Test drive my new rod at Piedmont Lake, OH

[CybrSlydr]

As you all know, I received my new rod from Dobyns (a DC 734C F/H) and wanted to take it for a test-drive today.  I decided to spool it up with some Seaguar InvisX 10# because I was going to use the Megabass Vision 110 in Elegy Bone due to the cooler water temps.  I also took my brother's inflatable pontoon boat so I could hopefully get out and where the fish were if I couldn't get them from the shore.



I started over near the dam as that was the easiest access for the pontoon boat.  After about 15min I got it inflated and assembled and got out on the water.  One problem - it was very windy and we don't have an anchor for it.  So after about 10min of being blown around into the dam, I decided I'd had enough of the pontoon boat and put it back in the Jeep.





After that, you can see I went over to the Rest Area and parked and walked down the hill to fish from that shore along Rt. 22.  Turns out that hill is a lot steeper than it looks and quite wet from the recent rain.  lol

So I worked my way along the shore, first trying a black/blue 3/8oz jig with a YUM grey/orange craw trailer with no luck and then tried the 6th Sense 80X in Baby Bluegill.

For the most part, it was too windy to really get much of a cast for distance.





After a couple hours of nothing, I just sat back in my chair and figured I'd try and wait out the wind.  In the calmer parts, I could see little fish hitting the surface consistently and in the same spots.  To my right waaaaay off, I saw massive splashes.  Unfortunately, I had no way to get to them.

After the wind died down a bit, I waited to see if any fish would strike the surface closer to shore so I'd have a chance.  About 20min later, an absolutely MASSIVE disturbance occurred about 20ft off shore right in front of me.  I immediately got up and went to the shore and cast the 6th Sense lure out.

On the third cast, I hooked into "The one that got away".  I have no clue how big it was, but it hit the lure about 50ft out.  The line went tight, I set the hook and the rod bent.  I put the rod tip high and started reeling in, but it wasn't getting any closer.  All of a sudden, it started pulling out my drag in long pulls.  I was flabbergasted - I'd tightened down the drag because I'd snagged the lure and had to man-handle it free.

With the 10# InvisX, I had to have had at least 7lbs of drag and it was pulling it out like it was nothing.  I managed to fight it back to shore about 30ft out when I saw a boil and... the lure came flying out of the water. 

I was furious. 

I never did see that fish to find out what it was.  But man.  I was prepared for it - I had the scale with me today AND I bought a Golden Rule at WalMart. 







Long story short, that was the sole bite I got today.  Got out there around 1pm and headed home at 6:30pm.

I didn't get to use the Megabass Vision 110 much as  I managed to get it hooked into my backpack and couldn't find the pliers to pull it out.  Now it's treble hooked into the backpack and my foldable chair.  I was fed up with the damn thing and will take care of it later.

The Dobyns rod on the other hand was absolutely incredible.  I was easily able to feel out the structure on the bottom with the jig - lots of tree branches and rocks.  When the wind died down and I tried the Whopper Plopper, that thing bombed a mile.  I was impressed.  Weight was perfect and balance was right on - I didn't feel any fatigue while fishing at all. 

So, thanks for checking in and here's to next time!  Maybe I'll catch something.

[D.W. Verts]

Really.

[D.W. Verts]

Mr. 'Slyder-

I do not want to overstep my bounds. And I am not a moderator here, so if I get spanked I can handle it. We want you as part of this community. We want you to learn, then come back and tell us your success stories. It's why this site exists.

However.

You are also going to find that a lot of us are older folks who also happen to be Christian folks. And taking the Lord's name in vain is pretty much a no-no, at least as far as I'm concerned, both in life and here on the UB Forum. I dig your passion, but you need to temper this some. That's why we have these- 

Back to fishin'. Again, we want you here. Heck, we NEED you here. But I'm reading a lot of negativity in your writings. I understand that younger folks are sometimes of the "instant gratification nation".  If you are one of those then you are going to be severely disappointed with this sport. It just doesn't come easy, until it does. And those days are few and years between sometimes.

Getting PO'd at treble hooks is not going to do you any good. A tackle management system, even if it's a small box, will go a long way to alleviate issues like this. SHC suggested an anchor before in the last topic. 20' of rope and a cinder block or a 10# rock would have been an easy fix. I keep that kind of stuff in my truck.

