Garry2Rs

As I understand this you will be Flipping and Pitching jig and pig type baits.

If you are using 1/4 and 3/8 ounce jigs, then the Med. Heavy sounds fine.

On the other hand if you're tossing a 1/2 or 3/4 ounce jig with a huge trailer, you might want the heavy action rod.

Either rod will do double duty for some Walleye trolling.

Hi Justin;

I have two Johnny Morris Signature reels. These reels change a little each year, mine are circa 2005.

The reels are of good quality. They feel strong, and are velvety smooth for normal casting. I prefer the Chronarch for pitching, but have never had a problem with the BPS reels. Frankly, I would rank them below the Chronarch SF.

On the other hand they cost about half as much as a Chronarch.

Garry2r's

I had an auto pilot about 4 -5 years ago...at that time there was a problem with the compass...I assume that it has been corrected, but You should ask about it before you buy.

garry2rs

Don't buy the 01 unless you're left handed!

There is a reason why right handers use right hand reels.

If you are right handed, it is easier to learn on a right hand reel. Trust me you will have less problems.

PM me for more information.

Abu C3's are okay, I have owned several. IMHO, they are not strong and require a lot of TLC.

An Abu would not be my first choice as a baitcasting reel.

The Pete Maina rig is excellent value for the money, if you talking a first Musky rig.

If you want a more all around bait casting set-up PM me and I will help you.

Garry2rs

At the dawn of time, when dinosaurs ruled the early, and I was a boy.

There were no spinning reels and virtually all bait casters were right handed.

Bait casters at that time were direct drive, so the crank handle spun backwards on each cast.

To keep this helicopter from fouling on your person or your cloths, the handle was turned upward during the cast.

This also allowed for maximum flex in the wrist...see tennis 101...

Okay, this meant that a right handed caster would cast with their strong arm, and then pass the rod to their weaker hand while they reeled with their right. In an age were pitching and flipping have become common, many right handed Pros choose to use a left handed reel to make those short casts.

Note that these are short casts...You will also see that for distance they cast right and reel right!

When spinning was introduced, we were all advised to cast right and reel left.

This made sense since the reel hung below the rod and didn't spin during the cast, so we didn't have to worry about fouling the reel handle.

The fact that the most popular baitcast reels are sold in both left and right only proves that they are the most popular...

The easiest reels to buy used on e-bay or elsewhere, are left handers...

Because right hand fishermen who thought they wanted left hand reels are selling them so they can buy right hand reels!!!

Having said this, you are free to buy whatever you want.

Once you get down to Dunnville the fish in the Grand River are coming out of Lake Erie.

I don't eat my catch anyway, but they are probably safe for women and children.

garry2rs

This winter I am using red 10lbs. PowerPro on my spinning reels.

I bought it for the visibility, but it's so fine it's not that big a help to me.

In my opinion, the line colour will not bother the fish.

You should be more concerned with line drag in a current or the shadow a line casts, than it's colour.

I will report back when I get a chance to test the red PowerPro in clear water.

This is all good advice.

When my boat and trailer were wrecked, it turned out they were covered under my fire insurance???

Anyway...I got paid off no problem.

I would suggest for a first boat that you shop the used market.

New boats take a big depreciation hit as soon as they leave the dealer.

If you buy used, in a year or two you will know a lot more about what you want/need in a boat.

The used tinny will sell for about what you paid for it, and you can then look at new or nearly new boats.

The best time to buy new boats is in the Fall.

The dealers have to pay interest on the unsold boats that they carry over the winter.

They will cut you a very good deal to get rid of them in October.

Once you find a boat you're interested in, new or used, make a post asking about that brand, model etc.

As a rule of thumb, all the big brand name boats are good. Many are made from the same hulls, that are finished by different companies.

The brands that you have never heard of before can be less good.

They are often built to a price and advertised as loss leaders or so the marina can move you up to a higher priced model...AKA "Bait and Switch."

Garry2R's

Call the insurance company and let them get it fixed for you.

I had a friend back my car into a lake one time and State Farm fixed everything no problem.

Most of the float bowls I've seen use a neoprene gasket. These sit in a groove and shouldn't wear out. The leaks are generally just a stuck float or a gunky needle valve. The needle valve is attached to the float in the float bowl. If you remove the bowl and lift out the float the needle will come out too. On the end of the needle you will probably find a ring of gunk. Rub off the gunk and reassemble. Your problem may be solved.

Thanks Chris.

The fishing slowed down from mid Dec. until about mid Feb. We were still getting the odd one, but also got skunked plenty of times.

The local guys claim the fish are in Pre-spawn mode now and that things will improve every week. The spawn here is spread over several months. I was hoping to try "Bed Fishing" before I headed home, but we might be gone before it starts.

On the other hand, there's three feet of snow in my lane and the same amount in front of my door...If you guys don't gets some warmer weather I might be here until May...grin.

