like to hang out shallow, and if there is a drop-off nearby, bass like to hang out in deeper water right there.
>>664535
>>664529
When it comes to lures, if the water is murky, I will use something bright that makes noise and causes vibrations. I will use bright yellow stuff or spinners with silver blades that reflect well in the water.
If the water is really clear, I normally go with something really natural looking. A Rapala or other crankbait in that shad coloring or gold. Or some rubber baits, natural color. I have had luck on those Power Bait minnows, anywhere from 2"-4" and normally the black and silver color.
Lately I have been using topwater lures (poppers and frogs) in the morning and dusk if the water is fairly calm. If you see the fish jumping out of the water to eat, it's a good time to use a topwater lure.
Somebody else could probablt give you some insight on rubber worms and texas or carolina rigs. I never really have luck with them at these man made ponds. They always get snagged or come up full of weeds. But I think rubber worms running slow on the bottom is good for those days where the bass are down deep and aren't biting much else. I need to work on that more.
You also asked about making sure the bait is at the right depth. If you are using a bobber with live bait, the bobber will sit crooked if it is on the bottom. You can tell.
>>664529
What pepsifag said for catfish is true. Those nasty fuckers will eat almost anything-chicken liver and catfish dough are my favorite.
Stocked trout are easy as piss to catch as well. I am a huge fan of small white crappie jigs on a light/ultralight rod. It's almost cheating. For bait, standard powerbait works well.
Anyone know about how channel cats feed when its cold out?
Water temp is probably low 40s
>>664540
Those little Power Bait grubs are great. Especially the white ones. I love them on a beetle spin. Or I have these jigheads with a little blade on them thay gives it just enough flash.
>>664537
Some days a senko will absolutely obliterate an entire pond. I don't really like texas rigs myself, I much prefer swim jigs or a pitched crawdad. I only use carolina rigs for inshore. I see some carolina specific actions coming out, pretty weird.
>>664545
>panfish assasin
muh nigga. But I was talking about these guys. The only panfish we get here are a lot of crappie and some bluegill. I envy people who get to catch pumpkin seeds and redears. They look so pretty.
>>664555
Checked.
I can't even tell what that lure is.
I used to get lots of pumpkinseeds when I was up north around Chicago. And the regular bluegill normally had a darker color to them and sometimes blue spots.
The ones I get down here in FL are different. They aren't as dark, and the vertical stripes are much more pronounced. Pic related is one from FL. Never caught one like that in IL. I don't think I have any pics on this phone of IL pumpkinseeds or sunfish or whatever we are calling em that day.
The pumpkinseeds also seemed to have a little bit bigger mouth too, which was nice for lure fishing.
>>664555
>>664560
I used to get mostly these green ones in IL, and the occaisional redbreasted one or pumpkinseed.
>>664011
You'd be surprised how much can fall under any given corporate umbrella. While Shimano and Daiwa (Globeride) are their own companies they're not too different from others in that they have a lot of markets beneath their overall name. Shimano is a great example in that they do produce fishing tackle but are probably best known for their cycling products.
You'd be really floored at just how many classic lure brands now fall under the umbrella that is "Pradco Outdoor Brands." Rebel, Bomber, Arbogast, Lindy, and Creek Chub just to rattle off a few. Yum brand soft plastics too. Rapala is the largest lure manufacture in the world. They've got VMC, Blue Fox, Storm, and Luhr-Jensen to name a few of theirs.
Is it all kind of sad? Maybe. Small companies and Ma & Pa shops are hurting these days... but maybe if some of these brands weren't picked up by larger corporations they might have ceased to be and folks today wouldn't be able to continue enjoying them. Or maybe I'm giving too much credit to the corporations. I suppose if these little companies got big enough to be recognized and bought up by larger corporations they couldn't have been doing too bad for themselves, but at least now they've big money behind their names and probably exceed the levels of production and distribution they might've been capable of previously.
>>664031
>What do I need to learn to be a fisherman?
Fly-fishing. In this state, anyone who fishes for salmonids with anything other than fly gear (and especially bait) is literally worse than Hitler unless using fly gear is extremely impractical.
Of course, any other fish are fair game with any legal method and there's great fishing for warm-water species out East but fishing for trout is almost a religious affair here and there are right and wrong ways to do it,
Wew, got this 43cm Golden Perch an hour ago on a black and red $6 Ebay special. Fucking finally, I caught something with a Spinnerbait after losing a bunch and casting hundreds of times over the years.
>>664908
I feel the same way about spinnerbaits and big, diving crank baits
>tfw I should keep a rod in my truck
There's a canal right next to me. I don't really have the time to cast around most days tho.
>>664560
>>664563
Gosh sunfish are so pretty. The prettiest thing I probably catch here is spotted bay bass, I love the way males shine in the sun.
>>664582
I'm all for preservation of old brands that have a rich heritage like blue fox and bomber. I just don't understand the market hype that comes with a brand name like Lews coming back into market. The new BB1 is no slouch, but damn did they milk that nostalgia factor hard(like any sensible company would).
On an unrelated note, it looks like I want a new reel after all of this talk. Citica I vs Curado I vs Concept A? Pairing with an Omen Black 7'3" medium for light inshore, throwing small paddletails.
>>664560
Pepsi, that's a Mayan Cichlid. Invasive speices, destroy them on sight. I carry around a sabiki rig incase i see them, then i'll trim their top fin and use them as live bait. A little cruel, but nothing eats them otherwise.
Anyone here North Georgia? They got rid of trout season and I'm ready to go up to Vogel state. What do you guys recommend for general trout fishing?
>>665134
Depends on whether you're going for stockers or naturals. Idk about trout culture in the east but it seems fairly cultish,
>>664991
God damn it pepsi now I'll have to try and get a fish with a crankbait.
>>665112
Wat? You sure man? I have seen lots of cichlids and lots of bluegill and I'm positive that was a bluegill. I would google more but i'm driving a semi truck in traffic.
>>665218
I grabbed this today
>>665227
>Rapala
They're so bloody expensive here in Australia compared to most other tackle brands so it's cheaper to look for stuff like pic related.
>>665245
What do Rapalas run over there? For a 3"-4" with the slender body, it is anywhere from $6 to like $10, depending on the style. Those X-Rap slashbaits I have been using (green box) are on the more expensive side, like $9-$11 for a 3"-4".
Also those lures you posted, is that an Australian company?
>>665252
Rapalas here run from $20 to $50 depending on the type, same with Jackall lures, shit's ridiculous when a lot of other American brands are far more reasonable. Yeah StumpJumper and Custom Crafted are aussie companies, mostly all I use because they get results.
>>665258
Rapala isn't even American tho. The company is based in Finland, and lures made in Estonia.
>>665260
Well the more you know then.
I blame Leslie for me associating Rapala with America.
https://youtu.be/JogttpcKFIA?t=29s
>>665262
I know the Aussie dollar is weak, but that's still crazy how much they cost. Even with importing. The lures are tiny, it shouldn't cost that much more to import stuff to Australia compared to the US. Unless there are some crazy tarriffs on them for some reason.
Also I juat got a new knoife in the mail. Tomorrow, my box of Mepps should come. Paid like $3 more for shipping to make sure I got them before the weekend.
>>665266
Other brands like Halco and Jarvis Walker are decently priced, but yeah, it's an expensive hobby lure fishing over here. Also nice knife.
>>665273
It's only expensive if you lose them a bunch or have an addiction to buying lures like me.
Do you guys have Berkley Power Bait over there? If I use rubber baits, that is my go-to. They are scented.
Also what about Mepps? Are they expensive? They are made in France and are slightly more expensive than other in-line spinners like Rooster Tails. But I think the quality is better. They put a lot of thought into a simple lure.
