redmeansdistortion

I usually sink most of my budget into a nicer reel and have no problem using rods in the $50 and under category. I'm a huge fan of the Berkley Lightning Rods and Cabela's Tourney Trails. Been using them for years and they have never let me down. Having said that, some of the most proficient fishermen I know use only Ugly Stiks. Be it bass, walleye, musky, panfish, salmon, or steelhead, that's what they prefer. I feel having the ability to read water conditions and knowing which baits to use in those conditions have a far greater impact on success than what you're using to throw those baits.

I know we don't have many round reel fans here, but I just got this guy yesterday. ABU 4500CS Rocket.

For mono, have a look at T Line made by the Mason Tackle Company. They're based out of and make all of their lines right here in Michigan. We have lots of fans of the stuff over on Michigan Sportsman. It's a rarity in that it's cheap and good, not much more than Berkley Big Game but a far better line. http://www.masontackle.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=22

Being a pro bowling commentator has to be the easiest job ever. "What do you think he's gonna do Bob?" "I think he's gonna knock down some pins."

Sounds like my wife lol. When we first started dating, I asked her to go fishing with me and the first thing she said was 'I don't feel like putting a worm on a hook and waiting all day for a bite'. Fast forward a few years, and now she's always up for fishing. She even has her own baitcast setup now, a Pflueger President XT on a 7' M Lightning Rod

I like PayPal since it gives a second avenue of protection when it comes to buying. They tend to side with the buyer in my experience. I have my PayPal linked to a completely separate account at my financial institution. I only use that account when I sell something online and PayPal deposits the money to that account. When I buy, I have it linked to a credit card. If something goes wrong, I take it up with PayPal first, and if they don't come through I then take it up with my credit card issuer to get my refund. I've been using PayPal for 20 years and have only had to go through my credit card issuer once to get a refund. I'd say they're pretty good based on my experience.

I use the 14lb on my steelhead hardware rod. It's a Penn Spinfisher V 3500 and I use it for throwing plugs, spoons, and spinners off of piers and at river mouths. No complains, holds up well.

My advice as a fellow Michigander, hit the ice for some perch and walleye, or throw on some waders and catch steelhead. I fish steelhead all winter long. It's nice and peaceful out there with very few people since everybody is huddled in shanties on the ice lol

This happened to me just a couple months ago. I was fishing the Clinton River, one of my local steelhead and brown trout holes far upstream of Lake St Clair. There's a dam about half way up the river, and I was floating wax worms upstream of the dam. I saw my float go down, set the hook, and thought I had a nice steelhead until I got a visual. The water was a little murky and once I had a visual, saw what looked like a hammer handle. Once I got it to shore, it ended up being a 20" musky. I have no idea how it got to the other side of the dam, as the steelhead have a hard enough time getting over it, but it was pretty surprising to say the least.

I like the Cabela's Tourney Trail and Berkley Lightning Rod at this price point. Pretty solid, plus lighter more sensitive than the Ugly Stiks in the same price range.

I like 832 on my spinning reels and PP on my baitcasters.

I wouldn't pay much attention to gear ratio as I would retrieval rate (inches per turn). A higher capacity spool with a deeper ratio will retrieve at a similar rate of a more shallow spool and higher ratio. For instance, some casting reels, while they may have a 6:1 ratio retrieve at 30" per turn, and some 7:1 and even 8:1 reels retrieve at the same rate. This is due to spool capacity.

I've always thought of it as sub 1/4oz when it comes to bass.

I have some old In-Fisherman magazines from about '91 or '92 that have full articles about finesse bass fishing with spinning tackle. A couple of them even go into detail about similar tactics for pike fishing. If I remember right, the train of thought at that time was to throw finesse baits for fish that were slow to bite or when fishing cold water. We have come a long way since and methods and tactics change as we learn more.

