Agree with you about cheap tackle getting the job done for most fish species fished for, but not about braid. Braid casts beautifully, helps detect light fish strikes and allows hooksets at a long casts. (more on braid recs later). I only use Kastking 8# test that has a 2# diameter from Ebay. Cheap and reliable!
Mono - forget about it ! Mono twists creating coils and spool tangles, ages faster in sunlight, is too stretchy for long distance hookset and weakens faster than any other line type. I've started learning to troll small lures on light action rods that are way behind the boat and few fish get off using braid. Want to use mono for short casts and bobber fishing with live bait? - fine.
The only thing I use fluorocarbon is as a fine leader that allows better lure action than only braid using some lures and presentations.
Beginner anglers should know that catching fish is about the
combination of factors that each angler must
unlock in order to consistently catch fish -
if possible - on any day.
Beginners may think they didn't catch fish because they didn't do something right or use the right bait. That's part of it - but - the most common reason is because:
the fish simply aren't where the bait is presented.
Recently my partner and I found fish deeper rather than shallower . We did catch some fish but not the quality fishing deeper trolling rather than casting & retrieving target areas (rock walls, under branches providing shade, etc.) Shoreline anglers using live bait gave up after a few hours and they even walked along the shoreline casting out to
find fish. That brings up an important part of the
combination -
bait presentation.
It's possible that the fish under their floats cast way out from shore with 60' casts. But the lure or live bait didn't cut it sitting stationary. Trolling crankbaits mid afternoon caught fish using
the right speed (comparable to a fast walk) and
the right size lures with the right action and depth - another part of the all important combination for the time of day and/or month.
When it comes to lures, forget the nonsense that you must use what fish are
fooled into believing is a forage animal. You're only fooling
yourself ! Fish do sense prey but
prey recognition is something they are
incapable of. If a prey animal fits into a fish's mouth - that's all she wrote.
Targeting fish with crawfish
only or prey fish
only might sell lures that supposedly represent them, but is the farthest from the truth the more one catches fish on a
variety of lures
on the same day or even
in the same hour.
What to consider when choosing lures? : the right
combination of the right
size - #1, the right shape and the right action. Some lures can not catch fish as often as others nor can they catch more species and sizes of fish. If you search my posts you'll see what I mean where five species were caught using the same lure using the same
slow presentation . Slow with lure pauses are good unless they respond better to fast
burned lures.
When it comes to lure color most of the time it doesn't matter. Some colors may not work near as well a many others. It's just a matter of noting which colors or color work with which lures. I make my own lures in different colors and those having the right shape, action and in the right size have a range of colors that do equally well. But note:
flash or sparkle is not color and at times is important for some lures - IE spinnerbaits, spinners, chrome colored lures.
As I said, some lures are more versatile than others but some lures do better for some species. I prefer a skirted jig & trailer for bass but will use surface lures and spinnerbaits at times.
Matching a
rod action to the lure weight and size is crucial ! Too stiff a rod is a mismatch when using light lures just as using a light action rod is a mismatch using heavy lures. Hooksets depend on rod action, a reel's speed ratio (how fast it winds in line) and
how the hook is set. With a weedless jig & trailer a fast hookset is necessary; using light jigs with small hook gaps and finesse lures requires the fish begin the hook set using a slow rod tip pull in the opposite direction. Any faster and the hooks pops out. This brings me to another important factor:
the hook.
The most important tools I always carry are a
file and
pliers. A dull hook or one with a gap bent too far outward loses more fish than anything! The gap increases and the hook point dulls after pulling a lure free from a snag. They must be checked often especially after losing a few fish on proper hooksets.
The more one fishes, especially with others and noting what they used to catch fish, the more those experiences pay off discovering the many
combinations that make all the difference between going fishless vs catching fish. Pleasant discoveries are what fishing is all about, translated -
well I'll be!!!! Feeling fortunate is rare in today's world and there's
nothing like it!
The key is not falling for the hype surrounding what to use and when. All waters are different, have different seasonal patterns (where fish are located) and that fish differently. No hype can discover that.
Location, location, location is key followed by what to use and how. Luck is only relevant when it comes to catching giants!
Keeping an open mind is as important as any tackle made and rules only apply to those with closed minds that believe there are few if no other variations of that which catches fish. If it works, great (even using mono) but note any advantages and di
vantages over time focusing on shaping your own
rule book. This and many forums offer examples galore - some useful some not so much.
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