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T-Square posted:Also have seen it recommended a hundred times to take a quick fly fishing lesson if you’re interested in it, and my girlfriend has mentioned she would love to get into fly fishing. I did not see anything from a cursory glance on BassProShop’s website though, do they not do anything like that anymore? I don’t think Bass Pro Shops offer fly fishing classes. At least they don’t near me. There are a couple of routes you can take to get started. 1) Look for independent fly shops around you that host classes. The two shops near me charge 75-80 bucks for theirs. 2)Look for the nearest Orvis store and sign up for fly fishing 101. This is what I did because it’s free. Just know all of their advice is based around Orvis gear. Orvis makes really good fishing equipment but their stores are like 90% upper middle class outdoorsy clothing with some fishing rods and a few flies in the corner. An independent fly shop is going to be much more focused on selling all the stuff you’ll want to use for fishing and won’t be limited to a single brand. There is a ton of fly fishing stuff that is expensive because people like it to be expensive. The returns in quality compared to price are rapidly diminishing though. It’s mostly just rich people wanting expensive handcrafted stuff that catches fish just like the mass produced versions do. Just don’t feel like you have to drop a grand or more on a setup to get out on the water. Hekk fucked around with this message at 16:12 on Jun 9, 2023 |
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Jun 9, 2023 16:06
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T-Square posted:Couple of questions, I think I read in here as I was making my way through this thread some small discussion on tackle satchels with a little fold out table surface? I think something like that would work great for me if anyone has a recommendation, I’m already kinda sick of lugging around a big plastic tackle box. You might want to look to see if there are any fly fishing specific stores in your area. Like an Orvis store. They often have fly fishing lessons. That being said, it's not the hardest thing in the world to figure out. I learned on my own by just casting in my yard. And this was before the days of YouTube so now I'm sure you can find tons of instructional videos on there.
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Jun 9, 2023 16:06
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Okay, yeah I’m pretty sure I saw a small fly fishing shop out of the corner of my eye driving the other day, maybe I’ll investigate Google maps and see if that’s what I did see and give them a call. Also yeah, I saw some reasonably priced beginner oriented stuff on BPS’s website, I’m definitely not going to drop $500 for each of us on a rod and reel lol
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Jun 9, 2023 17:03
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Yeah if you are going to splurge anywhere, spend up on your fly line. Of all your pieces of gear, it’ll have the most impact on how easy it is to put your casts where you are aiming.
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Jun 9, 2023 17:21
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Orvis Encounter fly rod outfit is currently $198. Kelly Galloup said good things about the Echo Traverse at $269. I wouldn’t go lower than either of those TBH. You’re gonna beat the poo poo out of whatever line you get, so I wouldn’t go buying Rio Gold just yet. If the hobby sticks, one of the above outfits will eventually serve as a good backup/beater rod. If it doesn’t, you can either re-sell it or keep it around and it’ll still be a good setup in ten years if you get the itch again. Avoid house brands or Amazon outfits. They’re awful and will work against you. Watch Pete Kutzer’s (Orvis) videos on YouTube. Learn how to do a standard cast and a water haul. Those two casts will be what you use 90% of the time. Film yourself — you’ll rush your casts until you learn to load the rod. Practice, a lot. Important for later: If you gently caress up a cast, or a hook set, do not under any circumstances let the line go slack on itself. Send it out somewhere else; out to the side, behind you, upriver, down river. Letting the line go slack as it’s moving is where almost all of your tangles will come from. So just put this in your back pocket for now. If there’s a Fly Fishing 101 in your area, take it. After your first few days on the river — or when you feel like your learning has plateaued — consider getting a guided trip. They seem expensive but you will generally get your money’s worth in experiential knowledge. Just let your guide know what you want out of the day
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Jun 9, 2023 23:36
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I think I've mentioned it before but one of my fishing buddies decided he wanted to try fly fishing so he went to walmart and bought the Walmart fly fishing combo rod, reel, and line for like $40. Then he got drunk as hell and we went to the river. He had never even held a fly rod before and he caught more trout than i did by drunkenly flailing his line & fly around.
