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Dik Hz posted:Thanks. Oh that bites. The Alabama board is kind of a mix between boating and shore spots though usually every spot that gets mentioned there gets swamped for a few days afterwards. I've heard of punches being thrown at some of the more "premium" spots. It's ridiculous and I'm glad I can motor away from that.  If you can find a quiet spot somewhere maybe you can throw a few trees into it and attempt to make your own honey hole, doesn't help immediately of course but that's something I've considered doing to avoid the madness when everyone has crappie fever.
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Mar 31, 2013 20:34
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PREYING MANTITS posted:Oh that bites. The Alabama board is kind of a mix between boating and shore spots though usually every spot that gets mentioned there gets swamped for a few days afterwards. I've heard of punches being thrown at some of the more "premium" spots. It's ridiculous and I'm glad I can motor away from that.
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Mar 31, 2013 20:52
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hey need some goony feedback on this. I'm venturing into fly fishing this season and am trying to make some beginner purchases. Some of my local fishing details: * In Ontario, Canada and will be mostly fishing the shores and docks of lakes with a few boat trips around the kawartha lakes. Some small-medium creeks/rivers as well. * target species: freshwater fish 5lb and below. Mostly SM/LM bass (<4lbs) and pike (4-10lb). Trout (<3lb, ain't got time for lakers). Walleye (<3lb). Also panfish (<1 lb) when camping with the non-fishing friends. Rod: I saw these on kijiji, he offered both for $50 so I jumped on it: * rod 1: 8.5ft, 6-7lb * rod 2: 9 ft, 7-8lb Reel: My budget is $60, and I've been eyeing the Hobbs Creek® Large Arbor Fly Reel 5-6lb (based on reviews) to be used with rod 1. Line: WF6F is recommended for the reel. I was just going to get something cheap. I'll be asking at BPS these questions, but wanted to see if any goons had feedback for me: * is a 6lb setup overkill for the type of fishing I want to do? * any suggestions on fly lures? your favourite perhaps?
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Apr 3, 2013 20:35
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Finally picked up my kayak! I was going to take it out on that lake behind the car, but it was cold, windy, and getting late. It's supposed to warm up this weekend and I hope to paddle it around on Friday and then take it fishing on Saturday. Hopefully water temps will be out of the 40's by then.
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Apr 4, 2013 03:40
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fknlo posted:Finally picked up my kayak! Wow your water temps are still very cold, mine are hovering right around 52ish degrees and the pre spawn bass are going at it right now, lots of fun on the water. Nice color kayak too, I like that a lot, that should stand out a lot better on the water then my olive drab color kayak. That is a great idea to get your kayak on the water so you can test it out without any gear on it, it is always a good idea to get a feel for what your kayak can do before you take it out fishing. Does your kayak come with the ability to add a rudder as a after market add-on? I am pretty sure it does but not positive.
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Apr 4, 2013 07:16
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Rythe posted:Wow your water temps are still very cold, mine are hovering right around 52ish degrees and the pre spawn bass are going at it right now, lots of fun on the water. Nice color kayak too, I like that a lot, that should stand out a lot better on the water then my olive drab color kayak. Yeah, there was still snow on the ground like 2 weeks ago. We've gotten a couple of nice teaser days but then get hit with cold weather again. It's supposed to be nice this weekend, so I'll probably go paddle around tomorrow after work and then fish on Saturday. I'd originally planned on it being warm enough to tip it a few times, but that's not going to happen intentionally right now... And yeah, the rudder is an optional add on. I might do it at some point.
