Fishes in trees

I always have a trap rod rigged and ready in my boat. Currently I'm using an old Bud Erhardt graphite crankin stick, a calcutta 250 reel (5-1) and the most abrasion resistant 17 or 20 pound line I can find. My favorite is the 17 pound Iron Silk (discontinued, but I still have 2 filler spools left. I'm not a big fan of the rattle traps. I prefer the Berkley Frenzy or a Cordell Spot. A half ounce bait is all I ever throw.

I have a couple of them. They have seen a modest amount of use. They handle braid good. Using the arbors that come with the spools they don't take a whole bunch of braid to load and you don't have to mess with backing. I think they are decent reels and I haven't had any issues with them.

If you've got a Cabelas close, go look there. 3 weeks ago, I was wandering the aisles in KCK and one of the floor helpers told me that they were closing out many of their high end rod categories - mostly their single product suppliers. I got a couple of Kistler rods, $189 each last spring for $80 each. And I got a few others at a similar discount. Maybe you can go get two rods for your money. Good luck.

Different stores - different people. I get to the Springfield store maybe once a year and I find the floor help there very knowledgeable about what's on sale in catalog & on-line and they will tell you. The few times I've been to the Columbia, MO store, I had the same experiences, i.e. floor help knowing about on-line specials and will hood you up. The Independence store - not so much. The whole store seems to be staffed by part-timers who are there for the discount. While they are nice and polite to you all the time, product knowledge isn't their strong suit, for the most part. I've been told, "bring in an ad alot there. Just my experiences, so far. Could be me. All their floor help could be very wise, I just didn't ask the right question, or maybe I didn't ask the question right. While I'm ranting, the light in that whole store is weird. Different colors look different in different aisles. The whole south wall of the store is a big window.

So you need some spinner bait advice? I'd imagine that there are several guys on this site who have opinions about spinner baits. Let me start. For the most part, they all work. Some work better than others. Quality of construction, wire diameter, head shape & weight, skirt material & color, blade shape & size all play a role in this. There are many articles that go into extensive detail on these subjects and more. Spinner bait articles on this forum are a good place to start. The *** web site is another. Everyone has their opinion on what is & what ain't a decent spinner bait. Currently, most of the spinner baits that make the cut to get into my boat are Terminators and War Eagles. You are in Canada. I've no clue if these baits are available in Canada. They are available through the web or Bass Pro or Cabelas. Most folks will say to start out with a white spinner bait, some guys use nothing but white, ever. My experience last year was a gold war eagle (1/2 oz) with they Spot Remover color skirt worked best. I fished mostly clearer water last year. Had I been on more murky or muddy water, I'd have used a different color. Lots of guys will have opinions on what spinner baits you should get. The only other thing I'd offer is that if you're going to be throwing spinner baits you need to get another bait casting rig, or you'll waste alot of time cutting off and retying. What bait caster and what spinner bait rod you should buy is another topic.

Lots of good suggestions here. I've got to say, should it be less than 40 degrees, I ain't going. When I fish tournaments (as a co-angler) I have several pairs of gloves, mittens. I like neoprene or something wind proof for running down the lake, and fleece or rag wool fingerless gloves to fish in. Carry an extra pair. Wet rag wool gloves will keep your hand kind of warm, dry ones will keep your hands warmer. Goggles or one of those save phace masks are nice. Since I got one, I won't fish a cool weather tournament without a face mask. Make sure it fits snug. If it is loose, and you are running at 50+ mph and you turn your head wrong, wind will rip it right off your face. I know this. I've tried the Sorel Pac boots. I'm not a big fan of them because I can't move real well in them. Liner socks under heavy wool socks are nearly as warm, and if you are certain it is going to rain, rubber overshoes are a good idea. I like the thicker polar fleece long underwear compared to the thinner under armour stuff. I know gore-tex is expensive, but the question quickly becomes: How much is my health and comfort worth? Running fast in cold weather can make you sick if you're not dressed and prepared for it. If you skimp on gear and then miss a couple of days work/ or under perform at work because you're sick, then that's on you. I'm a big fan of the Cabelas Guide Wear. I prefer it to the Bass Pro 100 MPH suit mostly because it isn't covered with logos. Get yourself a set of Frog Toggs. Even in May and June it can get chilly in the morning. Frog Toggs totally cut the wind, and they are easy to stuff into a bin once the weather cooperated later on in the day.

