muddler

Ok, so you're using a spinning reel. A float reel makes it a bit easier to control your float but a spinning outfit can also be used. In fast water just feather the line as it goes downstream by putting your finger on the side of the spool pinching the line to the spool. Be prepared to close the bail quickly if the float does anything unusual. In slower water you can just close the bail and reel backwarks to let out line. With a spinning reel your drifts are a bit shorter than with a float reel. As for where you should be standing in relation to the strikezone, that depends on the fishing conditions. The ideal is slightly up stream of where you think the fish is, but shore terrain, water current and depth may not allow you to do that. I've had strikes at my feet, upstream (just as the float cocks) and way down stream and in between. There is no set spot. Steelhead can be very unpredictable. It's been a learning process for 30+ years and I still don't have all the answers. Each outing is a new adventure. Keep experimenting.

muddler

You check the float as it floats downstream of you. If you are casting so far upstream that it is not possible to check it, then move further upstream to shorten your cast. You don't have to float a super long distance in most cases. Just a short 40-50 foot cast upstream if possible and 100 foot drift downstream. After a dozen drifts, move a couple of step downstream and repeat. These are just rough distances, they vary with the conditions you fish. In the eastern ditches a downsteam drift 50 feet is average for me and any upstrem cast is usually a bonus. On the Notty depending on the number of fishermen the downstream float can be pretty long. Again expeeriment, there is no one answer. Just try and get your drift so that the bait is in the strike zone for as long and as natural as possible. Use the upstream cast to give you time to noodle the float properly as it drifts by you, then check the float.

muddler.

1. Yup, I cast upstream. Far enough to get my bait down to the strike zone where I think the trout are holding. In some situations all you can do is drop the float and bait in front of you and drift it into a hot spot.

2. Yes your float should be cocked and standing vertically. I like to bunch up my shot about 2-3 feet above my bait in fast water. That way when the float cocks up, I know that I'm in the strike zone...IE the bait has reached the proper depth. In slow water I spread the shot evenly below the float, the bait usually sinks quickly and it is in the strike zone.

3. You have to 'check' your float. That means to hold it back slightly so that the bait floats downstream first (most of the time). The surface water usually moves at a faster speed then the bottom water, thus the float will preceed your bait. If you are using flies, checking the flow will cause the fly to rise in the water column. This can trigger some viscious strikes too.

Experiment. There are NO sure thing answers. After 30+years of stelheading, I've tried them all. Everything/anything works one day and almost nothing the next day, that's why it's called 'fishing' not 'catching'. I always chuckle when I hear that XXXXXX is the best bait to use. I wish it was that simple all the time. Eperiment and gain confidence in a few methods then learn to broden your methods. There was a time when all I used was roe, then I got schooled by a guy using stone flies, then I got schooled by a fellow using pinkies, them buggers, then yarn, then worms , then ....... well you get the idea. Now with steelhead numbers declining it is getting harder and harder to catch them. Keep learning. I still am.

muddler

My favourite is a Chug Bug. It works wonders on both SM and LM bass on the surface. Get a couple of pike that nail it too. For subsurface I use tubes for SM and plastic worm for LM. For waters that have a lot of movement (rivers , creeks, causways) I really like a 3" pinky (yes I know it's a steelhead bait). My kids love using this on a 1/16 jig head under a slip float. Seems to catch just about everything.

muddler

Both my son and my daughter started fishing when they were 4 years old. I custom built the rods for them(used a fly rod reel seat for thier small hands) and got some Zebco ultra light under spins for reels. A small slip bobber and a crappie jig (debarbed always) with a 3 inch berkley pink worm was/is our most common bait. We caught a ton of fish on that gear. My daughter caught and landed (with just a little help) a 12 lb rainbow out of the Rouge on that outfif at the age of 4. My son (now 10) caught a 6 lb+ smallmouth on that rig too. He has graduated to his own spinning rod now but my daughter (8 years old now) still likes to user her under spin. We keep the outing short (less than 2 hours on the water), ring snacks and drinks and a camera. I don't get much fishing done when they're out but I'm always busy anyway. We search for crayfish and frogs. Watch beavers, deer and porkupines and we always try to have an outdoor lunch. This has been the greatest way to teach them a pile of skills, including, patience, teamwork, a sense of humour, appreciation of the natural beauty of the outdoors, and a ton of outdoor skills that they will use for a life time. We ALWAYS try to clean up any garbage we find and leave the outdoors a liitle better (hopefully) than we found it. These are by far the fondest memories that I have of my kids and they mentionit to all their city friends. I always reminind them that we are going "FISHIN" not "CATCHIN".

These are always my best fishing trips.

