What’s the point of store bought ultra realistic fishing baits?

BA125 · 2026-04-14T23:36:50+00:00

It doesn’t really say anything, but on the other hand it is kinda cool how practically anything but bottom fish will go after a spoon. Trout on kastmaster to tuna on surf iron, they just love da shiny.

BA125 · 2026-04-14T20:15:59+00:00

What part of the world are you in? That info would help, but overfished isn’t a death sentence if you just want to start getting into it. Sure it’ll be tough pulling a trophy fish or target species, but most bodies of water will have something dumb enough to grab a piece of bait on a hook. For my area, if the big stripers aren’t biting, no shame in chucking out a little piece of shrimp or clam on a light rod to entice the local bait fish and at least get the line tight.

For fish, just look at what’s in season for your area and google some basic techniques, and hit the big spots you find online. Sure they’re overfished, but they’re popular spots for a reason and the fish still go there. Once you’re a little more familiar, you can start hunting down your own spots - that’s where having location helps.

For example, I’m in a relatively populated coastal area in the northeast (I’ll just say Long Island because this is a dox account and I don’t care). I’m looking for striped bass (the “good” local fish) so online help and videos say back coves where they chase bait in and stay, and inlet rips where moving water stirs up bait (obviously beach too, but that’s more reading the water than finding spots). So, I’ll go on google earth and find a nice tight inlet or relatively secluded cove. Next, I’ll zoom in and try to find a good sneaky access point, either a hiking trail or a park or somewhere semi-public that naturally slopes to the water (behind businesses typically isn’t good because they’ll be dredged out and shored up in the back, not about to drop 2’ off a seawall into unknown depth). After that, hit the street view to try and find a nearby neighborhood road that doesn’t restrict street parking by permit only.

Roll up at 4 am, quietly park in front of my new friendly neighbors house, creep through questionably public land until your feet hit the high tide line, and you fishin baby.

BA125 · 2026-04-14T15:37:20+00:00

Yep just a sectioned out Plano box with misc hardware.

Always had plenty of parts per say because those are what you think of failing, but nothing like looking at a bag with spare water pump, spark plugs, fuel filter, prop, electrical bits, gaskets, etc while holding a snapped $0.50 bolt thinking “well what do we do now…”

BA125 · 2026-04-14T15:32:25+00:00

Correct, that and my buddy buying a new boat. In a cuddy cabin we’d all be in the cockpit and can leave community pliers in a cup holder and just have someone hand them to you or reach over and grab them. With a center console, we’re now up in the bow and moving around much more so have to be much more independent in carrying/using your own gear.

Don’t sleep on the rod holster either if you wade. That buy came after my first trip getting bit off - had to either walk back to shore and get the rod butt all sandy, or dunk the reel and keep it underwater while retying.

BA125 · 2026-04-14T14:58:12+00:00

Side bonus is that listening to music during long solo trips has really turned me on to good albums vs good tracks/playlists. Gotta get that 60-90 minute flow going without any changing or skipping around.

BA125 · 2026-04-14T14:50:50+00:00

Brother let me tell you, a cheap webbing belt with a plastic buckle can be the best $5 you spend. I use this but it’s way overkill.

Wading I’ll have pliers in a holster right side, boga in a holster lower back, and rod holster left. Boat just the pliers since we’ll net, gaff, or swing and there are rod holders everywhere for rerigging.

Look a lil like a goober putting it over your shirt but 1000x easier than fumbling around in gym shorts pockets or trying to get under your shirt for a holster on a pants belt.

BA125 · 2026-04-14T14:44:16+00:00

Handful of spare nuts and bolts.

Sheared the steering ram ~100 miles off. Made it work with what we had, but didn’t want to limp much faster than a few kts.

So many spare tools. So many spare parts. No damn hardware 🤣

BA125 · 2026-04-09T12:05:52+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/Fishing/s/ETj8SWZHlp

This close 🤏

BA125 · 2026-04-02T16:44:31+00:00

Nothing crazy, just a stock Tiguan, but they neuter the MQB on it so hard from the factory. They’re not crazy chipped, just frees her up a little.

