NYWayfarer

I wish you and your family the best. I hope your Dad pulls through soon.

I feel your pain. I have bought many a rod searching for the Goldilocks zone of just right. When I find it I buy multiple rods of that brand and make. Right now for me that is the St. Croix Triumph 6’6” Medium/Fast spinning rod and the Lew’s TP1 Black 7’ Medium/Moderate Fast casting rod. Come to think of it I am the same way with lots of things. Clothes and sneakers. When I find the perfect shirt or shoes I buy multiples.

Out of the lines you mention I use, love and trust both Sufix Siege and Berkley Big Game. I highly recommend both lines.

Don’t overlook the St Croix Triumph. I have the Premier as well and they are very similar except the Triumph is less coin. I love my Avid and Premier but I have more than 1 Triumph. I usually wait until I get a DSG scorecard $10 reward. Combine that with one of their $20 off a $100 spent and I get a brand new Triumph for $70

This is pretty much the same for me except the Walleye part. Not that I wouldn't like to target the Walleye during those month its just that I never have.

I usually shut down in early to mid-November. We usually have hard water by then. It really boils down to comfort. When I am freezing even with gloves and handwarmers and getting skunked 2 out of 3 trips its time to pack it in for me. December, January and February are 3 of the longest months of my life. March is almost as bad.

I use #4 or #6 Eagle Claw Aberdeen hooks. I have landed a 3 pound smallie with out bending out these hooks. Couldn't horse him in but I did land him using drag and the rod to help tire him out. The longer hook shank helps me get the hook out easier as well. Something I don't see mentioned is how you put your nightcrawler on the hook. I try and thread the nightcrawler on the hook. Basically pierce the worm and run the hook through it all the way up the hook and then bring it out just a little at the end. This dramatically helps hook up ratios over the old piercing the worm a couple of times and wrapping it around the hook. Bluegills can't grab and pull your worm off as easily with the method I described.

It was cold enough to snow here this morning. My lawn was white with frost.

My Dad gave me one of his rods Friday. St Croix Avid 6’ Medium Light action spinning rod. I paired it with a Lew’s Speed Spin SS10HS for some Panfish action. I was able to catch some nice sized Pumpkinseed. http:// http://

30 degrees this morning at sunrise. I fished the Ned Rig several different ways, slow roll, short hops. It wasn’t until I deadsticked it that this nice 2 pound Smallmouth took it. I was watching the line. It was apparent that a fish had the bait when the line never stopped moving when I know it should have hit the bottom by now. http:// http:// http://

I would fish Monday. My forecast today was worse and I managed to catch a 2 pound Smallmouth.

Stay safe! I hope all is well.

Strike King Bitsy Tube and Big Bite Baits tubes are thin walled. Especially when compared to something like a Zoom super salty tube. Those things are the Big Mac of tubes.

Strike King baby Rage Craw Texas rigged on a 1/0 worm hook and a 1/8 oz tungsten weight. Catches dink’s and donkeys.

Chipped paint drives me crazy. I try and stick with black reels. I touch up boat rash with a black sharpie. I have a reel from another company with a titanium deposition finish. No scratches on that. I accidentally poked it with my knife and it didn’t mark it at all.

What Michigan is saying to A-Jay

Thank goodness. I was starting to worry as his last post was that he ate a sandwich out of a vending machine...

Yes. When you get a chance try to get some of the mushroom head jigs. I find they work much better when you want to bottom hop the Ned Rig. The bait will stand up, or fall over slowly at the very least. I get a lot of hits at that point. Ball head jigs the bait flops over and never really gets that action. They are fine for casting and slow retrieve though.

For me it’s the reel. I want a good drag and a solid frame. I am a line watcher and I usually have a finger in contact with the line after casting. I feel those traits are important and can let someone get away with not having the most sensitive rod.

If the bite is tough with all the other suggestions break out the dropshot.

I fish clear water rivers and the only thing I caught on that color has been a Pickerel. Colors like Green Pumpkin and Mudbug produce better for me than PB&J

I prefer the z-man Shroomz jighead and finesse TRD I have used a lot of different jig heads and baits but always com back to the Z-Man products. I have much better results with them. Added a new species to my list of fishes that will hit the Ned rig today. A Fallfish. http://

I was on the water at Sunrise today. Beautiful morning full of Fall foliage colors and an Otter swimming by. http:// I landed a nice size Yellow Perch the first spot I stopped at http:// Second spot was amazing. The Smallmouth were chasing baitfish all the way to the bank. I tried a crankbait with no luck. I switched to a Ned Rig and cast parallel to the bank and under a tree. On the retrieve I felt the lure get taped I set the hook and thought I had a Bass. No jumps were a clue this wasn’t a Bass. I was shocked to land a giant Fallfish. He was bigger than my size 11 1/2 foot and weighed in at 1.33 lbs. http:// http:// http:// http:// First Fallfish I ever caught on a Ned Rig

The winner of that SB gets Trevor Lawrence.

You have to get more creative my friend. “Hey that’s a nice fish you gonna keep it?” My answer is yes. Then I toss it back. When they say hey I thought you were keeping it I say it had some parasites on it. Changed my mind. Or say yes you can have it but let me wash it off for you and say oops as it slips from your fingers back into the water.