South East Fishing Meets

And cats.. don’t forget the thousands of stray cats on Hatteras Island.

 

The rod I ordered finally came 3 days after the reel. For 160$ I'm really impressed. Made about a dozen cast with it so far and no birdnest i think im gonna need a BIGGER rod rack

 

Yeah... but we're the ones hurting the population of that stupid protected bird.

Nice. What rod did you go with again? I'm not going to lie, I'm too lazy to go look.

 

Funny how that works, huh?

Bit the bullet though, warm water is pushing towards the point. I’m loaded and ready to go after work tomorrow... if the warm water stays that is.

 

Now I'm jealous. If I didn't have to work tomorrow, I'd be on the way right now.

My Yakima crossbars and clips should be here Monday, along with my Yakima knockoff ski/snowboard carrier from Amazon. It's going to be so nice to not have to break down every time I want to move.

 

They’re absolutely the best. I got them for my CRV originally. But I rigged that up late last year for the time being until I can afford a roof rack. Works alright and I can at least lock half the rod up, not that they’ll come apart anymore anyways lol. The only down side about having a truck is not being able to lock stuff up inside, and I refuse to get a camper shell.

 

I think one of my favorites was using my retired pier cart and a little I learned on here to mount it in the bed of the truck. Need to take it back off and sand it down so I can paint it, but it works quite well for keeping the cooler from sliding around.

 

I found a good price on eBay for the okuma longitude 12 foot casting rod 67$ shipped. I check all the eyes and gave it a good inspection and can't find a darn thing wrong with it. I love the way is cast but it's only my second long surf rod. My opinion is limited I guess.

 

You have a link to that Yakima part?

 

Seems like they’ve updated the look of it, but this is essentially what I got.

$249 Yakima - FreshTrack 4 Ski & Snowboard Mount, Fits Up To 4 Pairs of Skis or 2 Snowboards, Fits Most Roof Racks

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07286BCZJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_vkgRAbH6P5CMV

 

I was adamant about no camper shell myself for a long time. Then I discovered that Softopper was a thing. Then someone started a group buy on here. Yeah, so... I have a Softopper. And honestly, I love it.

Those tracks are awesome for everything. Toyota changed the game when they started the bed track craze.

Also, I'm digging that purple rod. Custom build?

I'll have to look into that one too. But I've been eyeing the Penn Carnage II. But I've been seeing people compare it to the Bass Pro Offshore Angler Ocean Master. One is $229, the other is $159. I need to get my hands on both before I decide.

I ordered this. Cheaper than Yakima, and looks like it was copied from an older design of theirs. It'll be here Monday and I can snap some real pictures and let you know how good/bad it is.

 

I've always had tonneau covers. Used to work at a truck accessory store. When I bought the Tacoma, I went without a cover for a while. Then I remembered how bad an open bed can suck sometimes.

I thought about a fiberglass one, but I still use my bed a fair amount. The Softopper isn't 100% waterproof, but it's dry enough for me. I mean, you almost have to try to get water in it. Normal rain, totally dry.

I was worried I wouldn't like it. And I honestly thought I'd just leave it in the garage until I went on fishing trips or camping or whatever. But it's lived in my truck since I got it except the times I've popped it off to carry big stuff.

 

Love my softopper.......rtt.......jury is still out. I'm sure it's great for normal sized people but I'm a big dude. I should trade it for a hobie pa 14 in camo.


A guy can dream can't he?

 

If you’re looking for an 8n’bait rod, the penn battalion blows the carnage out of the water and is 160ish. Ocean master rod is a good rod, but it’s super heavy and I don’t recommend it for beach fishing.

 

Exactly why I haven't even considered one. I'm 6'1" and 390 lbs (I'm not "I sit on the couch drinking Mt. Dew and eating Cheetos" 390, I'm more "NFL linebacker" 390) and I don't trust that little aluminum ladder. I'll stay on the ground or in the back of the truck.

That's exactly what I'm looking for. My Prevail does it, but it's much happier with 4-6 and bait. Just want to put something else together that's a little heavier for the rougher days.

 

Then I recommend the battalion. I threw a buddies with 10nbait and it was efertless. Or you can find a rain shadow 1509 or 1569 used for about 150-200. CTS and Rodgeeks are two to look into if you want something nice. The CTS will be about 600 built and the Rodgeeks will be in the 459 range. Both are great rods. I fish a 13’ x-heavy Rodgeeks (the purple one in my picture I posted) and I’ve caught plenty of drum and a few big sharks on it.

 

I definitely want something nice, but I still have a hard time dropping that kind of coin on a rod that'll only get used 5-6 times a year. Those are "one of these days" purchases right now. Until then I'll just have to keep drooling over the expensive ones.

But I am liking the specs on the Battalion. Think I'm going to grab another Squall 15 and pair it with a Batallion. Should be an effective combo that won't break the bank, for the days I need to throw the big lead, and with a fast action tip it shouldn't be bad with a little lighter weight too.

And shark fishing is another thing I want to try at some point this year. I've never done it. I've caught small ones on accident, but never gone out looking for them.

 

Just spooled the new reel with the 15# KK. Good first impression...it’s a tough cut with sharp scissors. Took 2-3 passes with the scissors to cut it.

 

Tonight is one of those nights. Throwing 12.

 

Went out this afternoon after the Bassmaster pros left for weigh in.. Fought the dang wind the whole time. I think if we could've stayed on a spot we could have caught a bunch.