07Rapala

That actually helped quite a bit. Got a few good ideas from some of those Bass Master lists. Could use a few more though.

I'm heading to FL for spring break the last week of March. We'll be spending a couple days just south of Cape Canaveral, then I'll have a full day around Orlando while the rest of my family is at Disney ("I'd rather be fishing"), and finally 3-4 days around Crystal River. Up here in WI the bass only get so big, so I'd love to catch some BIG Florida bass while I'm down there. But I'll be fishing from my solo canoe. I have a preference for paddling and fishing more natural areas, but could tolerate some time on a busy/developed lake if it meant a better chance for bigger fish. So I'm wondering about... Fishing around Cape Canaveral / Coco Beach (was looking at St. John's River). Good fishing less than an hour from Disney. Waters to hit near Crystal River (the Withlacoochee River looks like a good paddle, but is it good fishing?) I may have a day or two to spend in N. Florida on the drive down/back north. Is there anything worth hitting along I-75 or over towards the Okefenokee? Thanks!

I'm driving down to FL for spring break, meeting the rest of my family who will be flying down. I have a few days to do some paddling in my canoe and fishing for smallmouth along the way. Can anyone recommend some quality smallmouth waters on or near this route?

One thing no-one has mentioned is: choose your battles. I live a couple blocks from a 3,300 acre. Live near the NE shore, and of course the prevailing wind around here is from the SW. So I may choose to launch at another part of the lake that keeps me out of the wind more, or a bay, or fish a stream instead if the wind is too strong. There's always someplace that works.

This is the best summary of the advantages of a bait caster. Thanks for that. Yeah, you know, not exactly a fly rod, but I did some trout fishing this summer with a light, moderate, maybe even slow action rod. The bait casting type of casting action was much more effective at tossing those tiny bits. What I have learned trying use baitcasting gear has made me better at casting overall.

I had 12lbs Gouken on my med-heavy, moderate (moving baits) rod, but I snagged something in the back of my boat and got the most insane birds nest and had to cut it out. Went to my bait shop and the best they had was Berkeley Vanish. Not sure if that's cheap or not. I don't love how fluorocarbon fluffs when I cast, the latter is worse for this than the former for sure, more memory. I think I've gone through 3-4 spools of line in 2 season because of how hopelessly tangled fluorocarbon gets when it backlashes. The other two reels have 9-strand braid, Suffix 832 I think. I had been reading about some of the pros and cons of various braking systems. I was trying to get a Lews Custom (not the Pro, I don't have that kind of money) this spring as I read it had very good brakes, but my bait shop's distributor was out of the Lew's, so I went with the SLX MGL instead.

I think one of my issues is that fishing from a canoe, I'm sitting facing forward in the boat, and I'm at the whims of the wind and current, so I'm not always facing where I want to cast to. When I've practiced casting on dry land, it's been much easier than sitting in the boat, and easier yet than in the boat trying to cast backwards at 45-degrees. Also, I live on a chain of natural lakes with a crazy amount of weed growth in the summer. So you either fish the weed line, or my solution for fishing amongst the weeds is to go with lighter lures that will settle on-top of the vegetation, rather than just dig into the foot of filamentous algae on the bottom of the lake during the summer months. So I'll only use at most a 1/4oz bullet weight, on a 10" worm for example. Most of the time I prefer a 8" worm with a 1/8oz or a swimming worm with a 1/16oz nail weight. Fishing rivers, I find the complexity of fishing in moving water makes dealing with baitcasters even more trouble. I had thought that medium-fast would have been awesome for dropping baits behind rocks and fallen trees, but I still get better accuracy with my spinning rod, plus I'm not working on a birds-nest while floating downstream towards who knows what. OK, point taken on the faster retrieve speed. I don't fish tournaments though, so I think it would be a marginal gain for me. Maybe I'll pick-up a Revo Rocket someday though. I really don't notice much difference between my 6:1 and 8:1 baitcasters. It does make me feel better that I have the right reel for the job though 👍. As for line twists, hasn't been much trouble, sure I have gotten a mess of twisted line ever couple of seasons it comes up (including 2 weeks ago) but not often enough for me to worry about it.

