Mark K

Also...Mark...is your 7 foot rod a one piece or two...I'm guessing it's a one piece Loomis because of the sensitivity.

My "Kank Rod" is a St Croix Avid 7 ft medium spinning rod and a Daiwa SS2 2500 spooled with 14 lb Fireline. It's a fairly stick with a strong butt section. I landed a 10 lb cat in current with it. It's a good light saltwater rod too. I mention this only to give you an idea of how beefy it is.

Any smallie over 16" will double this rod over if it gets into deep fast water. An 18" Kankakee river smallie in summer is a major battle.

I also have a 7 ft medium light 2 pc Avid, which I bought not for the convenience of a 2 piece, but because it has a fast top section that I like. I use it a lot in Wisconsin. It's beefy enough to get by with on the Kank but heavier is better. The 1 piece version is a very nice rod too, especially the Legend.

I have a lot of nice rods, St Croix, Shimano, Loomis, Falcon. I mentioned Loomis specifically because I think the IMX series are the finest rods made for the money. I have two. If I could go back my main river rod would be a 7 (maybe 7/2 foot) medium heavy rod and a Loomis.

I've got an awsome 7 foot baitcasting rod but I can't throw small baits with it...perfect for spinner baits and large 6-9 inch rapalas, or anything 1/2 ounce or more...like a rattle trap. It can handle even some large buctails...it's aweful for anything small... What do you use for small light weight crankbaits...do you use the same rod or switch to a shorter medium/light baitcaster with a slower action?

In times that I use a 6 1/2 baitcaster on the Kank it is in low clarity conditions and I have found that a white spinnerbait will catch big smallies as well as anything else. So under those conditions that's all I carry, maybe a buzzbait so throwing light cranks isn't an issue. That reel is loaded with 30 lb Power Pro ( a real man's line). What I do is cover water with those big blades pulsing vibration through the water. The rod you have sounds perfect. Incidently when a big smallie crushes a spinnerbait it will damn near rip the rod out of your hands.

With regards to throwing small crank baits. Part of that is gear but most of it is technique and you have to practice it like fly fishing. I have a 6 ft Loomis with a Calcutta 150. It will throw small crankbaits. I saw Eric S. once throw a #2 Mepps with his similar out fit. He was incidentally slaying them that day. He is an exceptional baitcaster. I just idiot fish with a baitcaster. sling 'em out and crank 'em back in.

I agree that using light line in a river is a matter of preference. Especially if your preference is to lose big fish and a hell of a lot of lures. Snags are a part of river fishing and you are going to lose baits even with heavy line. Apart from a few specialized techniques I can't think of any river smallie applications that it would be necessary. Why unnecessarily stress out fish you intend to release? Is that a matter of preference too?

Light line is a good choice only when it's really necessary and for most river conditions that I have encountered it's way too light. The description I gave of the battle a river smallie can put up is accurate. Is there anyone that will contradict this? To land such a fish with light line, you would have to play it to death...literally.

"Preference" Ugh.. I hate that word. It's used so often out of context.

there was a comment made that illustrates this, "Heck, I have a brother who uses nothing but Ugly Stiks. He says they're the best rod going...........that's his preference."

If you judge rods based on criteria such as senstitivity, weight, action etc, typical things one would take into consideration when choosing a bass fishing rod an Ugly Stik would have no redeeming qualities. Zero. So, it may be his preference, but one would have to question why. He may even be a great fisherman, but if you judge those rods based on those criteria he would be plain wrong. If he "prefers" rods that are heavy, whippy and have the sensitivity of..well, an Ugly Stik than his criteria for judging fishing rods is not the same (in fact the complete opposite) as most serious anglers and would therefore be irrelevant.

I'm looking for a reliable spinning outfit for smallies. But I don't want to spend a lot of money...I'm really hard on my poles and reels. I know I can be more careful but I've tried that and it's like magic...one minute the pole is in one piece and the next minute...two.

This is one reason I'm a Loomis man. For 60 bucks they'll replace the rod with no questions asked. You are out 60 bucks but you still have a kick ass rod.

But if you don't want to spend the coin on a Loomis, there are some descent rods for less. Bass Pro makes some. I picked up a Quantum Tour edition in a bargain bin for 40 bucks. It's a really nice stick, but it ain't a Loomis.

Just curious, if this is a rod with short lifespan why devote much thought to it at all?

I'd like something sensitive for jigging, but strong enough for crankbaits...or should I have two setups?

