clayton86

Seasons only 2 week long gotta get out even in three nasty stuff before it freezes over completely. Temps are in the single digits and low teens for the next 10 days.

Got out for day two of the split here in NY and managed a 4 man limit consisting of old squaw, golden eye, bufflehead head and one merg. Was non stop from sun up till we got it together and started hitting them instead of shooting at them. Used the kayak to retrieve and set the long lines. Poor thing has 2” of ice built up on it.

Can’t wait to see the finished product. Its going on a phenix USB-790H I’m building for slinging big swimbaits from my kayak. Using Alps textouch reel seat with cobalt blue hood and cobalt trim pieces. Still don’t have guides selected yet but am leaning towards alps titanium guides.

Robert weiker at line out custom tackle does a awesome job. Www.lineoutcustomtackle.com if you use them just tell him clayton sent ya

I like the keitech 2.8 fat impacts on a buckeye G-man finesse swimbait head. The pill shaped head I find to deflect off rocks or even when in the rocks gets hung up much less. I’ve had days of 15+ smallies on one keitech since switching to these heads. As long as I don’t get short strikes on the tail it will last.

He used a 17remington and I used a 204ruger. We night call with thermal scanners and then my partner has a thermal scope on the gun as well and I have the photon XT 4.6 which is digital night vision. I like to keep my shots under 200 actually all mine were in shot gun range usually around 25-30 yards. Partner will poke em out around 300 with the 17remington but he can see that far with the thermal on the gun I can’t make out detail that far. Yeah the 17hmr is a little light I feel also. I use mine in heavy Fox areas where I know coyotes most likely won’t be coming in. I do have a buddy who uses the new 17wsm. He kills em all DRT as well with it but he keeps his shots under 50yards usually.

Shot placement is key. Last year I think we killed around 25 lost 1 year before was best year killed 47 and lost none.

I only had one runner and it was when I was shooting factory 32gr and I hit her low and a little far back. The rest were all bang flop. My calling partner used to use a 17remington also that thing really zapped them also. We like the small fast calibers if you couldn’t tell.

@Rick Howard used to do a good amount of calling and used to make his own calls not sure if he still does anymore.

Calling yotes takes up a good portion of my time once the weather here in upstate NY turns to crap and I slow down Fishing. The past three seasons I’ve used a .204 with hand loads of 35gr bergers. This year my calling buddy and I switched to ARs in 20practical. I haven’t been out yet this season but will get out possibly tonight after taking the kids trick or treating.

I started with building ice rods like you're talking about doing. I will second it's kinda a pain to learn because the blanks are so flimsy. I ended up making a custom wrapping station out of wood to help support the blanks a inch on either side of the guide it made it a little easier. I think a power wrapper with the rollers for support would work much better and make ice blanks easier to work with.

Alps textouch I believe. It's the same one I have on the rod Gary built for me. I love it I'm using it on the swim bait rod I'm building soon as get bit gets the blank in it's on back order.

Lol thanks @J Francho

Hit silver this evening for the first time to target bass. Stuck two only weighed the bigger one at 4.9lbs. I'm trying to upload the pic but won't let me.

Don't think so, shouldn't be any different then ones mounted on bow mount trolling motors. All I know is it worked for him.

My buddy had one and recently sold it to switch to the radar 115 but he loved the slayer. As far as fish finders go he had his mounted on the drive unit itself. Transducer on the drive wires neatly wrapped up it and then a ram ball on top that he had the unit on. Battery he kept in the front hatch.

On honeoye I launch at the state launch on the south end and usually paddle to the middle of the lake on the West Bank. I've had my best luck there on that point and working back south on the West Bank as well. We had a tournament there this year for NYKBF and I took 3rd working swim jigs around the docks. A few guys got some real nice ones south in the swamp though. Hemlock and canadice i haven't been to in a few years we had a tournament on both but I skipped them. Guys that finished well we're all drop shotting and flipping weed edges. I might have some way points still saved on my FF for honeoye to point you in the right direction also I'll have to put the card in my laptop and see what I got.

It's on ky lake I think if memory suits me right on the border of Tn and Ky. I'm not from the area do not much help sorry.

I fished Cyprus bay during the KBF national championship that was in March though.

Most state parks in NY won't allow any guns. State land for hunting yes obviously but a state park all the ones here say no firearms or weapons allowed. Those asking about owning a pistol on your property here in NY that's a big nope. Most places won't even sell you ammo in pistol calibers without a permit. My exs Dad had that issue trying to buy 357 ammo for lever gun he bought. Couldn't buy ammo at the local shops because he didn't have a pistol permit even though he needed it for a long gun.

Anyone been to cayuga lately? I've got a the NYKBF state championship there this weekend. Done some research and asked around already and have a fairly solid game plan but seeing if anyone else has any input on the lake recently.

I just started Jim Roots book "smallmouth bass fishing for everyone" today. So far it's pretty good and in depth for what I was able to read this morning.

Are you mostly throwing jointed swim baits with trebles or do you throw big jig hooked ones like hudds. I'm gonna build a swim bait rod over the winter I've got a combination of s wavers, rats, 6 and 8" hudds, bull shads. I've got the baits but no rod to really throw them effectively

I'm more anxious for ducks and predators then I am deer. Got a new coyote gun this year and a new boat for diver hunting the big lake.

Siebert outdoors "swim jig" in both black and blue or bluegill flash have been absolutely killer for me this year. I put a keitech fat impact on them as a trailer and dip the front 1/3 of the trailer in pink JJs magic then thread it on. The pink shows just enough threw the skirt I think it imitates gills or red breast on some of the sunfish up here or maybe it's just in My head but I find I get better strikes with the front of the trailer dipped.