I met John R tonight and we talked for a little while and then he showed me some of his gear/sweet compared to what I'm using ---like Im in the stone age// my question is ---if you have a mystery trip for schoolies, what kind of rod /reel should I have,size, spin or convential what is the standard weight of the lures, Im coming to the show next week planning to buy gear, from rod & reel to korkers,even need lures, the ones tal.ked about on this sight and SOL I proably dont own except the poppers and various lead heads, For sure Ill need Teasers, I really dont want to buy two setups. but after being with John tonight and seeing his gear I need help I dont plan on fishing the Ditch or slinging 3/5 oz plugs something that could handle the small plugs/lures/ leadheads yet I need something that could sling eels// Im all set from boat //this is from shore gear// anyone else that can help it will be appreciated ,Ihave about ten days //then off the pot///later

Hi Clamdigger,
What you will need is just the basics to get started, don't go crazy right away. if you are a spin fisherman which I am as I don't have time for backlashes when the fish are going nuts.
I use a 7 ft medium heavy 1 piece rod, the one I have is a Penn Power Graph, I love this rod, I have a couple of them, they will hold up to 10-17lb test line and will throw up to 1 oz lure. For schoolie fishing this is a great rod, and not crazy expensive. The reels I use are the Shimano Spirex 4000, this makes a perfect balanced set up for light tackle fishing, we also have 4, 7ft custom 1 piece rods basically built the same way, set up with Diawa 4000 Zia reels. For a baitcasting set up, Baitcaster uses a 8 ft St croix Tidemaster rod, rated to 3/4 oz with a Shimano Calcutta 400. He loves it also.
The other rods we use alot are our 9ft custom built spinning rods, made by Rod Builders Workshop down in Plymouth, he builds a beautiful rod, nice and light, fast tip, will throw up to 2 -3 oz. The reels we have on those are the Diawa 4000 Sia. Great balance and you can throw this all day, also use it for eels.

As for the bigger rods we each have custom made 11' rods for pluggin the big water, set up with Shimano 4500 Baitrunner on mine and baitcaster has on old spiros reel on his.

As for line, I strickly use 14lb fireline on my 7' rod, I have used it for about 4 years now and will not go back to mono. I do use mono on my 9' and 11'. Baitcaster only uses mono, doesn't like the other lines yet!!! Mono's that we use, Berkley Big Game "green", or Silver thread.

Lures, there are so many to choose from, but there are only a few that you might want to pick up to start with, some of our most productive lures are, Chrome creek chub 3/4 oz, this one is leathal. Yo-Zuri Mag popper 1 oz "sardine patern". Gag's grabber Poppers, and rattling bunker. Gibbs pencil poppers 1oz
"red head-white body", or black for night time. The gibbs small Polaris Popper in white or yellow is also very good. I use 3/8 oz jig heads and all pearl with blue fleck shads, the ones we use are called queen cocichos, they are hard to find but berkley makes them, they call theirs the power mullet and they do make them in pearl. As for metal, the "shorty Hopkins" the small one. These work great on a really sunny morning. As for swimmers, the Gag's mambo, in either the herring pattern or the olive is great for dusk and dawn, the black is excellent on a dark night.

Always remember no matter what setup you have balanced tackle is key to great casting and fighting of the fish, no matter how much or how little you spend on it, and never throw a lure which is weighted heavier than what the rod is rated for, unless you know you can get away with it, otherwise all you will end up doing most of the time is snapping it off and having to by a new one.

I will be glad to go around with you at the show and give you a hand, just stop buy our booth and I will take a little break. If you are looking for some great deals the show is the place to get them. Hope this wasn't to confusing Clamdigger, and I hope it helped, see you at the show.

This got printed....I'm going shopping! :)

You Go Jenn!!!!!!

Fisherwomen what is your booth as the MSBA? I assume that is the show you guys are talking about. I am working that Saturday, but will ty to get there on Sunday.

Hey Specialist, that would be Bill & Jul's Shore fishing guide service, do we know each other?

I don't think we do. Hopefully we can meet on sunday. I heard that you tie your own flies and I hope that you will have some for sale with you. I just bought my first fly rod and need to get some flies.

Yes Specialist I will have some available at the show.

hmmm.......fisherwoman.......by chance you in the business of fly-fishing lessons for those who have always wanted to try it out????

Hey jenn, sorry fly fishing I have never tried, but would like to learn myself. Just teaching light tackle fishing, all of the how's, when & were's and the do's and don't's.

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