casts_by_fly

straight mono/fluoro is fine WRT line twist. Just make sure you're keeping an eye on it. The shaking doesn't add any twist.

I’m an opportunist but primarily fish bass. Growing up we fished bass most of the year, trout in the spring a little or at the cabin, carp at the local ponds on a summer afternoon, and I’d Wade the creeks with worms for whatever swam up it that spring (usually carp and drum). But it was primarily bass because that’s what my dad liked. Everything else was just for variety. We fished tournaments for a couple years when I was pretty young (club tournaments). We stopped that after a couple years. I went through a period where I only fly fished. I had a time when I lived near Cleveland and I fished over 250 days that year, mostly for steelhead. I lived in England for 12 years so fished for grayling, carp, and whatever else was around. Now a days I bass fish all but a couple of my trips each year. I’ll throw in a couple trips to the trout creek, a day or two taking a kid for bluegills, and I’ll do a couple hours of crappie fishing in the spring. But it’s bass I fish for the most despite having lakes around with every manner of fish in them to a decent degree and the bass fishing being just okay here. why bass? Compared to the others I like the puzzle, I like the fight, they are what I know maybe the best (trout would be close), I can fish from the boat (there is minimal shore access here), it’s active fishing (not chunk and wait), etc. all things noted above. Why not tournaments? I’m a really competitive person. I really have to win. That’s not what I want from fishing. When I’m fishing, I want to go when and where I want. I want to start when I see fit (often well before dark). I want to be able to sit down and take a break without feeling like I’m wasting precious time. If I just want to chuck and crank that day, even if it’s not producing well so be it. That’s not going to fly in a tournament.

Thanks guys. @TOXIC- I wish we had options here but there aren’t any good ones. Uncovered outdoor storage is expensive and then it’s sitting outside for anyone to break into it, plus weather. it’s a hard no from my wife to store a boat outside at the house if I even had a space to do it. The back wall of the garage is the wall to our dining room so I can’t do a bump out. I did consider consolidating two of the bays and their 8’ doors into a single double wide door. I don’t know if the wall between the doors is load bearing but I don’t think so. That would let me back in and angle across two bays with an extra wide opening to get it in. That’s probably the most realistic if I ever wanted a boat bigger than I can fit into a single bay. At one point my wife and I discussed an addition. Before she passed, her mom was frail and had trouble with steps. We don’t have a downstairs bedroom. In the event that something happened to her dad, we would have had to take in her mom. The plan was going to be to convert the garage to an in-law suite and build a new garage where the pad in front of the current one is which would have rotated the bays 90 degrees and aligned them with the driveway. Had we done that, you can be sure it would have been 30’ deep with a set of 10-12’ doors. @DaubsNU1. @MN Fisher- I’m pretty sure some form of dolly is going to be required. I’ll get the boat first and then see from there. At this point, short of finding a buddy with the same boats I am looking at, I think I just have to measure a couple and leave myself from room for error. As much as I’d love to shoehorn a 175txw in (the specs say I can probably do it), dealing with an inch of room on either side every time will get old fast. A pro 170 is a foot narrower and will give me room. Then it comes down to the motor on the back and how much it sticks out. Or maybe I just get the 16’ v bottom tiller and never worry about it….

congrats! That’s awesome

if you got a Next, they come in dark grey and dark blue. Save your paint money and buy another plopper.

I cast right and retrieve right with a bait caster. Always have. I cast right and retrieve left with a spinning rod. Anything else just feels weird for me. If you’re willing to spend $200 you’re so close to a jdm zillion at $205. That’s what I’d do (and I just might order myself another one). Way too nice of a reel for that price point.

If only…. Some day we will. I hate the pavers. I have to reset them in a couple places every other year. They are a bear to use the snowblower on and the scoop catches every 15’ on a raised corner. However, it’s not a short or small driveway and I don’t want to consider what it would cost to replace it. Since it works perfectly fine for the most part, that’s money I don’t need to spend.

I took a morning off because my back has been sore…

I have my kayak now and it’s a 10 minute job from starting the truck, backing up to the kayak (on a cart in the garage), loading everything, and pulling out. I don’t mind if the boat takes a little longer there because I’m saving it on the lake side with not loading and unloading every trip. And I can pull the boat out at 1030 in the morning between meeting for an afternoon departure time. No quad or lawn tractor. We also only have 2 cars. My wife’s is in the first bay. My truck sits outside. Local storage is expensive. About $150 a month for an outdoor parking space. Garages only go to 20’ here that I’ve found and I have that at home. thanks. That’s a good suggestion. Do you only roll it on concrete? We have concrete in the garage but pavers in the driveway. And a 1” lip to get into the garage door. And an ever so slight incline. The more I talk it through the more I think I need a lawn tractor.

if you can mount them securely, then there are a couple options. I love my horizontal rod holders from mariner sails. I don’t think they will work great for you in that setup, but have a look. I also have a pair of the yak attack omega which are highly adjustable. I used to have two as my rear rod holders. I kept one and the same spot as a net holder. The other I add once every couple trips when I want a sixth rod.

Related ask. How heavy of a boat combo can you comfortably wheel around (with or without trailer dolly)? I ask because my driveway and my garage are 90 degrees (maybe a touch more) oriented. It might be possible to back it down the driveway and jackknife the trailer to get it closely aligned, but there is no way to use the truck to get it into the garage. I’ll have to take it off, move the truck and either hand push it or use a dolly. I think a dolly might be the best option in which case the weight isn’t critical (they all start at 5k lb total weight). But if I can make it work without then so be it.

I use size large bobber stops on thin wire hooks. I carry them anyway so why not use them. You have to use pliers and tact to get them on, but they do a great job.

