Rod & Reel Suggestions
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Hey Bob, the only stripers I have caught were just using a good quality rod and a regular spinning reel loaded with 40lb braid. Hauled em in, so I guess it works. Or if you want to run heavier check out some of the rods at wal-mart, they are cheap enough for the bigger ones. For me the trick was to always make sure I had tough line, so when I hit a BIG one and the hook was set, I could straighten out the pole a bit until he got tired and let the line do the work...........
Hope that helps!
Mike
the combo's at walmart are a good idea, but understand they will mostly only last 1 year, same with ct, except for the big ugly stick combo's at ct. dorions have better combo's as do some of the other local shops. what part of N.B. are you at Bobd?
i actualy buy most of my rod and reels on line, either discount stores or the big guys - bass pro and cabelelas. the rods are easy, it's the reels that are a pain. in most cases it's less expensive to by a combo than just the reel - seriously! i picked up a few reels on sale, a bunch of us got together for that.
i like a couple rods: a shammano can be nice light rod, 8-9', very comfortable; abu garcia 9', parabolic like the ugly stick but heavier rod - much easier to cast and land numbers of big stripers; ugly stick, a good light rod for boat/kayak - the big surf rod is okay - make sure it's a casting and not a trolling rod; beachcomber, these and mako are the most common surf combo's - good for feel - harder to cast - 1yr life ecpectancy.
all of those are spinning rods, my preferance.
i actualy buy most of my rod and reels on line, either discount stores or the big guys - bass pro and cabelelas. the rods are easy, it's the reels that are a pain. in most cases it's less expensive to by a combo than just the reel - seriously! i picked up a few reels on sale, a bunch of us got together for that.
i like a couple rods: a shammano can be nice light rod, 8-9', very comfortable; abu garcia 9', parabolic like the ugly stick but heavier rod - much easier to cast and land numbers of big stripers; ugly stick, a good light rod for boat/kayak - the big surf rod is okay - make sure it's a casting and not a trolling rod; beachcomber, these and mako are the most common surf combo's - good for feel - harder to cast - 1yr life ecpectancy.
all of those are spinning rods, my preferance.
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ipop... I am in Fredericton. I've looked at the various Wal-Marts and Canadian Tires. I checked out the specialty shops as well, and they are moving towards the pricey side of things. I'd rather not hit $300 for the rod and reel alone.
I do like the Ugly Sticks. I have a 6'6" one that I like, and I'd happily pick up one of the 9'. I'm just having difficulty finding an appropriate reel to go with it. I'll do some searching online.
Thanks!
I do like the Ugly Sticks. I have a 6'6" one that I like, and I'd happily pick up one of the 9'. I'm just having difficulty finding an appropriate reel to go with it. I'll do some searching online.
Thanks!
Bobd, try cabelas, they seem to have the best price for a high capacity reel last time i checked. i have bought several combos just for the reel, and one just for the rod. i use the same 6'6" ugly stick for stripers from th kayak and also for when my arms need a break from shore. it will land stripers. the big problem is a reel that hods enough line. i have taken a reel from the combo i bought just for the rod and put it on the ugly stick - works so far...! i use the alpha that come with it on my 6' ugly - not as good, smaller capacity. the problem with small capacity is after you land a numbe rof fish, gotten caught on the logs, sheared of on some muscles...you quick have to change line again so you don't spool on th cast...! i'll look around and see if i can find some other buys.
ps: i keep striper combos under $150 - things get broken inthe dark...!!! lol
ps: i keep striper combos under $150 - things get broken inthe dark...!!! lol
BobD gofishin.com prices from $14 and up on the reel sale. add shipping and delivery, get here for $21 and up. they have a selection of the combo reels (without the rod)$14-16 calypso (bottom of the line but works okay), okuma baitrunner for $44, other okuma for less and a few other that wouild work for stripers. always double check their prices, these sound great but cabelas or bass pro might have the same offer (i doubt it for these reels)
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480 Posts
ipop, thanks for all the great info. I've been doing some scanning of that site.
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I did see a calypsu beachcomber at Wal-Mart as part of set, but I really didn't like the feel of it for some reason, so I didn't get it, but it's good to know it will get the job done.