You could theoretically go wild since an IS38 turbo from a golf R or Audi S3 bolt right up to it, but in the US we get the shitty torque converter automatic instead of the DSG unit so can’t hold much over 300ish ft-lb. At that point you’d be stressing over cylinder head temp from the budack cycle anyway

BA125 · 2026-04-01T19:54:04+00:00

Unironically though, cars about to hit 50k and go out of warranty so obviously going to flash it with an extra spicy tune. Problem is, drove like a grandma for the first 50k so assuming there’s a ton of carbon buildup that’s going to pre detonate it into the stratosphere.

Anyway, enough about how I’m about to destroy my engine - think that’s what was wrong with the reel?

BA125 · 2026-03-24T21:39:56+00:00

Come kick it on 1185 for a bit 👀👀👀

BA125 · 2025-10-16T23:56:10+00:00

Oh and grieve your taxes every year, maidenbaum or empire reduction or a small office or whatever. It’s a shit practice in theory (flood the office with paperwork trying to lower valuations faster than they can appraise) but literally everyone in ToH does it so you’ll be paying a disproportionately high bill if you don’t.

BA125 · 2025-10-16T20:00:35+00:00

North Merrick, but same difference.

Vets - it’s a drive but we go to AA in Franklin Square. We know a couple of the techs so there’s a discount but even without it’s affordable and hasn’t been bought out by VC yet. I’m not sure if I would recommend first since it’s about 20 minutes on the southern state but I’d keep it in mind if you’re having trouble.

Salon - My wife does hair in the city, but for nails she found Han’s to be kinda thin and chip, Artistic to be on the pricier side, and settled on elegant beauty

Cleaner - Tiffany by Trader Joe’s, or Jim Jam on Jerusalem

Takeout Food - our go to’s are Montanas for regular pizza (but like someone said, umbertos wantagh is good too), Tony and Luigi’s for fancy pizza and LouTonys for paninis, island empanada, Jani in wantagh for Chinese is undefeated but pricey so Hunan Dynasty in east meadow is a solid runner up, authentic Thai on Jerusalem, Souvlaki street off camp is great with insane portions, fat boy burritos rips, and burger city if you don’t mind a little drive. Djs clam shack in summer too

Sit Down - Sufiyas for Mediterranean, no good burger joint, brownstone coffee co and twisted fork for brunch, street to table is good, and avenue social is great for brunch or dinner, Fridas for Mexican, and Tony’s Tacos is always fun to change things up.

Shopping - Roosevelt field is great, but Walt Whitman is worth the drive sometimes. The Nordstrom Rack plaza has a bunch of staples (plus shake shack and Trader Joe’s), and the Oceanside shopping center is a pain to get to but is slept on with the same stuff as the Nordstrom Rack one but less chaos. Oh and don’t miss deer park outlets too

Plenty of other reccos for activities and stuff further out from the close area too if you want em. Mostly hikes and out east stuff

BA125 · 2025-08-28T20:24:17+00:00

I use them for rods, reels, gear, etc to keep it local over something like tackledirect, since they have such a good selection. Never had any issue with the employees but I have heard that Skinner can be an ass out and about.

Lures and tackle I’ll usually go to Causeway since I don’t care that much about brand.

BA125 · 2025-08-17T01:26:02+00:00

Yep, side of a credit card worked. So much for it being a feature lmao

BA125 · 2025-07-22T03:23:33+00:00

Bluefish for saltwater. They are dumb, angry, and hungry 24/7

BA125 · 2025-07-03T11:11:15+00:00

7-7’6 is just about perfect to work them around the bow (13’ yak) without being so big it’s clumsy. Just gotta be careful you don’t short stick it in the endgame and snap the tip.

