File: ftt536 spincast edition.jpg (223.1 KB)
#536- “spincast” Edition
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>>2865172
janny pls…
Thinking about picking up a new hobby? Want to get a memecaster? Haven't mastered the Palomar knot? Click here!
http://www.pastebin.com/u/fishingandtackle
https://imgur.com/a/1Xw3N
New Bong Fishin Guide
https://pastebin.com/sDB5SQTq
First for best telescopic rod is the one you exchanged for a 3pc.
Talk about fishin
Showing all 318 replies.
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File: Tinyfish1.jpg (2.7 MB)
>>2867510
First catch of today.
>>2867538
>Wouldnt be great in an aquarium.
They do fine, I've kept a bunch for a few years, fattening them up before turning them loose in local ponds.
The current run of dinks are in my 75 gallon tank now, alongside the world's plainest koi and some goldfish.
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File: 20260430_163030.jpg (4.0 MB)
Friendly reminder that fish dont care about your line
>30lb braid
>30lb wire
>whopper plopper 90
>trout
>>2867548
Thats an awesome longear sunfish. A long ear, pumpkinseed, and green sunfish in ~120 gallon tank is what i was envisioning
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>>2867506
probably a gay question, but is there any way to enjoy fishing/something similar without using hooks? The idea of chillin by a body of water puttin back a couple beers and seeing fish seems great, but I'm too much of a pussy to hurt the fish
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>>2867599
Yes, that is a gay question. Here are your options:
>Cast out a bobber without a hook and drink beer.
>Fish flies without hooks. The only fish you can actually catch this way are gar.
>Conversion therapy.
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File: 20260430_164830.jpg (3.9 MB)
>>2867578
Inrealozed after i took that pic you can't see the rigging
>>2867599
Your options are limited. There are lures for gar that work by tangling in their teeth, and you can do similar with eels by wrapping bait in a bunch of wool yarn. Another option would be to fish a hard bait without hooks. Id suggest topwater for that so you get actual visual confirmation that you got a bite. Just buy a spook, whopper plopper, popper, similar, and use the split rings to remove the hooks. There's also this one guy who fly fishes with the hooks cut off of his fly cause he just likes getting bites but doesnt want to catch a fish. I think i recall larry dahlberg catching a musky without a hook by bridling a sucker and giving the fish several minutes to fully consume it before reeling in, too, and ive caught bullheads on chicken livers in pantyhose where they couldnt quite engulf the bait and just refused to let go.
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File: 1746897460179078.jpg (208.9 KB)
Also speaking of trout, I've never really had much luck with soft plastics but I might try these when it warms up a bit more because they're cute and I want an excuse to put together a travel UL setup.
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>>2867622
Do you totally ignore what competitive fly anglers say about line size? Lower diameters provide a better drift (#1) and are harder to see (#2). I haven't put a trout into pic rel and asked: "6X or 7X? Which is better? 6 or 7?" There is no need for the heavy line that you use, Skid, the only thing you'll break off on in a trout stream is a tree. And when you're tangled in a tree, 2X is not going to help.
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File: 20260302_171304.jpg (4.6 MB)
>>2867627
>Do you totally ignore what competitive fly anglers say
Pretty much, yeah, euro nymphing is boring as hell and spinning rods do it better anyways
>there is no need for the heavy line that you use
There's no need to use 7x flourocarbon either, ive literally seen guys bobber fish a hole with """"appropriate""""" gear, catch nothing, then i come in behind them with 20lb mono and catch the fish they couldnt.
>pic related
>when you're tangled in a tree, 2X is not going to help.
It literally does. Because of heavy line i can break off limbs, roll over rocks, and straighten out hooks, then keep fishing.
>I haven't put a trout into pic rel and asked
No one would expect you to. They would, however, expect you to have -some- annecdotal evidence along the lines of "i was using 3x tippet and not cstching fish then switched to 5x and started catching"
I regularly post fish caught on commically heavy gear, proving that for the normal casual angler line really doesnt matter. Maybe ill care a little bit more about line size if i go in to a tournament, but given how much i hate tournaments thats highly unlikely.
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File: Question.jpg (40.1 KB)
I want to buy 12W rubber boots and waders. I'm 6', 250 lbs.
What's a good price for both?
Is there a particular brand I should buy from?
What do I wear underneath my waders?
Do I tuck my waders into my boots or outside?
Do I wear long socks or short socks?
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>>2867635
I like my simms tributary waders and boots.
But a size 13 boot so you have room for thick socks in cold weather, and as for dressing under your waders that varies, ive worn everything from swim trunks and light socks to tripled up fleexe pants and wool socks, its all condition dependent.
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If I listened to what professional fisherman told me to do, I would hardly catch any fish. You have to remember that it's hard to even know if what they're saying is legit because they are more often than not speaking like a salesman for their sponsors. Not to mention... WHY would a professional fishermen tell their best tactics? Wouldn't it make more sense that they use reverse psychology instead to protect their high success techniques? Having said all of that, fishing is 90% about being in the right place at the right time. The other 10% is the right presentation at said time. Even then that's taking luck out of the equation which is a real thing in a way. tl;dr fish the way you find enjoyable, otherwise what's the point in fishing unless strictly for food. There are a lot of very effective techniques I simply won't use because it's just not enjoyable to me.
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>>2867635
I recommend getting something in the class of the Simms Freestone Stockingfoot, second from the cheapest. Buy something like the Flyweight boot from Simms. I don't necessarily recommend Simms, but I'm most familiar with their products. Orvis, Grundens, Patagonia, and Skwala are all good. Wading boots that perform like a hiking boot are best. Simms boots run small, so go up at least one size. Zippered waders are pricey, but they make pissing, especially in winter, more convenient.
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How do you guys fish rivers for smallmouth when the water is deep and slow moving?
I clean up in the shallows with a 1/4 or 3/8 panther martin, but can never figure out the deeper slow moving water.
I hate fishing tubes and getting snagged every 3 casts, but its what everyone seems to recommend.
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>>2867772
I like a drop shot , with weight shape tailored to the bottom conditions. Pencils and slinky weights usually hang up less than the teardrops. I also usually do a very light fishermans knot with only 2 or 3 turns on the weight itself, so when it gets snagged the line pulls free
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>>2867772
if you're gonna use finesse tactics in a snaggy area, just use line heavy enough in combination with light wire hooks where you can slowly pull the line and bend the hook out enough to break it free. something like owner mosquito light in #4 or #6. also medium diving crankbaits on the smaller size can work. I'd replace the trebles with singles and face the hookpoint backwards on both ends. pretty snagless. lastly, soft jerkbaits/flukes rigged weedless.
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How the fuck is it that it's going to be 70f in my town tomorrow, but it will be 45-50f on the beach town 30 minute from my house? I know weather is weird but what the fuck? I was planning on going surf fishing tomorrow.
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File: IMG_20260503_145020946.jpg (2.7 MB)
This little guy from Harbor Freight has fast become my favorite tacklebox. I can fit three in a 5 gallon bucket, and it sits securely on the top of the bucket. There's a few little pegs that keep it from slipping off. If I catch fish, I can fill the bucket and tote em out, and use the handle on top of the box. To top it all off, it's $5 fucking dollars. Pretty sure the Plano equivalent is at least 3x-4x as much.
