Switching to a baitcast

[Darrell Green Fan]

I'm no ice fisherman

Tried it a few times, it's kind of cool when there's not much else to do in the winter. But I'm way too old for those hand augers with rusted blades now. I just figured you are in Michigan and it being December and all that you wouldn't have fishing options now.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

Tried it a few times, it's kind of cool when there's not much else to do in the winter. But I'm way too old for those hand augers with rusted blades now. I just figured you are in Michigan and it being December and all that you wouldn't have fishing options now.

The ice isn't thick enough yet. It's just glassing over in a few part. You could probably punch through most of it right now with a heavy jig. I tried ice fishing a few times but it's just not the same. It's a lot of work and then a lot of just sitting around in the cold waiting.

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

The ice isn't thick enough yet. It's just glassing over in a few part. You could probably punch through most of it right now with a heavy jig. I tried ice fishing a few times but it's just not the same. It's a lot of work and then a lot of just sitting around in the cold waiting.

Oh it's probably thick enough by the weekend to walk out. Why don't you try and and see, what could possibly go wrong?

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

Oh it's probably thick enough by the weekend to walk out. Why don't you try and and see, what could possibly go wrong?

Haha, no. It's barely been below freezing until this week. Heck, just yesterday we hit 50's temps...I actually thought about going out and giving it a few casts. I spent some time home yesterday with my sick kid and replaced the bail on my spinning rod that I bent up this season. Damn thing was tricky and still touches the bail a bit if I try and open it up when the line spindle is at it's highest point, not sure why that is. It's like the replacement part is a millimeter off in it's construction. But looks much better and I took the time to grease the gears up while I was messing around with it.

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

Haha, no. It's barely been below freezing until this week. Heck, just yesterday we hit 50's temps...I actually thought about going out and giving it a few casts. I spent some time home yesterday with my sick kid and replaced the bail on my spinning rod that I bent up this season. Damn thing was tricky and still touches the bail a bit if I try and open it up when the line spindle is at it's highest point, not sure why that is. It's like the replacement part is a millimeter off in it's construction. But looks much better and I took the time to grease the gears up while I was messing around with it.

Where do you live? My parents are both from Michigan, dad grew up on a farm near Kalamazoo and mom up north in Charlevoix. Know your state well, went there every summer. Took a few trips in the winter, yeah won't be doing that again.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

Where do you live? My parents are both from Michigan, dad grew up on a farm near Kalamazoo and mom up north in Charlevoix. Know your state well, went there every summer. Took a few trips in the winter, yeah won't be doing that again.

I'm basically in Ann Arbor, but don't live in the city. Closer to Dexter.

 

[Edisto_Tiger]

Speaking of new worms, I got a few of these "Castaic jerky J" baits and they're fantastic looking. Haven't gone out with them yet, mostly because the water is now freezing over up here, but it's the most realistic paint job I've seen on a soft bait. I got them in a "mystery tackle box" - a monthly thing where they send you 5 or so new baits based on the type of fishing you do - and this was in last months. At first, I thought they were preserved real minnows:
Castaic Baits Jerky J's 8pk

I thought about doing the mystery tackle box deal. Is it worth it? Looks like it would interesting/fun. Is it always tackle? Ever any gear/equipment?

 

[handicappers]

The ice isn't thick enough yet. It's just glassing over in a few part. You could probably punch through most of it right now with a heavy jig. I tried ice fishing a few times but it's just not the same. It's a lot of work and then a lot of just sitting around in the cold waiting.

Do you have power plant lakes in your neck of the woods?

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

Do you have power plant lakes in your neck of the woods?

Not in the immediate area, I think most around here empty into rivers -- so the water never gets warm enough to really impact the ice.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

I thought about doing the mystery tackle box deal. Is it worth it? Looks like it would interesting/fun. Is it always tackle? Ever any gear/equipment?

So I just get the basic box and I've gotten 2 so far and I think it's pretty fun/worth it. Lets you get or try things you might not have tried otherwise, or known about (as the soft bait above proves). It's always lures, never gear.

At minimum you get a nice discount on the lures. The basic box is $15 and the tackle/baits usually come out to the $20+ range if you were to buy them all individually. There's usually like one premium lure, a kind of middle of the road lure and then an assortment of plastics/hooks. I've gotten a couple of lucky craft crankbaits in the boxes so far that retail around $12. So just with that one lure it's almost totally paid for itself. My last box had some sort of fluke in it, a square bill crankbait, two plastics (one of which was the one listed above) and then a set of hooks for those plastics.

My only jab on the boxes is that it usually comes with "sample" soft baits. So instead of a full back of like 8-10, you get 4-5.

The other nice thing is that you take this long survey about how you fish and what you fish for, so they can customize the boxes for you specifically; down to the color of baits you like. So I've been pretty happy with their choices.

