Turkey sandwich

Every season I intend to fish flukes more, but never really commit to them like I do a jig/crankbait/etc. You're probably the 10th person who's opinion I trust who's mentioned the River Rock jointed soft plastic jerk baits. Where do you generally order them from? Also, I'll second the Owner Twist Lock/Twist Lock weighted series of swimsuit hooks. They're awesome, and ridiculously versatile. They're stellar for soft jerk baits and swimbaits, but also great for swimming worms, oversized grubs, frog/toads, you name it. If you want it to be weedless, and to not totally shred the plastic, they're killer. I think you can get them anywhere from weightless up to 3/16th or so and the weight isn't obnoxiously bulky or interfere with action.

Those are my favorite colors in a football jig... and you named it after me. Well done!

Getting used to properly loading a fly rod has helped me a lot with understanding how a rod loads and the dynamics of casting in general, regardless of what kind of gear I have with me that day. A heavy 8wt fly rod, for me, is by far the most exhausting because my technique is still nowhere near as good as it is with conventional tackle. Still, if you think about it, regardless of tackle, the more work you can get the rod to do, the less you have to. Part of my goals for this year is improving my casting. Part of that, for me, is mechanics/technique, and another big part is cast selection. For example, while I think the two handed overhead cast is better than the one handed overhead cast for maximizing distance and throwing heavy baits, I'm going to prefer a roll cast (with casting gear) most of the time because I can do it with less fatigue, with better accuracy, and smaller splash regardless of whether I'm using one hand for something close, or two hands for heavier lures or more distance. This whole efficiency thing, for me, is huge because it minimizes the effects my back and neck have on my fishing over the course of a day and whether I'm good for a weekend or seized up in spasms after 4 hours.

The new Helios seems like one incredible stick. I have had the pleasure of handling a few and between the shape retention technology and offering more than one tip, they're doing some really interesting things. I think the biggest thing happening in fly rods is that manufacturers are beginning to learn that anglers want specialized rods for streamers, nymphing, etc and that simply beefing up a blank on a great 4 wt doesn't necessarily make for a good 8 wt. The St. Croix and TFO lines designed for specific applications seem like excellent rods, as do the new Sage ultra fast action rods designed to be over-lined for streamer fishing. I'm very happy that it seems like that industry is moving past inconclusive science like Winston's insistence on boron.

Last night around 11:45 a transformer exploded outside, leaving out block either without power or with on-and-off electricity all day today. It's currently hovering right around freezing and thanks to freezing rain all day everything is covered in black ice. EVERYTHING.

Congrats!!

These guys confuse the hell out of me. I'm a decent swimmer, and I've gone overboard once or twice and have fallen wading. I'd have been absolutely terrified if I didn't know how to swim.@WRB is spot on regarding clothes. Clothes, shoes/wading boots, waders, cold water, current, or a head injury can make things very tricky very quickly.

Right. That was my first sentence second paragraph, lol.

Everything about Rex Ryan is awful. What he managed to destroy as HC was unreal. It's just shocking to me that more coaches don't realize that they need to cater their philosophies to their personnel as opposed to rebuild/restructure constantly. Every successful long-term head coach has done this. The Bills have largely done a miserable job of drafting quarterbacks, for sure, but it's a bigger problem than that. Most mediocre/bad teams draft tons of quarterbacks without investing in an O-line to protect them long enough to build confidence, learn, and lead an NFL offense without having to spend their career running for their lives. Buffalo has failed to retain offensive line talent when they've drafted the positions well. Buffalo's right side of the O-line is awful and without a Tyrod Taylor, Russell Wilson, or Carson Wentz, they would be far, far worse off.

Gailey is an awesome OC and definitely has a great mind for running an offense. He tends to favor spread offenses, though, and I'd be very curious to see how that fits with Tyrod. Shady, Clay, Matthews, and Benjamin, I think could function in that type of offense so long as they can figure out some way to move Tyrod from the pocket or upgrade the O-Line. The thing that sucks is that coaches tend to stick together and bring friends along and it can be cliquey. I understand why this happens, but it kills teams and careers. Just think of what could have happened had Gailey been able to just hire a Jim Schwartz. Talent has never really been Buffalo's biggest problem so much have been incompetent front offices (we all love Ralph, but holy **** did he bring in some morons), constantly changing schemes and the issues with corresponding personnel fits, and straight up bad coaching.