The powerbait sinkworms work OK. They are tougher plastic than the senko so dropping on a wacky rig, I don't think the tips wiggle as much. But they are power bait, which stinks good. I didn't realize that they were alot heavier than a senko. I've got a digital scale in my shop, I'll weigh they and then I'll know the diff.

I guess I like heavier spinnerbaits. A black 1/2 Terminator - single colorado blade is a good choice. My personal best for muddy water (less than 1 foot of visibility) is a half ounce single colorado spinnerbait in a purple/chartruese color and a copper blade. I almost always use some kind of trailer on spinnerbaits. For the Terminator I like a black Zoom swimmin chunk. A white/chartruese tip Bass Pro Cajun trailer works best on the other spinner bait. I fish both these baits the same, i.e. pitch tight to the target and slow roll it back.

I think this website had knot diagrams somewhere. I'm real sure that the Berkley line website has knot diagrams. Knots are something that you have to practice tying, and even after practice you don't always get them right. When you're out fishing is not the time to practice tying knots. The time to practice is when you're sitting in your shop, swilling barley pop.

I do lots of similar fishing. I'll throw a DC4 or a DC8 Timber Tiger to all kinds of cover. I generally use 17 pound line. The rod I"m currently using for this is a Bass Pro Extreme model XTR74MT. It is a little longer than what you're looking for (7'4") but it works good for me. You can throw quarter ounce baits with it if you want, distance suffers a little bit. I got mine on sale as Bass Pro for $70. The past few years, I don't think about spinner baits for shore line cover unless it is just too weedy for the cranks to work. JMO

Nearly every March, I catch 1 or 2 big fish (20" or better) on a rattle bait, very shallow, 2 or 3 feet of water, maybe less. I prefer the Berkley Frenzy rattlebaits or a Cordell Spot over a Rattletrap, but that's probably just personal preference. Really, lots of things work in the spring, jigs, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, rattle baits, wiggle warts, senkos. Just experiment til you find what is really working that day. Lots of times, I find that afternoons are better than mornings.

Back when I first learned to use a bait caster (early 80's) a 5 to 1 reel was considered hi-speed. There were lots of reels available with lower gear ratios. Through the years, I've just stuck with that gear ratio and now it is a low speed gear ratio. Go figure. Got to agree with Roadwarrior about the Calcutta 200 TEGT. A few years ago, I had more money than sense so I bought several. With a decent pitching stick and a 5/16 or better weight, your pitching range becomes unlimited. Normally I keep the pitching range to less than 40 feet, but 60 or 70 feet is very doable with this reel. I've got a couple of the 11 ball bearing Calais and the TEGT is a much better reel. IMO

My first choice for jerkbaits on table rock is the table rock shad color. Day in and day out Table rock is really clear, so I tend to use shad colored baits. A few years ago Jewel Bait Co. (the company that markets Eakins jigs, another great Table Rock option) marketed a spinner bait in a color they called Lavender Shad. It was white with a kind of purple tinge and one silver and one gold willow blade. One spring I wore out three of those paralleling bluff walls. I was down there 3 days - mid april - 60 or 70 shorts and 15 serious keepers, 18 and 19 inch fish. Next year, same time, same pattern, that color was nothing special. There are several bait shops in the Kimberling City area. Ozark Bait & Tackle is the one that comes to mind - next to the bowling alley. They are nice people, helpful, and won't steer you wrong when it comes to colors.

