BrianMDTX

Sounds like a heck of a trip!

I can’t top the moose, but probably 45 years ago my dad and I were fishing on Loch Raven reservoir near Baltimore in Maryland, in a rental wood rowboat with a single trolling motor. We were up by Schoolhouse Cove and saw something moving in the water, leaving a wake. Turned out to be the head of a whitetail doe swimming across the reservoir. We followed discreetly at a distance. It must have swum a good 1/4 mile to it reached the opposite shore, climbed out of the water and sauntered off like it was out for a Sunday stroll. Been a deer hunter for decades and I’ve seen many a buck and doe walk up, down and across streams and creeks, but that’s the only deer I’ve ever seen actually swimming. I’ll add a hunting story just for the heck of it. Early 90’s, hunting opening week of gun season in Wyoming SF in northern PA. It was cold, and after the first two days, pretty quiet. I was perched atop a rock outcropping overlooking a large draw and heard a very faint whooshing sound that got progressively louder. All of a sudden a US Navy or Marine Corps A-4 Skyhawk passed directly overhead at less than 1000’ AGL. As soon as it passed the entire forest shuddered from the roar of its Pratt and Whitney J52 turbojet engine. When I say it was loud...it was LOUD!

Coming from an aviation maintenance background, I can say there are numerous greases and oils that are designed for certain functions that are not compatible with others. Trust me on that. Like the poor sap I knew years ago that decided if Exxon 2380 turbine oil was good for a turbofan engine, it was probably a great choice for the 5.0L V8 in his Mustang. I think he made it about 4 miles down the road before he spun bearings and threw rods. A fishing reel is no different. Sure, there may be alternate lubricants that exhibit the same qualities and specifications as a specific brand of grease sold for fishing reels at lesser cost, but you need to make sure it matches the specifications of proper reel grease. But, the fact is, reel grease is cheap compared to even an economy reel. Why scrimp on maintaining your gear? The time to discover your “shade tree mechanic” lube job on your $$$ reel was unsatisfactory is not when you’re on the water with a lunker on the line and your reel locks up.

As a die-hard bowhunter, nothing gets me more than hunter trash. Want to lose access to good private land? Leave trash behind. Seriously, I just don’t get it. You did well.

If I can, I will pick up other's trash and discard it appropriately. I loathe litterers. But if I can help clean some trash out, I will.

I asked this question in another thread and came to my own conclusions lol. I am RH, and cast every rod with my right hand. Grew up fishing with spinning reels with the handle on the left side. Cast right, hold rod right, reel left. Feels natural. Had a baitcaster with reel on the right. Cast right, switch and hold rod left, reel right. Wanted to buy a new low-profile baitcaster and decided to get a LH. Makes sense, right? I reel a spinning reel like a demon LH, so why no a baitcaster? It felt awkward. My best guess is geometry and ergonomics. A spinning reel is below the rod, so the handle is below the axis of the rod. On a baitcaster, the handle is above the axis of the rod. Other factors may be involved as well, but I know cranking the handle on a baitcaster with my left hand felt strange. I switched to the same model baitcaster, but RH, and it simply felt normal. Switching the rod from my right to my left hand after the cast is almost instantaneous. But I’d say whatever works for the angler is what they should use. There is no “right or wrong”. Except holding a spinning reel above the rod. That just IS wrong! ?

Good enough! Went with Sufix 832 20# and 8# FC leader. Reel is due tomorrow. No shipping date on the rod yet. This will be my first use of braid. It sure feels different. I’ll use some 8# hybrid as backing on the spool.

Not sure exactly why that’s “neither”. If I’m reading charts correctly, 20# braid is equal to 6# mono as relates to diameter. 10# braid is equivalent to 2# mono. I’m not sure if a 6# leader is appropriate for 20# braid, but I’m pretty confident that a 2# leader is not. So what’s really the rule of thumb? Or is there none?

Question: should one attempt to match the diameters of the braid and leader (FC or mono), or the break strength? In other words, if I’m spooling a 10# or 20# braid on my spinning rod, what’s the correct size leader?

I know for a fact it was a green pumpkin green purple flake 5” Senko, as I have never caught a bass on a plastic worm until then. Sad, but true lol.

