Some more good'uns, and a tragic rod accident

Last cold front has reduced the surface temp 6 degrees, but I'm still getting a few good fish here and there, ones and twos, gills and crackers. Biggest panfish today was a 11.5" bull 'cracker. I was fishing wigglers on the bottom near beds, moving them a foot or so every few seconds, and had 2 lines out (mistake #1). I'd catch one or two, and move to another bedding area. Managed some nice ones, and kept 4 to fry up for supper.

A very big spotted bass hit my worm/jig, and proceeded to give me a fit. It was a hard fight with many runs, under the boat, around the motor, and took forever to reel in using 3 lb test Varivas Twitch Master. This was on my Limber Tip SS rod with the new Presso reel. At the last second I pulled him toward the net too hard, and the line popped at the jig. I estimate a 4-5 lb fish.

While I was fooling around with the dang ol' spot, I wasn't watching my Abu G 67SULT slow taper special, and the line got in the trolling motor. By the time I realized what was happening, it pulled the rod tip down and snapped it an inch behind the tip guide. At that time I packed it in and went home. I fired off emails to the usual suspects about a replacement tip section, and when I calm down, I will look at the damage and maybe try a repair. I'll lose about 2 inches or so. Then I can use it while waiting for a new top half. Dang it.

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Goodness gracious those Gills are nice. Hate to hear about the rod, hope you can just shorten the rod and have the only 6.5 STS.

Ah, sorry to hear about the rod accident. Too bad, looks like you were having a good fishing day. Hope you can get it repaired/replaced.

Nice looking catch !
Sorry about the rod .
It happens to us all .

Good looking fish and pics. Hate hearing about the rod.

If you still have the tip guide a little heat from a lighter to soften the glue and you can remove the broken section. You can usually slide the tip fuide back onto the rod and you are good. The diameters are usually close to the same when only a very short piece is broken off. Very nice fish

What Jack said about the repair is my thought too. Those are some nice fish, I’d be happy with some of those for a dinner.
Alatoona?

Great looking Gills. Didn't want to open this post after seeing title......hate to hear that.

Regards

Looks like ya got yur string pulled big time. Thanks for sharing yur fishing adventure. Seems ya have a handle on the rod repair. How is the new trolling motor working out. What model did you put on yur boat?

JJ

Hare to hear about your fishing rod. Beautiful catches though, thanks for sharing

Before disaster struck you had a good day going - those pans were beautifully sized and healthy! Hope you can get a tip fairly quickly.
Bob

Nice uns!
Breaking a rod or a tip or loosing one over board sure makes for a aggravating day!
but they’ll be days like that !

Quote:

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Originally Posted by skeetbum

What Jack said about the repair is my thought too. Those are some nice fish, I’d be happy with some of those for a dinner.
Alatoona?

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No, a small county water res near me called H Q Lathem. 480 acres, electric only, clean and beautiful. Only open 0800 to 2000, $50 a year for a fishing pass. I LOVE fried bream, but I don't pack the freezer - I rarely keep more than 6, bulls only during the spawn, and they never see a freezer they are eaten so fast.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jeepjock

Looks like ya got yur string pulled big time. Thanks for sharing yur fishing adventure. Seems ya have a handle on the rod repair. How is the new trolling motor working out. What model did you put on yur boat?
JJ

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You might have me mixed up with someone else, I've had a MK Terrova 80 lb w/spot-lock going on 3 years. Ultraslab just got a new Garmin trolling motor.

So as Jack and skeetbum suggested, I will try to remove and re-install the tip guide. I've done this before on a JDM Triple Cross I use for dock shooting, but the glue is a super glue, and heat will not soften it. I had to drill out the rod material to get it out of the tiny guide.

I have several good rods, so this will definitely not slow me down, in fact, I just strung up my Tict Ice Cube and put it in the truck. Plat emailed back already that the tip section is available, and will cost me around $150, so I am in pretty good spirits. I blame that dang ol' bass for the accident. Stupid green fish!

I'll fool with fixing the rod later - I am going back to the lake! :ThumbsUp

Edit: also heard from Digitaka that the top half is available, so order has been placed. I learned an expensive lesson, but it could have been worse.

Only had 3 hours today. No wigglers: I used a sowbug trout magnet on a 1.5g #8 hook Gekka-jig, with a piece of power wiggler Alphahawk-style. Today I was finding a few fish in the beds. A couple more fat spots tested the Limber Tip, like the 17" fat one in the pic below.
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That's a good trip and some great looking fish.

Congrats on a good outing .
I see I’m not the only one who wears gloves .
Actually I just wear one on my left hand for handling fish , to try to keep from getting finned .

I wear the gloves mainly for sun protection, and also wear a neck gaiter thing, and a big hat. The fish monkey gloves last a long time.

PS all fish released today.

Good catches again. I found a few around the beds this afternoon myself, it’s about to happen I do believe.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by jawjatek

I wear the gloves mainly for sun protection, and also wear a neck gaiter thing, and a big hat. The fish monkey gloves last a long time.

PS all fish released today.

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I wear a long sleeve shirt most of the time and a hat . I’d wear both gloves but I can’t feel the thump with my rod hand in a glove .

With the rod I am using, you could put 2 gloves on and still feel a thump. It is flat amazing. I can feel the change in weight when a big 'cracker slurps the worm and just sits with it. Then I put the carbon and steel to 'em.

Glad to see you are putting a hurting on the fish. I hate that happened with the STS and I’m sure you will have a new tip in no time. Keep up the sore lipping!

Jawjatek, sorry to hear of your mishap! I know you talked highly of the Eradicator and I’ve yet to crack surface of our pond with my 5-10….very looking forward to it. Those fishes are some bigguns for sure.


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Caught some more chunks yesterday, and starting to see fish on bed - dots in those dark craters on sonar. Wind was whipping 15-20 mph, and it was hard to cast my usual 1/32 oz jig, so I went to a 1.5g. Biggest of the day was a beautiful 1 lb bluegill, and I lost a pig 'cracker somehow at the net that would have pushed 1.5, probably.
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Beautiful Jd healthy sized fish for sure. Good catch.
Bob

Been there done that with the STS as well. About 6 weeks after I got it - I snapped mine. This is was in September 2020 I think. I sat there dumbfounded for a few minutes and then packed my stuff up and left.

Think I got my top section replacement from digitaka

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Yikes! That is a bad break. So far I've broken 3 JDM rods, and a nice St Croix, all stupid, preventable accidents, but I am learning to be more careful. I recently got a hard case from Prox to transport the rods in, but I don't like removing the reels, and re-stringing rods on the lake. Them tiny guides and my eyes make it a pain the tukus. So, the rods ride in the truck with me, ready to go. They are the first thing I put in, and the last thing I take out.