Paul Roberts

I had an M60, years ago, and plum wore it out. The cheapest accurizing I've ever done -always do- is test different ammo for each gun.

I think this explains a lot of the intuition we experience as anglers, and hunters. I am most intuitive when I am practiced. Some of it has come from years of doing it. But it helps to be fishing a lot.

Yeah, that makes sense. Although she still has to get it more or less calm at boatside to tag or photo. She’s doing something right to get it done so quickly. As to big fish on light line, I can see that. When I was playing with 2kg lines (and I consider that a stunt not worth repeating except for the lessons gleaned), I found i had to “bow to” a large heavy trout when it leapt, like tarpon fishers do, bc the fish (out of the water and suddenly having weight) could break a taut line by falling on it.

Looking her up now. From the SunSentinal: "Marsha Bierman always knew stand-up fishing was effective. But chances are even she didn't know how effective until March 19. That was the day Bierman caught and released a Pacific blue marlin estimated at 1,270 pounds on 50-pound stand-up tackle. She needed only 18 minutes to catch the fish using a Penn International II 1755 stand-up rod and a Penn International 50SW reel fishing off the Pacific coast of Panama." From her website: Marsha has over 2,500 billfish captures to her credit, 300 of which are Blue and Black Marlin, the largest of the gamefishes. She has tagged and released all nine of the billfish species and all three of the major tunas. These feats become magnified because they were achieved on nothing heavier than standup short rods and 50-pound line.

Yeah, there's lots going on down there that having complete control of line tension tunes us in to. Phew! I know it would be scary to lock down the drag and flick off that AR for most fishers. And there's going to be a learning curve there to get familiar and comfortable with it. I would guess though that most fishers that have some experience under their belts fighting fish would catch on pretty quick. Not saying anyone even needs to try it. I am not as daring as Gord, or Randy. Become much too gun-shy over the years. The biggest hassle I could see is not when a fish is hooked. Heck that's easy, having a fish keeping tension on the line for us. It's having the rotor roll backwards when there isn't tension on the line coming off the reel, which can loose some loops. And we know what unchecked loops can do. It's almost like there are mean little spirits that exist in lines. The trick is to always keep tension on the line, and control the rotor with the fingers of the rod hand, draping fingers (how many depending on where exactly you hold your rod) onto the rotor. That becomes second nature pretty quick, otherwise the line demons remind you. I remember a picture of Al Lindner holding a large crappie caught on UL, with his single little finger holding the rotor. Not sure many people would have noticed. Yes, I feel it alright. But, I've never done that. I'm paranoid about giving up pressure. I usually do the opposite, drop the rod to the side and pull, trying to keep the fish down. I might give that a try... maybe.

I put the battery in a battery box, a semi-waterproof latched plastic box. I cut holes for cables. It's held in place by those cables attached to the finder. I use the same battery, finder, and transducer on my float tube too, so the whole deal is portable. Oh yes, the battery is a tiny compact job made by Nocqua. Probably the single greatest upgrade I made to my portable boats. Went from a 5lb brick to a little thing weighing less than a lb.

"Cold Water" period. Top catchability seems to be in the 50s.

