FishDr

Probably too late but hopefully it all worked out. I have traveled a lot with travel rod tubes and so far it has not been an issue. They fit in overhead bins on most smaller jets and on the bigger ones too. Just remember to grab the rods from the plane or shuttle when you leave. After a long set of flights it is easy to forget them.

Good point! Cutters are key — you should carry those anytime you’re on the water.

I think one of the Bailey brothers guides up there. It could be informative to fish with him if he’s got availability.

Awesome bag!

Great fish! Browns have just the right attitude to make the good swimbait targets.

Some good info has been posted. Also do a search for a video the Marbles or Swimbo did back in the day - lots of hard-won intel in there. Two things to remember - First, you can’t see hooks flying at your face in the dark so wear eye protection and carry a good set of pliers. Second, a lot of the strikes you will get night fishing will be at very short range - fish every cast to the very end and be ready to have the water erupt at the rod tip.

Follow the modified advice of Tuco in "The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly" - "When you have to shoot, shoot. Don't talk." When you have to fish, fish. Don't worry about the price. If you bought the bait to fish, then fish it. As others have said, having a backup plan in case you hang it up is a good thing, but I doubt there's a hardcore swimbait thrower on SU who hasn't lost at least one bait that left them staring forlornly across the water. Does it hurt? Yes. Will you do it again? Probably.

The only aesthetics that matter are whether the fish will hit the bait or not - how it looks to me is immaterial. Beyond that I frequently change out hooks for ones I have confidence in (ST-36s, ST-41s) but will only go up/down 1 size from the stock hooks. I generally trust bait makers to have figured out what size and style of hook works best for their products.

A house, on the beach, on the Cape.

Nice fish! It's always fun to run across walleye when throwing swimbaits.

Channels hit swimbaits surprisingly frequently. That’s a really good one!

Damn! I hope you got his registration numbers and/or video. Jackwagons like that need to be off the water.

In

First off, it is a good thing you’re okay - way toward your life vest. That’s a good write-up of a bad day - taking an h planned swim is never fun, and when someone else is at fault it’s even worse. Hopefully karma catches up with the boater.

Post away! SU can be good therapy for bad days of fishing, though sometimes the “therapists” are a bit blunt. As in “You thumb-locked your reel on a 90-lb fish with 50-lb line — what the heck did you think would happen next, fool?”

Capsizing at work makes for a very bad day. It is known.

Nice! Lake trout put up a tussle for sure!

Congratulations on a great fish!

Way to have a Plan B and Plan C! That is a heck of a bag for a short-range outing. It does look like you're trying to get your buddy to take a swipe at the lure! Love the water bottle decorations, too!

That's a tank of a fish! It's always good to see anglers get rewarded for the night shift.

Sweet flathead! I've always wanted to catch one on a swimbait but so far I haven't crossed paths with one. Did you slide it up on shore?

I think I'd either drag a weighted treble back and forth or maybe try the magnet (but first check to see if a Tranx is magnetic). Failing that, grab the mask, fins, and maybe a light wetsuit and dive. If you do dive, take a friend who stays above the water but who is keeping an eye on you.

I’ve used ROF 5 Hudds a lot at night while targeting big walleye in a lake that also has some decent bass. Interestingly, despite more hours spent fishing that lake than I care to admit, I’ve never caught a bass there on a Hudd at night, though I’ve caught them there by day. At night the bass on that lake seem to respond best to wakebaits, which I’ve used with success. I will say that the areas I fish for walleye and those I fish for bass only overlap a little, so that could be a big part of it.

Way to complete the slam! I miss peacocks - haven’t caught one since I fished in Panama with my dad. That snakehead is gorgeous!

in