>>665266
Aussie Dollar is 70% USD.
it's really just the fact that everything is sold at a high price there to compensate for regulations and high wages.
>pepsifag posts on /out/
Noice! Anyways I inherited all my grandfathers fishing stuff a while back. It's 3 large tackle boxes, a tote, a 15 ft surfcasting(?) rod, 2 old fenwicks, 2 fly rods, small 4'6" rod and 2 more saltwater rods Finally going through it thoroughly to add to my fishing junk.
>tfw finding rapalas that look like they where never used
Also a couple quesions; What's the 15ft rod used for? And how would you keep a nice fishing spot under wraps?
>pic related
>>665366
>15ft rod
Ugh, have fun. I had some of my dad's stuff, some old Abu and St Croix rods and reels. Had to be from the 70s. They woulda been cool to hang on to, but not really worth using when newer technology is so much better. He had a few cool lures too, but idk what I even did with it all. I think I have one big musky spinner and the rest I left at my old house.
12' rod sounds crazy. I know those surfcaster dudes use long rods, but goddamn.
>tfw I made a keychain out of a really old Rapala and all the paint wore off the lure in a month
Maybe like 10-12 years ago, when my dad was turning into a piece of shit, he had been promising to go fishing with me for a weekend in Wisconsin somewhere. He fell thru, so I bought him a rod and reel for his birthday just to be a dick. I wonder what happened to that.
>>665366
Just realized it was a 15' rod, not 12'. How many pieces is it?
And as far as your secret fishing spot, have fun trying to keep it under wraps. Most of my spots have a bunch of "No Tresspassing" signs posted around them. A lot of them are in commercial and industrial areas, so I go on weekends when nobody is around. And if cops or security try to kick me out, I just plead ignorance.
What would be the most versatile largemouth lure? What catches most reliably? I'm guessing the rubber worm would be.
>>665376
3 pieces. The first guide actually folds up its pretty neat even though I live over an hour from the coast. The spot is at a state park that everyone goes to for the beach but a friend and I found this dank ass abandoned dam that we never see anyone even go near. I wanna keep it a bit of a secret because the other spots people go to on the more accessible parts are covered in bud cans, cut line, cig butts and trash.
>pic related again
>>665380
Idk, I have more luck with something that makes noise or flashes. Mepps #3 in natural colors or a medium sized gold Rapala (maybe Husky Jerk) would be my best all around. No matter where you are, bass always feed on smaller gold and silver bait fish which the Mepps and Rapalas imitate.
If I go to a new lake and just want to see what fish are in there or how big the bass are, I cast out a Mepps 2 or 3 with a silver or gold blade and brown skirt.
That is all my preference. If I use a rubber lure, I will use a grub or minnow because the tails move around and get some attention. Some rubber worms have the curly tails as well.
>>665385
That spot sounds cool. I would say try to stay away from there on busy weekends when there are lots of people fishing. Also don't leave a bunch of trash around. I can't stand when people do that.
That's the #1 reason that lots of lakes and ponds don't allow fishing. Bums go there and drink all day and leave a goddamn mess. I think that's why I don't get messes with at some of these lakes. I show up with a rod or two and a little box with a couple lures, walk around, don't leave a mess, and don't leave with a cooler that was full of beer now full of fish.
>>665386
>>665386
I see you sing the praises of mepps so much, are you getting paid off? You make me want to buy one. Looking at other sites reccomending lures, I haven't seen any reccomend a mepps for bass , but perhaps that's their greatest strength, that fish don't see em often enough to learn to avoid them.
>>665389
Have you seen pics of my spinner box? I have to own at least 50 Mepps, and have 7 more coming in the mail tomorrow from Gander Mountain.
There is something about tha flashing blade that gets the attention of everything. Especially if the water is a little murky. I have caught anything and everything on them. There is also something with the single treble hook at the end. If I get a bite, I hook the fish. It doesn't always work like that with crank baits and rubber lures.
Also people may refer to them as spinners, in-line spinners, rooster tails, etc. Mepps is just the brand name.
I wish I was endorsed or sponsored by Mepps.
>>665389
Look at the 2nd post in this thread. I was using a Rapala for awhile on Monday and not getting much besides a couple nibbles. Switched to a Mepps Agila 3 and I caught that big bass within 5 minutes. Threw the bass back, and next cast I got a smaller ~12"-13" bass.
The snakehead in this pic was on a Mepps as well. The water was fairly clear that day, and I watched this snakehead come out of nowhere and race after the lure. Attacked the thing like 5ft from the shoreline. Fish love the vibration from the blade.
>>665288
Hence why I tell every one I fish with to buy a telescopic lure retriever, I've rescued around $500 worth of lures I would have otherwise lost. We have power bait but most people don't bother with the stuff around the river here, it's more for the eastern states type fishing. Never heard of Mepps, they any good?
Also just picked this big boy up, might troll it behind the boat on the weekend and see if anything snaps it up.
>>665395
>he asks me if Mepps are any good
I have had good luck with them
>>665398
>all dat Yellow/Orange
Best colour combination IMO. What do you get on those where you are? Here people only use those spinners to target either Redfin or Trout. I've got a shitload of cheapies just gathering dust in the tacklebox I should use some day.
>>665398
My Strange Addiction
>>665400
Everything. Bluegill, largemouth bass, peacock bass, I would get crappie on them in IL, I get snakehead down here on them, I have even gotten a channel cat on one before.
I used to mostly go with the darker colors and gold or silver blades. But everybody says peacocks like bright colors so I have been expanding the selection of bright ones. Largemouth seem to like the bright yellow at all. And snakehead don't care about color, they like the vibrations.
Going to explore one, maybe multiple small streems tomorrow
Snow on the ground near freezing temperatures
Less than 3 ft of water
I don't expect any large fish but maybe il find some small stuff
Don't have worms to use what else can I use as bait?
Bread?
Going to bring a small spinner but I need other ideas as well
>>665414
Northern pike
Muskie
Largemouth bass will take very large baits (I've seen one eat a water snake over 2 ft long)
>>665417
Do they eat birds?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8rb7qvwvWc
>>665418
Northern pike and muskie will, greedy largemouth often eat baby ducks and sometimes slightly larger ones or try to
>>665422
>>665424
Thanks its more going to be about exploring for me, HOPEFULLY il find some native Brook trout
As for northern pike my state sadly stopped stocking them years ago and there's only a handful of places to fish for them anymore
>>665427
Nothing quite like finding your own fishing spot and catching something from there, good luck.
>>665424
>Neato, seems like they would be fun to catch.
Supposedly they make very long and fast runs but don't fight as hard per pound as salmonids or bass. They can also be picky, situationally, they have a tendency to break gear. They're also fairly popular with fly anglers because fishing for Pike on the fly is as close to bonefishing as you can get in fresh water (7-9wt rods, big flies, stalking, etc.) and in places that don't have salmon they're usually the biggest fish in the place plus they have a tendency to live in very pretty places.
>>665440
Hardest fighting fish per pound (freshwater) has to be suckers IMHO
While they don't make long hard runs nthey just pull and pull and pull line no mater how tight the drag is
>>665446
By that metric, Halibut are the most athletic game fish ever.
>>665446
You need to get somewhere warm and catch a peacock bass. 14" peacock fights like an 18" largemouth. They are fun to catch.
>>665635
>largemouth
I've rarley had good fighting largemouth becuase the places o fish for them are super weedy, they just byrry themselves on weeds and I pull the entire clump to me.
>>665398
For everything good Pepsi has to say about mepps, I say double goes for blue fox spinners haha. I absolutely love inline spinners just as much as you, and mepps and blue fox are my go to's.
I like the blue fox because they cast better, and give off extra vibration in the head of the spinner
Can you be successful "trolling" without a trolling motor? Can one just paddle along in a raft?
