Further North

Scott, you must have thinner water than we do... My trolling motor is on pretty much all day, at low speed. The 55 couldn't handle that for all of one day, much less two. I don't drift or anchor, so someone who used those tactics would get longer life from a charge. Were it me, if it were a financial consideration, I'd go 55. If not, no way. Others will make different choices, and that's great...but to for me, most boats are underpowered with the trolling motors they have.

Good description above... ...just curious, what size boat are you thinking about putting a 55 lb. thrust Terrova on? I had one on Bass Tracker V-14...little boat...and I frequently was very low on power after a few hours on the water. Tried it with 2 batteries...helped a little....not enough. A friend ignored advice to go to an 80 on a 16 ft. Alumacraft, hates the 55.

Then I'd consider going to a heavier line. The Rio Outbound intermediate I have on my TFO Axiom is a 330 grain, I think. EDIT: Just confirmed: The line on my 8 wt. Axiom is a 330 grain intermediate sink line. Again, not being familiar with Recon, I can't comment, but the Axiom I throw that I would not care for with a 250 grain line. I have a Scott 8 wt. that would probably be fine with the 250 gr. line, and I have a Cabela's L-Tech that likes a lighter line as well.

I just looked up that line (if you're using this one: http://www.orvis.com/p/hydros-bass/2ase ) I've never tried an Orvis Recon, so I can't speak to how the rod would feel to me. Some rods are "finicky" and the right line will make all the difference in the world, others seem to be happy with about anything. I look for a solid, positive load so that I'm less likely to start the forward cast to soon...but again, everyone is so different...it's hard to explain.

That's what I do...but it's a short, stiff leader. ...I almost hate giving specific advice because it's likely my casting style is different from yours. I tend towards fast fly rods, and I tend to try to throw too hard. 55' - 65' is fine. Little need to throw any further than that in fresh water.

Yup...I've got a 9 ft. !0 wt. St. Croix Legend X fly rod that weighs 5.6 oz. The Legend Elite 10 wt. is only 4.7 oz. I have a 9 ft. Scott 8 wt. that is under 4 oz. The technology is there.

Interesting sidebar: St. Croix just introduced a new fly rod (the SOLE) that is the inverse of that. Two piece with along butt section and short tip section. I am anxious to try one...

Practice, practice, practice... For me the key was learning I didn't have to throw every cast a mile and a half.... Two things: Use enough rod, and use the right line. Your 8 wt. is just fine, but get a line designed for big flies. A short head, designed to turn over big poppers is killer... ...and for streamers in particular, dump the idea of a long tapered leader. Most of my bass/pike/musky leaders are 4 to 6 feet of level line (often heavy line - 20# - 50# fluoro leader) with a couple feet of lighter line or tieable wire. You don't want or need finesse with bass or pike, you want to make that fly look like it fell off a cliff... I've been known to to use 6 ft. of 16# fluoro tied right to a fly... Are you implying there are illegitimate fly anglers?

I'll bet...I was in Canada the last week in June one year...ran into the mayfly hatch...and the mayfly hatch up there leaves rafts of mayflies everywhere... Id' brought along a 6 wt. fly rod for poppers...happened to have some decent sized mayflies in a fly box tucked into the bottom of a bag I had along... I caught a lot of smallies...Most people didn't catch much of anything... SSSSHHHH! Don't tell anyone...but you're dead on here. I can hip more spots faster with a surface fly on a fly rod than anyone with casting/spinning rig can. Not having to crank it all the way back is huge...and with smallies in particular...after you move the fly about ft. without a hit...it's time to pick it up and put it back down. To be fair, fishing a fly subsurface is a whole 'nother animal. You have to strip it most of the way in, false cat to get you line back out, then cast again...for toothy fish you need to be even closer.... ...but you can do stuff with a sub-surface fly than you can do with any lure.

Ditto

So...you bought the PI Day shirt too? Last year, when it really mattered?

OK...I was gonna sit this out (cuz I claimed I was going to let it end)...but that is an absolutely deadly pun. I love it.

No:

Couple of thoughts...I have a few rods that are >8 ft. now: 9 ft. heavy musky rod. Nuff said. 9 ft. heavy, med. action. It'll put a 1 ounce spoon, spinner, or whatever in Paris from Chippewa Falls WI. There is an advantage here...Accuracy, however, it not its strong suit. 8' 6" medium light spinning. It'll chuck a floating crank bait or a light jig a looong way. Again, accuracy suffers a bit...but when when you can present from that far away...does it matter? Add in a buncha (you don't really want to know how many) fly rods...which really do give me the ability to show bass stuff things other guys are not showing them...and a 9 ft. rod on my boat is nothing new.

OK...so the J Braid arrived the day before yesterday...which was yesterday, today. I think. It might have been tomorrow, yesterday. Tried it...I think the Glenmorangie was making me tilt to far to the wrong side, and Australian Toilet on the stern kept on pushing the transom down too low so the waves generated by the wave pool were swamping my bilge... At the end of the day..."swamping my bilge" seems like an entirely appropriate way to end this... In the words of a guy named Joe: "I'd like to remind you I'm running for president. I appreciate your vote. And here is an industrial love song." Two Further North Bonus points for the first person to ID the correct Joe, no googling allowed.

I wonder how many of those road signs are really old...and how many are acquired via Midnight Acquisition, Inc..

That really sounds like fun. I've never fished Dairyland, but I spent an afternoon on Big Falls Flowage chasing teeth a while back. There's fish in there...

Who was it that said, "You can't go home again."? Apparently they were wrong.

Not a lot of bright blue older Rangers around...they stand out among the Lund/Alumacraft/Crestliner crowd. I checked your website - we drove right past your place a couple weeks back to fish the river up near Big Falls Park. Had a fun day.

This year, Long off HWY 40, Old Abe a couple of times...past years, who knows...pretty much all over.

Couldn't agree more - it's the first thing I do when I change boats. When I bought my current boat, I stopped on the way home and bought them...It took a week tot get the adapters made and installed, but it was the first thing I saw that needed changing when I picked the boat up!

I feel like I've seen that 2nd boat someplace...

If you have the right tools - most folks don't have the right tools to cut, join or form it. I am fortunate that I have a friend in the business and find it easy to get parts cut and bent. I agree 100%; also lasts longer, is lighter and stronger...and I really like your idea for a source!

I agree - I bought one based on a recommendation from a friend...it was quickly relegated to being put on a back-up rod I seldom use.

That'll work! I have always seen them used at the back of the boat with smaller hooks going to the U shaped transom tie downs.