I did pick up a 9' ugly stick. It should go nicely with my 6'6" one... and I agree, they are great rods.
I did see a calypsu beachcomber at Wal-Mart as part of set, but I really didn't like the feel of it for some reason, so I didn't get it, but it's good to know it will get the job done.
I did pick up a 9' ugly stick. It should go nicely with my 6'6" one... and I agree, they are great rods.
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61 Posts
I've been gettin a lot of my gear from Kittery Trading post.I fish the Surf.I like a 12 foot rod, with a baitrunner reel.If your gonna be doing this type of fishing for awhile, spend the money at least on the reel.Rods you can get pretty cheap in the states as well.I prefer the big baitrunner reels, Shimano 6500's, and Thunnus.For a dual purpose a reel a 4500 size will work well bait fishing in the surf, and is light enough to use with lures if your casting all night.You can spend big money on rods, though I've been using Ugly stiks now.You can't be the price, the and the warranty.
mudman i have a 12' i bought for surf and long distance delivery of heavy baits. i have caught a few stripers on it but still looking for a monster to fit it's size.
do you mostly surf fish with live bait? cut bait? lures? in Maine the mostly use cut bait, often either the head or tail of a mackeral. in NS they mostly use whole mackeral.
do you mostly surf fish with live bait? cut bait? lures? in Maine the mostly use cut bait, often either the head or tail of a mackeral. in NS they mostly use whole mackeral.
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61 Posts
I've used ever bait going.Gaspereau is the most common bait used by NB Surfers.Many use Macks, and also Squid.Given the choice I'd fish whole tinker Macks, and Squid, with two different rods..I've taken some nice fish on both, but the Squid is usually more readily available.If I can't get small Macks, then I prefer a Mack head.The head with some neck attached gives off the most scent, and when hooked properly will handle a hard cast.Same goes for the Squid as it will stay on well with a hard distance cast.Soft shelled clams are also great, and are easy to get.Tomcod will catch you some fish, and it's funny more guys don't use it.Almost every Bass I've opened had Tommies in it's belly.I always bring a rod for fishin for bait.Matching the hatch can be very productive.I'll often fish a live Tommy with good results.The thing I've just started trying is live eels at night.No fish on them yet, though I have a ton of confidence in them, and can't wait to feel a bass nail one.I'm going to NS to fish Stripers next week, I hear the fish are moving there.
I would suggest an abu baitcaster 5000-6000 for boat and medium distance casting or a 7000 size for long distance. The are the most affordable, durable and easy to maintain baitcasters. As for rods, don't go over 10 feet unless you are going to be fishing bait. I used a musky rod for quite awhile but have since gone to a 1-3oz heavy action rod. I use an ugly stick and a quantum inshore, only 30-40 dollar rods. I can handle 30pound stripers without a problem with any of these rigs and 50-60lb test braid. The longer the rod, the more advantage the fish has. I use a 12'allstar big boy surfrod with a 7000 abu lever drag w/clicker for chucking shad heads. For trolling or sitting with dead shad/mackerel, I use a cheap0 6' white penn jigging rod with cheapo penn surf reel. The whole combo was $40 bucks at mardens years ago. It's handled a sea dog for a few seconds, so it should handle a world record striper. I try to get lefthanded baitcasters whenever I can as I prefer having my stronger arm holding the rod when dealing with stripers and doing a lot of casting. For trolling and sitting with bait it doesn't matter a whole lot. Baitcasters are the way to go because they are lighter, more durable, almost no line twist, handle heavier line without sacrifing casting distance and you can get way more casts out in the course of a days fishing. Once you educate your thumb and set your brakes properly, you rarely get backlash. Your joints will also thank you.