Agreed. I also think Buffalo has failed terribly at retaining talent. The other failure has been simultaneously having competency on both sides of the ball. I like much if what's happening with the team, but Dennison needs to go. I feel like for much of the past 17 years, we've been one good coordinator away from having had some very good teams to root for.

Go Bills!!!

Depth and convenience to wintering areas play a part, but they're entirely relative from one body of water to another. Current also plays a big factor in moving water. Bottom composition is going to be one of the biggest things to key on. Smallmouth generally prefer areas with stone/gravel bottoms, weed edges or moderately to sparsely weeded flats, or even sand over mud, silt, or decaying materials like leaves. If you think of areas that offer protection for eggs/fry that will warm up quickly, you're on the right path. If you can find these areas near spots where you know fish are wintering, even better.

If you wanted to split hairs, yes, it likely would be. I don't really think it matters much, and my position seems to become more reinforced the more I get into fly fishing and other guys that like the long rod like @Further North can certainly chime in. Here's why... When I think of maintaining accurate, super finesse, super natural presentations, the first things that come to mind are fishing nymphs and dry flies on my trout gear. It's hard to argue anything being more finesse than throwing a size 16-22 nymph, a tiny BWO, or a dry dropper. Fishing just about all of those revolves around super bright, visible line tapered down to super light leaders and tippets range from 7-14' depending upon a ton of factors, but least of which tends to be visibility. It has much, much more to do with getting a good drift in current. Still, that line (and at times indicators or bright indicator sections of leader) is my primary strike detector. If my line is bright orange, yellow, neon green, etc and used in comparably shallow creeks and rivers for super spooky trout that hunt almost entirely on visual cues, I'm not concerned at all with less discriminate bass, typically in more stained water. The one note that I think applies to fishing both bass and trout, is that I don't want to spook them by throwing the line over them and think it's very important to fish the high percentage areas closest to you first, an then work your way out. The blatant exception to the Uber-finesse of fly fishing comes in streamer fishing. Generally, to fish them you'll use a darker sinking line, but much heavier leaders that are only 2-6' long. I think most streamer fishing more directly relates to what we perceive as "finesse" bass fishing. So, if someone can present a weighted size 4 Woolly Bugger or Clouser (often on short leaders and bright fluorescent line floating line in shallower rivers and streams) and mimic a lot of the same prey we're looking to imitate with a drop shot, Ned rig, etc, I'm not over concerned with the underwater visibility of the braid when a 5-7' leader can be used. Sorry if that was a long winded answer, but that's the way I wrap my head around that subject. I hope this helps you better kind of visualize fishing with high viz.

Welcome to the forum! The search feature on here is probably one of the best, and definitely the forum's most underutilized feature. Look for other threads on custom builds and learn what you can from the dialogue. Also, really, shoot @Delaware Valley Tackle a message on here. Mike is super helpful, and your thread reminded me that I need to get back to him about replacing some guides for me.

Cheers on the great year! You're certainly getting your money's worth out of that Lund!

My casting rods are typically green 832 and my spinning rods are spooled yellow PP Super Slick. I have no idea how the color on the high vis 832 holds, but PP tends to be OK, but not great. Ultimately, I really, really like high vis line because so much of my fishing is in current. I love being able to watch my drift, mend my line, follow my swing, and detect finicky hits on Ned rigs, Senkos, etc. Basically, it allows me to treat my spinning gear like my 4wt fly rod. I tend to keep my leaders under 7', so that way I don't have to worry about knot problems on my reel, and I've had very few problems with leader knots in my guides. For finesse tackle, so long as you like braid, I see absolutely no negatives.