You don't need two rods to fish both baits. However, a rod that would be considered ideal for jigging, one that has a fast action and exceptional sensitivity would have the opposite characteristics as one considered a "crankbait rod". The latter are generally a slower action, meaning they will flex more towards the butt. "Whippier" would be another way to describe "slower". That said, I only carry one rod a 7 ft medium spinning or if I'm going to fish crank baits or spinnerbaits a baitcaster, because it's just more efficient.

"Stronger" is generally not an issue with either baits.

Is a 6 foot 6in medium action too much? And how do I match the rod to the reel?

No, it's perfect. Especially if the water you fish has some big fish. Check the line ratings for both rod and reel. They should come close. A good tackle shop can help. But for a 6'6 medium a 2000 or 2500 (Shimano or Daiwa) would probably work.

There is a pretty wide window of rods that will "work". Anything from 6-7 foot would be fine. Medium light to medium. Shorter rods are a little more accurate. Longer rods cover water better. I use a 7 footer because I drift live bait a lot.

It's been a while since I've bought anything so I don't know what's on the market...too much for me to go through. I wish there was a consumer reports on fishing gear. That would be awesome.

Again, if this is a piece of gear that is going to be in the trash can in a season, why sweat it? March into a tackle store with 40 or 50 bucks you should get something fishable. There are a lot of fishable rods in that price range. You are just not going to get a great rod.

If you are going to buy a rod that you intend to fish a long time, I would put some more thought into it.

I've also had problem with fishing line...is there any line out there that doesn't twist...I've come to a point in my fishing career that I'm not going to fight with this anymore...I know how to put line on a reel and that if the line twists you flip over the spool...well...that doesn't always work...

I want a line that doesn't twist no matter what you do.

No such animal. All lines will twist. Either you put it on wrong (most likely), or something mechanical is causing it.

Scott addressed this pretty well. Superlines handle line twist better. The stiffer the line, the more suceptable to problems caused by twist. But you should still avoid line twist like the plague.

The method you described is terrible for putting on line. By the time you discovered the twist, you already have a mess. Spool up this way and your life will be much easier:

Strip off old line. With the reel mounted on the rod attach the new line using an arbor knot. Have someone else hold the spool at the end of the rod maybe a foot or two away. Have them hold the spool directly facing the reel spool.

Trace the path of the line comming off the line spool with your finger. That's right, make little circles in the air in the same direction as the line coming off the spool. Now crank your real. The bail should be going in the same direction as you finger. If it is not, flip the spool over. looks silly, but it works.

Crank up your line with some tension. I use a wet rag.

The direction is correct when the line comes off the spool and winds onto the reel in the same direction. If you do this right there will be no twist.

If you get line twist while on the water, cut off your lure and let the line out in the current. the same distance you can cast. Let it unwind and crank it in. Do that two or three times. I do it every time I go out just before leaving.

good luck.

I took my son to Starved Rock today to see the Eagles. It was incredible. There were at least 6 (probably more) mature adults adults and a quite a few young ones.

They were extremely active, diving for fish, fighting etc. I usually make a trip out once a year. This was the best I've ever seen them. It was as if they were showing off for the crowd. We had a great time. The local firehouse was selling chili and hot dogs and they had lots of kid activities too. This is a great place to bring the little ones.

Across from the park is a viewing center, here is a link for more info:

http://www.illinoisraptorcenter.org/index.html

You get a close up look at the lock and dam and the tug boats that push barges, which really struck my son's interest.

There are also bird watchers that have really spiffy telescopes and spotting scopes set up and they are pretty cool about letting anyone there take a peek, especially kids.

The eagles will be there for a little while yet. It's worth the drive. I typically hike into the interior of the park, but is was mighty freakin' frigid today. There was also a fairly big crowd, especially at the viewing center. Still worth it though.

On sobering note, I passed by the spot in Utica where all the people got killed when the tornado hit that bar in '04. There is a line of white crosses and a commerative plaque. What a sad thing to happen to a great little town.

That sounds interesting. I would try to make it. especially if it were on a weekend.

To answer the original question.

I have a 6 wt and an 8 wt. I intend on using the 8 wt in summer on the Kankakee in an effort to land fish more quickly and put less stress on them particullarly in summer. A smallie will kill itself fighting if you let 'em. Land 'em fast and catch another I say.

The 6 wt is really light and casts nice but I feel like the 8 wt is more appropriate for big water and fighting fish in current. On the other hand if it's a small stream you might not ever encounter those conditions and a lighter rod might be the ticket and will double as a trout rod. The 8 wt will work for northerns, steelhead and light saltwater.

9 foot works for me in both cases.

I have a 6 wt and an 8 wt and four vehicles. Does that make me a redneck with two fly rods?