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Apr 4, 2013 14:53
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Drunk Badger posted:I'm thinking about updating my tackle box from more than some plastic powerbait and a plastic frog (found wrapped around a weed last year). Anyone around northwest MN have some bait suggestions for walleye or bass? Do you fish mainly from shore or out of a boat? I find walleye quite difficult to catch from shore in most lakes, although I live in the metro so walleye are much harder to catch down here in general . My favorite walleye lure is a plain jighead with a minnow. Seems basic but I've caught more walleye on that rig than everything else combined. I'd start with an 1/8 ounce jighead and move up to heavier jigs if you can't feel the jig hit the bottom as it's falling. Cast out, let the jig drop, once you hit bottom pull the rod up so the jig jumps off the bottom maybe a foot or two, let it drop again, reel up slack, repeat. Pitching jigs works great from shore or in a boat, and it's a great way to cover a lot of ground. Otherwise if you locate some walleye it can be very effective to vertical jig from your boat either anchored on top of them or letting your boat drift over an area. For vertical jigging you want the lightest jig possible that will stay directly underneath the boat. Depending where you are fishing a jig and a minnow can catch everything from walleye to crappie to bass to catfish, which makes it one of my favorite river presentations as well. Bass in my opinion are much easier to fish for, they can be caught much easier from shore(or with waders). My favorite two lures to use for bass are spinnerbaits and soft plastic worms. Like someone mentioned before a Texas rig is great for the plastic worm, as is the wacky rig. I've always had good luck with spinner baits as well, and spinners will catch a lot of pike up in your neck of the woods as well. Find some weeds and fish the edges and if that doesn't work try to righ up a weedless texas rig and drop that sucker right into some gaps in the weeds if you can. Otherwise look for downed trees, underwater logs, etc and just work every side of them. Bass fishing in Minnesota is pretty easy to at least get somewhat competent at, sure some people will be a lot better than others, but if you know how to work a texas rig and a spinnerbait, just throw those around some weeds/logs/trees and you're bound to catch something. Although I know the lakes get a lot rockier as you get up north so I'm not sure if this all applies as well as it does to the sandy mucky lakes in the metro.
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Apr 4, 2013 22:14
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Went out fishing on good Friday in the Grand River in Caledonia, ON. River was really high and fast that day, but I did manage to get this guy. It was weird, as I was casting out and a bit upstream in the river and trying to pull it in, but it washed down stream so quickly that I was pulling it against the current, so I just tried to go very slow to look like it was struggling to fight the current as it flowed into some gaps. Me and my girlfriend decided this year we were going to get out early this year so we don't do what we did last year, which was get out fishing very late summer, remember we like it and then have little time left to do much fishing.
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Apr 5, 2013 03:43
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^ Nice fish! We had our trout opener here this past weekend and it was packed! That morning I caught my first pickerel followed by seven of his buddies and three small LMB yet zero trout. The pickerel were great fun to reel in. I thought maybe that school of pickerel hanging by the good cover I was fishing scared the trout away from that area. These things weren't huge about the same size as most of the trout. Anyone have an idea if this theory may be correct? I couldn't find another area to fish because they were all taken. One of the pickerel I caught without hooking. The little guy just refused to let go of my minnow but didn't bite high enough to catch the hook. I landed him this way and had to literally pull him off the minnow because he wouldn't open his mouth. Pickerel are kind of awesome. I went out a couple days later when it was less crowded and fished nearby and finally caught these two guys... 
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Apr 5, 2013 15:01
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Took the new yak out and paddled around a bit. Handles pretty well, feels stable, etc... I tried to take it pretty easy but still ended up with a blister. That'll be fun tomorrow when I actually take it out to go fishing! Should be a really nice day to be out. Except that it's apparently going to be pretty windy. I swear to god this has to be the windiest place on earth. I don't care what Chicago thinks. One quick question, leaving it tied down on my roof rack overnight shouldn't do any damage should it? fknlo fucked around with this message at 00:45 on Apr 6, 2013 |
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Apr 6, 2013 00:42
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Bangkero posted:hey need some goony feedback on this. I'm venturing into fly fishing this season and am trying to make some beginner purchases. Does that help ya out?
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Apr 6, 2013 03:49
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First fish of the season! Caught it on my first cast. Second cast had me catching my other rod. Third cast and I lost the lure 20 feet up a tree  . Didn't even get a nibble the rest of the day. The wind was pretty brutal. 20kt wind with gusts pushing 30kts makes it hard to do much. Can't wait to get back out.
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Apr 6, 2013 20:56
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fknlo posted:Took the new yak out and paddled around a bit. Handles pretty well, feels stable, etc... I tried to take it pretty easy but still ended up with a blister. That'll be fun tomorrow when I actually take it out to go fishing! Should be a really nice day to be out. Except that it's apparently going to be pretty windy. I swear to god this has to be the windiest place on earth. I don't care what Chicago thinks. I leave mine on top of my car over night all the time for the last 6 years for early morning trips and have never had a issue with warping the kayak. The key is not to tighten the straps down tight enough to where the kayak is starting to bend/warp/give in at all, this will cause potential damage over time to your kayak. If you are worried about it, just toss it on the car, secure it loosely that night and just tighten the straps before you leave in the morning. Also if you haven't looked into a milk crate for your kayak, do a google search and get some ideas for one. You can buy them for $20 or so or make one for a few bucks, it is pretty much a milk crate with pvc pole holders attached to it. The crate is a great way to secure all your gear, loose tackle, odds and ends and it makes loading all your stuff to and from your car a lot faster. Kind of keeps all of your equipment secured in one central easy to reach area in the back cargo area of your kayak.
