Fishes in trees

What has worked for me, as an alternative to backing braid with mono on spinning reels is to CAREFULLY build up the inner diameter of the spoon using electricians tape or that silicone tape. I stretch it very tight, and when I do it right it doesn't affect how the line lays on the spool at all. The braid tends to dig into the tape better than the bare spool and I haven't had any line slip issues. Just making sure, I put a dab of super glue on the knot where the braid toughes the built up spool. No issues so far. Of course. I've never run into a fish that even started to spool me on any of the spinning gear that I own. Maybe some time, I hope I have that problem.

A word of caution. If you put the spinner bait back in the box with the plastic trailer still on it . . .and you forget and leave it in the box for a while. .. and it is the "wrong" kind of plastic . . . it can get "funky" and melt a bunch of spinner bait skirts. Take my word on this, I wouldn't make it up.

If you are bank bound, I would parallel the bank as best I could with a chatter bait. The boot tail trailer mentioned earlier is a good idea. If I got tired throwing the chatter bait, I would take a break for a moment and then throw the chatter bait some more. If you are bank bound, on a farm pond, pre-spawn, I don't think there is a better choice. Maybe a spinnerbait, but no, I'd stick with a chatter bait. Experiment with colors, my experience is basically brighter days, brighter colors, darker cloudy days, darker colors. Another bank bound tip - invest in a good pair of hip waders and be prepared to walk all around the pond. Standing in knee deep water opens up a lot more options than standing on the bank does.

The suspension depths listed on the packaging of most jerk baits is wishful thinking at best. You adjust suspension depth with suspend dots & strips, lead tape, heavier hooks, lighter hooks, stuff like that. For a couple of years, BPS listed the Stacy King Lucky Craft as "suspends at 8 to 10 feet" No way, it floats. One time at BPS I asked Stacy King about that and he said "advertising" and shrugged his shoulders. Then he mentioned that he tuned his with suspend dots & strips. He wasn't a big fan of the golf style lead tape or wrapping solder or wire around the hooks. Of course that was several years ago, he might have changed his mine since then. Of course, the Stacy King Lucky Crafts have been discontinued for a few years also. The discontinued Stacy King Lucky craft baits were a plastic version of the BPS Balsa Hi-Back Shiner which was itself a knock off of the old AC Shiner and boy did I get off track or what? Anyway, back to the subject of Rogue colors. There are a lot of Rogues out there that were seasonal colors, or made for a certain section of the country. A one and done kind of deal. I have one that was made for the Ozarks area. It came out 3 or 4 years before the Table Rock Shad pattern became popular. This Rogue has a white belly (no orange or red throat) blending into silver sides which blend into a purple back. Right down the center of the back there is a bright chartreuse stripe.. The stripe worked at a strike indicator, as, on Table Rock, you could see it 5 feet down 40 feet away. You lose sight of the stripe, set the hook, more often than not it was a fish. Pretty clever idea. Anyway, these were available at Rogers Lures in Liberty MO, for about 3 weeks one spring. From time to time I ask about that color and it is gone. I haven't had any luck calling Smithwick and finding anyone who could talk to me about that color. I've only got one left and I don't fish with it anymore, I consider it a collector item.

I had that same thought about that bait several years ago, but somehow it got into the pile of "baits to try sometime" and it hasn't reached the top of the pile yet. Still, it is a good thought and some afternoon I need to bust out that bait and see if it works for me.

I've probably posted this before, but the correct size on o- rings is 3/8" OD (outside diameter), 1/4" ID (inside diameter). When I bought o -rings from orings.com (and as I recall it took several starts & stops, several phone calls before I found someone who would sell me a minimum order) they were around a penny a piece. The secretary apologized, saying if I bought more she could get me a more reasonable price. Anyway, ten bucks will get you a lifetime supply of o-rings. I've got one of those o-ring tools, but it is seldom within reach when I need it so I find that a little slobber or a squirt of aerosol fish scent helps it slide on better. It has been years since I tore a senko putting on a o-ring.