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>>2867802
I was fly fishing a few days ago. I went out of my way to go to a fly shop the day after. Yesterday, I got a fancy, new 6 WT. Today, I sold a fly rod to a kid and directed a guy away from buying dry flies only when fishing for bluegill. Right now, I'm listening to a fly fishing podcast.
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File: IMG_3410.jpg (2.1 MB)
>>2867816
You can catch a lot of bluegills on dry flies. It’s how I got both my kids into fly fishing. You might not catch a ton of big ones but it’s constant action during the summer if you know where to fish.
>>2867802
I am a fly chad. I haven’t fished gear since I was a kid.
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I want to fish but don't know one end of a rod from the other what do
There's a lot of good beaches near me. I think I'd just like to find a nice peaceful spot and trying chilling out trying to catch something. I think I like the idea of fishing off a pier more than in the surf, what's the pros/cons?
What should I get to start with how do I actually... do it?
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>>2867840
the massive con to pier fishing is that it's usually crowded. and you need a basket pulley system to hoist up bigger fish. the pro is that you can cast out deeper and have good visibility. surf fishing requires learning what spots to choose and how the tide factors in to everything. not really that complicated to learn though. you can use more conventional shorter rods for pier fishing also, which may be a pro. then again it often costs, which is a con. at the end of the day, surf fishing is more of the local thing to do, where fishing from the pier is more of a tourist or once in a while thing to do.
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I got my first stocked trout on canned corn I basically marinated in garlic powder. Last time I tried that messy shit it didn't work. It was a long time ago because of how sticky and stinky it was. Maybe it didn't work last time because I had it under a bobber. This time I put it on a dropshot rig. Turns out I like how trout tastes. Wish I got a bigger one.
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>>2867949
im seriously considering moving over since my local lake is mostly small trout and panfish. however there is still some stocked catfish (summer) and a local bass population. throwing those little rooster tails is pretty fun.
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File: 20260505_153009.jpg (2.0 MB)
First rainbow of the season. It's a hatchery fish, the natives are much more colorful and less silvery at this size. But I was expecting to catch stockers since they just stocked Hat Creek yesterday with rainbows and brookies. I hooked into a second one that was only about 3in or so, but it jumped the hook before I could get my net out. Both were on the same hare's ear. My hare's ear nymphs seldom let's me down :) The water is still moving very fast. So it's not optimal yet, fishable but not optimal. Another month and the white caps should all be riffles and the pools smooth out and the seams get easier to pick out.
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>>2867975
You will catch way more bass on smaller tackle. Granted they will mostly be smaller bass however. All of my PB bass have been on light tackle, and I caught a 5+lb channel cat on it as well. You're simply throwing lures that the fish don't see very often, because most bass fishermen are constantly pressuring the water with big baits. I fish in the opposite manner of most bass fishermen, I throw small stuff as my main technique, and only upsize if I know where big fish are or if I want to fish a big bait technique. It's also why I rarely get skunked. The guys who are just going out and throwing big hardbaits and shit will be lucky to catch one mediocre fish in a trip. I'd rather catch a handful of 3 pounders on different lures than catch a single 3 pounder every other trip hucking massive baits. I don't live somewhere that has 5 pounders just swimming around everywhere.
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Victory! Due to a serious of circumstances, I'm getting a new vehicle. I'm thinking about a small truck (Tacoma or Ranger) with camping shell or an SUV. I would really like to have 4WD or a very robust AWD. Any thoughts on the ultimate /out/ / fishing vehicle?
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>>2868016
The 4Runner was on my mind. I haven't looked into it much, though. I am concerned about the quality of the Tundra. Plus, the Tundra is a bit big for me. Right now, I have a CR-V, which can only tow a pathetic 1500 lbs; that's if it had a hitch, which it does not. Maybe, an Explorer? I don't know, but 4Runner and RAV4 have been on my mind.
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File: 20260506_174047.jpg (4.1 MB)
My hunt for new curly tails continues. I hate the ones from big bite baits, they swim for shit, and i hate the mister twister ones, they also swim for shit. I ordered some from a company called 412 bait co, i usually like their stuff, we'll see how they work.
I miss my venom super swimr curly tails :c
I also caught a chunky warmouth with great colours on a wacky worm
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>>2868026
My 4Runner can tow 5000 lbs my boat and trailer weighs around 1500 lbs and it tows it no problem. My dad has had a tundra for a while and it’s been fine. Toyotas made in the 2010s are the best if you can find one with low mileage they last forever and don’t have many problems.
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>>2868015
are you buying new or used? toyota command a ridiculous premium in the used market. motherfuckers trying to sell clapped out ones with 200+k miles for $15k. fuck that. the used market in general is overpriced post covid. a rav4 won't be much different than a crv, and if I did get a rav4, it would be the hybrid model to take advantage of extremely good fuel mileage.
>>2868043
the main problem with toyotas is that most people believe the meme that they just run forever with no maintenance, so they don't do any maintenance, then try to offload it once it gets high mileage and has a backlog of unmaintained areas. the poor fuck who already overpays for it ends up realizing that even reliable vehicles, do in fact need preventative maintenance.
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I'm putting together a minimal little bass kit that will fit in my pocket with the goal of hitting some little ponds near work on my lunch hour.
If you had to pick like top 3 small mouth lures for shore pond fishing what would they be? also I might accidentally have to handle some fat stupid carp.
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Any avid bass fishers? I only ever fished once with my friend's rod and gear, I got black bass in dams near me and I wanted to start fishing them for fun & free food. Chat gepetto recommended me a 2.2m rod, 2o 3o texas hooks, those flexible watermelon worms and one white spinnerbait. Also in dams there are those "fingers" that run into the hills, should I fish there or will that only get me small bass? I read that you need to go to fingers but in a zone there there are rocks/cover and where they can go to deep water if they're spooked
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>>2868052
I'm leaning towards a 4Runner, but the new price is a bit disappointing as a CR-V owner. I think I would prefer a 4WD SUV over a truck because I'd automatically get a camping shell anyway. 4Runners with 4WD are already more expensive than a Tacoma even when factoring in a shell. One big perk to an SUV is that I can store rods much easier than a truck. Plus, I can much more easily access my rear storage instead of climbing up (even as a 6 footer) and crawling in.
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went to wallys world today, not much selection in rods, everything expensive is locked up and what was out there was broken or too short. i think im just gonna order online. kinda sucks not having a proper fishing store here.
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>>2868123
I'm not just going to spoonfeed you. I get paid to di that shit. I waited on a literal Nazi today and an angry Ron Jeremy lookalike.
Use jigs: 1/8 and up. Keitech is good, but you need a grippy jig hook, like a Sureset Biscuit. Colors: light, bright, dark.
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>>2868126
Thanks mane, not looking for spoonfeeding I just wanted some human tips that weren't reels or people trying to sell me stuff. My buddy only uses crankbaits and I'll give that a shot but wanted to get some more opinions.
