Fishing gear questions?

[LuckyDan]

If I'm tempted to overpack anything it is fishing stuff. Nothing against Tenkara I just have a collection that takes a concerted effort to manage already.

Always have a lightweight spinning rod handy. It will handle up to about 1/2oz lures and is fine for most NW trout, bass and jetty fishing.
Always have a 5 weight fly rod handy too. I typically use my old Cortland, (When they were quality and made in England not for Walmart in China) reel. Reason is I have a couple spools that fit it so I can change between floating, sinking and weight forward or shot forward quickly. It's great for stream, lake and with weight forward line, most river fishing for trout and I've even landed a Steelhead or two but I'd prefer my 7.5 weight for that.

A few words on quality and aqusition. Despite what the speciality shops will tell you if you're trying to venture in a new fishing direction good gear does not need to be expensive and two tackle boxes full of stuff not immediately required. A little time investigating whats biting and on what and where can help narrow your bait/lure buyng. That wrote, don't be afraid to try a new water with little intel before hand. I'm a firm believer more fish are caught and more fun had by dedicated sportsmen and women with a Kmart special and a dozen or so lures than the ultra geared purist crowd in any given year. Key is go out and dedicate yourself.

Oh, back to your questions. I do both catch and release and eat. Mostly c and r. I'm blessed im my locale we have desert creeks, mountain streams, lakes little to bigish and I'm only a few hours from either the Columbia River or the coast. So it's mostly trout early and late, bass in the middle and a little Steelhead in the early fall with a jetty or bay trip couple times a year.

 

[idahoron]

I've always been the minimalist fisherman by just using a drop line hook and Bread or worms. I've had a fair share of good luck with it, but I'd like to learn more about fishing . Mainly freshwater lakes and steams and rivers. I understand a license is required for each state and can be picked up at any Walmart. I've also learned that you don't need a fishing license for the National Parks because they're federal and not state run. What I'm curious about is equipment. I obviously don't wanna go way overboard, but I do want something of decent quality. I know very little about rods or reels though and there seems to be an overwhelming amount of varieties of poles/rods, reels, string/line, bait/lures. It can be too much for a novice like myself when walking into a fishing related store.
So my fellow enthusiastic ichthyological adventurists, what is it you prefer to use and for what, and where while fishing for your next fresh fish food? Do you fish for sport or to eat? I'm looking for a variety of interests. As I'd like to venture into new waters and I'm open to the different aspects of fishing, like for food and for sport, like catch and release.
Many Thanks, Dan.

Feel free to post any pix of what you caught with the gear you used!

I am not a minimalist by any stretch of the imagination. I enjoy floating on my pontoon boat and getting away from the same old places that everyone else fishes. I fish for Catfish and Sturgeon. Once and a while I go for Walleye.
For Catfish I use two rods at once, a ultralight and a medium action. Both are more of a trout rod but in my boat I can chase them if I have to. I use 20 pound braid with a snap swivel and 20 pound fluorocarbon leader.

For sturgeon I use a different boat sometimes depending on how I launch the boat. I have a boat that I use just for one spot. I use 7 foot long berkley sturdy sticks with Penn 321 left hand reels. They have 50 pound big game line and 50 pound leader.

If you like to watch video's here is a link to my youtube to watch some of mine

idahoron

 

[100acrehuphalump]

Wow, that's a really big fish! I like your pontoon boat too. It looks like you're wearing fins? Is that to help slowly guid the boat without too much disturbance or in case you fall in?

 

[idahoron]

The fins are to control the boat hands free. If I get into water that is real rough I sit in the seat to row. Being able to kick is super important to the way I fish.

 

[Riverrunner]

Used to do a fair amount of fly fishing when I was kid. Made my own tippets and tied my own fly's. Saved up and bought a Lamiglass G1000 9' graphite rod and Pflueger reel. Upper middle of the road gear by 1980's standards and caught a lot of trout on it. Good times. Still have the gear too.

