Bass Guys In The North Use Lighter Tackle. "yankee Sticks"?

[Raul]

Dude, have you actually seen the size of bass you yanks ketch ? You feel like million bucks when you catch a 5 lber, for us southern boys that's called ...... dink !

[bigbill]

Call my rods anything you want just don't call me late for dinner.

[SirSnookalot]

The rod and reel is only a delivery system, what is ever is most comfortable that's what I'd be using.  I'm northern guy, fished up there 50 years with nothing but spinning and fly rods, everything from bluegill to muskie.  Until I joined a bass forum I never realized the kind of gear that people use, to this day I'm still scratching my head.

Now that I've been in Florida for the last 10 years I do believe I have as many if not more variety of fish to target, bass just being one of them and certainly not the biggest.  I do see the desire (not the need) to tail drag a 5# fish in using a mh or heavy duty rod with 65# line, something I would never consider.  I want the challenge of landing good fish on med spin or lighter, if I lose one so what.

Down here in Florida I could go for weeks or months with out ever seeing a b/c, true the emphasis is mostly on saltwater fishing.  Fairy wands, sissy sticks, lol, when I read about a 5# fish on heavier gear and lines, then I see someone catching a 30# jack crevalle on a med spinning outfit makes my decision pretty easy on what I'm going to use.  I'll use a sissy stick.

[Jason Penn]

when i got old enough to ride my bike to a pond by myself to fish, i started with a spincast set up.  when i got into fishing again as an adult, baitcasters were just much more comfortable for me to use. i do have a couple of spinning setups for ds & jigheads, but may try and replace them with a bfs-type rig.  i have no problems with the spinning gear, but casters are still more comfortable to me.

[Preytorien]

Being from Illinois, I would have to say that many, if not most, northern anglers are multi-species anglers. Many southern anglers, but probably not most, are primarily bass fishermen. That would be my own observation. I could be mistaken.

 

Many more Yankees fish with live bait. That is simply easier to do with spinning gear. Try fishing a lindy rig sometime with a med-heavy baitcaster spooled up with 14-20 pound line and see what happens.

 

Conversely, try taking your yankee stick, spooled up with #6 mono and try to flip some hydrilla beds. Ain't gonna work out so well for ya.

 

Northern waters tend to be a lot clearer than southern waters. This dictates a stealthier, light line, light weight, approach, and until recently that meant spinning gear.

 

But, at the top of the list would be personal preference. A lot of us northerners did not grow up fishing casting gear, and most southerns did not grow up with spinning gear. You tend to use what you're used to using.

 

I went for almost two decades without ever picking up a spinning rod. (we don't need no stinkin fairy wand) I now have five, and use them regularly.

 

^^.....this

 

While I have both types, I find myself using the light spinning setups in pre-spawn and late fall when it seems finesse seems to get the job done better. Conversely, I use the heavier BC setups in warmer weather when I'm frogging and punching more often than not.

 

But yes, ghoti is pretty much dead on. I didn't start bass fishing until 3 years ago, until then, I was a crappie guy. Now I'm pretty much content catching anything with scales, fins, and gills.

[Grantman83]

I got into bass fishing later in life and as such had no preference either way. I simply started with spinning tackle because it was easier to fish with in the beginning annnnd I caught a ton of fish with a simple senko lol. Wacky rig baby!!!

However, as I got into more, I forced myself to only use casting gear for a season so as to teach myself. I bought reels from almost every company in order to get an idea of what I wanted. 3 years later and I have 1 spinning setup left. I even went so far as to spend a ton on finesse casting gear as I just prefer it. Northern fish also aren't as large most of the time so spinning gear can be used very easily in many situations. Take that gear down to Florida and you would be screwed.

That being said, I wouldn't say spinning gear is just a northern thing as guys in the west use finesse gear a ton and last I checked, western and northern guys do just fine at the highest levels.

[nowicki2005]

Really it just depends how you like to fish.

Up north the fish are smaller. I live in Michigan and people love floating down the grand river and fish smallmouth. I can catch about 15 an hour. I just throw a small bandit footloose and the get hammered and I throe it on a spinning rod because I get more distance and can cover the whole river floating down the middle. 95% of people I see on lakes or rivers here throw something like a beetle spin, all on spinning gear. I only use my baitcasters for crankbaits and to fish a frog or pitch into heavy stuff. O could easily get away with never using anything more than 8 pound test and a spinning reel because there just isn't a lot of thick cover on lakes around here.

I don't think I have a single friend who has more than $50 into any of their spinning combos whereas I'm using $300-$400 bait casting setups. To each their own.

[nowicki2005]

I will say you aren't a complete fisherman unless you can use both.

I always think of a guy like Chris Lane. I really think he has 0 chance of winning on more finesse type lakes. I also think it was a lot of luck and that he just happened to find a school on lake st clair last year. I believe he literally learned how to drop shot that week.I think a guy like ish Monroe can be put in the same category.

But at the same time these guys would be hard to beat in say, California.

[roadwarrior]

As a "collector" I really don't have a general preference, but I do have a specific preference:

 

Finesse = spinning gear

 

Power = baitasting tackle

 

 

 

[SirSnookalot]

Really it just depends how you like to fish.

