It has been some time since my last entry. A lot has happened. I'll have a go at addressing the issues in a chronological form. My previous post mentioned the arrival of the new short poles along with a featherweight fly rod. I can positively attest to the how well each of them have performed! Each of them has simply exceeded my expectations!
I've been able to catch a 17 inch LMB on each of the shorty poles since receiving them. The fly rod has connected with countless sunfish using flys of my own construct. Wow! It is truly all good!
Also since that time I've had an opportunity to get in a steel match too. I've not shot a handgun match since OCT of last year. I was concerned I might have to take in some remedial training to refresh myself on what to do. I was gratified that my performance on the range was not below my expectations. It was good to be out there and enjoy some of the shooting challenges. Yes, there were many presented and all were managed by staying true to the fundamentals, proper sight picture and smooth trigger manipulation. One by one each of the steel targets were provided the proper attention.
I did have a real zen moment on the final stage. The final three targets were all knock downs on the far right side of the range. Just prior to engaging those were an array of targets at the far end of the range. Since I was having such a good time on this stage there was an opportunity to get aggressive on the last three. I committed myself to engaging those three in a panning motion with no pausing between targets. Amazingly the bravado payed off as all three shots broke at the right time and all three targets fell. I realized my success not from seeing the targets but from the comments of my fellow shooters. I sure wish I could have been a spectator on that. Interesting how that distortion factor kicks in when you're in the zone. I didn't perceive that final finale as being that interesting, I was just intending to shoot it smooth. Better lucky than good.
Ok back to the fishing. The new poles are really interesting. One is quite sensitive and has a heavy action. This allows for a really good feel of the bait and how it is being worked. You can feel most of the objects that the bait touches. The other pole is a fiberglass pole and has a much lighter action. I've since reassessed my impressions of both.
I've proven to myself that I really enjoy using both types of poles. I thought the ceramic line guides would make a difference in casting qualities over the basic stainless guides. So far casting with both types of poles is equal in distance and accuracy. The principle difference is the timing of the cast. On the lighter action the timing requires a much earlier release to get the bait to the intended target. While the heavy action pole the timing is on the other end of the spectrum.
I've been fortunate to have brought in 17 inch LMBs with each setup. This evening the fishing was spectacular. I had about two hours where I caught and released 7 LMBs. Wow! It seems that I was presenting the soft plastic crawfish bait well. They ranged from 14 inches up to 17 inch.
It was a first for this kid on the pond as most of the time I don't get that many strikes much less complete hookups and releases. I suspect there are two factors involved. The time of day as I didn't get out there until 1730 so I believe this time of day was an advantage. The other was that I decided to try a much lighter setup using the bait caster. I used the light action pole that had 10 lb mono, with a 1/16 oz texas rigged crawdad bait. I suspect working that lighter weight allowed for a more fluid motion on the bait as it moved through the area.
The first strike was quite intense as the fish hit it as soon as it entered the water. The strike caught me completely off guard. I was perfectly content in watching the line pay out even after the bait hit the water. Aaaah gee, that is not a natural bait entry, perhaps some attention should be applied!! The lighter action pole basically doubled over and the reel struggled to turn the spool as the drag was exceeded on several occasions. I worked that area a bit after that fish with no additional interest. So onward about the perimeter.
That ended up to be a good decision. The lighter bait was limiting my casting distance but I found that by changing the friction brake and adjusting the magnetic brake to the proper proportions I was able to maximize my casting distance without the dreaded over runs. I might just be getting the hang of these bait casting reels.
I also continue to confirm the adaptation of the new method of just reeling down and tension up to bring in the fish. By eliminating the fishing show hook set things have been quite positive in bringing them in all the way for a comfortable release.
Along those lines of a more gradual approach, I'm finding that my drag does not have to be set quite so high either. While it does slip, I'm still able to maintain adequate tension without allowing the fish or me to dislodge the hook. In retrospect I may have been too aggressive in trying to retrieve the fish. That may have been the reason so many have come off. This evening they all peeled out drag and I did not have any of them prematurely disconnect.
So given the new information I'm going to switch over the faster action pole to a lighter weight to see if that works with the lighter colored crawdad bait. I'm so happy those crawdad baits work so well as they are some of the most affordable baits at the store, right at about 10 cents each. By the way all seven LMBs this evening were caught using the same bait. The only degredation is right where the hook point is embedded. That area shows some slight tearing. I'm no where near needing to change that bait due to wear and tear! Lovely! Similarly the light gauge hooks are holding up just fine since changing over to the new tension method. Far fewer bent hooks or snags too! So far it is all good!
At this time the only slight concern I've identified is that the casting pole, the heavy action one, does not appear to have much support in the lower handle. During a retrieve of a heavy fish I could feel the play in the handle where center stub ended. It confirmed my suspicion that the stub does not protrude very far into the handle. I hope I'm wrong on this but my intention is to use it so we shall see how well it holds up.
I'm looking forward to more time out trying new things with those creature baits. Lighter does appear to have an advantage in getting more strikes. It is hard to argue with something that is successful.
Be well!
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