My first choice in spinning reels for big game fish is hands down Fin-nor. Not the light plastic cheap ones but the all
metal Ahab series. The center shafts are larger and the drag washers are superior as well. I do have some older Penn metal
spinners but if you don't replace the bearings often enough,they will strip pinions as well. In the Penn's,everyother drag
washer is teflon. I should also note that I only use front drag reels. My buddy prefers Van Staal reels.Also extremely well
built but too pricey for me. For lighter saltwater spinners I like the Shimano metal reels such as the Symetre 4000. Still
not as tough as my Fin-nor Ahab #8. I use the Ahab #12 for live baiting large snook,cobia or tarpon. For trout I have old
Shimano level winds in the 12# class. Specifically,the Bantam mag xs100 and the xs10. These too are kept with fresh bearings
and worm gear winders are shimmed correctly. I have had all my same equipment for no less than 10 years and some for nearly
25.
Owner Hooks. Again,I learned about these hooks nearly 20 years ago and I rarely loose a fish with these. Tried the gammigotchyou's
which are good but the Owner's are a better value plus a better hook.
I haven't bought live bait in....in...hell,since I learned to throw a cast net about 30 years ago.Believe it or not,the
fish are there to eat what is there. I remember one time I went fishing with another good friend and he had me catch 100's
of greenbacks. They were medium sized and it was rather windy out. I happened to make one strike with the net where I caught
about 3 dozen 2" pinfish. He says,"you won't need those,you might as well throw those back".
There is nothing hardier than a pinfish when it is windy and you have to cast alot. I kept my stash of pinfish and don't
you know,the redfish wanted pinfish that day?They did not touch one greenback. "Hey man,hand me one of those","no can do,I
only kept 3 dozen". :) I did let him share them but I was never told to throw them back again.
Plugs. #1 favorite for Snook is the Bomber long A. Black and chrome with red eyes and rattles. After that is mirrolure
of several different schedules and colors.I have some hand carved ones that are also deadly when nothing else works. An old
Florida cracker showed me the pattern I use when we used to go "stir poling". I adapted the pattern for casting and have caught
my largest snook on this plug.It has a subtle clacker inside that is just the right pitch to totally piss off even the
most finicky fish.It's a top water ripping plug.No jerk baiting or walking. I use what I call a slash retrieve and it still
scares the crap out of me when I get nailed on it. I don't show it off or tell many about it. A promise I made to the man
that showed it to me many years ago. Probably why it is still so effective.
Plastics: The c-tails are hard to beat for trout although in the last few years I have had the best luck on trout with
the freshwater motor oil colored soft plastic crawfish. They look like a fat ass shrimp to a trout.I use these on sunny days.
Haven't used a rootbeer colored plastic since. Dark days I like the red jig heads with the white shad or c-tail bodies.