After reading Russ ***'s reviews of magic swimmers on his site, I became momentarily convinced that they could be the finest thing since sliced bread. After trying them several times, they achieved a bottom of the boat bin status. But I wasn't fishing them in the manner and areas you described, so I am inclined to try again. By the way, does this go for the soft magic swimmers as well? I have had less than spectacular results with those baits also. Right now, I am disinclined to ever buy anything that says Sebile on the package.

Quality rain suits are enough of an investment that, in my opinion there isn't any option other than going to a store where they are available and trying them on. You wouldn't spend money on a dress suit without getting it tailored. By the same token, you probably shouldn't spend money on a decent gore tex rain suit without trying it on. Different suits fit differently. If you've got to get it on-line or through a catalog, be prepared to deal with shipping it back. If it is a long trip, call first and see what is in stock. It will be worth your time in the long run.

Thin gauge copper or stainless wire works. Tiny zip ties work. If you are trying to preserve a skirt wire or zip tie it prior to removing the rubber band. The skirt is difficult to reassemble. Strips or tin foil help. Form it to hold the rear part of the skirt as tight as possible to the shank of the hook. Use another piece to hang the front part of the skirt up around the head of the jig and crimp it up as snug as you can get it. For the actual wiring/zip tying of the skirt, a fly tying vice helps. Make sure that you get on that is adjustable enough to hold the larger hooks used in bass fishing. After you have the skirt secured front and back, mounting the hook in the fly tying vice gives you open space to work and makes it a relatively simple job, even if you have short stubby fingers like I've got. I've also used old fishing braid for this task. Just tie good knots. If you use braid, give it a top coat of superglue. The above posts comment about Michael's is right on. I've gotten bewildered looks, returning beads that were wrong size or too flashy or whatever. Michael's also has a good supply of storage boxes, made by Plano, in configurations not normally found in fishing tackle stores. Also, it is THE place to go to get small sharp scissors to cut braid.

Just a question. If you're doing a fluorocarbon to braid connection, when would you use/need a leader longer than a couple of feet? When you're pitching, when & how would the knot get anywhere close to the guides? Even using spinning gear and regular guides, I've never found the need to go more than a 2 foot leader. What is the point of a longer leader? I' not seeing/understanding something.

In the past, back when I was a bush hippie, I used a Rapala fillet knife for all cutting chores - fillet fish, cutting up vegetables, assorted kitchen knife duties,whatever. Whenever my knife got too dull, I'd go buy another one. 30 years later, for the most part, I still do that. I've tried different sharpening systems over the years, and while they work ok, the "razor sharp, dry shaving edge" that you hear so much about is unattainable by me. I think I've got a blunt thumb or something. I've got the Chef's Choice electric sharpening system. I've got the ceramic rods. The little hand held mini ceramic rods that came one time with a fillet knife I bought work as well as anything. I don't know. I do know that for some cutting chores, there are better tools than knives. For parting out chickens, a heavy duty pair of kitchen shears works as well or better than a knife for me. I know that for slicing roasts, using my electric fillet knife, I can get much more consistent slices than I can by hand and a new set of blades for that electric knife only costs $10 or so. If I have to slice up a bunch of chicken breasts for chicken stir fry, (one of my favorite summer crowd dishes) it is easier to freeze them and then cut them into slices using my electric slicer than it is to do it by hand. This blunt thumb of mine applies to yard tools as well. I have a dremel sharpening set and a variety of files and stones and still I have issues getting yard tools sharp. I know that it is important to use sharp yard tools. It is a good thing that I have a buddy that likes to hunt on my property. I put him to work sharpening all my yard tools and he's done in 40 minutes or so and they are all sharp for a while. Some people just have "blunt thumbs" when it comes to sharpening knifes and tools and I am one of them. I've managed to recognize my shortcomings and adapt over the years, but it is still a pain. The funny thing is that I am pretty good at filleting fish, when I've got a sharp knife - go figure. When all else fails, go buy another Rapala fillet knife.

