fishing blog – Page 15

Our Most Used Lures of 2021…

I took a chance buying these jig heads and soft plastic lures last year. As it turns out, we used them almost exclusively for the entire 2021 fishing season.

The jig heads are from http://www.digitaka.com and are the Owner Cultiva JH-85 Nagare Dama and the JH-86 Cross Head. The weights we used were 2.2grams up to 3.0grams. They have two tie points on them depending on how you want to present them. Keep in mind that the target species was our native smallmouth bass and they don’t reach near the size of the Northern strain smallmouth bass. These hooks were fine for the Neosho strain smallmouth.

For soft plastics we opted for the Eurotackle Micro Finesse B-vibe 2 inch paddle tail swimbait.

Our colors of choice were Green Pumpkin, Bluegill Pro and Black. These were very productive for us and we plan on continuing their use for 2022.

As we tweak our gear and lure selections, we tend to carry less tackle. We continually strive for efficiency to keep from being overburdened and to maximize our time on the water. Food for thought…

My Most Used Fishing Gear of 2021…

I prefer to fish streams so all of my gear is generally tailored for that application. As such, we fish out of backpacks quite often so the rods are usually multi-piece for portability. Also, we specifically target our indigenous smallmouth bass which rarely reach 3 pounds so we don’t need heavier tackle.

The rod I used the most was the Majorcraft Finetail Trekking and Traveler Switch Style FTX-46/505UL.

My favorite spinning reel of 2021 turned out to be the Shimano Stradic FL 1000S. This reel blew the Vanford 1000 out of the water! Price to performance was exceptional.

The Yeti Panga 28L waterproof and submersible backpack was outstanding. Expensive but extremely durable and useful for my needs. Worth every penny and holds everything I could need for a day or two on the river.

My baitcast rod of choice was a tie this year. I used both the Majorcraft Finetail Trekking and Traveler Switch Style FTX-B46/505UL and the Majorcraft Finetail Area Stage FAX-B642UL. Both were great rods.

My Baitcast reel of choice was the Shimano Calcutta Conquest BFS-HG Left. An expensive reel, but it worked really well and I had a lot of fun fishing with it.

We had a great year of fishing and managed to explore some new water. We had arbitrarily stated we wanted to make 25 trips during 2021 and according to my fishing journal we reached 27 trips. We spent a lot of time researching gear and tackle but managed to escape without any duds for the year. Everything worked perfectly for our style of fishing.

I can HIGHLY recommend http://www.digitaka.com for reels and http://www.jdmtackleheaven.com for rods.

Here’s to 2022 possibly being a better year of fishing! Cheers…

Replacement Rod Sections On Order!!!

I sent an email to JDM Tackle Heaven and they responded quickly. These guys are phenomenal to deal with and are very helpful. JDMTH is my preferred business to order my fishing rods from in regards to Japan Domestic Market fishing rods.

They quoted me a price of approximately $45.00 USD per section plus shipping. The only caveat so far was that they would contact the manufacturer and try to order the replacements directly from them. Needless to say, I am still on hold but I am hopeful that I will be able to replace these 2 sections. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I figured it was worth a shot and will keep my fingers crossed. I will update the blog IF/WHEN the replacements arrive.

The Search Begins…

Some of you may remember that I broke the tip section on this rod (Abu Garcia Troutin Marquis Nano TMNS-575L MB) at the joint when we were fishing over in Arkansas back in July 2021.

Needless to say, ordering replacement parts for JDM fishing tackle isn’t always easy.
I will fire off a bunch of emails and see what happens. I really like this rod and hope things work out in getting the two replacement sections. I will update the blog IF I am successful.

Very light and very compact! Perfect for throwing in a backpack.

The Surgery Went Well…

We were up at 0430 so we could be at the hospital by 0600. I was in the operating room by 0715 and the surgery took about 2 hours. So far everything seems to have been a success, but I will know for sure by tomorrow when the anesthetic fully wears off.

I have to wear this wrap for 14 days and am not looking forward to that at all.

For the procedure, it consisted of an A1 pulley release at the left index finger. An Endoscopic carpal tunnel release and a cubital tunnel release and transposition of the ulnar nerve. And thanks to the “Opioid Crisis” I was given a whopping 10 painkiller tablets. Yeehaw!!!

I’m just hoping for a successful and speedy recovery. Granted, typing with one hand takes me a lot longer lol.

Happy New Year!!!

I haven’t decided if it’s 2022 yet or if it’s still “2020 too.” Time will tell.

Our new dog Zip is growing like a weed and coming along nicely. He’s been a joy to have around and brings his own unique character into our lives.

We’ve been busy getting ready for winter and trying to complete our list of chores. It was great to hang out with family and friends over the holidays and to be able to just relax.

The Chickadees have made their presence known and we have filled the bird feeders at their request. Presently it is 43F and raining but temperatures will drop into the teens tonight. Not sure if everything will ice up but we will find out in the morning.

For a bit of bad news… I will undergo surgery on my left arm next week. I have a severe case of trigger finger and while doing that, the surgeon will fix my carpal tunnel issues and my cubital tunnel problem as well. I am not sure how long the recovery process will take but I wanted to get it corrected before the next fishing season started.

As a side note, I’ve been catching up on the latest Japanese Domestic Market fishing gear and trying to see if there is anything that piques my curiosity. Prices seem to be down a bit due to the exchange rate/economy.

