Josh Smith

Hello, I started fishing in 1979 or so, when I was two or three. I know we hadn't moved from the country house yet, and we moved when I was three. From that point I used mono. In 1996 I graduated high school. I worked for two years to save for college, and during that time my friends and I would go fishing -- bass fishing, catfishing, etc. We heard about this new braided stuff, but it cost $50 and our mono worked well. 1998 I went to college. I left my fishing stuff with Dad. I probably should have brought it, but I was really quite busy. It was spooled with mono when I left. When I came back to my home town, life got busy and I only fished occasionally, and didn't keep up with the industry at all. I had an ultralight and a MH/F Daiwa rod with Dad's old Ambassadeur 5000 on it. It worked. In 2013 I got married. We moved to the country, close to Salamonie, and I got involved in bassin' again. (My wife was pregnant and hard to live with...) I used mono. When I ran out of properly-stored mono, I went to buy new stuff. Turns out the price had dropped lots on braid, so I bought some to try. I really liked it... not the first stuff, which was white, but I found some camouflage stuff which made sense to me given the vegetable soup in which I'd been fishing. I really, really liked the increased sensitivity! Is running mono on everything a bad idea? No. I did it for over 30 years. You have your different colors, you have your XL and XT stuff, and all you have to do to make the stuff untwist after a day of fishing is run the spool under hot water; this makes it take the memory of the spool. I do think it's harder to keep the line tight on mono, and I think the coils that it can produce hurts, especially when fishing light. I like the zero stretch of braid. Still, sometimes stretch is necessary, depending on technique and preference. When you boil it all down, though, are you hurting yourself? I doubt it. Josh

We have radically different environments, it looks like. Most of my heavy cover fishing consists of vegetation; weeds, downed trees, and the like. The rock I fish is mostly limestone, and I personally haven't seen a zebra mussel, though I understand they are here. I do often run leaders. For example, my jerkbait rod gets a 6' (or so) fluorocarbon leader. I also use a clinch knot (not improved or anything like that) doubled through the eye so that I do have to break it off, it breaks at the terminal knot and not at the Albright knot. I rarely have to break it off, though. Just check and retie. The rocks are generally smoothed by the river current, and so I don't get abraded much. I can run and have ran straight braid in that area without problems; my jig setup I use in heavy vegetation also nets me good sized fish from in the rocks. (Smallies love crawdads! :D) I do sometimes use a 17lb mono leader on the river with the jigs, but not overly often. Regards, Josh

Hello, North Central Indiana here! Lots of Hoosiers joining lately. Good to have you here! Josh

I use braid for everything except a dedicated cranking setup I have, but never use (looking for a different rod.) I do a lot of fishing around, on and through structure and cover, and so appreciate the strength and sensitivity it provides. Josh

Hello, I have been playing with Android a lot lately. Never did like typing on them. Google has a keyboard out that gives you the ability to write. I am composing this post, in fact, by writing on the screen with my stylus. I am impressed because my handwriting is terrible, but the app usually gets the word right! It'll read printing, too. Just an FYI. Josh

I went for a few hours on Saturday. I got tapped a couple times but couldn't make them commit to solid strikes. The water was up and the wind was really blowing. Maybe next weekend... Josh

Could be worse. You could get stuck replacing the whole floor/deck with not enough time to devote to the project. Are bananas banned, too? ? Josh

For largemouth, it seems jigs and topwater work best for me. However, when it comes to river smallies, I have my best results with the baitball squarebill. I hate to admit that as I'm not sure the baitball isn't a gimmick, but it seems to work best in the rivers I fish at. Josh

Our reservoirs are still at winter pool, and I've not explored them during the winter. How slow were you fishing them? Josh

I ran 21ipt (4.7:1) only for the longest time. I still do, along with 26 and 31ipt. The 26ipt get the most use now, but I'm trying new techniques and those are evolving toward mid-ratio. Josh

What techniques are you guys using? Josh

Another Hoosier! Good to have you here. Josh

Where was that, Team 9? It's supposed to be warmer tomorrow... Josh

You know, I think I will stick to replacing close-tolerance components. I've seen too many finely machined parts fail after disassembly. YMMV. Josh

I am playing with a Black Max I, made in the USA. The side plates are plastic with a pressed-in or molded-in anti-reverse bearing. Not wanting to expose the plastic to anything harsh, I used warm water and Dawn. This worked well! Regards, Josh

You know, Walmart sounds about right. I was running my business on third shift there for a bit, and would come into Walmart then when I needed stuff. My Aunt-in-Law, Glenna, is a manager out there on third shift. I swear you had a twin at Northfield High, though, about a year older than me! I've not had any luck this year so far. Yesterday was the first time I saw any fish in the shallows, and most of the lake was still frozen. Just in late December, though, I was slaying largish (15") smallies and 20" or so walleye out of the Wabash. I don't ice fish. No offense at all to those who do; I just can't fish without casting to a wide variety of areas. Til I can fully repair the boat, I stick with shore fishing and public access, but my trick for that is to outfit and hike to places folks don't usually go, or can't go. Still, there are a few places that I need a boat for, and I'm thinking about a canoe if one happens along. Just better for my style than is the deep-v I grew up with. I know Salamonie is slightly longer drive for you, but you might try it. I'm hoping for lower water levels this year, and combined with last year's levels, the fishing should be really great! The Wabash is producing, too, and I'm looking forward to that. There's a public access to the Wabash River outside of Wabash City on the way to Peru on Old 24. I was fishing it when everything else was frozen, but despite plenty of dead and dying shad, nothing bit. It interests me as to why they're not more active there. Josh

Hello, I'm in Wabash, and am pretty close to Peru, Huntington, North Manchester, and Marion. Local reservoirs are the Salamonie and Mississinewa, with plenty of smallish rivers, lakes and ponds. Not sure how I didn't see this thread before..! Regards, Josh Tyler, you look familiar. You didn't by chance go to Northfield HS in Wabash County, did you? Regards, Josh

Hello, I went out today; there was still sheet ice on about half the lake. I had no luck, but had I had frogs with me, I'd have thrown one onto the ice and let it play dying minnow on top of the water. Regards, Josh

I like to support local manufacturers. One to loads his tubes down with salt and garlic and they seem pretty effective! Josh

I've heard of people eating pickerel. Are they any good? Josh

Hello, I use the entire handle, but replace the bushings with bearings. There are times I like straight handles, though, and so I swap paddles and handles until I get what I want. Josh

I generally just go for the "buy it now" stuff if I think it's worth it. If I place a bid, it means I can do without it! Josh

When I fish frogs, I want them to splash! They pick up some weeds, but I find it's because of the hooks being bent slightly out (like we do anyway) and not because of any design flaw or larger profile. Regards, Josh

None. Got a 4600c3 instead for a song, and it does exactly what I need it to do! Josh

Holy thread resurrection! ?