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Apr 7, 2013 02:57
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Rythe posted:I leave mine on top of my car over night all the time for the last 6 years for early morning trips and have never had a issue with warping the kayak. The key is not to tighten the straps down tight enough to where the kayak is starting to bend/warp/give in at all, this will cause potential damage over time to your kayak. If you are worried about it, just toss it on the car, secure it loosely that night and just tighten the straps before you leave in the morning. My main straps are the hand tightened kind, so hopefully that will help with getting them too tight. I did consider loosening them up overnight but didn't do it. I've seen quite a few pictures of the milk crate setups but haven't really thought about making one just yet. It's definitely something I might do though. Hopefully my last question about this, but the kayak should be fine like this or should I turn it over? I was hoping I wouldn't have to use the basement storage rooms but it's by far the easiest storage solution at the moment. 
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Apr 7, 2013 03:58
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As long as the kayak is not resting on the concrete itself and yours is up on pool noodles it should be fine, I have kept my Outback like that for a long time with no issues.
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Apr 7, 2013 05:35
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Is there a reason you shouldn't put a kayak on concrete? I wouldn't think they're heavy enough to deform under their own weight.
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Apr 7, 2013 15:49
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Dik Hz posted:When you're starting out, it'll be easier to fish the upper limit on the rod. A reel is lowest priority. In fly fishing it's only used to store line. Pick a line to match your rods. A WF7F would work with either rod. 7-weight is a good starting spot for bass and pike. Clouser minnows are the go-to for bass and pike. Get a variety of colors. White/blue is the best, imho. amazing thanks, totally helps me out and makes things clearer knowing that the rod is key. I knew I could count on you for good advice. A lot better than the BPS douchebag. I actually picked up a used but great condition redington 7/9 reel off kijiji for $50, so after hearing your advice I'm glad I got it instead of a smaller one. So as a beginner, I should use the 8.5 rod with WF7F fly line. I won't cheap out so I'll get a mid-priced line. I'll be ordering flies from here. Will definitely grab some clouser minnows thanks. edit: just purchased $75 worth of flies. Boy that was fun picking them! I had lots of fun yesterday when my buddy took me out to try his rods. Can't wait to set up mine! rant: The BPS guy was a super crotchety condescending douche-bag who wouldn't answer my questions unless I bought poo poo, saying to me "you buy your setup here and we'll help you out..." And then when I began asking him about setting up the backing, fly line, leader, etc. he just said "YOU don't need to know that stuff - we'll set it up for you so you don't have to worry about it." gently caress you rear end in a top hat, part of learning fly fishing is how to do all that knot tying poo poo by myself.  /end rant
Bangkero fucked around with this message at 04:27 on Apr 8, 2013 |
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Apr 7, 2013 23:52
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Haha that's ludicrous, is he going to come with you and tie your leader and hooks on when you need to switch? I dunno, I'd ask an employee like that if they could direct me to someone else in their department "who may be more willing (or able) to help me." Like maybe his manager.
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Apr 11, 2013 19:24
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Anyone ever use cicadas as bait? Someone over in the cicada thread suggested it and BROOD II is invading my area soon. I figure the fish will get very used to them as a familiar food source.
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Apr 11, 2013 20:16
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EnsignVix posted:Anyone ever use cicadas as bait? Someone over in the cicada thread suggested it and BROOD II is invading my area soon. I figure the fish will get very used to them as a familiar food source. Was wondering the same thing, hopefully we get some in southern MA.
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Apr 11, 2013 21:36
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Went out again today, caught a crappie. Water temps are still in the low 50's, so hopefully it will pick up here soon.   The wind really is a bitch though. I'll try and figure out where I want to go based on the forecast winds, but the wind is all "gently caress you buddy" and blows from all directions at the same time.
