NYWayfarer

First Trout fishing trip of the year. I was able to get a limit of Brook Trout.

First fish of 2019 in my home waters. This was not the Trout I was looking for. I went fishing today for the first time since Trout season opened. I was able to limit out on stocked Brookies.

Anything you plan on casting as far as you can. That way you get to hear that sweet DC whine as long as possible.

A must have IMO. I used to think it wouldn't happen to me, until it did. A $200 setup slipped right out of my hands. Luckily I was able to retrieve it but I ordered some leashes right after that trip.

That look is definitely from the folks that like to eat their catch. I get it a lot in these parts with the follow up question "Do you eat them?" When I answer, no, they usually ask why not? Pick any of the following canned answers I give: I wouldn't eat anything out of these waters, unless I want to glow in the dark. I get my fish where God intended me to, the supermarket. I just fish for sport and Bass are great sport fish. I am not into the taste of Bass, if I am going to catch something to eat it would be Perch, Trout or Crappie. I prefer the taste of saltwater catches like fluke or blackfish better.

I have watched the same vids. It was disappointing to see LFG doing that. Honestly anyone doing this has a low IQ They are trespassing and filming the evidence to prove that they are doing so. Open and shut case, pay the fine or do the time.

For a sec I read that as BB1 and I thought the Lew's BB1 was on sale for $19.99!!!! I would have dropped a minimum of $100 on that sale easy.

I wear long pants and boots while bank fishing even in 90 degree heat. Both are sprayed with Deep Woods Off as well as my neck and exposed flesh on my arms. My hat gets a spray as well. I also use a conditioning spray on my hair which has ingredients to repel insects.

Nice Striper!! Well done!

Tautog, Blackfish is good eating. It's a Wrasse which I know lots of smaller versions are all over Florida, like the Slippery Dick. I like fresh caught Fluke. Breaded and fried it's my favorite salt water species to eat.

Yes. The tree branches above you...

Topwater and Frogging are my two technique dedicated rod and reel set-ups. Everything else pulls double, sometimes triple, duty.

Berkley Warpig (Gilly or Perch color) Berkley Pitbull/Squarebull (Gilly or Chartruse/Black color) Rebel Bluegill (Natural or Albino) Strike King Redeye Shad

8.8 is my guess.

My nickname for YUM baits is GCB (Good Cheap Baits) Dick's has $2 when you buy 5 or more sales all the time. Another trick to the Christie Craw is to cut off all the appendages and rig it on a mushroom head jig. I did this to a few different baits when I ran out of TRD's last year. The Craw was one of them.

I love these thoughts of the day. Keep em' coming. I'll be thinking of this one next time I see uncle Joe on the news rubbing some woman's shoulders...

The break offs concern me for the multitude of dog walkers in my area. They let their unleashed animals splash right in the river to swim and drink (often right next to me...) without a thought of the dangers of lost hooks and line. I carry a bag with me when ever I go fishing. The sole purpose for this bag is for trash I find along the bank. Sadly I have not had a trip where I have not completely filled the bag with OPT (other peoples trash) Even sadder is empty worm and chicken liver cups which you know came from folks who fish.

Yes. They worked well for me last year. Just be sure to dry them off after each use with a towel. They rust pretty fast.

Skunked again this weekend. Lost a crankbait and a couple of jigs to snags. Saturday was a good weather day. Today was low 40’s and rain. On the bright side one of the local ponds is almost ice free today and should be this week. I will definitely be visiting it next weekend. I am going to soak some worms to get a Bullhead just to catch something in my home waters. I surely would have gone mad already if not for my Florida trip to shake the skunk off of 2019

Any of the following I can get on sale, VMC Trokar Gamakatsu Berkley Fusion If I have to go weedless I like the Berkley Fusion Wacky weedless as it has a clear soft plastic weed guard. My my usual stockpile of weedless wacky rig hooks are the Eagle Claw weedless 1/0 size you can get a 4 pack at Walmart for under $2

I threw some lipless cranks on my spinning setup yesterday because that was all I brought. It was spooled with 6# Sufix Promix monofilament line. I had no issues and was even able to straighten the hook on a Ned Rig jighead that got snagged by pulling on it. Line held up without breaking. I wouldn’t go lighter than 8# line on Fluorocarbon line. Lighter than that and I find it too fragile. Problems arise with cheap Fluoro, like Berkley Vanish and Stren Fluorocast. What brand were you using? Also when tying the palomar knot with fluoro, remember always to wet the line with saliva before cinching it down. I do that with all lines but it is especially important with fluoro.

25+ is better than I did. 8 packs was all they had.

My local Walmart had Strike King tungsten weights on clearance for $1.50 for a 4 pack. Needless to say I cleared out the clearance section of their inventory.

Must have been after he accepted a Kastking sponsorship. I like to buy rods in the $100 or less category. I am rough on my rods. Bank fishing, car trips, low ceilings and doorways have cost me a rod or two or three. As hard as I am on my rods, I would be harder on myself if I damaged a $150+ rod.

There is a current break made by two boulders in the stretch of the Hudson River I fish regularly. Not easy to spot from shore. I have a natural landmark I use as a guide to where it is. A short trip off a beaten trail and I am there. The spot produces above average size Smallmouth Bass. I visit it every time I am in the area.