casts_by_fly

What they said. If you're including all forms of jig in the discussion then the only time its not worth throwing one is when they aren't eating one or when its too painful to fish it (like the bad snot). I had that on Wednesday. tiny natural lake I fished back in the spring for the first time and caught some decent fish. I figured give it a try in the summer and see how its fared. Well, the lake is very clear (8+ visibilty) so grass grows down to 25FOW. The grass strands are 12-14' long, so anything with a bottom depth of 14' had surface grass. Anything deeper had grass on the bottom. The grass ended at the 25' mark, so if you wanted to fish the weedlines you had to be at 25' which I wasn't up for. Normally fishing a swim jig in the shallower cuts and holes would be good, but the milfoil, pondweed, and coontail were so thick underneath the lily pads that you needed 3/4 oz and a punching rig to get through them. On top of that, there was green glob HABs (cyanobacteria) that slimed everything up. So really a jig was pretty ineffective and difficult to fish. I'm sure if I had gone to a heavy jig and kept punching down through the mat methodically I'd have found some fish eventually, but that would have been a painful day so I stuck to a frog and caught a few bass.

really freaking sharp is better.

yeah, that’s a good guess. And I’ll go to your grave arguing that too. A massive kerplunk is going to put off any bass it lands on. I’m casting right into the cover where they are laying.

I have very few but very close friends, so I don't have the problem of 'fake friends'. I like it that way. I'm friendly to most everyone. I'll go fishing with anyone. But to be called a 'friend' is an investment in a couple years of time for me. We use the measuring stick of "who would you walk across the airport to see?". You're in the airport and have plenty of time before you flight. You just realized you're in the same airport as a 'friend'. You have to walk to the other side of the airport. Who would you walk across the airport to see? Those people are your friends. I have a dozen friends I'd do that for. Maybe that many.

The butt is easy enough. Custom, but easy. The seat is going to be harder. I think that's a downlocking seat that's be totally covered in cork (composite cork in the middle). It won't be available on the market as is, so it's a custom build. I'm thinking something like a KSKSS Fuji would get you the back end and the threaded barrel. The locking nut would need to be fully cork covered. Between the two you'd need to put composite cork and file/sand to get the right profile. Rear grip of the seat is no problem. It would be a bit of work to get it right, but I'm sure a custom builder would get very close, especially if they had your broken one to work from. the other option would be cutting and reaming like a noted above. Kinda a pain, but for a one of a kind seat that you love and can't otherwise get it might be possible.

Some people, yes. This topic comes up on a couple FB groups all the time. Someone will take a picture with a fish covered in dirt laying on gravel and the comments start. There are always some who, like you said, take pride in not getting it. "Its just a fish". "It's fine it swam away". etc. I think more people than not though, just don't understand. So a light touch of explanation is never the wrong course of action. There is a good quote that explains most people most of the time, Hanlon's razor: "Never attribute to malice that which can equally be attributed to stupidity" (or in this case inexperience).

Agreed. I'd be jumping up and down on every panel and every lid looking for anything that moves. Since you own it, I'd get into the wells as deep as you can go and pull back some carpet. Maybe get a drain camera ($30 on amazon) and send it down the floor drain to see what you can see. Any point where you can take a panel off and look inside. You could run into $10k by the time you're done and still have a late 80's boat that was redone by an DIYer. Lots of other boats I'd spend $10k on and have a lot more boat.

