Shore fishing gear

[eh.mike]

Hi guys,

I just got in to fishing last year after trying it out at my Girlfriend's cottage. I fell in love with the sport and would constantly fish during the summer even before work soemtimes :p. I am very lucky to live in ottawa where there is many places to fish.

My question are:
-what type of gear/line should I get for bass fishing? I find that the many different locations I fish are partially weeded. I currently have a 39$ spinning rod I got a walmart that came with tackle. Sometimes it looks like it will snap when I snag weeds, (guess the 18lb braid doesn't work well with the rod :p).

-I assume I should attach fluro to the end of my line? I hear many people putting various lengths such as 1 foot to 9 feet, does it affect the rods performance.

-Do you guys get a lot of knots when casting with 18lb braid? I find that it gets knotted badly at least twice a trip (little over an hour)

Can't wait till the ice is gone :p

-Mike

[RJ]

Hi guys,

I just got in to fishing last year after trying it out at my Girlfriend's cottage. I fell in love with the sport and would constantly fish during the summer even before work soemtimes :p. I am very lucky to live in ottawa where there is many places to fish.

My question are:
-what type of gear/line should I get for bass fishing? I find that the many different locations I fish are partially weeded. I currently have a 39$ spinning rod I got a walmart that came with tackle. Sometimes it looks like it will snap when I snag weeds, (guess the 18lb braid doesn't work well with the rod :p).

-I assume I should attach fluro to the end of my line? I hear many people putting various lengths such as 1 foot to 9 feet, does it affect the rods performance.

-Do you guys get a lot of knots when casting with 18lb braid? I find that it gets knotted badly at least twice a trip (little over an hour)

Can't wait till the ice is gone :p

-Mike

The first question is a loaded one. Technique specific rods is the norm now. If you only had to pick one setup I'd suggest a 7'6" MH spinning rod. Other than really heavy cover you'll be fine with that. That rod can cover off most baits. Spool it with 30 lb Power Pro. Fluro lead in the 12 to 15 lb test, I use about 3 feet.

Getting knots can be caused by a variety of things but a properly spooled and setup reel shouldn't happen too often.

RJ

[lape0019]

Hey Mike,

Let me first say you can spend a whole lot of money on a bass setup (any setup for that matter). You don't have to, but it doesn't take long for any rod and reel to add up.

Would you happen to have a budget you are looking at? It may help us out with suggestions but for now, I will speak in generalities. Also, my recommendations may change depending on the type of lure/bait you are typically throwing so if you can give us an idea of what you throw most often, it will help us out as well.

I have an old Zebco that I use at the cottage for panfish. It cost me a whopping $10.00 but the reel broke within a year. It now has a Pflueger president on it. For one of the reasons you mentioned below...

I do not shore fish but if I did, I would start with a medium heavy rod with a fast tip. A moderate tip would probably help you launch the lure further but a find a fast tip to be a little better for general purpose rods. I prefer 1 piece rods but I know that doesn't always work for shore fisherman. With a medium-heavy, fast tip, you should not feel like your rod will break when caught in weeds.

As for the reel, are you looking at staying with a spinning setup or do you want to try baitcasting?

Adam
If spinning, the Pflueger I mentioned above found its was onto that Zebco because it was terrible at creating winding knots. I tried using a swivel and it didn't help all that much (you may want to try this for you reel.). I ended up getting a Shimano Stradic CI4 for Christmas and I was amazed at the difference. Granted, the two reels had more than $100 difference between them but that sold me on Shimano's spinning reels and I quickly bought another. The nice thing is that what makes the Stradic a great caster and what reduces these winding knots is the spool and Line roller. The line roller may be slightly different but a Shimano Saros has the Propulsion line management system (Essentialy a specifically designed spool) that the Stradic has for a lot less money and is a good reel for the price. It should also eliminate your issues with knots.

If you are looking for a baitcaster, a citica G would be a great way to get started especially since they are being sold at a reduced price right now. My guess is a new model is coming out within the next few months and retailers are trying to et rid of them.

[tbone1088]

Mike it's good to hear you caught the fishing bug! Welcome to the forums hopefully you will learn as much as I have on here. Been shorefishing this city since I was in diapers, many good spots for fishing on the bank. As far as rods, versatility is the way to go. You can only carry around so many rods walking, so you want to make sure the few you have will do what you want them to do. I carry at least 2 every trip. One is a spinning outfit for smaller lures and deeper water, the other is a baitcaster for bigger lures and weed/structure fishing. Braid line is the way to go for now, it is the most sensitive of the lines and you will miss less fish. The most important thing is to have fun and keep moving till you find them, when you do they stack up like crazy so you will be in for some fun!!!
good luck this year hope everything works out bro.

[eh.mike]

Hey Mike,

Let me first say you can spend a whole lot of money on a bass setup (any setup for that matter). You don't have to, but it doesn't take long for any rod and reel to add up.

Would you happen to have a budget you are looking at? It may help us out with suggestions but for now, I will speak in generalities. Also, my recommendations may change depending on the type of lure/bait you are typically throwing so if you can give us an idea of what you throw most often, it will help us out as well.

I have an old Zebco that I use at the cottage for panfish. It cost me a whopping $10.00 but the reel broke within a year. It now has a Pflueger president on it. For one of the reasons you mentioned below...

I do not shore fish but if I did, I would start with a medium heavy rod with a fast tip. A moderate tip would probably help you launch the lure further but a find a fast tip to be a little better for general purpose rods. I prefer 1 piece rods but I know that doesn't always work for shore fisherman. With a medium-heavy, fast tip, you should not feel like your rod will break when caught in weeds.

As for the reel, are you looking at staying with a spinning setup or do you want to try baitcasting?

Adam
If spinning, the Pflueger I mentioned above found its was onto that Zebco because it was terrible at creating winding knots. I tried using a swivel and it didn't help all that much (you may want to try this for you reel.). I ended up getting a Shimano Stradic CI4 for Christmas and I was amazed at the difference. Granted, the two reels had more than $100 difference between them but that sold me on Shimano's spinning reels and I quickly bought another. The nice thing is that what makes the Stradic a great caster and what reduces these winding knots is the spool and Line roller. The line roller may be slightly different but a Shimano Saros has the Propulsion line management system (Essentialy a specifically designed spool) that the Stradic has for a lot less money and is a good reel for the price. It should also eliminate your issues with knots.

If you are looking for a baitcaster, a citica G would be a great way to get started especially since they are being sold at a reduced price right now. My guess is a new model is coming out within the next few months and retailers are trying to et rid of them.

I'll look in to these products!

Mike it's good to hear you caught the fishing bug! Welcome to the forums hopefully you will learn as much as I have on here. Been shorefishing this city since I was in diapers, many good spots for fishing on the bank. As far as rods, versatility is the way to go. You can only carry around so many rods walking, so you want to make sure the few you have will do what you want them to do. I carry at least 2 every trip. One is a spinning outfit for smaller lures and deeper water, the other is a baitcaster for bigger lures and weed/structure fishing. Braid line is the way to go for now, it is the most sensitive of the lines and you will miss less fish. The most important thing is to have fun and keep moving till you find them, when you do they stack up like crazy so you will be in for some fun!!!
good luck this year hope everything works out bro.

It's crazy how lucky we have it here in terms of fishing.


Thanks for the advise guys!

[riverdog]

Some solid advice right there!