Muddler

Good Luck. Here's a link about magpies.

http://www.extension.org/pages/Magpie_Damage_Management

Looks like you've got a problem on your hands.

muddler

You'll need these basic tools:

1. Flytying Vise

2. Bodkin to hold the thread

3. Dubbing Needle

4. The best tying scissors that you can find

5 Fly head cement

Of course painted jig heads and different colours of bucktails too.

There are a lot of other tools that you can buyto make tying a little more enjoyable, like hair stackers, combs, dryng racks, Ott lights, etc.

Look around Cabels on line catalogues and the Orvis site (pricey) to get an idea of what kinds of tools are available.

Flyanglersonline.com has a pile of step by step instructions for flytying.

As for buying stuff. leBarons at Woodbine and 7 and Angling Specialties at Kenney south of Steeles would be my first two choice.

Be VERY VERY VERY careful, this can lead to a life long addiction that can surpass fishing itself.....enjoy!

muddler

My favourite local lake is just 10 minutes away from home. It has a very healthy populations of pik, largemouth, smallmouth and walley. When I break for lunch on the water I usually throw in a crappie sized tube and jig under a slip float and let the wind and waves do thier magic for me while I take a short break. I've caught every type of fish from this lake using this method. It's slow fishing but it works. I get to eat too.

About 2 weeks ago I was fishing the slip bobber and tube in about 15 feet of water for my snack break and then after finishing my snack I slowly reeled then paused. Sometimes this will trigger a strike. All of a sudden the water explodes and a a good sized pike smashes the float. I was a little stunned. Everything just disappeared. I reel in the line and there is something on my line. The pike still had the flaot in its mouth amd somehow wrapped my line around its head and gills. Wow. As I bring it closer to the boat , on the the little tube jig there was a walleye about 14 inches long. Landed both fish. The pike was 32 inches.

This was my strangest catch to date.

muddler

100+ All custom built except for 3 loaners. I started to build my own about 40 years ago.

muddler

My favourite are the Blackbird slip floats as they have a nice plastic cap with a smooth hole in the top and they seem to weight a bit more. Great for longer casts. Second are the thill floats. They are a little lighter and offer a little less resistance on a stike. Both work equally well. I like the plastic bobber stoppers that I get a Walmart, but I'm sure you can get them at a tackle shop anywhere. I always put a small bead between the bobber stop and the float. You can make your own bobber stopper using a small piece of Dacron or cheap Black Nylon line (20-30 lb test is best). Just make a 5 wrap uni-knot over the fishing line, tighten and trim the ends. Slip on a small bead , the float, then tie on a hook. Put a couple of round slip (they spin less when you reel in) shot and you're done. Set the bobber stopper so that you bait is about 18 inches off the bottom and you are good to go. Use the smallest/lightest bobber you can get away with.

That's the only bobber that I use other than a fixed bobber for steelhead. No more pinched lines. and you can fish any depth you want. I have used a slip boober once to fish for lake trout at 100 feet. Worked well. Dept adjustment is a snap. Just push the bobber stopper up or down as needed.

muddler

I've just about just about all the top water lures out there. My favourite open water surface lures are, Chug Bugs (even the Dollar store knock off - just change the hooks), Poppers (any type), jitterbuggs.

For weeddy watter I like weedles Rats, and plastic frogs, Moss Boss and a big 10-12 inch plastic worm rigged weedless. Buzz baits are great for fishing weeds too.

I make my own Jumbo pork frogs and fish these on weed mats with a a weedless 2/0 hook. If there is a small opening in the weed mat I'll let the frog slowly sink out of sight. watch the line for any twich on the line. I do the same this with large plastic worms (sinking not floating). The floating worms rigged weedles (10-12 inches) look like a snake and can be stopped in the middle of a weed patch, often with explosive results.

I use top water lures when the water is calm (mostly early morning and evening). A heavy chop doesn't work for me.

I try ever retieve . I usually start witha a slow stop and go stop and go twitch. If tha doesn't get result the I speed up the retrieve. Buzz baits have a continuous retrive or they sink. Lures tha float, I will cast out and let all the ripple disappear before I move the lure.

I use 30 lb braided line as it floats also. Always wait that couple of seconds after a strike to 'feel' the fish before setting the hook.

Make SURE that your hooks are stcky sharp.

muddler

Here my favourite.

http://www.orvis.com/orvis_assets/files/index.html

muddler

I used to get a couple of fishing buddies and buy large bulk quantities. Split it all up and cash in on the savings. I'm still making buzz and spinner baits today from stuff I bought 10 years ago.

muddler

I agree with Billy Bob. I use a small cross lock on all my wobbling baits. makes changing a snap and the action is very good.

Muddler

There's a couple of advantages to using a bait cast outfit over a spinning outfit.

The one I like the most is thumb control. I can control the length of a cast by using my thumb to shorten the cast by just pressing on the spool.

I can keep the line pinched between my thumb and index finger when fishing a plastic worm. I can feel the light pickup trough the line way easier than using a spinning oufit.

