your rod / reel set-ups...

[stushsky]

with the amount of time that you spend on the water we would all guess that you have experimented with many rod / reel / line combinations. what are you currently using? how many combinations do you keep in your boat at all times and why? hope you and your clients have a great upcoming warmer water season!

[Red Childress]

Hey Stan,

I started out with Tiger Braid way back when and moved to Power Pro because the Tiger just absorbed way too much water for my liking. Stuck with PPro for a few years until 2007 and picked up some Ultracast in the bargain cave and really liked it so I moved most everything over to that. Then got on the Rapala (Suffix) pro-staff last year so I spooled a few reels up with it and really liked it, not because it was cheaper either. Of those that I have tried (for more than for just a few days), I like the Ultracast and Suffix the best. The Ultracast is comes in a very bright yellow (100lb) color which made nite fishing easier for me but the Suffix seems to come off the spool much nicer than all of them. As for water absorption/winter fishing is concerned, they all will freeze up but the Ultracast and Suffix outperform PPro in all facets, IMO. Plus, you never have to worry about the dye fading on your clothes which is/has been associated with PPro.

The only 2 rods I have on board for myself are the Sling Blade and Big Dawg. As you know, they will handle just about everything under the sun. My reels are Lunas and AC300's but I bought a Revo Winch last Fall and will probably pick up a High Speed version (7:1.1) this Spring for pulling jerks and glides more easily along the river current. I missed a few fish over the past couple of years due to having too much slack when I was working my glide baits along the current in higher water situations.

That pretty much sums it up for me.

[stushsky]

for you to reply so quickly means you / i / we all would rather be fishing! my old hands will be using the shimano 301e's this coming season as compared to the luna 300's on croix legend swimbait and big dawg rods with berkley 80lb fireline. for us lake fishermen it's still a looooong 6 or so weeks away!

[Red Childress]

6 weeks for the rest of the state EXCEPT the NW part. We keep ice until April sometimes!

My reply was quick because I am a school teacher by trade and my office is in the gym so accessing the computer is very easy.

Have you tried any of the Cortland lines?? I hear very few negatives about it.

[Anzomcik]

For my rods i have in my boat, i have 7' 7'6" 8' tooth tamers all med/heavy, 7'6" g mountain tourny extreme pike rod. The 7' have a abu 5600 ext pro, its my glide bait rod. The 7'6" and 8' have curados 300s, they are my work horses i use them for just about anything. My pike rod has a Abu revo stx spooled 65lb PP. That little rod is the nicest compromise for throwing real light lures and smaller musky baits.

My ext abu has 80lb PP, and two of my curado 300s. Two more of my curado 300 have 65lb PP, and the last curado 300 has 80 lb Sufix for winter fishing (Thanks Red) I have found a great deal on those curados so i got 5 of them and it is easy to change the reels to suit the fishing i will be doing on each trip.

[stushsky]

power pro for a few years...don't want to even comment on that. ultrabraid...the weaves came undone between my fingers while spooling it on...same thing...don't want to go further. i used the berkley fireline all of last year and was greatly pleased. i was amazed at the smaller diameter... when i got it home and began spooling it on i stopped and compared it to the ultracast and pp in the 80 lb i had and they were like rope compared to the berkley 80lb! for those concerned with backlash "issues" then stick with thicker diameter braids as they are much easier to pull-out but for me i prefer the thinner diameter berkley fireline...