casts_by_fly

it can be comparative if two rods are shown the same way, conditions, etc. But with a static tie in point (which is what that looks like) you are forcing the rod to bend towards a specific point (the tie in) and you don’t have a reference of how hard it is to get the rod to bend in the first place. The better way is to use a constant weight and hang it from the tip of the rod. That’s what the common cents system is. You can still get an idea from what he’s doing but you have no idea if that’s a light power or a heavy power because you don’t know how hard he’s pulling up on it. specific to that rod, you can see in the picture how the very tip is straight for the first three guides more or less. That indicates a quite light power in the tip which is indicative of a fast action. Then it transitions into a fairly quick bend back to the butt. The butt up through the bottom three guides is basically unbent. Assuming the power rating is accurate to the blank (which you can’t tell because you don’t know how hard he‘s holding it), that’s a quite light tip, quick transition top third, and an unflexing bottom. That’s what I’d expect from a jwr type blank.

That’s a static line test which can show you relative bending on the rod but without knowing how much weight is used (or force if the line is fixed) that isn’t going to tell you the action.

I fish a Texas rig for two main things. 1- bottom focused search bait for active fish and 2- target pitching. I have a bunch of grass and less wood so I’ll throw a Texas rig (I’d throw a jig more if that was reversed) to get through the grass more cleanly. My standard starting point is a 3/8 tungsten (pegged) and a standard rage bug. I like a straight shank flipping hook around a 4/0 (depends on the brand) but other hooks are fine. Color depends on the day but with my clear water it’s usually some combination of green pumpkin, blue craw, black/blue flake, etc. I picked up some “no brainer” in my last order which is green pumpkin black flake on one side and gp blue flake on the other. I’m sure it will work. I might downsize to the midi or even the mini at times. I’ll swap to a rodent (which is more like a pit boss shape) for something different. Some days the fish want less weight and some days more. But if you gave me a set of weights from 1/8-1/2, a couple rage bugs, and associated hooks I’m pretty sure I could catch a couple.

About 15 years ago we started with a new personal trainer and one of the things we did was an elimination diet. For a full month we eliminated all of the things that are possible irritants to the body - gluten, dairy, alcohol, processed ingredients, etc. After a month when they have all fully processed, you introduce them one at a time back into your diet (I started with alcohol). If you are intolerant or even mildly irritated by the thing then after 30 days the first time you have it will be eye opening. I learned that heavy dairy (heavy crème, crème brûlée, raw creamy cheese, and similar) all irritate me. Hard cheese and whole milk not as much. Gluten isn’t a problem but heavy creamy pasta is. Once you know, you can adapt and make choices. I don’t eat crème brûlée anymore even when I used to love it and make it at home. I’ll use a little half and half in my coffee as that’s my one concession. I don’t do Alfredo sauce ever. Make sure you’re keeping up on your fiber as I’ve found that to help me.

For treble hook type topwaters, 30# 832 for me if I’m fishing braid. You don’t need heavier for open water and it’s a good pair for 12-16# mono leader if you’re using it. For frogs, I’ll bump to 50# 832. Rod wise, have a look at the falcon Cara eye crosser.

before the webpage update it was more apparent with a link on the left. Now you have to go to clearance items and then at the bottom there is ‘used’. It’s not a voluminous as alf but the deals are good and it’s a wider range.

It’s gone now. With the tw used stuff you have to act quickly.

Must be nice. It’s been too windy and icy to hunt the past month. The water has been solid since Christmas. I’ve had three free afternoons or full weekend days and not been able to do anything with them. This year is the first in the past five that I’ve been truly stir crazy at not getting out. The warm rain yesterday opened up the creeks and I’m contemplating a winter trout trip tomorrow but with 24 hours of 28 to 11 degree weather I fear there will be a bunch of ice tomorrow.

Make sure the fabric isn’t catching on the clasp. Wash it and brush it like Tom said. Then I’ll use a little all in one oil/sewing machine oil if it’s bare metal. Put a couple drops along the teeth and run it back and forth a bunch until it’s smoothed out. If the zipper is a smoother painted type or heavy plastic then I have some yeti branded zipper wax that is great for that. I wouldn’t buy it (it came with a cooler we have) and instead I’d use basic chap stick.

chronado. I like that. I assume you mean the white 200e series. I have one of those that’s come in and out of the rotation. It’s going back in for a dedicated swimbait rod. It’s a good compact form for a slightly bigger reel. My only issue (and maybe it’s just my reel) is that if there is tension on the line pulling against the spool when you press the button to cast it is very hard to depress. I have to use my thumb to relieve the tension a tiny bit to let it click easily. That could get to be a pain if I’m throwing 8” Magdrafts so let’s see. I have a chronarch 100a downstairs that is probably the smoothest casting reel in this house (it would give my met a run for its money). The gearing is fantastic and there isn’t the slightest hitch. My problem with it is the form factor. It’s a big chunk of a reel and sits high off the rod. On a standard Fuji casting seat (which all of my falcons have) it’s just too high to be comfortable. I might put it on a shimano crankbait rod which is a different seat, but I don’t fish crankbait enough to justify it.

thanks. The doctor says it will fix it for good. 1 month for a hard cast. 1 month for a soft cast. 1 month of rehab. His favorite season is mid April to mid June for smallies and the cast doesn’t come off until mid april and then rehab. I think he’ll be doing grip strength exercises with a chronarch in his hand.

My dad has CMC (or something very similar). Its been bothering him for years after 30 years of laboring. The past 5-6 years he has been getting shots for it. He's scheduled for surgery next month (and PO'd about it because it was supposed to be January to he'd be ready for fishing season but it got bumped).

