Greg728

I'm heading up this weekend to fish the area of Dingman's ferry north to Callicoon on the Delaware. Curious how the smallmouth bite is this time of year. I'm only been up there in summer before. Any info would be appreciated! Thanks

I'm taking off Friday and heading up to the upper D. Gonna go for trout but I'm genuinely curious if anyone knows what else is hot up there this time of year? I'm looking at the Callicoon area south to Dingman's ferry. I'm curious about smallmouth but I'm afraid the bite hasn't picked up yet. Does anyone have any intel on what's hot or picking up in this area? Thanks

I went out two days ago and the water levels were very low. Tried fishing around rapids around boulders and no luck. Went up to Port Jervis NY on the Delaware and did well. Just trying to learn river smallmouth patterns more as I've spent most of my life chasing LMB in ponds and lakes.

I live in SE PA and I'm gonna make my first trip the the lower Susquehanna next week. Just curious if anyone knows if the bite has picked up at all transitioning from summer into early fall. Thanks!

Yup. Although I probably need a lot more experience with it before I understand it better but the basics seem pretty simple. Just trying to learn how to identify different structure.

I've been a bank angler my entire life but just got means to get on the water. I hated throwing diving CB's from the bank since I didn't like the angle and snagged often so I stayed away from them. Now that I'm on the water I want to throw more crankbaits but I don't have a lot of confidence knowing where/when to throw them. It's weird being so limited for so long and now having the freedom to explore and fish an entire lake. Most of the water I fish ranges from 5-12 ft of water with some parts over 15. I have a Dobyn's FR 705CB I just got that I'm using for smaller treble hook lures and was told it's a good rod for medium diving CB's among other things. Any pointers of what to look for and ideal conditions would be appreciated!

I'll have to check it out! Thanks This was really helpful thank you. I'm just so far removed from the tournament fishing angle of the sport that I never thought to consider this.

I grew up next to the tidal portion of the Delaware River not far from Philadelphia where it has pretty strong current, rapids, boulders, etc. So my idea of kayak river fishing entails having to fight against a lot of current and worry about my gear dumping if I take a spill. Because of that I've been sticking to small lakes and ponds with the occasional stream. I'm new to kayak fishing though and I assume smaller rivers aren't as much of a chore to paddle. I'm actually two hours from the Susquehanna in PA so maybe I'll get out there soon.

I spent some time in Georgia for an old job and traveled all over down there. I really liked it.

Thanks for the tip! I was considering Virginia.

I consider good bass fishing as anything better than the dink fest that I currently deal with. I've caught a few fish over 3, 4lbs and two 5lbers, but mainly stuff 2 lbs or less this year and I've gone out as often as possible this year. I would like to live somewhere where the average bass is more than 1.5 lbs. I grew up in this area and I've fished pretty much everywhere there is to fish. I know there are decent fish to catch around me and I now there are dinks all over the country wherever I go but I would just like a change of scenery and a little better access to bigger fish. I've considered the Midwest and I'd probably do it if it weren't for the winters. Chicago is a nice city though. I love smallmouth fishing and I really enjoy bank fishing or wading in rivers but having to fight against current with paddles and all of my gear attached just isn't my idea of fun. Just my preference. I do love smallmouth fishing though.

I know this might seem like a difficult or weird question to address but I'd like to add a little context. I currently live in Central NJ and the SE PA/NJ area is just a little underwhelming compared to the quality of fishing I see coming from other parts of the country. I'm looking to eventually move somewhere new, but after reading about where the best bass lakes are in the country it seems like most of them are massive and you really need to have a boat to get the most out of those places. I'm not a tournament angler and I don't own a boat. It's just me, my kayak and bank fishing when I don't have a lot of time. What I would like ideally would be to live about an hour or so outside a city with a stable economy, lower cost of living and lots of access to good quality bass fishing waters that are conducive to kayak fishing. The South comes to mind for me as I'm not a fan of harsh winters. Texas originally did but the size of those reservoirs and driving distances between spots kind of deter me at the moment. Am I crazy or do places like this exist? Any input would be appreciated! Thanks.