>>665723
ofcourse, me and my fishing buddies used to troll in pedal boats all the time.
>>665648
That big one I caught Monday (2nd post) fought real good. I got him like 10ft from shore, and when he jumped out of the water, he saw me and ran real hard for a bit.
>>665709
I've been keeping an eye out for those sincr you mentioned them. Dick's doesn't carry them. Next time I'm at Bass Pro, I will grab a couple if they have them.
>>665735
I'm not sure dicks has them. I get mine from walmart lol. Size 3 being my favorite.
>>665800
Dick's didn't have them. I was there yesterday. Bass Pro might. I don't think Wal Marts around here have them. They already have a very limited selection of tackle and it is divide between freshwater and saltwater. They have like 3 different Rooster Tails and that it for in-line spinners.
>Mo' Mepps
>>665822
This pic isn't including my Rooster Tails and other in-line spinners. This is out of hand.
>>665989
How much have you spent on lures? Jeez m8.
>>666043
That picture is like $100 or so. Probably a couple thousand if pepsi is anything like me haha.
>>665380
My catch-all has always been jig spinners. I like around a #3 or 3.5 colorado blade, hammered, in either copper or gold colour. With them I use 1/16 oz darter jig heads (1/8 for deeper water/faster sinking) and 5" Gary Yamamoto Grubs. Favourite colours for the grubs are chartreuse-pepper, smoke-pepper, and red shad.
>>665389
For a lot of lure-addicted fishermen when they find something that works they like it. When it continues to work then they love it. And when they love it they buy a bunch more. I'm just as guilty with my jig spinners but also with any new tackle I pick up. I started fishing squarebills and jerkbaits as autumn was setting in. Slower retrieves for cooler waters. The jerkbaits can be worked almost like a sub-surface popper in that quick pops of the rod tip will barely move the lure any further from where it landed but produces a lot of action. Anyway they both worked out amazingly so I turned around and filled two 3600's full of them.
Tackle is a compulsion for a lot of us, especially in the winter time for mid-atlantic anglers. Most land-locked waters will freeze over but never thick enough for ice fishing. You can't fish from shore. You can't launch a boat. But what you can do is spend a lot of time organizing your tackle for the spring and thinking to yourself "Y'know I should buy more of these."
>>665395
>I tell every one I fish with to buy a telescopic lure retriever
Amen to that. Fishing from my jon boat I can usually get away with my pyramid sinker on a snap to get snagged lures back. Just snap it around the line, let it drop, and the weight of it usually pulls the lure free. It's rare I snag trees or anything high up but when it happens I always wish I had some sort of pole to get'em back with. I may have even drunkenly climbed a couple trees to get back a favourite lure, granted the booze is what got'em up there in the first place.
>>666080
Hell, that's $175+ easy. I really need to give in-lines a chance.
>>666173
>my pyramid sinker on a snap to get snagged lures back
I was thinking of getting a proper chain retriever for my boat but shit, pyramid sinkers are cheaper, I'll have to give this a try.
>>666179
Got my sinker for the low low cost of $FREE. Any time I see a stray bobber or snag somebody's snapped-off line I make it a point to retrieve all the line and whatever is attached to it. It ensures I, nor anybody else, will end up with the same headache of a snag or having to peel line off their motor prop, plus it leads to a lot of free terminal tackle. I've gotten a lot of jig heads, cheap orange/yellow foam bobbers, treble hooks and such that way.
The one benefit to a proper retriever is that it typically comes with a length of rope/cordage attached and is strong enough to pull up a whole branch/tire/whatever. I should really get one myself but so far my sinker has worked 100% of the time and the worst that can ever happen is I lose my lure and the sinker.
>>666190
Nice, I do the same with any line I find, best I got was a $30 softbody Jackall lure sitting on the end of line wrapped around a snag right near the bank, promptly put it on my line and lost it after a dozen casts but at least it was free :^)
>>666193
>$30 softbody Jackall
At some point I'm gonna bite the bullet on one of their Pompadour topwater baits. I've had a Heddon Crazy Crawler, which has a similar action, that hasn't managed to find a single bite yet and I think that's the only reason I haven't gone ahead with the purchase. That and it's rare I spend more than $8.00 on a single lure. I've picked up a few Megabass Pop X and Pop Max poppers over the last couple years but that's mostly because I think they're works of art. I do throw'em because damned if they don't work great but that fear of losing them is always there. I figure there is a $20 bill on the end of my line every time I cast one.
>>666201
I have another Jackall still its packet from a few years ago, I'm scared of losing the fucker so I hear ya.
/out/ tackle exchange when?
>tfw new to fishing, have been going for stocked rainbows for a few days and haven't caught anything
It's pretty discouraging. Can anyone give me some tips?
>>666241
Stay hidden when fishing for trout.
>>666241
Assuming that you're in still water and spincasting: Use powerbait marshmallows or salmon eggs on small hooks (single, not treble) fished under a bobber with a bit of split shot to keep it down. If you fail at this in a place where you know fish are holding, you're probably cursed and should do something about that before trying your hand at anything else. Also, if you're fishing still water with fly gear you can almost always crush hatchery trout on kibble patterns that imitate hatchery feed.
If you're fishing running water, it's fly gear or bust. Try SMALL (18-24) midge and baetis nymph, emerger and dry patterns fished dead drift as well as eggs. Winter can be an excellent time to fish because of the low water and high visibility.
In general: use no more than 4lb flouro, try to stay low as you approach the fish, keep your offerings small and be prepared for a very gentle take. Winter trout are sluggish and often pretty spooky but hatchery trout are complete dunkasses so as long as you're not doing anything incredibly wrong you should be okay. Where are you fishing and with what?
>>666250
Small stocked pond. I was using small treble hooks because I heard they were good for trout but I will try a single hook. Tried power bait dough, eggs and live worms.
>>666264
Alright then, here's what you do.
3/8oz. sliding sinker on your main line --> Swivel --> 12-24" of 2# flouro --> #10-#8 baitholder hook covered in powerbait
This is, of course, assuming that you know where the fish are. That itself might be what's fucking you up because fish that get fed regularly like to hang out primarily in just one place. What state are you in, what's the pond like and what are you fishing with?
>Putting a nightcrawler on a hook
>It squirts out some liquid as I puncture it
>Straight into my mouth
HOW DO I PREVENT THIS (other than not being an idiot and keeping my mouth closed)
>>666309
don't squeeze the worm as much, and make sure your hooks are sharp.
>>666274
Texas. The red dot is next to a small horizontal pier. The blue is a nice little rock high off the water that you can sit on and coover a decent amount of water. The green area is a patch of land that was flooded during recent rains here, it's only about 1 1/2 ft. in the deepest area of it. For the rest of the pond, I'm unsure of the depth, but I wouldn't guess anymore than ~10 ft.If it matters, I believe they were stocked in the pond just left of the green area on the south end of the pond, before the flooding.
Anyone else use mini mites? I never catch anything on regular jigs with rubber tails on them but damn I've caught soooo many fish with these
>>665224
Looked at it again. You right.
>>666391
They don't even look similar...
>>666359
Try trout magnets
>>666404
I'd imagine those would work pretty good for most things?
>>666439
Not the same person but I'd say most likely. Crappie magnet soft plastics aren't bad either. My favourite small soft plastics are made by Mr Crappie/Strike King. The "joker" baits are especially productive for me when used with a slip float or on a beetle spin sized jig spinner. Sometimes small baits will catch big fish. The bass in >>666173 was caught with small jig spinner.
Anyone waiting to purchase the new zillion sv? Looks sikh as fuck.