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>>2868111
>>2868123
>i asked the hallucinating plagiarism machine and it gave me bad advice
Jfc anon clankers are genuinely going to rot your brain and ruin any critical thinking skills you had. If you grew up anywhere halfway civilized school taught you how to research stuff. Read articles on in-fisherman, watch youtube videos titled "how to catch black bass", go to local tackle shops and ask for advice and when they show you a good lure buy it from them as thanks for the pointer. God damn.
>>2868125
That does suck, yeah.
>>2868127
You literally have irl friends who fish and youre having a clanker spoon feed you bad intel when you could literally just talk to your actual human people friends?
Get an 7 foot medium light ugly stik, a diawa sweepfire 2500, and either 12lb mono or 20lb braid and throw x-raps, square-bills, inline spinners, and ned stuff. Dont buy ned heads theyre a rip off buy cheap 1/8 oz jigs on black nickel hooks from amazon, they're like $0.30 a jig (sometimes less) that way- just make sure they have a wire bait keeper, the elastomer they use for z-man and crush city baits dont like the lead collar bait keepers.
>>2868064
Is that your kit so far? Are you going to handline them or bring a rod?
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>>2868146
>Is that your kit so far? Are you going to handline them or bring a rod?
No, some generic image I grabbed. I'm bringing a small rod. I should have clarified more. I've never fished bass before, I read the sticky but being such a noob it's a lot of info to parse.
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>>2868167
Yeah. The fuel economy and price are disheartening for a fishbum like myself. My current car is still new and functional; it's just that it doesn't meet all my needs and is a bit disappointing, and I've got a family member who wants to buy it.
The 4Runner still looks like my best option. I go on a lot of minimum maintenance roads all year long, so 4WD is attractive, but I would be willing to compromise for a cheaper, more fuel efficient car, even one that's slightly smaller.
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File: 1771806001170.jpg (2.1 MB)
>>2868146
He's more of a friend of a friend. I know it's silly that I'd rather ask anons on my underwater basket weaving forum for tips than message people, but americans (assuming u are) have way more bass fishing culture than anyone I know.
>Get an 7 foot medium light ugly stik, a diawa sweepfire 2500, and either 12lb mono or 20lb braid and throw x-raps, square-bills, inline spinners, and ned stuff. Dont buy ned heads theyre a rip off buy cheap 1/8 oz jigs on black nickel hooks from amazon, they're like $0.30 a jig (sometimes less) that way- just make sure they have a wire bait keeper, the elastomer they use for z-man and crush city baits dont like the lead collar bait keepers.
I shall decypher these words and put them to good use thanks fren. I'll post my bass when I go 2 weeks from now. Maybe in 2 months I'll return to ask for a beach fishing setup. Pic related is my first and only bass so far
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File: 20260508_161343.jpg (4.2 MB)
I may have found my new favorite curly tail
>pic related
The plastic is soft, the size is right, and the tail seems properly thin. We'll see how they do in the water but i have high hopes.
>>2868176
Nice fish!
Asking anons is better than chat gpt m8 fuck that clanker shit, go bother autists on peruvian cat-sweater weaving forum
Americans do fish for a lot of bass, and there's a youtube video about anything and everything- usually several.
A mediun light ugky-stik 7 foot long spinning rod is pllenty for nigh any fish under 5lb with the ability to handle fish significantly larger than that. Ill give you a little jargon
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File: 20260320_181056.jpg (4.3 MB)
>>2868188
>>2868176
>rod power- this is a vague indicator of the amount if force it takes to deflect the blank. It starts at ultralight(UL), progresses to light(L), medium light(ML), medium (M), medium heavy(MH), heavy(H) extra heavy (XH) XXH, XXXH, ad nauseum, until eventually you hit 'infinity blanks' which are solid fiberglass sticks you're supposed to bolt(literally) a winch(fuckhuge reel) and rope(300lb mono, 500lb braid, 550 cord, any super duper ultra heavy fishing line)
Rod action: an abstraction of the curve that the rod takes as force is applied. Extra fast (XF), fast(F) medium fast (MF), med, medium slow, slow (s), and parabolic. The faster rods have stronger butt sections and so that the bend is focused in the last tip, which is good for finesse applications where you're trying to feel *everything* and maximize lure control. Slower rods bend more evenly along the blank, offering more spring when hooked up to a fish to keep small and/or barbless hooks pinned better and help protect lighter lines
>ugly stik
Productline through shakespeare, they're getting a little pricey but considering the abuse-resistance against performance its a great first rod
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File: 20241126_183626.jpg (1.7 MB)
>>2868176
>>2868188
>>2868191
>diawa
Japanese fishing reel brand
>sweepfire
One of their budget fishing reel options. Not the best reel, but you could absolutely do worse.
>2500
An arbitrary numerical system designating reel size. Its something that you either have to feel in person to understand. Smaller numbers are smaller reels, sometimes expressed as double-digits(50), triple digits (500) quadruple digits (most common, 1000, 1500, 2000, 3000, 4500, whatever) and 'aughts' predominantly for penn senator series reels (3/0, 9/0 14/0) expressed verbally as, for example, "three-aught" or "nine-aught" similarly to the rifle cartridge .30-06 "thirty -aught -six"
>12 lb mono
Nylon monofilamint, measured by a company-proclaimed breaking strength. Most lines and leader materials are "measured" this way and most actually break slightly higher than their rated strength. Cheap, readily available, abrasion resistant, and springy which can help keep hooks pinned
>20lb braid
Braided spectrafiber, so-called super-lines. They are thread thin, ultra supple, have no statistically significant stretch, and will actually cut you with their strength to thickness ratio. Its the best at power transfer and sensitivity. 20lb mono has a comparable diameter to 6lb mono and will cast on-par if not better than 6lb mono. The big downsides are that braid is expensive and a tangle in braid can be way less forgiving than a tangle in mono- look up "wind knots"
Mono isnt nessicarily easier to untangle than braid, but its cheap enough that cutting out 20 feet of tangled line doesnt hurt quite so bad.
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File: 20251222_191935.jpg (4.7 MB)
>>2868176
>>2868188
>>2868191
>>2868194
>ned rig
Jig head with a bouyant* soft plastic, elietists will say you "need" the special "mushroom jigs" but if you run ballhead jigs the fish dont care and you can probably get them cheaper than mushroom heads.
>black nickel
A hook finish, most hooks are either bronzed, galvanized, zinc plated, or black-nickel finished. Black nickel is generally an indicator of at least -some- quality to the heat treatment
>Wire bait keeper
Jigs either have a collar, a protruding often barbed piece of the jig head material running down the hook shank to hold soft plastic lures; no collar, to prevent distirting or damaging small softplastics; or a wire bait keeper, a bent piece of metal that either forms a cork screw or hooked barb to retain soft plastics
>elastomer
The super stretchy special plastic brands like z-man and rapala's crush- city lures are made of, the more common alternative being PVC plastisol
>xrap
Jerk bait, watch a youtube video about em, small to medium ones tend to be very vesatile
>Inline spinners
Mepps, blue fox, rooster tail, and more brands deal in a variety of sizes, colours, and shapes. Changing size can take you from the smallest sunfish to 50 inch musky- with appropriate rod and reel setups. Watch a youtube video as long as its spinning you're not really fishing it wrong.
