Fly reel question

Willi wrote:



Ken Fortenberry wrote:

bassrecord wrote:

...
PS: In 58 years I've NEVER caught a crappie on a fly rod. Perhaps
others
can help.



A fly rod is not my tool of choice for crappie. The crappie rig
I use is a 5'6" ultralight spinning rod, an ultralight spinning
reel spooled with 4lb test and a 1/32 or 1/64 oz. bucktail jig.
A crappie take is VERY subtle, you want as little between your
rod tip and the jig as possible and 30 feet of 4lb test is much
littler than 30 feet of tippet and fly line.


That's why suspending a fly below an indicator/bobber is so good.

When I used to spin fish for them I used small jigs suspended below a
tiny bobber. If the Crappie are relatively shallow, I think you'll do
better with a suspended jig or fly than fishing one in the conventional
manner. Crappie seem to like a suspended bait and the bobber/indicator
also helps with their soft takes.

But if you use a bobber, you have to know what depth to set it.
With a slow sink jig you can fish the entire column until you
find the right depth and then easily put the jig back in the
feeding zone just by counting down.

--
Ken Fortenberry

Ken Fortenberry wrote:



But if you use a bobber, you have to know what depth to set it.

That's true but my experience is that Crappies will come up to take a
bait/lure/fly but don't like to go down to take one. They also seem to
prefer a fly/lure that just "sits" there over one that is being retrieved.


With a slow sink jig you can fish the entire column until you
find the right depth and then easily put the jig back in the
feeding zone just by counting down.



But you can't keep it at that level anywhere as well as when suspended.
I think the main thing is that the presentation is different with the
fly/lure being suspended. Crappie do like it. If you find Crappie in
water less than 10 feet, I think you'd find that you'd catch 2 to 1 or
better with a suspended fly/lure than with one being retrieved normally.
If there's ANY kind of chop on the water, the fly fishes itself and
you'll get most takes with the the rig just sitting there. You retrieve
just to put the rig in a different area. Just like fishing with a bobber
and a worm when you were a kid!

Willi

Willi wrote:
Ken Fortenberry wrote:
With a slow sink jig you can fish the entire column until you
find the right depth and then easily put the jig back in the
feeding zone just by counting down.

But you can't keep it at that level anywhere as well as when suspended.

True, but you really don't need to. Once you've found the feeding
zone all you have to do is let the jig sink slightly beneath it
and then slowly jig your jig through it. (Hmmm, I wonder why they
call it a jig ? ;-) You'll catch a crappie more often than not.

In southern Illinois the crappie school up, once you find the
school and the feeding zone you can catch 50 fish in an hour.

--
Ken Fortenberry

Ken Fortenberry wrote:

Willi wrote:

Ken Fortenberry wrote:

With a slow sink jig you can fish the entire column until you
find the right depth and then easily put the jig back in the
feeding zone just by counting down.


But you can't keep it at that level anywhere as well as when suspended.


True, but you really don't need to. Once you've found the feeding
zone all you have to do is let the jig sink slightly beneath it
and then slowly jig your jig through it. (Hmmm, I wonder why they
call it a jig ? ;-) You'll catch a crappie more often than not.

In southern Illinois the crappie school up, once you find the
school and the feeding zone you can catch 50 fish in an hour.


It's just another technique that presents your fly/lure in a different
way. I'm guessing you've never tried it. Give if it try when you're only
catching an occassional Crappie with a standard rig. I've found it's
very appealing to Crappie.

Willi

Willi wrote:

It's just another technique that presents your fly/lure in a different
way. I'm guessing you've never tried it. Give if it try when you're only
catching an occassional Crappie with a standard rig. I've found it's
very appealing to Crappie.

You don't have the patience to be a good Crappie fisherman, Willi. :-)

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

Willi wrote:
Ken Fortenberry wrote:
... and then slowly jig your jig through it.

It's just another technique that presents your fly/lure in a different
way. I'm guessing you've never tried it. ...

I've suspended minnows beneath a bobber fishing for crappie but
surely you don't expect an eltist to do the same with a bucktail
jig. ;-)

--
Ken Fortenberry

Ken Fortenberry wrote:

Willi wrote:

Ken Fortenberry wrote:

... and then slowly jig your jig through it.


It's just another technique that presents your fly/lure in a different
way. I'm guessing you've never tried it. ...


I've suspended minnows beneath a bobber fishing for crappie but
surely you don't expect an eltist to do the same with a bucktail
jig. ;-)

Actually I'd suggest a marabou one - more action with a static approach
like that. And a tiny bobber, just big enough to suspend the jig.

Willi