>strike king crankbait gets snagged
>line breaks and it floats to the surface but is too far from the shore to swim to
>tied on a popper, casted it a few feet behind it and was able to hook the crankbait on the retrieve
Thank god I was able to get it back tbqfhfam
>>666439
I kill panfish and bass with them, the ocationally channel cat
Only thing I haven't caught on it is a trout desu
>>666359
I have a bunch of those things. Catches anything and everything. When the bass aren't biting, I will toss one out with a beetle spin. I even caught a channel cat on one once.
>>666506
Here is the cat. Size 13 for reference. I have never caught a catfish on a lure besides that. I was just fishing the Mini Mite parallel to the shore like 5' off the rocks. Must have dragged the thing right over the cat's hole. I was amazed when I pulled it up.
Plus it was on an ultralite with 4lb line. Good times.
>>666652
Needs more frogs lol
>>666241
Use fluorocarbon, preferably 4lb.
Where i fish, its the difference between catching fish and not catching a single one.
Also, use SMALL and very sharp hooks.
I like size 10-12 arberdeens or small Owner Mosquito hooks.
If using bait, hook the bait near the head of the worm. Trout go after worms head first.
Also, finesse. Drop shotting or ultralight jigging (1/64oz or less jig heads) are deadly.
On my trip to the Grand Mesa in Colorado, i caught about 100 rainbows drop shotting and 75+ cutthroat and splake ultralight jigging.
Though, ultralight finesse is useless without fluorocarbon.
>>666439
>do trout magnets work
Yes they do. here are a couple cuts i caught ultralight jigging in colorado.
>>666652
You should display them famm
>>666652
Frog pattern Rapala Skitter Pop! October of '14 it was THE lure for me while fishing Aitch on Raystown Lake. The bass absolutely refused to hit anything with a hard "plunk." I found that by starting a pop but drawing the rod tip back a bit further and slower those lures would make a longer, gurgly sound with lots of little bubbles. It drove them nuts! My pops didn't have one in his tackle box at the time but he did have one of those Heddon Tiny Torpedoes. The prop didn't gurgle with quite as deep of a sound but still left a nice bubble trail and managed to improve his bite a bit. But nothing like the Skitter Pop.
Is that lipless crankbait, third down, a Strike King/KVD of some kind? I ask because the pattern looks similar to one of my "neon bluegill" pattern squarebills made by them. Also what's up with your Hula Popper?
>>666741
Thanks for the tips, appreciate it very much.
>>666767
I think the bluegill you are talking about is a Strike King Red-Eye Shad. 2nd column, those first 4 are all the same.
And the Hula Poppee, that rubber skirt got sticky over the years and likes to stick to shit, so I put a paper towel around it. One of the frogs is like that too. I should just throw em out.
And those Rapala skitter pops are great. I'm about to head to my lil lake before the sun comes up.
Where is there some good open water fishing in the US this time of year?
any advice on squid jigs?
>>667019
>Open-water
What do you mean by that? I'm not well-versed in all this stuff. Just go anywhere warm. It's great in FL this time of year because the water cooled off a lil bit and the largemouth are biting. Also 75F and sunny everyday.
>>666738
I grabbed another one today. I have never really had luck with them. I was at Bass Pro a couple months ago and some dude was grabbing a bunch of frogs and said they worked great. So I grabbed a couple. I was using one last weekend and got a nice bite, but not enough to hook em.
Anybody here use those Live Target lures? They are expensive, but I have been looking at those cranks that look like 3-4 smaller shads on one lure. There were some on clearance for like $10 off of $15, but I passed on them. Otherwise their regular crankbaits are still like $15, and just look really, really detailed.
>>667120
They look like they could work well... But $15-$20 per lure, I'm not sure.
>>666745
Nice, now is there anydifference between the trout and crappir magnets? I looked them both up and they look pretty much the same?
>>667142
Size and jig head shape
Hello boys
>>667237
I'm goin back out now
>>667244
I should learn to trip.
>>667247
Same lol
We caught a conch. That was about it.
>>667247
>>667294
No, you shouldn't. Or if you do, only use it when needed.
I'm originally from /o/ and started tripping because of the truckerfag threads. There's a handful of people who are always butthurt when they see tripfags. It's kinda funny. Anyway, I just leave the trip on all the time because I'm too lazy to erase it and enter it all the time.
>tfw still no luck, a few bluegill bites
Sun's setting, I'm gonna go down the street to another lake and try some topwater.
If anyone is wondering about buying a lexa/exceler, I'd say go for it. It palms superbly has great reserve power. Although the best option would be to buy a tatula or citica I off of ebay.
>>667307
Thanks for the advice. I like/out/, it's so friendly. But then again, it's still 4chan.
The frame lews uses for it's tournament series is also nice. Not as easy to palm as the 100 sized daiwas, but still great. It also doesn't crank as well, but I feel like I can chuck light stuff better.
>>667308
>>667315
>one left handed, one right handed
First time I ever bought a baitcaster, I thought I bought a left-handed one sinde the handle is on the opposite side of spinning reels. If felt strange having to switch hands after casting.
Also, that Lew's, is that one of those fast retrieving ones? I saw the "Speed Series" on it and are those ones like 7:1 or something? If so, how do you like it?
I think my RevoSX might have a slower retrieve than my SilverMax. Not positive tho. But I'm not crazy about the fast retrieve. Just preference. If I have 4-5 casting reels, I might invest in something that is ~7:1.
>>667237
What's the one with the cranknon the left, side
I need one for fluke/porgies/bluefish
>>667403
I have a shimano curado in a left handed model for my fluking. You have to baby it in the saltwater though, gets a bath after every use.
I would recommend a Quantum accurist in a left handed model. It has a "flippin switch" which means when you click the spool release, you have to hold it to let line out, and when you take your thumb off, it clicks off.
So if you want to drop a little line, you can do so one handed without having to turn the handle.
Its john skinner approved lol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oKzzpM0-qw
>>667478
Every time I'm at Bass Pro, I think about grabbing another Quantum. I have an older Quantum on one of my ultralite setups and that thing has been beat to hell for years and still runs smooth.
Their new reels look so nice. I really want that Energy spinning reel. The Accurist spinning reel looks good too but has some shitty reviews. Even that $60 reel looks good.
>>667478
Actually what's the benefit to these feels over normal spinning tackle?
I feel like I would end up using spinning tackle more frequently in freshwater aswell
>>667505
They do cast a little smoother and further, especially with heavier line. I'm sure there's lots of other advantages too, but that is one of the main things and I'm half asleep.
I still use spinning reels more, but I have been slowly getting better with the baitcaster. It is just useless for light lures so I use spinning reels for anything ~1/4oz and less.
>>667505
Actually thinking along these lines I have two rods both medium action 7 ft one is at Croix and the other ugly stick, quite similar desu
I should just throw a slightly larger reel on them both for fluke porgies bluefish etc
2500 size? Maybe 3000
Any suggestions? On a decent spinning reel
Cheap ish would be nice
Il also see is I can add 8 inches to the but of each rod for a bit more length
>>667509
Pflueger Presidents are one of the best reels for $50-$60 according to most people who have used them. I'm not really shilling them, just saying tons of other people have reccommended them to me. I own 2 in different sizes and colors and haven't had an issue.
Or those Okuma Stratus V's from Dick's. Check em out. The price they have on those things is a steal.
>>667344
That's a lews speed spool tournament. Pretty much the same frame as revos. That's the 6:4:1 model, speed is for namesake only.
>>667403
>>667408
Get the tatula. One of my friends grabbed it for his swimbait rod. It is insane how much power daiwa crammed into it. Plus it outcasts a lot of other reels he has-maybe it's because he chucks 3/4-1oz big hammers lol. I'm waiting for the zillion tw sv to come out.
