23 replies to this topic

[Nazz315430]

I have been kicking around the idea of picking up another rod. I have been hearing a lot about the Lamiglas 120 1L rods, and a lot of surfcasters are chopping a foot off the bottom of the reel.
Does anyone have any idea what these rods are going for? and where to get one?
Also what are your thoughts about chopping a foot off the bottom.
I was considering pairing it up with a VS250, but the price of that reel is through the roof.
So i guess i'll have to stick to my Penn reels for now.

I would appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks
N

[Captain Will]

Sine you are in OB, I think you should go pay the guy over in GC a visit, nice guy and he loves to talk about the kind of stuff you are asking.Can't remember the name of his outfit but he's right across from the "information" booth they have set up downtown there, around the corner from Henry's.
Not a fisherman myself, but shop owner is a class act all the way.

[mrchow]

It's lami Gsb l or Gsb m 120 great rods no need for van staal big fan of cabo 40 works great for north shore surf.

[Sig]

I've never had the need for that heavy of a rod on the N shore. Most of the time I'm throwing stuff that weighs between 3/8-1oz. Then again I'm not soaking bunker chunks. I find an 8-8.5 rod to be about perfect for the N shore beaches.

[Nazz315430]

What i have been using is my 10' penn prevail, or my Lamig 11'8" 2 piece.
Both with Penn reels, the Penn with the battle 5000/and the lame with the Penn Conquer.
I think i have every plug and tin known to man kind and i am not having much luck.
I have mainly been at center island. I know the fish are there, at least for now they are, because i see people pulling them in.
Not loads of them, and most of them shorts.

[Sig]

I think i have every plug and tin known to man kind and i am not having much luck.
I have mainly been at center island. I know the fish are there, at least for now they are, because i see people pulling them in.

This may sound harsh (not meant to) but it's you & not your tackle that needs refinement IMO. Chances are you could swap your gear with any of the regulars on your beach & they'd still kick your butt.

You state that you see others catching & you're not. Take a look at what they're throwing & how they're retrieving it. Look at the time, sun position, winds & tides they fish. Study where they position themselves (but don't mug their spot). Make notes & look for common traits.

Bring a thermos of coffee & bagels with you & offer to share it in the parking lot. You may be able to glean some insight on what you may be doing wrong. Don't expect a regular to give up all their secrets at once. Show some dedication & go more often. That may buy you some street credit among the regulars. Local knowledge is more valuable then anything that you read in The Liar aka LI Fisherman.

Good luck to you.

[Nazz315430]

I am always open to ideas and criticism,
I am also always working on my weak points and what i can do better,
this includes books and videos like john skinners.
So your point is well taken and no offense taken either.
I have also spent a lot of time understanding the beaches and reading them.
But it's frustrating as hell when you are with a buddy and he is throwing what you are, and fishing where you are and he catches and you don't that's crazy.

On the other hand, I have been fishing with a buddy and the situation was the complete reverse,
I could do no wrong and caught fish after fish, and he couldn't catch a cold that day.
So part of it is luck, knowing what the fish are going for, presentation and being in the right place at the right time.

Right now i fish on average of three times a week. If i didn't work, i would fish everyday.
So i am putting my time in. As for regulars on the beach, there really aren't any.
I know one of the things i have to do, is change locations and hit more different beaches.
Believe it or not, when i go out, i it's usually me and maybe one or two other people on the beach.
so striking up a conversation isn't all that easy to do.I'll be happy when i break this mojo. lol
Believe me when i say i fish with about 5-6 different people from time to time, and for the most part everyone has been having a hard time catching.
The best fishing for them has been off a boat.
I can and have done that, and made out well.
But I guess i am a surf rat at heart.
I would love to find a seasoned surf guy that would be wiling to give me some pointers.
I am 63, but never too old to learn more.
I know what i am doing, but need to fix the things that i am doing wrong.
So the journey continues.

[Sig]

Do you have any local fishing clubs in your area?

[stuc]

The Lami GSB120-1L is the model of the blank only. You will need to have it built to your specifications. If you want a shorter rod, just go to the GSB108-1L blank. I have one, and it's perfect for the north shore as well as back bays on the south shore. The GSB120-1L and -1M are favorites for the south shore beaches. I've got each of those as well as the longer GSB132-1M. All are tools for specific conditions. Be prepared to spend >$300-400 to have one built.