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Apr 14, 2013 04:32
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Yeah wind is a pain in the rear end at times on a kayak, glad I have a Hobie though, the wind doesn't bother me as much when I am in my Outback versus other kayaks. A rudder will help with control a bit in the wind, especially if the wind is at your back and you can just let it push you down a shore line while controlling the boat with a rudder. Things like a stake out pole or a drift sock are really nice to have if you fish in areas that are constantly windy, I built a nice stakeout pole for about $6 in materials and it works wonders in my area for keeping me in one place with the wind. Keeps the kayak steady enough, I can fish while standing comfortably.
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Apr 14, 2013 08:03
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Rythe posted:Yeah wind is a pain in the rear end at times on a kayak, glad I have a Hobie though, the wind doesn't bother me as much when I am in my Outback versus other kayaks. A rudder will help with control a bit in the wind, especially if the wind is at your back and you can just let it push you down a shore line while controlling the boat with a rudder. I've gotten decent at controlling my drift when trolling for crappie just using my paddle as a rudder. Still haven't gotten it down when casting though. At some point in the near future I'll get an anchor trolley set up for a drift sock or stake pole. I was going to out today since it's really nice but I don't feel like dealing with a constant 20 knot wind.
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Apr 14, 2013 17:14
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coyo7e posted:Haha that's ludicrous, is he going to come with you and tie your leader and hooks on when you need to switch?  (jokes - youtube and google helped me out). I also found time to browse the past fishing thread, which has tons of fly fishing info. Thanks goons, time for some fly fishing!
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Apr 14, 2013 18:37
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fknlo posted:I've gotten decent at controlling my drift when trolling for crappie just using my paddle as a rudder. Still haven't gotten it down when casting though. At some point in the near future I'll get an anchor trolley set up for a drift sock or stake pole. I was going to out today since it's really nice but I don't feel like dealing with a constant 20 knot wind. I need to get an anchor trolley one of these days, I can probably make one for a few bucks with some basic stuff from Lowes. Thankfully I can tie my stakeout pole off to a cleat on my kayak, let myself drift until the line gets tight, then I can just stand up to fish fairly easily. I do have everything loaded up on my car today, going to head out early tomorrow morning to get a few hours of fishing in before work. I want to host a fish fry sometime soon so I need to get out on the water to stock up on some Crappie and Sand Bass. Hopefully I will have a good report sometime tomorrow.
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Apr 14, 2013 21:24
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Took my daughter out for her first fishing trip of the year; she's turning 5 this summer. She still gets bored with casting and asks for help, but boy does she love reeling in those fish. I remember finding fishing boring as a kid, too -- you're out there in the great outdoors and your dad wants you to sit still and watch a bobber? So I didn't make a big deal about it, let her run around and explore, and then just called her back periodically to practice a cast, retrieve her line, watch me apply new bait, or bring in a fish. Meaning, you know, two fish. A little pumpkinseed and a little perch. We were getting harassed by perch all afternoon, but all the store had were big fat nightcrawlers and the little perch had no problem just picking them off the hooks. I am far from an expert angler, since I basically hated it as a kid and then left it alone for 20 years and started it up again recently. But my impression is for these little guys, small worms to go on your small hooks is probably preferable... I also tried to get in a little fly-rod cast practice but my daughter was way too curious and all I could picture was embedding that hook in her neck and having to explain that one to mommy when we got home, so, yeah.
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Apr 28, 2013 14:03
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Sounds like you two had a great time. I like your approach to teaching her to fish, let her discover it at her own pace. Just cut the worm in half and put it on the hook. I do this sometimes with shrimp of small fish are bait stealing. Smaller bait and smaller hooks will get those smaller fish. tesilential fucked around with this message at 04:24 on Apr 29, 2013 |
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Apr 29, 2013 04:12
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I had an interesting day fishing that ended up with me giving an owl a kayak ride. Poor guy got his leg stuck between a nest box and the tree. Got him down and handed him over to animal control. Hope he makes it  I'll be honest, I didn't think my first time standing in the kayak would involve rescuing an owl.
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Apr 29, 2013 04:37
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fly fishing chat: trout season just opened in Ontario this past weekend so my buddies and I went and did some fly fishing. It was awesome and watching all those orvis videos really helped out with my cast. My buddy caught this little fella using my fly:  The fly was a big success so I want to get some more. Anyone know the name of the 5 flies on the lid in the pic (closest to the top, not including the worm)?
