Taliesin

My favorite: Why Be Normal? Others: It's all fun and games until the flying monkeys attack My imaginary friends think I have a mental problem Just because I am paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get me I'm here. What are your other two wishes? Ammo Troop. If I am running either something has gone terribly wrong, or someone just tapped a fresh keg. I went crazy so I wouldn't go insane. Did it work? Cute but psycho. Things even out. Will work for sex. (the guy that wore this said it actually worked) There are too many others that I just cn't remember right now.

I have only caught cats on 2 lures: Roostertail: All the time. I even target them with this one in one pond here on base. Super Spook Excalibur: once while fishing for hybrids.

Wow... you call 5' visibility slightly stained? Hmm... Maybe this goes back to what LBH was asking. If you are used to fishing "extremely clear" water, maybe your perception of what is clear and what is muddy changes? Maybe we need to see what people's definitions of clear and muddy are. To me, clear is at least 4' visibility and muddy is 2". Slight stain allows 3 to 4', with stained running 1 to 3'. Very stained (or slightly muddy) is 3" to 1'. Maybe this goes back to my farm pond roots where the ponds were usually kept stirred up by catfish and cattle.

Here's the quote of the day: Very true. you just have to fins what retrieve they want. Sometimes it is fast and constant, sometimes it's slow, sometimes you need to vary the retrieve. I have had times where any retrieve worked and I have had times where only one would work and I had to find it. Someone else mentioned the hooks. I replace all the hooks on the 'traps. The ones they come with aren't very good.

Raul has hit the nail on the head here. All of my catfishing gear is spinning gear. I've been using spinning gear for so long, that I am more accurate with it. And I ain't fishing for the little guys. I'm fishing for catfish that will eat a 10# bass if given a chance. I don't know of many baitcasters that are meant to be used with 50# test line, but I do know of several spinning reels that are meant for it. Only one thing he was a little off on. Spinning gear wins casting competitions when using 3oz or less and the US record at 2oz is 347 feet, with baitcasting coming in at a little over 300. Still, casting distance differences are very limited with the type of fishing we do.

I don't know that I would call it free. How much time would I spend searching for replacements for my current reels (that are going to outlast me) and how much would I spend to replace them? I have thought about switching, but I can't seem to do it. However; just like rod and reel preferences, it's all personal preference. What works for one person doens't work for everyone.

Ain't that the truth. I can't stand low profile reels, so I can't give much advice there. And I really like the fact that the line guide follows the line during the cast on the Ambasseduers. It not a feature you find on very many baitcasters (and no low-profiles have it). With good care an Ambasseduer will outlast you. That kind of quality is something I look for. Then again, it's just my personal preference and may not be what you are looking for. I won't even reccomend the rod I use because I am one of the rare people that they work for and I would be laughed off the forums. ;D The rod Lucky Craft Man suggested is a good one for your plastics and other single-hook lures. My best recommendation is to find a way to try out some rods and reels so you aren't buying half-blind. Coming here and asking keeps you from buying totally blind, but it can't replace using the equipment.

10 and 12" is big?!? When I talk big worms I like the ones 15+". I love these for fall fishing. I just can't seem to find many of them any more. Can anyone tell me where I can buy 18" worms? Bass LOVE these in the fall. One thing though: using bigger baits means the smaller fish won't go for it as much. True story from BASS's magazine around 25 years ago: Fellow was using a 15" worm and caught a 12" bass (legal limit where he was). Took it home, cleaned it, and pulled out an 18" snake from the stomach.

I'll have to respectufully disagree with RW on one little thing. G Loomis and St Croix are good, but I have to go with Abu Garcia for the reel (Shimano is my choice for spinning reels though). However, that depends on whether you prefer low profile reels or old-fashioned rounds. You can get a good Ambasseduer reel for 70 to 100 (depending on your chioce), and then have plenty left for a quality rod (and more tackle). If you prefer the low profiles, I can't say much. The Abu Garcia Revo is talked about a lot, but won't leave as much for your rod. Of course all of this depends on what kind of lures you plan to use it for. And remember, any suggestions here are personal choices. What works for one person may not work for you.