I don't have much for exact lure weights (obviously head weight is only part of the overall lure weight), but here's what I got and what I throw with them: Shimano SLX XT 150 reel on Shimano Intenza 7'2", med-heavy, mod-fast rated 1/4 to 3/4oz, w/ 12lbs fluorocarbon: ranges from swimbaits with 1/8oz heads, to 3/8oz swim jigs, spinnerbaits, chatter baits, mid to deep diving crank baits. Shimano Curado 70 on Denali Attax Pro, 7'2", medium, fast (more like mod-fast), rated 1/4-5/8oz, w/ 20lbs braid: 1/8-14oz Tx Rigs, 3/16oz jigs and larger, senkos, heavier flukes (5" Caffeine Chad) or jerk baits. Shimano SLX 70 Denali Attax, 7'4" "Heavy Multipurpose", fast. 1/2 to 1oz, w/ 40lbs braid: I usually toss TX rigs with 1/4 to 3/8 weights, jigs from 1/4 to 1/2oz. I really don't think the problem is with the rods. Overall, I really like the Shimano Intenza and Denali Attax Pro, the Intenza seems to throw a wide range of weights really well and the Attax Pro is just whiny enough to work a jerkbait and pin in fish on a jig. The heavy Attax is just OK. I did try to buy the Daiwa Tatula SV that bulldog1935 mentioned, as I think its as the breaking system sounded better for the issues I am having. But my shop wasn't able to get it at the time, so I got the SLX 70 instead.

That's for sure. I guess what I'm saying is that my time to fish is limited for the foreseeable future, and I'm feeling like the baitcasting rods/reels aren't worth the effort. The only thing I feel like I'm missing out on is that super-accurate casting that is definitely going to take some time to practice to learn anyway. And not saying 'never' to bait casting gear, just not now, maybe in a few years when I have more time to fish. I think going to all spinning will make my life easier (since I can only cast modernly accurately with either rod type anyway).... unless there are other advantages I'm not seeing.

When I was a kid, I ruined plenty of soft plastics, and made a mess of a couple tackle boxes by putting the soft plastics directly in the box. So I always keep my plastics in bags now. But the other day I saw a video with a guy showing off his ned rig box, and he had all the Elaztech TRDs just sitting in cells in his box. Isn't that going to melt the box? Or has something changed with the plastic used for boxes and/or the lures themselves in the past 20-30 years that make this a non-issue these days? It sure would simplify my tackle storage.

TLDR: Baitcasters don't seem to be working well for me. Going to go back to spinning only unless you-all can convince me. About me: I fish mostly from my canoe (sitting), sometimes from shore, and 3-4 times a year on a proper fishing boat. I often lean towards finesse techniques, I fish some heavily pressured lakes, but I'm trying to fish rivers more. When I first bought a bait caster 3 years ago, I was fishing a couple times a week. Now it's once every week or two. I have some decent rods and reels (Shimano Intenza, Curado MGL, SLX XT, ect) so this craftsman can't blame his tools. I am much better at casting a casting rod now than I was when I started, but I still get frequent backlashes, and I can't cast as far as comparable spinning rods, and this is frustrating. I will say that using baitcasters has forced me to get better at casting since they are so touchy. I've learned to use less power and better form which carries over to using my spinning tackle too. I know baitcasters are suppose to allow you to cast more accurately, but honestly, with the drag of the spool, I have a harder time getting my lure to land where I want it compared to a spinning reel. Are there other advantages of casting rod/reels that I'm missing here? I know that I'm at a hard point in the learning curve, and it will get better with practice, but I'm not sure I have the time or patience right now to commit to working on it. It does't feel worth it. I'd appreciate any feedback. Thanks.

Yesterday I was fishing with 2 different Z Man baits on a Texas Rig, their Elaztech senko style worm and the ProCraw. In both cases, I had numerous times that the baits ended-up balled-up on the hook, the sort of way it tends to happen when a fish hits but you miss it. But I never felt any bites and it seemed to happen a LOT. Is this a thing that happens with Elaztech baits? We do have a lot of weeds on our lakes here, so I could see it getting caught up in the weeds and maybe that caused them to ball up. Weather has been very stormy here lately, so I could also imagine there being some curious but very picky fish.

Thanks! I got what I needed!

Can I just buy the little broken piece or do I really need to sign up for their service and send it in? That seems nuts.

