Skunky

There's a lake near my home that's regularly stocked with rainbow trout. I'd like to use it to learn and hopefully teach different fishing methods. I'm already familiar with using a bottom rig with floating bait, using a float, and casting spinners/spoons. What other methods can work? I should mention I'm restricted to the bank of a lake that's shallow and weedy for a few yards. The trout in there never grow past a foot. There's also a few giant common carp that swim by the shore but they never respond to any of my lures.

I’ve looked into all your reel recommendations and decided on Pfuelger Supreme XT, with Lew’s reels coming in close based of feel. The 30size (6.8) actually weighs less than my Sahara 1000R (9 oz). The 35s and 40s are on discount, but would that be too much for my rod? Unfortunately the HMG lineup didn’t feature F or EF, which I was aware to look out for during my buying research. This also happens to be my only rod, but I’m still happy with it. ? I think you’re right that might have been a factor, even with correctly filled spools and keeping line tight. I’ll start using swivels to minimize that. I noticed a lot of line recommendations, should I switch out my FireLine? I know Nanofil is advertised for cast distance but I fear losing tackle due to its weak abrasion resistance.

Thank you for all the replies. Went to the store to demo a few reels with bigger spool sizes and higher IPT advice in mind, and I really liked the Pflueger Supreme XT 30. Figured I’d splurge a bit from my tax return. I never thought to use swivels on braid...Do I add some leader after the swivel to the spinner or can it be snapped directly without impeding function? My spinners do come in 1/16 sizes, correct. Some of my favourite brands have been Panthers, Mepps, Blue Fox. I’m on the fence with Rooster Tails but love them for sentimental reasons ?.

Oh, my judgment is bad for measurement but I’d say close to 50-feet at most, usually it’s less. With my spinners I’d spin slow with quick jumps in between, but the reel requires I return fairly fast to get keep the blade moving. I wouldn’t put it past me to say my technique sucks and it’s my fault and not the reels. Hah

Yes, I forgot to mention I’m using 4-Pound Fireline braid. Thank you for all your helpful replies. These President reels are quite nice for their price.

Ello Been a long time lurker around these forums, they’re a great wealth of information but this is the first time I’ve found myself completely stumped. I’ve been looking for a spinning reel designed for ultralight fishing. Currently my rod is a Fenwick HMG 7’0 UL Moderate action weighing 4 pounds. My lures rarely weight above 1/8 oz but this rod can handle up to 1/4 oz. I prefer inline spinners if that helps. Currently I’m targeting trout but might advance to other small fish. I was using a Sahara 1000R (5.2:1) but find that my casts don’t get much distance, and I need to reel pretty quick to get the blade moving on my spinners (I tried multiple brands). Do do you think I need a reel with a higher gear ratio so I can reel slower, and a wider spool for distance (which I’m not even sure about because I use braid). Any recommended models? Thanks for any information.