I have to join the "stained" club here. I have fished many ponds with a wide variety of water clarity. Since I tend to fish shallow, clear water allows the fish to see me too easily and they get a bit skittish. I can catch a few fish in really clear water, a few more in really muddy water, but one to two feet of visibility is where I do really well.

Well... I've been fishing ponds and small lakes most of my life from shore. On these ponds I can almost always manage to avoid the skunk-monster. How I approach the water depends on how weedy the place is. If it has good weed cover, I'll be fishing the edges of it and any holes in it. Concentrate on any timber that might be mixed with the weeds. I'll usually use spinners, plastics, and weedless frogs or weightless plastics for the thickest weeds. If there are too many weeds, I'll use a weedless frog or weightless plastic to fish the holes in the weeds. Topwater action all day long. For both of these I will also use heavy weighted plastics. Punch a hole in the thin parts of the weeds to get to the bigger bass. For ponds lacking vegetation, take a look at the lay of the land. Points, laydowns, timber, channels, and dropoffs near the dam (most farm ponds build the dam from earth dug up just upstream of it). These are the areas I concentrate on. Crankbaits, plastics, and spinners are my baits of choice here. If vegetation is present, but very limited, concentrate on it during the morning or evening, but treat it as a bare pond during the middle of the day. For both of these I love using Tiny Torpedoes in the morning and evening (and during the day around any trees that overhang the bank). My personal best came from a farm pond in Oklahoma with limited vegetation. A 4" shallow running "shad" crankbait across a flat with 4 or 5" of vegetation on the bottom about 5 or 6' from the channel brought up a 6.5#er at about 8:30 am. The toughest pond I fished was a "double" pond. It used to be two ponds, and the dam between them was overrun. Two "ponds" with road-like structure running through the middle (2' deep). The toughest part of it was that it was fed by an underground hot-water spring. I never did get to fish the place during the winter. Would have been great then. One of the great things about some ponds is that you can fish the opposite bank with good casts. This is especially true of the long and thin ponds that are basically a wider section of a creek. These are also the easiest to "read" as the channel will almost always be in the middle and any underwater points will be extensions of the visible points.

My reason for using spinning reels with the handle on the left is that my right hand never moves. It stays right at or just forward of the reel (at the center-of-balance). With the baitcaster, I hold the rod at or just forward of the reel, but cast with my hand behind the reel. If I used a reel with the handles on the left I would be switching hands twice to get the my right hand to the center-of-balance for the rod/reel combo. It works for me to use them in the "old-fashioned" way. I am also almost as strong with my left as I am with my right.

Fun bass fishing fact... Gummyworms DO work. I see no reason why strawberry licirice wouldn't too. I would leave the black licorice to the catfishing. Channels love anise (a lot like licorice).

I have. At least if you count 4# as decent.

Hmm... not sure about that Avid. But then I am from Oklahoma, enjoyed my Oklahoma History classes and am just shy of 40. Oklahoma is where I learned to fish. So many farm ponds... So little time... Oklahoma is the only state with such a wide variety of terrain. The panhandle is almost desert, NE has mountains (small ones), the SE has swamps (complete with native alligators), with plains in the center, and woods scattered across the state. Yeah, I'm from Oklahoma even though I have spent less than 1/2 my life there (Air Force dad and I followed his footsteps.)

I have been doing some fishing with these beauties, so I'll pass on what I have learned. 'Traps sink pretty fast, especially the 1/2 oz size. I usually retrieve with my rod tip up, but I am usually fishing near the top. For that deeper water I would put the pole down, almost touching the water. My best luck was with a varied retrieve. I get a lot of hits just when I am changing speed. The Trap is a year round bait, but the hook need to go. I change mine out for Gamakatsu, but that is just a personal preference.