>square bill
Short stout baits with similar bills, watch a youtube video they're hard to fish wrong, burning, slow rolling, stop and go, steady does it, jerk it, everything
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>>2868188
>>2868191
>>2868194
>>2868195
Holy cow anon, thank you, I really appreciate you taking the time to help a n00b out. I shall fish many bass in your honour.
>2500 reel
>7ft ml rod
>12lb mono /20lb braid
> xrap, square-bill, inline spinner, 1/8oz black hook jig with wire bait keeper, neds
I understand now. actually feel good about going out and getting this stuff now. Will post updates/fish in the coming days.
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I'm in Guam for Navy and did my first fishing from a boat and off shore fishing today. Trolled for six hours and caught a pretty decent sized yellowfin and dorado, which I'm told was lucky as it's shoulder season. Had sashimi at the pier. Was a great time. If you ever find yourself in Guam, this company - shut up and fish - is awesome.
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Went fly fishing in the local creek. Fishing was slow at spot #1, so I moved. Spot #2 had multiple newly fell trees and a new shoddy bridge for a bike path. I wonder if they are connected. In any case, they should be spending more on the creek than on gay bike shit. Hooked into a massive smallie. I was fishing 4X. I thought I hooked a log at first, then a dink. But it turned out to be huge. I didn't let him cork me, not even close, so the fight took a long while. I'm anxious about serious bendage. Anyway, just as I was trying to grab him, he shook, and the fly popped out. I couldn't really fish after that. I've been far more angry about fishing stuff, but I just didn't have the heart to fish soon after, so I left.
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>>2868214
you should take anons with a pinch of salt too, just barely a little less than clankers
now most of these advices are fine, just skid tend to oversize lines and also braid isn't noob friendly, just go for full 12lb full mono
for lures you can catch anything with soft plastic on a jighead or spinners, hard lures are pretty good too but keep in mind there's two kind of lures, lures for fish and lures for fishermen
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File: perch3.jpg (1.6 MB)
also i found a spot in my local river with ton of wild trouts and saw a huge barbel and some perch too
i tried fly fishing but trouts weren't interested, maybe it was the time because of my schedule (almost noon), maybe the fly, maybe the presentation and my technique lacking
i'm a beginner at fly fishing so i got no clue
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File: IMG_3412.gif (1.3 MB)
Went out today to my normal spot and it was dead. Saw very little bait and no striper activity. They are around but it’s hit or miss. I hooked a sand eel when I was dredging on a sinking line which is a good sign. Going again tomorrow I’ll post a pic if I catch anything.
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>>2868382
I use single strand wire from american fishing wire, i think its #13 wire which is about 1/32 inch diameter.
I put a small kink in it with pliers, then use the same pliers to bemd the wire back and forth to snap it- ill just do that a fuckload of times until i have a nice pile.
The i put a jig in tge vise, stard some 140 denier danvilles flat waxed nylon tying thread, lash the wire in place firmly, whip finish, and set it aside. Once ive got however many im making made i drip some super thin super glue on it to make sure it all stays put.
>>2868188
Im not sure if i love them yet but i don't think i hate them. More testing is required.
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>>2868535
that's the plan. installing a fish finder this weekend. I'm a bit afraid to venture beyond the harbors atm, but I think I'll get over it if I can find a group to go with. there be great whites in abundance here lately.
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Finally got my 19" Smallmouth, they have been very picky. Pressured with gin-clear water. Downsized my clouser minnows to little 2" size 10 hook ones and that did the job. I really love downsizing to get pressured fish.
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>>2868579
Size 10 streamer hooks were all I had aside from size 4's. I think 2" of bucktail would be perfect with a 6 or 8.
Another I caught with the same fly, looking closer its more like 2.5". Going to order some size 6's.
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>>2868581
I cant argue with results, if it works it works. I usually tie my clousers proportioned off the hook, the full size 4 inch ones are on 2/0 hooks and ive git then tied all the way down to itty bitty ones thatd work for crappie on #6 hooks
Id upsize even more and run a #4 hook in them, but 6 will be fine im sure.
Ive also done some experimenting with what i call wing-it clousers, where i dont tie a body, just a wing, and im really liking jow much faster i can tie them and how much better they keel
I thought i had anbetter picture but i dont so heres some mondo size ones with stinger hooks i tied for fall walleye , along with some other stuff
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>>2868583
I really like the grizzly hackle lateral line, might have to incorporate that for a yellow perch style pattern for pike. Only have white grizzly hackle right now, going to tie some big boy Half/Halfs for Pike.
But for the record, the smaller hooks kind of work, I was 2-2 yesterday, definitely have to finesse em' and let them really eat it.
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>>2868590
Thanks, electric chicken is a fun colour and its amazing how much curb appeal a pair of grizzly hackle feathers can give a fly.
Like i said, id upsize to a 4, but 6 will work
Post those half- and- halfs when you tie em
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Yay ditch pickles
>>2868612
Mustad has a wide range of hooks from shitty to superb. I like hooks with a stinger type bend to help maximize force to the point, and i like hooks woth black nickel finishes because black nickel hooks tend to be strong and well heat treated as well as corrosion resistant and great at penetrating flesh and bone.
>>2868402
>>2868188
I can officially say im not in to them, they swim better than other grubs ive tried as of yet but they still cant compete with venom super swimmers. Maybe i just have to get over curly tail grubs and find other soft plastics i like.
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>>2868600
Best 20 something dollars I ever spent, it rolls up very small, does well with dirt and water, and is quick to get out. You just need to be very sure to line up on the 0 and not the D ring.
>>2868593
Going to do electric chickens today in all sizes, but wondering if I should wait for my hackle order to arrive next monday.
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My monthly Smitty's box arrived today. Two pretty easy patterns. The beginner pattern is the Killer Caddis. Materials included: size 14 scud hooks, 8/0 uni thread in black, green and amber glass seed beads, olive, natural and black hare's ear dubbing.
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>>2868708
This month's intermediate pattern is called the B-12 shot. Included materials: size 12 orientsun wide gap jig hooks, 4mm slotted tungsten beads in copper, 6/0 uni thread in fire orange, orange glo brite floss, orange crystal flash, cinnamon hare's ear dubbing and fox squirrel dubbing
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>>2868708
This was a fun, easy pattern. And should do well this time of year! The beads would have probably been a PITA if I hadn't pinched the barb. But they went over the pinched barb easily.
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>>2868709
This was also a nice easy pattern. The 4mm beads are super heavy! These should be great at getting down in fast currents. I made myself a dubbing brush with some velcro and a popsicle stick. It pulls a lot more dubbing out than my wire brush.
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>>2868745
I was raised on spin tackle in warm water. I'm good with it and have caught a lot of fish on spin tackle. But then I moved to Northern California and it's all cold water. I do well in the ponds and lakes with spin tackle, but the rivers and creeks are smaller and faster than what I fished growing up. On a whim, I decided to try tenkara fly fishing on some small creeks and I went from catching trout once in a blue moon to just about every time. I then upgraded to a real fly rod and I can now reliably catch trout in the rivers and streams around here. I've caught more fish in the last 2 years on fly tackle than the previous 10 combined on spin tackle.
