Fishes in trees

If you're bank fishing, don't bring more rods than you can carry. There are rod racks available that make carrying multiple rods easier. Multiple rods mean carrying multiple baits. Have a back pack that will carry all your baits & suck so that your hands are free for other stuff. Back when I was a mean fishing bush hippie (Late 70's - early 80's), I hiked in to lots of waters that were a challenge to get to. 2 piece rods were more common those days, in fact they were more common than one piece rods. Taking them apart, strapping them together and assembling when I arrived on spot was a fact of life. At the time, I carried 2 or 3. For the record, one was always a catfish rod, throw out a shad side or smallish live bluegill and stake down the rod real well. I caught several decent channel cats doing that.

I have 50 sized reels on my jig rods because they are a little lighter. I routinely use 15 and 20 lb Abrazx with few issues.

There aren't any toothy fish where I fish. However, if there were and I didn't want to use wire, I think I could make a leader out of 60 or 100 lb fluorocarbon leader material that would work great.

Somewhere it is written that jig reels should read SHIMANO on them. If your current jig reel doesn't read SHIMANO, then you should get one that does. I have either Curado 50E or Chronarch 50 on my jig rods.

2 different baits - frequently used - require 2 different rods. Current favorite for lipless cranks is the Falcon Bucco trap caster - a 7' MH rod with a little bit of tip. I'm a big fan of this rod, it throws half ounce lipless cranks and has the backbone to set the hook after the 100' cast. Square bills go on one of several different rods. I have a BPS Extreme 7'4" MH rod ( which is really more of a M) or it goes on a Fenwick AETOS 6'8" MH - which is the same rod I use for spinner baits & chatter baits.

This subject has been broached a few times over the years, I'll re-state my opinion. If you're fishing out of a boat, you need both. Often the extendable pole works best, and it is a little easier to deploy. Other times there isn't any substitute for the hound dog type retriever. Consider the cost of the tools compared to the cost/hassle of bait replacement and it gets real simple. Just get them both.

Here's what I do - when I go by myself I have 20 or so rigs in the boat. When I have a bud in the boat I try to keep it at 15 or under. Jika rigs, 10"worms tx rigged, brewer slider worms, spinning shake head, bubba shake heads, drop shot rigs, cranks (deep & shallow), spinner baits, chatter baits, lipless cranks, buzz baits, frogs & A rigs are all in play. So are finesse cranks like a #5 shad rap thrown on 10 lb nanofil, qnd Ned rigs and jerk baits. Put in the boat & go fishing. Fish a spot, try one bait and if that don't work try another. Fish enough spots and try enough baits and something nearly always clicks. Obviously, over time you get better and figuring out what to try where, which is most likely to work. I'm not big on the idea of "specializing". I think that as you get better at fishing, you get better at fishing no matter what technique you're doing at that particular moment. Fishing skills are transferable from technique to technique. Just because you aren't "educated" on any one particular technique isn't any reason not to try it. Next year I'm going to learn how to fish jigging spoons. I'll do that by tying on a jigging spoon and fishing it in spots that I think it might work, in spots that through conversation or research suggest that they might work. Sooner or later I'll figure it out. It is more or less about the journey and not the destination. One more anecdote to illustrate this. I have a buddy who likes to fish Ozark float streams. He's even went to the trouble of buying a float stream boat - 18.5' long , maybe 36 or 40" wide at the widest point. It floats in 2" of water and doesn't take much current to push it over gravel bars without getting out and dragging. Me, I have very limited time fishing in Ozark streams and zero time floating ozark streams. My bud is very focused on baits - small jigs & soft plastics. Me with less experience, I bring a wider variety of gear. There is room in the boat for 5 or 6 rigs. First half dozen ripples we go through I pull a 12" or 14" small mouth out of the ripple, not casting at the bank but throwing a pretty heavy spinner bait at the largest rock ahead of me as we're going through the riffle. Later in the day, I catch a 21" largemouth on a Ned Rig next to a stump. Point is, these fish didn't happen because of my expertise in certain fishing situations, never been in those situations previously. The fish happened because I don't suck at fishing - not an expert by any means, but I don't suck either. Current takes a little getting used to, but once you do it is very predictable. I lost 20 1/16 oz mushroom head learning how predictable it is. So, there is an alternative path to getting better at fishing. You can limit your scope and use just one lure until you get comfortable with it. Or you can fish a variety of techniques and over time you'll get better. At you get better, the learning curve for new to you techniques gets quicker/easier. JMO - hope this helps