Today, when it comes to fishing, I'd have to say I'm a "maxi-mist". I've got an array of medium to high quality gear which is purely a function of years and years of fishing. I chase Kokanee, chinook, coho, tuna, and halibut. Cheap doesn't cut it but I still make and tie most of my own tackle. Many of my salmon rods I built myself.

 

[100acrehuphalump]

Thanks for sharing that Riverrunner, there's a lot to be learned and I'm gleaning a lot of useful information off this thread!

 

[Stalking Light]

I've always had the philosophy to get the best gear I can afford so that if there is a failure it's me not the equipment. I've got about a dozen fly rods and reels from 2wt to 11wt, fresh and saltwater, graphite fiberglass and bamboo, tons of flies, etc. That said, a cane pole with bobber and worm is a pleasant and productive way to fish too.

The nice thing about fishing is that you can spend as much or as little time and money as you want and still have an enjoyable time. Starting out with a minimal investment is probably the best plan. When and if your skill (or dreams) exceeds the quality of your gear you can always upgrade.

 

[100acrehuphalump]

Sage advice, thanks Charlie.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

#4 6 foot bamboo sounds like it will do extremely well!! There's no way I can afford a trout grass rod. I've not fished for nearly as long as you, so I had room to accumulate some Tenkara gear, especially since the price is right.

Some good looking fish in your post. I've yet to fish for grayling. Looks awesome.

Highz,I would not have purchased the bamboo rod way above what I want to spend.
A good friend gave it to me.It is a custom made one her father had.Has his name on it also.So one day she was cleaning out her garage and gave it to me.
It's fun to fish with and a nice feeling to have his rod.I fished with him many years ago and he gave me loads of help.
Frank

 

[GroovyDad]

I'm hearing lots of high praises about Tenkara, although not cheap, they seem quite effective and easy of use, which did you choose to purchase and why? I'm 6'9" tall so I'm guessing that's an advantage? Should I decide to buy one, should I get a longer or shorter pole?

Tenkara USA has a couple of models that lock in place at different lengths, so you really get three rods in one. I don't think your height is as much of a concern. The area you plan to fish drives the size of your rod i.e. longer Tenkara rods work better for wider streams.

 

[100acrehuphalump]

Thanks GroovyDad, that makes choosing a Tenkara rod easier.

 

[100acrehuphalump]

Well, I went back to Dicks Sporting Goodies today to see if anybody that worked there that could tell me something about the products they were selling and low and behold, no. None of the clerks there had a clue. There were three other gentlemen there whom politely agreed to help me pick out some gear. They were two brothers and their dad, whom all had their own personal preferences for the particular fins they fish for. Dad likes the closed reels and fishes mostly for large and small mouth bass, Kenny fishes open reel, mostly Trout and His brother goes for Crappie and brim. They showed me all the different poles reels and lures they would choose for their various needs. They all agreed that a one piece rod was the best. Not only did they give me tips but they offered to take me fishing once the weather warms up and one of the brothers lives right around the corner from me. So the rod and reel combination I ended up buying is a one piece rod made of High Modulus Graphite. It is an Skeet Reese 'S' Series 6'10" Spin. It was $ 79.00 down from $100. Plus they helped me pick out string with super abrasion resistance, weights, lures and worms. It all came to $141.00 they told me that with this rod and reel I could pretty much catch mostly anything. So how'd I do?

No matter what I try to do, this infernal machine won't allow me to upload pix, apparently my files are too big and I don't know how to go about changing that.

 

[highz]

Looking forward to your first fishing trip report with the new tackle.

 

[100acrehuphalump]

Thanks Highz, me too!

 

[Foy]

Howdy neighbor,

Foy in Raleigh here. Perhaps like you, I joined the ranks of fishermen later in life than many (mid-20s) but I've more or less done it all since then--combat-style brookie fishing in NC and VA mountain streams, hatchery-supported Southern Appalachian trout fishing, river and pond largemouth bass fishing, striped bass in rivers and in the Chesapeake Bay, surf-fishing for bluefish on NC's Outer Banks beaches, offshore tuna and billfishing, brookie fishing on Michigan's UP, and small stream and lake fishing in Montana (brookies, whitefish, cuts, browns, rainbows, and the occasional grayling).