You're asking about my bread and butter here... I'm not saying I'm any good, but I've spent a lot of time fishing for smallies from the bank. I did catch this 18" beauty from shore while traveling through MO yesterday: If you've got lakes nearby that are rocky and relatively clear then there's a chance you can find spots to fish for them from shore. But more than likely rivers and streams are going to be your best option. You might find them in streams that are only 10' wide, but slightly larger, 20-30' wide streams up to the largest rivers seem to be best. Typically river fish are smaller in size, but better fighters, pound per pound. As for where: Look for current breaks and the eddies or slack water they create. This could be a point where the bank sticks out, behind a log or rock, anything that blocks the current. If you can, cast from downstream to upstream in the seam where the main flow of the water meets the slow, or reverse-flowing water. Aggressively feeding fish might be above the obstruction, so if there's a rocking the water for example, cast in front of it and bring your lure past along the current break behind it. You can also try banks that are rocky or undercut banks, anywhere the bank is steep into seemingly deepwater is a good place for a couple casts, usually these are on the outside of bends. If you find any wood or weeds, give those spots a go too. In small streams the pools immediately below riffles and rapids are a good bet, cast into the rapid and work your lure down into the pool. As for what lures to use, I do personally prefer more finesse lures, and more to the point, less-expensive tackle that you can afford to loose a few of, since snags are even more likely in flowing water than in lakes/ponds. I break it down into a just a few categories: Jigs on a round or mushroom, or football jig-head between 1/8oz and 3/8oz, depending on what it takes to keep it on the bottom. Folks do well on bigger craws, creatures, and finesse to medium-sized bass jigs. But I like I like the mini 2.5"-3" craws, and ned-rigs on 1/10th oz heads and I also like 2.5-3" tubes. Swimbaits and grubs. I like both, but twister tails are cheap and easy to replace. My favorite combo is a 4" Kalin's Lunker Grub on a 1/8oz head, though a heavier head may be needed in faster current. Note that there can certainly be some overlap between a swimbait and a jig. I may drag a twister tail on the bottom or swim a craw jig on different casts. Crankbaits like shallow-running square bills, Rapala original minnows, and Rebel Wee Craw. Note that the Rapala minnow is silent, and most square bills have rattles in them, and either approach may best on any particular day. Though I generally like to run lures downstream or cross stream, I tend to run crankbaits upstream as they are easier to get un-snagged just by putting some slack in the line. So I stick to floating crainbaits. Wood is the biggest risk for a snag, though you can bounce them off of wood if you are careful. Dropshot: they can't resist a drop shot in lakes or slower current. But drop shot can be impractical in faster current. They can't resist a PowerBait flatworm. Other worm/fish shaped drop-shot baits under 4" also work well. Other: Smallmouth do love topwaters, flukes work in some situations, some people like spinnerbaits, chatter baits, lipless crank baits. I've caught them on senko's in lakes and slackwater. These and more all work, but I generally don't bother as the first 3 categories generally catch them, and won't break your heart if you loose them to a snag. As for colors, overall, use louder/brighter lures if the water is muddy and/or the current is producing riffles and noise, use more realistic, quieter lures in clear, and more smoothly flowing water. That said, a little chartreuse or pink (such as a jig head) can get a lure noticed even in situations that call for finesse. White and black can cover both poor visibility and clear water situations (have good contrast and are a fairly realistic color), but I prefer to fish pumpkinseed/brown or translucent/minnow-colored baits when I can, and have something chartreuse on-hand. To take what you already have that might fall into these categories and give it a go, or maybe buy just a few things. You might consider wading as a good way to fish smaller streams and even larger ones if the current isn't too strong and the water not too deep. Just be cautious, learn what is safe and not over time, don't get in over your head (literally). Well, that turned into an essay, certainly more than enough to get you started.

I dropped my reel and broke the bail arm (part # 21411) on my Shimano Ultegra 2500 reel. Apparently my local reel repair guy has been cut-off by Shimano and can't get spare parts anymore. It looks like a super-simple fix, just two screws to undo and don't lose track of the washers. Where can I buy a little piece like that?

What I'm asking is, I've got line spooled onto one spinning reel, but I'd like to transfer it to a different spinning reel... and I'd prefer a method I could do at my work table in the basement. I'm wondering should I just put the reels face to face, or will that cause line twist? Or should I take the spool off the first reel and have it face the same direction as the reel/spool I'm spooling to? Or should I have the spool I'm taking line from facing sidways compared to the reel I'm loading up with line.... and if so, should the line spool off the bottom, or the top (like the correct way to hang a toilet paper roll)?

