Bass Fishing ArticlesSpinning Gear: Multi Species Versatility By Jim Crowley Over the last several years my fishing, and my fishing equipment has changed. With the learning process, nothing ever stays the same. As I sit here in my office looking over my gear I notice that there are a lot more spinning rods and reels for me to choose from. I remember in the nineties the only spinning rod and reel that I had was for crappie fishing. Times have definitely changed. I have more spinning rods in more sizes and actions than I have ever had. Several different size-spinning reels and various line types and sizes. Not only do I use monofilament line, but I also utilize braided as well as fluorocarbon lines in more situations than I can remember. The more I think about it the more I realize how many different kinds of fish I have caught while applying techniques that became more productive simply because I used spinning equipment. From artic grayling in Canada to bone fish in Mexico, and you might as well throw in walleye, white bass, large mouth and small mouth bass along with lake trout and apparently a host of others. What has happened to me through all of this is, (obviously without me knowing it!) is more weapons have been added to my arsenal. I have new approaches and new techniques. Here are some applications that hopefully will add to your success or at least give you some ideas to build on, resulting in more fish for you! The more I have used spinning equipment, the more I have come to understand the importance of knowing my rod actions. Not just if a rod has a medium action or if it is a “wacky worm rod” or whatever name is on it, but what each rod can do. For example, on a trip to Canada last fall, I was introduced to late fall lake trout fishing. What is so exciting about this kind of angling is that instead of the usual trolling or vertical jigging to catch these lakers, they move shallow to spawn and you can cast to them! The water is extremely clear, and most of the time you can see the fish chase down your lure and then see the bone jarring strike as each lake trout tries to rip the rod from your hands. The trout move up on shallow reefs and become very competitive in the spawning phase. However they can also be a little spooky in the clear water. By backing off the reef, and going to spinning equipment, I was able to make long cast and consistently hook up on cast after cast with numerous lake trout. The set up I used with the exception of braided line, is what I use to fish a wacky worm for large and small mouth bass. I utilized a Trion GX-7 spinning reel spooled to capacity with 10-pound Spiderwire Stealth. I paired that with a Team All-Star 6’9 Wacky Worm rod. As stated before, the ACTION not the name on the rod is important. This was a medium action rod with a fast tip. The action of this rod paired with the reel and braided line, allowed me to make long cast with the backbone for exceptional hooking power at long range. In this situation, bait-casting gear did not allow me the range I needed for a successful presentation, however the spinning gear made for a highly successful day. On a recent trip to Powerton lake for some small mouth bass fishing, my buddy and I quickly realized that is was going to be a difficult day. A cold front the night before, the plant was not pumping and with no breeze, current was non-existent. Did I miss any excuses? Anyway, this situation called for going to light line and small lures for the plain simple reason of, I went fishing so I want to get bit! One of my all time confidence lures is a small crank bait. When times are tough, (or I have run out of excuses) I tie on a miniature lure and start churning water. Those small lures are highly effective but difficult to use on bait casting gear. I used a Yo-Zuri SH-60, which is a small 2 3/8 inch suspending lure. To get the lure to its maximum depth and as with most of my crank bait fishing, I have went to using fluorocarbon line. Fluorocarbon line gained popularity because it refracts light and becomes virtually invisible underwater. The added bonus of this line is it has no stretch and it sinks! To cast this small lure, I needed a rod that would load easily under lightweight. I was not worried about accuracy, but more concerned with covering water, so distance was required. I chose a 6’4 Team All-Star Drop Shot rod. This rod has an extra light action with a fast tip and throws lures as light as 1/32 ounce. So I knew it would load under a lightweight and cast the small lure. I paired the rod with a Shakespeare Dimension spinning reel and the 8-pound fluorocarbon line. This set up allowed me to cast the small lure a long distance and paired with the sinking fluorocarbon line allowed me to keep it at its maximum depth for the duration of the cast. I could have not accomplished that with bait casting gear and or monofilament line. Also because of the low or no stretch in that line and the extra fast action of the drop shot rod, this combination became a highly effective crank bait set up. I mentioned what I used and how I used it, not so you would go out and buy it, but to show two things. First that knowing the actions of your rods can not only be important for what you fish for, but how you fish for them. Secondly that spinning equipment utilized the right way, can, in some cases, present lures more preciously, at greater distances and with more appeal than just using bait-casting gear. Our waters have more fishing pressure on them than ever before. Weather always has been and continues to be an ever changing and unstable condition that we are faced with. Versatility is more important now than it has ever been. If you only fish for bass, or like me, fish for anything with fins, the more you know the more successful you will be. Spinning equipment is a highly effective way to get more bites under a variety of situations. If you are hesitant about what it can do for your bass fishing or whatever fish you pursue, I encourage you to again, learn something new to add to your knowledge and I promise you will catch more of just about anything that swims. Looking back now, that spinning rod and reel I had for just crappie fishing was just the start of learning to use more spinning gear and adding to my arsenal of multi species versatility. |