The Rooster

Spinnerbaits and Roostertails. I have way more than I need. A few years ago I would buy any one I ran across that happened to be a different color than what I already have. Now I control that more and have actually thinned down my collection to 45 spinnerbaits, and about 80 Roostertails. When I buy Roosters, I get them 3 at a time in whatever color and size I'm buying. If I get 3 different sizes in the same color then that's 9 baits I just bought. I've been known to have the tackle shops order them in case quantities of my favorite colors and then I bought them all when they came in. I lose a lot of them too, otherwise I'd have a lot more. I don't buy spinnerbaits in duplicates like that but I do tend to duplicate the same patterns across multiple brands over time. I have several different brands of 3/8 white with tandem or double willow blades. I'm also a sucker for a chartreuse and white, or some other combination. Any different kind of firetiger I can find also, I grab it up. One might be mostly chartreuse and orange, or have more neon green in it than another. If it's like that then I gotta have it.

Welcome. What about friends just south of the border? I can see Ohio from my house, haha.

I stress over some fishing related decisions. I'm bad when it comes to reels. I haven't found one yet I'd consider perfectly made. They get the brakes, casting ease, and comfort right, but not the total number of bearings I want to see. Or they get that right, but the brakes could be better, or they get it mechanically right but it's uncomfortable in hand, or they get it ALL right on paper but it's executed poorly. It's always something, so every reel purchase I make is a compromise. That's one example of my fishing OCD. Then my tackle organization is off, too. I'm not a minimalist so I carry way more than I need but I want it neat and organized with no wasted space. That means jam packing lures into utility boxes, as many as 30 or more crankbaits in a 3600 size. I've got 45 spinnerbaits in a 3730. I've got about 80 Worden's Roostertails in a 3701 box and as many as 30 jerkbaits in another of the same size. I love how much I can put in such a small space, but this leads to tangled baits, which I hate. I've reorganized it 50 times at least, tried several different hard tackle boxes, but always come back to a bag. There's no way I'm downsizing. If anything, I'm constantly looking for ways to add more and keep it all in the same bag. Now I have two bags, one for hard baits and one for plastics. The hard bait bag has 12 utility boxes in different sizes in it alone. I'm probably carrying somewhere around 300 lures, not counting plastics. I actually use them also, it's not like I have baits that will never see water. I'm prone to use any one of them at any time. So there's another example of my fishing OCD. Don't get me started on what line to use with what bait technique, on which rod, with what reel ratio. I'll be typing the rest of the night. By the way, sorry to stir up your OCD, but spinnerbaits and crankbaits on the same rod? That's a contradiction of uses. Now I'd bet you'll be thinking about that and how to fix it.

PM sent. Has a link you should check out showing a plastic craw bait rigged up on a extra wide gap hook.

Bandit 100, 200, and 300. Might get into the 250 this coming year. I like anything Bandit really. Colors are blue back herring, chartreuse green back, taco salad, citrus shad, sparkle ghost, and root beer. I have about a dozen more colors in them also that I'm looking forward to putting to use.

Goose, you're killin' me. I wanna go fishin' sooooo bad!

I have it in several baits but I use it most in Roostertails and spinnerbaits. Hardly ever in crankbaits and jerkbaits or topwaters. And yet I own so many....

Well, this has been said but I'll say it anyway. Nice boat, and congrats on making some smart decisions when buying it. Very pretty, too.

What about makin' it break dance?

We can only hope, cause that means spring is here! Time to fish!

Doncha just hate stupidity? I'd never move to a state where such idiotic fishing laws exist. I had a serious conversation with my wife the other day about moving to find work and I said I would not go anywhere that wasn't like KY in its fishing laws. Here we can have as many rods as we want with lines in the water at once, there are very few regulations on treble hooked baits or multi lure baits, and none local to me, the fish species all seem to be respected and they know what a trash fish is, and it ain't a bass. I'm serious, I don't care how good any job offer is, I won't go if there's some stupid rule about river bottoms being owned by whoever owns the bordering property, or no baits with trebles, or worst of all, CLOSED fishing seasons! We can fish year round for everything that swims here. I just work to live and I live to fish, so you know what's at the top of my list, and what's on the bottom. KY just successfully voted in November to make it a state constitutional right to hunt and fish forever, not just a privilege. It cannot be taken away unless by vote again, which will never happen now, we're all rednecks.

Sorry but I saw this and had to post. That's the dumbest thing I ever heard about owning the river bottom. What happens if they say you're littering their property with snags and break offs? Will you be fined?

X4 on the one they're recommending but if you go with one of the ones you asked about, well, I'd probably go with the Silver Max/Cabela's Tourney Trail combo. The reel gets good reviews and I have some of the rods myself and I like them and have plans for more.

I was laughing just reading that.

