About Mark Rimmer Expertise I have been actively fishing for thirty-five years! For nearly 15 of
those years I was able to fish nearly 200 days per year. Those wonderful days
have left me with a plethora of knowledge to share. I have fished from the
Marianas of the Pacific to the quiet tidewaters of Virginia and many places
in between. My home waters are those of the west. I am passionate about
bluewater and inshore angling of all types in Southern California with both
artificials and live baits and high country fishing in the Sierra Nevada
Mountains of my beloved Golden State with nothing but a flyrod. There are
still a lifetime of adventures to undertake. I have spent 20 years in the
retail business of which 6 were spent owning and operating a successful
tackle shop specializing in custom rod making and rod and reel repairs. Topics I love to discuss: - Ethics and responsibilities of anglers. - Repair and maintenence of
rods/reels. -"How to"...any topic in fishing.
Question Hi Mark...first off I need to tell you I am not a fisherman so my questions will no doubt sound foolish to someone as experienced as you...nevertheless... here goes! I mentioned to my wife that I was going to take up fishing so for Christmas she surprised me with a Mitchell 300X gold spinning reel.Now I need to find a pole to match it. I plan to start my fishing experience with crappie and from what I have read, so far, it appears that I will need light line and a light pole. Is that compatiable with the reel I mentioned? Also it seems that the lure will need to possibly be changed often. Would I have to tie each one on or could I just tie on a snap swivel and change lures that way? The spools that came with the reel are marked with,"for 8 and 10 pound line". Can't I use lighter line?
Any and all suggestions will be deeply appreciated. I realise I might could learn by trial and error but why not start right with the help of an expert. Thanks, Walt
Answer Hi Walter! Merry CHristmas! Guess the New Year is gonna start off right...fishin that is!
Well it sounds as if your lovely wife got a bit of advice and for what we will have to call an all-around reel, it was good advice... The reel is a classic style and the most recent generation of the Mitchell 300 that was developed in the late fifties if Im not mistaken. If it is matched with the proper rod, that rod will handle the same spectrum of line sizes. I would strive to find one that is from 6' to 7' in length and the line rating for the rod will most likely be categorized 6lb. test to 12 lb test or 8-17...those are common categories in the industry today. I'm a big fan of graphite rods (96% is common)they are VERy sensitive(to detect faint bites) and they have become VERY reasonable in price...you can likely find a good quality rod for $25-$40 that will work beautifully. I would recommend a "medium" to "fast" action rod. If you're not familiar with action/"speed"...it gives you an idea of the way in which the rod flexes. "Slow" would flex nearly evenly from tip to butt: Moderate or Medium would flex approximately from tip to the mid section;Medium fast- from the tip approximately one third of the upper sextion of the rod...fast the upper quarter and extra fast the upper 15-25% of the shaft. The faster the rod the more "backbone" it si considered to have...crappie have soft mouths and a softer flexing rod will produce more landed fish by not pulling the hook due to too much force... To easily determine the flex of the rod, hold it in your dominant hand as you would if you were using it to fish, then with the help of another, hold the rod parallel to the ground and ask someone to gently hold the tip of the rod with 2 fingers ....GENTLY...then lift the rod slowly so you can observe the flex pattern of the rod. (some clerks may freak-out seeing you do this so be VERY careful...most rods are a bit fragile if they are not flexed the way in which the design was intended), also, don't hesitate to take the reel into the store with you and try it on the rod to see if it feels good in the hand... Some will also try to see if there is a good balance point so as to reduce fatigue after an all day session fishing. Attach the reel and balance the rod on your out stretched index finger from the beginning of the foregrip out to check this. 1 to 3" ahead of the reel is typical and the fulcrum point just becomes a personal preference.
Now, what is the "perfect" rod and reel for crappie? EVERY angler will tell you something different and it is based upon his best day of crappie fishing...count on it...I dont care if it was a saltwater rod with 20 lb line and a 3/8 oz spinnerbait...they will swear by their personal favorite... YOU WILL BE ABLE TO CATCH PLENTY-O-CRAPPIE with the set up you are putting together...so set it up and get comfortable casting and reeling...try different lure weights ( another set of numbers on most rods...the lighter the rod an it's line class, the lighter the lure range it will have). I will suggest using the lightest line the rod and reel recommends 6 or 8 lb line weights are very common for crappie when they are not... being picky...Remember that...now some meat and potatoes about fishing...do you golf? Well if you do then you know you have a different club for each shot...but when you get really good at it, you can "work the ball" with almost ANY club and make the shot. Often this will be the case with fishing BUT... you can find and own (as I have) a different rod and reel for every type of fish or fishing situation...so learn to "work" the gear you have. Now, it HAS proven out time and time again that lighter line gets more bites...its just fundamental...if the fish can see the line, it seems a bit foreign and if hunger or competition doesn't overcome the concern the fish has for the "foreign" sight or action, then he may not bite.
With that I will describe my personal favorite for shy or pickey crappie. I use MIcro-Ultralite gear. The rod of choice is 5-6 feet long and ultra-light...accepting 1-4lb line... I usually fish with 2lb....my favorite reel is a little Shimano AX ULS (cheap but they last with just a little maint.)and I have landed crappie up to nearly 3 pounds with it (and even a couple four pound bass)....The trade off?...Crappie love cover...mainly brush...and 2lb line breaks off pretty easily in the stuff.(remember that light line is also an advantage in "gin" clear water...the dingier the water, the heavier the line you will find successful)
As for lure selection and "changing"...finding the fish is the most important thing to learn...Crappie often spawn earlier in the spring than other species and just prior to that and after the spawn as well, you may find them schooled in open water. I start in or near brush piles then search the open water near them if I can't produce in or next to the cover...usually you'll locate them easily. Many anglers will change lure colors and sizes in one area or around one type of "structure" just to make sure the fish just weren't "seeing" their offering. As for snaps?...they do help change quickly and my dad, who thinks he's gettin old will use one religiously...and as a child, I used to even make sure my left thumb nail was trimmed just so, so I could open up the snaps easily...go figure...99.9% of the time...if your fingers are able, I will suggest tieing on...I know through exprience, that the more natural the presentation, the more successful I have been in the long run. (But there are those crazy exceptions to EVERY proposed rule...so get on the water and have some fun and try MANY things.)
For lures?...my prference the last few years have been "jigs" from 1/64oz to 1/8oz and for the most part have been tube-style jigs in a muriad of colors...start with some bright ones like chartreuse sparkle or some with contrast like green and white or red and white and if they are not productive...move to my favorites, the more natural colors like smoke sparkle or grey and pearl...if it really gets tough it will always help to know the type of forage fish (baitfish) that live in the water you choose to fish. Then "match the hatch" so to speak...finding a lure that closly resembles the baitfish and you WILL catch them. (One of my most memorable crappies was about a two pounder that inhaled a full-sized Bomber bass lure...that darn crappie even jumped! Rare fun indeed!
Well Walt, I hope this has been of some help...you can study any one species for a lifetime and still get a surprise the very next time you fish for it...that's the greatest facet of fishing that keeps us coming back time after time...Please feel free to ask as many questions as you'd like no matter how simplistic or technical they may be...I'll gladly help.
One last tip...start becoming(if you're not already) a keen observer of fish and animal behavior...they all have similar traits in common that allow them to survive...and ask every question...and read every book or article you can find...you'll glean great wisdom from many anglers- experienced and novice alike-
Best of luck my friend- Good Fishing and even better catching!-
Mark Rimmer- AllExperts.com
email- DominatorLures@aol.com