>>667478
>babying a curado
People run curados hard m80. Unless it was a 50, I don't see how or why you would baby it. Pretty much every curado D series+ kicks ass. Quantum has a bad reputation online with tackle elitists, not sure why though.
Fuck tar btw.
>>667517
I'm not sure the curado was meant for saltwater. It was 200 bucks, so im nice to it lol.
>>667505
The benefit for fluke fishing is that they let out line faster and smoother. You get to the bottom quicker, and it helps you maintain contact with the flip of a switch.
You can use spinning tackle too. I recommend a penn fierce, size 3000.
I use the curado baitcaster on a penn regiment casting rod, and a penn fierce spinning rod on a shimano trevala. Both are incredibly capable fluke/porgy/seabass rigs.
I prefer the baitcaster.
Use #15-20 braid. A little heavier for blues. Ive caught cocktail blues on the penn fierce setup comfortably, but any sizable blue would've whooped my ass haha.
My blue/striper setup is a medium heavy okuma spinning rod, and a penn battle loaded with #40 power pro. I use a #50 flouro leader for those teethy bastards lol.
>>667494
The only reason I recommend the accurist baitcaster is because reels with flippin switches are harder to come by. Wish I had one, though not a necessity.
Nobody out fishin today? I slept in since I got up all early yesterday. But I'm thinkin about grabbing some nightcrawlers and catfish bait and going out a little later. I just don't have the same luck at night with lures. Plus it's harder to see weeds and snags.
>>667612
That flippin switch sounds nice. Do you cast with the switch as well and not use your thumb on the spool like normal? Or is the flippin switch a second button? I just worry about casting a heavy lure and using that buttin to stop it instead of your thumb. It could be a big shock on the line and knot. Either cause the lure to fly off the line, or with braid, possibly dig the line into the spool and make future casts kinda rough.
>>668094
I would if everything wasn't half frozen ,
Not going to kayak alone in freezing water
Too thin to icefish
Fuck man
>>668098
I'm so glad I don't live somewhere cold anymore. Being able to enjoy the weather outside year-round is great. Even in the summer, it is only like 85F in the day.
Had a coldfront come thru the last week or so. About time.
>tfw I got skunked out 2 days in a row
>tfw tried rat-l-traps, worms and crankbaits
Feels pretty bad man
>>668112
I didn't have any luck really yesterday. Had a couple decent bites, and some blugill tryin to get lures that were way too big.
I'm gussing something with the weather and pressure. It was all rainy on Friday, and then yesterday was nice and sunny. I probably woulda had better luck if I got out on Friday instead.
>>668105
I really love ice fishing when i can its between hard and soft water that kills me
In my free time I'm going to design a way to turn my old pool intoal a pond
>>668094
Don't get low cost quantums bruh they shit out easily. Citica or tatula off of ebay.
>>668105
I would hate that. Anything over 75 degrees and 75% humidity turns me into an instant asshole.
38 degrees out now, I'm in shorts.
>>668207
Anything below 60 and I'm freezing now. Winter is just depressing. And 85 with a nice breeze comin off the ocean is so relaxing. As long as you're near the ocean so you get the breeze, the humidity isn't even bad.
Night fishin at my little lake by some industrial area. I pulled up and set everything up by this car, and there's some kids just hanging out in there. Like 10' away from me. Kinda funny.
Also Imm using live bait for once (nightcrawlers) and no luck yet. I stoppef by Wal Mart hoping they would have some catfish stink bait, but they don't. I think I have a jar in my closet from years ago, but doubt it is still any good.
>>668281
Have you caught anything senpai?
>live in the city
>no vehicle
>far from anywhere you can go fishing
>can't go fishing
I miss it, honestly.
>>668294
Nah, nothin. I never have luck with nightcrawlers since I moved to FL. Have a bobber set on my left, and another rod sitting on the bottom on my right. Casted the little frog a bit over the weeds too and nothing.
I'm gonna head home soon. I would fish with lures more, but this lake had big weed beds from like 3' off the shore to 8'-10'. There are a couple breaks in the weeds, but I don't want to walk away from the rods set out there with nightcrawlers.
I'm thinkin about packing up and going a few blocks away to this other lake with barely any weeds. I could def get away with fishing some lures there right now. Not sure if anything will bite tho.
>>668308
>>668294
Ended up getting a lil ~12" largemouth on a Mepps at that 2nd lake.
Didn't want to do nightcrawlers there, just wanted to walk around with lures. And fishing with lures at night can be frustrating if it is anything besides a floating lure. It's so easy to snag stuff. I lost that Mepps eventually on one of the rocks.
Now it's way past my bedtime so I'm goin home.
Finally got around to taking some pictures. Internet connection is currently spotty. We'll see what I can upload.
This behemoth is the Plano 4674. The pliers pocket on the side is a nice touch. Not visible is a smaller pair of split ring pliers in one of the front side pockets. The other front side pocket usually houses my forceps but they're currently clipped to my fishing vest. The centre mesh pocket has a set of Pro Knot fishing knot reference cards and would usually hold my clippers but they're on the vest too.
>>668406
The front zippered pocket has some really nice touches. All external zippers have those oversized loop-grips that makes them really easy to work with. Inside the front pocket are a couple of mesh pockets I use to store a small measuring tape, o-rings and a senko tool. There are also elastic loops that work perfectly for many bottled lure scents. I'm partial to the Kick'n Bass brand and have a bottle each of their four offerings along with a bottle of crawfish scented Smelly Jelly.
>waiting for the lake ice to thicken up
Should be out on the ice this week... Ain't global warming a bitch?
>>668409
The box on top is a waterproof 3700 that I'm looking to upgrade. It houses all my terminal tackle such as hooks, jig heads, spinner blades/arms, snaps, bobber stops, etc. I'm trying to find a cheaper alternative to the Bass Mafia Bait Coffin 3700 but I might just bite the bullet on one. The biggest selling points are that they're also waterproof, more rugged, a bit deeper (without being a true "deep 3700") and they offer far more dividers which is a big deal for me when it comes to organizing terminal tackle. The drawback is it's like $30 for one damned box.
>>668411
Blurry inside look at the bag. It came with five 3700's and I usually have twelve 3600 slims but I pulled two of those to put in a regular 3600 which houses some overflow crankbaits and deep divers that were too fat for the slims.
>>668410
I've never been ice fishing but stories from a coworker of mine has always made it sound like great fun. Especially in places where folks basically end up building a shanty town out on the ice. If they're not catching fish they're almost certainly catching a buzz!
>>668413
On to the goods!
I'm slowly moving my soft-plastics back into zip-lock bags. The top left box is a good indication of why. They end up staining the box and the colours will stain whatever gets stored in there afterwards if you don't scrub every last bit of it up. Keeping them in zip-locks also tends to preserve them better.
Also pictured are my jig box, spooks, and my oddball topwater box. Eventually I'll invest in some more frogs. Planning to give braid a try next summer when the grass thickens up. I'll probably build a proper frogging setup between now and then.
>>668414
If anybody has a number for some solid addiction counselling...
I've always loved poppers so there is no shortage of those. To the right side is what happens when I buy a couple lures and they work great. Two boxes of jerkbaits (mostly Shadow Raps) in both shallow and deep-diving models. The very bottom right bait is an old Rapala Original Floating from the Irish factory that aforementioned coworker gifted to me.
>>668094
Well its in the name, its for flipping lol. Not necessarily a cast, more of a subtle toss. For fluke fishing, you wouldnt cast anyway, just drop down to the bottom and drift. It's also a switch which you can disengage for normal baitcaster use. Pretty nifty stuff.
>>668413
Always make two holes! One fer da fishin' an' one fer da beers
Look up "Tip up town" it's an ice fishing festival in northern Michigan.