In 1996 I was 21, nearly 22, and in April of that year a co-worker asked me to go fishing with him. I didn't want to because I'd only ever been a few times and it seemed very boring and a waste of my non-working time. Live bait was all we'd ever used anytime I'd gone before with family. He promised it wouldn't be that way if I went. He loaned me a rod and I agreed to go. We went to the lake about an hour away and took a bunch of night crawlers for bait but also had lures too. I had an ultralight micro rod combo with whatever line was on it. Probably too heavy considering I could only cast about 25 feet, but it was enough. Catching bass on that rod made them feel huge even though they were just one pound fish. I caught a lot of sunfish, bluegills, and bass that day, up until the time I had to leave to go to work in the afternoon. He and his father in law stayed to fish after I left, which I hated to go, but had to. I can remember driving home and thinking that I knew then that I'd just found something I'd always do after that for the rest of my life. I told my wife at that time I had just discovered a new passion, which she was not overly happy about in the long run. Thankfully the one I have now is. There have been several years since then where I've fished as few as about 5 times due to life's drama at times but there have been many where 50 days on the water was the norm. I've had 3 different boats, many different rods and tackle, and my wife goes with me on the boat, but mainly for company, and sometimes fishes. Dad and my brother go also, and for a time my mom even got into it HARD, but doesn't go anymore now (can't stay out in the sun).

I bought that Sufix Siege for $5 per roll also, got 8 pound for a spinning rod and 12 pound for casting. Never used it before and didn't need line but I thought it was a cheap way to try different kinds. When I need to change, it's there waiting. Does anyone like this line?

This is hard because I like so many. I do well with Bandit 100 and 200 crankbaits. I've caught some nice ones on buzzbaits and spinnerbaits. Jerkbaits are also a bait I love to use, too. The one I've done the best on as far as numbers is a Roostertail inline spinner. They've also brought in keepers as well. The one that's consistently brought in nice fish has to be the Bandit 100 though. That would probably make it my favorite. I'm learning to love a jig now also, and I've done well on a Texas rigged worm or lizard also. I don't really think any of these baits take a backseat to any of the rest. I love 'em all.

Is it natural for a crankbait to be swimming around looking like a tropical fish in firetiger colors in eastern KY? Fish still eat 'em, though. Haha. I'd say on a cloudy, gray day there won't be as much flash anyway, at least no more than would come from a live shiner. I'd think the bait would reflect more of its surroundings and actually blend in and appear more dark than flashy.

Maybe "junk fishing" lures. Rapala rocks. Except for Bandit crankbaits, almost all my other hard baits are Rapala. As for pink, I have it in crappie jigs only, and it's been so long since I fished those I forgot about it until being reminded here. I know it catches fish but I honestly think every single color of lure made also will, so if I skip pink in worms and hard baits then I'm not missing much. Some days a specific color works better and some days it's another, and some days color doesn't matter at all. Some days you catch nothing and you don't know why, so if one of those days is because it was a pink day and I had none then I'll just go home thinking it was because they wanted worms and I fished crankbaits all day instead. I don't like the bubblegum color on worms or crankbaits, or other baits either.....except crappie jigs that I hardly use. I guess I'm weird because, while I fish colors that I think might work (naturals, chartreuse, black, or other), I also have to like how it looks or I won't use it, whether it works or not.

Sounds like somebody lost a nice little bait. Now I'm kind of interested to try one. Hmm....it's only an hour and a half to Cabela's from here.

Take the spool off and try cranking with no line to interfere to rule out a sudden mechanical problem in the reel. I've heard of spinning reel binding issues with Shimano before. Could be coincidence it just started after spooling braid on. If it's seizing up and you force it, this causes damage to gears or bearings.

One thing I just remembered. I had to add thin strips of wood along the back of my box near the hinges for the lid. I fastened them with screws to reinforce the plastic there. The lid weight was too much for it when it was opened and it tried to crack. The lid's top side could have been overloaded with baits........but I wouldn't do that (whistling inconspicuously).

I'd bet Matzuo made it for them since their baits have Matzuo hooks, too. Glad I could help. I have too much time on my hands to study the lure catalogs. If it turns out to be a fish catcher at least you know where to get more.

Zoom fluke (not super fluke) in pearl white color, nose hooked, wacky rigged, or texposed, on a 3/0 or even a 1/0 Gamakatsu EWG hook, no weight. Work it like a jerkbait or freefall it near cover. Watch for line to run. Zoom 7" U-tale worm texposed on a 3/0 EWG hook, no weight, let fall near cover. Twitch it a few times if no takers, then bring it back for another cast. Pumpkin/chartreuse tail is my best color, even in very stained water (surprisingly). Watch for line to run. Zoom 4 1/2" finesse worm on a 1/8 oz. Ike Spike shaky head jig. Work by twitching the rod tip to impart action to the vertically standing bait on the lake bottom. Watch for line to run or feel for the bait to be sucked up by a bass. Only color I've tried was Plum, but it works. This bait was given to me, and I'm told since then Ike Spikes have become unavailable. It's a tungsten jig head.

FWIW, my dad uses 6 pound Vanish fluoro on a spincast reel and when he gets snagged he can't even pull until it breaks to get loose. It just won't snap. We have to cut the line or retrieve the lure to get loose. Knot strength seems fine. We tie the speed knot, similar to the Eugene knot, which I read was necessary with fluoro line to keep from slipping.