coffee

I have used spinning gear exclusively except for catfishing, the only reason I use baitcasting for that is because of the line capacity and the fact I have a few abu garcias that hold up well to the fight. I am starting to use some b/c stuff for largemouth now, but only because I want to try something different. I am not sure how it will work out, but I will give it a try. I caught several (I lost track how many) over 100lb blacktip sharks off the coast of South Carolina with a guide using spinning gear for two days. The gear never gave an ounce of problems and those sharks were tough fighters. I spent several years catching musky and northern pike using Pflueger Presidents with no issues. Those fish fight a heck of a lot more than largemouth, weigh more too. You can catch very large fish using spinning gear, it works fine. What it really boils down to is use what you are comfortable with. I am more comfortable with spinning gear, which is pretty much what I use most times. I don't feel like I am missing too much not using baitcasting stuff.

Both channel and blue catfish have a forked tail, channel catfish tails are forked deeper than blue catfish, but they are both noticeably forked. Flathead catfish have a tail that is quite straight. Flatheads are by far the uglier of the three. Channel catfish have 24-29 rays on the anal fin, the fin has a rounded edge. The blue catfish, however, has 30 or more rays and a straighter edge. Your's looks like a channel cat, but can't say for sure until you check out the anal fin. Good fish.

St. Croix makes a few "crankbait" rods in their Premier series of rods that I would look at, you should be able to get these for $90 without searching too hard. I would personally look at the PC66MM or the PC66MHM, but it really depends on what you plan to throw.

From the shape and size of the anal fin it looks like a channel cat to me, I can't quite tell but from the look of the swollen forehead it may be a male getting ready to spawn.

heck, I don't even like music in the truck, certainly not on the water.

Yeah they do, check here under the Avid Crankbait series. http://www.***.com/descpageRDCSTCROIX-SCACR.html Good luck.

I really like Falcon Originals and St. Croix Premiers in that price range.

So it's alright to introduce a non-native species to a fishery as long as it is from somewhere else in America? Can't introducing smallmouth do as much damage to an ecosystem as a snakehead can? Or try introducing Flathead catfish to a new water system within America. They can wreak havoc.

I own a Kistler spinning rod and a few St. Croix Avid spinning rods, these were my first "good" rods that I have purchased and I can very much tell the difference in sensitivity compared with my older cheaper stuff. Does that equal to more fish...yes, I believe it does. For my fishing budget, more money goes to rod choice than reel choice as I feel the rod characteristics are more important than the reel characteristics (assuming the reel works fairly well). In other words, I would rather spend the money on a lighter, more sensitive rod than a flashy cool reel.

I would look at the ranger, even though I like aluminum more. The tracker is way overpriced, but looking for a different one would be a good choice. The ranger should be a good boat, but remember to always get the motor checked out by a reputable mechanic.

My father taught me some, my uncle taught me a little more, but really I am learning and have learned to fish on my own with the help of In-Fisherman magazine and dvds, the internet and other fisherman, not to mention plenty of practice.

I just received a Shimano Calcutta 50 TE GT and find it to be a great little reel, very well made and smooth. I can see picking up a few more Shimanos in the future (the company also makes some of the best cycling components on the planet). I also have some abu garcias and they are also good reels, so I guess its a toss up for me which I like best.

Why is it a trash fish? They fight better and are better predators than bass... Why is a bass more valuable than a snakehead? Never really understood that either. What makes a trash fish? If its good eating, if I ever catch one its going on the dinner plate.

I'd like to know what you think of that Bronzeback rod, I am thinking of one too and don't want to be dissapointed. I really like the idea of the 9' float and fly model.

I play them, but really I use fairly light line and spinning gear most of the time. Its part of the challenge for me to see if I can get away with lighter line. I have a fishing buddy who I swear has steel cable on his reels, he muscles those fish in as fast as he can. I have actually witnessed him yanking a hookset so hard a little one pound largemouth shot out of the water and came sailing into the boat from twenty feet out. It was a sight to see, but not something I am into.

I have a friend who has an older Tracker 170 or 175, can't really remember but it was made in the early 90s or so, with a 50 horse merc on it. He paid 1500 bucks for that boat used, sunk about 300 bucks into it replacing some flooring and extras, worked on the motor some and he has fished out of that boat for at least five years, caught more fish than many people I know. Frankly, I would want that boat for a first boat, its small enough to get it anywhere and large enough to take some current and waves, plus you can pull it with a busted up '94 chevy corsica (I have done it plenty). My first "fishing" boat was a very old 16 ft. Quachita stick steer with 50 horse merc on it. That boat sucked and the motor was taken off the first year and sold for a tiller handled 30 hp Johnson, I gutted the boat and put a single fishing seat in it. After that it turned out to be a pretty decent little fishing craft. Other than that, I'd say a jon boat in the 16-18 foot range with a 40 horse tiller and a trolling motor, fish finder and cooler set up as a livewell would get you to where you need to catch some hawgs.