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Jun 10, 2023 00:11
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Fly fishing is great, have been doing it on and off my whole life. The absolute best of it (in my opinion) is dry fly fishing to rising trout. Your not fishing you're hunting. Barely got out this year due to work taking me abroad but I had a couple of days at the start of the mayfly hatch on my local lake. Got nothing during the day, too hot and bright with no wind. But I stayed out getting roasted in the boat on the promise of a fall of spent mayfly. When mayfly mate they leave the shelter of the trees in the evening as the light goes down and lay their eggs out on the water then drop onto the surface and die. So much food and an easy meal can bring big trout up to the surface to feed and you can have breathtaking sport when it all comes together. Spotting the fish, getting ahead of where its going and dropping a fly onto it's nose, the tension while you wait for the take and then the strike. It's absolutely gratifying when you get it right. That evening I spotted a fish quietly sucking fly down in the lee of a small island with a good localised fall of spent mayfly, he wasn't breaking the surface all you could see was a little ring where the fly dissappeared. Big trout often do this cause the big ones are lazy and it takes little energy to do. The water where he was patrolling was like glass so I changed my tippet down to 4lb fluorocarbon and waited and waited till I could cover him with a fly, trying to move a boat too much in flat calm conditions to get near would spook him straight away. Finally I get my chance, one, two takes in front of me moving right to left. I cast and absolutely nail it, there's a pause while I wait like a coiled spring and then with a subtle pop and a dimple in the water my fly disappears, I lift the rod and there's just solid resistance, no jump or splash as I set the hook. The fish just runs out towards the deep and I hand play line out as much as it wants cause this is a good one and I'm on 4lb line. I have him on for 10 seconds maybe and the bend in the rod springs straight and my line floats back to the surface minus my fly. I've played big trout on light tippet before and landed them. But the pull when that one ran was phenomenal. That was one for a glass case, a little brass plaque saying where and when I caught him up on the wall in my family's little fishing cottage. I also broke in another decent but not as big fish about 15 mins later because I think I was pissed off and struck too hard when my fly was taken. Had to leave to fly out to work again the next day and I haven't been able to get back since. In summary fly fishing is absolutely heartbreaking but enthralling.
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Jun 10, 2023 00:25
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titties posted:I think I've mentioned it before but one of my fishing buddies decided he wanted to try fly fishing so he went to walmart and bought the Walmart fly fishing combo rod, reel, and line for like $40. Your friend gets it. Fly fishing and fly fishing gear is dumb. Yes, I am an avid fly fisherman.
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Jun 10, 2023 00:30
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Having better build quality, better line, and a warranty on a rod for not that much more is pretty great actually! edit: Mukulu posted:Fly fishing and fly fishing gear is dumb. I mean this is true, too. It’s the telemark of fishing. waffle enthusiast fucked around with this message at 03:01 on Jun 10, 2023 |
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Jun 10, 2023 02:40
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waffle enthusiast posted:Having better build quality, better line, and a warranty on a rod for not that much more is pretty great actually! There is something to be said for enjoying the experience of casting a smooth fly line using a well balanced rod that seems to flex exactly how you want it to when casting. Almost like the setup becomes an extension of your arm and you are operating in perfect unison. Feeling that good about how great all of your equipment feels makes up for how many lovely outings you can have trying to catch things on a fly. It's not essential to catch fish but nice gear is more fun to use. Maybe not as fun to pay for, but what is?
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Jun 10, 2023 03:59
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Trip Report! We arrived at the Park just after lunch, got the boat ($100 CAD / Day), setup camp and then went out fishing. Anchored off an island in about 10 ft of water and casted towards shore. First cast was a hit on a 3/8 oz jig that landed me a 31" walleye. We picked up one more small walleye and one pike. Lots and lots and lots of snags. I spent as much time fishing as I did tying new jig heads. The mosquitos were exquisitely relentless at the cleaning station. Day two got us a couple of more fish, lots more snags, and a sunburn on the kiddo. Day three was a single walleye and then a cold front moved in. By dinner time we had driving rain and a north wind, so we returned the boat and hunkered down. Drove into Chapleau for some gummy worms to get out of the rain. The next morning was about 42F and rainy, so we made a hasty teardown and headed back south. Issues, I forgot/lost my forceps. This proved troublesome with the pike. We had some rapalas I'd retrofitted with barbless single hooks and it was so incredibly nice. I'd have loved it if all of my lures were barbless. In hindsight I should have rigged a slip bobber with a jig and let the kiddo cast those, it would have saved me a lot of knot tying time. Canadians are so nice. I know it's almost stereotypical, but everyone we talked to was friendly, eager to show us how to catch fish, told stories, joked with the kiddo, it was really a great experience. I saw zero of the fishing hustle crew people anywhere it was very refreshing. 
