Flip n Dip

Red Philips knot

Jigging them up and down is how they work best. I have caught many lake trout on them doing that. I never used them much in the salt but I have seen guys catch albies on them off the beach. I think you have to bend them a little to give it more action.

I hope he’s doing well. I always enjoyed reading his posts. He was very knowledgeable about kayaks and kayak fishing.

You have been putting that fancy new net to good use! Those are some beautiful trout! Congrats!

If you still have the inflatable I would use that for small waters and the Outback for big water.

I would try plastic welding the cracks. It’s not an easy fix. I would research plastic welding on the inter web to find out how best to do that. What year Outback?

I never noticed Fireline losing that much of its strength after becoming fuzzy. I have some old Fireline on some of my reels and it’s still very strong. 20-30 percent of its strength is a lot to lose. Maybe I never noticed this because Fireline is a lot stronger than its pound test rating. I’m gonna have to test this myself on a scale one day to see how much strength the fuzzy line loses compared to new line.

All Fireline gets fuzzy after using it a few times. Some people do not like it because of this but it doesn’t bother me. The fuzz does not compromise the strength of the line. Of all the “super lines” on the market today, Fireline is the strongest of them all and also the most abrasion resistant.

Didn’t know you were shark fishing. Not my expertise. Never had any desire to catch a shark. I don’t think there is a way to cast a leader that long and heavy from the surf without experiencing problems. You may have to reconsider your strategy. If you are really serious about catching sharks from the surf you may have to invest in a small kayak to paddle the bait out and drop it where you want. I seen this on tv. In Australia they use surf boards.

Any knot tied with 100 pound mono is gonna cause you problems when casting a surf rod. The knot is just way too big to pass through the tip without eventually failing. I would take the advice from ksong and make the leader short so it doesn’t have to pass through the eyes.

They don’t stay in one place very long. They chase herring and are constantly moving. I was able to narrow it down to a general area but would always have to search. Sometimes I would find them but couldn’t get them to eat. When they are feeding you will see them on the fish finder as arches slashing through the bait... I used to do well with a chrome and black Rattle Trap. Let it sink down to the depth they are at before retrieving. Husky Jerks work too. So do swim baits. It’s just a matter of finding them when they’re hungry.

That’s a beautiful hybrid Eric! 30 inches is a monster! How many pounds you estimate it to be? I used to fish for them all summer in Spruce Run because they bite really well when the weather is miserably hot. I caught them to about 26” which is well over 6 lbs. I would imagine a 30” would be over 9 at least. It must have been one hell of a battle! No fish in freshwater pulls as hard as they do pound for pound.

I think a steelhead rod would be the best choice for what you intend to use it for.

In the fall striper fishing off the beach is mostly sight fishing. You can see the birds working on the fish. No need for electronics in my opinion. I would leave the fish finder home.

I don’t know much about the Finger Lakes. I was never there so I never fished them. I only know what I have read about them so I don’t speak from experience. The articles I have read describe a phenomenon called “dead zones” in some of these lakes. They are caused by algae blooms that deplete the dissolved oxygen in the water. I’m not sure if that’s what’s happening in Seneca Lake but it could be a possible explanation. Maybe someone here has experience fishing Seneca Lake and has a better explanation. Just my 2 cents.