As for spinning gear, I have a light 7' surf rod for chucking lighter lures and a 12' for throwing bait, but I rarely use it since my okuma axeon needs a new bail arm. Don't buy Okuma products. I bought a fair bit of their stuff from bass tackle plus and it was not up to job. Even their top end VS reels were junk and it costs more for shipping the stuff to the repair depot than it costs to buy the parts and fix them yourself. The axeon was pretty good, but the plastic is cheap and doesn't like cold weather. The anti trip bail mechanism is not properly designed either, but man, could I ever cast I mile with it. Every Okuma surf rod I had snapped unexpectedly and I have never had any other rod do that before or since. Anyone that has good luck with okuma stuff doesn't fish enough to know what a durable product is. Stick with abu round baitcasters for rugged affordable baitcasters and for spinning reels, shimano is best and diawa and quantum have some good reels... and some junk too just like all brands. Spend money on your reel as opposed to the rod. Fibreglass/graphite rods are much more durable and less expensive than more expensive graphite rods. You may sacrifice some sensitivty, lightness and power, but it isn't much if you get a stiffer fibreglass/graphite mixed content rod. The braind line makes up for it. Doirons had a Shimano rod that was only 40 dollars with lifetime warranty. Perfect for boat fishing or near shore because of the shorter butt. I've used it fishing at murray and gregory's and it had no problem getting the distance, but felt a bit awkward compared to my long butted surf rods. He didn't even know they had a lifetime warranty and I told him he should advertise the fact and would sell out of them, but probably wants people to buy the expensive rods because of their lifetime warranty.
As for spinning gear, I have a light 7' surf rod for chucking lighter lures and a 12' for throwing bait, but I rarely use it since my okuma axeon needs a new bail arm. Don't buy Okuma products. I bought a fair bit of their stuff from bass tackle plus and it was not up to job. Even their top end VS reels were junk and it costs more for shipping the stuff to the repair depot than it costs to buy the parts and fix them yourself. The axeon was pretty good, but the plastic is cheap and doesn't like cold weather. The anti trip bail mechanism is not properly designed either, but man, could I ever cast I mile with it. Every Okuma surf rod I had snapped unexpectedly and I have never had any other rod do that before or since. Anyone that has good luck with okuma stuff doesn't fish enough to know what a durable product is. Stick with abu round baitcasters for rugged affordable baitcasters and for spinning reels, shimano is best and diawa and quantum have some good reels... and some junk too just like all brands. Spend money on your reel as opposed to the rod. Fibreglass/graphite rods are much more durable and less expensive than more expensive graphite rods. You may sacrifice some sensitivty, lightness and power, but it isn't much if you get a stiffer fibreglass/graphite mixed content rod. The braind line makes up for it. Doirons had a Shimano rod that was only 40 dollars with lifetime warranty. Perfect for boat fishing or near shore because of the shorter butt. I've used it fishing at murray and gregory's and it had no problem getting the distance, but felt a bit awkward compared to my long butted surf rods. He didn't even know they had a lifetime warranty and I told him he should advertise the fact and would sell out of them, but probably wants people to buy the expensive rods because of their lifetime warranty.
i haven't had any problems with the okuma gear i have, but i have certainly heard of problems from others. i wonder if donnie got some bad gear? i didn't get my stuff there but i did find the reel arms are a little short for landing big stripers.
i like abu gear and have several of their striper combo's. the rods are great,the reels okay at best - i trade them out now and use them in the 'yak, instead putting a much heavier reel on them. the big advantage ot hte abu rod is that it's parabolic like the uglysticks, so it's easier to cast and much easier on you dureing the fight.
i do have to disagree with one thing - the longer the rod the more control and easier it is to land fish, not the shorter the rod. this has limits - a 12' rod doesn't make much difference for your average schoolie, but it turns a small fish into a joke. i have actualy fished smallies with this rod, just for fun. landing a 5# smallie on a popper with a 12' rod just isn't the same as a normal length. learning to make little pops with the big rod - now that's hard!! lol
i like abu gear and have several of their striper combo's. the rods are great,the reels okay at best - i trade them out now and use them in the 'yak, instead putting a much heavier reel on them. the big advantage ot hte abu rod is that it's parabolic like the uglysticks, so it's easier to cast and much easier on you dureing the fight.
i do have to disagree with one thing - the longer the rod the more control and easier it is to land fish, not the shorter the rod. this has limits - a 12' rod doesn't make much difference for your average schoolie, but it turns a small fish into a joke. i have actualy fished smallies with this rod, just for fun. landing a 5# smallie on a popper with a 12' rod just isn't the same as a normal length. learning to make little pops with the big rod - now that's hard!! lol
It may give you more control if you have 20feet of line out infront of you and your guiding the fish away from cover. Also, when fishing at the islands from shore on the incoming tide, a 12' rod has it's advantages because it allows you to keep more slack line out of the water, thus allowing a longer drift in the fast current and letting your bucktail drop quicker. A 7.5-9 foot rod will allow for a harder hook set, more leverage for the angler and better lure control, especially when ripping plugs and high speed popping, which catches most of my big fish.
