IndyArms 10,186 Posted July 3, 2011 Report Share Posted July 3, 2011 Like the topic says... I am SURE a lot of you folks enjoy fishing either as much, or almost as much, as you love guns and shooting... Sometimes I almost love fishing MORE than guns and shooting... yeah, I know... scary thought!!! HAHAHAHA With that said... what is your favorite type of fishing... and what is your go-to equipment when ya go? Pretty much... whats your favorite rod/reel- brand/combo? Personally, I REALLY enjoy just kicking back on the river, anchored, trying for catfish, or pike, or bullheads... no stress... lazy days... just relaxing and catching. I also like to hit the finger lakes for lake trout, browns, rainbows, or perch as well. We get into the salmon on lake Ontario in the fall... but that really doesn't thrill me as much as the river fishing. I cant stand the taste of salmon... so I don't like to catch what I wont eat... And once in a while we go for walleyes someplace.... that's always a blast. When it comes to gear... My go-to rod and reel (well, 2 of them...) is this combo: A Bass Pro Extreme 60 million modulus Extra-Heavy action 7' 2" one piece rod, coupled with a Quantum 1420MG bait-casting reel, spooled with 12 pound test, gold colored fluorocarbon line. I have 2 set up exactly the same, that I use almost exclusively every time I go fishing. And have for about the past 15 years... ( well, the rods are only about 4 years old... the old rods got retired to the Abu reels... see below. ) When I want to mix it up a bit, I have a pair of Quantum QD 1420MG's, ( identical to the regular 1420 Mg's except graphite framed, and black in color, instead of silver colored aluminum ), spooled with Yozuri Hybrid 10 pound Camo-green line, linked up to a pair of Bass Pro Extreme 85 million modulus Johnny Morris signature edition rods... also 7' 2" although in Medium-Heavy action... makes it a little more fun to fight a medium sized fish... they are not like fishing with a pool cue! LOL I actually wish I had gotten the JM sig. rods in Ex. heavy action as well... but ya live ya learn... and they DO work ok just the way they are... so... I also have a set of a couple nice Abu-Garcia Ambassadeur reels on older bass pro extreme HM85 rods from a few years back. those are nice, but not as nice as the 1420's... for some reason they just never seem to cast quite as well... I wont bother to go into the dozens of other rod/reel combos I have. Most of the spinning reels are Shimano's or Okuma's, and the other bait-casters are quantum dynamag reels, either 1310's or qd310's and a couple odds and ends. the misc rods are bass pro IM6 or IM8 graphites, some are cheaper some not... I even have a 3 piece 16' bass pro tight-line trolling crappie rod that is a hell of a lot of fun to use on lakers out in the middle of the lake when you have enough room to USE it!! hahahah Like guns... when it comes to quality... ya get what you pay for... And fishing equipment is no different. I was thinking to myself this morning, as I looked in the back of the pickup... "there's gotta be close to a thousand bucks worth of equipment there!!" And it was just 5 rods and reels only!!! the tackle boxes were in the boat!! I was just curious what you folks like to use, or what is your favorite rod/reel combo... the one you always WANT to take fishing with you, even if its not the right one for what you are doing... LOL Quote Link to post Share on other sites
volkov 318 Posted July 3, 2011 Report Share Posted July 3, 2011 (edited) I'm real lazy.. I just grab some walmart rod/reel combo- don't really care which and bottom fish with live bait (and like 80lb test braid- the only thing I really spend much on, comparitively anyway). One of my main rods I actually caught fishing.. think it's a shimano- was covered in barnacles but I cleaned it up and it works great. Basically I sit, drink, enjoy the view and if a nice drum or trout hits it's a great day. Reason for the 80lb test is with this kind of lazy fishing often they would snag a barnacle on the dock or an oyster bank before I got to the line.. This way I can keep the drag ultra high and the bastards close while I finish my beer and then reel em in on my own time.. The bigger fishes tend to be in the 35 inch range- red drums. I prefer the ones I can keep though, love me some red drum! Sporting? no... Fun? extremely. Also have a nice pond I fly fish at when I make it to the UK.. very different way of fishing. Edited July 3, 2011 by volkov 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IndyArms 10,186 Posted July 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2011 Nothing wrong with fly fishing... just never got into it myself... One thing thats HUGE in europe is CARP fishing... not like it is here in the states... I DO love me some CARP fishing, though... nothing fights harder pound for pound... and you never gotta worry about cleaning them... just toss them back in! LOL Those a fore mentioned 1420MG's have caught thousands of pounds of carp over the years... and still run smooth as silk!