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Fishing isn't always about catching fish.
I've been doing this long enough to know the best laid plans often come spectacularly apart when they contact water. And knowing I'm still in the learning phase for Bay and Harbor tubing, I'd call today a big win.
The Fish
Two teeny spotties. Yay - broke my streak of Halibut. One strike that almost tore the rod out of my hand. And a couple of very nice SARAS (set and reel and spit).
The real objective of this outing was to:
Try the new gear:
a) 7'-1" Phenix bait casting rod with Shimano Curado 201k XG reel - filled with 30# PowerPro Braid (dark green) and 10# Seaguar Flouro. Bait weight 1/2oz - 1oz
b) 6'-9" Phenix bait casting rod with Shimano Citica 201 HG reel - filled with 6# mono. Bait weight 1/4oz - 3/8oz
c) 6'-6" Fenwick spinning rod with Shimano Spirex 2000 reel - filled with 10# PowerPro braid (dark green) and 7.3# Seaguar Flouro. Bait weight 1/16oz
d) Stabilizer bar mod added to the CastMate system
e) Re-configuring the dash... moving FishFinder to outside rail of CastMate moving phone back, moving Transducer mount, etc.
f) Trying a bunch of new baits and scents
The Solunar didn't look promising with a 6:30 launch, but I figured this was gear proving and not catching day - and the tide was promising, so I went for it. I was the only tube in the northern harbor today.
What I learned
* I took rig 'b' to the park for a couple of hours to get it dialed in. So when I hit the water with the 6# mono 1/4 oz, I was hitting all my marks. Rig 'a' didn't get the park trial....
* about rig 'a'.... I learned how to disassemble a Curado on the water, cut out the mother of all birds nests / backlash / spiderwebs, tie on another improved Alberto knot to reattach the flouro leader, restring and tie back on the bait in a receding tide while sitting in a float tube.... without running aground or being a menace to boat traffic. Not a small task. But a goodie I can now check off the list. (I took a guess at freespool and brakes setting, and for about my first 20 casts, all was good.... then I reached too far, over cast and heard the sound of a birdsnest as my bait came to a halt in mid air and slapped back onto the water....)
* The Dark Sleeper baits are pretty BA. One of the spotty Juniors and all the largest strikes came on these. The other spotty and a few strikes came on the 1/4 oz HookUp Chovie
* Love the new dashboard config
* Love the new stabilizer bar. Hate stepping over it in fins (fixed that by simply finning up one seated) but it makes carrying, loading dragging and walking to and from the water a breeze... a benefit I didn't anticipate. I could mount wheels on there for the walk down the path and it'd be even more plush. Love this thing.
* Unibutter is nasty. Not entirely ineffective - but man, does it get everywhere.
* Hookup scent is the bomb.... squirt directly from bottle into body cavity. Couldn't be easier or faster. I'm getting a small squirt bottle for my other scents for sure.
* Braid is amazing. Its been ages, so I thought I'd give it another shot. I saw no appreciable distance degradation (ADD... :p) using the braid / Flouro set up. It is confidence inspiring knowing I can make this work. The Improved Alberto knot is cake to tie. I'm back in the sierras in a few weeks, gonna try an Ultralight braid config on one of my rods - 8# braid to 5.2# Flouro leader. If I can throw a 1/32oz mini jig I'll be stoked. Tried light flouro about 10 - 12 years ago. It wasn't ready. Super stiff and coil-y like a phone cord.... I tore it off after 10 minutes into a pile at my feet and strung back on my 2# Mono. We shall see... The new ultra thin braid and softer flouro look very promising
* Its been years since I've used a baitcaster rig. I like both of these Shimanos. Accuracy, great distance, super touch. This is nice. Its weird going from Baitcaster to spinning rod and back.... the casting stroke and timing is different. But after a few spikes I got it together.
What a day. Was on a slow receding tide, absolutely dead slack tide, then a wee bit of push to send me back to SeaBridge park (riding the tide, OB style)... just casting and changing jigs/baits, and making notes for next trip.
This was about fishing. Not at all about catching today. I learned a ton. It was a very good day.