Also, since it’s winter, this is the time of year I tend to play with my amateur radio gear and do a lot of shortwave radio listening via my SDR’s (software defined radios). Needless to say, I’m sure some of my blog posts will be a “mish-mash” of various things.

Stay safe out there and here’s to a better year hopefully. Cheers!

Readers…Meet Zip!

This morning we drove out to our daughter and son-in-laws ranch to pick up the puppy. We decided to name him Zip after the Heeler in the movie “Last of the Dogmen” starring Tom Berenger.

The morning started off chilly and 32F but had warmed up to 37F when we arrived. I’m not going to lie…we were excited to pick Zip up. That is literally all we talked about the entire week prior.

Poor little guy got a little car sick on the ride to his new home.

ZZZzzz! Trying out his new bed. He was OUT!

We plan on socializing him for a few months, potty training and basic commands as well. Introducing him to all of the other animals will be fun and interesting. He will be a good fit to our homelife and property. We look forward to many, many years with him.

Putting up Birdhouses…

I have wanted to put up birdhouses around our property for a few years now. I bought two of the Audubon birdhouses and covered them with several coats of polyurethane over the weekend. I even used silicone to seal the top seam to prevent water from seeping inside.

I will start with two and see how it goes. I decided to hang them early so they will be ready for spring so that they are available for any “new arrivals.” It doesn’t show up in the picture but they are both within line of sight of the bird feeders and suet blocks. And unlike my neighbors, we tend to leave the dead standing trees in place to provide more habitat opportunities, so the birds have plenty to choose from.

Currently, the temperatures have varied wildly from 24F all the way up to 78F so I’m trying to get as much done before winter fully arrives. Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Is a puppy in my future?

Our daughter got married yesterday so the wife and I arrived early to help out with anything that needed to be done. As we went around to the back of the house we heard a cacophony of noise coming from a dog run. As we peeked inside there was my daughters dog named Maisie with her litter of 7 puppies.

I have never “picked” a dog, quite the opposite. To date, every dog I have had has picked me. And this little guy walked right up to the fence and started pawing my fingers. I reached in and picked him up to give him a good look. I put him down and he followed me all over the yard. His temperament seemed pretty even and we seemed to get along well. The litter will be fully weaned around Christmas time so I may pop back over and take him home.

Obviously, the wife has some input into whether I can get the puppy so I will keep my fingers crossed. I have always wanted a Heeler pup, so we will see how things play out.

Leather Sheaths…

For a long time I have wanted a leather belt sheath for my Swiss Army Alox Farmer knife. I was perusing the Etsy site when I ran across a vendor by the name of WideRiverChe and decided to order sheaths for my Farmer as well as my Leatherman Wave. This particular seller is based in the Ukraine so it takes awhile to receive via regular mail. I can promise you that it is worth the wait. These 2 sheaths are well made and fit like a glove as well as looking nice.

I am not selling anything but if anyone is interested in these sheaths or various others that WideRiverChe makes, check his site out on Etsy.

Is This a Fishing Blog or Not?…

I know my blog is primarily about fishing, but unfortunately I cannot fish 24/7 and provide my intended content. I work full-time and have a family so I create other content for this blog.

Sometimes the additional content will be somewhat political, philosophical, nature oriented, contain life stories or whatnot. I do this NOT to be controversial or to get views…it’s simply me sharing ideas, concepts, thoughts or various and sundry other things.

I do appreciate EVERY view or comment or like, but my overarching goal is to just share things. I learn something from each blog post and continually strive to improve in all aspects. I hope you bear with me during the coming winter months as fishing will be difficult to say the least. But I try hard to keep this blog active and will continue to do so. I have several ideas for future blog posts and will share them when they come to fruition.

THANK YOU ALL!

Our Elders…the Missing Link?

I was speaking to a friend the other day and he was lamenting the fact that he feels abandoned by his parents. For reference, this guy has a family, has his own home and is doing well. His parents sold everything and moved to Florida unannounced. Personally, I don’t have a problem with their decision per se, but what baffled me is that his folks just disconnected from the family. They want to just enjoy their remaining days and cannot be bothered with anything else.

My point to this blog post is that traditionally we have looked to our elders for wisdom and guidance. If they just disconnect, we lose that. We know they have had rough times in their lives and can give us perspective on said occurrences. Especially now, in these seemingly tumultuous times…we NEED them.

Personally, I have heard the excuses. “I’m too old” or “I’m tired” or “nobody wants to hear what we have to say.” Yet, I think we need to hear their perspective and the wisdom they can share. I know it seems like the current culture wants the adults to sit down and shut up, but we know better. We were taught to respect our elders and should continue to do so. 80 years of life experience is valuable and should be shared to any and all who are struggling. Seriously…would you take marriage advice from someone married twice in 10 years or someone who has been married for 60 years?

The buzzwords of discrimination ( OK Boomer ), inclusivity ( they created the problem ) and diversity ( they’re too old to be relevant ) seem farcical when compared to the actual dialogue going on in todays society. The fact is that we are ALL guilty to some extent and we ALL need some guidance and wisdom.

So the message to our Elders is that we need you and value your experience and to please share what you can. You are still valuable, have purpose and are appreciated.

Happy Holidays and remember your Elders…