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cobra 76 two 2,677 Posted July 3, 2011 Report Share Posted July 3, 2011 IDK about that Indy..... ever hooked into a 10+ lb Bowfin? Hell even a smaller one is like pulling a damn alligator or crocodile in the boat with you....lol. They will "death roll" just like a croc and break rods, coolers, anything in the vicinity....lol. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IndyArms 10,186 Posted July 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2011 Yuppers... You are NOT kiddin!!! We had an 8 pounder in the boat a few weeks back... they are pretty feisty!! that's for damn sure!!! They sure do fight like sons-a-bitches when ya hook into them!! Love the looks of them in "SPAWN colors" the bright green fins and mouth... very pretty... although non edible... What is TRULY amazing to hook up with is a freshwater Sturgeon!!! those guys jump about 4 FEET out of the water... and I am talking about VERY LARGE fish getting that kind of air... over and over... that is IMPRESSIVE!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
volkov 318 Posted July 3, 2011 Report Share Posted July 3, 2011 (edited) I'm always suprised by stingrays.. Hate catching them because I don't eat them and that tail is a pain to avoid.. but they can definately fight. Havn't done much fresh water except for bass and cat fish.. Need to get into it more. Also agree with you on the fly fishing. I probably never would have got into it but my grandpa really loves it. It's got a lot of skill involved and it's really active (for my tastes anyway).. I do enjoy it but I prefer to relax and have a beer when I want to fish. Never have a hand free fly fishing =( Edited July 3, 2011 by volkov Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cobra 76 two 2,677 Posted July 3, 2011 Report Share Posted July 3, 2011 Funny you started this thread today actually. Racegal and I are getting ready to fry up some fresh fish we just caught in the pond yesterday afternoon. After I go down in a few minutes and clean them all that is... I caught three Shellcracker on the fly rod (on a Betts "black ant"), and one Bluegill, then a couple of little perfect pan sized Largemouth Bass...and Sandi caught two more eatin size Bass and three Bream. Great way to chill on a nice warm afternoon while catchin some rays and drinkin some frosty cold ones in the canoe. Now after the work's done it will also be a really tasty meal! Oh we were just using ultralight tackle and tossin little spinners for maximum quick action, always catch a lot on them even if they are small. She was throwing a yellow Mepps #1 Rooster Tail and me a Beetle Spin. Good times! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yakdung 2,926 Posted July 3, 2011 Report Share Posted July 3, 2011 I really love to fish. I own a several rods and reels I have collected over the years mostly being cast. When I get a chance, I have been known to drag fish on the White River in Arkansas and stay at this place. http://www.sportsmans-resort.com/guides.htm Yakdung Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jmzzl 146 Posted July 4, 2011 Report Share Posted July 4, 2011 Zebco 33. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
evlblkwpnz 3,418 Posted July 4, 2011 Report Share Posted July 4, 2011 Hawaiian sling, snorkel, mask, and burlap sack. Works like a charm at most any inlet on the East coast of FL during the incoming tide. I don't line fish. I like to just cut to the chase and go down there and get them. Gotta be sneaky though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chevyman097 2,579 Posted July 4, 2011 Report Share Posted July 4, 2011 A cork, a worm, a good ol cold beer, and whatever I can tie the string to. Ya so what I use a cane pole sometimes. But a rod will do too. It just about sitting around having a good ol time to me. A buddy, some beer, some fish, and a good time. No fancy baits, no fancy boats, no bass fishing for me....unless thats what bites. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spainy79 22 Posted July 4, 2011 Report Share Posted July 4, 2011 I spent 7 hours on the water Friday morning and 6 hours Saturday morning. When I got back to the house a bearing went out on my trailer so that ended my boat fishing for the weekend. Other than that the fishing wasn't too bad. My go to stuff is my St. Croix rods; a medium heavy and an ultralite. I run 15 pound braid on the med-heavy and 6 pound mono on the other. Abu Garcia spinning reels for both (which I'm not too pleased with). Will be switching them out after the year is over unless they do fail before then. I do own 4 other rods but don't use them very much. 2 are meant for catfishing (both with big baitcasters) and the other 2 are for bass fishing (one with a smaller baitcaster and the other has a cheap spinning reel). Mainly use these for company that don't have fishing equipment with them when we go. My boat is a Lund Angler SS with a Mercury 50 horse main and a 9.9 kicker. Minnkota up front and Humminbird on the console. Here's one from Friday morning. 21" cat that was caught on a crappie lure with my ultralite. This made for a good fight. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cobra 76 two 2,677 Posted July 4, 2011 Report Share Posted July 4, 2011 Saiga the cat making plans....lol. The light duty tackle. Next time I'll have to get some pics of my custom bass rod with a hawg if possible. Tried tonite after goin into town for the fireworks, but they weren't in the mood. Racegal and I had a great outing with nite fishin and fireworks. Just got in about 2 AM Din din.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Photoguy 202 Posted July 5, 2011 Report Share Posted July 5, 2011 I use a Fenwick Eagle GT rod w/ an Abu Garcia Cardinal 301 reel strung with Stren 4lbs. test line as my go-to do-whatever casting rod. My other rod is actually two Berkley Cherrywood rods grafted together, with a fly rod base and an ultralite rod topping it, making a 10'+ fly rod. I forget what the reel is. I also have a Cherrywood Ultralite rod that has a hand-crafted black walnut handle, made from the tree that my Father-in-Law's late brother planted 40+ years ago. I'm the most proud of this rod, which is probably why it is kept in a safe place and almost never used, lol! This rod is the absolute most sensitive I own. I don't believe run-of-the-mill rods have the level of sensitivity that this thing has. The thing had been dropped on my last trip with it, gouging the handle to bare wood on the bottom knob. I've been nervous of using it since. I should just get over it, and get some more finish to cover the exposed wood so I can take it perch fishing again. I usually fish the lower Fox River in western Racine County(when I get on this side of the state nowadays), and the last time I was there, I hooked a 26" Catfish that had to have weighed close to 13lbs. I fought him for a good 15 minutes, and had to wade into the river to give chase as the big bastard took off downriver. 50-some-odd yards later, the fish tuckered out enough to be dragged up onto shore. Later, the fillets that came off of it measured 10 1/2" and about 1" thick. Just ate some of it to celebrate Independence Day. Along with beer. Lots of beer. Yum. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
theorangeplanet 968 Posted July 5, 2011 Report Share Posted July 5, 2011 Mitchell 300, 6 and a half foot ugly stick, 6 pound mono with a rooster tail. It doesn't cast exceptionally well and smooth certainly doesn't describe reeling... but, it has yet to fail me and has landed many a smallmouth, largemouth, bluegill and channel cats from the middle fork of the Kentucky. Who needs a boat when you've got the bank. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
David Mark 2,452 Posted July 5, 2011 Report Share Posted July 5, 2011 Like Indy I have a variety of rods and reels. Ultralight for trout and panfish up to surf rods for the occasional shore trip. I really got in to Muskie fishing a few years ago and this toothy bastard now graces my office wall. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IndyArms 10,186 Posted July 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2011 what are the specs on that beauty, Dave? Thats one purdy fish! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