Bass fishing is all about coping, adjustments and sometimes innovating as you go.

You saw surface activity that sure sounds like bass. If there was that many feeding fish then there were bass available to you SOMEWHERE where you could reach them from the bank. Guaranteed. How far did you actually walk? Did you try to use the pontoon to visit other banks where you could at least park it and start over? I ask because it's what I would do.

There are always bass on a dam, twelve months out of the year. Always.

You say that you tried a couple or three different baits. Was this just a highlight reel or is that all you tried? Because if it is, it wasn't enough. You cannot dictate to the fish what they'll bite. Guaranteed.

Anyway, I'm just getting old and my patience isn't what it used to be, but one more time- I want you to do well. I want you to jack 'em up and stay interested in this game. But it'll take time. Lots of time. And surely more than "two hours if they don't bite."

Hang in there. Read topics on UB. Ask questions. We won't make fun of you until we get to know you, I promise.

Wishing you the best of luck.

Dale W. Verts

[Smallie_Stalker]

Cybr, I sent you a PM.

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[CybrSlydr]

DW,

I had quite a bit more typed out but it sounded to me like I was trying to justify my post to you.  I don't need to justify or defend anything. 

So I deleted it. 

The one thing I will respond to is this notion that I my post indicates I lack patience or effort or I'm some "every cast must be a catch bigger than the last".

I spent 5.5hrs fishing today not including travel time.  I left at 11am to drive to this lake which is about 90min away.  No idea how many casts.  I walked up and down that bank.  I stayed until the sun went down and didn't get home until 8.  Put over 150 miles on the Jeep today. 

So yes, I think I put in sufficient effort and earned the right to whinge a bit and share my frustrations.

[zippyduck]

There should be no reason to whine. You got to go fishing and hooked up with one. That was enough to learn something. I always look at each outing as a learning experience.
Moving till you find fish is a must. Less than 10% of the water holds bass in most lakes. Picking apart the structure and cover will pinpoint what the fish are using. This must be done for every trip as it can change daily or even hourly.

[SteelHorseCowboy]

Connie and I hit the bank today at 1230, and stayed until after 1900. We each threw almost every single bait we have.
Oh we got mad as hell! Because the fish were there! We kept getting bumps and nibbles, but never once got a committed bite! I pulled 3 different worms out of the water missing about an inch off their ribbon tails. So switched to jig heads and shorter grubs. Got no action with them.
Tried topwater. They were following jitterbugs but not even attempting to bite them, and ignoring all other TW lures completely.
Spinners, nope. I rigged up something wild looking; a Mepps inline spinner on a beetle spin arm. Just figured it's probably something they never seen before. Not even a nibble.

I did manage to skin hook one with a crank bait. Classic snag. It rolled on the surface with it's mouth closed and I watched my crank's hook tear free from under it's jaw right were the gills meet.

We were at Walmart afterwards picking up some more hooks and weights, and stuff for dinner, and these two young men from down south Louisiana came up and explained they were here on a camping trip and asked me what they were biting in Lake Darbonne.
"Not a single damn thing. Hope you enjoy the camping, might want to grab some marshmallows."

I have bad days while fishing sometimes.
I just knew I was gonna lose a testicle a few months ago. Oh man...
I got a jig hung on a stump. Pulled out my trusty Leatherman and wrapped that 50# Power Pro around it several times and started walking backwards. The hook broke. The jig head came flying out of the water so fast I saw the skirt fly off as it whistled straight into my left jewel. You served, you know that sound a round makes when it buzzes by close? That's the sound it made, followed by a "smack". I puked immediately and curled into the fetal position to cry. It swelled up to an impressive size.
I've also hooked the ol' jewel pouch in the past. Took a pic and got banned from Facebook for a while.

Point is, we all have those days. Just gotta learn from it and move on.
What'd I learn today? Nothing new, it was a repeat lesson I've learned and relearned many times: some days you just can't win.

With a little inflatable pontoon rig like that, you can also get some flippers and have some great exercise while fishing. I wouldn't be able to do that, I'd come home with stumps for legs if I come home at all. Too many friggin gators round here. They'll steal your spinnerbait too apparently.