>Ice fishing
>Snowmobile races
>Polar bear swim
I'll upload some pics of my set up tomorrow.
>>668416
And the last image for now. The overflow box on the right has a few deep divers, jointed crankbaits, and lipless cranks. It also has one of each colour Rebel offers for their Bluegill squarebill crankbaits. I can't recommend those little cranks enough. They come with barbless treble hooks which is great for catch'n'release or if you're taking your kids/younger siblings/beginners/etc out fishing. I've had a lot of luck with them.
Top left is more cranks of various sizes with different lips/depths. Bottom left is another example of what happens when I find something I like. With the exception of the Rapala DT (bottom right) those are all Strike King/KVD 2.5 squarebills. The duplicates are because some contain rattles while the others do not.
On that note I'll curb my image spam and spare everybody the bags upon bags of soft-plastics like my worms, trailers, crappie baits and such. I picked up a Plano Guide Series "Blade Bag" (two-ring binder thingy) meant for spinnerbaits that I think I'm gonna start loading those in. Plano's Guide Series line is probably one of the best things they've put out in years.
>>668420
>"Tip up town"
That looks awesome. Snowmobiling is another thing I've yet to attempt now that I think about it. A few places down here in Maryland do a "Polar Bear Plunge" every year. The Maryland State Police one is coming up but I think a few of the local fire houses also do them. It pulls in a lot of bread for charitable causes and is a pretty big event.
>>668406
>>668413
I keep looking at these, but I can't really justify spending the money because it holds the same shit as my old Plano bag aside from the one box that sits on top. I do like how you did all of the slim 3600 boxes instead of the 5x3700 boxes. But ever since I learned that rubber band idea for my cranks, it has been working out ok. And even if I did all the slim 3600 boxes, I would end up having 3 boxes of cranks and 4 boxes or spinners and still having to double up in slots.
Maybe when mine wears out, I can grab one of those. But recently I have been looking for something small that will carry 2 or 3 of those small boxes (smaller than the 3600) so I don't have to carry around that whole bag.
Dick's had these Field & Stream bags that carries 3 of those small boxes, but it has some retarded small pockets that will be useless. Then Bass Pro had some "Worm Bags" that looked nice, I could fit 2-3 small boxes in there and it is compact. But they wanted too much money for this tiny bag with no boxes. It was the closest thing to what I was looking for so I may have to grab it.
For now, I just throw a few lures in pic related and carry it in my back pocket. Then just leave my bag in the car and I can travel light.
>>668419
Ok, I think I have actually played with those reels before. The switch makes it so you can choose whether the casting button stays down like normal until you crank it, or it springs up as soon as you take your thumb off.
>>668426
The bag is total overkill for most folks and I could honestly get by with a bag like yours. The biggest selling point to me at the time was the base on it. I'll fish in a total downpour. From shore it keeps the bag out of the mud and in the little jon boat with no bilge pump it keeps it up out of the water. It also didn't hurt that it was about the same price as what a bag like yours goes for at any Wal-Mart or BPS. Since then it has pretty much doubled in price.
You're also correct in that you lose a lot of division but I think I'm ultimately getting more organization and maximizing my use of available space. Just as an example I could probably fit nearly all my poppers in a single 3700 by doubling up what goes into each divide. But I think I still end up with a lot of wasted vertical space since most of my lure aren't that fat/tall and won't fill any given divide in a standard depth box. The slim boxes fill out nicely and the only issue I've run into so far was with two fat deep divers that couldn't be made to fit into a slim box.
As for Worm Bags/Speed Bags I couldn't agree more. None of them have impressed me much for what they cost. I've been using a cheap electrician's toolbag that has the same style zippered top (medicine bag style) for my soft plastics. It's just the right size for 3600's although I just throw my ziplocked plastics in there without boxes. The only problem is digging through a bunch of identical looking packages trying to find the right soft-plastic when I want it. As mentioned above I did pick up a "Worm Folder" style pack that I'm going to try out but I can't offer any thoughts on it yet since I've only just started filling it.
>>668426
>>668438
I think this is a step in the right direction but whether or not that is true remains to be seen. One problem I'm seeing already is that I own way more soft plastics than this thing will hold. But part of my goal for this year is to condense and narrow down what I'm going to use on any given trip so that I'm not carrying so much.
Another problem I can foresee applies to this time of the year and my location. This is Plano's "Blade Bag" which is meant for spinnerbaits (but I replaced the zip-lock bags it came with with oversized ziplocks) and it features clear PVC pockets. If you've ever worn a PVC raincoat/rain-pants in freezing weather you probably already know it's prone to cracking at those temperatures. Plano makes a nearly identical "Worm Folder" that has a bit less length and width but does have about another inch worth of depth. It features cloth pockets which would probably handle better this time of year. I might be picking up one of those next just to see if it packs any better with the added depth and so that I don't chance ruining the pockets on this one in the bitter cold.
>>668438
>a bag like yours
Mine is almost the same thing as that one. Just without the extra box on the lid. 5x 3700 boxes. They don't really sell anything larger that is soft-sided. That's why I have been looking at it, but won't get it until something goes wrong with my old bag. It will fit the same amount of stuff pretty much. I could try the bunch of 3600's running the other way, but I doubt it would be much more useful. Like I said, I would still have multiples of stuff in each slot.
Yours has that big rubber base tho, right? I probably wouldn't get that one. I've never had a problem with the rain. If some water gets in, I just leave it open when I get home. I think Bass Pro has the regular ones without the water draining base.
Maybe I will beat mine up a little more so I have an excuse to grab the newer model like that. I gotta look online more too. The one thing about lots of those newer bags is a shit ton of padding and strange compartments that make it look way bigger than what it actually carries. I mentioned that in the other thread. Your style bag is a lot bigger physically for carrying the same amount of boxes inside. Looks nice tho.
>>668413
What's in the one regular width 3600? Is that fat crank baits? I was curious if those would fit in the thin boxes.
>>668450
>Yours has that big rubber base tho, right?
Correct. I wouldn't abuse your current bag any more just to hasten an upgrade. One thing about tackle bags is you'll have a hard time finding the same bag again when your old one does bite the dust. Sure you might find one similar but never quite the same. I'm always a little sad when I've gotta retire a bag I've been using for years, and the only way to get the same one again is to pay somebody on ebay twenty times the original cost (assuming it can even be found on ebay).
>>668459
>What's in the one regular width 3600? Is that fat crank baits?
The box on the right in >>668422 is the standard depth. If I remember right the first lure is a BPS brand deep diver. The next one is a Megabass Deep 6. I know the Megabass wouldn't fit in a slim box at all and I don't think the BPS could either. Kind of a shame I had to pull two slim boxes out for two lures but they were put back in shortly after. The deep divers only get used when I'm up in PA since Raystown Lake is the only water I fish that's deep enough to justify their use.
>>668420
Anon delivering via phone (not sure if image will attach)
>>668601
Wat? Why is it so difficult? I'm always on my phone.
I gotta get moving, go get a haircut, and think of a good place to go fishin today.
>>668618
Windows phone...
>>668631
80% of my lures are my grandad's and about 20 years older than myself
I've still got his Shakespeare Criterion 1960 in good condition and his break down bamboo rod
>>668631
Old-school style Thermos is dope. You just use the sled to carry all your shit in?
I'm glad it's 70 and sunny here right now...
>>668631
Ayy nigga where you at?
I'm a minimalist ice fisherman I keep everything in my bucket except my auger
>>668633
I've got one of these things, but black with orange spots. Grabbed out of my dad's tackle box. There was lots of old shit in there, but I left most of that stuff at the garage at my old house when I moved.
There were some nice rods too. At least rods that were nice in the 70s. But none of that stuff compares to today's stuff. I still could've brought it with me.
