Hunting And Fishing Thread!?!

[clifish]

I told mysef. YOU ARE NOT going to buy more gear to keep at the campground. Yeah, that didn't happen!
I like the KastKing gear. And I like the color orange. So, now I have another bait caster.

View attachment 731331

Got the Lethal Blaze 7'4" medium/fast action rod to go with it. Ann saw the long box getting delivered ......she knew!

I like the Kastking stuff as well and they ship right here on Long Island as well. I have 2 set ups heading to FL this week with me. I have a couple bait casters and I have yet to figure out how to cast them w/o backlash. I have played with the magnets and read up on it but still no joy!

 

[Steve H]

I like the Kastking stuff as well and they ship right here on Long Island as well. I have 2 set ups heading to FL this week with me. I have a couple bait casters and I have yet to figure out how to cast them w/o backlash. I have played with the magnets and read up on it but still no joy!

This is my third bait caster from them. I've just put the lure on. Release the line. And adjust the mag setting so that the lure is slowly falling. I've found that using your thumb on the spool is still needed though to control the line paying out. And use your thumb to stop the spool as soon as the lure hits the water.

 

[Steve H]

I said that wrong. This is how I set mine up.

setting up kastking baitcaster - Search Videos

Watch videos instantly on Bing—enjoy direct playback, discover related clips, and dive into trending content all in one place.

www.bing.com

 

[mr_whipple]

This is my third bait caster from them. I've just put the lure on. Release the line. And adjust the mag setting so that the lure is slowly falling. I've found that using your thumb on the spool is still needed though to control the line paying out. And use your thumb to stop the spool as soon as the lure hits the water.

I call that the "educated thumb." I bought one of those fancy schmancy Shimano Curado DC reels last year and can not stand the noise that thing makes when casting. Kinda ruins the vibe of fishing in the peaceful and beautiful spots I frequent.

 

[luvcatchingbass]

I like the Kastking stuff as well and they ship right here on Long Island as well. I have 2 set ups heading to FL this week with me. I have a couple bait casters and I have yet to figure out how to cast them w/o backlash. I have played with the magnets and read up on it but still no joy!

a little trick I still use is run out say 100-150ft or more of line then put a small piece of electrical tape on the spool making sure it goes from edge to edge good in the spool then reel your line back over the top, worst case is you bird nest and the tape will stop it and it is much easier to pull out or even cut out if need be. I just mostly use braid and am yet in 20+ years have any ill effects doing this and it has helped me learn how to actually cast them. Then of course set your manual and/or magnetic brake as desired to the lure weight you are running, I usually aim to have the lure fall from waist or shoulder height and let it hit the ground without thumbing the spool, then I look to see how much the spool kept turning and how much line came loose. If there is a bunch of loose line then I tighten it up more if things felt a little slow then loosen up. After you do it a few times you get a pretty fast feel for your adjustments and can fine tune as you are actually casting, it sure takes some feel and concentration for metering things with your thumb. Oh and like Steve said lure hits the water your thumb should be on the spool as close to the same time as possible.

 

[Steve H]

a little trick I still use is run out say 100-150ft or more of line then put a small piece of electrical tape on the spool making sure it goes from edge to edge good in the spool then reel your line back over the top, worst case is you bird nest and the tape will stop it and it is much easier to pull out or even cut out if need be. I just mostly braid and am yet in 20+ years had any ill effects doing this and it has helped me learn how to actually cast them. Then of course set your manual and/or magnetic brake as desired to the lure weight you are running, I usually aim to have the lure fall from waist or shoulder height and let it hit the ground without thumbing the spool, then I look to see how much the spool kept turning and how much line came loose. If there is a bunch of line then I tighten it up more if things felt a little slow then loosen up. After you do it a few times you get a pretty fast feel for your adjustments and can fine tune as you are actually casting, it sure takes some feel and concentration for metering things with your thumb.

On KastKing bait casters. I usually run the mags at 6 or 7. Seems to be the sweet spot for the majority of the lures I toss. Neat trick with the tape by the way!

 

[Steve H]

I call that the "educated thumb." I bought one of those fancy schmancy Shimano Curado DC reels last year and can not stand the noise that thing makes when casting. Kinda ruins the vibe of fishing in the peaceful and beautiful spots I frequent.

Lol! Just a good of a term as any! The kastking ones don't make a noise while casting. Whisper quiet. If it did make any sort of noise. I don't think I'd like it either.

 

[luvcatchingbass]

On KastKing bait casters. I usually run the mags at 6 or 7. Seems to be the sweet spot for the majority of the lures I toss. Neat trick with the tape by the way!

I've never played with Kast King's. I got a couple big round Abu's, a couple low pro LEW's and a low pro Quantum that was next to top of the line back in the day. They are all older, that Quantum is a pain in the arse to tune so many times it is used for trolling, the Lews is just so much easier to adjust on the fly and not as finicky. I think a lot of it has to do with spool width, that Quantum is really narrow compared to the Lews. Obviously if your lures are close to similar weight I don't seem to adjust much but many times I would go from a weightless worm or topwater plastic and then maybe a heavier jig or spinner bait. I haven't really ran them much that last few years as summer is just tough to get out fishing and I don't have a boat so hard to make time up here, that is why I try to ice fish while I can.