It gets tiresome reading posts from people who have not read the thread and therefore cannot participate in the conversation. Opinions are easy; Knowledge takes work. Thanks for the input, Phil. Oh, and I addressed the "long-running speedsters" above. Agree! Although I've done 10lb steelhead, with room to run, and... would do it again. But, I'd like to have some specific alterations done on most spinning reels. Gord Pyzer, (from the article Brian provided): "If you have never tried it, do it sometime and you simply will not believe the control you have over a big fish. In fact, what will amaze you even more is how differently a big bass or walleye will behave when you backreel it, rather than let it pull out drag. It is shocking." Gee, Gord is more direct than I, actually suggesting people try it! What Mr. Pyzer is referring to is very real, and I merely touched on it in my above posts. I learned a ton about fighting what I came to call "neutrally-buoyant hydrofoils" by catching big fast fish by back-reeling spinning gear, often on light tackle, and by single-action fly-fishing gear. This is not a brag, or a joust. I'm pretty much done jousting here. People can either participate in, or at least hear, what's being presented here, or not. What Gord is referring to is by letting fish chirp off so much as a couple inches of line changes the fight, giving fish moments of control that prolong the fight -and also, increase the chances for loss, esp so where there is snaggy cover. Here's an example most bass fishers will have some experience with. When flipping or punching in heavy cover, why do we not want to give so much as an inch of line on a strike? Why would we lock down the drag, sometimes with pliers? Because we cannot let that fish turn away from us. With spinning gear -in any situation, heavy cover, heavy lines, or not- when your AR is off and drag locked down you decide when to give, not the fish. And fishing lines have a LOT more strength in them than one might think, when tethered to a neutrally-buoyant hydrofoil. Ever snag bottom with 4lb mono and have it tow your boat? Fish weight means little, it's the fins and body depth that do the fighting. Sure, using a heavily set drag might work almost as well, but then... you hook a BIG one, and/or will soon have to deal that fish at boat-side, having to reset that drag (there goes the carefully calibrated preset) or start yanking line. The safety margin recommended for a drag setting does not max out your tackle, something you have the luxury of doing as a back-reeler. In back-reeling you get to learn just how much pressure you can actually exert, and can adjust, back off instantly, if your line was possibly nicked, or the knot has had a few too many fish before you finally hook the big one. Team9nine's comment questioning how much effort we die-hards put into our gear to maximize sensitivity, performance, and experiences out there, yet cannot listen to a conversation that has some real merit, and is commonly done by many Pro's, highlights something unfortunate. Understandable, but unfortunate. There's more Pro's back-reeling than many fishers are aware of it appears. And quite frankly, some of the pro's that don't back-reel can look pretty silly at times, to someone who applies back-reeling to their game. The number of times I've watched anglers try to deal with a big hydrofoil on a short line (esp back in my big trout and steelheading days) and see their drag giving the fish it's way, was... hard to watch. The way people learn to deal with this, and you'll see it in the surf too, is clamp a hand onto that darn offending reel spool, and walk backwards (if there's room). What's happening here solves a number of ills, but is something that actually could be at play over the entire fight, affecting how the fish responds throughout. If you are having to "pump" your fish in, to work around a safe drag setting, you are not using your complete rig to its maximum efficiency, are giving that fish control, and sending fear-evoking signals, that prolongs the fight. Fish don't have to be worn out to give up. They can be beaten psychologically too. (Enter the Twlight Zone theme song ). Lastly, I doubt sponsors would want their back-reeling pro's not touting the top selling point of a "super-smooth drag". It's one of the things we pay extra for with high-end reels. Interesting that most reels still have an anti-reverse though. What would many of those pros say if the AR switch disappeared on all reels I wonder? I'd sure as heck be up in arms. I have even designed, on paper, a back-reelers spinning reel. And there it sits, on paper, bc most fishers would freak out if they saw a reel without a drag! How could that be??! What happens if I hook a big one? Well... that's where it would shine.

No one's stupid here. I don't blame anyone for not having experience back-reeling. Who'd even think of it nowadays? And, again, I don't recommend, as described above. Do what's worked for you. I just hope there's enough of us around yet that all reels don't go anti anti-reverse. I've got my horde of good spinning reels though. Someday my son will tell his grandkids, who are using on-the-fly variable drag reels (OTFVD), how great-grandad used to let his handle spin backwards when he hooked a fish. But boy could he catch em!

The rod, hands down.

Nichol's Mango. It can even double as a slop bait. Cast it onto shore, into trees. It almost always comes back.

Wow. Lotsa options, and good advice above. There are no water bodies where a jig can't be dynamite. Hearing about your water helps. Jigs, being simple sinking lures, can teach more about presentation (depth, speed control, triggering) than just about any other lure type. I guess I'd be thinking about being able to cover the water column, so I'd go with a swim-jig, and a bottom contact jig. I'd suggest having a few weights so you can cover a range of depths and speeds. (Sometimes when "they don't want the jig", it's bc your jig is not close enough to them, or at the right speed, for their mood): 1/8 <4ft 1/4 3-6ft 3/8 6-10ft These weights and depths are for reaching bottom at moderate retrieve speeds. You can adjust retrieve speed by changing weights. Some tips: Strikes often come at splashdown, on falls (esp on the initial descent), on pauses, starts, or accelerations. I often start with a swim-jig for easier aggressive fish that will chase, (and in places where the bottom is vegetated where the jig will bury). If no go I head for the bottom, or tight to cover. The pause, sometimes killed for up to 10sec, can be deadly, esp for big fish. Don't get freaked out about "feeling bites". There's no magic. I tell people, sometimes you may be wondering if those bumps and ticks are fish, (esp with wood!), but when it's a fish you generally know. It's "alive" feeling. They say hook-sets are free (but not around wood! That can get expensive). Some pre-fishing advice: Take some time to fish over a bottom you can see, or know the depth and bottom composition of, to familiarize yourself with what something known feels like and, especially, getting a feel for exactly where in the water column your jigs are running at. A foundational retrieve I use that aids in control of feel and detection is done this way: Keep the rod hand solid, and swim/drag, with the reel. Careful dragging with the rod is fine too, as long as you are paying attention and being consistent with the rod movement. Anything moves that rod, wasn't you! Stick, rock, weed, gravel, muck, FISH! Once you get the feel of controlling the rod, you can add in all kinds of rod movements. In my mind, jigs are the ultimate tool for learning the basics of presentation, for any and all lure types. A definite need to know.