>>668634
>You just use the sled to carry all your shit in?
Yup
>>668635
Northern MI, you? I'm carrying for two tho.
>>668636
I haven't used this one, I don't think...
>>668641
Ct
>we don't even have enough ice right now to go out
What do you target? Here I mostly target panfish and I occationly go out for walleye and if we have good ice il go out on the river for trout
Posting pictures of all of my fishing shit
Everything is in in his box other then soft plastics
And extra hooks
I'm surprised how condenced I've gotten it
>>668644
Most of the stuff I use on a daily basis in software
Not including soft plastics
>>668644
Mostly panfish, some bass and pike too. Usually small teardrop lures do the trick, but for bigger fish I'll use minnow lures
Not my ice rod, but this is the break down rod I have. No marking of who made it, but it's excellent for backpacking and just keeping in the car during the summer.
With the Shakespeare Criterion 1960
>>668647
Neat
My gear
4 inch auger
Crudely home made jawjacker(currently doesn't fit in bucket but I am going to fix that
2 home made tip ups small enough to fit in my 7 galon bucket
2 home made tipups that I haven't assembled yet
3 rods, one home made palm rod just for shits and giggles
7 gallon bucket since I'm a tall fuck and its more comfy for me
3 rod holders on bucket
I also need to put some pading on the seat that I cut from some old yoga mats
Pictures of jawjacker and bucket coming next
>>668651
2/3 of my rods have wire spring bobbers and rattles attached
Third one doesn't because of jawjacker
Pepsifag, what Mepps lure should I use for largemouth bass in FL? Whats your favorite color?
>>668672
I like the natural colors, always been one of my best lures.
But since moving here, I bought lots of brighter colors because everybody says peacocks love the bright stuff. And I catch lots of largemouth on those as well.
Yellow skirt with a silver/gold blade has been working well for me lately too. But if I'm at a new lake and not sure what I'm going to catch, I use the natural colors.
>>668674
>>668672
Also I think the brighter ones have been a little bit better for me as the sun is setting and it is getting darker. Gold/Silver blades during the day. And they make "Black Fury" specifically for darker water.
If you are going to only buy one, I would get a silver or gold blade with the brown skirt.
I just recently got some with a brown skirt and bright yellow blade, I gotta try those out. I'm getting sick of this one lake tho. I catch giant bass there, but there are a ton of rocks and bad snags that have been eating a few of my Mepps.
>>668428
Yup, which means one handed depth control when bottom fishing. It makes for a very light setup, and an awesome fight for bottom dwelling saltwater species (fluke, Porgy, sea bass, blackfish etc...)
I don't use them, but I could see why it's helpful. More of an added bonus than a necessity.
Gander Mtn clearance section is pretty dope. Those Red-Eye Shads are decent, I have a handful of them and they normally cost $7-$8.
>>668793
Is that the northlake gander mtn? I almost bought that same lipless strike king.
>>668874
Yeah. I think that's the only one anywhere nearby. That is only my second time going there because it is a bit of a drive compared to Bass Pro. Bass Pro has a better selection too.
I'm still thinking about a smaller tackle bag. I wanted to see what they had. There was one I kinda liked, but I'm still not sure yet. I want to go real small and simple, otherwise I might as well just bring my big bag with.
It's so stupid how all of the new bags that carry 5x3700 boxes are fuckhueg now. Gander Mountain's big bags look exactly like the Plano ones, I'm guessing Plano makes them. And for basically the same storage, the bag is giant. Their medium size bags with the smaller 3600 boxes are almost as big as mine with the 3700s.
>>668880
And this is what I was looking at from Bass Pro. I think that Gander Mountain one is smaller tho, which I like. The Plano one carries 4 of those 3500 boxes, and the Gander Mtn one carries 2, maybe a 3rd if you cram it in. And has the one smaller box on the outside.
I like how that Gander Mountain one doesn't have a bunch of pockets. Those make the bag way bigger, and I probably wouldn't use them. Whenever I want a bunch of stuff besides just an assortment of lures, I can bring my regular bag. I just want something nice and compact that I can throw a handful of lures in, and walk around lakes with the bag, a Leatherman, and a rod or two. Nice and lightweight.
>>668901
What about a backpack with some tackle boxes inside? Tackle warehouse has a "tackle backpack" but you could use any backpack you like.
>>668930
I actually bought my little brother one of those for Christmas. He likes it alot. But I don't want to go that big. Most of them hold around 4 3600 boxes, which is like mediun size.
That Gander Mtn one I posted is pretty damn small. I just want something that will be smaller than one of those little soft-sided lunchboxes and will have 2, maybe 3 3500 boxes in it without a ton of extra pockets. There are a couple bags out there that hold the 3500 boxes, but most of them have too much extra stuff.
Right now I will just take a small plastic tackle box with 7 slots and toss a few lures in there and I can carry it in my back pocket. I will leave my bag in the car and toss a few lures in there. I envision doing something like that with a real small bag. Keep a few main lures in there, and then I can toss a couple more in depending what I am fishing for and still leave my main bag in the car if I want something else.
I just broke down and bought a citica I at 3:00 in the morning.
>>669198
Good job.
I should have a couple new Rapalas sitting at my doorstep when I get home. Props to anon who posted that Cabela's gift card. For once, OP was not a fag.
already prepping for spring, ive decided im going to hit this one section of river hard this upcoming year,much wider than the rest of the river and deeper (up to 35 ft) and slower it used to have gravel pulled out of it .. Species inclue , brown, rainbow, and possible brook trout, carp, lmb, yellow perch, some catfish species etc. not sure what the best aproach will be, i guess just anchoring up and sitting bait on the bottom and throwing/jigging spoons with one rod.Any other ideas? also apologies for paragraph but bacckspace and enter keys are broken on my laptop and it drives me crazy
>>669470
I don't know a ton about river fishing, but back in the day we used to just throw out a bunch of those walleye righs with the beads and blades and a couple hooks. Throw some minnows and shiners on them and we would catch anything and everything.
I miss perch. That is the best eating right there.
>>669475
perch are pretty good but i prefer crappie
>>669479
Nice haul. Crappie are decent as well. Fat bluegill are always tasty too. Seems like the smaller panfish always taste the best fried up.
I don't get crappie down here anymore either. Big crappie are real fun on an ultralight.
>>668793
I went back to gander mtn and bought that #3 mepps with the red spinner. The only bronze spinner mepps I found was way too big for the bass in my local lake.
>>669480
that was 3 guys in about 4 hours of fishing, we probably threw back 20 crappie, 15-20 perch, and 50or more small gills. crappiewas split between the three of us, perch went to someone wholets my fishing buddies turkey hunt his land, and the gils went to a friend who hosts a 3--600 person game dinner each year its actualluy coming up in just a few weeks
>>669481
I also bought this berkley digger. The fatter profile with the narrow taper and towards the tail makes it look a little bit more like a baby bluegill than some other bluegill crankbaits I saw.
Anyone have experience with this crankbait? Did I fuck up?
>>669481
Heh, I left that one just for you. I have 2 #1's in that brown with red blade, a #2, and a #3 I think.
I haven't really used those much, but they will probably work well. I have a couple with that same brown skirt, but a silver blade with red stripes on it and those work real well.
Good thing about the red blade is that it isn't super reflective where it will scare stuff away on sunny days. I don't know if I've really experienced this, but they say really bright and reflective stuff can scare fish away if you are fishing in clear water on a sunny day.
Good luck with the ol' Mepps, can't beat those clearance prices at $2.97 either.
>Free Rapalas is best Rapalas
>>669486
And you should be fine with that crankbait if you are going for bigger bass and stuff. I like gold shad-looking cranks the best, but I have a couple bluegill ones as well.
