schoolie tackle

[CANAL RAT]

i want to do schoolie fishing this spring in the agawam river what are some schoolie tackle set ups rod,reel,line,lures.bait??

thanks

[basswipe]

I guess it never hurts to think ahead.

I currently use 6'6" Ugly Stik Lite with a Penn 4500ss.I'm probably gonna switch over to a Shimano Spheros 4000.

Jigs of all sorts work well.Storm Shads,Sluggos and other similar plastics.Kastmasters and Crippled Herrings.Many of the lures you use now will work,just think smaller.

I don't claim to be an expert but I did alright this spring with the above mentioned tackle and plugs,especially the Kastmasters and Crippled Herrings.

[CANAL RAT]

could i just use one of those cheap cabelas inshore combos i heard of drifting seaworms for schoolies

[bart]

why not just use little jigs and rubber like already suggested? more fun and less likely you'll gut-hook a juvenile fish

[missing link]

Originally posted by bart
why not just use little jigs and rubber like already suggested? more fun and less likely you'll gut-hook a juvenile fish

fish in the agawam suck thoes 4 in storms all the way down.... but there isent any fish there anyways.....

[CANAL RAT]

Originally posted by bart
why not just use little jigs and rubber like already suggested? more fun and less likely you'll gut-hook a juvenile fish

they do sell small circle hooks ya know

[bart]

whoah, sor-ry there pal

[CANAL RAT]

Originally posted by bart
whoah, sor-ry there pal

[Nebe]

my dream schoolie setup would be a 7 ft G-loomis paired with a VS-150

[riverrat2]

Stradic 5000, with a 7 1/2 crowder rated 1/4-1 1/2oz. Load it up with 30lb power pro. Weightless slug-o's in black or pearl is all you need. Oh yeah and zara spooks.

[Clammer]

JEEZ -I,ve caught a few schoolies //I have 3 completely different setups /that always are there ////////////

[new jack]

go light and have some fun, 2000 stardic with a 6 1/2 compre light action. with 10lb powerpro. I have no problems with this set up and have caught fish up 36".

[Young Salt]

I use a 7' intercoastal ugly stick - stradic 5000 - 20 lb fireline.

[Christian]

i use my freshwater set up. one of those inexpensive abu cardinal set-ups. 8 pound mono. tie to a 2 ft piece of 12pound for leader. you can cast 1/2 jigheads wicked far. same with little poppers. and when you hook up, its awsome. the biggest ive got on this set up was like 30+ inches and i still had plenty of line left. big bluefish can cause some problems though.

[RayC]

I use a 7' tsunami airwave rod paired with a shimano spheros 4000fa spinning reel spooled with 30lb pp.

[Vogt]

7.5 foot Star Stellar Lite w/ Penn 4400ss

[onsetangler]

I use a 5000 stradic paired with a 7ft. st. croix premier ml. My dad used a 2500 stradic and a lighter st. croix rod. Both very servicable setups, I use mine for albies as well.

[Vogt]

I actually used to have one of the 7ft. Premier Croix's. Nice rod, but a bit too stiff for my liking.

[onsetangler]

Originally Posted by Vogt

I actually used to have one of the 7ft. Premier Croix's. Nice rod, but a bit too stiff for my liking.

Would agree with that, however I find when I throw lure that are towards the high end of the rating it has little to no effect. I tend to throw alot of smaller tins and crystal minnows as well as rattle traps. But if you are throwing lighter baits, cocachoes etc. it may be slightly stiff.

[plankton]

My favorite schoolie setup is a 7' St Croix Premier rated 1/8 - 1/2 with a Penn 430ssg loaded with 6# Fireline, great fun for the little estuary fish up here on the North Shore. Throws 4" Fin-S with a 1/4 oz. head/ 1/2 oz. Crippled Herring/smallest X-Rap, as far as you need to. I can also recommend a Abu 4600 with 10 or 15# Stealth, I've got mine on an 6.5' All Star Select rated 1/4 - 3/4, great setup, surprises me that the 4600 is not a more popular reel.

[Sgt_Nutz]

Been fishing a 7' intercoastal ugly stick w/a Penn 4400 & 30lb Power Pro for years now. Caught up to a 39" keeper on that setup. An 8' Tica w/a Stradic 4000 has been my #2 setup recently...

[RickBomba]

I actually go light like Christian.
6' Ugly Stick Lite and 4300 ss with 14# Fireline, been my goto freshwater rod for 10 years and I use it every spring for schoolies.
Got a small keeper on it one year, awsome!
Later,
Rick

[Chefskeez6]

I've never fished the agawam but if you have room to cast - meaning no trees or bushes on the shoreline behind you - take a look at Salmon/Steelhead rods. I personally love the St Croix avid series 9ft MH. I use a Quantum Cabo 40 with 20 lb suffix braid. St Croix just came out with a heavy action that is rated to 25lb test and 2 ounce lures which I think would make a decent rod for both schoolie action and beach fishing for larger fish where structure (like rocks lobster traps etc) is not an issue and you have room to play the fish.

The nice thing about the salmon/steelhead rods is casting distance factor. You stick a 1/2 - 1 ounce Kast master on 20 lb braid on the above set up and you would be very suprised how far you can launch it and you can still cast weightless rubber fairly well which is good for albies.

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by Chefskeez6

The nice thing about the salmon/steelhead rods is casting distance factor. You stick a 1/2 - 1 ounce Kast master on 20 lb braid on the above set up and you would be very suprised how far you can launch it and you can still cast weightless rubber fairly well which is good for albies.

Distance isn't a factor where he'd be fishing-anything longer than 7-8 feet is overkill. Cast too far and you'll be trying to free a small shad from reeds and bullrushes on the other side

[basswipe]

My latest EARLY season set up is a 7' Tsunami Airwave rod with the older cabelas Saltstriker reel(SS30).Light as a feather and is one of the best sub $100 investments I've made in awhile.

[Redsoxticket]

8 ft. Star Stellar Lite w/ Spheros 4000.

[thortum]

You've gotten almost 30 different replies, all different all good. I don't know the area you fishing, but as Mike P said,"anything over 7-8 feet is overkill. If your not making long cast, I'd go with spinning gear. Med action, med weight rod 3/8 to 1oz. Fire line,15-20lb.[or something similar], small jigs, small plastic baits, etc. I personally like a 7' rod because I can lower the rod tip to work baits more effectively. p.s.-bend the barbs down. Med. rod-constant pressure-you won't lose many fish.