I prefer fluorocarbon lines over mono for all my jig/soft plastic fishing. My reasons are fluorocarbon stretches less, so it is more sensitive, for the most part it is more abrasion resistant and it supposedly is less visible under water. Fluorocarbon line sinks, mono floats, I think when I'm using baits that sink, a sinking line is better. JMO

Do you want something that will work or something that is best and easiest? Buy a charger that you can keep plugged in all the time. That way you know that when it is time to go fishing your battery will be good.

Think of Jobee hooks as a bubba version of the Brewer slider hook. But they are for a different purpose. They are a soft plastic flippin and pitching hook. Use any decent sized, soft plastic. 7 to 10 inch worms Brush hogs Bacon rinds bigger tubes. I don't think it matters which way the hook turns. Pitch to target, drop to bottom, shake it a few times, deadstick a few seconds, reel in for the next target. I've used these some. The majority of your hits happen on the initial drop, like most baits. I don't have a clue which way the hook is facing while the bait is dropping. Most of my experience with these hooks is in the 1/4 and 3/8 sizes. I don't have any experience with the lighter weights. They also market a Jobee finesse hook, which is smaller, roughly the same size as a Brewer slider hook. I think Walmart carries them, at least they used to. I've got a whole bunch of Jobee finesse hooks 3/16 size I got at a Walmart close out.

Every year I tell myself I'm going to carolina rig more. Then I don't. Last year I actually kept the carolina rig in the boat every trip. My current rig set up is a 7' Fenwick MH spinning rod ( rated 3/8 to 1 ounce). I put a US Reel Supercaster 230 with 30 pound fireline. It will throw a 3/4 ounce weight and 3' leader a long ways and it seems to be pretty sensitive dragging the lure back. I don't think I fished it for an hour total all last season, but I had it in the boat and that is progress for me. I don't know what it is about carolina rigs, but I just don't have much confidence in the technique. I know some BFL co-anglers who live and die with that rig. They've cashed more checks than I have. I'm going to resolve to try to use it more next year.

To really answer this question, need more information. Are you deep cranking points with minimal obstructions? 10 pound fluorocarbon is probably your best compromise. Are you throwing half ounce square bills 4-5 feet down around stumps and lay downs, and thorn bushes? 17 or 20 pound line is a better choice. Are you throwing half ounce rattle traps on grass flats? I like 20 pound line for this just because you don't have to re-tie as often. The particular situation determines line choice, IMO. For instance, I frequently throw Timber Tiger DC16 baits into the crowns of sunken trees. My boat is sitting in 20 feet of water, for the most part the trees are broke off at the water level, yet underwater there is a maze of branches. For this application, I use 17 or 20 lb line. I think the bait gets maybe 9 or 10 feet down in this application. The fish are much more likely to be suspended in the branches than down underneath near the bottom. At least that's been my experience. Basically the rule is thinner line gets you deeper, thicker line is more abrasion resistant and saves you baits from time to time. Berkley used to make a copolymer like called Iron Silk. It is discontinued now, but I really liked that line for crank baits. I don't have very much experience fishing cranks with braid, so I can't speak to that very well. The few times I tried it worked ok, until the crank got hung on something. Getting it un-hung was a challenge. If the lure retriever didn't work, the line was real hard to break and I cut my hand several times. The easiest solution to this issue was to wrap the line around the boat cleat several times and back off with the trolling motor. That worked every time, either the line would break or you'd get your lure back very quickly. Just some of my thoughts on crankbait line.

Aren't they made in Missouri? I live in Missouri and I've never seen one. Bass Pro in Independence & Olathe, KS doesn't have them. Cabelas in KCK doesn't have them. Rogers Lures in Liberty, Mo ( a very good fishing tackle store) doesn't carry them. I asked one day and they said that Ardent had never contacted them. Something must be up with their marketing department if they aren't carried regionally. I like the idea of buy American, but I won't buy a reel that I can't touch. Hey - Ardent reel folks, are you listening?