 

Absolutely

 

^^.....this

 

While I have both types, I find myself using the light spinning setups in pre-spawn and late fall when it seems finesse seems to get the job done better. Conversely, I use the heavier BC setups in warmer weather when I'm frogging and punching more often than not.

 

But yes, ghoti is pretty much dead on. I didn't start bass fishing until 3 years ago, until then, I was a crappie guy. Now I'm pretty much content catching anything with scales, fins, and gills.

Can't say I agree with saying a B/C is heavier.  Med heavy rods are virtually the same whether they are spinning or b/c, a 2500 reel has no less a drag and cranking power than most low profile reels.  Granted heavier mono can be used with a b/c but many spin people use braid which IMO negates line strength.  If one prefers mono, copoly, or f/c by all means use a b/c if it works better for you.

 

There are people on this site that fish only spinning, has any one caught more and larger bass than FishChris?  Rolo is a spinning user, catches great fish and lives in Florida.  I'm a Florida fisherman too and I'm doing just fine with spinning gear.  Others may emulate the way a touring pro catches fish, I fish to suit my own personal taste.  I don't have to be a complete fisherman, all I want to do is catch fish.

[tomustang]

I use lighter gear in open water, doesn't matter the species. It's more fun than heavier tackle every time.

[georgeyew]

 

Med heavy rods are virtually the same whether they are spinning or b/c, a 2500 reel has no less a drag and cranking power than most low profile reels.  Granted heavier mono can be used with a b/c but many spin people use braid which IMO negates line strength. 

 

 

Very true. I have a very stout spinning rod. When I put braid on it, I can easily punch with 1oz jigs.

[Bass4Me007]

I'm from Iowa but I guess I started off different than many in the north. I used a BC for several years before I ever tried a spinner. That was because I started out catfishing at the age of five. Brakes were basically nonexistent back then and one had to educate his thumb very quickly. When I started bass fishing I still used a BC, but then realized the really light stuff could better be handled with a spincast reel. It wasn't until later that I began walleye fishing and bought my first spinning rod and reel.

Now I mainly still use casters but also spinning for lighter applications, especially for smallies and walleyes. I know some disagree, and if the facts are otherwise don't confuse me with them <smile>, but the nature of a spinning rod seems to make it a bit more sensitive. Nonetheless, I prefer baitcasters, and think one can be more accurate with them, although after all the years of experience I've had with both it really makes little difference, I guess. Doesn't much matter. I just love to fish! Don't we all?!

[Jrob78]

Here in the south, kids are generally started out with spin casters, (Zebco 33's and 202's).   Baitcasters are the natural transition.   Most of the old timer's around here wouldn't even know how to hold spinning gear, let alone fish with it.  A lot of that is changing now though.

[nowicki2005]

I always get a kick out of people with a spinning reel wrong side up.

[Chance_Taker4]

I'm from Ohio and can say normally when I am on the water I see others using only spinning reels. However I have one Spinning reel and 8 casting setups. This may come from the fact I am a power fisherman wanting to cover as much water as I can with cranks, spinners, jerks. To where as the other guys are throwing weightless plastics, drop shots, spending long periods of time in one area. I also am only bass exclusive fisherman, I don't like to fish Walleye, Pike, Muskie however, I love perch fishing.

[frogflogger]

I started with stick and string - my folks bought me a Bronson green hornet casting reel and solid glass rod - black line, L&S bass master lure - I graduated to langleys and shakespeare tournament casting reels -9# braided silk for light lures - then I saw a guy with a weird looking thing that hung under a rod that had the largest guides I'd ever seen - soon after I bought an airex bache brown spinning reel with manual bail and have used both casting and spinning ever since - but northern or southern baitcasting was all there was at one time for most of us.

[Raul]

Absolutely

 

Can't say I agree with saying a B/C is heavier.  Med heavy rods are virtually the same whether they are spinning or b/c, a 2500 reel has no less a drag and cranking power than most low profile reels.  Granted heavier mono can be used with a b/c but many spin people use braid which IMO negates line strength.  If one prefers mono, copoly, or f/c by all means use a b/c if it works better for you.

 

There are people on this site that fish only spinning, has any one caught more and larger bass than FishChris?  Rolo is a spinning user, catches great fish and lives in Florida.  I'm a Florida fisherman too and I'm doing just fine with spinning gear.  Others may emulate the way a touring pro catches fish, I fish to suit my own personal taste.  I don't have to be a complete fisherman, all I want to do is catch fish.

 

Exactly, all  that spinning gear "not powerful enough" is a bunch of nonsense, add SirSnook to that "spinning only" group of BR members.

[basscatcher8]

It all depends what you do. I like walleye fishing too so I have several spinning setups. I have several bc setups too. I use both for fishing both. My crank bait rods double as bottom bouncer rods. I have a 6 foot spinner setup I have special for vertical jigging sauger who are very light biters. I use it as well for pitching small baits under cover on the river cause it's short and I can get in there. I do a lot of swapping reels but big deal really. They are just tools and you use them how you are most comfortable. My new 7' 6" st.croix eyecon will be here tomorrow. It will be my Lindy rod for walleye and grub rod for bass/walleye.

[OK Bass Hunter]

I didn't use a bait caster till I was in my mid 30's. I think back to 1984 when I tried to use my first baitcaster, it backlashed horribly. I didn't pick one up again till 2007.