I mean, the component and craftsmanship elements are huge, but if you're on a budget, it's about practicality. I own $400+ rods and $100 rods, and fish both ends of the spectrum regularly. For a crank bait rod, where sensitivity isn't the kind of concern it is for a drop shot rod, a jig rod, etc, you can do really well on any level with an inexpensive moderate graphite or glass rod. However, for presentations requiring greater sensitivity (generally your faster action sticks), high modulus graphite, expensive resins, guides, corks, and a preferred reel seat can make a big difference. Another reason to spend money (especially with very thin, high modulus graphite and delicate guides) is long term or lifetime warranty. Now, more than ever, you get what you pay for with guides, too. If you fish braid, having harder rings can make a big difference in longevity, do less damage to your line, and make a big difference through your connection. Ultimately, it's all preference and budget. Do I catch more fish with my Legend Elite jig rod than the older Rage it replaced? I have no idea, but I genuinely enjoy fishing it a lot more.

Under no circumstances should you fish the St. Lawrence, Niagara, or Susquehanna Rivers. Any reports of catching smallmouth in them are lies. d**n bloody lies.

There are some really good suggestions on here. Like usual, I agree with @smalljaw67. I fish the North Branch a bit further upstream pretty regularly and crankbaits are some of my favorites for covering water, especially while working shorelines, 3-6' runs, and tailouts. I have always loved Rapala's Fat Raps, and have really, really grown to like the DT series. DT 4,6, and 10s have boated me a lot of fish in the last 2 years. They deflect extremely well and by swapping between depths, I've found that I can cover a ton of different retrieves, whether the smallies prefer something lightly nicking the tops of boulders or something dredging gravel. During the summer and through the fall, I will always have at least one crank bait rod on my kayak. There's lot of good advice on here already, but I'll add a few. During the day, especially bright days during the heat of summer, the very heads and tail outs of pools can be incredible patterns as fish will often hold just a little bit deeper. Having something that runs a little big deeper here can be clutch and a great way to pick up big fish. Also remember, predators are generally going to prefer a presentation that mimics baitfish moving WITH the current versus against it. (it's more natural, fewer spines to deal with, etc). Another great time and place to fish a crank bait is along weed edges in the mornings and evenings. This can be a great way to catch big fish, as (in my experience) this is when you're most likely to find larger fish, typically 16"+ crashing shallow weeds chasing baitfish, frogs, mice, crayfish, and anything else roaming the shallows as daylight begins to fade. This is also another time when poppers and prop baits like @fishnkamp mentioned shine. In 2017, the Whopper Plopper 90 also really earned my respect in these conditions. A few notes for fishing crankbaits in fast, turbulent water: Bulk and noise can be good things. These are going to be super active fish if they're holding in the fast stuff, even if they're stacked behind a giant boulder. The water is going to be fast and loud, so don't be concerned about rattles and subtlety. The good thing about KNOWING that these fish are going to be super active, means you can fish big, wide wobbling baits (Those big, fat Normans someone mentioned above can be GREAT here).

I learned Birds of Fire my senior year of high school and never wanted to look at a metronome ever again. You've got good taste.

You're going to get a ton of suggestions ranging from St Croix Avd/Avid X, to Dobyn's Champion, Daiwa Zillion, Kistler KLX or Magnesium, Shimano Zodias, to countless different custom builds. It's all a personal thing. What kind of grips do you like? Do you like fishing jerkbaits on stiffer, faster rods or slower rods? Are you fishing on the deck of a bassboat, standing on a kayak? Do you like microguides?

I own 2 Veritas crankbaits rods, they were an excellent value on sale, and since they're crankbaits rods, I don't mind that they aren't ridiculously sensitive. However, I think that since a jig rod is best judged on it's ability to allow you to feel everything, I'd spend a little bit more. I'm not familiar with the Further, but it's a popular rod here, as are the current Mojo Bass and Tatula (which can both be had for under $150 new). If you catch them updating the series, Fenwick will also discount Atos rods to $100 or less.

This thread is going to be one giant echo chamber. The Elites and Extremes are some of the best rods made and use high modulus graphite. If anything, their resin and build technology only aids their overall durability. The downside to high modulus graphite is that while it's crazy light, sensitive, and incredibly strong for it's size, it will never be as durable as the old Ugly Stick sitting in the back of the garage. Any high end rod is going to have these characteristics, what separates St. Croix is that if anything does ever happen to it, they have the best customer service/warranty of virtually any company you'll ever do business with.

also, make sure you have a police report detailing damages. There's no way they should be offering less than your deductible with that kind of damage.