fishing the junk

[backlash 1]

This year I would like to try what big Al calls fishing the junk (back in the lilly pads). I need some advice on what is the proper set up for this type of fishing?

Yesterday on Als show he was using texas rigged creatures and big jig and craws, and doing short underhand type pitches, and was using a Shamino super free reel.. My questions are:

What is the difference between super free, and a reel with a flipping switch, and is one of them necessary to do this type of pitching.

Also , what length and action rod would be good for this type of fishing?

Lastly, what test line would you use?

I do have 2 baitcasters, an old Diawa Millionare, and a Cabella Megaroyal, and i'm not sure if they would work out for this or not. Any advice would be helpful.

[sami0115]

in the Shimano line of reels "super-free" means that the reel has a whiffle spool, it has nothing to do with a flippin' switch. the super-free feature helps the line come off real smooth.

when workin' the junk i use a Falcon Cara 7'10" rod. it is a very heavy setup, on it i have a Shimano Curado reel. the line that i feel works the best is Power Pro 50 lb. this line will hold up exceptionally well in heavy cover. if the fish take you down into the junk you should have almost no problems pulling them out.

when working the heavy cover in the morning i like to use scumfrogs, but as the sun gets higher in the sky i would shift to plastics or jig-n-pigs. i like to work the scum frogs thru the pads, pausing in the open pockets. make sure if you hook a fish that you get the fish up on top as fast as you can. the heavy rod and line will help with that. some people like to use low gear ratio reels thinking that they have more cranking power, but you are actually fighting the fish with the rod. the reel is just collecting line, so high speed reels are more effective.

i am familiar with the Diawa Millionaire, you could use it as a starting point, but i think you will find that i would be hard to cast or pitch with it. take a look at the Shimano Curado Super-Free, is is a great reel for the money.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Backlash- The main difference between a Shiamno reel with Super Free and one that doesnt is how the spool is attached to the reel once the button is depresed for casting. When the reel is being reeled in they are the exact same, however during a cast they are supported in the reel quite differently. The Super Free reel is just that.. more free and able to cast further distances. Some Super Free reels have a wiffle spool... some do not. Some have a flipping switch, some do not.

I am not familiar with the other reels you mentioned. For a lot of my slop fishing I have the Shimano Castaic SF. This reel is quite easy to cast.. pretty much the exact same reel as the Curado SF, but has a flipping switch for times I want to flip the slop.

[sami0115]

Deitz, thanks for correcting me. i based my comments on bad information. i have a few of the super-free reels and all of mine have a whiffle spool, so i just assumed.

[sami0115]

i took this right off the Shimano web-site regarding Super-Free:

SF was designed to eliminate friction on the spool shaft during the cast. In standard baitcasting reels, when the clutch bar is pressed down, the pinion gear is freed and actually can drag on the spool shaft creating friction that can limit the length of a cast. With SF the pinion gear is supported by a ball bearing so that when the clutch is disengaged in preparation for a cast, the pinion gear and spool shaft are kept in perfect alignment. The result is zero friction upon the spool shaft.

[Deitz Dittrich]

sami-dont look at it as me correcting you.. I didn't mean it that way. To be most honest most of Shimano's reels that have SF do have wifle spools..but there are a few that dont. Thanks for getting that information off the shimano site...

[sami0115]

no offense taken at all.

[grip-em+rip-em]

I find myself in the slop alot, especially early in the year. I like to use a moss boss, and skip it through the pads. The open spots in the pads are usually where the action is. I like to cast several feet by the open spot and work the bait over the top of the open spot. More times then not the fish will follow and smash it in the opening. I also like to work the bait over the same open spot from different angles.

[st.crioxfishin]

some good info here already!

I use a 7'MH st.croix avid rod for fishing the slop. I have a pflueger trion reel spooled with 40lb spiderwire original braid on it. Last year i fished slop a lot and it rewarded me and a friend of mine the biggest bass we've ever caught. Its a great place to fish and can be very productinve on those hot summer days. When the air temp gets into the 90's and really heats up the water, it is a few degrees cooler under all that junk and the bass feel it.

I had my best luck last yr pitching black/blue 4" tubes, but there is such a variety of soft plastics and jigs out there today that you should try whatever you think would work at the time, experiment with different lures.

Good luck this summer!