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[SFL BassHunter]

CybrSlydr unfortunately that is how it goes some days. I'm sure with the wind it wasn't easy to fish from that inflatable, or even maneuver around well. An anchor would have served you well, but I understand it's not your inflatable, so those kinds of things don't come to mind when borrowing someone elses stuff. No big deal though you were able to find some bank and fish from it.
As a bank fisherman I feel your pain. I have fished many days at a lake where bass are consistently in deeper water, too far for any of my lures to reach, blowing up on bait pods. It can drive you nuts watching all that activity, and nothing near the bank or at your reach.
I've been skunked on days like that, it's just one of the down falls of being a bank fisherman.

Keep moving. As a bank fisherman you have to do what boat guys would do. Move along the bank till you find fish. When you find a fish, work that area a bit and see if there are more. Many times there will be more. When that area is no longer productive, keep moving.
We all lose big fish from time to time.
I am not an expert at fishing cranks but I have a pretty good success rate and landing fish on treble baits, one thing I do is keep the rod tip down and to one side or the other. I try to minimize keeping the rod tip up because I want that fish to stay underwater. I'll let it swim side to side, but never up for a jump. Of course the bigger and stronger the fish, the more difficult it is to make it do what you want.

Anyways keep at it! Good luck on your next adventure!!

[CybrSlydr]

Having read more of your responses, I think you all are misunderstanding the tone of my post.

Yeah, I was frustrated, but there is a certain amount of hyperbole when I post these things for entertainment value.  It's to evoke those memories of your outings where things didn't go as planned.

This was a typical outing for me.  I'm used to not catching anything.  I'm not going to quit anytime soon.  I've got way too much money and time invested in this sport to stop now.  I plan on moving out to Wyoming or something once I graduate and hitting up the trout streams and continue fishing.

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[SteelHorseCowboy]

Dude, Rob Roy Reservoir in Medicine Bow is BEAUTIFUL. Just west of Laramie, and it's one of the smaller lakes.

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[CybrSlydr]

Dude, Rob Roy Reservoir in Medicine Bow is BEAUTIFUL. Just west of Laramie, and it's one of the smaller lakes.

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I was hoping to get farther north than Laramie.  Cooler temps and fewer spidera/snakes.  :D

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[the_huber_show]

Man that place looks gorgeous!

I understand the frustration of spending time out there and not catching anything.  Just keep hitting it my man and in time it will pay off.  At least that's what I tell myself

[SteelHorseCowboy]

I was hoping to get farther north than Laramie.  Cooler temps and fewer spidera/snakes.  :D

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I built a snowman in June on the shoulder of I-80 near Elk Mountain. How cold do you want to get?
It was a really odd sensation. I'm used to being in the hot and muggy south. But I was building a snow man while wearing a short sleeve t-shirt, with the sun feeling hot and cold wind blowing across the snow drifts.

I couldn't hear well and couldn't breath very easily. Seemed like the air was so thin sound wouldn't carry very well. The hotel I stayed at in Laramie was right off the interstate, and I remember sitting on the balcony watching big rigs go by and barely hearing them.

I'd go back for a visit in a heartbeat, but not in the winter!

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[CybrSlydr]

I built a snowman in June on the shoulder of I-80 near Elk Mountain. How cold do you want to get?
It was a really odd sensation. I'm used to being in the hot and muggy south. But I was building a snow man while wearing a short sleeve t-shirt, with the sun feeling hot and cold wind blowing across the snow drifts.

I couldn't hear well and couldn't breath very easily. Seemed like the air was so thin sound wouldn't carry very well. The hotel I stayed at in Laramie was right off the interstate, and I remember sitting on the balcony watching big rigs go by and barely hearing them.

I'd go back for a visit in a heartbeat, but not in the winter!

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I love cold weather - I was thinking up around Yellowstone.  Cody and around there.

When I was in Afghanistan, our COP was right around 6000ft ASL.  Took a good month or so before I could adapt.  Out on a foot patrol at the end we coming up out of the valley next to the COP and there was this little 12ft incline we had to climb up.  Damned if it didn't feel like I was going to die half-way up it!  lol

Later, when sprinting to our truck to got out on QRF, I very nearly passed out sitting in the truck after sprinting over.  lol









After Afghanistan, I bounced around Louisiana (stationed at Polk - uuuuugh...) and Hood (recovery).  That was enough to make me swear off the South.  lol  I tell people that Louisiana is what it took to make me miss Afghanistan.  lol

I'm a cold weather guy - heat and humidity is my mortal enemy.