The green bait that looks like half a fish is either a Bayou boogie or a Pico perch, I think. Like the other baits, I'd guess it to be 60's era or maybe early 70's. More likely 60's.

A poncho would work - as long as the rain isn't coming down too hard. If the boat is moving at all or if it is windy, poncho's don't work very well. If you rely on a poncho, you are going to get wet. Poncho's work best when you are standing still or walking slowly in a low wind situation. How often does that happen? Get yourself some Frog Toggs - they work ok. The only down side to them is if you are a bank fisherman, they are NOT briar and thorn resistant. In that case maybe a cheap PVC rain coat is in order.

In my opinion, the 1436 is a little narrow. (the 36 is the number, in inches of the width of the boat) Maybe for river applications, where you're sitting down all the time, that would be ok, but if you've got the choice, there are other options. ( better ones in my opinion) I like something that I can stand up in and not be concerned about balance. If your balance is a lot better than mine (a strong possibility) then the 1436 jon would be a decent fit for you. At the end of the day, anything that gets you on the water and off the bank is a positive. Boys and their toys - get the best one that you can afford

In my opinion, there isn't any point of diminishing returns regarding trolling motors. The biggest one that will fit on your rig is the way to go, in my opinion. I used to have a boat similar to yours, a 10' Water Buster Trophy model. It came with a 36 lb thrust trolling motor, and that worked OK, after a couple of years I upgraded to a 55 lb thrust Minn Kota (still 12 volt) with the variable speed and that was MUCH better. Most of the time I carried close to max weight in it, I ran 2 or sometimes 3 batteries wired in parallel and I never ran out of power. One one lake I often fished my favorite fishing area was 3/4 mile from the ramp. Never worried about running out of power. On my current boat (2002 Lowe WF 180) I have a 74 lb thrust 24 volt Trolling motor. If I could fit another battery, I would have the 101 36 volt troller. There isn't any substitute for power. I also swap out my trolling batteries every other year, whether they need it or not.

Take the map you got and start making notes on it. What is the depth, where? Points of interest, stuff like that. The lake opened recently? When was it stocked? What are the length limits? There might not be a large supply of fish yet. I don't know, just wondering. Go back to the basics - Buck Perry - "The fish are deep. or shallow. or somewhere in-between." Research the In-fisherman magazine seasonal patterns. Where should the fish be, given the seasonal pattern? All that being said and done, this time of year, I start out fishing points. Jerkbaits (maybe downsize to a 78 size pointer) & jigs, ( I'd probably throw a jika rig instead of a jig, but that's just me.) I'd choose points where the wind was blowing into them. I'd fish the active water first. If there was calmer water on the other side of the point, I'd fish it before I left the area. Option B might be to find an exposed weed flat. One that last year had grass in 3 to 5 feet of water, that still has wisps of grass here and there in it. With the wind at my back, I'd spend some time throwing a rattle bait. Specific brand doesn't matter much. Lots of guys like the Strike King Red Eye Shad. Me, I prefer an older Berkley Frenzy rattle bait. Make long casts and cover the water. What is the water color? Me, I don't just guess at water clarity, I carry a secchi disc and measure it. Over time it helps me in knowing what colors worked in exactly what water clarity. If you need a new boat toy, I would strongly recommend buying or making a secchi disc. ( they ain't that tough to make) If jigs or Pointers didn't work on the points, maybe a shaky head will. I don't know - it is early spring. Often the fish will still be somewhat grouped up and if you find one you will find many. I don't think that you need to be in a hurry and get on the water first thing in the morning - the better bite, for me in the early spring is more often than not in the afternoon. If all else fails, pop a top and be happy that you're fishing on a spring day.

Mount the trolling motor to the bow and rig some sort of rudder to make it track straight. It is easier to pull a chain than it is to push it. Have an alternate source of propulsion ( oars or paddle) on board. Be wary when you get into more open waters. Even a 10 HP motor, coming from your rear quarter, or any blind spot, can create a wicked wake if you aren't ready for it.