David Mark 2,452 Posted July 5, 2011 Report Share Posted July 5, 2011 what are the specs on that beauty, Dave? Thats one purdy fish! 40 inches and 16 pounds. Caught two in the same day about the same size. It was a local tournament. The two Muskies I caught weighed more than all the other fish caught in the tournament combined, and there were 34 boats registered. Definitely a fun day. My buddy who was fishing with me mounted the other one. These are Tiger Muskies. A Muskie/ Pike hybrid that does not breed so I didn't feel to bad about harvesting them. Fishing and shooting are a close one two in enjoyment for me. Good thread Indy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Parson Julabee Jones 32 Posted July 5, 2011 Report Share Posted July 5, 2011 In my part of the country, Western Kentucky, fly fishermen are considered strange, eccentric, and somewhat suspicious. But I learned to flyfish 45 years ago, and so far, haven't sullied my 'fly fishing only' record, although a couple of years ago I did buy, on a lark, a spinning rod and reel combo. Which still languishes, never used, atop the ceiling joists in my shop. I have a fairly large collection of cheap fly rods and reels, and a couple of good ones. I have a bamboo rod that carries an Orvis, and several others that are seldom used. However, about three years ago, a flash of innovative brilliance gripped me, and I altered a pair of crappie fishing rods, 10.5 foot on one, and 11 foot on the other. I cut the ends off the butts, and made three inch or so 'fighting' butts, for whenever I have to wrestle a larger fish. A five minute walk across the field in front of my house, lands me on the clean (only two trees, one willow, one pine) bank of a 2 acre pond. And while I usually fish for bream, and catch a few bass, this pond has no bream, and only a small lot of bass, most around the 2 pound mark. There are however, lots of grain fed hybrid catfish in the pond, and I've found that I can catch them regularly with a double set up, that is, a popper on the surface, and a wet fly hanging about 16 inches below. That set-up has worked well for me in lake, stream, pond and river for many years. Anyhow, my average catfish taken out of this pond, is five pounds or so. The last one, a few days ago, required 35 minutes to bring to the bank, on my 11 foot flyrod. My reel on that rod is a large arbor Okuma, which I bought in Washington State three years ago. Wading local Clark's River last summer, using my dual set-up on a shorter, lighter rod/reel combo, netted me a 2 pound bass on the popper, a half pound or better Shell Cracker on the wet fly, and a 24 inch long alligator gar, with the Shell Cracker in his mouth, which he let go when I got them to the bank, so I lost the gar. My most memorable moment flyfishing was in the Firehole River 25 years ago. Standing atop an undercut bank, I was casting an inexpensive bamboo rod and reel combo, when a pair of very active otters 'boiled' out from under the bank. Being unfamiliar with that part of the country my first thought was, "Oh dear....a BEAR!!!", at which point I caught my ear with the fly following a very frenzied backcast. So, that enabled me to keep another unspoiled fly fishing record....45 years of fly fishing only, and 45 years having never caught a single trout. Now tell me that ain't something to be proud of.... < 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IndyArms 10,186 Posted July 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 Thats AWESOME PJJ!!! it is stories like that, that make the sport totally amazing!!! The one story I like... we were in the boat on Owasco lake, fishing for lakers... was my GF, and my budddy brian... we had boated and released over 30 lakers, and were letting 6 and 7 pounders go... cause they were the SMALL ONES! We had 9 on the stringer, the smallest of which went over 8... and the biggest just over 10... Brian hooked a HUGE one... his pole bent over double... and it was all he could do to MOVE this behemoth... and for about 30 seconds the end just bounced... then POOF... it came up like nothing was there.... but something was... he reeled in SOMETHING... and when he got it to the surface it was an 18" long half DIGESTED lake trout that was in the stomach of the one he hooked... The hook caught the stomach contents... and the fish puked it up along with the hook... to live another day... To this day, we estimate that fish to have gone about 13 pounds... a VERY nice laker for one of the finger lakes, especially Owasco!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cobra 76 two 2,677 Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 Man I love to fly fish. Used to shun the thought of it when I was a little kid. Thought my Dad and Grandad both looked friggin silly with all that bullwhip cracking they looked like they were doing. I was catching just as many fish as they were using a plastic worm or a spinner, buzz bait, or topwater lure like a jitterbug or devil's horse, or floating / diving minnows like one of my ol favorites, the Rebel broken back minnow. Seemed to me like my fish were bigger too most of the time, so as a young'un that made way more sense to me. Then one day it happened..... the awakening! Grandpa took me out one August morning to our old favorite country pond, and we fished half a day drowning minnows and catching a few bass and