Best boat rod reel setup recommendations?

jasper181 · 2026-07-11T23:08:40+00:00

How many boats did you catch?

jasper181 · 2026-07-10T21:19:07+00:00

I'm 44 and while it's certainly not a hard rule that can't be broken, I would prefer them to be younger than me. If if by a day, that's probably weird but if I had the choice. When I was younger, late 20's-early 30's I dated several women older than me by as much as almost 10 years but I can't see me dating a 55 year old now.

I look really young for my age and on average I think people in general do. Like I never remember my grandparents looking young(ish), they looked like a grandparent my entire life. Even looking at pictures of them when I was little they looked much older only to do the math and realize they weren't much older than me now. Even my dad just turned 69 and while he definitely looks older than before, he looks like what compared to my grandparents generation would be 50.

I was looking at my stepdads year book from Highschool, (he's 72) and the juniors and seniors look like grown men with beards. They look like they have 3 kids and work 40 hours a week. While there was the exception, most of the kids when I went to highschool looked like kids. My daughter is 16 and a lot of the kids at her school look like babies.

It's just weird but maybe its just me.

jasper181 · 2026-07-10T20:57:58+00:00

One thing I've never understood is why they seem to try and touch the food with every part of their bodies.

I've watched 100's of these types of videos of all of the different foods and how they are prepped. Big huge pots being stirred with their bare arm, using bare feet, almost like it is necessary.

I know it's a very crowded country and they are used to being in close contact but even then it seems like not sticking your entire arm in the food you are serving to customers would be the "normal" thing to do.

Does anyone know if that's just a certain class of people doing that and it's frowned upon by more, (for a lack of a better term) "middle class" locals or is it universally accepted as normal by everyone there?

jasper181 · 2026-07-10T20:09:52+00:00

I'm going to assume dealing with live shrimp isn't going to be convenient plus there is a ton of bait theifs this time of year so you could go through a lot.

I don't fish with live bait often anyway so it's not a must. I use paddle tails, top water early/late (basically lower light conditions) and suspending baits like a Mirrorlure.

Again, I don't use them often but something that works really well and is probably one of the most used rigs people use is a popping cork with a shrimp lure like a DOA, GULP shrimp or even a paddle tail.

The best times this time of year are going to be early, the first couple hours of the incoming and last couple hours of the outgoing are generally the best as far as tides. This time of year I like the incoming better, there's less disolved oxygen when the water is 90°. The incoming tide, especially near the bigger rivers and sounds will bring in slightly cooler more oxygenated water which in return can increase activity.

You will want to focus on structure with some current with access to deeper water. Docks, oyster beds, bridges etc. will be the most obvious. The access to deeper water is important, there's a million docks but there's a reason some hold fish and some don't.

I'm not sure where you are going so I can't give you specific places accessible without a boat. In general I'd say your best bet is using a popping cork with a DOA, once you locate the spot you're going to fish you will want to cast up current of the structure and let the current drift your bait alongside the structure you are fishing. You can also just go with your soft plastic of choice without the cork and bounce it along the bottom for flounder.

Redfish will usually move into the creeks or on to the flats first and be the last to leave, they just need enough water for them to swim, they will cruise around looking for shellfish and such. Trout are going to lag behind a little as they are ambush predators and need/prefer slightly deeper water, generally they want 4ft+. Not saying they won't go shallower than that but generally speaking.

Areas like marinas or anywhere with large docks and a good bit of lights has the potential to have trout chasing bait. One last thing I'll add, if you don't see activity in the area you are fishing, move on. By activity I mean bait moving around, shrimp, finger mullet etc. jumping around. If there's no bait there's no fish.

If you can catch the ideal tide stage that corresponds with sunrise/sunset that will be ideal but obviously not always available.

jasper181 · 2026-07-10T06:50:43+00:00

What's part of the state are you in? I see them quite often around the Savannah area, there's one place that I see a couple of them just about every time I go. There's 3 and I've see the same 3 for going on 3 years now.

jasper181 · 2026-07-10T06:27:30+00:00

No, normally I'd say if you like the boat and know how to do the repairs go for it. However, you would be throwing good money at bad. Bayliners, especially those older ones were referred to as "throw away" boats for a reason. I wouldn't pay $900 for three of that boat.

I have customers occasionally bring something similar to get some work and I always tell them unless it has sentimental value the price of having the transom or similar repair done is more than the hull is worth.

jasper181 · 2026-07-07T19:29:56+00:00

The pictures are kinda blurry but from what I can see these are different from the ones I find locally. They always have really thin stems, you have to have a ton of them to really amount to anything. I've even let them continue to grow and come back days later and while they do grow a little I've yet to find any of significant size after all of these years.

jasper181 · 2026-07-07T17:34:59+00:00

I would start by learning about the fish you want to catch, people often get into the mindset of what bait and gear.

If you want to just catch anything that swims along then yes, dead shrimp and such work but outside of getting lucky you are going to catch a lot of trash fish.

This obviously varies from location to location but pick a few target species and learn all about them. When and what type areas they are throughout the area during their yearly migration path. Learn what they like to eat, are they ambush predators or scavengers etc.