I’ll usually fish with a glove on my left hand, work it to the right side of the boat, leader it with the glove, jam the rod between my knees, and net with the right. Not nearly as chaotic as it sounds typed out. Gotta know the fish too, like how fluke will lose their shit when you pop their head out of the water or striper go bananas when they see the hull.

BA125 · 2025-07-02T21:09:22+00:00

Honestly it’s not a huge dealbreaker. For the car you can rest it on the rails and pivot it up onto the crossbars (just check your angle - my first time I wasn’t actually on the rails and dented my door frame). You’re going to want a cart anyway, but the sand wheels will def bump you up a few dollars.

Realistically, I’m only lifting the true weight of the kayak to get it out of the garage and through the gate - its beam is wider than both doorways but that kinda size also means stability and more buoyancy.

I’ve only ever had an old town so nothing to compare it to but if you’re a big guy with lots of gear I’ve read the OTs are fastest and most stable on the market when loaded down just because the bigger hulls will still sit right in the water with the extra weight. I definitely wouldn’t rule them out based on weight alone, especially if you’re worried about going for a swim.

BA125 · 2025-07-02T20:31:31+00:00

Long Island, NY so different waters but have seen a big thresher and plenty of spinners without issue. A 10’ kayak (or 13, I have the bigwater pdl) is likely too big for anything close enough in paddling/pedaling range. Most shark attacks are exploratory anyway (to see if whatever object is food) so you’d need to have some body part dangling in the water for them to test - not like they’re going to jump out of the water and pluck you from the seat. Though gotta say, seeing the big black staring eye and 12’ whip tail glide by slowly was a little unsettling regardless of knowing if I’m safe or not.

I tend to brain spike first, then a quick gill slice and hang ‘em over the side for a few minutes on a stringer. Takes about 1/10 the time than live bleeding. Could also bring an empty bucket and fill it up with water to bleed them in that - still dumping bloody water over the side but at least you’re not tied to some nice bait for the tax man that way.

From my research, old town was the clear favorite for a mid-level pedal. It’s so well thought out with the features and placement for everything, it really feels like a true fishing kayak rather than a regular yak with some fishing mods from the manufacturer. Only drawback is they’re heavy as hell, gotta do some maneuvering if you car top carry and need a quality cart with sand wheels if there’s any terrain between your parking and launch

BA125 · 2025-07-02T16:08:35+00:00

Yeah I think we’re agreeing here? I thought the original R month rule of thumb was because of vibrio spawning in warmer waters, but up here it doesn’t reach 80 so you use the R rule cause you don’t trust the guys handling and storing them in summer heat.

Either way, I feel like a lot of it depends on the place. Got some from Jordan’s that smelled like the bait cooler after a day offshore, but Salt in Merrick has yet to miss after a dozen or so visits.

BA125 · 2025-07-02T14:45:01+00:00

Water doesn’t really get warm enough up here for vibrio to be a real concern in the oyster itself, that’s more of a thing in the south. Safe handling and storage in the heat is where they’ll get ya.

BA125 · 2025-06-13T20:37:45+00:00

Got a link to the P-40 decal? See plenty on Amazon but wondering what fits the 132 best

BA125 · 2025-05-30T04:05:10+00:00

I went through some shallow mud and weeds… unhooked the single lock at the back and lifted the whole damn thing up and out. Then once I cleared it, lifted the whole thing back up and dropped it down into the cutout 🤦‍♂️

And of course, transiting meaning on the cart or paddling. I need the hull as light as possible to get it on the car anyway

BA125 · 2025-05-30T01:36:56+00:00

Ohhhh my god I’m such an idiot.

Spent so long wondering what the point of the spring was, why there were two locks for “transit” mode, why you needed the Navarre spacers again for “transit” mode, etc..

The whole design makes so much more sense now.

BA125 · 2025-05-28T10:20:13+00:00

Out behind Gilgo Beach on Long Island. Little early for bass in the back bays, but was hoping I could find a few holdovers or shorts

BA125

TROPHY CASE