OhioFisherman

More of a budget issue than anything else, a 2500 series reel will be more versatile. Just a little larger reel that gives you more options for use than a mini reel.

I got home from Providence Rhode Island around 6:15 this morning. I had to help my 2nd oldest daughter move back home. Figures, the rain started there just as I was backing the trailer we rented up to her front door! Close to a 700 mile drive back to Ohio with rain all the way at night through the construction zones. The trip there by a different route was dry at least. It rained until I got about 15 miles from home. No place on any coast that I would care to live. It is pretty out there, the drive going there on I-80 thru PA was scenic, and coming home on I-90 was also. Got there around 4 am Friday morning and on the way back at 4 pm Friday afternoon. Road trips suck when you can`t spend at least a couple weeks recovering!

Any bass tackle, and yes it may have the out come Roy mentioned.

It`s really just another learning process, once you get comfortable with a bait caster there really aren`t any earth shattering differences. A decent reel and a decent rod matched to the lure used and casting 50 yards isn`t much of a problem. LOL if you need to cast farther? trolling is an option! Sort of rare for me to cast anything over 5/8 an ounce, for the most part I prefer to use a bait caster over a spinning reel.

I never liked losing fish, especially if I lose them and the lure at the same time. Stuff happens though, I have seen pike struggling on the surface and after taking a look? They got the fish they were after headed down the wrong way, tail first so the spines on the fins opened and wouldn`t go down. Easier to throw or pull out than a face full of hooks I guess.

The hottest summer I remember! but maybe just because I suffer from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uhthoff%27s_phenomenon 93f here today in the forecast! and 66f for Saturday? maybe you will get snow up there! That big of a change in temps usually involves some wind and bad weather! Be careful on the water! Sounds like a cold front to me! It doesn`t make sense to me to burn through a billion years or so of fossil fuel in 150 years and not expect some adverse effects. If you are sitting under a tree you have shade? if you cut the tree down you have firewood? but not for long?

You are a young man, like fishing with experience you will learn.

It is hard to beat designated snow tires for winter use, everything else like all season tires are just a compromise. Here in Ohio studded snows were legal, if there is also ice roads involved they help. Severe conditions, where legal? chains on the tires.

The number of ball bearings for the most part is a sales gimmick, modern society, more is better? Like mentioned the quality of the bearings is a lot more important, and the location of them also. I used old Abu reels back in the day that had no ball bearings, and yet cast very well. The C series Abu`s that had a ball bearing or two also worked well. They do make for a smoother feel? and the one way bearing is nice, just a question of how much change you are willing to blow on a reel? LOL unless you have a sponsor that supplies them for free?

Nip, Roy nailed it. Bass fishing is better here than in the 50`s - 80`s for one reason alone, catch and release. You don`t give out spots here, every one can see when you catch fish! 150 bass boats on a lake 1500-3000 acres, plus the week end anglers doesn`t leave much room to hide. Most of the guys here that know what they are doing know if you fished one area of a lake? they can find your spot. Lake Erie? just massive, but there are certain areas that produce smallies and walleye more often than not. On this side the state buying out the commercial walleye fishermen and an improvement in water quality turned the fishery around. A longer growing season, and more bait fish than you can shake a stick at helps. Just my view that here some changes to the regs could help? I don`t see a need for people to keep a limit of 8-10 pound walleye in the fall, or a limit of 20+ inch smallies for a mount.

* 1957 - 16,610,000 * 1958 - 17,080,000 * 1959 - 17,483,000 1960s * 1960 - 17,870,000 * 1961 - 18,239,000 * 1962 - 18,583,000 * 1963 - 18,931,000 * 1964 - 19,291,000 * 1965 - 19,644,000 * 1966 - 19,967,000 * 1967 - 20,500,000 * 1968 - 20,701,000 * 1969 - 21,001,000 1970s * 1970 - 21,297,000 * 1971 - 21,963,000 * 1972 - 22,219,000 * 1973 - 22,494,000 * 1974 - 22,809,000 * 1975 - 23,143,000 * 1976 - 23,449,000 * 1977 - 23,727,000 * 1978 - 23,964,000 * 1979 - 24,203,000 1980s * 1980 - 24,517,000 * 1981 - 24,821,000 * 1982 - 25,118,000 * 1983 - 25,367,000 * 1984 - 25,608,000 * 1985 - 25,843,000 * 1986 - 26,101,000 * 1987 - 26,449,000 * 1988 - 26,798,000 * 1989 - 27,056,000 1990s * 1990 - 27,512,000 * 1991 - 27,945,000 * 1992 - 28,377,000 * 1993 - 28,682,000 * 1994 - 28,997,000 * 1995 - 29,303,000 * 1996 - 29,611,000 * 1997 - 29,965,000 * 1998 - 30,158,000 * 1999 - 30,404,000 2000s * 2000 - 30,689,000 * 2001 - 31,021,000 * 2002 - 31,373,000 * 2003 - 31,676,000 * 2004 - 32,048,000 * 2005 - 32,359,000 * 2006 - 32,723,000 * 2007 - 33,115,000 * 2008 - 33,506,000 * 2009 - 33,894,000 2010s * 2010 - 34,160,000 - (July Just observations, the population has doubled since my first trip north, and a lot of it is centered in the accessible areas. When we first went to Beaver Lake in 1957 it was an adventure, the highway system was spotty at best. Same with Pointe Au Baril in 1964, they were working on the highway, roads off of it in some cases weren`t much more than rock and sand. Nip was an adventure, the modern highway system has made it easy to get to, same with most of southern Ontario. Sure netting has had it`s adverse affects, but so has the growth of cottage country. You mix in people in areas that had little fishing pressure, today`s technology, and it isn`t hard to figure why fish populations go down. Every camp I ever stayed at had a weekly fish fry for the guests, x all season? x every camp in the area? mix in shore lunches? then mix in the lake shore cottage owners and residents that eat fish every time they go there? Is it a wonder the best fishing for certain species now involves a fly in trip? Limited access and facilities?