It's amazing how inconsiderate some people are. Not knowing about etiquette is one thing. Not caring is another.

I second snakes. I've owned all types of pet snakes and they don't scare me but I just like to know where they are. I don't like them creeping up on me when I'm in a tight area surrounded by trees and bushes. Especially with some of the more aggressive types like water snakes.

Trash and screaming kids. Also just had a guy come up to me and fish shoulder to shoulder with me telling me everything I was doing was wrong (he had 10lb braid on his baitcaster for heavy cover and his rig was upside down). That was pretty unbearable.

Same here. I live in NE USA and a nice fish for us is in the 3-5lb range with the average being 2lbs. I've caught most of my nicer fish on my M spinning combo on a weightless senko. My favorite rod to throw baits on is my 6'6 M dobyns casting rod. I still use my heavier gear a lot but I don't live in Florida where I'm catching 5-8lb bass regularly. I think maybe some of the stuff people say that may come off as "macho" may be from people that live in areas where the fish and cover are just heavier, and bringing a M spinning rig as the main combo to the everglades is like going to gun fight with a knife. Just a different perspective I could be wrong. But yea, if I'm fishing in open water in ponds and small lakes with light to no cover I tend to favor my M power stuff over MH or H gear. If that makes me a wimp then it is what it is lol.

I'm with you. I still use my spinning combos for finesse stuff but the feeling of having a well dialed in baitcaster just doesn't compare to my spinning reels. I also grew up on them but now they just don't feel right in my hands.

I love my Lew's Speed Spool LFS. $99. Definitely fishes above that.

I'm trying to build my arsenal of rods for different applications and want to make sure I'm getting the most out of my setups. I've been fishing all my life but never serious enough that I owned more than two rods until now. Here's what I currently use for bass: 6'6 M/F Spinning on 8# fluoro for finesse stuff, smallmouth, etc. 6'6 M/F Dobyn's 663 Casting on 12# mono for fluke, senkos, small poppers, smaller treble hooks, light T rigs 6'6 MH/F St Croix BassX Casting on 15# mono for spinnerbaits, bladed jigs, swim jigs, etc 7' MH/F Dobyn's 704 Casting on 40# Braid for bigger T rigs, jigs in moderate cover, bottom contact 7'3 H/F Dobyn's 735c Casting on 50# Braid for frogging and pitching heavy cover Any feedback for what I might be missing in a setup or what baits to throw for each setup would be appreciated. I've done a lot of research but want to make sure I'm on the right path. I'm just trying to get the most out of what I have and understand different applications better. I'm primarily fishing from the bank and my kayak.

Yea, that's my dilemma. It sounds sweet on the water but it sounds like it could be a pain to have to lug around. I may pass on this. Do you have any recommendations for a decent fishing kayak in the $800-1200 range? Looking for 10-12 ft. Saw a few that were 11'5" that seemed perfect for me. Just not familiar with good names and models.

I'm meeting someone this weekend to look at his kayak he has for sale. It's the Malibu stealth 12 and comes with a Minn kota 45lb riptide saltwater motor, Yak attack steering system, Garmin depthfinder with battery and charger,Reese hitch loader for car thule roof system, transport wheels, 1 deep cycle battery and storage system for garage ceiling. All of this for $1200. A few things... First, is this a good kayak? I'm looking for something that isn't so heavy I don't want to take it out. Ideally I'd like to keep it under 75 pounds. Second, is this a good deal? Any tips would be helpful. If anyone else has any suggestions for something in this price range (that isn't back ordered until fall) please let me know. Thanks.

That's what I thought man! Someone said XF was only good for bottom contact if you're fishing deep right above them from a boat and your bait is vertical. I can see how that is good for that application but I wanted to fact check to see if it's only good for that or good for bottom contact in general.

Still yet to catch a frog or a fish? When I hear bottom contact I think a big football jig in deep water... does bottom contact always mean deep? What about soaking a senko or dragging a texas rig along the bottom but in more shallow water? Will XF work for that in your opinion or no?

How is it casting with a 1/2 oz spinnerbait? I've never fished XF before but I've heard that lack of flex in the rod while casting can be difficult to deal with with the wrong baits.