 

[blakers213]

Sons first year hunting and I made sure I was sitting beside him when it happened. Wouldn’t trade that experience for the world

 

[Steve H]

I've never played with Kast King's. I got a couple big round Abu's, a couple low pro LEW's and a low pro Quantum that was next to top of the line back in the day. They are all older, that Quantum is a pain in the arse to tune so many times it is used for trolling, the Lews is just so much easier to adjust on the fly and not as finicky. I think a lot of it has to do with spool width, that Quantum is really narrow compared to the Lews. Obviously if your lures are close to similar weight I don't seem to adjust much but many times I would go from a weightless worm or topwater plastic and then maybe a heavier jig or spinner bait. I haven't really ran them much that last few years as summer is just tough to get out fishing and I don't have a boat so hard to make time up here, that is why I try to ice fish while I can.

Sometime ago. Walmart had a clearance on the Abu Garcia Black Max rod and reel combo for 35.00. Needless to say. I bought a "few" And had quite a time getting used to them. I should have bought stock in braided line! I really like them now. But I tend to use them more for fishing with bait. The kastKings for lures. I've been looking at Lew's. I might get one at some point. I do need a new ultralight rod. The one I had met its demise with a cargo door on the RV.

 

[luvcatchingbass]

Sometime ago. Walmart had a clearance on the Abu Garcia Black Max rod and reel combo for 35.00. Needless to say. I bought a "few" And had quite a time getting used to them. I should have bought stock in braided line! I really like them now. But I tend to use them more for fishing with bait. The kastKings for lures. I've been looking at Lew's. I might get one at some point. I do need a new ultralight rod. The one I had met its demise with a cargo door on the RV.

I got my LEWs when they came back to the market. It's a BB series of some sort. So much has changed since I bought open water gear and I haven't really kept up. Im a bit of a gear junkie, let's not talk about my ice fishing rods, reel, line combos and lures plus 3 different shacks

 

[JckDanls 07]

I set brake so the spool stops spinning when the lure hits the ground/floor from a waist high drop... Magnets depends on the weather and distance ... And of coarse thumb control...

I'll tie just a weight on and practice in the yard... Set up targets to try and land in for accuracy... Change weights (reflecting lure weights) ...

 

[Steve H]

I got my LEWs when they came back to the market. It's a BB series of some sort. So much has changed since I bought open water gear and I haven't really kept up. Im a bit of a gear junkie, let's not talk about my ice fishing rods, reel, line combos and lures plus 3 different shacks

I used to be into ice fishing as well.

After a few mild winters. I pretty much gave up on it.

 

[JckDanls 07]

I set brake so the spool stops spinning when the lure hits the ground/floor from a waist high drop... Magnets depends on the weather and distance ... And of coarse thumb control...

I'll tie just a weight on and practice in the yard... Set up targets to try and land in for accuracy... Change weights (reflecting lure weights) ...

And still can't cast just a worm with no weight... Especially into the wind...

 

[luvcatchingbass]

And still can't cast just a worm with no weight... Especially into the wind...

For me I have come to the conclusion that having the correct action rod is a big part of it. I haven't tried a weightless plastic in quite a few years so I am not going to try to give much advise

 

[Steve H]

For me I have come to the conclusion that having the correct action rod is a big part of it. I haven't tried a weightless plastic in quite a few years so I am not going to try to give much advise

I've only done that with a ultralight rig. Not a baitcaster either.

 

[in. pred]

you ice junkies remember the steelie slammers from the 70s? i made some back in the 80s after reading about them. they worked pretty goof on bass n northerns with treble hooks. i seen some new versions made from plastic several years ago. selling for 70 bucks or somethin :0 not dumping that kinda money on something i already made for cheap 35yrs ago. so this is what i came up with after a day in the garage with pvc and coat hanger wire.

updated "steelie slammer"

i use them for dead sticking around the light at night for crappie. tiny treble hook with a minnow. i put a sequin up above the bait over first split shot to flash the light as they swim.

i use blades rattles and sponge(soaked with yum) on my tip up lines at times too. the scent flash and rattle can call northerns and bass from a long ways away. in stained waters it can really up the catch rates! been playing with blades on my tip up lines since the late 80s. just a small willow in clear waters to a bigger glow blade for dingy waters.

thats a down rigger release i used to use to hold huge baits for northerns n skies. i since went to a piece of wire under spool that pinches/holds big baits from false flagging you.

its the wire under the spool. just electric fence wire to pinch the dacron line in.

i tested the hold with a 12" bass for bait for 2 hours with no false flag. thats one of my rattle blade sets also. rattle gets tied on the line with smaller mono. a 4" gill can really make some noise with that rig.

 

[ajbert]

I am a fisherman through and through, but I am a fair weather fisherman! No ice fishing for me. I've hunted below 0 F a number of times but I am moving. No way I'm gonna sit on the ice with the wind in temps like that.

Unless I could do it in one of those ice shanties from "Grumpy Old Men". Colorado doesn't allow anything to stay on the ice over night and no motorized conveyance to get your gear onto the ice. Well, unless you have your own private lake and I do not.

 

[Timber II]

Caught a few today…..almost 8 lbs of filets. No big ones today…..

 

[ajbert]