Sorting out my gear

[Mossman]

Hey guys, new to the forum. I have a few questions, but I’ll give a quick intro first. 

 

Been fishing most of my life, but very casually, usually content with a simple bobber and worm off the dock or bank!  Last year I started fishing from a kayak and really enjoyed it. 75% of my fishing is done from a kayak now. 

 

I am in Northeast Ohio, fishing mostly inland lakes (not much of a Lake Erie fan), ponds and occasional creek. 

 

My gear up to this point has been all spinning gear (except for the old faithful 33). 

 

• Shimano Soltace Aero 3000 on an Ugly Stix G2 6’6” Medium action. This is my go to, I love the QuikFire and the rear drag. Currently has 30lb braid with a mono leader, just did this so I have zero opinion on it!
• Shimano Soltace Aero 1000 on a cheap South Bend Worm Gear rod (my son liked the color) 5’6” medium action.
• Shimano AX Ultralight Spinner on a Shimano Stimula rod 6’ Medium Fast. Got this through a work anniversary gift.

 

• just purchased: Shimano SLX DC baitcaster and a Dobyns 703c rod (rod choice was based on research on this site). Bought both used, so I only have $150 in the full setup!

 

I fish a lot of rubber worms Texas rigged, some Ned Jigs, buzzbaits, spinner baits and some top water frogs. I have a bunch of other items , but these are generally my go to. I am sure I’ll have another post to help me determine when to use what!

 

Ok, so now, onto my question!

 

Now that I have a couple of options, I am looking for suggestions to improvements to existing equipment (different rods?) or another additional setup. I would then like to better understand when to use each and what baits should end up on each. I really don’t have a good grasp of that.

 

I appreciate the help!

[AlabamaSpothunter]

You can throw the frogs, T-Rigs, buzzbaits, and spinnerbaits all on your SLX/703c combo.  I'd throw on some really nice abrasion resistant 15-17lb fluorocarbon.....Seaguar Red Label is a good place to start for new fluorocarbon users.   

 

I'd throw the Ned Rig and anything else that is similar like a drop shot on the Shimano 3000 sized reel.  Between these two combos, you can throw a ton of stuff and figure out what you like the best and then buy technique specific combos for those.    You'll figure out what techniques work best for you and your water in time.   Until then don't rush to go out and buy technique specific stuff.  

 

The other 1000 sized combos are more in the vein of panfishing, trout, crappie, etc.  Ultra Light duty type stuff.    

 

30lb braid to 10lb mono isn't ideal and a bit overkill for spinning reel applications.   12-14lb braid to a 6-8lb Fluorocarbon leader is the route I'd take.   

 

Part of the frustration and the fun of Bass fishing is having to figure things out yourself through TIME ON WATER!   There is no better teacher or resource than simply going out there in your kayak and playing around.    Every lake is different, every angler is unique......you can get suggestions here, but the best way to know what you actually need, is for you to find out over time on the water.   

 

Lastly, welcome to the forum, it's a great place to learn and share!  

[dodgeguy]

I would never start with flourocarbon on a baitcaster. 50 lb vicious no fade braid.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

And I would never start out with braid......I think that's why it's important to stress that everyone is different, and we all value different features in gear.    

 

I mean the safe and reliable answer is to suggest he get 15-20lb Big Game mono.  

 

I've never really understood how people have problems with modern day FC, especially supple stuff like Invizx and Sniper.     

 

I run straight 8lb Invizx on a 3000 Certate, you'd think I'd be replacing the line every week if you read the internet in regard to spinning reels and straight FC.   

[Tennessee Boy]

6 hours ago, Mossman said:

I would then like to better understand when to use each and what baits should end up on each. I really don’t have a good grasp of that.

I would encourage you to experiment on your on to gain an understanding.  Everyone is different.   Obviously you don’t want to fish a 3/4 ounce bait on an ultra light rod but try different baits on your rods and learn what works for you.

[dodgeguy]

2 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

And I would never start out with braid......I think that's why it's important to stress that everyone is different, and we all value different features in gear.    

 

I mean the safe and reliable answer is to suggest he get 15-20lb Big Game mono.  

 

I've never really understood how people have problems with modern day FC, especially supple stuff like Invizx and Sniper.     

 

I run straight 8lb Invizx on a 3000 Certate, you'd think I'd be replacing the line every week if you read the internet in regard to spinning reels and straight FC.   

I could see mono but one good backlash and the flourocarbon is garbage. You kink it it's done.

[softwateronly]

My only advice if you're successful with texas rigs and neds, is to add jigs into the mix.  They're too effective and fun to miss out on and this site has all the info needed to get you going if you have any questions.  It worked for me.

 

scott

[dodgeguy]

7 minutes ago, softwateronly said:

My only advice if you're successful with texas rigs and neds, is to add jigs into the mix.  They're too effective and fun to miss out on and this site has all the info needed to get you going if you have any questions.  It worked for me.

 

scott

Agree big time

[JN94]

I would go with braid on the baitcaster (or any reel for that matter. Line choice is in most cases a personal preference though). Imo fluorocarbon is not user friendly at all. It's easier to backlash, harder to pick out backlashes, and it won't cast as far as braid. It's also less sensitive and you'll have to replace it often. Braid can last for years. It's also a good choice given your specific rod since Dobyns are a little more moderate action. Anything in the 30-50lb range would be a good choice. I would tie a 15-20lb fluoro/mono leader. You can learn a double uni pretty easily and have the best of both worlds 

[Eric 26]

@Mossman Im going to throw my .02 in the ring on the solstice aero 1000 and AX ultralight. If you have a Bass Pro Shop near you wait until the spring sale and trade both rods in for the BPS panfish Elite Rods which are $80.00 but after trade ins are $65.00 each. I have the 6’-8” ultralight (for your) 500 size reel and a 7’-2” light (for your 1000) size reel and for the price they’re a lot of rod for the money. If that doesn’t work for you I still suggest if you have a bps close enough check into whatever rods you are comfortable with and again trade them in during the spring sale as the higher the price point you’re purchasing the more you get back from your trade ins 😉

[Mossman]

Great feedback! I was thinking the new  BC and the 3000 spinner would be my two primary tools. 
 