Which abu striper combos did you have? Spinning or baitcasting? Their spinning reels are junk. They haven't made a good spinning reel for 30years. Also, the made a few runs of round baitcasters in Asia and they are nothing like the made in sweden stuff. If I remember correctly, so many people complained, they started making them only in sweden again. There is a striper model abu baitcaster they made years ago that I'd like to get my hands on and some very nice record models that they started to make again.
As for okuma junk, the VS55's handle shaft was not even sized properly and was extremely sloppy which was expertly bs'd by don to be how it was made to reduce stress on the reel. HA! Then, the anti-reverse bearing would intermittently quit and is now skipping. Also, the line roller was made with a large gap between it and the roller arm which allows even heavy lines to get caught in behind it and no, it doesn't need tightening. The oscillation system acts up as well. I wouldn't of even bought it if I hadn't got him to order it. After getting the run around as far as the reels being replaced by the factory rep, etc etc, the warranties ran out on most of the reels, except the VS and and the cost to send it to the repair shop for the parts it would need far exceeded to the cost of me buying and shipping the parts myself and I did not want to invest any more money in junk. After that experience and the other tackle shop being a rip off on most items, I feel the local shops don't deserve my loyal support, only when I'm in a pinch and need something I don't have "in stock". I order online or buy in the US. Too bad someone like Abby doesn't open up a new shop that he alone runs without any partners. I sure miss old Dunc, he knew how to run a fly shop! Maybe it's about time someone new opens up a fishing/hunting/outdoors shop in the SJ area...
bigfish, i realy enjoyed reading your last write up!
i wasn't actualy saying it was easier to fish with longer rods, just easier to get them in. trying to get a popper to move only 3" with 144" of rod isn't easy! i mostl use 8 & 9' rods for stripers from shore and power boat, 6-6.6' from the yak. i bought an uglystick sturdy stick single piece 6.6' rod just to fish stripers in the falls...and hated it! rats!!! i paid good money for that one. it sounded great on paper, and the problem wasn't the rods fault, it was just with my arms i couldn't keep ahead of, or any tension on the line fighting stripers in heavy current when they run fast too. i lost a big one trying. now that rod is for cut bait from a dock and i'm lending it to jim to try - he's looking at getting a fancy better version of the same thing.
yes, they were abu spinning reels....
yup, thats the okuma problems. i have had the same problem with line going bettween the roller on those same abu reels too and some bass pro stuff and a few otyhwers besides. i landed one of only two stripers i have caught on live eels while sitting on the walkway to the shuttle dock with the eel just running over the side on my spare uglystick while i was rebuilding a abu bruiser reel from the parts all over the dock. suddenly the rod just started danceing! lol a little schoolie must have thought i needed cheering up, i sure was a frustrated fisherman at the time.
i miss abbies shop too, although his prices were, well... pricey. but i think all the striper gear was more expensive about 6-8 years ago, and is now coming back up to that price stage again.
dunc taught me to fly tie when i was young. i have the 2 page spread from the reader showing a couple hundred of his flies as the background for my fly section at home. like you i buy all over, i still try to by local when i can but expect value for my money. i know most locals can't compete with mega stores, just don't guage me for quality AND price! lol
i wasn't actualy saying it was easier to fish with longer rods, just easier to get them in. trying to get a popper to move only 3" with 144" of rod isn't easy! i mostl use 8 & 9' rods for stripers from shore and power boat, 6-6.6' from the yak. i bought an uglystick sturdy stick single piece 6.6' rod just to fish stripers in the falls...and hated it! rats!!! i paid good money for that one. it sounded great on paper, and the problem wasn't the rods fault, it was just with my arms i couldn't keep ahead of, or any tension on the line fighting stripers in heavy current when they run fast too. i lost a big one trying. now that rod is for cut bait from a dock and i'm lending it to jim to try - he's looking at getting a fancy better version of the same thing.
yes, they were abu spinning reels....