Surface lures are just easier to conrol/fish than on a spinnining outfit.

Drag can be icreased by just using your thumb on the spool. Great for emergengy turning of a big fish.

A properly balanced baitcaster just feels lighter than a spinning outfit.

muddler

Jig and a twister tail. Hands down.

Good Post.

I thought about all my tackle bags, boxes and vests and there are three things I NEVER go fishing without.

1. Line nipper or a finger nail clipper. I put these on a retractable pin on when stream fishing other wise put it on a dollar store lanyard. Easy to find and I can wear it when the action gets hot.

2. Long nose pliers or a hemostat. Depends if I'm walking or in a a boat.

3. Small first aid kit. Nothing can wreck a days fishing than a little nick that bleeds all over the place. Great for kids too. Nexcare (lawlaws and Independant stores) makes a 5 pack that has just what I need for little emergencies. Each is a foldable organized pouch tha has 7 sections with a good variety of sizes of bandaids. Fold it an put it into a zip lock bag and forget it until you need it.

All else depends where I go and for how long. Most of the time I go for less than an hour so just the needed tackle and the above essentaila will do.

muddler

I've been fishing now for 51 years. In that time fishing has evolved from the 5% of the fishermen catching 95% of the fish to the present where just about anyone can become a good fisherman in a very short time. What took years to learn now can be found on the internet in a couple of hours. Rods are way more sensitive, reels easier to cast than ever, lines are thinner and stronger, boats have become fishing machines. Electronics (GPS, sonar, temperature sensors, etc) make s finding a spot a snap. Developement in hooks, lures/baits and scents swing the odds further in the fisherman's favour. Throw in a bunch of educational TV shows and magazines an it gets easier and easier. Every couple of years a hot new bait or method hits the fishing industry with outstanding results (ie: wacky worms, drop shotting) and for a while it so easy to catch a ton of fish.

For some fishermen this an opportunity of a life time. Catch a limit and show it off and have a fish fry. The ego needs that I guess. Some of it is a culture. You simply keep it all because that's what fishing is all about. We can't unring the bell here. Since education has created so many good fisherman then it is education that must also teach responsible use of a resource. I don't know how that would be done, but we have done such a good job teaching everybody how to catch these fish, that maybe the tackle companies should also spend some resources teaching responsible conservation of a great outdoor past time so that the future will also have access to this wonderful sport. Perhaps includin proper release instruction on the back of tackle packaging. I don't know the answers. I do know, if we don't try something positive to chage our fishing habits, it (fishing) will get worse.

muddler

Thanks again guys. I guess I'll get some fresh stuff and play it safe. I was hoping that there was a a real easy way to tell/test it.

Now I'm set for the weekend and rain is the forecast here and I just wshed the car too.

muddler

I use Magicjack now for about 2 years. Voice quality is very good. Call anywhere in North America for $12 a year ($60 for 5 years one payment). I take my laptop with me and as long as I can get an Internet connection I have a phone link ....free. I love it. I use my cell phone for loacl calls and emergency contacts at $25 for 2 months. Covers all my local and my many long distance needs.

I'm just cheap.

muddler

Thanks!

muddler

Well I finally fix up my trailer and got the Merc on the transom. I went to fill up the gas can and it was almost full already. I'm not 100% sure that I put a stabalizer in to it in the fall. So here's my question. Is there any easy way to test the gas to see if it has gone bad? If not them I'll have to dump like 20L.

Thanks In Advance.

Muddler

1. Definately report the incident. Even if nothing happens this time around , it is a documented report/complaint. If it happens again and someone lese reports it and then again and again, it can't be ignored. If everyone fluffs it off , nothing will definitely happen.

2. If it was me, i'd be takining a ton of pictures with a camera/cell phone. Pictures speak louder than words. Then charge him with assault, harrassment and whatever else I could get to stick.

3. I'd be putting his paddle into a body cavity that he would need to have sugurically removed. Just kidding but it was a nice thought. I like 'perodimi' and his idea too.

Definately report it.

muddler

The best stuff is called 'ferrule cement'. Archers use to put on arrow heads. It is a thermal glue that you heat up like a glue stick. It isn't as soft a a common thermal glue stick. Google "ferrule cement" and you find a lot of descriptions. One stick will last you a lifetime. Simply heating up the tip top with a lighter makes adjusting and change it a snap. Do NOT use crazy glue. If you do, them removing the tip top or adjusting it later is very difficult. you may have to cut the tip top off later.

Anybody that sells archery supplies should carry it. I got mine at laBarons over 20 years ago.

If the rod has any real value to you, use ferrule cement.

muddler

8lb(or less) mono or floro to hook, jig or cross lock - Orvis Knot

Adding a a tippet (leader - 8lb or less) - Orvis tippet knot

Polamar for all heavier mono

Uni knot for braids and joining a new line to an older backing

muddler