My current thoughts on drop shot presentation "tweaks." I've had better luck nose hooking stick worms than I have had fishing them wacky style. I've had better luck with heavier drop shot weights than I have had with quarter ounce or lighter weights. I have 3 rigs that I drop shot with. A 7' spinning rod wi†h either 6lb fluorocarbon on the reel or 14 lb Fireline. I generally use a quarter ounce weight on this rig. I have a 7' MH Bait casting rod and a Curado 70 filled with 10 lb Abrazx line. I'll use quarter or 3/8 ounce weight with this rig... I have a Kistler heavy pitching stick 7'5" telescopic rod with a Curado 50 on it and 20 lb Abrazx. This gets a half ounce drop shot weight. Late this fall I acquired some 3/4 oz drop shot weights and I will experiment with these next season. I tried to make myself throw the lighter rigs more this past season but I had my best results with the bubba rig - again - for another season. Drop shot fishing has never been my first presentation choice on the smallish 200 - 300 acre conservation lakes that I normally fish, however I have had that presentation work on days when other stuff wasn't and it turned blah days into decent days. I totally agree with what was written previously about drop shot fishing being a bottom oriented technique and using a heavy weight to get to the bottom ASAP. I've tried lots of different baits fished drop shot style. Best stick bait has been a Gulp Sinking Minnow in green pumpkin. Next best would be a Powerbait crazy legs Chigger Craw.

When I first got my current boat (2002), it occurred to me that I fished alone a lot and I could fall out of the boat. So I practiced one day in a shallow cove, jumping out of the boat and getting back into it. I recommend this as a mid-summer activity. Fast forward 6 years later and I was fishing in March in 42 degree water and it was windy and just for a moment I turned and was off balance and at that instance the wind blew harder and sent my boat sideways into a stump and over the side I went. It was pretty clear water and looking up and seeing the bottom of your boat over your head is a strange experience. At that point adrenaline kicked in, legs started working and in a moment I was hanging on the side of the boat. A couple of minutes later I was back in the boat, the practice getting back into the boat paid off. Half an hour later, I was back at the ramp, changed into clean warm dry clothes and I could think about how close a call I'd just had. Point of this story is about how important preparation is. I'd considered that I might fall out of the boat and had a plan on how to get back into it. (I used the tilt/trim to lift me up and then I rolled onto the back deck). Just as important I had spare weather appropriate clothes to change into back in the truck. Driving my boat back to the ramp (which took 20 minutes or so) was a little chilly, to say the least. I keep a couple of space blankets in the boat bins now, at the time, that would have stopped the wind quite a bit. I was shivering quite a bit before I got the cold wet clothes off of me and the clean dry clothes on. 10 minutes after the dry clothes were on, I was warm and fine.

I think that they work good as trailers on spinner baits & chatter baits. They aren't readily available in the KC metro area. Stores that used to carry them are either out of business or carry different lines of plastics now. My supply is dwindling. I acquired them when the Boaters World store went out of business and that was a number of years ago. I forget how many different colors I have. The white/chartruese tail and sparkly clear/chartruese tail are what I use for trailers. So, I don't know how well they would work dragging them on a swim bait hook but I know it wouldn't hurt to try.

If you can swing the 36 Volt Fortrex 101 (or the Motor Guide equivalent) get that. There isn' any substitute for trolling motor power. Compromise, and go for the lower power motor and the first time you get blown around by the wind it will bug you and it will continue to bug you as long as you own the boat. Back in 2002 when I purchased my current boat, I bought the highest power trolling motor that you fit in my boat. It was at a boat show, and it took some convincing from the boat dealer and the trolling motor rep that with a 36 volt 101 trolling motor, the 4th battery (which was absolutely necessary) absolutely would not fit in the compartment. If yo jump to 24 volt, there is a weight difference, but IMO it isn't significant. While you're at it, go with the on board charger, which makes long term battery maintenance and overnight charging MUCH easier. JMO

Back in the day when Shimano made a 3.8-1 reel in their Curado series, I got a few on them on sale - cheap. Used them a couple of times. IMO 3.8-1 is just too slow. I paid to have the gears switched out to 5-1 and now I have a set of back up reels. I use a 5-1 reel for throwing cranks, lipless cranks and spinner baits. I have a few Calcutta TEGT reels and a couple of the old Curado D reels that I use. Some reels have 17, some have 14 and some have 10 lb test line. Are you going with a "versatile"combo to save money or to save space in your boat? If it is just to save money - heck with that, sooner or later you can always make more money. Get the best rig that you can afford that suits the kind of baits that you throw the most. Later, when you get some more stray money, do that again. Over time you'll build up an arsenal. If you are going multi-purpose to save space in the boat - well, then, those kind of compromises are what we all have to. make from time to time. For the record, I've seen & handled that rod in the tackle store I commonly frequent, and IMO it will work good enough for what you want. A little "tippy" for my tastes in throwing square bills. However, for distance casting of lipless cranks, a little tippy is a good thing. My lipless crank rod is a little more tippy than my square bill rig.

You can throw your baits with whatever you want to. Me - those seem to be two different baits that require different rods. Chatterbaits, to me, are close enough to spinner baits that I throw them on similar gear - using at least 17 lb line. I throw jerk baits on spinning gear using 14 to 20 lb braid and a fluorocarbon leader. Current gear choices are a 6'8" Fenwick AETOS MH for spinnerbaits and such. These days I throw jerk baits on a 6'3" older Shimano spinning rod - Med action with an extra fast tip. Of course that is subject to change, but that is what I'm currently using.

