cyclops2

For catch & release of anything I hook up to AT DOCKS & BOATS TIED TO THEM. I NEVER NEVER use the 4 & 6# lines. with the small lures & their black WIRE HOOKS !! I know the hooks WILL WILL bend in a couple of seconds. What did I prove ? I just use the small floaters with no lip or hooks but a split shot 2' or 3' feet on the line A hit means it was caught or meat to eat. However Some of those fish are now educated about any splash And jumping it. A wake coming at the lure & no hit. It will only do 1 or 2 rushes at .....ANYTHING ,,,,,,tossed to it. Floaters, slow sinkers or full sinking to the bottom. I am happy with that fish being so wise and having that knowledge to pass on to the next years spawning.

Most of my deeper water 11' or deeper is a gang of some type of fish. A loose school of resting SMB is never line shy about 60 or 80 # test braid. 2nd guy to the lure goes hungry logic is what they do. That is how 2 SMB or a jumbo perch & a SMB get pulled in. I have looked down & watched the exposed part of a Rapala repeatedly attacked by other fish trying to rip off a piece of the lure.

Surprise Good frost and all the STINK BUGS are trying to come in the house thru any crack they find. I put S S scrub pads that I stretched into long pieces. Then pushed it into ALL tiny openings of the house. Put S S screen over the chimney opening. That really stopped them. They fly right to anyone coming near a door. Harbor Freight ZAPPER tennis racket stuns them nicely.

My river is best for ME. When The wind & current are going in the same direction. Drifting with a fresh cut bait 3' off the bottom is constant fish of all types. Up to12" waves 40' of line out dragging bottom. Hit, Hit, Set the hook. 2 rods constant hits of Big fish only. Perch SMB & a struggling hooked perch in a pike mouth. Life is good then.

I have had good luck with my only old green frog in those conditions. He is 2 1/2" long with legs & arms that move on each pull. I toss him high and into 6" water FAR away from me and near the shore. Everything picks on that frog. From big sunnies upward. It is fun to see the wake build up. I reel faster. The little guy gets hit by some big panfish multiple times. Then I leave.

Beached a couple of boats in bad weather. ALWAYS carry & put on a full rain suit. bright yellow hat ,jacket and chest high bottoms with calf high boots to stay dry & warm. If I get caught in going bad weather. I have depth maps & all bridge locations memorized. I also will go right to ANYONES sturdy , closest dock if wind gets to high. I pick on the down wind locations. The 15" short transom does not like waves or wakes. Long VHF antenna & cellphone if in danger. I never go where there is no cell phone coverage or a unmanned VHF station. Lucky I was not out during a massive " Down Burst ? " Would have finished me in the winds & waves. As I age I become more weather checking conscious. Luck still beats skill every time.

If you fish in decent moving water from the shore ? Remove the lure. Close the snap. Get the line into the current. Let out enough line that is twisted. There is a reason they are called Spinning Reels. Why level winding bait casting reels are still so popular. I go all day sometimes with the soft braid loaded with twists. When I am finished for the day. I open the bail & walk out more line than I was casting with. Yes it removes the twisted line.............................BUT............... I am twisting the line as I wind it all back on. I can live with twisted line all day. Does not bother me or the fish. ?

My used 4 & 6 pound braid comes in with double rows of twists. I use just the snap part of a swivel to connect to a lure. Allows quick release & reconnect .

The only rule that is ALWAYS true ? I can not catch any fish. If they are somewhere else right now !!

Since I use 4 & 6 pound test Mono & braid. Solid line WILL get tangled more quickly than the braided line. On my larger spinning reels. New braid twists almost as bad as Mono. Braid that has all the STIFF NEWNESS casted out of it ? Is still great with 1.5" Rapalas. Casting MOSTLY with the wind works out best. Yes I do let out just 200' of both types & idle around to remove the twist. That is good enough for me. Swivels are useless at 4 & 6 # test lines. I tie right to the lure split ring.

At 83 I have never seen such huge swings of animals & plants in any part of my county. 1 or 2 dead deer from car hits. There should be loads of them by now. The bucks are active after the does. HUGE CLIMBING vines suffocating big trees. I kill the fast growing vines. River weeds disappearing. EVEN the invasive ones. WE lost ALL the massive normal weed areas. Just those slmy & fine strands types. Did not support normal shallow water baitfish at all. Not even the Gobies or carp. Looked more like a desert underwater.

Bigger surprise. Look at a tabby cat resting at edge of woods. It gets up and is a Red Fox. Who is restocking wildlife on my property ?

Surprise I have a new group of deer. 4 BIG adult females' with 4 yearlings All look excellent health. I still have the 1 lonesome doe. She travels alone always.. This is a group I have never seen before. So maybe I lost my 13 herd of smaller does & calves.

I am smiling.? Thank you very much.

Loads before Covid hit. Had 13 does & 2 bucks. Now i buck and 3 does. Had + 20 turkeys. 0 now. No small game at all. No birds. No Turkey Vultures. Not even wild dogs calling. Anyone else seeing a huge loss ?

I used to fish as quiet as possible. Supposed to catch more fish. AND the bigger ones. 70 years ago. after sundown ? HOOWY A jitter bug is very effective parallel to shore lines.

Fantastic fall weather & I am catching up on the repairs to the house. Anybody post about anything fishing ? Please.

Before during & just after rains ? All those insects washed into the water.

Herbicides & pesticides from home & farms in N J are rampant again. The rocks are bare. Never a good sign.

The fish that have red eyes are the result of feeding at NIGHTTIME.

BUUTT I need to yank AS HARD AS I CAN !!! With 80 pound test braid. Setting the hook as hard as possible. DOES NOT injure the jaw of a fish !! Ask any bass pro. I set the hook with 4 pound test line. If a fish just nips the very curved end of the hook ? NO WAY you can hook it. You will not set the hook if a fish, head butts the lure from the side.

So very true. You should have been here 20 years ago !!

Has anyone mentioned about hook setting with the rod swung at belly button height ? Or rod tip just clearing the hull top? Even 4# Mono can come back at any time with a SMB who opens their mouth close to the boat. Had that many times. Why I only use crushed barbs. Glasses, and hat with a face covering cloth mask Lots of sun & hook protection. With no U V creams on hands or face.

Fish above EXCESSIVLY oxygenated rapids water. Also get to see every speck of food FIRST in calm water.

Why I converted to spin reels 70 years ago.