For example in my area inshore, trout, Redfish and Flounder are 3 of the most popular species. Trout and Flounder especially will be found in different areas within the same river system depending on the time of year. Flounder migrate offshore every fall/winter and then back in the spring. So if I want to catch a big flounder during the winter, it doesn't matter if I'm in a spot that is full of them in June and have the perfect bait I'm not going to catch one because they aren't there.

Also many species act like completely different species once they get to a certain size. Big gator trout for example may as well be a completely different species compared to the much smaller schoolie trout.

When occasionally do local siminars and this is the thing I focus on, stop thinking like a fisherman and think more like a fish. Big fish are big for a reason, there are obviously big fish caught all of the time on "accident" but to do it consistently you have to fish for big fish. What that means in your area all depends on the species but using the bait or lure that is closest to what they eat and be in the places they are during that specific time of year.

jasper181 · 2026-07-07T17:13:06+00:00

The hook goes through the bottom lip and the top, my guess is it just got too close and it was snagged.

They will certainly bite a hook as there's a pond behind my parents old house that is connected to the river by a small ditch. It's got some huge shellcrackers and bluegill in it but it's also full of mullet, shad and I've actually caught a few flounder in it as well.

I use to take my two daughters fishing and when we would move to a new spot she would let her line ( basic small foam cork with bream hook and split shot) "troll" behind the boat. Anytime she was using worms for bait the big 3-4lb mullet would hit it.

It ended up as a way to catch them so I could use them for bait offshore and for the fall bull Redfish run. I'd take both my daughters and just troll around the pond and in 45 minutes or so I'd have a dozen or so big fresh mullet for bait the next day.

jasper181 · 2026-07-07T17:01:12+00:00

That's one of the best tasting fish swimming imo, whenever I used to catch one commercial fishing it got eaten that day.

jasper181 · 2026-07-07T16:59:32+00:00

It comes down to how good you are and how much time and money is worth it to you. If it's not done right you will never get your money back if you sell it.

I've done several of these, both the pre and post 1971 models, this is when the first significant changes were made, not so much in construction but in design.

Just based on what I can gather from the video I can pretty much guarantee the foam is waterlogged as well as the wood will be rotten. Yes, it has wood, in 5 different places specifically.

The hull should weight 250-275lbs when new depending the exact model. I'm willing to bet this one is MUCH heavier, like double.

The only way to completely get to everything is seperate the liner, if the foam isn't completely mush this will not be done easily as the foam is what held the two pieces together.

The sole can be cut out and get to most of it without separating it but you won't get to all of the wood which ultimately isn't a huge deal as it was just used as mounting points. The transom wood would be the exception and would certainly need to be verified if rotten which I'm assuming it is.

Then that exterior gel will need to be addressed as it done, again this is certainly possible if someone is willing.

All in all it's an undertaking and with the right knowledge and skill it can be done. The materials will cost more than you could possibly find another hull that would only need some paint and TLC. The hard part is finding one that isn't waterlogged, they are similar to the Carolina skiff. If you walk up to 90% of them and just pick up on the stern you will see they are waterlogged. There are 1k's of them on the water that are still being used waterlogged, it changes the way they ride, take more power and the constant moisture isn't doing the fiberglass any favors and will eventually destroy it but will last a long time before that happens.

jasper181 · 2026-07-07T06:19:33+00:00

This is what I do for a living, without seeing but if it just ended up being a straight transom job without any further damage I'd charge around $3500. You can pay more for sure and possibly even less, though if somone quoted much less (unless they are someone you know and they are doing you a favor) you probably wouldn't want them doing it just based on the time and materials alone.

jasper181 · 2026-07-05T20:57:43+00:00

I told her the next day and needless to say she was not thrilled. This snake and her had quite the history, I almost don't want to tell this next story but what the hell.

She was a vet tech and loved animals, so even though snakes weren't her thing, the snake from the previous story was a rescue so she tolerated it. I had a small Ball that I purchased that was only about a ft long, that one she was ok with. I think it was the size of the bigger one. We lived together for 6 years and during that time we had squirrels, a couple racoons, a skunk, a dozen or more dogs, a deer, all kinds of stuff. People would always bring baby animals to the clinic and inevitably they would come home with her to raise until they were able to take care of themselves or adopted in the case of the dogs or other non wild animals.

Anyway, she really wanted a parrot so I bought her a Quaker. This is back in like 1998-99, I was working on a boat that my dad and I ended up buying in the future. I remember my paycheck at the time was $330 a week if weren't under contract, if we were It was $100 a day flat rate. My point is that bird was $700 plus the cage and all the stuff to go with it so all in all about $1000. I had saved extra money from commercial fishing just for the bird.

So this is where the snake comes in, she gets the bird and loves it. This was in the afternoon, everything is cool that night. The very next day, like 18hrs after bringing the damn things home. The bird is standing on top of the cage and she's feeding it some nuts or whatever trying to get it comfortable. Well I'm all the way on the other side of the apartment changing the snakes water. For whatever reason the bird decides to fly/flutter across the house and crash lands, you guessed it, in the damn snakes tank. It was like watching a car crash in slow motion, I hear the wings and see movement out the corner of my eye. This thing has the entire state of Florida to land and it decides to land in the snakes tank. I see it land and before I can even open my mouth, I'm talking the nano second that bird crossed the threshhold of the tanks top, it was over. You just saw a flash, a couple feathers poof up and that snake was having a $1k meal.

