Darth-Baiter

it is now on comfort mode since the regular mode is fairly anemic. the single motor version is fairly vanilla in acceleration. I am good with it. I am never in a hurry to get to problems that need my attention.. it's a good car, nevertheless. I just charge while I sleep and the next workday, good to go. the best thing to do to coworkers is to set their Teslas into FART mode. hahah...took my old boss a week to figure out what the heck was happening.

I buy 600 yard bulk spools. Usually on sale during the off season. It never fails, at the end of a spool - it’s like playing chicken. “Do I have enough to fill my reel?” I don’t know for sure how much line I’m filling. It would be fun if I used exactly 100 yards each time, but that can’t be true. you just go with it? Sharpie mark?

SHREWD!!! hahahha

hahha...this reminds me I have to go fix a DC reel. hahah.. casting an A-Rig against the wind is a loser's bet.

we have a humble 3. it scoots!! I cant imagine a Plaid. my work car is an even MORE humble 3. the lowest end model, and that car drives surprisingly tame. its like they turned something off. hahahha..

I'll sneak this in, despite today being National Quitter's day with respect to resolutions. I vow to be more comfortable fishing solo. I am a kayaker, so there are inherent risks., but I'll stay safe (100% PFD). I am talking about not worrying about my circle of bass fishing kayak "friends". not worrying about what they are catching, or not catching. not worrying about not getting invited, etc. Just fish ME. I'm the keeper of secret lake locations anyways. I already hit a far lake solo and I did well. I dont even post pics of my catches to them anymore. (unless it is a WHOPPER!)

and its BLACK? nice!!! thanks.

I use the Simms SolarFlex Guide gloves. I get two years out of them. my Peacock guide on the Amazon had the same size hands so I gave him a pair. super good grip. kinda pricey. but I launder them often and still get the two years. I am about to try the Orvis fly fishing ones to save a $20.

so. muddy water time. the Zillion HD has a longer handle? same spool? this is solid advice, since it is more available.

chatter baits, shallow cranks. etc. I know I am mixing apples and oranges, but I tend to not break up baits I have a tight line running to. just me. I have a Bantam. I havent warmed to it fully. it does cast beautifully,. it feels dense, if that makes any sense. I have it on a heavier rod (mass) and it feels at home there. on a lighter rod, not sure.

I am still wading through my Metanium choices. Met 20 or Met 100 <----all a bit confusing, especially on a Japan website. I have a Zillion SWTW, that I adore. the Zillion is on my light bottom contact setup. the new Reel will send out and bring back moving baits. it will ride on my new experiment, the MegaBass Oricchi X10 Bandersnatch.. I can see myself looking for longer distance casts to target super clear water spooky fish. I wouldn't mind your thoughts on this. thanks. tried and true Zillion? or go Shimano? I dont want to drop the money on a Metanium DC. not even Japan money. I casted my friend's DC and that thing can cast FAR!! but he has a wife that poops money.

I buy new cars. my reasoning is I seem to keep them for two decades. so amortize the cost upfront, it doesn't seem that bad. I pay cash up front as well, because interests I have no interest in. having said that. the Crosstrek is cool. I love the boxer motors and we dang near drove a 2005 Forester forever. we just got rid of it. it still ran and looked awesome. we got the turbo version so we got tired of buying 91 octane. my brother just bought a Crosstrek used. he sought and found a stick shift!!

It’s a good looking fish for sure. My acquaintance is hammering them at Oroville but that’s yet another 3.5 hour drive. Grrr.

I havent fished for awhile. weekend before Thanksgiving was my last trip out. holidays demanded my attention at work and home. this past weekend, I took a chance and roadtripped to Shasta Lake. Solo. I booked a very very lackluster hotel room so I could fish Sunday as well. I have hooked Spotted bass before, but I really paid attention this time. the toothy mouths, the great colors, and the fight..that spunkiness. my first bite I thought it was a "good one!". nope..13" fish. they all fight like crazy fish. you pull them from the water and they flare gills, and get rigid and curve their bodies. if one falls into the bottom of my kayak, it is like trying to catch a greased chicken. I got into the numbers, but no biggies..I want one now.

I know a guy that puts his GoPro on a small dumbbell and simply lowers it into the water with a buoy. he sets it up next to bedded bass and comes back later to film the bite. me. I bought the GoPro clamp and just connect to my paddle and jam that under water with marginal success. been trying to film bluegill beds in gin-water for a couple of years now.

I am the undisputed distance champion at our Lake Texoma striper-fest. I cast Power-Pro. Curado DC reel. I beat the spinning reels. I took the win in Brazil on the amazon river as well. casting off the back of the mother ship one evening after drinks. for me it is about the bigger braids. going smaller, things can occasionally get exciting.

I'll buy an X10 the "O" is actually the letter "O" not the number Zero. I'll buy one and let you all know..for science.

ahhh... sorry, I tried to skip coffee today. haha..THAT LEADER!!

my drop shot leader is the long tag end of the line I am using. you all tying on a separate leader? for the hook? or sinker..?

my frog reel is a Tatula SVTW (TWSV? - I forget) its fine. I'm usually not long range casting my frogs for the most part. same 50lb line. no issues.

plus in my experience most braids float. so the line does the parabola thing down to the bait. until you start picking up the line and working the jig. I get so many jig bites right at the splash. I want a faster action rod..with a moderate tip. I like how the looser tip lets me work a jig slow, so when I tap the movement, I dont imagine my jig doing huge 3 foot jumps underwater. then I want to shaft to get fast..if that makes any sense. my X-Bites kills as my bottom contact light jig rod.

I have a I-something. I dont love it. I just can gel with it.

I'll get back at it soon. how do you know how deep the bait is running? and more importantly, are the hits violent? I imagine a bass trying to kill a flee bait is violent.

I'm not going to say I love it. I like it a lot. I am in my second half of my life and I aint wasting it on being negative. one thing I learned is that other people pick up on it quickly and you trend towards a thing I call "friendless". I love picking up my phone and wishing people I havent talked to all year well wishes. I sure as heck aint ruining anyones else's holiday by being a.....forgot how to use English. I have no kids, so I cant glam onto their holiday spirit. it is the easiest 2 weeks of the work year for sure and that isn't hard to love. Monday I am taking out my entire team for breakfast to celebrate them and a year of kicking butty building bridges for the traveling public. I put a few hundred aside to do this annually. making them happy, definitely ricochets back at me some happiness as well. my inner-scrooge can suck it. this year! wife and I promised not to gift to each other. she broke her promise and bought me a fishing rod!! left me looking like a doofus, gift-less. we both laughed at it. I jumped on the bathroom scale, and found out that I have dropped. below 190lbs in my health efforts. she looked at me and said, "and that is the best Christmas present ever...your health!" and that is how you do it gentlemen!! live well.

I have some. and I suck at them. zero bites, and my waters are too cloudy to tell if I am even working them correctly. next spring when I get to a gin clear lake, I will fling one out again. I truly dont know what I happening at the end of the line except that no fish is interested.