Well, I may have gotten your hopes up unnecessarily. The picture above is the discovery solo. You said you got a next. The discovery has tracks built into the thwarts (front at least and you could add them to the back), the next doesn’t I don’t think. if you have tracks, then start here: https://www.yakattack.us https://www.mariner-sails.com/kayaking/kayak-fishing-accessories/ most track mount accessories are for kayaks so look in those categories. if it’s actually a next, then I’m afraid this might not help as much.

you are absolutely correct. I’ve said it here before when people talk about glass rods. There are graphite rods that give you the same action and power for a lot less weight and better responsiveness. It makes for a more crisp casting rod and a lighter overall setup with less fatigue at the end of the day. Dobyns rods are heavier than they need to be in the first place. They add weight to the butts. Gary dobyns has said in the past that they prioritize swing weight/balance over absolute weight.

That will be a nice fishing canoe. Having tracks to mount a few things will be helpful. Not sure how you manage tools, used lures, or ‘daybox’ type lure bags but there are lots of cool accessories for that stuff that use the tracks.

Both for me. In the kayak I am limited on space. And early season I don’t fish plastics as much as mid to late season. But there is a small amount of plastics that I need to have all season whether it’s paddle tails (jig head, trailer, etc) , rage bugs (jig trailers, wobble head, Texas rig, chatterbait trailer), or some other core plastics that I could use at any time. They all go in one 3700 box. I keep the type of plastic the same but colors mixed. I go through them fast enough that color bleed isn’t a big deal. Then, I have two KVD speed bags that have more types of plastics and more colors of the same shapes in the box. This is all in addition to my 3600 with sonar minnow baits and a 3700 thick (2 compartment) that has all of my Ned gear. The sonar minnow box is always with me. The Ned box depends on the lake and time of year (and if I’m carrying a rod to throw it).

there are no gears when you are casting. When you click the button, you are in freespool. There are a number of bearings and bushings (it varies by reel) that keep the spool spindle in place. When you click the button, your lure should free fall to the ground (fast or slow is personal preference and style. The zillion should be fast if you’re using the brakes). The gears and bearings should have negligible resistance on the spool when the lure is in flight. The amount is governed by the spool tension knob which on a zillion should be ‘negligible’ tension. On other reels that have good brakes you also may want negligible spool tension and let the brakes do the job. There are two different but acceptable ways to set up a reel. 1- negligible spool tension and enough brakes to not overrun. 2- negligible braking and enough spool tension to not overrun. you could crank both up to eliminate backlashes but distance will be poor. You can crank both down and just use your thumb like old timers but it takes a lot of practice. Scenario 1 above is the recommendation for a zillion, SV spools, other reels with shallow spools and good braking mechanisms. The spool is free and flows with no effort or restraint from tension. When the spool spins fast from a cast (like a hard cast or quick flick) the brakes slow down the spin to help prevent overruns. This type of reel setup works well with high lure speed wrist casting, roll casts, etc because the brakes help tame that initial burst of input. Scenario two is often where new casters start and many never leave. It’s the “add enough spool tension so the lure drops slowly and the spool stops when it hits the ground” club. This is how my dad has cast for 40 years and how I learned. The spool tension is constant through the cast and more than negligible. It’s constantly slowing the lure. This type of setup works best for casting styles that have a smoother application of power and more constant lure speed. A casual sidearm cast is a good example. This often pairs well with slightly more moderate actioned rods that have a smooth power stroke over a longer casting stroke. If you are experienced, you can pick up either type and get on just fine. I sometimes have both types set up in the boat at the same time. You just have to remember which one you picked up before you make that first cast. are you sure you haven’t over spooled the reels? Shallow spools don’t take much line and over spooling would cause the issues you’re seeing.

Fun morning in the blind but an odd one. Seven deer in all, all at 15-20 yards and could have shot all but the first (too dark). One button buck and six bucks. No does. That’s really weird here. the biggest is the 8 in the dark cell cam picture. The rack is high off his head and decent, but one more year…. There’s a wide 8 there with short tines that I passed previously. He was with a really tall 6 where the rack is almost straight up in the air. Take the best of both of those two and you’d have a shooter. Then a couple forks and a 5. I’m going to give it as long as I can since I hear more down in the woods.

or they are making YouTube content. If you’re out fishing anyway, might as well film it and turn it into something.

Find someone near you (maybe a helpful member here?) that knows how to cast and have them cast it. Or send it off to DVT for a once over and ask him to cast it first before pulling it apart. If it was one reel, bought as a blem, then who’s to say. But three of them and my original opinion (from your previous thread) still stands. There is something you’re doing in your casting stroke that the rod/reel combo doesn’t like. I’ll even make you an offer(genuinely). If you can’t find someone local, send them here. I’ll put all three through their paces to give you a second opinion and fresh set of eyes before you give up on them. I’ll do side by side vs my own zillion and shimanos. For the $10 shipping to get them here you can have an answer once and for all. And if I’m wrong in my above statement, I’ll send them back with a handwritten apology. PM if interested.

I don't know if it was the original but that was certainly one of the colors. I have a bag downstairs.

go for it! Knoxville isn’t on my list but could be !

for sure! Our plan is to start this spring and visit a bunch of areas over the next couple years. We have plenty of time to explore. Then as you say, we’d rent a place for a year or two and split time. Not the worst thing having a lake house somewhere. And the best time to buy a house (car, get a job, etc) is when you don’t need to. Northern Michigan would be great. until my dogs tell me that they aren’t up for this:

topwaters. Not for bringing them in faster but for quicker line management. sometimes you just need it.

All of these things and then some.