VolFan

2/0 circle hooks from Gamakatsu. 1/0 if you’re good with smaller fish, 3/0 if you want to trend bigger. 8/0 if you want one fish per fish fry.

Put a towel or blanket or rubber mat on the car even with the seam between front and back doors. Place kayak parallel lengthwise to car, middle of kayak with seam. You can adjust this orientation to your yak. Lift bow onto blanket/towel/mat so that bow is now leaning on roof with stern away (yak should be 90 degrees to car with bow leaning on roof. Walk back to stern, lift and slide yak onto roof. Pivot (PIVOT) towards trunk so yak is parallel with car again. Adjust and strap down. This is remarkably quick and easy and you never lift more than half the yak. What’s under the boat is up to you but pool noodles or anti-fatigue mats are great once you figure out where it will ride best.

Is it skunk love season?

I just looked up what that Predator 9 material is - it’s fascinating how far fly tying materials have come. It has a core so I’m not sure furling it around something else makes any sense. Really great flies; I’d fish the poop out of those neds and flenkos.

Just thought it was fascinating. Hopefully we can recover it from the ocean.

I had gutter guards on our old gutters, they would still clog with poplar seeds. We replaced our gutters two years ago and went up in size. That has been a key improvement. I blow them out a few times a year and weekly when the leaves are falling. Easy day, takes about 5 minutes.

Growing up in Memphis we fished Arkabutla with some regularity- try was amazing for crappie when you found a school of big ones. We had a farm pond on a neighbor’s land that had crappie, green sunfish, and a scant few channel cats. It was only about 5 acres at most but got to about 20 ft in the creek channel that ran through it. Most out of there were 10-12-14 inch fish and super fun but every once in a while there be ***+ at the deep end of the point the spawned on. Probably caught 4 over 3 lbs in 10 years with one pushing but not quite 4. That one even looked old. Great little farm pond.

Yes

I use a more moderate action on my Swimbait rods. If I’m fishing a single hook slow like a Hudd, I use braid. Anything treble and it’s CXX. The slower rod really helps with casting, and in keeping fish pinned. I understand the ‘reel as fast as possible once hooked’ idea, but these are big trebles on big baits. You can play them some with a softer rod, but be aggressive at the same time if that makes sense. Also - Dobyns actions are slower than advertised and they make GREAT Swimbait sticks.

Beef tongue is one of those things that when you see it raw it’s really shocking. Once it’s cleaned up and prepare it makes the best braised beef you will ever have short of its neighbor, the cheeks. The cheeks look is a lot more approachable.

Yeah that’s my limiting factor…maybe some braided titanium leader material or something like that - hard to get the right flexibility and resilience in the same package.

Could you furl it around something like a thin variety of weed eater twine for that senko shimmy and slow fall? I’m just spitballing but it seems like it might give you that end-to-end wiggle. I was thinking that or something like very thin surgical tubing…

Yay winter!!!

Pft…^^ he’s never put it on his feet…??

Rub it on you feet and wear socks to bed. I have no idea why, but it works pretty darn well.

Tie good knots. I use 15 or 17 lb CXX for the 1-3 oz range. The lighter glides glide much better on a little lighter line.

NorthStar custom baits makes great jigs - their hairy jig is about what you want. If you order bulk sometimes he’ll do some custom runs as well. They are (or used to be?) a site sponsor.

Lo n slo Ive seen in here lately- he’s just north of me in Charlotte. Cyclops is active lately on another forum that is dedicated to tin boats… I miss @SirSnookalot?

I caught a rainbow in 4 Mile Run (a trib of the Potomac) in July. It’s just north of Alexandria, just south of DC. Runs right by Reagan airport. It’s a hot cesspool of an urban stream but it was a gorgeous healthy 16” rainbow.

You can wish in one hand and s#!t in the other and see which one fills up faster. nobody is perfect every time. Learn. Move forward.

If I even think about feeding my dog she is sitting politely at her food bowl, forever greatful. She’d cure cancer if she had to for dinner. I do 99% of the cooking. But I’ll make a great meal and have to drag my wife and son off their phones or away from work to eat and they act like they’re doing me a favor…

Preach!

Some may be able to cast better, but it’s just not true that they last longer or are smoother, or smoother longer. My Curado Ds are much smoother and sturdier than my newest ones. Are they light? Oh good lord no - they double as anchors

How’s your core strength and balance? Are you too heavy? Can you swim? They’re great platforms but you have to accept that you are going to get wet in waves and that big wakes are a huge adventure, depending on angle. They are great for small rivers, canals, flats, and big creeks where the on/off ease can really be exploited for wading. Big lakes and open ocean…not so much. Great tool, it just depends on what you’re asking it to do.

If you’re deep frying I like them whole. Makes it easier to dip them in wing sauce and/or ranch. Gotta be careful with getting wing sauce on the rods though. If you’re making ‘mice and rice’ it doesn’t really matter but it’ll sure keep you warm for winter cattin’. @TnRiver46 knows what I’m saying. Possum ain’t just for breakfast anymore!