yup, thats the okuma problems. i have had the same problem with line going bettween the roller on those same abu reels too and some bass pro stuff and a few otyhwers besides. i landed one of only two stripers i have caught on live eels while sitting on the walkway to the shuttle dock with the eel just running over the side on my spare uglystick while i was rebuilding a abu bruiser reel from the parts all over the dock. suddenly the rod just started danceing! lol a little schoolie must have thought i needed cheering up, i sure was a frustrated fisherman at the time.
i miss abbies shop too, although his prices were, well... pricey. but i think all the striper gear was more expensive about 6-8 years ago, and is now coming back up to that price stage again.
dunc taught me to fly tie when i was young. i have the 2 page spread from the reader showing a couple hundred of his flies as the background for my fly section at home. like you i buy all over, i still try to by local when i can but expect value for my money. i know most locals can't compete with mega stores, just don't guage me for quality AND price! lol
Abby was very expensive and it seems doirons equipment has the same sort of mark up abby had and abby works there now... coincidence? I've gotten wholesale catalogs and price lists before and know what kind of mark up there is. Some things like rapalas and mepps spinners are expensive to buy wholesale even, especially from the canadian distributors. You have to buy them in big quantities to lower the prices or sell them at less markup just to stay competitive. Other prices I've seen don't make any sense at all since the US prices are half or less retail. The weak canadian dollar made tackle prices high 6-8yrs ago, then as the dollar got better, so did the prices and now that oil has increased in price, so has all the plastic fishing lures. I wonder why wooden rapalas have gone up in price so much? Are balsa prices up or are those funny commercials factoring into the cost?
At least you don't mind giving someone like Abby your money. I'll tell you, I spent a ton of money at donnie's because his prices were realistic and I bought so much I got a bit of a discount. Too bad he couldn't keep his gear in stock, but you can't run a tackle shop through out the winter paying big money for rent because there are no good ice fishing opportunities in this area thanks to DNRE and their lack of funding. Doiron's stays in business because it has multiple product lines that provides income all year around. If you want to make money selling tackle in a high traffic/high rent shop, you have to have something to sell in the off season. Or make own your own building that you can rent part out to pay the bills until the spring.
I always left Dunc's with something, even if it was for free. I did spend a fair bit on materials since he usually had, or could get that specific 40 year old discontinued streamer hook or proper hackle with just the right amount of webbing. After Dunc passed I lost interest in fly tying. Bryant Freeman is an equally good fella, but he's a bit out of the way for me (1.5hr drive) Sometime after I get my landcruiser completed and my house fixed up I'll get back into tying if everything isn't rotten or moth eaten. Oh ya, after 6-7yrs of tying my allergies got worse and I couldn't tie flies without having sneezing fits, so I might have some good stuff to sell in the future! Artificial materials will have to do I guess.
i just replaced that "gold" reel with a large bait runner reel. we haven't mentioned them here yet, so this looks like the section to go over them.
a bait runner reel will normaly have two drag systems or settings. the first is the regular drag, normally front mounted. the second is the "bait runner" that is a much lighter drag system or it allows a complete free spool in some reels, normaly this is mounted on the back of the reel. most will have a thumb switch so you can instantly switch from one to the other drags. this lets you run cut or live bait on a very light drag, so you can keep it where you want and yet it allows the big fish to take the bait without felling the resistance of the drag and rod. this can some times mean they will take the bait deep, which you have to watch to avoid(circle/octopus hooks help with this) but most importantly, they take the bait! lol, i don't let them take it far. this is the best way to run live bait like eels or suckers, either on bottom, suspending and/or balloning (the ballon act like a big bobber, keeping the bait above cover and structure, moving with the wind, making a tempting target. i have done the same with cut bait and even swim baits and cranks.) hook ups can be tricky, try to make sure they still have preasure on, and try not to set the hook if using circle hooks.