TLDR Different water can benefit from a change in gear and strategy.
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Has anybody here ever used these automatic hook setting yoyo reels for gathering food?
I bought a few because they were cheap and I have a backpacking trip planned, wanted to know how they were.
I bought a 4 piece daiwa presso rod too to fish, but I want to make sure I eat during my hunter gatherer larp
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>>2868745
because a big part of fly fishing is "presentation", i.e you're fly has to land and move in the water like a real insect.
This means that sometimes, to fish certain pools or marks, and still have your cast land and present in a way which is convincing to the fish, there is no choice but to get in the river.
You could use a bigger rod and do a longer cast but then it becomes very difficult to "present" your fly well, as you're competing against the wind and air resistance and gravity.
Having said all that, it's not uncommon to see people wading when it's completely unnecessary. You see it a lot here in the UK with stillwater fly fishing. People will wade when it's completely unneccasry.
Or maybe they enjoy being in the water?
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Lure angler trying out float fishing for the first time here. I'm running a slip float with a stopper and bead on braid, tied to a swivel connecting it to about 60 cm of fluoro leader weighed down with a couple split shots.
I keep getting tangles after every couple of casts though which is annoying as fuck, the braid keeps helicoptering around the float, even with gentle casts and feathering. I'm thinking it's because the braid is much more supple than mono/fluoro, will I have less trouble if I tie on a much longer leader and pass the float through it instead of the braid?
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Near the end of the day, just a little while ago, a guy with 6 Stellas walks in and asks for line. I spool them up. Fuck. Those are really nice reels. You really get a nice product. He was a lonely old man, but I failed in my attempt to pimp my coworker and I.
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>>2868745
It has its place, in my opinion its more challenging, rewarding, and overall a better experience. Forces you to learn how to present perfectly to the fish, what the fish might be eating at certain time of year, what size, etc. It's a whole rabbit hole of things you never would have learned with a spin rod. Spin rods definitely have their place and probably can be more effective, but I always go for my fly rod whether its stripers off the shore, trout and bass in the creeks, or fishing on the lakes.
I equate spin fishermen to auto enthusiasts who have a fun car but its an automatic with traction control always on.
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>>2868745
I like it because it really forces me to boil my hobby down to the most basic level and I'm rewarded for it. Here comes some serious effort posting tho. I was a hardcore bass guy, kayak and all the gear. I felt like I was "working the water" with all the stuff I had. Trying new lures, presentations, reading my sonar charts, etc.
Then I started fly fishing and I sucked. I was just chucking flies out there not knowing what I was really doing and just felt like I had invested $500 in gear for a hobby I didn't like or wasn't good at. Kept at it and stopped listening to all the podcasts, "how-to" guides, gave up hatch charts, and I just paid attention to what was going on around me, checking for nymphs in the rocks, sifting the water for midges and paying attention to the bugs on the water and flying around me. Instead of being strictly gear driven I was forced to focus on the actual nature around me and it forced me to be in the moment to be successful. That kind of success catching a not-so-big trout is more rewarding to me than catching a 5+ pound bass.
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>>2868905
idk why everyone says bobber fishing is the easiest way to fish. It's purely situational for me, and doesn't always produce fish, but when it does it's fun at least because of the visual. Otherwise yeah it just ends up messy for me personally especially if it's a really windy day
>standard bobber rig
only can go a few feet deep before casting issues or tangle issues
>slip bobber
if your rig isn't configured just right and you have either too much weight or not enough weight the rig sucks. Plus if your stop-knots aren't good your depth changes, or it gets stuck in your rod guides as you're casting
Unless conditions are just perfect for bobbers I always forgo them and just present bait on the bottom or on the fall with a carolina rig or a drop shot.
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>>2869003
It definitely has its place and uses, especially if you're trying to target fish at a certain depth if they're not feeding on bottom and are schooled up higher near the surface, suspending it naturally and letting it drift with the current for finesse, or if you're targeting extremely rough snaggy ground that holds fish.
It's also my go-to setup for surface foraging mullet which are super fun to fight on light gear.
But it's undoubtedly situational, and I'd much rather cast a jig or a plug.
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Any tenkara enjoyers here?
Im looking for a rod that would be use mostly for small creeks in heavily a wooded area
I might try a small river too, and didn't know if the 3 way adjustables were any good or just a gimmick
Any recommendations? Preferably from a US shipper as I would like to get it ASAP for a trip
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>>2869037
Get the Dragontail Mizuchi and 3.0 Shimotsuke level line. You will want to have some 5X and/or 6X tippet and tippet rings. I like NiteIze gear ties as my line holder better than anything else. Get the regular thick (11 mm) foam line holder for off-rod storage, good to have multiple lines for different situations and backups. Kebari are nice, but I fish nymphs and streamers much more often.
Do not cheap out and get the shadowfire or whatever it's called. It sucks. I got a premium Dragontail rod and like the Mizuchi better for my needs, which are mostly small creeks. A pocket rod is going to be less versatile. Reply if you have more questions.
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>>2869038
Thanks, I appreciate it
I already have tons of flies and a few kebari, might pick up a few more for fun
I'm fine to use normal fly tippet right? Is the tenkara tippet any different?
And for the level line I was reading a little about them before, would 3.5 be easier to cast for someone that has only done tenkara a few times? I'm imagining I'll use the rod mostly at the 2 smaller settings, not sure if that matters.
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>>2869039
Normal tippet is fine. There is no tenkara tippet. I've read the same stuff as you, but 3.0 casts better imo, makes less commotion, etc. 3.0 is perfect for a Mizuchi, even in moderate wind. If you're fishing tight creeks, wind isn't going to be a problem. Feel free to buy some 3.5; I have both, but I prefer 3.0. I recommend using max length. It will be the best length. You get so much more reach and control. Plus, every zoom rod is designed to be fished at max length. I fish the shorter lengths on occasion.
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This thread is in desperate need of a bump. Spin fished for stockers. The park (first time visiting) was empty except for me and the stranger who decided to fish in my run. It wasn't so bad, though. Fish were very aggressive at first, and then, the bite died down. Caddis hatch was going on. I will definitely be back. Tomorrow should be a good day.
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Charlie Craven's Food Stamp. I used yellow dyed elk hair, not caribou. I couldn't find any locally so I went with what they had. It looks close enough...it's got all the right characteristics. I'll give them a try this weekend if I see surface or sub surface feeding. I'll have pat's and perdigons on most of the time though. I could probably throw one of these on as a hopper with a lighter nymph as a dropper.
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anyone fished a flutter spoon? ordered a 4" gonna try it this weekend. I feel like it should work pretty well in the summer for deeper fish. I know it's pretty popular the last couple of years but I didn't wanna go full retard and buy a huge 8" one.
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>>2869247
depends on the size of the baitfish that are around. 4" flutter is tiny, and depending on the depth youre fishing will take forever to get to them if they are deep. i commonly throw 6" - 8" - 10" pic rel. caught 100s on the top 6" (added the eye sticker myself) Look on yutube to show you how to proper work them and use a mediun stiff rod because fish wack em' hard
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>>2869251
the "big" ones most of the youtube videos told me about were 6 and 8 inch. the small nichols mojo spoon being the smallest commonly used one. so I picked 4" as an inbetween medium size. that isn't really that small in my eyes, considering I normally use 2-2.5" spoons of other kinds. as for depth, probably around 15ft is common where I fish a lot. I ordered the nichols lake fork 4". if a 4" doesn't produce, I won't have any faith in a bigger one anyways, I fish heavily pressured lakes.