Guides yes. If the rod has titanium or torzite guides its worth stripping. Plain Aluminum oxide it isn't even worth it unless you're doing a lot of repairs on odd rods and just want to have a stock of randoms that might match something in the future. Grips, not so much. They are a lot of work to get off and they are pretty cheap brand new, even nice ones. if you had something special and the grip was worth more to you than the rest of it then you can cut the blank and ream the grip from the inside. You can also cut the blank a couple inches above a grip and then insert a new rod blank into it some of the time. The new blank has to be pretty stiff around the bottom foot so you don't make a pressure point.

nice cocktail garnishes

Hi All, I know everyone has their own way to browse, whether just clicking through as is, using the 'new content' buttons, etc. My routine was to open the browser on the main page, and then open new tabs for each of the forums I'm interested in. Once they were open, I'd use the first main page and mark all as read. That way I know if there is new stuff I want to read or haven't read yet. I just found a speedier way to do this. In your 'favorites' in your browser, create a new folder (mine is titled BR page opening). Then inside that folder create a shortcut for each of the sub forums that you normally read. Then the next time you are browsing the forums, just right click on the new folder and click 'open all'. You'll now have all of the sub forums open and ready to browse. I still then mark all as read on the main page which doesn't affect the other tabs. Hope this helps someone. rick

so first, I'd get rid of that map. Great that the county publishes it, but there's not enough detail. Go to Navionics online for an immediate upgrade: https://webapp.navionics.com/?lang=en#boating@11&key=k_eyFvhqpN You don't say which of the lakes you're fishing since there are a couple in the lake group but I'm going to guess east and west since they are both ringed by docks per google maps satellite view. It looks like your max depth is about 25' but the majority of it is <15'. That's like a couple of the lakes around here and there are usually two solutions. One is what you've been doing. The docks are still holding the fish. They might be tight lipped at the moment. They might be getting a lot of pressure. Not sure which docks you're focused on since "you can't fish them all", but I'd be looking at the docks with deeper water nearby like on the eastern shore of east reservoir. With the water this hot, some of the bass that are up shallow will move deeper but stay under the same dock as the day and shallow water get hotter. If they only have 3' under the dock in the first place, they might just keep sliding into the grass and are harder to target. Old wooden docks with heavy pilings and The other is the deeper weed edges. Its harder to fish since the bass could be anywhere in the column from just under the surface to 15' deep. You could spend all day working high medium and low to find them. For me, I will start at the bottom usually. If fish aren't in the areas near the weeds and docks (which I've fished with both moving baits and bottom baits) and aren't chasing, then I'm assuming they are hugging bottom and I'll go straight there.

This. The very act of hooking and fighting a fish is necessarily harming it. The least we can do is minimize that harm. Simple things like not dragging it on the ground or letting it flop all around on a hot dry carpet. Don't keep it out of the water any longer than necessary. If taking a picture is important then keep the fish in the net in the water (or in a livewell) while you're pulling out a camera. Take a quick snap and be done. Its respect for the quarry. I bet a lot of people here aren't or weren't trout fishermen. You should see the 'discussions' that happen when you even take the fish out of the water for a picture.

I just remembered another reason why I prefer sidearm casting. After a full evening of hard overhead casting my shoulders are tore up today.

I looked at doing a similar restoration on my dads old stratos 2 years ago. Doing a lot of the work myself (not the motor) it was starting around $4k. The big question was if the wood stringers and foam are waterlogged. If they are then forget it. You’d be better to buy a used boat with the money it would take.

i just fished the bucoo version tonight with a frog. I was using new 50 lb braid (so not broken in yet) but still getting 35-40 yard casts out with a half ounce frog. The lighter frog was 25-30 yards accurately. No issues with hooksets. Both hit it after the first couple turns of the reel.

well, I was just doing it tonight with a frog. I think I’m actually more accurate sidearm since that’s what I do most of the time.

I have two that I recognize. 1- I'll fish hard at first, eventually figure out what they want, and then after I catch a couple I let up. I could keep pushing and really catch a few, but once I've solved the puzzle I'm good. 2- Sometimes I know a particular technique will work or is the right thing to catch fish but I'll refuse to do it because I don't like it. Case in point, slow fishing a dropshot or weightless worm- I don't like either so if that's what the fish are calling for I'm out.