You got that right. One of my favorite fish to go for is the good old bluegill and right now, Kentucky lake, which I live about 15 minutes from, seems to be growing some bulls. I like catching smallmouth more than largemouth, but largemouth are more abundant, so I'd say its a toss up for me.

I am just really starting to gear up for largemouth fishing and have been overloaded on the bait casting stuff for sale. I know I want two setups for now, one for cranks (mixture of shallow and deep diving stuff) and one for general purpose like plastics, drop shotting, spinnerbaits ect. I like to buy quality stuff when I purchase something, I want it to work well and hold up to years of fishing so I don't mind spending the money up front. I am confused on what reels to choose. I have been looking at ***'s Shimano Chronarch BSVs and BPVs (I am fishing with a lefthanded retrieve) and am wondering if they are too much for a beginning bass fisherman and maybe I should start with something a bit cheaper, maybe an Abu Revo S or something. Are the 101BSV and 101BPVs too large and weighty for general purpose stuff? Does the BSV carry too much line for largemouth fishing? Do you have any recommendations for two setups? Thanks.

Pflueger president, either 30 or 35 series, and a St. Croix Avid, depending on how tall you are and how far you want to chuck stuff, 6'6" or 7". That's what I would go with. I use St. Croix Avids mixed with Pflueger presidents for crappie, bluegill, redear, white bass, and smallies with excellent results and haven't yet had one go down. I use 30 series reels on 7' ul and lights and a medium power and can feel crappies fart from 10 yards away. Its a decent setup for 200 bucks.

I am a huge fan of fishing for panfish, I like to concentrate on bluegill, redears, crappie and white bass. I like fishing for catfish and if I can get the funds, I would like to get a boat set up for fishing large cats on the river systems here in KY, specifically below the dams. I am just starting with largemouth fishing, but up north where I am originally from I loved fishing for northern pike, walleye, perch and smallmouth. I have been known to take trips to fish for saltwater stuff: marlin, flounder, blacktip shark (My father and I hired a guide for two days and just had the best time targeting sharks of South Carolina), tuna ect.

I have a selection of pretty good local fishing stores near me with knowledgeable people working there, plus they sell guns and hunting stuff which I always like to look at and buy. I usually go to this one place in town, they know my name and know what I like, I can chat with them and get deals. The service is much better for me from these little shops, so I buy from them. BPS really does have a lot of selection and when I go to Springfield, MO to see my sister-in-law I stop buy and spend the afternoon. Huge store, well stocked and employees seem to know what they are doing. Don't have a Cabelas by me, but do have a Gander Mountain which I hate, they have terrible prices and their employees know diddly squat. So for me its local and if they don't have it in stock I can get them to order it.

Don't own one now but I have a 30hp Johnson that needs a decent boat.

Spincast stuff is mostly Pflueger Presidents, about 10 of them ranging from 25 series to 40 series. This is my main fishing gear as I am much more comfortable with spinning gear. I don't really "power" fish, but use lighter tackle for the most part. I have three Abu Garcia (4600c3, 5500c3 and 6500c3) round baitcasters and one Penn 209 leverwind used for catfish and sometimes bass jigging. I have never really been into baitcasters, but I may start with a couple of Revo s reels and 7' heavy action rods for bass fishing, but right now still using spinning gear for the most part.

The one thing I can't stand is fishing with someone who keeps every dang fish they catch, like they are going to starve or something. I see people on Kentucky lake pull hundreds of crappie out of the lake a day, not even caring about a limit, just because they caught them. Then when the power goes out, they loose all of them in the heated up deep freeze. It seems so wasteful. My philosophy is to keep a few smaller than average fish for one meal for two, then let the rest go (when talking bluegill, crappie ect). If fishing for catfish, I will keep enough for one meal (usually just one fish), but let the rest go. If I am not catching much, I let them all go.

The best I ever had was walleye, just a great flaky fish. Second would have to be bluegill, deep fried these little babies are awesome, but you can also cook on a skillet just scaled and gutted and they are good too. Never really been a fan of bass, but crappie are decent, not as good as bluegill but still good.