Buying fishing gear! (BUMPED) FISHING BATTER! - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

GreenLantern · 04-13-2009, 01:42 PM

I know we have a lot of avid anglers on this site and I am curious what their favourite rod/reel combination is.

I am looking to buy an upgrade from my Ugly Stick/Shakspeare $100 combo I bought 4 years ago. I don't want to spend anything over $200 because there is a good chance it could get broken or lost, we do more drinking than fishing.

I am also in the market for new rain gear, curious what people here feel works best for consistent days of boating around the lake. Basically what are the top brands for rain gear, because I usually buy the $10 CT specials that rip halfway through day 1.

Lets talk lures as well

Every fisherman has his secrets, but what is your favourite lure? I will start:

The Rapala Shallow Shad Rap

Trolling with this rattler never seems to fail me. This is its ideal use but I have also caught with consistently casting as well. This is the exact skin, although there are some pretty cool ones I have yet to try.

http://www.rapala.com/products/lures...shorsalt=Fresh

Ok I am updating this old thread, and bumping it since we are more into fishing season. Lets hear your #1 recipes for cooking fish and your batter used.

One of my favourites is on the BBQ, with a pan that has holes in the bottom.. like this:

Take the fish with flour, seasoning salt, lemon peppar and salt, batter it all up then throw it in. As it cooks most of the grease just fries right out, then you constantly squeeze fresh lemons over top on to the fish. When it is done you can eat it like finger food, and is delic!

Lets hear yours now!

GoinAllTheWay · 04-13-2009, 01:47 PM

Wierd, I haven't had a lot of luck with the Rapalas. Don't get me wrong, I have caught fish with them but a massive bulk of my catches seem to be with the good ol spoon. Yellow 5 of Diamonds or even the pure silver ones greatly out perform any Rapala I have in my tackle box and I have a ton of them.

The spoons seem to catch everything, good reliable lure. That being said, I will try out the one you suggest.

In terms of rod/real, I'm in the market myself. Not sure what to recommend so will watch this thread for sure. The only must have I have with reals is a trigger cast.

Slava · 04-13-2009, 01:52 PM

IF I fish with a spinning rod (barely ever as my friends and I consider that cheating!), my favorite lure is the Rapala jointed. I can't recall the name of the pattern, but its a 6-7" silver fish....basically never fails!

Berger_4_ · 04-13-2009, 02:44 PM

I too am in the boat

of those looking for a new rod/reel. I think I'm gonna head out to that Bass Pro Shop place and see if I can find something decent for this year. Any recommendations would be appreciated!

GoinAllTheWay, I agree with you. There's nothing better than a good ol' five of diamonds. I don't understand why that thing can catch fish so consistently, but it does, and I love that.

GreenLantern · 05-19-2009, 11:01 AM

Bumped and revised the original post for the fishing season.

Flacker · 05-19-2009, 11:10 AM

This thing is golden for the Bow. If I am up for cheating. (Fly fishing is always so much more satisfying)
Rapala Countdown
Color: Brown Trout
Sizes: CD09, CD07

Cast upstream aprox 45 degrees, allow it to drift into a downstream arc and start reeling (fast retreive).

This will get you tons of whitefish and browns these days. (The bulk of the rainbows will be up the Highwood system spawning).

This thing will bounce the bottom once in a while so differentiating between a strike and a weed will take a little practice.

Fishing this lure in a good location has always netted me at least a couple of Rockies.

Good luck!

chummer · 05-19-2009, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flacker

This thing is golden for the Bow. If I am up for cheating. (Fly fishing is always so much more satisfying)
Rapala Countdown
Color: Brown Trout
Sizes: CD09, CD07

Cast upstream aprox 45 degrees, allow it to drift into a downstream arc and start reeling (fast retreive).

This will get you tons of whitefish and browns these days. (The bulk of the rainbows will be up the Highwood system spawning).

This thing will bounce the bottom once in a while so differentiating between a strike and a weed will take a little practice.

Fishing this lure in a good location has always netted me at least a couple of Rockies.

Good luck!

Thanks,can you recommend some good locations?

LGA · 05-19-2009, 03:54 PM

I've got to be the laziest fisherman in Calgary, there's the Bow and so many locations you can fish from...but I go to the Reservoir because it's by my house. I wish they'd throw some walleye in the Res, then at least I could call it the Predator Res.

KevanGuy · 05-19-2009, 04:27 PM

How is fishing in the reservoir? I;m getting back into fishing here and was just checking it out online. Are there good places to cast along North Glenmore?

LGA · 05-19-2009, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevanGuy

How is fishing in the reservoir? I;m getting back into fishing here and was just checking it out online. Are there good places to cast along North Glenmore?

Not too sure over the last few years, it used to be pretty good around the docks by Heritage Park (tons of perch from what I remember, and some decent pike), and along the sailing docks around Oakridge.

I've caught some pretty good trout in the Res too, I know they have whitefish.