What's the best way to do it without adding a lot of line twist... or even reducing line twist?

7'3" St. Croix Victory ML, XF is my preferred for both, which is a problem sometimes since I only have one of them. Handles hair jigs and 1/10oz ned rigs fine on the light end. I have used up to a 1/2oz drop shot on the heavy end. It gets a little weird at that weight but it works. Works well up to 3/8oz.

I have a 4000 series NASCI. Miravel is notably nicer, feels smoother and lighter (though I realize it's a bit of apples to oranges with the different sizes). Ultregra is also nice. I don't see much difference between the latter two, I think the Miravel is lighter, a good quality for a finesse reel.

"Red lures catch big bass" is repeated over and over all over the internet and on these forums. I'm inclined to believe that this is because those red swamp crayfish are really really red, and the bass are seeking out a know pray. I also wonder if the bright color makes them easy to find in mirky waters. But up here in WI our crayfish are more of an olive drab, and our waters are pretty clear 5-15' of clarity on my local lakes for example. Does anyone have any experience with red lures working up north?

I think if I were coming from central IA, I would go to the western Chequamegon area, biggest town around there is Hayward, otherwise you'll be driving past a lot of good lakes to go fishing other good lakes. There are a lot of storied lakes in that area. Just my 2-cents but, if you have a smaller boat anyway, I'd suggest finding some smaller lakes off the beaten path to fish. The DNR has a real obsession with putting public access on every little lake they can. Once you figure out where you're headed, research some small lakes on public land in the area that have primitive boat launches. It's nice to fish lakes known for producing good fish, but not so much when 100 other guys have already fished that spot this week, or when jet skiers are buzzing around all over. Some of the smaller more remote lakes that are hard to get to hold good fish, and probably less than 10 guys have fished any given spot that year. If nothing else, it will be quiet and beautiful.

Thanks for your concern for my wife and her sister. My brother-in-law is from New Orleans and he’s going to be with them some of the time (he’s also working events). My sister-in-law lived there for a couple years so she knows her way around. Apparently they’re staying at a B&B a block of the parade route in the Garden District. I don’t think they’re going to the French Quarter at all, let alone Bourbon St. I though I’d stick around to see one parade before I skip town, to get a taste for it, but I’m sure I’d get tired of it pretty quick and get stir crazy being stuck in a city.

Thanks all for the input. A big part of what I want out of this trip is to experience some real cypress swamps and coastal marshes. I'm going to be bringing a camera long toHonestly, the fishing is a secondary goal... but you know, if I'm on the water, I'm going to be tossing something out there to see who I can get to bite. With that said... I looked at Chicot Lake when I was researching the trip. Apparently the biggest bald cypress in LA can be found in the park. That said, I think its a littler further out than I want to go. BayouSlide, that photo of Lake Faust Point looks amazing to me. Very weird, to me at least, to see a lake that muddy. How does that not settle-out? So maybe I don't spend so much time fishing in that lake, or don't expect much while I explore it. What drew me to that park is that there are some paddle-in camp sites, and overall, it looked like the park and/or the Achafalaya Basin adjacent to it would have some pretty 'natural' swamps. I will also check out Lake Verret and maybe Grassy Lake if I can get up there. Whoever said that Google satellite images would lie to me, yeah I get that. I can imagine tree cover hides a lot and fluctuating water levels changes the landscape quite a bit.

I appreciate your concern. I didn't want to fill my initial post with too much excess text, but perhaps I could have been a bit more clear. I plan to drop-off my wife and sister-in-law in New Orleans, Then I'm going to find somewhere to camp and fish/paddle/hike etc. I will probably go back to get them later. I was thinking of camping at Lake Fausse Point State Park. I could paddle/fish around that lake and the park, or I could launch from one of the boat launches on the other side of the levee into Bayou Chene. I would certainly be open to other ideas where I can get off the beaten path with a canoe... and find fish. Oh, and thanks for the tip about the water possibly starting to rise. I kept reading that water levels would rise in "spring" but I don't have a good frame of reference for when spring is in LA. Up here in WI, the lakes are still solid ice into mid-March.