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>>2869270
bigger ones kick off more vibration and trigger impulse bites. 15' yeah thats more drag it through and drop than work it to get attention. the bigger ones throw off tons of vibration deep because of their length, stripers arent afraid of size. Ive caught a bunch of other species on them with a slow pitch rod, but dont under estimate what a small or large fish wants to eat when they are hungry. 4" is tiny, 15' is shallow for flutter but doable. we did that fishing walleye but moved up a size for lake stripers..
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>>2869298
i've finished taking it apart and will put it back together with a new line when i receive some grease in the mail
i can see it's been used a lot but it's still in great condition, only the spool have some tiny cracks, so should i buy a new spool right off the bat or are these fine? could also consider using dacron as backing
also what's the material of the black washers in the drag?
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I have never fished a hatch before. I've seen them happen, but I generally don't carry dry flies with me. Today, I caught several fish on dries. I can see the benefit of a slower action rod. I've got to wait to set the hook. The bugs were these really tiny things. Fortunately, the fish weren't picky about size or color, as I was hardly matching the hatch. Tons of fun.
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>>2869367
Thanks. Before I saw the adults flying around, I decided to use what I used because of a fairly local fishing report. They said to expect light-bodied mayflies (sulphurs and cahills). Pic rel is a lightly colored fly. Could it be one of those, not a midge?
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Have been hammering the spawning Fallfish, the water is so clear you can sight cast to them. This one took my size 4 Peanut Envy. However, in search of a big brown on this water. Came up on one last night and it sounded like a beaver flopping its tail on the water. Heard a big flop, then see this absolute bruiser shift over under a log. No way I could have got him in that water but was incredible to see.
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I think I want to do some spinning this year after using memecasters for 20 years exclusively. What kind of line is good to load in the 6-10lbs range that isn't braid? I can't stand the sound braid makes through guides and I can't tie anything but double-uni for the leader. The feel/sound of that knot passing through the guides every cast makes me nuts. Targeting mostly small/medium bass and the occasional panfish run when things get slow.
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>>2869430
Yeah fishing in general too but I think it's especially true for cats where people think you need a 6/0 to get a 2.5lb channel cat when they'll bite the same #6 circle hook a carp will and be just as likely to survive it.
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>>2869425
The albright is not hard. You just have to practice. I know a bunch of knots and can tie them well. It just takes a little practice and dedication. Watch a tutorial.
Braid shouldn't be making much noise. You might have an equipment problem. With all that said, you usually don't need a leader for bass fishing.
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>>2869425
Yo-Zuri Hybrid if you want cheap bulk line. Comes in 600yd spools for less than $10. The only real downside is that the diameter is thicker than standard mono or flouro per pound rating, but it's also vastly underrated on breaking strength so for example 6lb would probably be more like 8lb on another line. Still breaks way higher than the rating like most line. The main benefit is that it has far less stretch than mono and even flouro, especially on 8lb and up, so it's more sensitive than almost any other non-braided line. It's also very slick, has really good knot strength, and abrasion resistance. 6lb is what I'd recommend for spinning, 4lb for ultralight. 8lb is kind of overkill unless it's a really stiff rod. I've pulled tree limbs off the bottom with 6lb. On the more expensive side of things, you have JDM line like Varivas, which has so many types you can get overwhelmed. That's an entirely different rabbithole but definitely lots of really good choices. It's rated at it's actual breaking strength though, so 4lb literally breaks at 4-5lb.
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Does anyone use snaps with jigheads/softbaits (saltwater)? I usually tie my line directly to the jighead but recently the mackerel/blues have been running and its kind of a PITA to cut the leader and retie on a Kastmaster, would take less time to just be able to swap it on a snap. Just worried about how it would affect the action of a softbait
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Finally caught my first carp this year after like 5 attempts, already wanted to pack up but this little shitter started teasing me so i had to stay.
Not a big guy, only 2.5kg but finally got one this season
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>>2869615
heavy braid for fresh water is nice when you're ripping through vegetation. i've snapped plenty of light weight line when my bass ends up in grass coming in.
got an 8ft st croix rod for my shimano twin power 6000 im pretty excited
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>>2869615
i've been considering getting some 50lb dacron backing and 40lb braid for some of my reels for the big stuff
now i've always got some berkley braid, but that stuff lose it's color pretty fast, does the daiwa j-braid does as well?
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I got some of these yoyo fishing reels for food gathering while out
Should I run a mosquito, octopus, or normal bait holder on these things?
I'll probably be using foraged worms and maybe some corn I can bring in a baggie, other set and forget bait for trout
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>>2869567
Yes, it's very common to rig them like that here in the Mediterranean, so we can swap between soft baits, metals, plugs, etc faster depending on the conditions. Just make sure that the wire gauge on the snap clip is fine enough to let the jighead slide freely and naturally through the eye of the jighead and that the size of the snap matches the weight and profile of your lure.
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>>2869794
I've spooled thousands of reels. I've seen dirty reels and banged up reels, but I have never seen one cracked from mono.
>>2869827
>Just make sure that the wire gauge on the snap clip is fine enough to let the jighead slide freely and naturally through the eye of the jighead and that the size of the snap matches the weight and profile of your lure.
This is key. I've met so many people who go overkill. It compromises their performance and, depending on what their flavor of retardation is, can cause problems for everyone else.
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>>2869784
lures add another layer to fishing by having endless options. so it's natural progression. at that point, bait only really becomes feasible when in a situation where it just works better. plus I don't like to kill living creatures for bait if I'm catching and releasing. there is a lot to learn about lures though, and you don't want to just buy them based on looks because that's like a gambling addiction. if you have ADHD dishing bait is unbearable compared to lures.
tldr;
time and place. fake lures ironically work better in many situations than the real thing... but ONLY if you know what you're doing.
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>>2869794
maybe if you're using ridiculously heavy line and drag locked down on a small sized reel whilst fighting a tuna. but even then, the reel probably doesn't have enough max drag to do that. it is a thing on lightweight shallow spoon baitcasting spools however. they warp though not crack. at the end of the day, I'd rather put a single layer wrap of electrical tape than a bunch of fucking mono backing andhave another knot on my spool. the only reason people use mono backing is for cost so they don't have to run as much braid. but at that point, you probably bought too big of a reel/spool.
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>>2869882
>tenkara
Is this viable on a little pond? There's one near me and I always feel like I'm overly geared up with a Fenwick while everyone else has $20 little kid combos. It would be nice to have a simple telescoping tenkara to keep in my car for stuff like that.
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>>2869893
You'll be very limited in the water you can target. The average tenkara rod is 9-12ft with a level line or furrrled leader of the same length plus a 2-3ft tippet section. This gives you a cast of around 15ft for a 9ft rod to 20ft with a 12ft. If you're comfortable fishing only within those limits, sure. But tenkara was created to fish the small mountain streams of Japan. They do well in similar waters around the world. But are very limiting on anything else.