[backlash 1]

Thanks guys. I really don't quite understand the difference between the super free spools and the flipping switch option though. I do understand that the super free is a little to pricey ($150.) for the amount i'd maybe use it. I saw a Cabella Prodigy caster with flipping switch, 7 bb's, "AND" a 7' MH fish eagle 11 rod for $129. Would this be a good compromise? Or should I just work a little harder and get the Shimano SF?

[st.crioxfishin]

The flippin switch is a switch on the reel that you can set, so when you press down the thumb bar and take your thumb off of it again it pops right back up. Instead of the thumb bar staying down like if you were to cast long distance, it comes back up. So when you are flipping you can press down the bar pull out the line needed and then just take your thumb off the bar and not have to reel the handle to engage the bar to come back up. I could be wrong about this, but I believe thats what the flippin switch is, Dietz? anyone else? correct me if I'm wrong.

I believe the Super free spool just means that you are going to get better casting distance than you would with just a regular reel. Theres less friction thus letting you cast farther.

Also, If you do have a good pitchin or flippin rod already I would save up for one of those shimano's, I've heard good things about them. Also check out Plfueger, Diawa, and Quantum. Although I say this, a lot of it is how comfortable you feel with it as well, so I'd say if you feel comfortable with the ones you have use em, or maybe check out that cabelas prodigy, I've read some good things about that one too.

[Deitz Dittrich]

St.Croixfishin is correct.

A flipping switch on most reels when you press down on them you can let line out and then when you take your thumb off it will go back to its original position for a hook set. Its quite a bit different on a shimano in that you can press the button down like normal and make a normal cast if you would like and then push the thumb button back up with your thumb to engage the reel without turning the handle.

As for which one would be best for you.. thats your decision. Maybe go into a store and check them each out and decide which one feels best in your hand.

And yes.. Super free just means you have the ability to have longer casts... the spool spins freer.

[sami0115]

in my opinion if you really want to be precise with pitching you need to spend the money to get a good reel. i mentioned the Shimano Super-Free which i really like but there are plenty of other good choices out there. bottom line is you need a good reel to pitch well. the super free technology by Shimano helps the line come off very smooth. see above for previous post about Super-Free technology. i don't do any flipping so i have not found a need for a reel with a flipping switch, but if you want to flip you really should look for a reel with the switch on it. flippin' doesn't really involve the line coming off the reel while you are doing it so i don't think the super-free technology would be an advantage while doing this.

here is a segment i found about flippin'

The advantages of flippin' lie in the fact that they allow the angler to precisely place lures into pockets or openings in weed lines or floating mats. In some cases, flippin' will allow you to present baits right through the top of cover. A typical flippin' outfit consists of a telescoping rod ranging from 7-1/2 feet to 9 feet in length.

Any baitcasting reel may be used, however, those models featuring a thumb bar or flippin' switch are preferred by experienced flippers. Flippin' typically limits the angler to presenting the bait within 15 feet of the boat.

Flippin' itself consists of taking a length of line with your weak hand and pulling it backward while simultaneously lowering the rod tip. This lifts the lure towards the rod tip.

Once the lure is pulled back, you flip the rod tip upward, which sends the lure outward. You use your weak hand in combination with the rod to direct the line outward to place the lure into a pocket in the cover you are fishing. This pendulum-like motion takes some practice to get accustomed to, but most anglers can learn the fundamentals of the technique within an hour.

[backlash 1]

Thanks for the info guys. I almost had myself sold on something before I even understood what it was.

Sami,very good description of pitching and flipping, and yeah, I probably would not do that much flipping either. Looks like my next caster will be a SF.

Small lakes are starting to get pretty dark up here!

[sami0115]

Backlash... if you want to have a blast pitchin' for big largemouth you should head over to Leech this summer. i was there last year in August. we caught 30 bass, the smallest was a fat 2 lbs and the biggest was about 4 lbs. all of the fish were caught in shallow heavy cover. if you want i can let you know where to try, or i could meet you over there for a day of fishing.

i know you will really love the Shimano if thats what you decide to get.

[backlash 1]

Sami,

A 30 bass day would be a great day!!! I caught a 5 pounder as a kid, and have released a couple 4#+fish the last couple years, but my goal this year is to catch another 5# bass.

I am always interested in learning new water and new methods, so give me a hollar and we'll put something together. backlash@brainerd dot net