JunkYard814

Lost power back home. Hope everyone is staying safe.

I use the X-Raps during the late winter and early spring and they seem to have pretty similar specifications other than size. The one's I own are a bit larger than what you mentioned, but I'm sure they make smaller ones.

Try fishing bigger spinnerbaits or slowing down a little. I find with the the spinnerbaits they don't usually get the line unless you get a real big one. They may mangle the arm, but I usually just bend it back and sometimes I actually find it gives it a better action. Also, I catch most of my pike when really burning in lures. Pike are much more aggresive feeders. This isn't going to work everytime, but that would be my approach.

I use a Medium Heavy with a fast tip as well. I don't fish anything more powerful than MH for freshwater. I like the fast tip because it makes up for the lack of stretch the braid has, and I'm usually a little quick on my hook sets.

I have a Catalyst PT casting reel and I love it. It works perfectly for throwing spinnerbaits. Very smooth and rarely backlashes, not to mention it came in my favorite color. At times I like it better than my Curado.

x3

Been there, done that. Backlashes are a part of fishing casting reels, but the worst ones definitely come making rookie mistakes, and then you're left looking pretty foolish.

I don't get too many kinks, and with the 17lb it doesn't really concern me as much as the 10 lb fluoro does. I've only had two instances where I couldn't pick out a nest within 30 seconds and both times I had to completely strip the reel. One was when I basically turned my spool tension off because I was trying to throw a one ounce spoon about 4 miles, and the other was when I buried a jig into a tree and tightened the drag all the way down trying to pull the branch down and dug the line all the way into the spool. Believe me, I learned never to do that again.

I have three casting reels. One with 10lb fluoro, one with 17lb mono, and one with 50lb braid. The heavier line is definitely easier to manage, and I find it easier to pick nests out when fishing with mono.

I've caught bass < 1lb on 3/8 ounce jigs with a 3" craw on the back. I'm still amazed at how small some of the fish are that hit certain lures.

Personally, I like mono for spinnerbaits and shallow crankbaits. I use fluoro for deeper cranks, but 17lb is too heavy. I think that is a perfect set-up for football jigs and for heavier Texas rigged worms though. I can't really comment on swim jigs and chatterbaits because I don't use them.

I can't agree with this anymore. I have a President mounted on a Berkley Amp that I had mainly for a loner rod. I end up fishing with it a lot more than I anticipated it. For $80 I don't think you can beat that set-up. Some people laugh, but I actually like it better than a lot of my $300 combos.

I haven't been fishing long enough to decide that I like one brand more than another. I want to try everything out. I own Quantum, Shimano, Lew's and Pflueger reels, and I love each one of them. My rods are so all over the place, but my next one will either be a Compre or Veritas. So actually if I think about it, I'm pretty much the opposite. If I buy one thing, I most likely won't buy another one because I want to try something new.

Make money? Not in the least bit.

DO NOT PUT HOT SAUCE IN YOUR SHIMANO REEL! That is unless you are going to completely clean and remove all of Shimano's oil and grease. They are made from different compounds and will actually separate if you mix them and you're reel will not work very well after.

Southern New York is cold enough that that pond will be frozen by early December and remain frozen until probably late February. Unless you plan on footing the money to heat that thing and keep it above 45 degrees all winter, that little guy is gunna die in there before January.

I had a similar thought process to you when I first thought about using a scale. I went out and bought the Berkley version like the one joefish suggested and I have yet to harm a fish with it. Granted it hasn't held anything over 5 pounds but I seems just as safe as grabbing a fish's lip and ripping it out of the water.

I don't usually use them. Maybe if I fished competitively I would, but i fish in a high pressured area, where to many people, there is no such thing as etiquette. To me it seems like your just throwing up a red flag saying there's fish here.

You're right, a lot of fish move deeper in the summer but not all of them. Fish can be found shallow by dams or creek or river mouths into a lake because the water is constantly circulating and it is often cooler there plus food is basically carried right to them. I always struggle fishing fast currents (part of why I don't like trout fishing). Not sure the depth you'll be fishing, but the best advice I could offer is throw some type of soft plastic but over shoot your cast and allow the current to carry the bait past the structure your fishing. Experiment with your weights until you find something you like.

I don't think you can ever have enough soft plastics. Worm fishing is one of my most reliable tactics and I have tons of colors and styles. Also I always tip my jigs with crawfish (the Wooly Hawg Craw is my favorite) and a lot of time I use them on my spinnerbaits. Also don't forget about some tubes!

A lot of people use swivels when crank fishing. It's a lot easier to switch depths and colors more efficiently. It doesn't affect the action of the crank in a negative way and I don't think visibility is usually a problem. The only time I wouldn't do it is if the fish are being real finicky in which case I even remove the split ring to give the bait a much tighter wobble.

I have a crankbait monkey.

Make sure you shop around through places like Cabela's, Bass Pro and Tackle Warehouse. I know the big fishing exposition is right around the corner (not sure when), but you can find a lot of nicer reels with some pretty decent sales because they are getting ready to release their new line of products. If that was my money, I would spend most of it on a reel and strap it to something on the cheaper end until I could afford a little more expensive rod, especially if you're going to be fishing baits like spinnerbaits or cranks, where sensitivity isn't the main issue because bass usually annihilate them. Again this is just my opinion, but the drop off on casting reels is pretty significant once you dip below the $100 retail price range.

I like a slower tip for Spinnerbaits, but the fast tip is definitely good for top waters and worm fishing.

I'm trying to get into frog fishing. I just put together a set-up and now I'm trying to get the hang of fishing them. I have a Lew's Tournament Speed Spool lined with 50lb power pro and right now it's matched up with a St. Croix Mojo cranking rod until I can get together funds to by a more ideal rod. Now I'm looking for good frog's to throw. I've thrown Zoom Horny Toads and Yum Money frogs, but I was having a little difficulty because the set up I have is a little to heavy for them. I wanted to try a heavier frog so I got a Scum Frog. Obviously you get what you pay for and I was not happy with it. I've heard a lot about Spro, but I'm still having a hard time justifying paying $12 for a lure, even if the chances of me losing it are low. What kind of frogs do you guys like/ recommend? I'd prefer something in the $6-$8 range, but ultimately I'll probably end up getting trying the Spro or something equivalent.