crappie. It got pretty hot and the fishing slowed to where we just weren't catching em any more. He wanted to fill a stringer so we could have a good dinner that night so he said he was about to teach me how to catch fish when nobody else is having any luck. I thought he had lost his mind when he wanted to take the jon boat out and leave what little bit of comfort the shady bank we were fishing all morning, had to offer. He wasn't worried though, he had those nice cold Bud tallboys to keep him chillin, and new damn well what was about to happen. We left the comfy shady side of the pond and went straight to the sunniest shallow corner with the hottest water in the whole pond. As we sneaked up on that corner in the boat, I could see the water teeming with fish, and movement everywhere...all the way up to an inch or so off the bank. We sat out there about 30 feet from where the water started to drop off into the deep channel, and he held onto me and made me stand up and see what we were about to be fishing in. It looked like the surface of the moon.... a huge area of bream beds that covered the entire area in that corner of the 5 acre pond, and about 20 feet out from the bank. He tied on a tiny little Betts black ant or black gnat they used to have both I think...(a sinking fly), and told me by the time we left that day I would be begging him to get me a fly rod...lol! Well... with his first cast, he worked it up around the outer edge of the beds, and then placed it right in the center of one and just let it sink. He said "now watch and learn". I watched his taught floating line make a big jerk, and then start taking off. He then proceeded to set the hook into a big Bluegill, and told me to get the stringer out and keep it ready. I was pretty damn impressed as I sat there and watched him effortlessly place that fly in one bed after another, and pluck one after the other of these huge bream out of there as all I had time to do was string the damn things and keep trying to get the boat re-positioned cause they were pulling it all over the place....lol. He just kept laughing and kept catching em for awhile before he finally asked me if I wanted to give it a try. Didn't have to ask me twice! He showed me the basics of how to strip off line and keep it from tangling around my feet. Then showed me how to cast properly, by only raising the rod tip to 12 o'clock and stopping there to let the line come back and straighten out behind me, before starting back forward with the rod tip. That one key thing will vastly improve a beginner's fly casting skills. It was no time before I was able to sit that fly down anywhere I wanted it, just pick a bed and get in it! I was catching a fish on almost every cast, first time I ever tried it. We caught a few fat Bluegills and Shell Cracker that were pushing 2 lb. You could say I've been "hooked" on fly fishing ever since. Nothing like the feel of a big fish on that long flexible rod, as he's pulling a jon boat or canoe all around in different directions! Another great advantage you have with fly fishing is, you can see a fish roll or splash somewhere, then instantly rear back and place your next cast right on top of him, without having to reel your lure all the way in first. Fly fishing is far more efficient than spinning or bait casting. Main thing is though, it's much easier from a boat, or wading a flat river...where you don't have anything behind you like trees or tall grass to get hung up on. It's also a little tricky when you have two people fly fishing from the same small boat. That truly takes practice and patience. Great fun and MUCH action though! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bvamp 604 Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 Well,Im probably going to have to do two posts here, snapped a few pics of a few of the things I keep in the truck, and use the most, right now. I have grown tired of live bait, and screwing with it, and BOBBER fishing. Sure, tossing a bobber out there is fun, kick back with some buds and some friends, and hey, first one to the down line gets to rebait the rest of the rods. I dont do that anymore. I dont ice fish anymore. And, I have had to change tactics and baits since moving to florida. I can catch breem all day on hot dogs and doughballs. again, no fun after 20 fish. The fly rod isnt working so good down here, and i catch a few breem here and there, and a small bass or two. I am going to change up tactics soon with the fly rod, and go out to the flats and go after redfish. I may try very early morning with a tied mouse or frog off of one of the boats we have here in the canals and see if i can hook into a 5+ pound bass. not