Go to PC Pitstop and run the diagnostics. If I were a betting man I would say you have a virus or spyware sucking up all your virtual memory.

Also try downloading Mozilla or Opera see if they work better as a browser. I totally dig Mozilla Firefox.

Well, I'm not sure what Stradic means. Stella is latin for star. Calcutta is a city in India but I think it also refers to some sort of boat and i think Curado is latin or spanish for cure (cure backlashes??). Yeah the naming system is peculiar. Sahara. Okay it's named after a desert

Shimano also makes really nice bicycle parts. They have even goofier names.

I think Shimano should rename all their reels. Mothra, Rodan, Ghidra and of course Godzilla!

I work with a lot of Japanese fellers.

The guy I asked was highly amused when I told of the interest American anglers have in japanese tackle. He asked if japanese lures caught more fish, to which I responded "No, only fishermen."

I was curious as to what the names were in English. They are:

Ga: Moth

Ageha: Butterfly

Nokogiri Kuwagata: Saw Stag Beetle

Hirata Kuewagata: Flat Stag Beeetle

Tamamushi: Irridescence

Kanabun: Drone Beetle

Shima Kamakiri: Striped Mantis

I might make a goal to get confidence back with topwaters- but it will probably go as the last few years have gone.

Nothing on the first outing of the year, and back in the bottom of the bag they get crammed.

Mike- Pick a day on the Kank. Summer, with good clarity of at least 2 feet. Bring a buzzbait or almost any topwater...and that is it. I have fished entire days with nothing but a buzzer or a popper. Why would you want to fish anything else when they are hitting on top?

I found a topwater, particullarly a buzzbait to be as good of a searchbait as anything.

Regarding the original question. I don't think I can answer it.

Lure choice would be dependent on conditions. I fish mainly in summer and mainly in the Kank.

In summer with good clarity 2 or 3 feet or more and good wading conditions, I would fish a topwater, probably a buzzbait maybe a popper. The buzzbait will pull fish out their little haunts. So I would try to cover a lot of water and fan cast. The great part of a buzzbait is it will free you from peeling dinks off a bunch of ultra sharp trebbles. The sub 12 inch fish seem to get weeded out. The best buzzbait for this is an 1/8 th ouncer. A beefy 7 foot rod with some kind of super line will give you distance on a cast and have the cajones to set the hook a mile away and turn a hawg in current. Long casts are critical and if you can't make them I would say you are seriously handicapped. If you hook a biggun' with too light of tackle it will take too long to land in high water temps. I might also give a Fluke a whirl too- unweighted, texposed.

In dirty water < 2 feet of clarity and wadeable. I would use a spinnerbait with white blades. Quarter cast in current and let it "hang" in the current as Eric has often described. It's a killer technique. In '03 I had very little free time. So I would run out to the kank for 2 or 3 hours. Almost every outing I got one over 16" using nothing but a spinnerbait. Eric fishes smaller water and typically target casts (masterfully, I might add. I don't think he realizes how good he is at it), while I used it more as a search bait idiot fishing. It was usually in water that has a lot of underwater structure and was below some heavily oxygenated water.

Rattle baits work too and so did something called a "Zip lure" , but they are no longer made. The spinnnerbait would be choice #1 without a doubt.

I used to fish a lot of plastic, but kind of lost interest. Dink magnets in the Kank and overall too slow for me, except in winter. In which time I would most likely fish a tube or an ika. Black and blue if I had it.

Okay so there is 3 or 4.

In '06 I left the conventional stuff at home in an effort to learn to fly cast. Succesfull baits were Clousers and Rabbit strip flies. I don't consider myself knowledgable enough to offer furthur advice though.

Come on you guys, this is supposed to be serious.

I think I just peed my pants laughing.

After furthur thought the Pinto/ Ferrari comparison was a bad analogy. Comparing Safety Glasses to Maui Jims is like comparing a forklift to a Ferrari.

Safety glasses. Aye, aye, aye.

The safety Nazis at my work force us to wear them. I can't wait to take those miserable mother !@#$ers off every day. The only positive note is that once the headaches cease you become desensitized to the blurred vision. I hate them with my whole soul.

Safety glasses are designed to withstand MAJOR IMPACT and to be cheap enough for factories to GIVE them away. Have you ever read what that impact standard is? Don't quote me, but it's something like 2 kg dropped on them without breaking AND a pellet at 100 fps. And for those two criteria one pays a price in optics.

In no way do they compare to MJ's, Costas, Hobies, Smith Optics ETC, designed for exceptionaly clear optics, superior polarization and glare reduction.. especially those with glass lenses and those that are coated on both sides.