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Apr 30, 2013 06:05
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Bangkero posted:fly fishing chat:
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Apr 30, 2013 23:33
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Fishing thread! I knew there had to be one somewhere on SA. I went out for this first time this season, my friends and I were mostly fishing for crappie but I landed some nice bass.   Hopefully I didn't stress them out too much since the bass opener isn't for another few weeks. The second one was either eating really well or was gravid, probably both. I AM CARVALLO fucked around with this message at 01:21 on May 8, 2013 |
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May 8, 2013 01:19
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^^^ not to bad for some early season bass, it is crappie spawning season in North TX now, just need to find some time to get the kayak on the water and catch myself some dinner.
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May 11, 2013 02:50
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Rythe posted:^^^ not to bad for some early season bass, it is crappie spawning season in North TX now, just need to find some time to get the kayak on the water and catch myself some dinner. I think the weather is finally going to normalize a bit here, so hopefully the action will start to pick up. It's been a pretty lovely season so far. I do have some pics of the owl I rescued the other day. He made it and they released him a few days later     He just chilled there for the mile or so paddle back to the launch.
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May 11, 2013 03:59
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^^^you good sir are an awesome human being. Also the pictures of the owl on the raft make the owl look so pissed at you.
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May 11, 2013 04:15
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ManiacMatt posted:^^^you good sir are an awesome human being. Owls are always pissed at everything. Doesn't make them any less awesome, or fknlo any less badass for nursing the little bastard back to health. Did you chew up a mouse and puke it into his mouth?
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May 11, 2013 16:53
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I have a question for the yak angling goons. I've decided to get a kayak to fish from, and paddle around local lakes and rivers wishing i was at the ocean trying to get more in touch with my inner parrothead. Anyway I've got it narrowed down to 2 maybe 3 yaks the Malibu Stealth 12(currently in the lead), Stealth 14, and the X-factor. The reason for leaning towards such big boats is I'm a pretty big dude and by big I mean fat(6'1" 330lbs). Which yak should I get? I have no way of paddling each one around before buying one. I'm half afraid that the 12' boat even though it has a 450lb weight limit won't be enough boat for me, a couple rods, tackle, and a cooler. At the same time I'm afraid the 14 foot boats will be too much boat for the local rivers.
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May 12, 2013 05:50
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I fish from a SUP, not a yak but I can say my buddies 15' prowler has never been too much boat for the narrow and shallow creeks we fish often. the biggest negative about the big yaks is their weight imo.
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May 12, 2013 15:15
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fps_bill posted:I have a question for the yak angling goons. I've decided to get a kayak to fish from, and paddle around local lakes and rivers wishing i was at the ocean trying to get more in touch with my inner parrothead. A 14 foot kayak will be great for lake and most river fishing, they will paddle well, track easily and handle great on the water. Even if you plan on fishing streams and small rivers a 14 foot kayak should not be too much of a issue on the water. Decide what your main body of water is going to be and get a kayak for that, if you are going to spend 90% of the time on big lakes and rivers, I wouldn't worry about size to much then. If you have the cash take a look at the Hobie Outbacks, they have a nice wide body, 21 ft long, and can support a fair amount of weight and they are a outstanding lake and river kayak. Kind of sucks you don't have the chance to get inside of one and paddle it before making a purchase, it is really nice to give them a test drive before you make a big purchase.
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May 12, 2013 17:54
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tesilential posted:I fish from a SUP, not a yak but I can say my buddies 15' prowler has never been too much boat for the narrow and shallow creeks we fish often. the biggest negative about the big yaks is their weight imo. I'll second this. My <60 lb kayak can be tough to lug around, though I can get it on and off my car by myself easy enough. Anything bigger (like those 80 lb ride 13s) would probably be an issue.
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May 12, 2013 19:16
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Some Other Guy posted:I'll second this. My <60 lb kayak can be tough to lug around, though I can get it on and off my car by myself easy enough. Anything bigger (like those 80 lb ride 13s) would probably be an issue. My Jackson isn't exactly light, but I can get it on and off my car with only minor tweaking of my back! I wouldn't be a fan if it were much heavier.
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May 12, 2013 21:52
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