[quote]SteelyD wrote:
I’m usually surf casting or heavy fly fishing (10wt) for striped bass. The beauty of heavy flies is that you really don’t have to finesse (which I have none). Just throw it and make it look half-decent on the return.
[/quote]
thats awesome man . I always wanted to try surf casting …looks like a blast . I can do a Great Lakes version of it , but 50 fuckin degree water sucks the man-hood right outta a guys balls…haHA
Go to your local sporting goods store and get a light action ugly stick with a cheap spinning reel. This will handle most freshwater fish, like bass and walleye. If you are going after sunfish and little things in your local pond, get an ultralight rod. Uglysticks are a quality starter rod for about $30. Get 4-6 pound test line based on width as some of the newer stuff is stronger for the same diameter.
Buy a bunch of beetlespins, a couple small rapalas, and some grub tail jigs with heads. I couple hooks and bobbers too for when you get bored and want to pick off bluegills with hotdogs.
This will do for most casting type fishing.
If you go out in open water for walleye or bigger targets, you will need some other stuff.
Bass pro shops and maybe cabelas both should have quality rod/reel combos you can start with.
[quote]theuofh wrote:
Go to your local sporting goods store and get a light action ugly stick with a cheap spinning reel. This will handle most freshwater fish, like bass and walleye. If you are going after sunfish and little things in your local pond, get an ultralight rod. Uglysticks are a quality starter rod for about $30. Get 4-6 pound test line based on width as some of the newer stuff is stronger for the same diameter.
Buy a bunch of beetlespins, a couple small rapalas, and some grub tail jigs with heads. I couple hooks and bobbers too for when you get bored and want to pick off bluegills with hotdogs.
This will do for most casting type fishing.
If you go out in open water for walleye or bigger targets, you will need some other stuff.
Bass pro shops and maybe cabelas both should have quality rod/reel combos you can start with.
[/quote]
I usually had good luck with Rooster tails.
I great plastic/rubber minnow pattern is a good place to start as well.
[quote]marlboroman wrote:
something else to keep in mind …habitat , environment ,and available cover . if the lake is loaded with weeds , and your plan is to haul bass out of those weeds , the rod/line you need is heavier than what you need for less weedy environments .
if your lakes are crystal clear , you need equipment that can handle light lines and smaller baits , and probably orient yourself towards fishing deeper…as compared to darker waters where larger baits may work better .
isnt Illinois in cat-country ?
check out Lake-Link[/quote]
Depends on where you go. I live about 45 minutes south of Chicago, so not much where I’m from.
CS
ugly sticks suck
For the record, offshore is where it’s at. Your trophy lake fish will be bait.
Certain cats can get big too though, look up Oklahoma noodling. You don’t even need a rod.
[quote]HoustonGuy wrote:
For the record, offshore is where it’s at. Your trophy lake fish will be bait.
Certain cats can get big too though, look up Oklahoma noodling. You don’t even need a rod.[/quote]
Haha I’ve watched that on the Travel Channel.
CS
I remember old ads in comic books for Shakespeare fishing rods…this is all I could find on google.
Nards, those kids rods are fun as shit. When bored I usually take a couple (tend to break easy) with me for some lake fishing. Flicking lures and what not. Handles the little fish (under 12 inches) pretty well. Every now and again you hook up to a 3+ lber with some fight and its game on.
[quote]Tex Ag wrote:
[quote]krazykoukides wrote:
Oh, and I wouldn’t recommend fly fishing unless you have somebody who likes to fly fish there to teach you. I bought fly fishing gear last year and having nobody to help me learn how to fly fish was a major point of frustration.
I don’t care what seasoned anglers say… fly fishing is way harder to learn than spincast. lol[/quote]
I learned to flyfish from a book. Yeah, it is harder. Where in NY are you? I am thinking of getting a licence this year and breaking out the fly rod.
I think over all for most fun and ease of learning is a light weight spin fishing. You can practice in the yard by adding a light weight to the end of the line.
[/quote]
I’m upstate. Broome county.
I found some videos online by Orvis but meh, I just couldn’t apply any of it. I have no finesse at all.
I tried fly-fishing once . a guy showed me a couple things , gave me a couple flies , then I flailed about in the wind for 20 minutes .
I think I traded the rod off for an ugly-stick
or a pack of smokes…dont remember
[quote]marlboroman wrote:
I tried fly-fishing once . a guy showed me a couple things , gave me a couple flies , then I flailed about in the wind for 20 minutes .
I think I traded the rod off for an ugly-stick
or a pack of smokes…dont remember[/quote]
Haha. This post is awesome.
[quote]krazykoukides wrote:
[quote]Tex Ag wrote:
[quote]krazykoukides wrote:
Oh, and I wouldn’t recommend fly fishing unless you have somebody who likes to fly fish there to teach you. I bought fly fishing gear last year and having nobody to help me learn how to fly fish was a major point of frustration.
I don’t care what seasoned anglers say… fly fishing is way harder to learn than spincast. lol[/quote]
I learned to flyfish from a book. Yeah, it is harder. Where in NY are you? I am thinking of getting a licence this year and breaking out the fly rod.
I think over all for most fun and ease of learning is a light weight spin fishing. You can practice in the yard by adding a light weight to the end of the line.
[/quote]
I’m upstate. Broome county.
I found some videos online by Orvis but meh, I just couldn’t apply any of it. I have no finesse at all.[/quote]
Not real close but not that far.
I learned on my grandfather’s.split bamboo rod, 10 ft length and I was barely 4 ft tall.