I've done it once. I don't make a habit of it. I have ordered extras of rods that I like. What kind of question is this? Who wants to know? Is someone doing market research? Just a paranoid thought.

I can relate to your bait casting issues. Back in the day, when I was first getting into fishing, I avoided bait casters, because the first one I bought was hard to use ( a red Ambassador 5000) I never got confident until Shimano & Diawa came out with the magnetic reels in the early 80's, Learning to use your bait caster is a matter of practice. There is no substitute for practice. Figure out what pound test line you like and buy a big spool. You will backlash so bad that it is easier to cut it all out and respool. That's part of the learning curve. As soon as you learn to cast one way, learn another way. You won't always be able to cast overhead, or side arm, or back handed, so learn them all. Get an 11 ball bearing Shimano. Learn how to pitch. Once you learn that, you won't have to cast overhead or side arm or back handed very often. Oh, did any one say to practice using different weights? Be aware that throwing a quarter ounce bait is different than throwing a half ounce bait. Oh, did any one say to practice using different baits? A quarter ounce jig throws different than a quarter ounce spinner bait. (The spinner bait has more wind resistance.) Both of those baits throw different than a crank bait that weighs the same. When you are starting to learn your bait caster, use a practice plug, they come in different weights. Just be aware that skill throwing a practice plug doesn't translate 100% to skill throwing different bass lures. Good luck learning how to use your bait caster. It will take time to get good at it. It is worth it, because you will end up being a more versatile fisherman.

I bought a fiberglass crank rod once. Used it twice. Now it has a permanent home in my shed rod rack. You could throw a long ways with it, but for me, the feel just wasn't there. I caught a few fish on it and every one was a suprise. I just couldn't feel the bite at all. Maybe pros, with their finely honed fishing skills, need a rod with a built in reaction time lapse, but I don't have that issue. My reaction time lapse is substantial, so I don't need a fiberglass crank rod to increase the reaction time lapse. For the most part, I like All Star spinner bait rods to throw cranks with. They are a little more "tippy" than a jig rod but not a lot more.

The 101 is a 36 volt motor. Be sure you've got room in your boat for the extra battery. It takes 3 batteries dedicated to the trolling motor plus one starting battery for your big motor and electronic accessories. Is there room on your on-board charger? You might need to get a larger 4-bank charger. The rule for trolling motor power is to get the biggest one that will fit. Hope it fits on our boat. Everyone I know who has the 101 loves it.

Good luck with finding a boat that is the right fit for you. Everything about small boats is a compromise and what suits one guy bugs another. Let me share some thoughts concerning small boats with you. Prior to getting my current boat, I've owned two different pond boats and fished with a bunch of different guys who had assorted boats. I like the pond boats better compared to a 10' or 12' jon boat. I think that they are just more stable. Any small boat that you stand up in has the potential for balance issues. I prefer the pond boats. Get one of those inflatable life jackets and wear it. It is just a matter of time, sooner or later you will fall out of the boat. Jon boats and pond boats have issues in wind. After a year or so you will understand fishing in the wind much better than you do now. My second pond boat ( a Buster boats Trophy), I somewhat solved the wind issue with a 55 lb 12 volt trolling motor and three deep cycle batteries. You keep telling yourself that the wind is your friend, and get a drag chain to slow down your drifts. I know that the notion of putting the small boat in the back of your pick up sounds like a good idea. And it is, yet there will come a time when you're returning from a fishing trip and you're tired, and the last thing you'll want to do is to remove the boat from the bed and store it away. Unless you're going to keep the boat in the bed of the truck all the time (that is an option, I've had professor pals who exercised that option) a boat on a trailer is a better idea. You get home, throw a tarp over it, bungee the tarp down and you're done. Some of my thoughts, hope they help, good luck on finding a boat you like.

I have some Lindy weights that are alot like the Mojo Rock hoppers. That's what I use. I think I found them in the walleye section at Cabelas.