Depends on the walk. Some places I can fish from the bank 25’ or less from my truck. In those spots I’ll bring my full size tackle box and three rods set up for crankbaits, stickbaits and jigs/topwater. Other places that are a farther walk and down small paths I may only take a few lures in a small box and one rod. Truth be told, I’d rather have more than I’ll use than less than I need.

Beautiful fish, but the angler gives me the willies!

Sometimes it feels like that’s the truth!

I’d say 4 lbs. Now, as far as the size of bass and the size of ponds are concerned, who knows? Two weeks ago I caught this bass out of a pond I’d say is between 1.5 and 2 acres in size. At the time I had no scale (have one now), but did measure it at 22”. It’s my PB. Graphs online say it should be a shade over 6 lbs. I guess what I'm saying is that there are a lot of variables that affect the size of bass in a body of water, so the acreage of a pond is one variable but may or may not be the most important driver. Sounds like your pond may produce decent bass!

That’s a pretty bass! Good catch!

I ain’t knowed how “accurate” and scientific the tests would be considered, but I watched a couple of vids on YT testing fluoro leader vs fluoro mainline, and fluoro vs mono as far as abrasion resistance. The leader and mainline were basically a tie. The mono greatly surpassed the fluoro. Granted, it’s not really a lab-grade test, but it was interesting.

Setting up a spinning rod and going to try braid with a fluoro leader. As the purpose of a fluoro (or mono) leader is for visibility, what’s the preferred length? 6’? 12’? Getting a Daiwa Revros LT2500-XH. What do you recommend for sizes of braid and fluoro leader for casting soft plastics?

Yesterday was tough on the pond. Sunny and hot (90s) and very still. Nobody was catching much of anything. My first bass was 1.5 lbs, 15” on a weightless green pumpkin Senko Texas rig. The second was maybe 9” long. Switched over to a weightless green pumpkin wacky rig later in the afternoon. I went to the other side of the pond (accessed by a footpath in the woods so it’s tight and not much room to cast) and found a small hole where I could flip the Senko underneath branches overhanging the water by maybe 10”-12”. First cast, nothing. Second cast the wacky rig got whacked as soon as it hit the water. Almost 2 lbs (weighed 1.8 and 16”), but it was a fighter. Last catch of the day. That was my first catch on a wacky rig using an O ring. I don’t know if over the long run I may lose fish on strikes having the hook parallel to the stickbait vs perpendicular when hooking through the body, but the Senko and O ring were inches up the line and in perfect shape rather than ripped to shreds. I like that O ring rig!

I was a kid in the 60s and a teen in the 70s. C&R was basically unheard of, and if someone caught a 5 lb bass and let it go, other anglers would have thought they were insane. When I think back to all the 12”-14” bass my family, friends and I kept back then, I shake my head. A lot of things have changed in bass fishing since I was young. But I’d say the overall acceptance of C&R is probably the best change that has come about. You get the challenge of the strike and the catch, take a pic, weigh and measure it, and maybe someone else catches it when it’s a bit bigger. What a great concept.

Being born and raised in Maryland, I know Lefty Kreh. Well, not like I knew him personally lol. Yet I never saw this know before. I was in the Army, not the Navy. I stink at knots. That one is easy-peasy to tie!

Well, nice is in the eye of the beholder. No hits pretty much all day on wacky rigs. Just before leaving I found a bank with some overhanging trees and the water was clear with a sandy vs muck bottom. Second cast this bass hammered the 5” Senko as soon as it hit the water. Just a bit under two lbs but put up a great fight! And the Senko made it through unscathed!

It’s all good, I guess. Whatever works for the individual angler. At least I broke the ice this morning on the new rig. Shade over 1.5 lbs and 15”, but was a fighter. No hits on the wacky wig or weighted Texas rig with a 5” Senko. Switched to a weightless Senko Texas rig and nailed him on the second cast. And so far I’m liking the Yo Zuri hybrid line. Haven’t had one issue (knock on wood).

It would be a real hoot if an O ring that was on a broadhead that passed thru a buck or doe wound up helping to lure in and land a nice bass.

Not speaking from true experience, but an arrow saw (used to cut carbon arrow shafts) would likely do a great job cutting a rod.