I have my 3rd box coming within the next week so I'll post some pics when it gets here with what was in it.

 

[Edisto_Tiger]

So I just get the basic box and I've gotten 2 so far and I think it's pretty fun/worth it. Lets you get or try things you might not have tried otherwise, or known about (as the soft bait above proves). It's always lures, never gear.

At minimum you get a nice discount on the lures. The basic box is $15 and the tackle/baits usually come out to the $20+ range if you were to buy them all individually. There's usually like one premium lure, a kind of middle of the road lure and then an assortment of plastics/hooks. I've gotten a couple of lucky craft crankbaits in the boxes so far that retail around $12. So just with that one lure it's almost totally paid for itself. My last box had some sort of fluke in it, a square bill crankbait, two plastics (one of which was the one listed above) and then a set of hooks for those plastics.

My only jab on the boxes is that it usually comes with "sample" soft baits. So instead of a full back of like 8-10, you get 4-5.

The other nice thing is that you take this long survey about how you fish and what you fish for, so they can customize the boxes for you specifically; down to the color of baits you like. So I've been pretty happy with their choices.

I have my 3rd box coming within the next week so I'll post some pics when it gets here with what was in it.

Nice. This may encourage me to do it.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

Nice. This may encourage me to do it.

Got my box today:

Love the crankbait color. Doesn't quite show in the picture but it has a kind of gloss to it that changes color a bit in different light. The jig is interesting to. Has kind of a flat weighted head under the normal round head so it causes it to bounce off the bottom at a unique angle. As you can see, the Jig/chunks and jig head/charlie worms are related to each other. But you can see, the worms are a smaller pack than normal.

 

[Edisto_Tiger]

Got my box today:

Love the crankbait color. Doesn't quite show in the picture but it has a kind of gloss to it that changes color a bit in different light. The jig is interesting to. Has kind of a flat weighted head under the normal round head so it causes it to bounce off the bottom at a unique angle. As you can see, the Jig/chunks and jig head/charlie worms are related to each other. But you can see, the worms are a smaller pack than normal.

Nice. I think I am going to do this after Christmas. I love the idea of getting new tackle every month and that it's a surprise.

 

[Chewbaccer]

I used to exclusively use baitcast reals. You'll spend more time untangling bird nests than fishing until you get the hang of it, and setting your drag to the weight of the lure is crucial.

I've since switched back to just a regular old open faced spinning real, and I'm not above using a Zebco 33 for bream and crappie.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

Decided to spend the $50 and get the Shimano reel, figure it will be worth it in the long run, especially if I ever need to get a part.

Shimano Curado I Series Reel/Bass Pro Shops Johnny Morris CarbonLite Rod Baitcast Combo | Bass Pro Shops: The Best Hunting, Fishing, Camping & Outdoor Gear

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

Pretty excited, got my new rod/reel combo yesterday:

Also used some gift cards and upgraded my tackle bag to this Cabelas Magnum bag that holds 8 large boxes inside. I'm getting these montly deliveries of lures and I'm out of room in my old bag that only held 4.
Cabela's Advanced Anglers™ Tackle Bags : Cabela's

And now I'm sad because it's January.....3+ months until I can get out an use all this stuff I'm collecting.

Side note - glad I went with the Shimano reel. It has great reviews and seems to reel very smoothly. The Bass Pro reel that I was looking at before literally just got replaced with another model. I would have been pissed to get a reel only to have it replaced with a new one weeks after I ordered it. $50 well spent.

 

[ChiSoxFan]

I have tried one once, and kept getting the biggest fucking bird's nests you've ever seen.


I do not believe it is something you can just "pick up" and do. Takes a lot of practice en sech.

All about that thumb finesse.

 

[ChiSoxFan]

Pretty excited, got my new rod/reel combo yesterday:

Also used some gift cards and upgraded my tackle bag to this Cabelas Magnum bag that holds 8 large boxes inside. I'm getting these montly deliveries of lures and I'm out of room in my old bag that only held 4.
Cabela's Advanced Anglers™ Tackle Bags : Cabela's

And now I'm sad because it's January.....3+ months until I can get out an use all this stuff I'm collecting.

Side note - glad I went with the Shimano reel. It has great reviews and seems to reel very smoothly. The Bass Pro reel that I was looking at before literally just got replaced with another model. I would have been pissed to get a reel only to have it replaced with a new one weeks after I ordered it. $50 well spent.

Time to get a St. Croix Avid with a lifetime warranty.

 

[beardown07]

All about that thumb finesse.

 

[ChiSoxFan]

My shitty advice aside, I've waded through my fare share of bird's nests. Makes you want to fucking quit and never fish again.