Went looking for my rod & reel........

[TPD211]

And there I was.....went looking for my old rod & reel that I used in AZ to fish for trout in the northern lakes n streams. I bought a 22 foot deckboat this past week and thought of dipping a line. I havent fished in years but thought I'd get a line wet. <br />I looked in the metal shed out back where the lawn equipment is stored but all I found was a small orange plastic tackle box with some leaders n hooks in it. <br />My rod n reel & tackle box are no where to be found. I used to have a cane pole, it has walked away also. <br /><br />Looks like a trip to Wally World to get set up again.<br /><br /> I'm in central FL., looks like crappie n bass fishing.... whats the recommendation for a set up for a casual fisherman?<br /><br />Thanks in advance.

 

[SoulWinner]

Re: Went looking for my rod & reel........

I would suggest going to Academy or WallyWorld if there someone there who fishes and can tell you what they use for specific types of fish. I use Ugly Stick exclusivly. I like a 5' light action with a Quantum PT for light baits and lures. I like the 6 1/2' MH action with a Shimano spinner with 30lb for spec and red fishing. I use circle hooks (the Bleeding hooks) for live bait bottom fishing.

 

[jtexas]

Re: Went looking for my rod & reel........

It's a b_tch when stuff grows legs and walks away - I hate to hear about it.<br /><br />Here's the opinion of a casual fisherman:<br />If you're not too far from Ft. Lauderdale there's a BPS (Bass Pro Shop/Outdoor World) there, and they will certainly be able to give you the best advice. Around here, Academy is usually staffed with teenagers who I wouldn't ask about anything, but Wallymart usually has people who actually like to fish, not pros or anything, just regular folks. <br /><br />For general bass & crappie use I recommend a baitcast reel with 17 lb mono & a 5' or 6' medium-heavy rod for heavier lures, crankbaits, plastic worms & lizards, and jigs, and a spinning reel with 10 lb line on a 6' or 6' 6" medium light rod for spinnerbaits, topwaters, soft plastic jerkbaits, crappie jigs and live bait. For reels, if you stick with Quantum, Shimano or Abu Garcia you can't go wrong, and you don't have to drop a bundle to get good basic equipment. I would get graphite rods if the budget allows but fiberglass will perform just fine. The Ugly Stick would be a good choice. After you been fishing a while you can tweak the equipment to your liking. Most "casual" bass fishermen have about 5 rods in the boat so we don't have to constantly re-tie lures when searching for the pattern. I think you won't find many bass fishermen using leaders except in special situations (you can google "Carolina Rig" for an example).<br /><br />Basic color choices for lures: generally speaking, white on cloudy days, yellow/chartreuse on sunny days, darker colors in muddy or stained water, black at night, crawfish colors (brown/red/black) in & around crawfish habitat. Obviously, try to match whatever the forage is at the time/place. I would start with spinnerbaits and crankbaits then move to soft plastics. <br /><br />Compared to fly fishing you'll feel like you're loaded for bear, but the basses get pretty darn big down there in Mouseland, and it takes some horsepower to pull a big bass out of heavy cover. I would love to fish Okeechobee some day. Good luck and let us know how you do.<br /><br />jtw