izaakwalton

You cast flies using spin tackle?

Bravo on the nice fish. What weight rod did you catch him on? How was the fight? Did you have to steer him clear of any obstruction? Did he jump?

I advise against getting a combo at a US retailer like Cabelas. It can be more difficult dealing with warranty issues when you've purchased a rod and reel online versus from a local tackle shop. I suggest you go with a left-hand retrieve reel, if you're used to that from your spinning rod experience. Also, I advise you to get a rod with a lifetime warranty from a recognized fishing company - either Shimano or Quantum would be in your price range. It will also have a greater resale value if you decide that baitcasting isn't for you. Re: spooling the reel, you're right: mono then braid. I fill the spool to 60% capacity with mono, then the rest with braid. I use a blood knot to connect the lines. Also, it's preferable to use a mono backing with an equal line diameter to the braided line. I've got a brand new Shimano Clarus casting rod available in the Classifieds section for a fair price. It's the rod I would suggest you buy - whether you choose to purchase mine or not.

Not sure what you mean. Can you pls describe?

I e-mailed the company, who gave me the following advice: lube up the reel seat area, wait an hour, wrap fasteners with leather sheet, twist with vice grips. It came off after 10 minutes of steady pressure, although the paint on fasteners is a little worse for wear. BFW: My issue has more to do with the fasteners themselves than the reel being too big. The fasteners are still not smooth when screwing, but I'll lube it up with WD40. Thanks to all for the help.

That's a last resort as I'll have to pay $25 shipping and wait weeks for the rod to be returned. Also, as the reel is trapped on the rod and I won't have a reel either.

A fastener on the reel seat of my fly rod has jammed and will not loosen. I have tried wrapping the fastener in a warm cloth and a cold cloth to loosen it but it's still jammed. I don't want to use any tools to jimmy the fastener, as I'm worried that this will void the lifetime warranty on the rod. This is an annoyance because my reel is effectively trapped on this rod now. Has anyone had this problem before? Any suggestions on how to fix this problem? Thanks in advance.

Returned from a day of pole fishing at a pond for creek chub. Pole fishing is great fun, especially for casual anglers like kids and girls. Caught over 50 chub over an afternoon. Simple and fun way to fish, no snags, line twist, etc. Highly recommended - would probably be great for dock fishing in shallow water for panfish as well. Thanks againf for the great advice.

DanielM: I don't understand the purpose of the metal eye replacement you use. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the whip is a little different from a pole. For the whip, the line is threaded into the rod blank and tied internally to a rubber band. It's the rubber band that absorbs the shock of the pulling fish. Meanwhile, for a pole, the line is tied externally and the pole absorbs the force. Any tips for presenting bait, hook-setting, and fighting fish on these long poles? Do any other rod manufacturers make poles? It would be interesting to have a G Loomis or St. Croix or Shimano pole.

Weeds: I think poles are designed for jigging. There is no reeling involved. Spinners/spoons are doable, but they'd be an unnecessary pain. The best you could do would be to move the pole side-to-side like you're watering the garden.

Advice is much appreciated. I rigged the pole with Pline 6lb fluoroclear. Used the improved cinch on the pole, palomar on the hook. I'm using a #8 Mustad octopus hook and will catch the crickets near the shore. GCD: Any reason why you suggest long-shank hook? Guessing that it reduces the chance of fish swallowing the hook? I figure octopus would be best, since it's easy to set the hook into the side of fish's mouth using less force. Any tips on fighting a fish? Do I try to hold rod tip straight up and let the flex of the rod tire out the fish? How do you land bigger fish; will pulling it out of the water on light line break the line?

Any idea how to tie fishing line to the pole? The salesman said to tie the line directly to the single eye on the tip of the pole. However, there is are two metal clips near the handle whose function I still do not understand. I couldn't find an online resource that teaches you how to tie line to a pole.

I just bought a Shakespeare Wonderpole for $8. Planning to catch use crickets on #8 octopus hooks to catch panfish. Has anyone ever tried pole fishing? Tips are greatly appreciated. Thanks.

As a basic boating rule, it's best to approach wakes by having your boat on a 45-degee angle to the wake, not perpendicular. Nice fish.