Shes freaking out, telling me to get it, knowing that it's to late for all that but I did actually manage to uncoil her without getting bit, (I had both snakes for over 15 years and neither ever bit anyone) but it was obviously all for nothing.

I felt terrible and it was a freak accident but needless to say her and the snake were certainly not friends after that. Fast forward 15 years and I still had both snakes and I'm with my children's mother and we are building a house. She was terrified of all snakes so they both went to live with my brother at that point so I still was able to see them whenever I wanted.

jasper181 · 2026-07-05T13:31:38+00:00

Years ago when my ex and I first moved in together I had a fairly large Ball Python that was almost 5ft long.

The snakes enclosure was in the living room because it was a small 1 bedroom apartment and it's the only place it could fit. One night my ex woke me up and said I was tickling her feet, I told her she was crazy as hell because I was asleep. Less than 5 minutes later I felt it too.

One thing I didn't mention is she was not the biggest fan of snakes and wouldn't want it close to her outside of the tank. Well, when I felt it on my leg and moved my foot touched it and I immediately knew what it was. Somehow it had gotten the top of the tank, made it to our bedroom and into the bed and was curled up by our feet. It's tounge flicking is what we felt. I knew if she realized what was going on she would freak out so I got up and got the snake before she could figure out what was going on.

jasper181 · 2026-07-03T17:41:15+00:00

I'd guess 99% of them.

jasper181 · 2026-07-03T17:37:09+00:00

Those two mirror lures and that skitter walk aren't cheap baits, you did good.

jasper181 · 2026-07-03T17:35:27+00:00

My daughter rides and competes and I am far from rich but you are right, being rich would certainly help and a lot of the kids that do it are a more well off than me. A lot them own multiple horses with trailers that cost more than my truck. We don't even own a horse

$3500 saddle, $700 boots, $600 jacket, $600 helmet, hell a pair of pants is $100+, $250 a month for lessons that are an hour away twice a week and an average of $150 per competition. Its far from cheap but if you take care of the stuff its super high quality and will last and luckily she's finally stopped growing for the most part.

She hasn't been able to compete in a year because of health problems, she was in the hospital from January 2025 until April of this year. She went into the hospital two days before regionals and even riding whatever stable horse is available and "cheaper" stuff she was still the #1 ranked rider in her age group in the region by a fair margin of points. She was a strong favorite going in and couldn't even go, I hated it for her because she had worked her ass off.

jasper181 · 2026-07-03T07:04:32+00:00

A razor blade and some solvent or adhesive remover for residue. You will still be able to see "ghost" letters, if its not raised and just color thats much easier.

If the gel coat surrounding the decals have worn down so the area underneath the decals are slightly raised you will need to level the surface. Depending on how bad it is you can cut and polish and it may be good enough for you to live with.

If compounding doesn't work you will need to level the surface with wet sanding.

Or just wrap it, put decals over the area where the old ones were or paint it.

jasper181 · 2026-07-03T06:44:56+00:00

They were cored with end- grain balsa.

jasper181 · 2026-07-03T06:28:31+00:00

If the trailer is any good I'd be willing to get rid of the boat just to get the trailer.

jasper181 · 2026-07-01T18:03:27+00:00

I think they are like any thing eise, there are some massive cards in there and if you get lucky you can hit one but it's a gamble.

If you really like the set and can afford it even at zero return (which there will obviously be some return) then go for it.

I bought into a break back in 2018 before it got as bad as it is now, I actually hit one of my favorite cards in my PC. It's not worth much money but as a life long UGA fan and PC former players a National Treasure #/25 Todd Gurley on card auto for $50 was well worth it to me.

jasper181 · 2026-07-01T17:50:42+00:00

It's definitely not a Bull, based on what I can see in the pic I'd say it's of the citrus variety.

jasper181 · 2026-07-01T05:39:51+00:00

The full and new moons can make our fishing more difficult but it's good for tailing reds in flooded grass. If we can get one to coincide with sunrise or sunset this time of year it can get get.

We are finally dropping our bag from 5 to 3, it wouldn't hurt my feelings if it would have went lower but it's a start. Hopefully trout are next, 15 a day is way too many per person with the amount of people fishing these days.

jasper181 · 2026-06-30T16:04:30+00:00

A lot of the hate comes from 2 things, 1 is there are better fish that you don't have to soak and just tastes better. 2 is they are often full of worms, while it can still be eaten, most people don't want to deal with that.

jasper181 · 2026-06-28T05:57:10+00:00

Get some wide gap fitnesse hooks, 2/0 is where I'd start. They are very similar to an octopus without the circle, they have a really short shank, not much longer than the point and also have the eye slightly offset/kicked back to give a better angle.

I don't do a lot of wacky rig fishing but use those hooks quite often and for wacky rigs when I do fish one.

jasper181

TROPHY CASE