Yes, I have several rods, that were formerly first string rods, on the bench because of different ailments. I have an older Bud Erhardt custom cranking rod and those guides weren't impervious to braid. I have several All Star rods where the reel seat wore down and no longer will lock a reel in. They are on my list of stuff in my life to get fixed, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. I had a couple of Quantum IR4CW bait casting reels, that I used to throw cranks and traps with. After 5 years or so, they developed annoying buzz sounds when I cast. I got them rebuilt, but in the time that elapsed when they were sent away I got a couple of much better cranking reels (Curado D's) So anyway, the rebuilt Quantums got repurposed into catfish reels. They handle 30 lb mono pretty well and they are sturdy. They haven't been tested by a really big cat, but I'm confident they would hold up.

I use both. Lets say you want to fish a deeper point, 12 feet or deeper. The pint of fishing a shaky head is fishing it on the bottom. A 3/8 or 1/2 oz head will get you to the bottom quicker than a 3/16 or 1/4 oz head, even if you use the lighter line. I fish a 3/8 oz head on 14 lb fluorocarbon a lot and occasionally go to a larger half ounce head, using bait casting gear. If I was more concerned about the drop speed and wanted a slower drop speed, I'd go lighter, but most of the time I want to be on the bottom asap. It is a judgement call, which approach do you want to use.

The rod saver is the way to go if you've got the space for it. You'll have to measure. I have a 98 Ford Explorer Sport (the 2 door model) and I can fit 20 rods, + or - a few on mine.

I don't remember if it was Harbor Freight or some other bargain tool store, but several years ago I got a Ryobi hand held power tool, kind of like a Dremel and it works fine, variable speeds, all the "Dremel" kits fit this tool also, as I remember it cost around $15. I wish all my impulse tool purchases would work out as well. I keep telling myself that when I break this Ryobi I will go ahead and get a Dremel, but I haven't broke it yet. The most ambitious project for the tool so far was last year, I broke a shear pin on my trolling motor and somehow the prop wouldn't come off, so I ended up cutting the prop off, in pieces using the cutting discs. I went through 8 or 9 of the discs and a couple of beers, but the prop came off and nothing got damaged. Good for me.

If, after slonezp's post, you can't find the drain plug, good luck & send pictures.

A Cardiff is a good reel. A Calcutta is a great reel. Probably costs a little more. I don't own any Cardiff reels. I own several Calcutta reels. I know that it is really hard to wear a Calcutta out. If you want a little more distance/ line capacity look at the Curado 300E or the EJ.

I think that if you can afford it you should own as many rods as possible. Would you rather need a tool and not have it or have a tool and not need it? Where you live, going a little bit north you are also in pike & muskie waters. A 7'11" heavy action rod would work ok for several different pike/muskie applications. I'd go ahead and get that 7'11" rod, go ahead and get a 7 to 7 1/2 ft. pitching stick also, you might need it. If you're in real clear water with deeper weed lines, some days distance pitching might be the ticket. Get yourself a 7 to 8 foot MH spinning rod and a spinning reel that will handle 40 lb braid or so. Making a 70' or so side arm cast with a jig to a deep weed line and getting it to drop straight down is easier to accomplish with heavier duty spinning gear. (Not that it is impossible with any number of bait casting rigs) Basically, define a fishing situation and then go get a rig that will decently fish that situation. With a little perseverance and imagination you'll get to the point to where you're carrying 25 rigs (more or less) in the boat to cover any situation you might run into. Remember that you can buy fishing tackle. Fishing time can't be bought. Any gear you can buy to maximize your fishing time is money well spent over the long haul. Basically, I am a helper, I'm glad I could help with this decision

Just glancing through the features, it offers 180 degrees of steering control. Is that enough? Maybe if your trolling motor has a reverse on it, then it might be. I don't know. I know one of the advantages of a foot control is that if you get in a position where you've got to back up, you can. You don't have to reach down and switch the motor to reverse. I can see where that product might solve your problem on a small job boat. On any kind of a vessel, 18' or longer, my guess would be that a 24 volt foot control trolling motor would work better.