As for North Glenmore, I assume it's like the rest of the Res, find a spot with a dropoff/overhang or lots of weeds, maybe bring along a good pair of polarized sun glasses and start going at 'er. From what I remember it wasn't really a finesse place, these fish are pretty ready to strike, I suggest finding a place with some dock or something. They say you're not supposed to fish off of them, but if you go later in the evening when there's less boating traffic most people don't care.

troutman · 05-19-2009, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevanGuy

How is fishing in the reservoir? I;m getting back into fishing here and was just checking it out online. Are there good places to cast along North Glenmore?

A lot of people fish around the Glenmore causeway. Also, just below the Dam in the Elbow River.

Flacker · 05-30-2009, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chummer

Thanks,can you recommend some good locations?

Any water with character between the wier and carseland dam will potentially hold fish. Character would be any areas with distinct changes in depth, current, or speed. Seams are areas where fast current meets slower water and are typically areas where fish will actively feed.

Displaced Flames fan · 05-30-2009, 05:26 PM

I prefer sage fly rods. There are a lot of good reels out there. Favorite 'lure'?

It's money on the lower Swan River in Montana. Caddis are so prevalent, I wouldn't be surprised to hear it works well on Alberta streams as well.

Flacker · 06-01-2009, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flacker

Any water with character between the wier and carseland dam will potentially hold fish. Character would be any areas with distinct changes in depth, current, or speed. Seams are areas where fast current meets slower water and are typically areas where fish will actively feed.

Two 20+" Browns taken from the Policeman's Flats area cheating using the Rapala Countdown, got an 18" Brown on a Bow River Bugger on the fly rod as well. The river is still fishing very well for this time of year!

Berger_4_ · 06-12-2009, 09:05 AM

Bumpity bump bump. Headed out to Burnstick Lake for the first fishing excursion of the year...we'll see how she goes.

I'm headed into Bass Pro on Saturday and I've got a buddy who's been trying to convince me to switch over to a fly rod...now I mainly just fish out of a boat...so is it really worth it? He said it's way more fun but I dunno. What do you think?

Slava · 06-12-2009, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Berger_4_

Bumpity bump bump. Headed out to Burnstick Lake for the first fishing excursion of the year...we'll see how she goes.

I'm headed into Bass Pro on Saturday and I've got a buddy who's been trying to convince me to switch over to a fly rod...now I mainly just fish out of a boat...so is it really worth it? He said it's way more fun but I dunno. What do you think?

Fly fishing is way better. I had the exact same conversation with a friend of mine before I started. You catch more fish on the fly (because the fish sees the fly as food as opposed to a reason to attack another smaller fish) and the fight is way better. If he has a rod for you to try it out you should definitely give it a shot!

I've never been a huge fisherman from a boat though, so maybe my thoughts are a little skewed that way.

Berger_4_ · 06-12-2009, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slava

Fly fishing is way better. I had the exact same conversation with a friend of mine before I started. You catch more fish on the fly (because the fish sees the fly as food as opposed to a reason to attack another smaller fish) and the fight is way better. If he has a rod for you to try it out you should definitely give it a shot!

I've never been a huge fisherman from a boat though, so maybe my thoughts are a little skewed that way.

Yeah and that's all the fishing I do really...there aren't any good rivers anywhere around where I live...when we go we mostly just catch jack, pickerel and the odd perch.

Would a guy be able to land a ten pound jackfish with a fly rod? Those reels spin both ways right? Not like a 'conventional' reel that locks up...I was told you just pull the line in by hand if you're in a boat. Whether that's true or not I have no idea.

Slava · 06-12-2009, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Berger_4_

Yeah and that's all the fishing I do really...there aren't any good rivers anywhere around where I live...when we go we mostly just catch jack, pickerel and the odd perch.

Would a guy be able to land a ten pound jackfish with a fly rod? Those reels spin both ways right? Not like a 'conventional' reel that locks up...I was told you just pull the line in by hand if you're in a boat. Whether that's true or not I have no idea.

You could do it for sure. You can flyfish in the ocean and clearly a 10lb fish is not out of the question there! I have some flies specifically for Pike that I like to try out...top water for Pike is awesome. You just see a little swirl behind the fly/lure and then the mouth come up and take it! Fishing that way is so much cooler than just waiting until you feel the strike.

I pull a lot of fish in by gathering the line with my hands, but it depends on the size of the fish. You can set the drag on your reel (just like a spin fishing reel) to be more or less depending on the conditions.

If you're going on a boat though maybe you should try both for a while?

Berger_4_ · 06-12-2009, 12:38 PM

Yeah...I suppose I could just use my crappy old spin reel if I find I don't like using a fly rod in the boat...then I could have something to mess around with in the river if I ever make it too one haha.

Slava · 06-12-2009, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Berger_4_

Yeah...I suppose I could just use my crappy old spin reel if I find I don't like using a fly rod in the boat...then I could have something to mess around with in the river if I ever make it too one haha.

You can fly fish in lakes/ponds as well. If you live near one getting a float tube is a good option, and lots of guys are very successful with them.