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Jun 12, 2023 14:38
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Went to gently caress around at a local lake with a couple buddies and some tiny ugly stik dock runner combos. Caught zero crappie or blue gill, but a 5lb catfish, two 5lb bowfins, and an unending tide of 2lb large mouth bass made the day exciting as hell. That 4lb test those rods come with can take a beating before it snaps. I also caught a literal half pound bass on a 1/4 ounce spoon I found in the road. Great day, we're going back in less than a week. Regardless of groupthink, hot pink rooster tails can absolutely annihilate bowfin. Good god.
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Jun 12, 2023 21:44
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We're going back tomorrow and I have procured about 30 bucks in spoons and rooster tails. I'm coming out with a ten pound bowfin I swear to god
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Jun 13, 2023 23:32
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that rules, and honestly I'm gonna get a few of those combos and do the same. Thanks and good luck!
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Jun 14, 2023 00:31
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SeaGoatSupreme posted:We're going back tomorrow and I have procured about 30 bucks in spoons and rooster tails. I'm coming out with a ten pound bowfin I swear to god So like 3 roster tails and 2 spoons
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Jun 14, 2023 05:42
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Rev. Bleech_ posted:I probably mentioned it here before, but a dude once walked me through how to catch gar easy. Then he just paused and said "of course then the problem is you have a gar." Late response to this but yea, I get into bowfin all the time. I also caught that gar (florida gar) finally on an EWG and a piece of hotdog, my son and his buddies were fishing for bream and the gar was hiding out under the dock and taking the pieces of hotdog they were dropping, so I put one on and he smashed it, I don't know that I set the hook so much as just got him snagged up and out of the water, since he threw it once he was on the dock. I've heard bowfin (we call them muds) being a good fight but every one I've caught just kinda goes lazy after the initial jerk, like reeling in a milk jug. I'm not a huge fan tbh. Chain picks fight pretty good, I've had a few of them come all the way out of the water thrashing which is always a hell of a thrill. But yea its amazing, I see on facebook some guy posting a pic of a mud and everyone is like 'oh thats a snakehead' like no, no it isn't do you even fish??? Haven't been on any big bass lately, just in a slump I guess, biggest was a 4lber, lots of 1.5 to 2lbs. Right now in central FL the problem is the drat gators, there are babies everywhere and they just zoom towards your lure like a homing missile. I did the local lake tourney here and got last place and second to last place, there's two dudes that go every week and they pull in like 18+ on 3 fish like weekly, so obviously they have a nice pile marked somewhere and get to it in a hurry in a 250hp bass boat. The scuttlebutt around the lake though is that someone marked their pile and got to it before them one week, so they went out the next day and tore it out (this is probably not true, it was relayed to me by my neighbor who had it told to him by a guy that helps him do remodels). I'll be heading north this weekend for vacation to get in some trout fishing, can't wait. I guess that kinda begs a question thats been bugging me, last time I went (think wv/va area) I wore neoprene waders in march since the water was cold and I'm a bit of a pussy. I'll be there late June now, I assume neoprene is going to be too hot, do you just use regular waders, or are those too hot and if no waders, then what just trunks and some felt boots? I could also just do shorts and bare foot it I guess.
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Jun 14, 2023 14:39
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durabrand107 posted:Late response to this but yea, I get into bowfin all the time. I also caught that gar (florida gar) finally on an EWG and a piece of hotdog, my son and his buddies were fishing for bream and the gar was hiding out under the dock and taking the pieces of hotdog they were dropping, so I put one on and he smashed it, I don't know that I set the hook so much as just got him snagged up and out of the water, since he threw it once he was on the dock. I'm not sure if this helps answer your question at all but I live a bit further north than VA (Central NJ) and I was knee deep in the surf on the beach a couple weeks ago just wearing shorts and it was very nice. I'm guessing freshwater wouldn't feel any different. So chances are waders might feel a bit too hot for where you're going.