Phew! That's what I was trying to say! :))

Do it, and I'll try to be there. This is a fun idea.

Oh, my. The torch passes. Thank you Ron for helping light that torch that shed light on our current understanding of those creatures and places we truly love. Not being melodramatic here; In my mind, Ron earned that level of praise. Fishing Facts, and then In-Fisherman (The Lindner's), started me on the road to understanding the awe and mystery wrought by a single rock bass I caught at age 5 on a sapling my dad cut. I won't embarrass myself in describing that awe-inspiring event (yeah, I'm still so easily amused/awed). Let's just say that Ron, and Al, provided a lighted path for me to follow, into the breadth and depths that nature evokes. And that path has held up for generations now, and continues to grow. So thank you, Ron! Somehow, seeing you out, so to speak, is somehow reassuring, that lives filled with such curiosity and efforts to learn and share, can have such effect, and durability. Condolences to the family and friends.

With all due respect to Chris, he's speculating. And he's wrong, that one is at risk of breaking off bc a fish's surge is too fast for a back-reeler. I can say this from experience, with a LOT faster fish than bass, even big ones. I've caught chinook and coho salmon, steelhead, big (10+lb) rainbow trout (inc a 9# with room to run on a 2.2lb tournament line), 10lb brown trout, 8-15lb carp, 8lb channel cats, all back-reeled. And never had a fish surprise me with a surge and break me off or even pull off, never had to even consider it. (Now... a sound argument can be made that drag is helpful with long-running speedsters -which bass are not- and esp such saltwater species. I won't argue that, although line twist can become atrocious with long runners.) There is a big misunderstanding about back-reeling. And that is that you have to keep up with a fish by reeling backwards by hand. Which, btw, most spinning reels are capable of doing for most freshwater, esp warmwater, fish. The reel handle cranks in line, and lets it out. But the rotor is where the back-reeling game is played. This is controlled by the fingers of the rod hand. It's AOK to leggo the handle! The rod hand is the one fighting the fish, with a long spring (the rod), arm motion, leaning forward, bending at the waist, and line stretch to cushion anything a fish can do. It's SO easy to do. There's a LOT of cushion at your immediate disposal. If a fish can get beyond all that potential cushion, usually at boat-side, leggo the handle and manage the rotor with the rod hand. The rotor can be feathered or simply stopped at the end of the burst. It's easy, and intuitive. Heck, if there's any surprise it's having the handle wrenched out of your hand on occasion. You'll learn to be a flexible there, and, that the handle does not need to be held onto for dear life. Maybe this shoots dread into the imagination of those who've only used drag, but the real control is happening at the rotor. Control the rotor and there is no backlash. Honestly, I've never had fish surprise me and cause a backlash. My rod/rotor hand, that casts, manipulates the retrieve, strike detection, and therefore the line tension is, intuitively, already on the job. As to concerns about braid: The lack of stretch removes one piece of all that cushion and I've had no issues with it. And it's been a bunch of years now. I suppose 6lb straight braid on an XF H rod might be a bit of a challenge keeping fish on. That's giving up all the rod cushion, and we don't do that, drag or not Back-reeling is easy. Again, I don't generally recommend it, or even talk about it. Many fishers, esp new or occasional fishers, have some difficulties managing line on spinning reels to begin with. I don't need to add any complications there. But line handling is something we already must learn to do. And back-reeling is really not much more of a stretch. There are advantages, so it's worth a real discussion. Not a call, or challenge, to change. I think that should be what this forum is about. Just want to breath some experience -some reality- into this subject. Appreciate the counter arguments, from those with years of back-reeling experience. I can't provide one since I've never used drag on a spinning rig, can only say what I've seen others do, in person and on TV. And from my use of casting rigs, which has me dealing with a fixed drag setting and sometimes having to fiddle with the setting or hand stripping line, during a fight. Last thing I want to have to do right then.