Use a #6 or #8 snelled octopus hook. Run a sewing needle through the worm and tie the hook at the end towards the head. Start at the skinny end and push it towards the thick end. Depending on current (if stream fishing), use a weight heavy enough to keep the bait down but light enough that it doesn't sink to and stay on the bottom. You want the weight to barely tick the bottom and drift downstream. Split shots are simple to achieve this, but us steelhead fishermen use slinky weights due to them being near snag-less. You'll need to experiment with weight but once you find it, you'll get a nice drift and a very natural presentation. If you're using a spinning reel, keep the bail open and let it drift. Cup your hand on the spool and wait for a hit. Once you get a bite, set the hook, close the bail, and reel it in. I use this simple rig for steelhead, stockers, and smaller stream trout alike. I have success fishing it with marabou jigs, beads, spawn, nightcrawlers, wax worms, and plastic trout worms.

A lot of surf fishermen use baitcasters with no level wind. They do this for distance. It's quite a sight watching a surf fisherman cast an Abu 6500 CT down to the knot. They launch those 4oz baits over 200yd, and sometimes even reach 300yd. The plug fishermen don't fish the CT reels since they need the level wind to work their plugs, but bait fishermen like to forgo the level wind.

I've always wondered what the knock against spinning gear being inaccurate was all about. Like you, I'm pretty accurate with a spinning setup as well. When I want my bait to drop I just bend my index finger and down she goes. The only time I really had an issue was using too stiff of a line, it just wanted to jump off the spool. That was completely my fault choosing the wrong line for the way I fish.

I can't think of any low profile reels that would be true workhorses, reels you can beat up or carelessly throw in the bed of your pickup without worry. You could probably find a used Shimano Calcutta 100 or 200 for that price, or a used Abu 4600 C3 or 5500 C3 for half of that. The round reels are workhorses. I base my comment off of the availability of replacement parts and ease of self service. It's quite easy to find anything you'd need for those reels.

That's much of the the draw for me as well. I like to tinker, and there are so many ways to fine tune a baitcaster. When the dead of winter sets in, I'm in my workshop disassembling my reels and getting them ready for spring time fishing.

I learned on an old Shakespeare direct drive knuckle buster given to me by my grandfather when I was a kid 30 some years back. No fancy level wind tech, no bearings, no brake, no drag, just a spool tension knob. I placed a bucket in the yard and tied on a 3/4oz sinker and had at it. I got some nasty bird nests early on, but got fairly good after a few days of practice. I feel learning on such a primitive reel made me able to pick up any baitcaster and fish it effectively. The reels made the last 60 years are far more advanced than what I learned on, but the simplicity and lack of 'training wheels' of the knuckle buster made me great at spool control. I still fish that reel from time to time. Nothing like having a steelhead make a run for it and the only drag you have is your thumb. Such a raw and unadultered feeling.

I wouldn't worry so much about the reel type as I would what you're throwing to the fish. Use what's most comfortable for you, but don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone.

Ain't that the truth. I went for the first time this year since they stopped doing it at The Palace. I did stop by the Dardevle booth and grabbed 4 spoons for $12, they had their stuff priced a decent amount below retail. I ended up with 3/4oz and 1oz Five of Diamonds and 3/4oz and 1oz Dardevle Classics. Those were good deals, but everything else was pretty pricey. It doesn't seem like the show is what it was in the 90s last I went. Back then it had actual manufacturers showcasing their latest and greatest gear. This one felt more like a flea market charging over retail as far as tackle goes.

This reminds me of some of the trout streams I frequent. The fly fishermen like to sneer at me for using an ultralight spinning setup as if I'm cursed or something lol

Preach! That's a killer looking setup. As Will Smith once said, 'I gots to get me one of these!"

I did not know this, thanks for the info. I wasn't aware that ABU outsourced the manufacturing of their parts to China. I know some of their reels are made there, but not parts for the Swedish reels. That said, I'd think the materials used to make those parts would have have some degree of quality control behind it like in other industries.