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Jun 15, 2023 06:06
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durabrand107 posted:I'll be heading north this weekend for vacation to get in some trout fishing, can't wait. I guess that kinda begs a question thats been bugging me, last time I went (think wv/va area) I wore neoprene waders in march since the water was cold and I'm a bit of a pussy. I'll be there late June now, I assume neoprene is going to be too hot, do you just use regular waders, or are those too hot and if no waders, then what just trunks and some felt boots? I could also just do shorts and bare foot it I guess. Depending on water cleanliness and/or temperature I use either normal stockingfoot gore-tex/waterproof breathable waders with insulating layers as needed or lack thereof if not or just shorts/fast dry pants with wading socks and wading boots. https://korkers.com/collections/fishing-components/products/25mm-i-drain-wading-socks?variant=24522193567844 Wading socks don't really keep your feet dry but they do help with fit and keeping sand/mud/etc off your skin.
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Jun 15, 2023 20:10
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How durable are the soles on those, do you get any sharp rock/stick/etc protection?
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Jun 15, 2023 20:21
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the yeti posted:How durable are the soles on those, do you get any sharp rock/stick/etc protection? Oh, to be clear you wear them AND wading boots. I use these https://korkers.com/collections/fishing-footwear/products/darkhorse?variant=24521963176036
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Jun 15, 2023 20:27
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titties posted:So like 3 roster tails and 2 spoons A half dozen rooster tails and 3 spoons, but yeah. poo poo is way more expensive than I remember it being. Nailed another 5lb bowfin, somehow got a lot of 1-2lb catfish, and my buddy nailed a 6lb bass on a weird spinner bait looking thing. It looked absolutely wild in the water. Action shots from Monday and wednesday:    
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Jun 15, 2023 20:32
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been going out on the kayak on calm mornings at sunrise, catching little bass on senkos in the weeds. done texas rig for most of my life but tried wacky rig with a weed guard today and got some with that.
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Jun 15, 2023 20:34
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SeaGoatSupreme posted:A half dozen rooster tails and 3 spoons, but yeah. poo poo is way more expensive than I remember it being. Nailed another 5lb bowfin, somehow got a lot of 1-2lb catfish, and my buddy nailed a 6lb bass on a weird spinner bait looking thing. It looked absolutely wild in the water. I had never even seen a bowfin until a couple years ago when i found 2 of them left on the rocks, holed by spear or arrows and left to die. I'd really like to catch one, if only for the novelty. That's a rad bass too, I'd like to know what the weird spinnerbait was that your friend was throwing. If it's not too much trouble, would you ask him what it was? tia
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Jun 16, 2023 07:59
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titties posted:I had never even seen a bowfin until a couple years ago when i found 2 of them left on the rocks, holed by spear or arrows and left to die. I'd really like to catch one, if only for the novelty. A jackhammer chatter bait in nuclear orange.  I hope you find a good sized bowfin, they fight like fish twice their size. On a three foot rod it is a thrill unlike any other.
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Jun 16, 2023 21:33
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I went to the sporting goods store to get some small lures for panfishing and came out with a teeny 5’ ultralight rod and I blame this thread for my actions It’s adorable and I can’t wait to put a reel on it and catch some lil guys
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Jun 16, 2023 23:04
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T-Square posted:I went to the sporting goods store to get some small lures for panfishing and came out with a teeny 5’ ultralight rod and I blame this thread for my actions purchase some 2 pound line from an online store and proceed to cast a mile.
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Jun 16, 2023 23:18
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Sickening posted:purchase some 2 pound line from an online store and proceed to cast a mile. Noted! Definitely going to look into setting this one up nicely for some good fun
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Jun 16, 2023 23:58
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T-Square posted:I went to the sporting goods store to get some small lures for panfishing and came out with a teeny 5’ ultralight rod and I blame this thread for my actions It's really drat fun to catch some big guys on an ultralight rod too. Catching a 5 pound largemouth bass on a rod meant for catching bluegills is thrilling as hell and teaches you good fighting techniques.
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Jun 16, 2023 23:59
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T-Square posted:I went to the sporting goods store to get some small lures for panfishing and came out with a teeny 5’ ultralight rod and I blame this thread for my actions As a fellow TFF sicko, I have to admire your commitment to jumping feet first into any hobby. 