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>>2869897
Most 9ft fly rods are 4 piece rods. They break down to around 2.5ft in a rod/reel case. If you're curious about fly fishing, I'd look at an Echo Lift kit. A real fly rod will reach anywhere a tenkara rod can and well beyond. Aside from being able to break down to a foot or so and entry price, I don't really see any benefit to using them over a true fly rod. And you can get cheaper entry level fly rods too. The lift is just where I jumped in and it'd a great kit.
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>>2869900
Oh I have fly rods, a two piece Clearwater and a 4 piece Thomas and Thomas for saltwater I was just looking for some alternative for local small body fishing and the idea of a Tenkara seemed alright until I heard about its limitations.
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>>2869882
I'm glad to here you got the Mizuchi. Please post updates. Just curious what state do you live in / where do you fish?
>>2869893
>>2869900
Tenkara is a perfectly viable way of targeting bluegill, especially spawners. I enjoy it.
I do also recommend the Lift Kit. It's a great rod. What I tell people is that it can be the first and the last fly rod you own. I own $1000+ fly rods, but I still use my Lift. If I bought the other option, I would probably be a different person.
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>>2869784
If you're starting out fresh with the basics still learning to tie knots and casting, start with bait. Once you get good at it, you'll naturally want to move on to lures because it's more challenging and engaging and the experimentation is limitless. But I always recommend you start with bait because you're more likely to catch something for the first time and not get bored and want to quit.
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>>2869915
I'm in Connecticut and fish here, upstate New York, and occasionally New Hampshire and maine
I have a camping trip in the adirondacks and got this for brook trout mostly in some of the tight creeks and streams.
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Going to go fishing for the first time in twenty years this weekend, nothing fancy, just targeting some skippies, tailor and herring at a local island (rock or beach fishing). I remember how to setup a rig, how to cast and all that, what are some retarded things I might have forgotten? I have read the guides but expect I will have at least one retard moment.
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I use the telescopic Ozark Trail trekking pole as a wading staff. I've loved it. Yesterday, I was in knee deep mud (fucking pissed off at my community), and if it weren't for my trekking pole, I would have needed to roll, crawl, and swim in the mud. I store my trekking pole under my backpack until I encounter mud, a steep bank, or need to get my fly out of a tree. I've been annoyed by the added weight on my back. Plus, I'd like to get a new pack, which might not be able to accommodate a trekking pole. I'm thinking of switching to the foldable Ozark Trail and attaching it to my belt, since the price makes it almost disposable. I like the weight of a carbon fiber trekking pole, but I doubt it will hold up to me trying to get out of the mud with it. I could get a genuine wading staff also. Lmk your thoughts.
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>>2869915
>Tenkara is a perfectly viable way of targeting bluegill, especially spawners. I enjoy it.
I just got this
https://www.fenwickfishing.com/collections/travel-rods/products/eagle- trout-panfish-travel-spinning-rod
3 piece so it will fit just fine in my car. I do like fly fishing so I might pick up a Tenkara anyway down the line to bring on my next fly fishing trip
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>>2869915
>Tenkara is a perfectly viable way of targeting bluegill, especially spawners. I enjoy it.
And you're welcome to it. But me personally, I'd take my 10' 3w euro rod over a tenkara rod just about anywhere. Don't get me wrong, I have a tenkara rod and I do bring it out once in a while. But most of the time it stays home unless I'm feeling nostalgic. There have just been too many times I'd wished I had another 5-10ft of reach.
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Anyone else here feels too attached to certain rods and reels, so much so that you're too afraid to take them with you on the water out of fear of accidentally damaging them, defeating the whole purpose of buying higher end gear to enhance your fishing performance?
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>>2870045
I've started getting that feeling with my glass switch rod; its long since out of production and so nigh irreplaceable at this point and has a lot of wear. I fount an 11 foot 5/6 weight glass switch blank on ebay and bought that recently, hopefully i can build it up as a replacement for my current one and retire that one before it quits on me. I still need to decide on a thread and hardware colour for it- my knee jerk instinct is red thread and silver guides/reel seat
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>>2870012
>There have just been too many times I'd wished I had another 5-10ft of reach.
I feel that too, but but tenkara rods are super light. I enjoy line control, but I like warm, dry hands better when I'm fishing in the winter. It all depends on where and when you're fishing.
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>>2870045
Me but it's because I kayak fish. I end up under a lot of low hanging trees and shit, like when I cast into some brush and have to pull up to the bank to unsnag it. The wind blows me into the brush sometimes. Whenever I get a nice new rod it always takes me forever to actually take it out in the kayak, but once I eventually do I stop being such a bitch about it. I'm also poor and save for gear so that's probably why, I can't just replace something easily if I break it. having said that, I've never broken a rod in my entire life.
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Retard here. I’m a “once in a while, my whole life” guy when it comes to fishing. Been wanting to get into the sport more regularly and actually get all my own stuff instead of just using a friends spare.
Going to a sportsman’s warehouse after work today before my camping trip this weekend. Already have an idea of want I want, 6’6” medium fast action rod with a 25/2500 spinner real. Looking for brands like ugly stick, pfluger, or maybe just the “sportsman warehouse” branded stuff as I just want some simple beginner gear. Don’t now much about line but I think 12lb Fluor seems like a good choice from research?
The thing I’m struggling with is lures. What size hooks? What kind of sinkers? How do I even use a sinker as in how heavy and where do I tie it in corporation to my lure/bait? If it’s not too pricey I would like to just get all sorts of sizes and maybe just one or two of diffrent things each like crankbaits, spinners, and plastic worms. I know you should have diffrent colors based on the water clarity.
Asking for any and all advice to my entire blogpost here. I feel a little overwhelmed jumping in so fast but I would really like to fish this weekend, may even have some friends with a boat on the same lake so I want to be ready if I go out with them.
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>>2870066
>Don’t now much about line but I think 12lb Fluor seems like a good choice from research?
most people use mono nylon, because it's cheap and easy to use
fluorocarbon is stiffer and more abrasion resistant than mono, people use it for leaders
braid have a lot of advantages but isn't noob friendly, so stick to mono between 12-15lb
>The thing I’m struggling with is lures
stick to inline snipers and jigheads with a soft plastic on for now, look up texas rig if you want some more complex stuff, shop guy will get you what you need depending on your target fish, don't fall for costly bait
also why don't you ask your friends?
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>>2870067
Fishing friends were a lifetime ago in college unfortunately. But I appreciate your advice. Texas rigs look really cool and I want to try that. Definetly will get some jigheads and take your advice on the mono line. I’ll post a haul picture in a couple hours. Also desperately need to look up a crash course on how sinkers and leader lines are supposed to look. How to even put line on a new spinner reel too lol.
