Garry2Rs

Clear and bright in Yuma.

A little cool though, only 16C this morning, but it will reach 25C by noon.

That's cool for this time of year.

Being a hard core jig fisherman for bass, it will be hard to drop that rod. But, I would like to try dailing in cranks a bit more for largies.

 

Also, I AM GOING TO TRY THIS - THIS YEAR, I have to engrave that in my brain. I have an idea to use a slip float for finiky bass around weedlines and other structure when there is a undergrowth. I've pondered it for a few years now.. but sometimes it's tough to try new things when you are pressed for time on the water. I figure this would still give a vertical presentation when you usually have to fish this water horizontally to avoid burying your bait in the undergrowth/silt. I AM GOING TO TRY THIS - THIS YEAR.

I saw an article in Bass Master Magazine where a guy used a float with a wacky-worm over weed beds. He said that it worked best on windy days when the float would bob and work the bait.

Garry2rs

I just bought 2 in the silver shad colour. I am a sucker for new expensive baits and I never buy 1 at a time. Always at least 2 just in case. Still trying to catch my first fish on any one of my 5 sebile lures I also have about 6 lucky crafts that have caught a grand total of 0 fish.

 

Wonder what my shipping charge on 2 lures is going to be. I hope not too much.

 

I am thinking this might be a new good night fishing lure.

I've caught pike in the Spring on the Sebile Magic Swimmer by jerking it. However by the time bass open, I think it works best when you reel it very slowly.

I have a few short-fat square billed Lucky Craft cranks. They are pretty, and they catch fish. They have loud rattles, and I use them a lot down south where the water is dirty. Up north I had very good luck twitching a Pointer, but in the Summer I tend to reach for Kooper Live Targets when I want a crankbait, because of the clear water that I fish.

Garry2rs

I ordered Baby Bass and Silver Shad. In my clear water, natural patterns are generally the ticket.

They might be available in Canada by Summer, but who knows for sure? This seems to be a small company. BPS and Cabela's in the US don't seem to have it yet.

How about a question about left hand reels for right handed baitcasters???

I mailed a reel to the USA for about $10.00 Canada Post. The repair (Ardent) was free...However, the reel was returned to me via UPS who added a $34.00 brokerage fee and collected $14.00 in taxes from me on the reel that I already owned!!!

Be sure that the maker understands that they need to label this as a repair when they return it to you.

Garry2R's

Interesting concept. Always fun trying out something new...I take it, a longer rod would be beneficial for the "steering of the lure"?

Yes, you need to keep the line off the water, so longer rods might be useful.

Braided line is also preferred since any line stretch might damped the response.

Think I will be getting one of these guys next time TW goes on a sale!

Thanks Garry, I just picked out about 100 dollars worth in baits from them. Another 12.99 can't hurt

Oh yah!

Sounds like the Bait Monkey bit you big time...HAHAHA.

Garry, I'm going to give the crappy a decent shot this year right after ice out. Any tips?

I use a Crappie bait that is a larger version of the trout bait made by Trout Magnet.

Crappie Baits

This is a jig and grub set-up.

If you want to come up and try some of mine in mid-April, feel free to PM me.

Garry2R's

Tackle Warehouse has them on back order, but Northern Bass has stock, so that's where I ordered.

Garry2R's

Northern Bass

Here's a crazy new bait that I have just ordered...

Steerable Crankbait...

This is what Think Tank the inventors had to say about on another site...

Hi there everyone. As the developer of the Triggerfish, I'd like to clarify a few points that you guys have brought up here. The lure is on its side at all times. In fact, it's impossible for it to be upright. This serves two purposes. First, it allows the head to work together with the bill to steer the lure. An extra benefit is that it gives Triggerfish a more realistic wounded appearance, even at rest. I'm sure you've all seen bait fish that are not doing so well on their side, trying to get back down to deeper water and some cover. This is a very powerful visual cue for bass or other fish signaling an easy meal. As far as line goes, braid up to 30 pounds works the best, but mono between 6 and 14 will work fine, especially as you get more experienced with techniques. We will have a video up on our website to illustrate many of the methods within the week. In the meantime, follow the instructions and remember that this is a totally different bait with a totally different method of fishing. It's not very difficult to learn, but you do have to adapt your approach.

Garry2R's

I am looking forward to getting home to the Kawarthas and chasing Crappie in the next couple of weeks!

However, I do have some other fishing goals...

Last year I proved to myself that big swimbaits would work in the Kawarthas/North Kawarthas, but the soft-body baits I used couldn't stand the stress of big bass or toothy critters. Two or three good fish and they fell apart!

Over the winter I bought 4, 6 and 8 inch hard-body swimbaits, some semi-saltwater 6 or 7 inch poppers and a couple of wake-baits that are large enough to fillet...(wicked grin)...Then I built a new rod to throw them. This summer I want to catch bass, pike and musky on these big baits.

Garry2R's

As a Jedi you must learn to think more positively.

In a couple of weeks the ice will be gone and the Crappie and other pan-fish will be in the shallows.

In mid-May Pike will open, in early June Musky season will start, then at the end of the month you can target Bass. In the mean time quickly release any incidental Bass you hook by accident.

Garry2R's

Think of it as two chargers, each with it's own set of wires.

I have a three bank...talk about an octopus!

HAHAHA

So for those considering a baitcasting reel for heavy use, like musky, pike, saltwater, etc., what would you recommend besides a round style reel?