a bait runner reel will normaly have two drag systems or settings. the first is the regular drag, normally front mounted. the second is the "bait runner" that is a much lighter drag system or it allows a complete free spool in some reels, normaly this is mounted on the back of the reel. most will have a thumb switch so you can instantly switch from one to the other drags. this lets you run cut or live bait on a very light drag, so you can keep it where you want and yet it allows the big fish to take the bait without felling the resistance of the drag and rod. this can some times mean they will take the bait deep, which you have to watch to avoid(circle/octopus hooks help with this) but most importantly, they take the bait! lol, i don't let them take it far. this is the best way to run live bait like eels or suckers, either on bottom, suspending and/or balloning (the ballon act like a big bobber, keeping the bait above cover and structure, moving with the wind, making a tempting target. i have done the same with cut bait and even swim baits and cranks.) hook ups can be tricky, try to make sure they still have preasure on, and try not to set the hook if using circle hooks.
i got asked about leaders last night, so i thought i would give it my 2 cents here. our fishing set up for stripers is actualy very similar to that used for tarpon. we use leader to handle the sharp gill plates, needle sharp barbs, razor edged structure, vampire fanged teeth (blue fish), and as a shock absorber and soft stretch for better hook ups for braid.
most times, when using 30# or heavier main line, i don't use a leader, unless there has/is blue fish acttivity, when i will step up to either 40-50# floro/ co-polamar or 75-125# steel leader.
if using lighter main line from shore or normal boat, i would suggest 2-4' of 30-50# floro, co-polamar or mono leader. try to avoid wire leader, stripers don't like it much and most of them are only 35# at best.
when using braid, i would suggest 3-4' of mono or co-polarmar, this gives good protection form gill plates and some stretch to help with hook ups, especialy using cranks. a common braid set up that has become popular is called a hot shot. the idea here is to use braid for backing, and a lot of it, and 100-200 yrds of mono in front of that, connecting to the lure, most consider this the beat of both worlds, and this is how they fish for even bigger game fish like bill fish. it allows the soft bite for a good hook up and a ton of line in case it desides to go zooming off some where, like the next postal code....
when kayak fishing for stripers i use from 17-25# main line, and only when blue fish are here do i use any leader. this is an exceptionm because it's hard enough to break off striper line from a kayak, even to cut it speedily, and i would rather be safe than drown. i have only lost 3 fish due to this, and it was all due to jagged structure.
one thing to watch for is connecting the main line to the leader with a swivel or snap swivel. it's a bad idea in most cases for stripers because we are fishing at night and i have seen a number of top eye's broken by reeling up to the swivel over and over, eventualy breaking the ceramic incert - a reel pain! some times you can't avoid this danger (like using a planer board, blues, etc.), so try to keep it in mind and don't reel the leader right into the rod, leave about a foot of main line down - this will also help with casting distance.
if you don't have or can't find heavy line, doubling or tripling the line works well to, it just takes more work.
most times, when using 30# or heavier main line, i don't use a leader, unless there has/is blue fish acttivity, when i will step up to either 40-50# floro/ co-polamar or 75-125# steel leader.
if using lighter main line from shore or normal boat, i would suggest 2-4' of 30-50# floro, co-polamar or mono leader. try to avoid wire leader, stripers don't like it much and most of them are only 35# at best.
when using braid, i would suggest 3-4' of mono or co-polarmar, this gives good protection form gill plates and some stretch to help with hook ups, especialy using cranks. a common braid set up that has become popular is called a hot shot. the idea here is to use braid for backing, and a lot of it, and 100-200 yrds of mono in front of that, connecting to the lure, most consider this the beat of both worlds, and this is how they fish for even bigger game fish like bill fish. it allows the soft bite for a good hook up and a ton of line in case it desides to go zooming off some where, like the next postal code....
when kayak fishing for stripers i use from 17-25# main line, and only when blue fish are here do i use any leader. this is an exceptionm because it's hard enough to break off striper line from a kayak, even to cut it speedily, and i would rather be safe than drown. i have only lost 3 fish due to this, and it was all due to jagged structure.
one thing to watch for is connecting the main line to the leader with a swivel or snap swivel. it's a bad idea in most cases for stripers because we are fishing at night and i have seen a number of top eye's broken by reeling up to the swivel over and over, eventualy breaking the ceramic incert - a reel pain! some times you can't avoid this danger (like using a planer board, blues, etc.), so try to keep it in mind and don't reel the leader right into the rod, leave about a foot of main line down - this will also help with casting distance.
if you don't have or can't find heavy line, doubling or tripling the line works well to, it just takes more work.
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