14 bucks a pound for walleye? LOL give me two steaks! Heck that is 6 cans of spam! Buying fish? uncivilized!

Like mentioned light lures, light line? spinning gear. Heavy lures, heavy line? casting gear. There is some cross over, but it would depend on your skill level? and today`s super lines have probably had some impact. Comfort and confidence in your tackle also helps, nice to reach down and grab a rod and reel and it feels comfortable in your hand and you have confidence it is the right tool for the job. The learning curve might be a little longer for some with a bait caster, but it is well worth putting the time in to learn.

Fished with both of my ex`s, their hearts weren`t into it and they cast like girls! One hated cabins by a lake, she didn`t last long, the other caught some decent fish and provided some laughs doing it! My 3 daughters showed more interest than my son, he would rather catch critters. Never had problems finding people to fish with, here or a road trip though, some could focus on the mission at hand better than others though. Water and a beach and for the most part they stayed out of my way!

McFish! and not too often.

Never wrap loose wire around the nut, put a ring terminal on it. Napa should carry them, you can also get a product called liquid electrical tape. It comes in a small bottle with brush on applicator.

Some electrical supply stores sell them, in my case Midland Electric in Solon Ohio. I believe there are places to by them on line also. I used 50 amp ones, smaller than a zippo lighter, they make 3 sizes or more? a common connector on electric pallet jacks and fork lifts. A fork lift parts supplier may carry them also? Just an easy way to make a connection, even in the dark, they only fit together one way. More secure than some of the marine plug ins for electric motors, constant spring pressure on the contacts. http://www.andersonpower.com/products/multipole-sb.html

Murky water? Like most of Ohio`s inland lakes? The lures mentioned can work, so can noisy surface lures. I still went with the idea that the fish will be the best judge of what will work. They can find a lure like a plastic work or lizard in murky water, a jig and pig bouncing along the bottom. I had no issues using lures like that in murky water, day or night. I usually had 5-6 rods rigged with a mix of lures, just ones that had worked in the past and allowed me to fish the water column from top to bottom. Some lures, depending on how you decide to retrieve them can cover a few different depths, burn a spinnerbait or slow roll it, fast retrieve on a crank bait and have it bouncing along the bottom or a slow steady retrieve, stop and go. Some times a surface lure like a jitterbug was the way to go, some times a devils horse or torpedo with a prop worked much better.

When I bought my boat it had the trolling motor battery positioned under the front deck, the live well was also up front. A package boat and as such under powered with a 35HP motor on a boat rated for 60HP. With the live well full it had trouble reaching a plane. I moved the battery to the back of the boat, used 6 ga wire that I got from a customer, unusual wire the insulation was double thick, no idea what it is called. Anywhere it made contact with the hull I cut a piece of garden hose and slid it over the wire. For ease of connecting I used Anderson quick connects front and rear. Just a plug in connection that made it simple to switch batteries, or jump the starting motor battery if ever needed.

Take this into consideration? It`s not like you are moving along at a good clip while ice fishing? wind and waves aren`t really a consideration sitting on ice in a hut? Different sized weights would indicate a need for more weight at different trolling speeds or water depths? again not much of a factor on ice? all you need is a little more time for whatever to drop to the desired depth?

The days of quality cheap reels are for the most part over. 15 dollar made in France Mitchell 300`s are a piece of history. The Wal-Mart here seems to only sell pre-packaged reels, and the bottom end of the MFG`s lines. Like mentioned reels are like cars, every one has their favorite. I wouldn`t buy a new to the market reel, I like to see some history of performance behind them.

Hmmm? I have used braided Dacron, black and camo, braided nylon, black and camo, Original Trilene, newer Trinene, Garcia line, Stren - golden, green clear blue, Prime, spiderwire, Vanish, and caught fish on them all. I put a lot more value on trouble free and lure color. Stren original has been the most problem free for me, so it is my line of choice.

I agree completely! Eat more Carp and Sheep head! Sucker are good for bait.

http://bismarck.ebayclassifieds.com/retail-merchandise/bismarck/new-double-bottom-bouncer-catches-more-fish/?ad=2921196 http://www.in-fisherman.com/content/bottom-bouncer-basics-and-beyond just different styles

Balance is nice, I don`t view it as critical though. I have played around with a couple of my outfits. A foam or rubber slide over handle guard-cushion like on a broom handle. Lead weights poured in a piece of wood to match the idea, tape them to the handle, get the balance right, them slide them in the cushion and slide it on the handle. Some mfg`s make rods that have a balance system.