It also should be said that a pair of high end shades is something that you come to appreciate with time, like a really nice high end fishing rod. After having it a while and picking up another rod you immediatly notice the difference in weight and sensitivity. I've tried on the shades at walmart, the quality is laughable by comparison.

I paid something like a 150 bucks for mine. If you have them for 10 years, thats 15 bucks a year. A small price to pay for something that will truly enhance your outdoor experience...especially if you fish clear water. Furthurmore it should be mentioned that my MJs did break at the hinge. I sent them back to Peoria and they reset them in new frames for free.

If you are too clumsy (or drunk) to hold on to something like a pair of glasses (I don't understand this either as most people would chew their kids asses for losing a pair of glasses) or you just can't afford them, then fine, seek an alternative. That is understandable. Do what you have to. Any polarized glasses are better than none.

But make no mistake there is a mighty diffence from a pair of walmart shades and some high end polarized shades. That is why they cost big bucks. In no way are they the same thing.

On some products you pay for a name. Like designer clothes. Other products you pay for a name that has gained a reputation for exceptional quality, workmanship and or warranty. Names like Loomis and Simms come to mind. That is the case with Maui Jim.

Though a Pinto and a Ferrari basically perform the same function a Pinto will never be a Ferrari no matter how much you imagine it to.

All that said, you will look like an uber-dork wearing safety glasses in public.

IMHO, Safety glasses are for work and only work, not play.

Here are some deals on fishing glasses:

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/d/4374_Sunglasses.html

Not enough entries to get specialized.

How about a madtom imitation? Some of my biggest smallies in the Kank had a mollie jammed in their gullet. It's a common smallie food so the winner should see some water time.

As a 7 year Maui Jim owner I second Joz's opinion. You get what you pay for.

If I had cool 300 bucks laying around doing nothing (and I don't) there would be a pair of Oakley Half Jackets sitting on my nose. Now that is one bitchin' pair of shades!

I was rumaging through the attic the other day and found a pair of Oakley Factory Pilots (circa 1985), one of the very first if not the first glasses Oakley ever made. Retro, baby!

Is the same Columbia River?

http://www.boats.com/boat-articles/Catchin...ronze/2098.html

How long have smallies been estabblished?

I would agree with you for the most part but just to play the devil's advocate....

"Catch and release is for native fish, not invaders"

By that logic, one would not practice C&R on smallmouth bass in the BWCA or Quetico or, if I'm not mistaken any of those Canadian lakes. Right?

An if Chester comes to visit, kindly ask him to leave his filet knife at home. ;-)

I made it. 40 miles one way.

Oh my God, that tiger mousie is one of the most wicked flies I've ever seen! Did you tie it?

The lure swap would not draw me to a meeting but it would not keep me away from them either. I'm with Eric on the food thing. The meetings I most had fun at were at Pal Joey's ( a pizza joint in West Chicago). Personally, I could live without a speaker unless it pertained to club business.

The main thing that has kept me away from the meetings is a 2-3 hour daily commute and the locations and times never quite seem to work for me. Not much anybody can do about that. Can't please everyone.

Fingerless are out of the question. I was thinking about those glacier gloves. Think I have a better shot of tying knots with mittens on than my fingers when they are exposed to cold. It's gotten flat out painful and my fingers are so stiff I can hardly move them.

I am having terrible problems with my hands in cold weather and it hasn't even gotten that cold yet. Any paticularly good gloves out there?

a Fiero, LeCar or a Gremlin

I propose an amendment to this law based on irrelevance. Most of these vehicles are extinct. The only vehicles exempt from fishing transport duty are economy cars fitted with oversized mufflers. Furthurmore owners of said vehicles fitted with aerodynamic wings should be reconsidered as fishing companions.

Man Law #--

Under penalty of ridicule, no vehicle, regardless of value shall be exempt from gravel roads/muddy roads.

Said vehicle, shall perform transport duty as any other. Transport duty is defined as:

Transportation to fishing destination, as close as possible regardless of road conditions.

Transportation to second fishing destnation (without complete removal of waders and or wading boots).

Return. Vehicles returning without mud, gravel chips and/or peculiar odors should be considered suspicious.

During said transport it is recommended that all gravel roads be approached at a very high rate of speed, regardless of conditions with an expression of exhuberance from the driver.

An orange '69 Charger would be a desirable vehicle for said purpose.

What I had in mind was an insect imitation of some sort a strike indicator all on a fly rod. Winter bites are often very light almost undetectable. Seems like it might be worth a shot.