- Ken
Light guy is 3/8oz - dark guy is 1oz
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
I've been doing this long enough to know the best laid plans often come spectacularly apart when they contact water. And knowing I'm still in the learning phase for Bay and Harbor tubing, I'd call today a big win.
The Fish
Two teeny spotties. Yay - broke my streak of Halibut. One strike that almost tore the rod out of my hand. And a couple of very nice SARAS (set and reel and spit).
The real objective of this outing was to:
Try the new gear:
a) 7'-1" Phenix bait casting rod with Shimano Curado 201k XG reel - filled with 30# PowerPro Braid (dark green) and 10# Seaguar Flouro. Bait weight 1/2oz - 1oz
b) 6'-9" Phenix bait casting rod with Shimano Citica 201 HG reel - filled with 6# mono. Bait weight 1/4oz - 3/8oz
c) 6'-6" Fenwick spinning rod with Shimano Spirex 2000 reel - filled with 10# PowerPro braid (dark green) and 7.3# Seaguar Flouro. Bait weight 1/16oz
d) Stabilizer bar mod added to the CastMate system
e) Re-configuring the dash... moving FishFinder to outside rail of CastMate moving phone back, moving Transducer mount, etc.
f) Trying a bunch of new baits and scents
The Solunar didn't look promising with a 6:30 launch, but I figured this was gear proving and not catching day - and the tide was promising, so I went for it. I was the only tube in the northern harbor today.
What I learned
* I took rig 'b' to the park for a couple of hours to get it dialed in. So when I hit the water with the 6# mono 1/4 oz, I was hitting all my marks. Rig 'a' didn't get the park trial....
* about rig 'a'.... I learned how to disassemble a Curado on the water, cut out the mother of all birds nests / backlash / spiderwebs, tie on another improved Alberto knot to reattach the flouro leader, restring and tie back on the bait in a receding tide while sitting in a float tube.... without running aground or being a menace to boat traffic. Not a small task. But a goodie I can now check off the list. (I took a guess at freespool and brakes setting, and for about my first 20 casts, all was good.... then I reached too far, over cast and heard the sound of a birdsnest as my bait came to a halt in mid air and slapped back onto the water....)
* The Dark Sleeper baits are pretty BA. One of the spotty Juniors and all the largest strikes came on these. The other spotty and a few strikes came on the 1/4 oz HookUp Chovie
* Love the new dashboard config
* Love the new stabilizer bar. Hate stepping over it in fins (fixed that by simply finning up one seated) but it makes carrying, loading dragging and walking to and from the water a breeze... a benefit I didn't anticipate. I could mount wheels on there for the walk down the path and it'd be even more plush. Love this thing.
* Unibutter is nasty. Not entirely ineffective - but man, does it get everywhere.
* Hookup scent is the bomb.... squirt directly from bottle into body cavity. Couldn't be easier or faster. I'm getting a small squirt bottle for my other scents for sure.
* Braid is amazing. Its been ages, so I thought I'd give it another shot. I saw no appreciable distance degradation (ADD... :p) using the braid / Flouro set up. It is confidence inspiring knowing I can make this work. The Improved Alberto knot is cake to tie. I'm back in the sierras in a few weeks, gonna try an Ultralight braid config on one of my rods - 8# braid to 5.2# Flouro leader. If I can throw a 1/32oz mini jig I'll be stoked. Tried light flouro about 10 - 12 years ago. It wasn't ready. Super stiff and coil-y like a phone cord.... I tore it off after 10 minutes into a pile at my feet and strung back on my 2# Mono. We shall see... The new ultra thin braid and softer flouro look very promising
* Its been years since I've used a baitcaster rig. I like both of these Shimanos. Accuracy, great distance, super touch. This is nice. Its weird going from Baitcaster to spinning rod and back.... the casting stroke and timing is different. But after a few spikes I got it together.
What a day. Was on a slow receding tide, absolutely dead slack tide, then a wee bit of push to send me back to SeaBridge park (riding the tide, OB style)... just casting and changing jigs/baits, and making notes for next trip.
This was about fishing. Not at all about catching today. I learned a ton. It was a very good day.
- Ken
Light guy is 3/8oz - dark guy is 1oz
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