I always stuck with gold in the past, but I've really been liking firetiger and chartruese cranks and spinners lately. I was always naive towards them since they don't look natural, but all sorts of fish love them. Something about those UV colors
>>669486
Here's a couple of my bluegill cranks. Idk why I have so many of those red-eye shads, they are a little big to use unless I know there are giant bass around. But some of the pro dudes swear by them and their rattle and swimming action is real nice.
The 2 Rapalas on the right, I just grabbed at Gander Mtn yesterday. I'm excited to use those when the big fish aren't biting and I just want to get some small peacocks or bluegill. They are only 1/8oz, but those types of Rapalas have a good wiggle to them and dive a bit.
The peacock bass down here make it kinda confusing with lure choice. I'm afraid to go with anything too big because peacock's have smaller mouths. When I'm fishing with a bigger lure (Mepps 4 or 1/2oz crank) I occaisonally feel a peacock try to grab it. They have that hard bite, like a bluegill but bigger where they try and rip the lure away.
Where do you live again? If you ever wanna cast around on the weekend, let me know. My little bro is the only one I ever fish with, but he is at school. Haitian dude I work with says he fishes, but I have hit him up a couple times and he is too lazy.
>>669486
Just checked Berkley's site and the Diggers look to come in two different running depths, 5 to 8 feet and 7 to 9 feet. If you're fishing from a boat and casting toward shore you'd want to start your retrieve a little slower so it isn't bottoming out (unless you're trying to bounce the structure like a rock bed). Do the reverse fishing from shore. You can start reeling at a normal pace to get it down to its running depth quickly and then gradually reduce your reeling to keep it off the bottom as comes toward shore. And of course in either case you can always do a stop-and-go retrieve where you make it dart down, stop reeling to let it start floating back up to the surface, then reeling some more.
I'd say it's a good piece of tackle to have so you definitely didn't fuck up. If the waters you'll be fishing tend to be fairly shallow and you want a crankbait you can steadily retrieve go with smaller to mid-sized square-billed crankbaits. Most typically don't run more than 1 to 5 feet which makes them good for running over top of submerged structure or above the tips of aquatic grass beds that have yet to reach the surface. I mentioned them above but I really like the Rebel Bluegill crankbaits. If you can find one of the three-packs and you'll save yourself about a buck per bait.
>>669520
I'm leaving florida literally right now back to georgia, I was able to get a 2 pound largemouth with the mepps by letting it sink to the bottom and reeling it at a slow, constant pace. Didn't catch anything else the whole time I was fishing.
>>669526
Mepps is GOAT
Where were you at? You live in GA?
I was just fuxing with my tackle, and I really need to get a smaller bag soon so I can spread this shit out a little bit. My crankbait box is running out of room, Powerbait box barely closes, spinner box is packed, and terminal tackle box weighs a few pounds.
>>669486
>tfw I have this same lure in the same color
I still have to tune it and it's far to cold to work a crankbait so I don't know how well it works.
I haven't used the Berkley, Yamamoto, and both Storm Arashis yet since it's really fucking cold outside. I've tried an Arashi before though and the self tuning eye seems to keep it running straight no matter how hard you rip it and bump it into rocks.
>>669537
I was looking at some of those Arashis as well as the Yamatos with that 3D Prism body. I think I ended up grabbing a few Rapalas instead.
Next time I'm shopping, I think I'm going to grab one or two of those 3D Prism ones. I also want to grab some of those LiveTarget BaitBalls. $15 seems so expensive. By the time I grab 2 or 3 different colors of those LiveTargets and a couple of the Yamatos, it's going to be $100.
They also had some of those 3D Yamoto poppers. I literally had a couple in my hand the other weekend but put them bag and got a couple new Husky Jerks.
>>669481
I dont think they make a spinner too big for a bass lol. Bass will often hit lures that are half the size of themselves
>>669559
This little crappie completely inhaled a #3 blue fox spinner
>>669559
Bass are meme fish.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKBmONt_dds
>>669559
I like #3 most of the time. It's small enough where smaller peacocks, snakehead, and baby 10" largemouth will hit it, but big enough to get a solid hook on big largemouth. My one spot where it's only 14"+ largemouth, I will toss out a #4. I only own one #5, and I don't really use it. That is getting up to northern pike and musky size.
When my little brother got that big ol' 4-5lb largemouth a couple weeks ago, he hooked that on a 1/8oz Rooster Tail, so the same size as a Mepps #1.
I have been keeping an eye out for those Blue Fox spinners lately, but nobody carries them. It's either Mepps, Rooster Tail, or some store brand.
>>669559
Or bigger,
Throwing a little jointed rapala
Right as I'm about to cast out again think there's weeds on it
Nope its a tiny bass
Tiny
About the size of a nickle (long)
The hook is actually in its mouth
Bass was smaller then half of the jointed rapala
>>669571
Haha, they aren't very smart.
I always have bluegill hitting at cranks that are way too big. But nothing that crazy. I will get 6"-8" largemouth on 3"-4" Rapalas tho and that is always funny.
I accidentally hooked this microscopic little thing with a zara spook. It was still moving around when I brought it up.
>>669573
I don't bass fish much anymore
My honey hole is now private property and I havent made time to go talk to the new owners about fishing it
I miss bass that I can fit my fist in their mouth
>>669574
What is that? The shape looks like one of those tiny puffers but I can't tell.
>>669578
I honestly have no idea what it is, neither did anyone else fishing.
>>669575
Just go for it anyway. 9/10 times I'm fishing, there are "No Fishing" signs all around. I just try to be smart about it. In the business areas, I go in the late afternoon or weekends. And residential areas, I travel light and don't look like I'm about to set up camp.
>>669581
Need a kayak or canoe to access it , and they live right on the lake, they are justified in closing it down , someone transfered an invasive plant species into it
>>669574
Snagging is illegal, asshole. I hope you get put behind bars.
>>669556
i know youre a fan of spinners but do you ever use spoons?
>>669603
I see seven in that same image that look lovingly used.
>>669603
>>669604
I really don't. I was asking somebody about them here. They said they mostly troll with them. I've been debating breaking out that smaller yellow one and playing around with it.
I have owned those spoons for years and years and never really gave them a try. 9/10 times I'm fishing, I will have a rod with a Mepps and a rod with a Rapala. And lately I have been trying to use poppers and topwater frogs a little more.
>>669605
The folks I've talked to in PA swear by them for trolling. Big Dardevle weedless spoons with feathered hooks are supposed to be one of the better muskie lures on Raystown.
This time of year here in Maryland the cold water really slows down the bite. In addition to traditional skirted jigs with trailers it's sometimes effective to throw a jigging spoon. They work great along dock/pier-sides and other structure. You basically let'em bottom out and then hop them up and let'em sink back down to trigger a strike. The same can be done with one of my all-time favourite metallic lures, the Silver Buddy. They have a vibrating action sort of like a lipless crankbait, so if you let'em hit bottom they flutter heavily upward with each lift of the rod tip.
The biggest downside to jigging with non-weedless, treble-hooked lures is that it's a good way to find snags and lose them if you're casting from shore. In a boat or wading shallow water it's usually less of a problem to retrieve them.
>>664549
I think I've caught every fish in the pond by my house in a single day with a wacky rig. I don't even fish any more, I just catch.
I go outside, throw my wacky rig worm, sit on the ground and read. every page or 2, I catch a fish. If i don't, I reel in a bit, and let it fall again. I swear it's a realistic 80% success rate
>>669589
It wasn't intentional famholio.
>>669556
Those bait balls suck. The lips break easily
>>669860
Did you catch anything on them at least?
It's so damn nice outside, I wish I were fishing instead of working.
>>669892
I caught nothing.
What job f a m?