I would say that you apartment mate has found a great thing- for him. I'm not the youngest or oldest on this board. I'm not the wisest or the dumbest when it comes to life. What I've found is that you need to know yourself and then you have to find what works for you. Some people need to get up early and run 3 miles first thing in the morning for them to feel good. That isn't me on both counts (running and early). To your friend's list, I don't subscribe to them as written, but all are important in their own form. Exercising is important (and I would include diet in that). Being mobile (as opposed to sedentary) is one of the most important things you can do for your physical health (next to your diet). I don't meditate, but the purpose of meditation is mental health. My mental health is improved by taking some alone time (I'm a strong introvert) and doing something I like (I'm an activity type). Fishing is one, hunting is another. Reading is about learning something new and building new neural connections. You can do the same with tasks or meeting and listening to people. Writing is your outlet. Everyone needs an outlet whether it is writing something, talking to someone, or some other thing that will help you take what's in your head, digest it, and get it back out. Finding your version of those things will go a long way to your happiness in life. Then, I have two main rules: 1- "You do you." That means a couple things. Don't worry about other people's business. If it isn't interfering with 'you' then not your problem. Do the things that are right for you (and your family/significant people). Worry about your own business. 2- "Don't be a 'dirtbag'". I normally use another word instead of dirtbag that I think would get me a warning here. I'm sure you can guess it. I could say be nice and kind and helpful all of the time, but we know that doesn't always happen. So if you're choosing how to act in a situation or how to treat someone, "don't be a dirtbag". If any doubt about one rule, consult the other.

Meh. Did you know we are closer to 2050 than 1990? 'Seems like yesterday' would be a couple years now that companies have been forced to collect state sales tax on internet purchases. In theory before then, you were supposed to pay sales and use tax on your state tax filings for out of state purchases. States were losing that sales tax because people weren't. June 2018 was the supreme court ruling that forced the change.

I don’t usually add on baits that I don’t use but I’ll add on colors or styles. Case in point, I just got an order yesterday. I had addd some fat Albert’s to try on swim jigs. They also had the tab tail in the same length and the same price. Why not try them too and see the difference. I picked up some black cherry colored paddles for the spring when black/red/gp is the go to color. Never tried a space monkey, so let’s add on a pack of those.

gotcha. So similar strategy as me. find it and 'mark' it somehow. Then lock into a point and find your mark. Feel your way through it on the cast.

I'd probably pitch both of those. I cast right handed, so the lure swinging from the left to the right would be just right for the fence post. And dropping it into the crook of a bush is about distance accuracy and quiet.

I agree that a vertical overhead cast is great for accuracy like you mentioned (and a good way for beginners to learn) but if there is any type of overhead cover near shore like trees, ropes on docks, or various other things then you can't get as tight into shore on it. You're also throwing bombs that make a full sized entry splash. A sidearm or roll cast that is a foot off the water and slowing with your thumb can be slipped in quieter with the same accuracy. Are you using 360/live imaging to identify the specific targets? I don't have either, so when I am moving past and see something on side imaging I either make a landmark check with the shore or I'll put a waypoint on the graph and then use a navigation chart to line it up the best I can. Spotlock helps there.

the world is your oyster if you want to add things. You can go up to 8' 1-4 oz swimbait rods if you really want. What lures do you use that you think your current rods can't handle well? What lures/techniques do you want to add to your arsenal? I don't know those rods specifically, but I don't see any heavy pitching/punching type rods and that's always a good thing to have.

I use my Head turner and 30 lb braid for what you describe. I have some lighter frogs and weedless spoons in the 1/4-5/16 range that need to come across thick stuff and especially pads. You need a lighter tip but get quickly into the backbone. A 1/4-3/4 rod with a pretty light but fast tip if what I found best. For me, that's the falcon 6'10" heavy/fast and 30 lb 832. Add a trailer hook and you'll get just a speck more weight. You can also put a couple pieces of plastic worm (ideally floating) inside the frog to add some weight without sinking it.