Sunshine State Fishing

Once a fish is hooked, the spin-fisherman is faced with almost the same circumstances as the fly angler, but he does have the advantage that he can quickly retrieve line and consequently fish, especially large fish, can be more adequately fought.

Always remember, before making your first cast of the day, to adjust the drag. Drag is nothing more than an arrangement whereby a hooked fish can take line without breaking it, while the excited angler continues to reel.

Most spinning reel drag systems are composed of a friction nut that bears against the reel spool. The tighter it is turned down, the heavier the drag and vice-versa. Set your drag by stripping line from the reel spool. If in doubt, it is far better to set your drag too light than too heavy. Under no circumstances should you attempt to adjust your drag while fighting a fish. The excitement of fighting a fish, usually causes an angler to adjust the drag too tight, resulting in a lost fish or broken line.

Through the years and since the inception of spinning tackle in the U.S., more fish of large proportions have fallen to anglers employing spinning tackle than with all other methods combined. No other fishing method offers such adaptability to all-around fishing. Spinning anglers today are offered a wide variety of lures and water the fly fisherman never dreamed of approaching, can be easily reached with the spinning rod.

On the trout scene, spinning tackle is best adapted to early season, high water angling where the fly fisherman has difficulty reaching all the spots. It is also tops for big water stream fishing as well as for lake and pond fishing.

It's our opinion that trout do not strike these flashy spinners and spoons under the impression they are natural food. They strike them out of "annoyance". The "flash" of a spinner near a trout's lair stirs it to anger and it will strike out in defense of its territory.

Also, when fishing large bodies of water, remember the effectiveness of the weighted bucktail or streamer fly for your spinning outfit. Big trout prefer to feed on minnows and a properly placed streamer or bucktail will readily account for these giant minnow feeders.

Now grab that spinning outfit, a handful of fishing lures, and go terrorize the local fish population!

Denis Gardner has been an avid fisherman for 30 years. He is self taught and traveled extensively throughout Alaska and Canada. His expertise covers all freshwater fishing species. You can check out his newly formed website at http://thefishinglodge.com/ If you have any questions don?t hesitate to email him at webmaster@thefishinglodge.com

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