I just came back from a weekend on Manitouwabing. I fished for 4 hours on Saturday and Sunday and got into 6 pike total. The biggest could still be called a hammerhandle. I agree with JFish's statement that the lake is tough to figure out. I fished islands, points, shallow weedbeds, docks, shorelines with sunken timber - all the classic spots that are supposed to yield fish and caught nothing. If you choose Manitouwabing, I'd advise you to fish with someone who knows the water well - it's a tough nut to crack. The boat traffic is fairly light on the lake but that could have been due to the poor weather.

2 threads of interest to you: http://www.ofncommunity.com/forums/index.p...;hl=filet+knife http://www.ofncommunity.com/forums/index.p...;hl=filet+knife

Great advice on this thread about top water fishing. I modify my Jitterbugs in two ways: 1. Change the hooks - Gamakatsu brand and one size bigger than stock. 2, Add a split ring - gives the hook some room to absorb the force of the fish pulling on the other end. I've found that adding a split ring reduces the incidence of a fish getting off. Some guys have suggested fishing topwaters with your eyes closed so you don't set the hook prematurely. That's the worst advice I've ever heard - the point of topwater fishing is seeing the excitement of the strike.

How do you mail the rod in if it's 1-piece?

bigugli: I think that has less to do with company size and more to do with company mismanagement. Small companies go out of business every day with nary a peep, since the media has less reason to cover the story. Also, there are many large companies that do really well because they can leverage their size and scale - Walmart, Toyota, and Google being counter-examples. Overall, I think it's better to have Rapala own other brands. It allows them to decrease admin costs, get cost savings through scale, and distribute products more widely to the consumer. I don't think the R&D worry is much of a concern. The fishing industry seems a lot like the beer industry to me: it's much more about marketing than R&D. For most lure manufacturers, the split is probably 80%/20%.

I use a 7' medium spinning rod for jerkbaits. For jerkbaits, I feel that you get the similar casting distance and control with a spinning setup compared with a casting. A casting setup is great for spinnerbaits, where you're constantly retrieving and need to pick up line quickly in order to set the single hook. However, line retrieve speed isn't a priority for jerkbaits. In fact, it's probably preferable to have some slack line to absorb the impact of the strike. Also, if you're going to continue to fish the Islands in May for pike, it's much easier to use a spinning setup and not worry about bird nests. It can get windy out on the Islands, which can be a headache if you're using a casting setup and throwing 1/2oz jerkbaits into the wind. I did that once, and spent 50% of my fishing time picking out bird nests. mikeymikey: For jerkbaits, I'd go moderate/fast tip so the rod will have some flex to absorb the impact of the strike.

For me, it's Daiwa spinning, Shimano casting. I have always liked Daiwa spinning reels. I've owned a Capricorn, two Lagunas, a Regal XiA - all of which have been smooth and reliable. Compared to Shimano, Daiwa spinning reels feel sturdier and smoother, with more metal parts. I find comparable Shimano spinning reels to have more plastic components on the handle, bail and anti-reverse. I have only owned two baitcasters - Shimano Curado B and Abu Garcia C3 5501. I find the Shimano to be far superior in casting and retrieving. It also feels much less bulky in my hand. I have heard and read many positive reviews of the Curado. I'm sure you'll enjoy yours.

A few questions about pike, tiger musky, and musky in the Kawarthas: 1. If caught, do tiger musky have to be kept as well? Although they are sterile, won't they be just as much a threat to musky hatchlings? 2. Are tiger musky edible? Do they taste similar to pike? 3. If pike are such a prized fish for their taste, shouldn't musky be similarly tasty? The argument for avoiding musky is that, as the top predator in the food chain, they contain the most mercury - but aren't pike the top predator in Simcoe, Dalrymple, Canal, etc.? Looking forward to the responses. Thanks in advance.

What size reel? Gagnon Sports has a Father's Day Sale this coming weekend on the Shimano Clarus. http://www.gagnonsports.com/fathersdaysale.html

Ontario's a big place - you'll get better advice if you specify the region and area you're interested in.

Can braid damage the rod guides when pressure is applied (i.e. snags and fighting fish)? Also, if you get snagged with braid, you'll have to cut the line near the rod; with mono, you can break off the line near the hook/lure. After 5-6 snags, that's quite a bit of line savings.