05-16-2003, 10:49 AM
[cool]Hey, JR, that was pretty long-winded for you. Guess I'm a bad influence.
I think that Daiwa is the maker of a fairly popular "underslung", trigger-cast, closed face spinning reel. I used one of them in a special spinning rig I designed for a "challenged" fishing buddy who had only one useable arm. A lot of those who like the "dipsticking" style...using fly rods as spinning rods...find those reels ideal for function and balance. Here's a pic of a little model sold by Shakespeare, that looks a lot like it
[url "http://www.basspro-shops.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=36939&hvarDept=100&hvarEvent=&hvarClassCode=1&hvarSubCode=3&hvarTarget=browse"]![[Image: 64388-t.jpg]](http://image.basspro-shops.com/images/images2/64000/64388-t.jpg)
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I had heard of the lever-drag type of reels, but have never had the chance to try one. I suppose it is like most other things...once you get the hang of it, it is simple to use.
I didn't point out that all of my "dipsticks" have at least a 5" to 6" extension butt on the end, behind the reel seat. Obviously, that is to allow them to ride efficiently in my rod tubes. They also serve nicely as "fighting butts" when I hook up to big ol' bigguns.
The biggest rod, a heavy action 11 footer, was especially designed for wrestling with big channel cats that hung out in the reeds and cattails around some lakes. I spool up with stout line and use big bait bugs with heavy duty jigs made from bass flipping hooks. I drop them silently down into the pockets around the edges of the cover, adorned with a whole bluegill fillet...or even a whole bluegill. MAN, when a big cat grabs hold, the battle is on. It really is hand to fin combat. If you get lucky, you can haul them out of the reeds before they get a chance to power back in. In many cases you get dragged into the greenery until the line pops or the hook straightens out...even on that heavy gear. Full contact catfishin'.
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I think that Daiwa is the maker of a fairly popular "underslung", trigger-cast, closed face spinning reel. I used one of them in a special spinning rig I designed for a "challenged" fishing buddy who had only one useable arm. A lot of those who like the "dipsticking" style...using fly rods as spinning rods...find those reels ideal for function and balance. Here's a pic of a little model sold by Shakespeare, that looks a lot like it
[url "http://www.basspro-shops.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=36939&hvarDept=100&hvarEvent=&hvarClassCode=1&hvarSubCode=3&hvarTarget=browse"]
[/url]I had heard of the lever-drag type of reels, but have never had the chance to try one. I suppose it is like most other things...once you get the hang of it, it is simple to use.
I didn't point out that all of my "dipsticks" have at least a 5" to 6" extension butt on the end, behind the reel seat. Obviously, that is to allow them to ride efficiently in my rod tubes. They also serve nicely as "fighting butts" when I hook up to big ol' bigguns.
The biggest rod, a heavy action 11 footer, was especially designed for wrestling with big channel cats that hung out in the reeds and cattails around some lakes. I spool up with stout line and use big bait bugs with heavy duty jigs made from bass flipping hooks. I drop them silently down into the pockets around the edges of the cover, adorned with a whole bluegill fillet...or even a whole bluegill. MAN, when a big cat grabs hold, the battle is on. It really is hand to fin combat. If you get lucky, you can haul them out of the reeds before they get a chance to power back in. In many cases you get dragged into the greenery until the line pops or the hook straightens out...even on that heavy gear. Full contact catfishin'.
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