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>>2870070
just ask the shop guy
a lot of these questions need us to know what kind of fish and where you're going to fish, which you shouldn't share too much on some anonymous forum
for the leader part, there's two reasons you wanna use one: you use braid and want something less visible on the end of your line, or you got fish with sharp teeth like pike for which you need something resistant, so thick fluoro or metal
for the rod look at the cast weight, you want lures withing that specification, and reels look at the drag rating, you might want enough drag for bigger fishes, but don't tighten it too much as it's also what prevent said fish from breaking your rod/line
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>>2870075
if you're willing to spend that much money, do yourself a favor and get the shimano slx rod instead. then whatever reel you want. it's a much better deal than combos, which are usually overpriced and have lower tier specs per price category. the slx is a very good rod. did you also see the 20% off sale they're ahving when you pair a full price reel + rod in the cart?
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>>2870066
Every inclination you have is wrong. Don't get fluoro. Don't get an ugly stik. Don't get a pflueger. For an inexpensive setup, get a Procyon and some Daiwa reel. Use mo o or braid, never fluoro mainline. 6'6 Medium is fine but medium light is more versatile.
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>>2870061
It is super bulky but I was just going to carabiner it to the back of my pack
I'm only disappointed that the tenkara rod I got is a little too long to fit in there with it.
I was just going to throw some extra floats and stuff in the case so it isn't completely wasted space this time
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Retard here, holy shit that was super overwhelming. Had a set up in mind with a shimano slx and an okuma reel. Admitted to the salesman I wasn’t really sure what I was doing and a beginner. He sold me on this 50th anniversary for $50 deal from uglystick. Said the value was really great due to the meme price. Took his advice considering he was literally trying to talk me out of spending more money. Kinda wanted something nicer but this should be a good start since I don’t even know what “nicer” is even supposed to feel like.
On to the lures, that was even more overwhelming then the rods and reels. I kinda sperged a bit. Had no idea what size hooks I should be aiming for, wasn’t sure how swivels worked. Since swivels stumped me I didn’t bother with worm weights or anything more advanced then just some pinch sinkers and normal hooks for nightcrawlers. Got some jigheads (again no idea what size I should have been getting) and a couple bags of soft bait. Feel really dumb and think the vast amount of options kinda shocked my decision making on the spot.
What I learned today was I need way more research and just cast some lines before I build out a real tackle box. But considering this was a knee jerk decision the day before I go camping I’m glad I pulled the trigger and kept it simple. Grand total $100 for everything.
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>>2870102
So good news, 1/4 oz jigheads for those softbaits is fine. I use 1/4 oz in saltwater with 3-5" softbaits targeting flounder. They'll work fine for you in freshwater as well. Those splitshots are good too I just hope they are tungsten and not lead.
For a beginner the rod is fine. US's are almost unbreakable but they're stiff. You'll feel a heavy pull but with some rods you can feel the texture of rocks or how coarse the sand is. You don't need that for now.
Hooks are cheap. You could go back and buy small packs of size 14-8 and be set for a whole variety of water bodies. They also sell pre-snelled hooks (pic related) which are useful even for people who have fished for years. You tie a snap/swivel to the end of your line and then secure a weight and the loop end of the pre-tied hook to it.
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>>2870104
Thanks for a little relief, I’m quickly getting stressed over my purchases. Made the mistake of getting 12 lb line for an 8lb reel. I didn’t even know reels had line lb ratings. Think it will be fine for just a weekend? Completely forgot to get a license while at the store so I’m gonna find a shop near my campsite anyways, maybe I should just get the correct line while I’m there.
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>>2870107
>I didn’t even know reels had line lb ratings
Its not a rating, it should say something like 4lbs/220y meaning that you can fit 220 yards of 4lbs on the reel, and give you 2-3 different combinations. You can use the 12lb test all year (I generally think you should switch mono every season because 1 - it tends to hold its shape and 2 - its cheap). Depending on your state you can get your license online, I fish in NJ and MA and always buy mine through the .gov website and print them up. Buy some ID card holders like pic related and keep them in your box along with size regulation stuff (if you want to keep them)
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>>2870110
>>2870108
Oh and I completely forgot the point I was going to make about the line "rating" - you can put 550 yards (probably) of 1lb test or 50 feet of 120lb test, its just telling you how much you can store. What DOES matter is the rod rating. My go-to inshore rod for flounder is rated "3/16oz - 3/4oz." I would go down to 1/16oz and up to 1oz and feel "okay" but there will be a slight difference in how my casts work because the rod is made to be "loaded" and cast effectively in that weight range.
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Got it all strung up, honestly easier then I was expecting
>>2870111
Okay I think I understand you. My actual rod is rated 6lb-15lb. So my 12lb line is fine and will break before my rod does. Is that what your saying?
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>>2870116
Almost. It means that your rod is going to be most effective with 6lb-15lb test, it doesn't mean your rod will break if you're fighting a fish that exerts more than 15lbs of pressure. You could land a 40lb fish on it if you have the drag properly adjusted and know how to fight. I've landed 20lb blues and stripers on my 7ft light action rod that is weighted for lesser line.
Also your rod is an Ugly Stik, they're known for their durability, you could have it bend way back with the tip almost touching the other end and its not likely to break.
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>>2870117
plumbing pvc pipes, you can get screwable ends to glue on a pipe, drill a hole to screw a strap
probably would need foam on the inside to protect your shit
a bit of paint
if you don't have already glue tools and other shit it might cost you a hundred dollars total, i should make one
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>>2870121
Yeah the rod tip getting damaged would be the only worry but that's still only going to happen if you drop it or something. The regular guides shouldn't get damaged at all unless you run it over with your car.
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G'day lads, garn down for a day at a local dam with some nightcrawlers and soft plastics. Last couple of times with powerbait and corn were dead as, hopefully with the rains, the live worms will get some good hits.
Even if no trout, hope I can get a good sized redfin or two
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>>2870116
that ugly stik reel will explode way before you break 12lb line. don't worry. but no... at the end of the day, line rating and all that mumbo jumbo is just mumbo jumbo. you can effectively ignore every rating printed on rods and reels. they are just wildly oversimplified suggestions. the real problem with 12lb line on a spinning reel is that the diameter is so thick, it might be stiff and have a lot of memory. a rod or line should never just break on a fish because the fish is too big, that's what using the drag on your reel is for. if you get snagged, you let out some slack line, lay your rod on the ground, grab the line with your hands, and slowly apply tension until you either pull the snag free or break off the line at the knot. never yank snags with your rod, or cut your line leaving yards of it in the water.
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>>2870129
Good advice, I would hate to litter a bunch of line. What’s a good rule of thumb for the drag? Do you just keep it tight and adjust it on the spot if a fish is pulling too hard? Always a click or two loose?
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>>2870132
If you're fishing around heavy cover targeting bottom structure loving fish, set your drag higher than you'd like to so that the fish have less of a chance to snag you and break off. If you're targeting fish mid to top water column, set the drag a little looser to give them a chance yo run and tire out (but still tight enough to get a proper hookset). I honestly just pull on the line to get a feel for the drag and just set it to where I think the species I'm targeting might be at drag power-wise, so it's mostly guess work.
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Thanks for all the advice last night boys. I’ll be lurking and hopefully dink posting by this evening. Very exciting to be starting a new hobby, haven’t really learned anything new since I got into mini painting. Fun cross over project, couple years ago I used my paint skills to make my dad some custom lures. Looking forward to painting some more now.