I don't live anywhere near Oklahoma, but back when I was a college student and for several years after that, I had similar issues finding decent places to fish. Asking on forums like this might work, but there isn't any substitute for doing your own home work. Look around on Google Earth - drive out to the various neighborhoods, look presentable and ask around. You never know what you'll find. Once upon a time back in the day I came across a map of all the various properties that the university owned, both in-county and in surrounding counties. There were many decent sized pond that weren't advertised. Generally, one professor had the last say on who fished and who didn't on any particular piece of university land. If you want to find these places in your neighborhood you've got to put your time in. I knew some real estate agents who appreciated semi-regular fishing reports about some of the lakes adjoining properties they were trying to sell. They gave me access to a Jon boat kept on the premises.

I tend to purchase the Shimano Spirex, mostly because I like the trigger that opens the bail. I have several of them , in the 1000 and 2000 sizes. I use everything from light mono & fluorocarbon to fairly heavy braid. The only time I have issues is when through operator error I get in a rut of using the handle to close the bail rather than manually. The drags on those reels work good enough for me.

I like 15 or 17 or 20 lb Abrazx for jig/soft plastic/ jika rig fishing.

Believe it or don't, but there is a BIG difference between different brands of split ring pliers. Get a good set. I got a some Texas Tackle split ring pliers from Cabelas and my old generic pair immediately got sent to the scrap metal pile in my shop. The Texas Tackle pliers were recommended at Tackle Tour several years ago. Don't stop there - good tools make all the difference. Hemostats, curved tip hemostats, needle nose pliers, fly tying vice are all necessary. Don't ignore good lights.

A few years ago I got some Gambler bladed jigs that I liked quite a bit. They used a football head. I used to fish the Booyah bladed jig quite a bit. These days I've been more focused on making my own out of various jig heads I have laying around the fishing shed and just buying the blades. Next season I'm probably going back to the Gambler models, at least until I lose them all.

I have several Curado & Chronarch 50's. My most recent reel purchase was a Curado 70. What I like about the 50s is that them seem to be idiot proof, i.e. I was able to use them well right out of the box. There is a learning curve to the Curado 70. It isn't as user friendly when you try to muscle it and get a few more yards on a cast.

It is obvious that you need many more rigs. You don't have a ned rig. You don't have an A-rig set up. To me, a jig rod, worm rod & frog rod = 3 different rigs. I fish the bubba drop shot a lot and have a dedicated rig for that. Maybe consider one. A dedicated drop shot rod is a good idea. A dedicated shaky head rod is a good idea. I always carry a square bill rod. My advice is to make up your mind and just get one - then get another and then repeat. You say that you just fish ponds & stuff. Is that your plan, to just fish ponds & stuff forever? Consider that as you expand your fishing horizons, you might require different gear. Once upon a time I felt like I wanted to get into tail race fishing, so I HAD to get a rig capable of throwing 1 to 2 ounce slab spoons a hundred yards or so. If you're sincerely into fishing ponds, a couple of dedicated catfish rods that you can stake down while you prowl the edges of the pond is a good idea. An ultra light to fish for bluegills & stuff is a good idea. I'm telling you to challenge yourself and make up your mind which rigs you'll need next. Not going into specifics here, but I recently got a lesson about trying to "make do", trying to use one rig to cover multiple presentations. IMO, a compromise choice is seldom a good idea. I understand that fiscally speaking, often that is the only choice, i.e. getting one rod & reel to cover several different presentations, but IMO that is a bad idea that at some point will come back to bite you. The short answer to your question, "which rod should I buy next?" You need a ned rig.

That is too bad - the Avalanche was an incredible boat - ahead of its time, really. Guys who have them seldom sell them. That being said, I would probably road trip to find out in person.

What appears to be an over-abundance of tackle is really a lack of appropriate storage space. Man up and build yourself a bigger garage or buy a bigger house or do what you need to do to create adequate storage space.

BPS used to sell a rod that was adjustable length wise. As I recall, that fad only lasted one year. It is about time for someone to revive the line inside the blank rod design. That happens once a decade or so.

My advice would be to buy them all. You can't have to many cranks. Fish with some of them and leave some of them in packages

PB Blaster makes a spray designed to take decals off. I've use it and it works ok. Heat gun helps also. (All my experience is with a tin boat) Once you get a corner of the decal lifted off, I found that locking on with a pair of pliers and consistent pressure worked best. The spray can had a little red tube you could install in the spray valve and be very accurate where you sprayed the solvent. Sometimes I could pull the whole decal off in one piece. Decals that had been on for a long time and been pounded and scraped against trees often are harder. Sounds like an afternoon 3 or 4 beer chore to me. Gear up prior to starting. You'll need a razor scraper and extra blades, solvent and pliers that can grab and pull on a decal without tearing it, and a blow dryer/heat gun. (That solvent smells nasty and most likely isn't good for you so work in a well ventilated area or aim your shop fan to blow the fumes away from you)