Tom Mann, Tackle and depth finder innovator, had an early tv show, he used spinning gear and got it done. Deep sea and inshore anglers same thing.

Definitely agree with you on the fatigue David. The vast majority of my arsenal are casting rods anywhere from 5'6" to 8' and just about every combination of action and weight for bass fishing. I have a couple of very slow action spinning rods for weightless bait river catfishing but most of that arsenal is casting as well. Much rather fight a large fish with a casting reel vs spinning any day.

Excellent description David. What's a fly rod? Mark, I feel casting reel and ultra light, shouldn't be used in the same sentence, but I know quite a few guys build them. I've always relegated light lures to spinning tackle.

I'm like most of the people in that for 6 lb mono or less I use spinning tackle and heavier I use bait casting stuff. I used to live in So Cal and fished the Sierras every summer for golden trout and all I ever used is a fly rod. In the salt water I used conventional tackle. When I moved to the south east I took up bass fishing in a big way and use both spinning and bait casting almost every day. I winter in central FL and use spinning tackle mostly inshore although I don't really know why. I guess it's because everyone else does.

David,
I agree 100%.

So, if I am fishing a weed bed, or catch a fish that goes into a weed bed with a spinning reel, I put the rod down in the boat and grab the line and hand line the line and fish back to the boat along with the 20 lbs of weeds. Then, after the fish is unhooked and put in the livewell or released, I pick up the rod and reel the line back onto the reel. Not convenient, but it works when caught in this situation.

Also, often the reel is matched to an ultra light rod that is not really able to horse in a mass of weeds. So, by putting down the rod, and handlining the line, weeds and fish to the boat, the rod will not be damaged.

I also do the same thing if I am fishing from a boat and am using a 15 to 20 foot long rod. pull in the rod and lay it down in the boat and then hand line the fish to the net.

I always chuckle when I see folks using 12 foot rods in a boat and then try to land a fish while keeping the rod in their hands. So much easier to lay down the long rod and hand line the fish to the net.



Take care

Alex, Does the. KERN R. still have goldens?

There are not Golden's in the Kern River itself, it is primarily has the Kern River Rainbow. The Little Kern River and its tributaries contain Golden's as do some of the other high elevation streams.

Just about anyone can cast a spinning outfit with five minutes of practice; a closed-face spinning outfit even faster. A casting reel outfit takes quite a bit longer to learn to cast . Learning to cast a fly line can take considerable time and practice. Most fly casters can't cast 50 feet. All three methods, plus hand lining, catch fish.

When a largemouth picks up your bait it's first instinct is to take it around something, be it a stump, a clump of weeds, your anchor rope. You have to get them moving in your direction hopefully, before this happens, hence the winch type reel. Smallies just go for deeper water and pull, pull, pull, etc. more suited to spinning tackle. The reel without the differential is the most efficient way to move fish.

Spencer, As I read Golden Trout originated in the South Fork of the Kern River which is where I used to fish once or twice a year. I haven't been there in 20 years though. I rode my dirt bike up the trails to Monache Meadows with a 4 piece flyrod bungeed to the handle bars and a fly vest under my riding jacket. I have fished the main Kern for rainbows as Phil said.

Was stationed in San Pedro "81 - 83. Only caught two in all my trips but they are something to behold. Have heard some were transplanted to Oregon.

FYI, there are those are into the BFS (Bait Finesse System) baitcasters who cast 1/32 oz (or about 1 gram) for over 50+ feet distance. That's not too far off the Ul outfits. Some have cast as light as 1/64th oz with bait casting.

One of the spools from Japan is 4+ gram, or about 1/7th oz. I'm itching to try one....:)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/05/2019 11:26PM by Mo Yang.

Certainly there are casting reels that with the right rod, and in the right person's hands, can cast the extremely light weights like those mentioned above, but there is little doubt in my mind that it takes a very specific set of conditions to do so. Everyone familiar with casting reels knows what causes a backlash. The line forward of the reel's line guide slows to below that of the line being fed off the spool does, and an over run occurs. Let it continue long enough ... back lash. That problem is exacerbated as the weight of the object being cast, decreases.

I've done a lot of things (mostly in my younger days) just to prove I could do it. I've even tried doing some of those things again, (in my older years) just to prove that I could still do it. But trying to cast anything under 1/4 oz (total weight) with a bait casting reel is not one of the things I'm interested in trying again. It didn't work out well the first time, and I don't see it working out any better now. lol

Although I will say that my first attempts at skipping a bait using a bait cast reel didn't turn out well at all. I'm better at it now, but I still have a lot of work to do before I can say I'm good at it. lol



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/06/2019 09:30PM by David Baylor.

David, respect what you have experienced.

However, I will note that I have fished UL right next to a few guys who were all running BFS casting at 1/32 to 1/16 and they were doing beautifully - outfishing most others I was with. These are very experienced BFS fisherman and I don't remember hearing anyone of the backlashing all morning that I was with them. They were landing quite a few trout. They apparently appreciate the control and accuracy of the system. I doubt that they needed the power of the reel as most are using 2 and 4 lbs test.

hi Mo, the rods that are used for BFS..how would you characterize them..do you have any CCS info..Thanks..