I must agree with the above advise however. Seems you are focusing on the wrong things, such as "Bait blasters" and such. Fish can't tell if they're caught on a Penn or Van Staal reel. Spend more time reading the beach and the conditions. Distance is not the game, it's finding the fish, and sometimes they're right at your feet. Perhaps hire a guide for a few hours and learn something from him about matching the bait, tide, etc.

I fish mainly south shore, but have had success up north as well. it's all in the timing. That's why it's called fishing, not catching. Best advice is to relax and enjoy the time out. If it becomes a point of more stress, just walk away. When I started years ago, it became overly competitive with the club and contests, and I was no longer enjoying it. Now I'm just happy to spend a few hours at the water and relax.

Stu

[Nazz315430]

Hi Stu,
I hear what you are saying.
The bait is just a pet project, just something that i wanted to do.
My enjoyment is on the beach.
I guess i should have made it clearer that although i have been fishing for a long time now
It has only been this past season that i have gone (for the most part) exclusively with plugs and tins.
I haven't been doing any bait fishing.
So for me in sense this is new territory.
i am aware that fish don't know what equipment anyone is using.
I also know that distance is not what it's all about.
It is a combination of being able to read the beach. fishing the lip, troughs, cuts, sand bars etc, and knowing where to maximize the chances of a hit.
The other important factors of course are knowing what plug to tin to use, when to use it, how to present it, fast retrieve, slow, medium, and being able to adapt to the situation.
Wind, temperature, tide conditions, and all of the other variables.
that is what keeps me fishing.
Catching the fish is the added bonus.
I have caught fish with plugs and tins. So it's not like i have no idea what i am doing.
In as much as it gets frustrating, I am smart enough to realize that i am fish a different ball game that i am used to fishing, so i do cut myself slack in the respect.
I fish both south shore and north shores. I like both. I am also pleased with myself that i am able to enjoy being on the beach and enjoying it, whether i catch fish or not.

The pics are of me two nights ago, do you think i was suffering being out there? lol
It was like being in heaven.

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[4x4Blazer]

If I remember correctly no store bought rod is built on the GSB blank, so your looking at a custom build or a used already built rod. I love my GSBs back bay is a GSB 108 1L and open beach is usually a GSB 120 1L. I bought both lightly used for much less then it would have cost to have one built. VSs are great but a Penn Z series will do everything a VS will do. The only reason I upgraded to VSs was I'm very hard on my gear and I would much rather be fishing then cleaning saltwater out of the reel every few trips.

When picking a rod you need to build/buy to suit. Type of lure, weight, location, weather etc. However, based on your posts you need to work on fundamentals not your gear.

[Nazz315430]

Always working on the fundamentals, that is abundantly clear.
Thanks everyone for the input, it is appreciated.
If anyone has some constructive tips to share, that would also be appreciated.
I realize when it comes to fishing plugs, tins, whatever, what makes the difference is fine tuning and seeing what works and what doesn't work.
I also know it's not the arrow but the indian that makes the difference.
You can give a great fisherman a twig and hook, and they will catch fish.
Ive someone that doesn't know what they are doing a top of the line rod and reel, and they probably couldn't even catch a cold.
It would also help to have someone that has the experience and is open to sharing some of their knowledge and experience.
To work on fundamentals is sound and good advice.
To find out what that person or persons are doing that i not correct and help them with better or correct information is even better.

The one think i like about this forum that keeps me here, is that i have found there are a lot of members here that are not only a wealth of information, but pretty giving of their knowledge.
I am always open to sharing what i know, and enjoy helping anyone that needs my help in any way.
So thanks everyone for your input, i appreciate it.

[Sig]

When I fish calm N shore beaches like the one in your pic, slow retrieve has always been better. Before dark I like to throw small poppers (I turn my own) about 3-1/2" to 4-1/2" long. The key being they must float (some store boughts don't). Make a cast & let it sit for 5-15 seconds before starting your retrieve. This gives fish in the area to move to it without it being out of their strike zone. On the retrieve I crank the handle slow, like 1 turn/3seconds. A gentle twitch of the rod tip every 3 turns or so just enough to burp.

