Turkey sandwich

Well, that got weirder.

Black dots (though I'd have to see a picture) are usually pretty normal, however, sores are not. Sores can be from an infection, but things like farm runoff of fertilizers and pesticides wreak havoc on ecosystems and can cause issues with reproductive and immune systems in a wide variety of fish. Sorry to hear you're finding those. Do you mind if I ask where? (I'm also local) Also, it would be a good idea to contact the fish commission.

Alewives are such a weird baitfish to key on. I've seen them boil on the surface for no apparent reason countless times. They're strange, strange fish, but they are a great food source.

Anyone who hates this thread hates America.

I just heard about this. I've heard really good things about the Aetos. The fly rod competes with $500 rods.

Got a topo map or care to take a screen shot of google earth?

Great finish and great attitude! Huge congrats, fellas!

How'd that get resolved?

Welcome to the forum! There is a ton of info here. There are some really good suggestions on here already. One, I might add, builds on being stealthy. Fish will orient into the current (face upstream) 95% of the time. Approaching from down stream and casting up stream and past your target can also help conceal your position. This will allow you to naturally drift your bait to spooky fish. Also, keeping a lower profile while casting and working your drift can be very helpful. Some of the best info you'll find on small stream fishing you'll find reading books and watching videos on drifting dry flies and nymphs. Watch the videos, read the books, and apply the same drift techniques with your spinning gear. Good luck!

Cheers!

I've never spent a ton of money on leader specific FC. I use Sniper and InvisX primarily when I want low visibility and Copolymer like Hybrid when I want abrasion resistance. I don't fish around zebra mussels, so I can't comment about them, but 8-12lb Hybrid has proven close to indestructible for me in boulder ridden rivers. Simply check the line after fish/snags and retie when necessary. Last I checked, something ridiculous like $10 buys 500 yards of Hybrid. CXX is pretty similar, in both price, strength, and durability, if I recall correctly.

This is why I bought my dad a St Croix Premier (I believe... Maybe Triumph, in either case an SCII MHF rod), put a Pflueger President on it, and spooled it with 20lb 832 for Father's Day. I tied a leader and attached a non ridiculous sized snap on the end of it so he wouldn't tie on a size 00 snap swivel. Best investment ever. Substantially better than the cheap combos he owns and he now regularly catches fish. I also keep a 7'Med Fast Premier/Sedona combo I've had for forever around as an extra spinning set up and loaner stick. I've been introducing more friends to fishing over the past few years, and it's been reliable, idiot proof, and not as cringe inducing as watching someone bend an Avid X in half. That rod has been a gamer.

It all depends on conditions and how active the fish seem. I'll typically rig a 3-5" grub on 1/16-1/8 oz ball jig. The fluke, depending upon how slowly I want it to die/how little action I want to give it, will get rigged on either a 5/O EWG or a 4-6/O weighted swimbaits hook (preferably with a screw lock for the bait). High vis braid is also helpful because it allows you to get better distance casting really light baits (weightless fluke) and the visibility helps detect light strikes, especially if the situation calls for dead sticking your follow up. This technique is also really effective when your buddy hooks a smallmouth and other fish follow the fight back to the boat. It's a really effective way to pick off numbers once you "activate" a school with a reaction bait.

Congrats! Thats's a great looking spot! And that garage. I would really, really like that garage.

This might still be the best thread anywhere, ever. If @bigbill doesn't post an update, I'm going to assume he was eaten by a yeti.

It isn't so much that I don't like the question (I actually find it pretty interesting and have been following it and learning) as much as scientific debate brings back fond memories of the Sasquatch thread.

@fishnkamp bingo on spooling with braid, and the awesome story! That sounds like a hell of a trip.

Pffft science! This is why someone needs to resurrect the big foot thread.

Yeah, it could be alewives doing weird alewife stuff. But most likely it's a sharknado.

Usually, if I'm getting hits, but not getting a decent hook set, I'll either change my retrieve slightly, or immediately follow with something that can mimic a dieing baitfish like a grub or fluke. Having a follow up bait tied on is never a bad idea.

Did you contact St. Croix warranty?

Kinda tough to be 100% from the pics, but those look like fathead minnows.

I have a few Rage rods and really like them. The idea behind the handle was to offer something that stayed "grippy" when wet better than cork or foam. There are some pretty mixed opinions about them, but I kinda dig the grip for bottom contact baits and have had no issues with them feeling slippery, even while wading or in the rain. Water drips off instead of being soaked up. I don't like the split/blank contoured grip for crankbaits really, but I do like it for jigs and bottom contact baits. The only other criticism has to do with micro guides. Some folks love'em, some hate'em. These are pretty bare bones (no fancy inserts), but they tend to fish well. These were good $160 rods that became almost absurd $89 rods once they got canceled.

As far as easy to use, a spook, popper, and buzz bait cover your basics for open water and a frog, mouse, or even T-rigged creature/craw/worms thrown across pads cover your vegetation options. To make things really simple, associate poppers and spooks with open water/above submerged grass and frogs with surface vegetation. Make things simple. Once you start to learn basics of presentation, it's important to understand conditions. Most daytime insect bites are likely to be panfish, so don't frustrate yourself throwing a 5" walking bait at a 4" fish. Similarly, understand when it's in your best interest to throw a top water and when it's very inefficient. If you're throwing them over exposed shallow flats in the middle of the summer with a big bright sun overhead and the temperature pushing 90 degrees, you're likely to become more frustrated than successful. Don't worry about when to "break the rules" fishing a bait or how to be successful with it under difficult conditions until you have a good understanding of the basics and some mastery of the core presentations. Throw them early, late, when it's overcast and when you see bait pushed to the surface because that's when you'll have success, build confidence, and you'll actually be able to take notes. Good luck, man! Topwater fishing is as fun as it gets.

1. Invest in a good rod first, line second. Quality rods and lines mmakelearning to cast much, much easier. Cheap rods and lines will get you very, very frustrated. Reels aren't that important since they mostly hold line. Bass aren't going to run so much as fight right in front of you, so the reel is the least important. 2. Take casting lessons. They will also save you potentially months of frustration. 3. 6-8wt rods are standard. However, it can be less frustrating to turn over a smaller fly with a heavier rod/line, than turn over heavy or wind resistant flies with lighter line. Because of this, starting with a 7-8wt rod (if you're looking to use it for bass fishing only) is probably your best start. Good luck! River smallies on the fly are awesome!