Fishstix024

Optima Blue top group 31. Never let me down. Youcan check PepBoys website and they sometimes run a sale for buy online, pickup instore and save 20-25%. I saved $70 on my last battery...

I think I'm right there with you. For CA standards has to be a teener Largie or 8+ Spot.

Over the weekend I fished the WWBT series event as a Co-Angler at New Melones here in NorCal. My 1st day Pro is a well know guide at Clearlake and a bigbait guy. We hit it off well and fishing was pretty good. No fish on the big baits, but we each boated over 20 fish each for decent limits. While we were talking big baits he pulls out a Baitsmith I'd never seen before. It was a super slow sink Mag with bottom hook hangers. He made a few casts and it swimming similar to a nail weighted ROF 0 Hudd, just under the surface. Turns out this is an older bait and no longer in production. Here in CA with our ultra clear lakes, baits that can be fished in the top 2ft of water can be deadly. I've seen fish pull off the bottom in 20-30ft, just to come up to inspect a big bait on the surface. My question for SU is: Has anyone ever cut out the harness on their mag and removed some or all of the weight, then reinstalled the harness? I've heard it is possible, just not a common mod. Not gonna lie, i'm pretty hesitant to cut into one of my favorite mags to attempt the mod.

I couldn't keep the Spots off the carp flavored Mag. 5 bites in a couple hours, 3 stuck, 2-6lb spots. This was the biggest.

IN

BA/BC find em on Instagram

That looks like the fish that tried to eat a 1/2lber I had hooked on the dropshot last week. Some absolute MONSTERS in Melones!

Has anyone fished the new model Defiant 210 yet? I owned two of the previous 232 models and neither would swim straight. I'm wondering if the new versions are more consistent or if they solved the hook harness issues.

Conditions were damn near perfect last Friday. Couple days before the full moon, Rain, Wind and a little snow.. After missing a solid 6-7lber on the glide, I regrouped and made a deep cast over a submerged island. As the mag crept over the hump I see a big follower. She flared up and ate it in 4ft of water pretty close to the boat. My scale is super old and said 8.3lbs and I didn't believe, so I calibrated it at home and it was off a little over a pound. So she ended up being around 9.5 I was so amped I didn't even think about the monthly tourney! And I released her before it dawned on me. FML!!! Kit used was: Phenix 909XH Guru Rods custom wrap Daiwa Ryoga P-Line 20lb Soft Flouro Baitsmith Mag Blue Mist

IN

This is my first monthly tourney. Do we post our entries on this thread? I've got a small fish I might have to enter...

Fun weekend up at the lake! Stuck a nice 5lb Spot. Then dumped a 9lb largie at the boat! Next day, had a few short strikes, then this 5lb chunk committed.

Great write up. Melones can be daunting if you've never been there. Like you said it's huge and deeeep!! I've been fishing up there since Xmas break and have been killing them on finesse. 20-30 fish per trip dragging drop shots and ned rigs. Nothing huge but tons of those 1-3lb spots. The water temps are supriseingly warm, 52-55 degrees. So, when those storms roll in we've had some decent response on the glides up shallow. I've had a couple fish nose or grab the 250 but haven't hooked any. Last week I had a slob 8-9lb largie hot on my Hudd but also didn't commit. I'm ready for spring, when those fish get shallow and the glidebait bite goes off! There are some GIANT spots in there...I saw a few over 7lbs last spring.. Here's a few fish from last year.

I fish the CA Delta for big striper most of the year. ALL of my set ups have 55-80lb braid and 3ft 30lb mono leaders. I have no issues throwing 250s and magnum topwater baits on these kits. If I fished straight mono, I'd lose hundreds of dollars in baits just to snags.. The rod and drag needs to compensate for the lack of stretch in the braid. Back the drag off a bit and a rod with some tip so you don't pull hooks. If you get down there and the river is free of wood or rocks, you should stick with what your comfortable with. I'm just suggesting you throw in a spool of braid just in case. "Better to pack it and not use it, than not pack it and need it!"

Good luck on you trip! I don't have any experience with the Dorados, but if I were going I'd throw in a spool of braid. If the water is off color and you're using a wire leader, the fish probably aren't line shy. If you get hung up in cover or have a fish run into cover, I would want the strength of braid to pull it out.. Just my 2 cents.

In

I've had hooks go past the barb twice. Both were Owner ST-56 3X 1/0 hooks. Both on stripers. I got lucky both times. first time was a good sized, 15lber, It hooked my hand while hooked in the mouth. One big head shake and it ripped it out of my hand, very lucky. Second was a smaller 18" fish, again hooked my hand while it was hooked in the mouth. Fish shook so crazy I dropped the fish and it also pulled the hook out. Either time the hook could of gone deeper and made it worse, i got lucky and the hooks popped out!