holding my breath. fishing the fly rod from shore, produces more rednecks that have never seen a fly rod than fish, normally. still a lot of fun, when you do get the right combo going to actually hook something around here. I predominantly am fishing for largemouth bass now. I fish the canals and lakes from a boston whaler or pontoon boat, usually with my dad. I have been doing well trolling with rapalas and rat l traps, as well as casting soft and hard jerk baits. The occasional surface lure is producing strikes at the right time of day. Right now, I favor a HJ12 husky jerk on 10 pound braided spider wire, with an ultralight 7 foot rod with an open spincast reel. I also have two very short ugly stiks that I will use for flip casting down here. When I use a plastic flexible bait, I rig them weedless, and run them through the grass. I also will chum the canal with oatmeal to find where the minnows are grouping up, and run jerk baits through there. Heres a few pics. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bvamp 604 Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 should give an idea of what and where is going on here now. defiantely not the creeks and ponds back home in upstate NY. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SOPMOD 254 Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 (edited) I use Speedhooks and Yo-Yo Reels,lol Edited July 6, 2011 by SOPMOD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IndyArms 10,186 Posted July 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 Hey Ben... Who is the old guy catching all the fish that YOU keep photographing?? How come you dont have any shots of you catching fish?? LOL Quote Link to post Share on other sites
beefcakeb99 572 Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 I wasn't going to get into this, it is supposed to be a past life. But ben made me do it. THAT IS WHAT I"M TALKING ABOUT!!! BASS, no stream minnows! BASS!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bvamp 604 Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 Hey Ben... Who is the old guy catching all the fish that YOU keep photographing?? How come you dont have any shots of you catching fish?? LOL well, i cant exactly take pics of myself, can i? thats my dad. well, i do have a few pics of me, but they are gags, with the littlest ones i could find... I saved the fish stories, like the bass i caught on a jitterbug that was wrapped in a tree up out of the water, and the 9 pound smallmouth on the 4.5 ft ugly stick on six pound test, also on a jitterbug. the only thing i do really these days is fish, so im more interested in hearing what works for everyone and where... this damn dark water here really screwed me up Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Marrok857 51 Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 Caught this little beauty on Sunday. About 20 inch, and had no teeth which was odd to me. That same day I almost had a nice sized Bowfin, bastard spit my lure out near shore........... Then lost my favorite tiger stripe Rapala to a monster pike, atleast 40 incher.......PISSED ME OFF!!!!!!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bvamp 604 Posted July 7, 2011 Report Share Posted July 7, 2011 i have about 30 rat l traps if you want a couple, marrok....looks like it is workin there.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JonnyDingDongs 158 Posted July 7, 2011 Report Share Posted July 7, 2011 Wow, I'm not the only gun enthusiast into fishing?! Damned impressed that you guys have the patience and finesse to fly fish, any yet work on the most kick-ass, destructive toys on the planet! I got into fly fishing at the age of thirteen, but didn't keep up with it. I know I still own a fly rod, but its location eludes me.. Got into fly tying about the third time I had to buy them. I still dabble, but have kind of switched gears. These little guys are like magic. Bass, crappie, bluegill, perch, sunfish, hell- one guy told me he caught a catfish on one! I sell them to a local bait & tackle shop for $1.50/ea and they promptly turn around and mark them up to $2.50/ea. Not my favorite part of the whole endeavor, but that's free commerce, right? I use a 5.5' Shakespeare Uglystick with a Mitchell Avocet II and run 4-6lb Vanish line. It's a good KISS rig, IMO. I've got a 9' Uglystick for when I visit my family in NY. Indy- you mentioned the finger lakes? Ever make it to Cayuga? Most of my extended family live between Ithica and Berkshire, so we usually meet up at the Taughannok park and fish Cayuga lake for a week in the summer. Most relaxing place I have ever been on this earth. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.