Yes, I was having fun, shoveling it back, bantering... And didn't start it, mind you. This topic has an old history, so the banter reaction is now instantaneous. It is interesting to me the intensity of reaction it brings. I've always been in agreement that it's a preference. (Except it's not when companies start doing away with the AR altogether). This time I decided to have some fun with it. As Brian mentioned, it's not an "old school" thing, and the quality of the drag has nothing to do with it. It has everything to do with the downsides of having a fixed setting for line tension control. Watch some videos of people, including pros, fighting bass and having to fiddling with the "setting", or hand stripping line, during the fight, esp at boat-side. Compared to the complete control over tension back-reeling gives, and the ease with which it's done. I guess that's what gets me is that it's not some difficult, even risky, thing to do. It's so easy. I understand why most people wouldn't dare try it; Drag is just taken for granted as a must have. Seems like a no-brainer. But a fixed tension setting has some real drawbacks and hassles that, frankly, look silly to me. There's more too, but, I gotta get to work here... Let's just say, I give SO little line to fighting fish, even big ones. And there are some serious advantages to this, and serious disadvantages to letting fish have their way, even if only in inches. Again, I decided to shovel some trash talk back this time. And enjoyed it! Frankly, I don't care how people handle their line tension. Really. But, back-reeling isn't some old school, technology avoiding thing. It has real advantages, giving complete control over line tension at all times, and instantaneously. And it's easy, once you know how to control the rotor with the fingers of your rod hand. That's really the only "skill" to learn. Maybe there's a learning curve there, I don't really remember. If you have trouble with tangles with spinning tackle, maybe it's not time to learn back-reeling. Then again, back-reeling cannot add line twist like allowing a spool to rotate can. Thus, I don't recommend back-reeling. I never talk about it in my videos. Seems viewers don't even notice it. There's not a lot to see there actually, bc, again, I give precious little line to fish. Giving line when it doesn't need to be given just prolongs the fight and potentially spells trouble. For all to hear: No one is asking anyone to back-reel. So please don't tell me I should be using drag, or that I'm somehow ignorant or backward for not using it. Randy's title on his video was click-bait, meant to push people's buttons. Learn to ignore it, and listen to the content or not.

:)) Funny stuff. Despite the cussing those trees have heard. The 2 "Model A's" are in your Oct 20 pic. At least they look like MA's. I too find more bobbers than anything else, and take em out like trash. I have a box of them and will donate them -somewhere- someday. Hey, maybe there's a bobber-fishers association somewhere and we can all send them out as a collective. A semi truck oughta do it. What's really scary, was wading the Salmon River in NY (a HUGELY popular water) and seeing the ungodly amounts of line, weights, and hooks strewn about that river bed. It is truly a submerged landfill of such stuff. To clean it up, it would take heavy equipment to dent it I would think. It's a sad thing to see. Another reason I stopped fishing there, years ago now.

My Bantam has backward play in the handle. Never been a problem, but rattles some.

My 1984 Shimano Bantam has an AR switch. I like to cast with it off, so I can watch that handle spin. Just like gramps used to do. Boy he could catch em too! More seriously, I was never sure what that was for, trolling perhaps? No, with casting reels, instead of backreeling I end up... you know... fiddling with the drag, stripping line off by hand, or pressing the bar, simply bc those washers can't adjust themselves on the fly. Something I just don't have to worry about with spinning reels.

Great thread!

Wow! I find a lure every time I'm out. But, wow! That's some serous fishing pressure @Bluebasser86. Those two chrome Model A's, I wonder if they came from the same tree?! I can still hear the cussing that might have caused. ? Ah, reminds me of a lure rescue I made. I arrived at a pond to do some filming and saw 3 guys staring up into a tree. One of them had hung his spinnerbait up there. I jumped out of my truck, extended my 20ft video pole, walked up and said, "I just got a call. Someone's hung their spinnerbait in a tree. That must be you." And I fetched it down for him.

What are the Leatherbaits like, Will? Are they at all pork-like in motion? I have a bunch of pork yet, but it is a pain, esp the last batches it seems.

Just shoveling it back. I have no real investment in whether anyone chooses to use a safety net, I mean drag. ?

Yeah, this topic sure presses some kind of button. A button I have a hard time being sympathetic to. I think it's that unfounded, and untested, fear. OMG I've lost my washers!!!! You mean I have to do it myself??!!! How will I ever get that fish in?? It'll break my line!! Maybe my arm!!! Backreelers know no fear. And discover they needn't have worried. Even wimps can backreel. No! What is this world coming to!! Blasphemy!!! :))