The line choice seems to be the primary focus at this point. I have used standard Trilene all of my life, I just put the Spiderwire Stealth on the spinner a few weeks ago and only took it out once. It did cast nicely, but that might just be because the mono was probably 4-5 years old! 
 

I will need to put new on the Baitcaster, so I will need to make a decision on that. I really don’t have an opinion, I am coming from ground zero so anything will be good! 
 

I get the “get out and try it”, I plan to, only it’s getting pretty darn cold up here in the Cleveland area! Planning a trip to the Lake LaSuAnn area in the spring with my son and a few buddies, so I want to be ready for that one. 

 

[WRB]

My advice for a new to bass fishing anglers is Keep It Simple!

You only maybe 2 to 3 combos.

You have a good bait casting combo for lures between 1/4oz to 3/4 oz. I would use 12#-15# Big Game mono on this combo.

With Black Friday sales on going I suggest buying a Dobyns FR702S spinning rod and use your Shimano reel as a combo. Line 8# Sunline Super Natural mono. This will work for all the finesse presentations, no need for braid.

Look into the drop shot presentation on this sites video’s and search for the Slip Shot presentation. For finesse these 2 will get you the most bass per man hour fished.

Bait casting the sliding weight 3/16oz bullet and 3/0 worm hook with 6” to 7 1/2” worm plus several creature soft plastics and a chatter bait will catch bass for you.

Good Fishing,

Tom

PS, set aside your other rods and reels for a few years.

[thediscochef]

In support of what Tom said, KIS is a winning philosophy for me with my baitcasters. I have different combos with different actions for fishing different lures. But 5 of 7 combos have 14# sufix tritanium plus on them (frog rod has 65# braid and the near-BFS has 20# braid). Tritanium Plus is cheap, sensitive, and tough as nails, my favorite plastic line by a mile. Having all my stuff spooled with one line is an advantage because I do change what I'm throwing a lot. The consistency in my line's behavior helps me focus on how I'm moving my bait instead of backlashes 

 

As far as more combos goes...more the merrier but I try to have a clear purpose for whatever new combos I get these days

[RipzLipz]

@Mossman,

 

Unless I missed it, something not mentioned might be to keep a log for each trip. This can be an invaluable resource for you down the road. Use maps (hard copy or digital) if available. I took screenshots of lakes on Google maps & marked numbers corresponding with log entries for larger fish I encountered (not necessarily caught). Same principle can be applied if quantity is more important to an angler. Scales & measuring tape or bump board (de-liar, golden rule) for weighing & measurements are encouraged but not absolutely necessary. Can use a cut length of line each for length & girth & measure the 2 later for weight approximation.

 

I second skirted jigs with trailers. By far this has produced larger bass for me over the years. Not everyone will agree, but that’s just my experience up to this point & is what I first taught my son to use when he showed an interest in fishing. Not necessarily a technique for numbers but can be fished year round between ice-out & ice-in.

 

In addition, weighted worms/soft plastics, spinnerbaits and/or chatterbaits (I prefer both with trailers), weightless soft plastic stickbaits and/or soft jerkbaits, lipless crankbaits, topwaters, frogs are all great starting points, catch many fish & can also catch big fish but all can be fun at the right time & place.

 

I left out hundreds of other possibilities but I feel those can come later once you gain more experience. Most of the above except maybe some of the weightless or finesse (Ned rig) techniques are good for casting rods & reels but certainly not exclusive to them. To each their own in that regard.

 

After you’ve gotten your feet under you & experience some success & have a basic understanding of when & where to fish certain lures, leave everything at home except one type of lure & take a few with you. You will learn to master that & others in time. Try to learn something new each time you’re out on the water.

 

Disclaimer: I’m not 100% right but I’m not 100% wrong, either. Same goes with every response you’re going to get, in my opinion. Once that makes sense to you, the rest will be a blast once you begin to build confidence in what you’re doing & achieve success. It’s fine to be disappointed but don’t get discouraged. Confidence in angling, to me, is very important. I fish to my strengths & over time try to improve my weaknesses (see paragraph above). You don’t catch fish sitting at home but you can do other things to become a better angler.

 

Lastly, have fun!

[dodgeguy]

13 hours ago, Mossman said:

Great feedback! I was thinking the new  BC and the 3000 spinner would be my two primary tools. 
 

The line choice seems to be the primary focus at this point. I have used standard Trilene all of my life, I just put the Spiderwire Stealth on the spinner a few weeks ago and only took it out once. It did cast nicely, but that might just be because the mono was probably 4-5 years old! 
 

I will need to put new on the Baitcaster, so I will need to make a decision on that. I really don’t have an opinion, I am coming from ground zero so anything will be good! 
 

I get the “get out and try it”, I plan to, only it’s getting pretty darn cold up here in the Cleveland area! Planning a trip to the Lake LaSuAnn area in the spring with my son and a few buddies, so I want to be ready for that one. 

 

If you go with braid get Vicious No Fade Braid. Get 50 lb to start. I think leaders are useless IMHO. If you get green there is no need to recolor ever. I use Palomar knots and crazy glue the tag end. It's worked for 30 years. Spiderwire stealth  is a poor braid IMHO. It has to much drag and resistance to letting the bait free fall. I also hate noisy braid and the Vicious is very quiet.