Garry2rs

Welcome aboard! There can never be too many Gary's, no matter how you spell it...grin.

Garry2rs

There's lots for the wife and kids to see and do in and around Peterborough. Things like the Lift Locke, Serpent Mounds, Petraglyphs Park and the Canoe Museum etc. are educational and good for a rainy or windy day. Stoney is a deeper rocky Canadian Shield type lake much like a smaller version of Nippissing. Rice is a shallower weedy lake. You can catch Walleye and Musky as well as Panfish in either one. For all around fishing I'd probablly choose Rice, but I'm closer to Stoney, so I fish it more often...grin. Unless your trophy hunting I wouldn't spend the time and fuel to go all the way to Nippissing.

There is a lot of desert around here that's for sure.

But Yuma, where I am, is on the Colorado River.

There's not the variety or the number of different spots to fish, like in Ontario.

But for a Bass fisherman it's better than sharpening hooks for six months.

Did I mention there's no snow?

The ponds at Waterford used to be pretty good when I lived down that way.

It's 84 outside, but it's a dry heat...HAHAHA..

That is in line with the US Wal-Mart pricing.

It's about time!

It was very windy yesterday, Buck and I did house work...Around 1:30 PM we couldn't take it anymore so we drove over to the lake.

It was 2PM when we left the launch.

We were thinking about shaky worms and dragging a bait along the bottom way up at the spillway where the water enters the lake.

The ride up there gave us a chance to scope-out a number of other canal intersections.

See my previous post "A couple of days fishing in Sunny Arizona" for an explanation...

The shaky rig was a bust, and in time we found ourselves back at the "T" we had fished before.

Casting from the lea side...the right side of the picture, was the magic on our last trip, but produced nothing this time.

We went to the windy side.

The wind blew us into that notch in the cattails on the left edge of the photo.

We were casting into the center of the pool.

As the bait reached the boat, on about the fifth cast, things got heavy, and Buck went on High Alert.

I was standing beside the wheel, on the low deck, so after calling Buck off, I sat in the passengers seat and lipped our fish.

This one is smaller than the last couple, only 2pounds 3 ounces. It was just over 17 inches long.

I included the BPS. Bleeding Tennessee Shad pattern lipless crankbait, that caught our last two fish, in this picture.

Garry2rs

Thanks guys.

I got out again yesterday and will make a new post shortly.

Garry2R's

Wipe it over with a damp rag.

On Monday Buck and I went fishing at Mittry Lake just north of Yuma Arizona.

A friend suggested that we try the 2 feet deep flats, at the north end of the lake, with a chartreuse and white spinnerbait.

This produced one small Bass, which Buck held for a picture...grin

I tried to take another picture but the batteries were toast.

We decided to take a tour of the reservoir before we quit.

Most of it has been closed since November 15th as a bird sanctuary.

Mittry Lake is a series of interconnected canals.

We rode around reacquainting ourselves with the lay out and dropping a line here and there, without success.

On our tour I noticed that we were marking groups of fish, some quite large, at the junctions/intersections of some canals.

These were the deepest spots in a given area. On our way back to the ramp we stopped to fish one of the largest of these "crossroads."

The fish we were marking were at 5 - 8 feet in 10 - 12 feet of water.

I tossed the spinnerbait a few times, but I wanted to try my SPRO Aruku Shad lipless crankbait.

This year most of the big Bass I have hooked have come on this lure. I couldn't very well quit without giving it a couple of casts!

As I rigged up, two boats came around my corner.

They slowed down to pass us, but the wake from two boats close together really churned up the water.

On a hunch I cast into the middle of the waves and hooked a heavy fish.

Buck had stayed in the boat for the small fish, but this was much more of a temptation!

The fish boiled the surface and almost put him into the "red-zone" but luckily I was able to call him off and keep him in the boat.

Pushing my buddy out of the way with my knee, I was able to get between Buck and the rail to lip my catch.

This fish wasn't beat-up, so I don't think the spawn has started.

It was just over 22 inches long and weighed 6 pounds 10 ounces.

That makes it about a quarter pound heavier than another fish I caught two months ago, which was the same length.

Flush with our success of Monday, Buck and I returned to Mittry Lake Wednesday afternoon.

Once again we started in the shallows with a spinnerbait, but we found no takers!

Recalling our prop wash/wake fishing theory from the other day, we motored into a "T" intersection of canals at speed.

We hung a tight "U turn" and started casting. This is the intersection of canals that I was fishing...

This time we were using a BPS lipless crank in bleeding Tennessee Shad.

This bait is Olive over Silver with a few red tear shaped marks near the throat.

I though that it might be a good match for the small sunfish that are the main forage in this lake.

After a couple of casts another boat approached.

He started to slow down, but when we waved him on and he powered up and churned up the corner pretty good.

I was fan casting the center area as his wake spread across in front of us.

The trolling motor on, so the angle was changing on each cast. On about the third cast I got a solid hit.