I was going to suggest something similar which is a yamamoto color- smoke with black and purple flake. I was skeptical at first, but it looks killer in clear water. Though, it looks like the 4.5" standard Ika might be discontinued. @TOXIC- Is the standard Ika dropped from the lineup? I can't find it anywhere now.

I went down this path last year. I've always disliked spinning gear on the whole and far prefer casting gear. I didn't want true BFS per se, but the ability to throw down to a 1/16 head on a light 3" plastic (total weight around 1/8oz). On the upper end a 1/4 oz plus a 3" medium plastic (which I can throw on plenty of other casting gear also). My thinking was that I could eliminate spinning entirely and only carry this rod, then on top of that it would be useful for other light applications to take load off my other baitcasters. Fishing out of a kayak, I carry 5 rods typically and with the specific rod holder setup I have a spinning rod is a pain to fit as I can only put it in 1 of the slots due to the extra size of the handle and reel. So grab a BFS setup and leave the spinning rod home permanently- that was the idea. I went with the KastKing Zephyr (bought used here in BR) and the Phenix ML after a bunch of chats here about what I wanted to do. I figured if I didn't like it then I wasn't out much and if I did then I could probably recoup most of my money on an upgrade should I want one (or keep it as is if I like it that much as lots of guys do). In practice, the more light stuff I fished last year (primarily neds) on both spinning and BFS (usually in the same trip) the more I see the need for a spinning rod. I still prefer to cast a baitcaster and the thumb control for distance/placement is just too natural to me. For ligher moving baits like a bomber little A I prefer a casting rod. If I'm fishing to targets then the baitcaster is just better for me for that. If I'm fishing a broader area or fishing neds at distance, the spinning rod is just better. With the same bait the spinning rod was outcasting the casting rod despite giving up 4" length. With lighter stuff even moreso. Of course distance isn't the be-all-end-all and the Kastking's braking system isn't the best. But if you want to throw a ned rid 40 yards the spinning rod will just do it more easily. Then on top of that, I found that my mentaility changed fishing a spinning rod and a casting rod, even though both had the same bait and the same line. The spinning rod is a finesse setup. I was treating the casting rod the same as my heavies- pitching into heavier cover than I should, eye crossing hooksets, etc. That doesn't work with 8 lb fluoro leader. That's a function of me and not the rod, but after a year of doing it I never changed my ways. I'll keep the BFS setup and I might even upgrade it. An aldebaran BFS has been calling my name and Falcon just came out with a new BFS type rod (more like a light casting than true BFS which is fine with me). But I've hesitated on that. You know what I didn't hesitate on? Another spinning rod setup even more geared to neds than what I already had.

Yeah, I think $50 is the pricepoint for walmart and that's what the altrax are for. We'll see if they are any good. I think they will keep the HD/Evo as the Academy/DSG/local shop level cheap rods. Then the Bucoo are the upper entry rods. Between the HD and the Evo I image for now they will split them and some will go to brick and mortar while the other goes online based stores. They will want to use one of them as the retailer's semi exclusive series. That way the retailer has a lot more control over promotions and sales without having to compete with a different retailer (since it's two different products). On the consumer side, I don't see much difference between them without holding them in the hand.

I just use scissors. A pair of sharp fiskars micro snips are $14 on amazon (probably cheaper at your local JoAnn). Clip the tag end close, but not as close as mono and I don't worry if there is a little straggler.

that’s my basic interpretation as well. Componentry looks the same. My guess is so that the two bigs (Walmart and academy) can have their own lines and not compete with each other on price when one goes on sale.

one of the guys on my team is Mn based. The other day when it was 5F here in NJ it was -17 for him not counting the wind chill.

but now think about a micro motor driven reel. infinitely variable retrieve ratio since no handle or gear set. Reel as fast as you could ever want. Or as slow a you want.

it’s all a matter of degree. If I’m fishing grass beds then the brush jig isn’t what I’d want. In your other thread you specifically said you were fishing grass. If you’re fishing brush that’s around grass or are in an area where there are clumps or sporadic grass around then the brush jig will come through that. It also depends on the type of grass a little. Thin, stringy, strandy grass like water naiad tangles on stuff faster than a heavier hydrilla or pads. If the grass you have is stringy nasty stuff (or god forbid the green or black filamentous algae)then just go straight to a pointy nose swim jig or light punch rig like a jay showed in the other thread.

That’s probably not going to be enough rod. The flashmob jr is about the lightest a-rig. It will come in around 3/8 oz on its own. Even with just screw locks/hooks and 5x 2.5” grubs you’ll be over an ounce. Then you do need at least one jig head to make it run true so figure another quarter ounce. At a minimum a stout 1oz rated rod but more practically a 1.5-2 oz will fish better.

I think they should be dynamite for you early season. Once the grass is up they get tougher to fish unless you're only fishing the edges, but in the early season when the grass is only starting to green up and grow they are a thing. Around here, I think a lot of people throw them and the fish turn off quickly. The past two years haven't been great for them here in that regard (the year before though that was the bait). You don't have the same angler pressure issues.

The lake effect isn't surprising. Having that much arctic cold air when the lake was still plenty warm is literally the definition of lake effect snow. The mid plains though is surprising with how little there is. We've had as much here in north NJ as north and south dakota for the most part. On the flip side, look at the snowpack in the high rockies and cascades. As much as 30' in places. That should bode well for spring melt and lessening the current drought conditions.

what braid? Suffix makes a couple, though I can't see why it shouldn't burn through. The 131 has a gore fiber core but that should melt just fine. I always just use scissors anyway.

I have no interest in being forced to fish a given body of water on a given day. I hate fighting with other anglers on the water for a piece of bank or a spot. I'm also as competitive as anything so winning would be just good enough and anything less would eat at me. I don't need that level of stress in my life.