While I do fly fish, I am not particularly proficient with rigging so I will often test the waters with an ultralite 5.5' to 6' spinning rod/reel and 4-6 lb test line casting tiny Panther Martin spinners and similar lures from "Joe's Flies", makers of spinners which resemble nicely tied flies. Small spoons also have a place in my pocket-sized lure box. I can carry a second rod in my wader belt, so I'll often walk around with both the spinner and a 5 wt flyrod, setting one aside once I've reached a spot where I can easily cast the flyrod. Small needlenose pliers or hemostats on the lanyard along with line clippers. Definitely waders in the Rockies, where even midsummer waters numb my feet to a painful degree when "wet wading". I'd far rather sweat in waders.

Be aware of the multitude of differing rules and regs between states and even within one state, particularly where trout are concerned. Many trout waters require single hook barbless, to snipping off two of the treble hooks on the small spinners and spoons is required, as is mashing down the barb on the remainder.

I have not seen combo "pack rods" mentioned here. I have a nice Eagle Claw pack rod setup which is a multi-piece rod which converts from spinning to spincast to fly. It's about 20" x 10" x 2" in its case, with a separate small bag for reels. Like most multi-function tools, it's a compromise such that it's not a great flyrod nor a great spinning rod, but the small breakdown size makes it easy to keep on board the truck. It sets up and breaks down quickly.

The great, great majority of my trout catches are released. I'll generally keep a few brookies in Montana where they are non-native and in Michigan where they're so abundant. All other trout released. Ditto largemouth bass--all released--they're not great table fare, anyway. I'll gladly keep a legal limit on striped bass, tuna, and other saltwater species. Them's some good groceries!

Get out there and enjoy some Southern Appalachian trout fishing soon. Seasons are opening up in NC, TN, and VA soon.

Foy

 

[100acrehuphalump]

Thanks for all of that Foy!

 

[Basin Deranged]

Well, I went back to Dicks Sporting Goodies today to see if anybody that worked there that could tell me something about the products they were selling and low and behold, no. None of the clerks there had a clue. There were three other gentlemen there whom politely agreed to help me pick out some gear. ... Not only did they give me tips but they offered to take me fishing once the weather warms up and one of the brothers lives right around the corner from me. ...

Perfect!

One day on the water with an experienced fisherman will put you well on your way to discovering why so many of us spend so much time trying to outwit animals with brains smaller than a marble!

I'll put in a plug for catch-and-release here: In some fisheries, such as the High Sierra or the Owens Valley which are so beloved to many of us here, the fishery simply can't survive in any reasonable condition if everyone keeps every fish they catch. To paraphrase the great Sheridan Anderson, author of my favorite introduction to fly fishing The Curtis Creek Manifesto, "you can't keep playing chess if you keep removing the pieces from the board."

But don't try to release a fish that you catch on a barbed treble hook: It will usually not survive the damage incurred in removing the hook. Bait is almost always swallowed too deeply to allow a successfull release. Catch-and-release works best with an artificial lure or fly and a single barbless hook.

There are plenty of places where catch-and-release is not necessary. Many of these places seem to have an inexhaustible supply of fish supplied by the local fish and game hatchery. Even in the Sierra one can harvest Brook Trout from most lakes with no fear of ever depleting these exceptionally fecund fish.

Have fun!

 

[100acrehuphalump]

Thanks BasinDeranged!

 

[100acrehuphalump]

So besides the basic pole reel line and lures, what other types of gear do I need? Is there a better filet knife, snips etc. what do y'all use when you go out on the water? Thanks Dan

 

[Stalking Light]

Forceps are handy for hook removal, nippers for trimming line tags from knots, I just use an old (30-40 years) Rapala fillet knife. Some kind of cutting board is good for cleaning fish. Back when I used to fish for catfish I used to clip a small bell on the tip of my rod so I could hear when I had a nibble at night.