NYWayfarer

That's next on my list of lines to try. Right now I am using Sufix Promix 6# for trout and it is excellent. I got snagged a couple of times and I find this stuff way harder to snap then my 8# Stren and Kastking Flourokote lines.

Next you will be asking her to check if those shirts come in green pumpkin color

U40 Cork Sealer is a winter ritual of mine. Any cork handle rods purchased during the season get sealed in the winter. Great stuff. If you want to go old school for fishing enjoyment get a worm blower and a worm threader for live nightcrawlers.

I have helped many young anglers I have come across while bank fishing. Kids come over when they see me catch something and usually ask what I am using. I hand them baits and tackle and give some pointers on what I am catching fish with at the moment.

When I used to use bottled dips and dyes I placed each one into their own ziplock baggie. Those baggies went into a Tupperware container with a screw lock lid. Double protection right there. Another tip is I always poured out half or more of the dip or dye into another jar. No sense having a full bottle of dye with you as I can't see anyone needing that much on one trip. That way if there is an accident it's not as much spilled.

For paddletail baits I like the Strike King Rage Swimmers. Depending on size there are 6 or 9 in a clamshell pack. The pack is clear so all baits can be examined before purchase. I have yet to get a pack with a tail out of place. Zoom, one of my favorite bait companies is one of the worst offenders in the bent tail baits category.

Depending on the wind I fish the WP differently. On a windy day with chop on the water I fish it straight retrieve. On a dead calm day I fish it like a popper. Cast out let it sit till ripples die out then move my rod a bit to make the tail plop a bubble or two stop, wait repeat. The 4lb Smallmouth in my avatar on the left was caught that way on like glass calm water.

Same here. Must be a New York pond thing. Bass here do the, "You lookin' at me?" thing then smash your lure in the face.

Mama said there'd be days like this. Sometimes you have to console yourself with the fact that you were able to pull 10 Bass out of that place. Hard to add anything to the well thought out posts above, but I'll try. Scent. Add a scent to your baits, like Megastrike. I have been saved from a skunk on many a day by adding some of that stuff to a ned or a dropshot bait.

$80 budget. I would go with the Lew's David Fritts crankbait rod: https://www.fieldandstreamshop.com/p/lews-david-fritts-perfect-crankbait-speed-stick-casting-rod-16lewufrtts6ft6mcrod/16lewufrtts6ft6mcrod?uniqueID=1223534

That's the reel Rawr Fishing has been using on his YouTube channel. Interesting reel. He is able to throw marabou jigs and inline spinners with it. Things I would never associate with a baitcaster.

They are the rabbits of the fishing world.

Zebco Omniflex mono from Walmart is great backing and it's dirt cheap.

No more annoying than folks that call anything other than their favorite brand junk. How much "junk" is really out there? If we are talking about a sub $20 combo from Walmart or K-Mart with plastic gears then I might agree. When you get to the $40 or higher price points on spinning reels, bit higher on baitcasters, most companies offer decent reels that will service most weekend anglers for a few seasons. People with a true love of the sport that fish several times a week are going to naturally look for a better quality item from brands they have come to know and trust. A few exceptions will still get by even then with their ugly stick and Shakespeare reel.

I re-purpose chewed up baits all the time for ned rigs and trailers. Never thought of using Trick Worm tails though. Sounds like a plan.

Trading one problem for another.

Same here. I find I can get almost any gunk and stains off with a good scrub with a floor brush. Anything that requires more gets a spray of foaming cleaner. Spray it on let it sit a minute than scrub away.

Trout and Perch are the only things biting around here. Went out Friday, Saturday and Sunday I averaged a fish an hour on all three days. I saw a big Chain Pickerel cruising around but he was real skittish. Rain and snow melt caused a lot of flooding this weekend. The local rivers are swollen with that cold mountain runoff.

I agree. LFS retail price is $99 you can find it on sale rarely for $70 Tournament MB retail price is $139 you can find it on sale for $110 or lower. Dollar for dollar one of the best reels I own. It’s a tank of a reel. Never buy a reel for full price.

Not that I know of. The family is in Charlotte. Their are nice lakes to either the west or east of there and of course way to the east is the ocean.

How bout, North Carolina? My sister in-law lives there and it seems to be moderate temps at least for a Northerener like me. If they get an inch of snow they shut the city down. I would use that free time to go fishing. ?

We share the same opinion. I keep my rods at the $110 price point and lower. Rods, no matter what the price are fragile. I go through rods frequently as I am clumsy. Tips snapped off in doorways, tips pointed at the ground while walking, rods smacked into tree branches on casts, etc. I am bummed out when I break a rod. If it were a really expensive rod, i would rage!

All of the problems you mention can be overcome. Get an anchor or stake out pole for the wind. Don’t go out if the wind is stronger than 12mph Get a stable kayak with a more comfortable seat and your back won’t hurt. Position yourself correctly and you won’t have to cast so far.

I am in the best shape of my life at 53. Since age 11 I have been fat. I reached a 280lb high by age 19. In my early 20’s I was able to get down to 230lbs by cutting out soda. Exercise brought me to an all time low of 180lbs. I yo-yo’ed foe a long time around the 240lb range. My first breakthrough was downloading an app to count calories. That helped me get to 210lbs and stay consistently at that weight. Second breakthrough was getting my Apple Watch. It helps me track my move and exercise daily. 30 minutes and 10,000 steps helped me get to 190lbs and stay there for the last three years. My sleep apnea is gone which is a real plus. I also did the 22 for 22 challenge for our vets. 22 pushups a day for 22 days. Once the 22 days are up I start again. It literally changed my body over the last three years. You don't have to be a exercise freak, but you should exercise.

The OP even assumes it is some sort of catfish. It would have helped if he photographed it at an angle where you see the barbels.