[SteelHorseCowboy]

We didn't have a set base in Afghanistan, we were foot and helo mobile the entire 6 months. Never stayed in one spot for more than 12 hours. From the bottom of the Oruzgon bowl to the peaks along the Paki border, Kandahar, Kabul and Korengal.

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[CybrSlydr]

We didn't have a set base in Afghanistan, we were foot and helo mobile the entire 6 months. Never stayed in one spot for more than 12 hours. From the bottom of the Oruzgon bowl to the peaks along the Paki border, Kandahar, Kabul and Korengal.

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So you should know about FOB Shank.  I was at COP Sanchez then finished up at COP McClain until we got blown up.

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[SteelHorseCowboy]

Didn't have the opportunity to visit either one. Caught a helo to FOB Ripley, had enough time to take one of only two "real" shower in country, hand wash some clothes, then headed out on another helo to Kunar province.
Worked our way towards Jalalabad, then hopped to the western end of theSpin Ghar range, then south to Takur Ghar, then back north towards Kabul. It's like our BC was intentionally keeping us away from FOBs, I've aways wondered if our company commander did something to piss him off or if he just thought we were ugly.

After everyone else in our batallion got to chill at Kandahar for about two weeks, they finally sent helos out to get us the day before flying out to Camp Victory then heading back to our ships.

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[CybrSlydr]

Well that sucks!  Sounds like they didn't want you getting attached to anyone or anything.  Lol

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[SteelHorseCowboy]

I got attached to the food and tea!
We ate a lot of local fare to supplement our MREs that we were always running out of. Man, we even had pets. Several guys carried hedgehogs around, and a friend of mine in the mortar section had a donkey named Bill who carried his base plate, tube and a few mortar rounds.

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[the_huber_show]

CybrSlydr killing it with the pics

[CybrSlydr]

I got attached to the food and tea!
We ate a lot of local fare to supplement our MREs that we were always running out of. Man, we even had pets. Several guys carried hedgehogs around, and a friend of mine in the mortar section had a donkey named Bill who carried his base plate, tube and a few mortar rounds.

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Smart guy with the donkey - I wish I had a donkey to carry my spare barrel and extra rounds!  Lol

Our BN CSM had zero tolerance on critters.  Had more than a few local dogs shot.

We had a couple meals with the ANP and ANA when on missions.  One platoon bought a sheep or something and had it slaughtered by a local and had a big party towards the end of the deployment.

Since we actually had a base unlike you guys, we actually had cooks.  Though we did a couple blocking positions for 6 weeks and ate nothing but MREs.  Man, that was an uncomfortable time afterwards.  Lol

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[SFL BassHunter]

I got attached to the food and tea!
We ate a lot of local fare to supplement our MREs that we were always running out of. Man, we even had pets. Several guys carried hedgehogs around, and a friend of mine in the mortar section had a donkey named Bill who carried his base plate, tube and a few mortar rounds.

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I think I want a hedgehog, they seem like cool little pets. lol

[CybrSlydr]

CybrSlydr killing it with the pics

Got more if you'd like to check 'em out.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cybrslydr/albums/72157626205272993

[SteelHorseCowboy]

I think I want a hedgehog, they seem like cool little pets. lol

They are very cool! If you startle them they'll bounce at you to poke you. Doesn't really hurt, but it's definitely not something a predator is gonna want in their mouth. They absolutely love scorpions, but any bug is fair game. Maybe people should turn 'em loose in roach infested apartment buildings.


Cyber, I lost most of my pics. A 2.5mp digital camera cost me $150 back in 2004. I did manage to save a few, they're on my computer though.

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[CybrSlydr]

They are very cool! If you startle them they'll bounce at you to poke you. Doesn't really hurt, but it's definitely not something a predator is gonna want in their mouth. They absolutely love scorpions, but any bug is fair game. Maybe people should turn 'em loose in roach infested apartment buildings.


Cyber, I lost most of my pics. A 2.5mp digital camera cost me $150 back in 2004. I did manage to save a few, they're on my computer though.

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I didn't go until 2011, so I had a cell phone to take pics.  :D