There's nothing wrong with round reels.

Abu's design puts the mounting foot on the outside of the frame. Newer designs recess this foot, lowering the reel on the reel seat. The lower reel position feels better on modern "blank threw" handles.

I like Shimano, so the Calcutta would be my first choice, and the Cardiff, which is quite a bit cheaper, would be my second.

Garry2R's

First off I have nothing against this reel, but here are the facts.

This reel is the top of the line of reels that are based on a 1930's though 50's design.

At that time casting rods had an off-set handle...sort of a dog-leg.

This placed the reel quite low on the handle and aligned the top of the spool with the rod.

Modern rods don't use an off-set handle, so all Abu's based on this design sit quite high in the reel seat. This gives the reel a different "feel" than newer models, designed for current rod building practice.

Anyone who uses a C3, or any of it's kin, will tell you that the strange feeling goes away after a few minutes. However it is what it is...a very old design.

Garry2R's

Longer rods are currently in fashion, but in practice there's not much difference.

If you are thinking about jerk baits, from a boat, the shorter rod might not hit the water as easily...

With spinning most of my Senko rods are under seven feet because I like a ML, for weightless worms.

The rods I liked were either 6'6" or 6'9"

If your reel uses the Shimano anti-rust bearings they are already about as good as it gets.

A skilled reel mechanic can polish the working surfaces IE spool shaft etc. to make the reel even better. Changing the bearings without a good polishing job might be just mental masturbation.

I know a guy in Wistuffa Kansas who is very good, but it means mailing the reel to the USA...

PM me if you want details.

Garry2R's

The irony of cheap tackle is that you might very well be spending more on your fishing line, than on your rod and reel...

For stream and pond fishing any medium light or medium spinning outfit will get you started. Longer 7ft rods are stylish and might cast farther, but they can be a pain if you are working in tight quarters.

At the low end of the spinning reel price scale you are buying disposable produces...Think Bic pens and lighters. They are pretty good, but inside, they have plastic parts. They tend to be heavier than more expensive models of the same size. When they get sticky, break-down or wear-out, discard them and buy new. I think good reels are worth the money, however it is true that you can get 5 new cheapies for the price of one new Stradic!

I use 10 to 20 pound braid on my spinning reels and since the drag on cheap reels might be a little sticky, you might like to start there. Assuming you are expecting fish of 5 pounds or less, this will give you a wide safety margin. If line visibility bothers you, tie on a 2ft. floro leader of 4 to 15 pound test. The strength of the leader will depend on the size and species of fish, the water clarity and the cover etc.

In my opinion, Ugly Sticks are ugly, heavy and whippy. However many people think they are okay. The BPS rods, that I have used, were also on the heavy side, but the price is right. When comparing cheap rods look for cork handles, more guides and guides with ceramic inserts. This isn't 100%, but it's a good indicator of better components.

If you are going after bigger fish like 30+ inch pike and musky, you will need heavier tackle. You could add a heavier spinning outfit, but bait casting gear might make sense. Level wind reels handle heavier line and bigger baits better than most spinning reels.

There are some okay cheap baitcast reels out there, like the venerable Abu C3, that could get you started. My braided line weights run between 30 and 80 pound test depending on what I'm targeting. This has more to do with the weight of the bait than the weight of the fish. Baits of one ounce or more can break 50 or 60 pound braid in the air, if you throw a backlash. I also use 20 pound mono on topwater baits. The stiff mono floats and helps to keep the bait from running over the line, where the hooks can become fouled.

Baitcasting isn't hard, but it requires knowing how and why to make a few adjustments to the reel. Therefore it's easiest if you learn from someone who already knows how and can explain why.

Garry2R's

I have a two piece 11'6" G.Loomis Frontier float rod. It is almost new, only used one Spring...I no longer have a reel for it and would consider any serious offer.

Hello my semi-frozen friends.

Buck and I are still basking in the sun and doing a little trout an bass fishing here in Arizona.

This week we are suffering through a cool spell.

Lows near 40 and highs of around 65F.

Next week we will be back in the 80's.

I guess winter is Hell everywhere!

The pre-spawn should be starting soon, and we will be throwing Rattle-Traps and square bill cranks along with Carolina-rigged lizards over the beds.

Here's hoping your ice is sound until we get home, and that you have some great days on the solid water.

We have acquired many large, hard-body swim-baits for the Pike and Musky openers.

The new tackle just makes us more home-sick for the Kawarthas.

In about eight weeks we will be home and we are are look forward to some great Crappie fishing after the ice goes out.

I just built a new seven foot rod for 1/32 oz. "Crappie" jigs and can hardly wait to get home to try it out!

See you when the water gets soft.

Garry2R's

Hi John;

Please let me add my congratulations to all of the above.

Garry2R's

I watched all the weigh-ins plus on the water up dates etc. all weekend on my computer at http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/bassmaster/index

I don't have ESPN on my TV package, but the live link was just as good.

Garry2R's

The dreaded Bait Monkey, as in the Monkey on our back...

I have a pretty good collection of Kooper's Live Target baits.

My opinion is they fish like swimbaits.

What I mean is they work best when you slow down the presentation.

I have caught Pike on Smelt and Perch.

Sunfish, SM and LMBass on the Baby SMBass and lots of LMBass on Crayfish, Baby LMBass, Bluegill and Pumpkin-seed.

I believe Kooper has two new frogs...One is a softbait and the other is hard.

I am also looking at the new Paycheck Frog.