After dark I like a floating jointed minnow type such as a Rebel or Bomber. Again 3-1/2" long & let it sit for a moment after the cast. Retrieve slowly just like the popper without the twitch. Just fast enough to make a small "V" wake on the surface. The other top producing lure I use at night is a 3/8 oz jig head with a plastic/rubber tail. Bounce it slow off the bottom.

Now you can see why I prefer lighter setups for the N shore. You just can't load those heavier rods with these light payloads.

Once you get bored of catching all the fish you can step up to using a flyrod from the beach.

I hope this helps.

[Nazz315430]

Hey that is helpful.
I will often use diamond jigs w/ surgical tubing, bucktail, poppers or tins until dusk.
then either stay with bucktail, needlefish, darter or pencil popper and daiwa minnow, at night, with a slow retrieve.
But my retrieve is not as slow as you mentioned, so i will definitely try that.
I try long casts, short casts, and usually fan cast, starting my cast around 10 o'clock, 11, 12, 1, 2 and 3, and if no fish, i will move about 25 or so feet down or up the beach, covering whatever real estate i have to, to get a bite. Once i get a fish, i will usually stay there a bit and see what else happens.
I will also switch plugs and tins often, if nothing is hitting.
I like yellows, and pink as well as white for my plugs, but do have an assortment of colors, and sizes that i use.

[stuc]

Nazz,

I've had a lot of success with rubber paddle tails lately. You can adjust the jig head weight to keep it at a certain level in the water column. Also a wide range of sizes and color. They cast well, and you can change the retrieve speed for different swimming motions. Not much of a fan of tins. Mostly use them in daytime conditions or a launch vehicle for a teaser. Bucktails with a trailer, poppers and lipped swimmers like bombers I use a lot as well. I always try to match the lure color to the bait in the water. I almost always use a teaser ahead of my lures. I usually start with a white bucktail with red pork rind, and go from there.

[Sig]

I agree with stuc, not much of a fan of diamond jigs or tins from the N shore beaches. Although I love them from a boat where they can be fished properly (vertical).

As far as color goes I like dark colors at night.

How big are the lures you mention "needlefish, darter or pencil popper"? If they're the same ones that you use on the SS ocean beaches, they're probably too large for the N shore IMO.

[Nazz315430]

I have 1 and 2 ounce. 6 and 7 inches.

[4x4Blazer]

As mentioned a slow retrieve is very important but what people overlook is how slow. My advice is boringly slow and remember what you reel ratio is. If your reel takes up 40in of line per crank and your cranking 1 per second thats alot of lure movement in a very short time. It may seem slow to you but to a big fat lazy bass it may not be worth the effort to chase it down.

Another thing I always tell people is finish your retreive to your feet! Bass are picky they may start watching and follow the lure into really shallow water. Example. The other morning I was fishing a quite shallow bay spot. This particular spot has a 40ish yd flat with a drop off at the end. I was about 10 yds out on the flat. Was catching short to small keeper sized bass hitting at the drop off and ten yards onto the flat. They were definitely sitting at the drop. However, I still always retreive to my feet. The largest bass of that morning hit as I was probably about three turns of the reel from taking the lure out of the water to cast again. This fish a 43incher, hit the lure in knee deep water. Had I retreived really fast out of the typical strike zone I would have missed the best fish of the day.

[Nazz315430]

Good point. How slow is slow, i usually try a variety of speeds, but i really don't think i go as slow as you mention. I will definitely give it a try.

[4x4Blazer]

How slow is going to be depend on several factors, wind, current, lure type, lure size, water depth, etc but the main thing is to keep contact with the lure and keep the action working, whatever that action may be.

When working a lure I always try to make the presentation look like a injured fish. Slow retreive, occasional stop, maybe a jerk, or a quick crank. Make it stand out from whatever bait is in the area. Bass especially big bass are lazy and smart, they did'nt get that far in life going after everything that they see.

Matching the bait in the area will provide good results as well. If there is big bait around, throw big lures. Small bait, small lures. Not always best but a good place to start.

The areas I've been fishing lately should have large bait around, so I've been throwing 6in+ lures, mostly poppers and swimmers. Trying to mimic bunker and shad.

Save the tins and diamond jigs for strong wind, current, waves or when sandeels are the only bait around.