NOT the way to start the fishing season...

[islandbass]

I got my license a few days ago and although I hadn’t planned to fishing yesterday but suddenly I was left with nothing to do. 
 

I happened to have of of my casting rods in the trunk so I tied on a senko. There is only one spot to fish for bass at this lake and since it was unoccupied, I proceeded to rig up. 
 

After tying my palomar knot, cutting the tag and putting on the senko, I look at my rod by the reel seat and notice this. 

I wasn’t even being hasty, lol but this is so aggravating because I seem to do this more often I should. 
 

The real cost was that someone happened to grab the spot while I correctly threaded the line. DOH, DOH, DOH ?

 

So I leave and go to another lake, and after 30 minutes of bass fishing, nothing. 
 

I decided to turn my attention to trout fishing and although I knew that my medium powered bass rod was overkill, it was all I had with me. I tied on a homemade inline spinner with a bell body and shiny black French blade and a barbless siwash hook. 
 

I did miss the first strike but after that, I started catching trout. The barbless hook made releasing so easy that as I got them close to me on the dock, all I had to do was let my line go slack to let them go. It was awesome. 
 

The first one jump out of the water and onto the dock and played dead so I took a quick picture and got it back in the water.  it swam away like a torpedo. Whew!

These trout couldn’t get enough of my inline spinner. It was awesome.

I might not have started the season right but I sure ended the first session well. Whew! 

[CrankFate]

Yeah, I’d never to a Palomar knot, either.

[youngpky]

I love trout fishing, but they just don't fight like a LMB! Have you ever thought about trying out fly fishing? It's relaxing and frustrating at the same time, but even a bluegill will put up a great fight on light fly tackle.

[islandbass]

13 hours ago, youngpky said:

I love trout fishing, but they just don't fight like a LMB! Have you ever thought about trying out fly fishing? It's relaxing and frustrating at the same time, but even a bluegill will put up a great fight on light fly tackle.

Actually, I have thought about it many times in the past. My only fear is that I might like it so much that   my conventional gear would start collecting dust, lol. Some day for sure. 

[TheBasslayer]

11 hours ago, youngpky said:

I love trout fishing, but they just don't fight like a LMB! Have you ever thought about trying out fly fishing? It's relaxing and frustrating at the same time, but even a bluegill will put up a great fight on light fly tackle.

When I fished for Brown Trout on my ultralight and I hooked one that was around a pound in my local creek, it fought really hard! Maybe they just fight harder where I live.

[VolFan]

I still have a MagTouch in the rotation with the same reel - I love both.

[islandbass]

21 minutes ago, VolFan said:

I still have a MagTouch in the rotation with the same reel - I love both.

Glad you noticed. I love mine too.  This rod has caught everything from blue gill to bass to salmon, lol. 

[redmeansdistortion]

On 4/25/2021 at 9:07 PM, youngpky said:

I love trout fishing, but they just don't fight like a LMB! Have you ever thought about trying out fly fishing? It's relaxing and frustrating at the same time, but even a bluegill will put up a great fight on light fly tackle.

Stocked trout in a warm pond or river don't fight very hard.  At water temps above 60 they become lethargic, as trout are cold water fish.  If you were fishing them in a cold water stream, watch out, because they can get your drag screaming.  I get a rush of excitement when I have a big trout trying to run for cover into the logjams, a rush that I have yet to get fishing bass.  It's quite a challenge attempting to steer the fish towards open water, as there's a high likelihood of breaking off if he makes it to the logs.

[Fallser]

On 4/26/2021 at 2:07 AM, islandbass said:

Actually, I have thought about it many times in the past. My only fear is that I might like it so much that   my conventional gear would start collecting dust, lol. Some day for sure. 

Yep, my conventional gear collects a lot of dust these days, actually it has for several years.  I do try to use it a couple of times a year.  I'm headed up to the Poconos in NE PA in a couple of weeks.  I'll dust a couple off and bring them with me.  Our main targets aren't trout, but bass, chain pickerel and panfish.  Mostly I fly fish for them.  If we can get across the border in late August and get to the lodge in NE Ontario, I'll bring a half dozen conventional rods with me along with the fly rods.  Fly rods aren't really made to fish for walleye, and it's a nice break to catch pike and smallmouth on conventional rods but the fishing for me is a 50-50 split between conventional and fly rod.