NYWayfarer

$40 for the rod, $30 for the reel = $70 for a combo. I bought a Lew's Xfinity combo for $56 from Walmart this summer for creek wading and fishing. I am surprised how much I like this combo. I have other spinning combos that are a lot more expensive but I seem to bring this one with me every trip. It's very light for a medium set-up. Reel: 8 bearing drive, fat aluminum bail wire, Winn grip knob. Rod IM7 with a winn grip handle.

I'll downsize to a Rebel Frog-R for those pounders that swipe at my Zara Spooks.

My choice would be live bait My universal technique would be the Carolina rig. Catches fish and helps read the bottom for those that don't have sonar.

Nothing is obsolete to me. I just use certain lures more than others. For Topwater I use a Whopper Plopper 90 (75 doesn’t get the river bites like the 90) primarily. Doesn’t mean I won’t have a popper, spook or torpedo with me to tie on. Sometimes the fish need to see something different.

A Bass that doesn’t survive can be harvested. Even if it is not it will feed the local turtles and raptors. Years ago I saw an Eagle swoop down and take a Smallmouth that had not survived a deep hooking. I can only be so compassionate when fishing. If I think too deeply about it I will realize the hypocrisy of not wanting to hurt or kill an animal when I am targeting a Bass with sharp instruments and ripping it out of its natural environment for sport. ??

That’s what I was thinking. I guess the the closest I came to a finesse swimbait is a Berkley Havoc beat Shad on a small jighead. It works but I catch more Smallmouth slow retrieving a Ned Rigged TRD

Lew’s Mach 1 baitcaster combo Lew’s Mach 2 baitcaster combo Lew’s Mach Crush baitcaster combo Lew’s LFS baitcaster, Field and Stream Tec Spec Elite MH rod Lew’s Tournament MB baitcaster, Denali Zenyx crankbait rod Lew’s Mach 2 spinning combo Lew’s Mach Crush spinning combo Lew’s Xfinity spinning combo Lew’s Custom Pro Speed Spin, Favorite Balance ML rod I usually roll with a spinning combo for finesse fishing and a baitcaster combo for power fishing from the bank. Same for kayak. If I am on a boat I will take 3 baitcasters and a spinning combo with me. If I am creek or canal fishing it is usually a spinning combo I carry.

Happy holiday everyone. With the lake being so busy this weekend it was a great time to creek and canal fish. Fallfish and Smallmouth were biting.

I have used them. They are one of my favorite squarebills as they are low cost and have sticky hooks. The Bluegill color works best for me.

Lew's has their Mach 2 line on clearance as they are revising them for 2019 You can find them on sites like Tackle Warehouse and Dick's for great prices. Another Lew's budget combo I have been happy with is the Xfinity line a Walmart Exclusive. I have been using the spinning comb0 for creek fishing and it handles a 2 pound Smallmouth fight nicely. The Xfinity line prices are: Baitcaster combo $90 Spinning combo $57 Baitcaster $55 Spinning reel $40 Spinning rod $50 Baitcasting rod $50

I prefer the Panther Martin Classic gold undressed in-line spinners with a treble hook. In-line spinners that are dressed always remind me of lures with trebles that have grass snagged on them. Nothing bites those lures but they do bite dressed spinners. It must be a mental block thing with me as I have caught plenty of fish on dressed and undressed lures.

That’s what I use when I need a 2 piece rod. My other choice is my 2 piece St Croix Triumph.

Not an easy question to answer without knowing the situations you will be fishing with those set ups. On my medium light set up with a 300 reel I have some 6lb Sufix Elite. Easy casting mono. On my Medium setup I have 8lb Sufix Promix another easy casting mono. I use those rods for Ned rigs, wacky worms, small crankbaits (Rebel Wee Craw, etc) in-line spinners and small tubes and grubs.

Unfortunately no. It was a puffer day, all day...

I have the same problem on my work computer. I don’t have access to clear cache on that but I am not worried as the site works fine on my phone and iPad. I am more concerned that on any device I have the “insert other media” button doesn’t work like it used to. When pressed it said “insert existing attachment” or “insert URL” the insert URL is not there anymore and that’s the way I post pics.

That jacket is not available for sale anymore on the Lew’s website. Maybe that has something to do with the delay? It’s possible they redesign it and send you one of those in the near future?

Interesting theory. You could just spray the XL with KVD line and lure or Reel Snot and make it more manageable. I do that with Berkley Big Game and Sufix Siege lines to make them cast better.

Time for a drop shot with some kind of finesse worm. Roboworm, Biospawn Plasmatail, Strike King Dreamshot, etc.

I received my hoodie from my Mach II baitcaster combo purchase yesterday in the mail.

I always tie those baits direct. Most baits direct for that matter.

That's the one I was talking about in my post. "Currently unavailable"

"reliable" to me must include waterproof or water resistant. I had one of those Amazon luggage type scales that was fine until it got splashed. I have a Kastking scale that is waterproof and floats (great for kayaking) it came with a fish gripper. I don't see it available anymore. They have a new version that is water resistant, doesn't float and no fish gripper but has a built in tape measure.

I have their cut-throat split ring pliers which are basically the same pliers as the Pro, without the golf grip. They are pretty sturdy and come with a great sheath. The only issue I have with them is they are quite pointy. The tip has speared my hand or side on a few occasions. That's why I prefer my blunt tip Ozark Trail pliers better.

My fishing pliers of choice this year is the Ozark Trail Golf Grip Fishing Pliers I picked up in the spring. They look exactly like the ones above except they have blaze orange Winn type grips. they are great pliers that cost me $14 They are coated so no rust, grips are comfortable, lure tuner, crimping spots and built in cutters that work on mono. I have a bungee lanyard attached so I don't lose them. I keep them at my side in a Evolution universal pliers sheath. Since I bought them I have not seen them on sale anymore. Not even Walmarts website or Ebay.

The local state park here is closed as of Tuesday for swimmers and waders due to a harmful algae bloom. Seems to happen every August.