I have this same combo, and it does have it's uses. I usually use it for large treble-hooked topwaters (I think the rod is a MH). It would also be a decent tool for large crankbaits in open water situations or sparse cover. You can use it in heavy cover, but the lack of sensitivity may inhibit you. It would also work for spinnerbaits worked close to the surface (another situation where you can see the fish take the lure). If it is a Medium combo, downsize the lures. They are right, it's not very sensitive. You don't need that with topwaters though. It's not a fast action tip, but a fairly slow action, so you may not want to use it for slow lure presentations (and you would want good sensitivity here too). I have used it for this, and have caught plenty of fish, but it's not the best tool for that job. For the price (I paid $27.99 for the combo, and Bass Pro sells it for about $34) it's a good start. It I have used (and still use 9) Ugly Stiks for years. They are a good tool for some jobs, but there are better tools out there. However, the better tools cost a lot more. I still think the Ugly Stiks are the best rods for the money they cost. When a 15' surf rod costs me $100, I shudder to think what a "good" one would cost me. And I can still feel a 3" bait twitching on the other end.

I guess I got used to using shorter handles while I was younger, and overcame that difficulty. I hold the rod with my left hand just forward of the reel. The butt of the rod is sitting in my gut. I don't rely on my wrist strength to play a fish, but on my bicep. I still prefer a little extra handle length so that I can cast two-handed if I wish, and it gives more leverage for fish fighting. With my really long catfish rods the butt ends up between my legs, and that can get uncomfortable when I get a big fish.

Maybe that's true at the top level of the competative casting, but for "fishermen" both types of gear can be cast long and accurately. It's not even true for comtetitive casting. According to the American Casting Association the current US records for 5/8 oz weights are as follows: Spinning: 434 feet Baitcaster (revolving spool): 367 feet As you get up into higher weights, the baitcaster passes the spinning reels, but the different at 6 oz is only 40 feet or so. When you are talking about casts of over 600 feet, 40 feet ain't much. My catfishing gear is all spinning gear. 80# test braided line goes really well on big catfishing reels. I have 2 M baitcasting combos and a MH baitcasting combo, but for my small and large combos I go with spinning.

About 20 years ago I went crazy so I wouldn't go insane. I haven't seen my marbles since then... I only do what the voices in my tacklebox tell me to.

I do have some higher end equipment, but not much. I do agree with Muddy here. I have 9 Ugly Stiks, and I love them. They fit the kind of fishing I have done for many years (mostly catfishing). Are they heavier than other rods? Yes, but I am used to it. Are they less sensitive than other rods? Yes, and my only high-end rod is for jigs/worms. Can I haul in a monster fish with an Ugly Stik? YES!!! I think my reels are a bit more high-end than my rods, but Abu Garcia Ambasseduers are tough reels that will last forever. I "might" upgrade when they fall apart, but probably not. They fit me perfectly. My other reels will probably be replaced with the Abus when they fall apart. Should I get higher end reels? I don't think so, because these fit me wonderfully. Moving to a "higher-end" reel would mean giving up features I want.

My answer to this would have been simple, but would have ticked a lot of people off too. "It seems that a lot of people in America don't care enough to learn about their place in the world." My politically correct answer would have involved improvements in the public schooling system here in America. However; her answer? 1 in 5 Americans can't place America on the map because they don't have maps and education in Iraq and South Africa needs improvement? What does that have to do with the price of tea in China? I've got a good joke for her: If a car is going down the road at 90 mph and looses all four tires, how many pancakes can you fit in an elevator.... None, because ice cream doesn't have bones. Well... Maybe she would actually understand that one. I sure don't. I love laughing at peoples faces when I rattle it off though.

Hmm... something looks very familiar here. Was this supposed to be a joke or something? I'll admit that I normally climb trees and not cliffs, but I have done my share of that too.

I used to think this as well, but 2 weeks ago I checked my battery and found out it was at about 50%. Then again, I had used the livewell for 1 1/2 hours to get some food fish home. I still say I don't "need" a three bank onboard charger, but only because I have a good battery charger at the house anyway. Just keep an eye on it. If my current on-board charger quits on me (it came with the boat), I'll step up to the 3-bank.