NYWayfarer

Plenty of creatures existed a long time ago like giagantapithitucus, plesiosaurs (Nessie) and Megalodon Sharks. Could some have survived until today. Highly unlikely. The thought that they have make for some cheesy sci-fi movies.

That’s a mighty big Pickerel! They get that size in the rivers here in my neck of the woods. He must of hit like a freight train!

You have a decent baitcasting set up already. My vote is for a nice spinning set up for some finesse fishing. If you like your Kastking Assassin then know that they make some nice spinning reels as well. I would recommend the Sharky 3 reel or the Kodiak in the 2000 size. A decent medium light action rod to go with it and you should be set for Ned rigs or drop shots.

Thanks so much. That puts my mind at ease. I will monitor the reel and you should be seeing it when the season is done.

My first kayak fishing trip of the year did not go so well. I got skunked. The closest I came to a catch was a follow and a swipe, and miss on my red eye shad. I made a rookie mistake as well. The current and wind were so strong today it was truly a day to stay home. I was blown into some trees and in an effort to grab my paddle I knocked my new baitcaster rig overboard into five feet of water. It spent about five minutes underwater until I was miraculously able to use my paddle to raise it up to where I was able to grab it. Thank God for clear water and a white reel. It seemed to cast well after that and when I got home I oiled it up but I didn’t open the gear side as I don’t trust myself. My question is does a 5 minute dunk in fresh water warrant sending away to service? I am talking about a reel that costs $100 My hope is it will last the year and I can send it in for service in November.

I was looking for a dropshot bait for this weekend and I forgot about these! I have a whole un-opened pack from last year. I was using them on a jighead so thanks for the reminder!

After reading this I can't get the song "Born Free" outta my head. Born free, as free as the wind blows As free as the grass grows Born free to follow your heart Live free and beauty surrounds you The world still astounds you Each time you look at a star Stay free where no walls divide you You're free as the roaring tide So there's no need to hide Born free and life is worth living But only worth living 'Cause you're born free Stay free… Find a nice lake and let him be free.

I am not a big fan of the quickfire feature on the shimano syncopate. It is easily the weakest point of the reel. Expect it to be the first thing to break which will render the reel useless unless repaired. Go with the Black Max. I have one and it's rock solid. It is not my favorite baitcaster in that price range but it is a good reel regardless.

Same here. 99% of 5lb Bass caught in my area are 2 and a half pounds in reality. Anything over three pounds is a double digit fish to the locals. Social media is the debil. Reminds me of watching Roland Martin fishing when I was younger. Man I thought he was catching a fish on every cast ! That is until I learned about editing. 6 hours of fishing crammed into a 20 minute show.

Awesome, catch of a lifetime! Grats!

I agree. I have started branching out into other baits Z-man makes because of how much the TRD's impressed me. Next up are their TubeZ

Why? I love my Powell Max and Nuisance rods.

I have a Premier as well. They are over $100 and a great rod as well. Kastking does offer discounts from time to time. I got the Calamus at a 15% discount. For the price it's an excellent rod. very sensitive and light. I am a frugal fisherman and even I don't have any rods that cheap. The closest to that price I can recommend would be the Abu Garcia Vengeance if you can find a medium light version. It will run about $50

I am loving my 6'6" Kastking Calamus light action rod right now. Matched with a 1000 size reel spooled with 4lb line I am able to launch a 1/8oz Leland Trout Magic crank quite a distance. I only wish it came in a one piece model in that size.

Old thread but interesting to see if anyone's opinions have changed. I started using P-Line Floroclear this year for Trout fishing. I am using 4lb line and have had no issues so far. Sprayed it with reel snot when I spooled it onto my reel. Caught 5 Trout, 3 on inline spinners, 2 on Berkley Powerbait. No breaks so far and I only retied twice. I use a palomar knot and wet the line before cinching it. I have been able to lift the Trout out of the water and onto shore with no issues. So far I am happy.

12lb mono is the way to go. I like Berkley Trilene Big Game, Trilene XT or Trilene XL in that order.

Rooster Tails, Johnson Min-O-Spins and the Thomas EP Spinners all have a place in my heart and my tackle box. SMB and Trout love them.

I would love to eventually get a trailer. I only have a short trip to the river I fish, less than half a mile. I use a foam block canoe car top carrier kit. It works but I had to upgrade the straps. I didn't trust the ones that came with it.

So far just the Ned rig has produced Channel Cat catches for me. Its the reason I upgraded my Ned rig equipment to a Medium action rod and size 2000 reel.

The above are great. The Sharky III is sealed and has a direct drive handle for under $60 or try the Kastking Kodiak for around $70. The Kodiak has an aluminum frame.

My problem is not storing them at home as I have plenty of Plano boxes. Its how to quickly store them in a tackle bag when changing lures. I have found a useful life hack. IceBreakers gum comes in a plastic container that is perfect for storing 1 crankbait. After cutting the crank off my line I pop it one the gum container until I get it back home.

If they last longer than the Keitech then you go through fewer bags which makes it worth the money.

I buy a few new rods and reels every year.

I doubt I will go this weekend. 63 degrees 70% chance of rain and thunderstorms for Saturday. Sunday is a high of 49 degrees and 50% chance of rain. Both days winds in the 10mph range. Not ideal kayaking weather plus the water temps in my favorite spot are still pretty cold. Soon though, soon!

Zoom Super Salty Tubes in Green Pumpkin color. No other tube comes close to performing as well as these do for me. The only flaw I find in them is the tentacles are quite delicate and get shredded easy. They also get caught on the exposed hook of my tube inserted jig.