Buck went on "high alert" but we discussed the desirability of his staying in the boat.

He agreed, and in due course the fish came over the side.

This one was just over 19 inches and had a few marks on it's side...Battle scars?

It weighed 3 pounds 8 ounces.

We stayed another 30 minutes but nothing else happened.

Garry2rs

My top picks have both been mentioned already, Bass Edge and The Bass Pros.

Bass Edge is a more typical fishing show with the host and a guest in the boat. What makes it different is that the fishing is inter cut with segments about tackle selection, mental attitude and practice etc.

Personally I'm tired of the two-buddies-in-a-boat format. That's what makes Bass Pros my favourite show. It's you and a pro in the boat. He speaks directly to you about what he's doing and why. There are three segments to the show and each segment is different. I bought the Season One DVD set and will buy Season Two even though I have already watched each weekly episode. I feel the information is that good.

Personally, my biggest problem with US Bass shows is that most of the fishing is on reservoirs, which are often shallow and muddy, whereas most of my fishing is on clear natural lakes.

The best multi-species fishing shows, IMHO, are In-Fisherman and Linder's Anglers Edge. The Lindner's tend to fish their home waters of Minnesota, and many of the In-Fisherman shows are also shot in the same area. These waters are very much like the waters in most of Ontario. All four of these shows have outstanding photography and high production values, so there entertaining to watch even for non-hardcore anglers. I like how they cover two or three different subjects on a show, since I might not be interested in every topic.

It's not realistic to ask for TV show that are shot and shown in the current year. What do you want a live feed from the lake? If you're seeing Spring fishing from last year this Spring you're very fortunate. In most cases I find that I need to be making notes for the future...grin.

I also enjoy Hook and Look, the underwater footage is great.

Another great new show is called City Limits...Bass Pro Mike Iaconelli and a local angler try to catch a couple of limits of Bass in six hours inside the city limits of a major city! This is the old "two buddies" format, but because it's shot in a single seccion, it's interesting to watch Mike as he goes through the highs and lows of the day. It's also reassuring to see that even one of the best pros out there struggles to find a pattern on unfamiliar water and it's informative to see how he puts a pattern together. The fishing footage is inter-cut with footage of the two anglers doing a postmortem of the day. The two are interviewed separately and this can be pretty funny. It's another great touch, in my opinion. So far I have seen him in Washington DC, Sacramento Cal. and Chicago Ill. The Chicago episode was particularly interesting to me because at one point they were fishing under a bridge on the street where my son lives in the downtown area...grin.

Garry2rs

I like bucktails, but I have caught more Musky on Bass size spinnerbaits than anything else...of coarse I'm in the Kawarthas and the fish I'm catching aren't huge.

Like you I enjoyed using Stealth, and looked forward to Ultracast Invisabraid.

I ordered a 300 yard spool of 30 pound test, and I am very disappointed!

Invisabraid is similar to Fireline Cryistal, in that it looks like plain white butcher string. It is not a tight weave like Powerpro.

My spool may be defective, but I have had numerous break offs...

The line breaks in mid-air 20 or 30 feet away from the reel!!???

The line is also sticky...I find light lures hard to cast because the line sticks to the spool and foals the cast.

This is the line, not me or the rod/reel...I can cure the problem by switching to Powerpro or Fireline.

It might be okay on a spinning reel, but I wouldn't advise anyone to buy it for a baitcaster. In fact I wouldn't suggest that anyone buy it at all!!!

I will put the balance of my 300 yards on a spincast reel for the kid next door.

Garry2rs

Kevin Van Dam uses a lot of 14 and 17 pound Bass Pro Shop Fluorocarbon, so I'm not going to argue that it's not a good choice, but I use both Power Pro and Fireline and I don't use a leader to fish the very clear water of the North Kawarthas...Jack's, Chandos etc. On the other hand I haven't won a million dollars bass fishing either!

I use mostly 10 pound Powerpro on my spinning rods for weightless worms and shaky head jigs etc. For my baitcasters I use more 30 pound Powerpro than anything else, but will use up to 80 pound on a flipping stick, or for big bucktails etc

On TV I notice that more and more pros are using braid around rough cover, like flooded timber etc, instead of the 20 and 25 pound Mono or Fluorocarbon that they used in the past. I also notice that most pros are sponsored by a fishing line company...That may be the big reason that the pros still use a lot of plastic line. I also hear them saying that they change their line every day...I guess that's easier when you're not paying for it. If you take the wife or girl friend shopping in Buffalo or the Falls, drop into Wal-Mart...Powerpro and Fireline are around $13.00 a spool.

Most super lines start out a little stiff. There is some type of a fabric finish on the line when it leaves the factory. It soon washes off and the line becomes ultra-limp. Until the finish wears off I find it a little tougher to cast without tangling. I agree that the super line is easier to untangle than Mono, but that may be because I can see it easier.

garry2rs