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Jun 17, 2023 00:48
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I have a 4.5 foot Shakespeare microspin rod and its like trying to fish with a licorice rope, it's great
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Jun 17, 2023 01:14
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LeeMajors posted:As a fellow TFF sicko, I have to admire your commitment to jumping feet first into any hobby. Haha hell yeah brother, I’ve noticed you keep popping up in a lot of the threads I’ve been branching out into
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Jun 17, 2023 03:15
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T-Square posted:Haha hell yeah brother, I’ve noticed you keep popping up in a lot of the threads I’ve been branching out into I’m a bit of a [lovely fisherman] myself Need to get out more—I’ve been slacking this year. Need to get my fly fishing down before I head out to CO too.
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Jun 17, 2023 03:20
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 Here's a brown trout I caught on the River Coln in England cheers m8s Jake Gittes fucked around with this message at 03:27 on Jun 17, 2023 |
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Jun 17, 2023 03:25
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I live near a very long, pretty wide river that I'm sure has plenty of Channel Catfish. It has current, but it's pretty mild. What's the most likely spots for the cats to hang out in? I imagine they don't like fighting the currents that much so maybe they hang out closer to the shoreline? Im just trying to figure out where to place my bait. I can cast about halfway across the river but I have a feeling the very center is probably the worst spot although it is the deepest so maybe the current is even milder there.
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Jun 17, 2023 04:47
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Charliegrs posted:I live near a very long, pretty wide river that I'm sure has plenty of Channel Catfish. It has current, but it's pretty mild. What's the most likely spots for the cats to hang out in? I imagine they don't like fighting the currents that much so maybe they hang out closer to the shoreline? Im just trying to figure out where to place my bait. I can cast about halfway across the river but I have a feeling the very center is probably the worst spot although it is the deepest so maybe the current is even milder there. they'll hang out near the current but not in it, laydowns, rocks, etc. they'll also be on the outside edge of curves. the current is slower there and can create undercuts in the bank.
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Jun 18, 2023 21:21
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was too windy to take the kayak out today so i cast my long-neglected baitcaster from the bank to give it a spin since i've been thinking about getting some fresh line and speed worms to rig it up and i caught a bass. classic.
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Jun 18, 2023 23:58
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Charliegrs posted:I live near a very long, pretty wide river that I'm sure has plenty of Channel Catfish. It has current, but it's pretty mild. What's the most likely spots for the cats to hang out in? I imagine they don't like fighting the currents that much so maybe they hang out closer to the shoreline? Im just trying to figure out where to place my bait. I can cast about halfway across the river but I have a feeling the very center is probably the worst spot although it is the deepest so maybe the current is even milder there. Your instinct is right. Much like goons - fish are lazy. They want to hang out in protected, oxygenated areas where they don't have to swim against current and can just hang out and wait for a meal to wash by downstream. This vid is for fly fishing for trout, but the same principles apply to channel catfish (or any fish in aby River situation). You'll find fish out in the middle of a river, but they're generally just transiting to somewhere else to find a meal - they won't be actively feeding out there. https://youtu.be/b2kVlP1pl1Y Jake Gittes fucked around with this message at 00:23 on Jun 19, 2023 |
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Jun 19, 2023 00:20
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Renewing my fishing licensee soon, hoping to take the daughter out a bit now that our lakes and reservoirs are not bone dry. Kind of stoked!
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Jun 19, 2023 20:23
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Crab season in Bremerton got announced. Sunday Monday starting in July. Sigh, gonna be burning a lot of sick time.
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Jun 20, 2023 06:02
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Girlfriend and I have booked a camping trip later this summer at a state park that has like 8+ lakes of various sizes and fish populations within it’s borders, I’m super excited to check out as many of them as we can. I also found out that she has been interested in and half-assed looking for a kayak, so looks like I’m gonna have to clean out and re-organize the garage to make space to hang a couple of them along the wall because drat it, if she’s getting one I’m getting me an angler kayak! And cross bars for my car. And kayak mounts for said cross bars. And probably a couple of kayak dollies.  I just wish the cool pedal powered ones weren’t so expensive 
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Jun 20, 2023 18:46
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