03-04-2006, 12:42 PM
[cool][#0000ff]Hey Riley, Bigcat made some good points. You may be entering the realm of overkill. You will be prepared for the biggest cats in Utah Lake, but you may be restricting your enjoys.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I would say that med-heavy would be plenty. That is enough for big flatheads and blue cats, so it should tame even our largest channels. E-glass is good. It is more forgiving than pure graphite on large cats. You don't need to do a "Bill Dance" (broken rod) while rasslin' a biggun at boatside.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]My heaviest cat tackle is a medium heavy 7 1/2 foot stick with a standard baitcast reel from BPS...nothing fancy, but functional. I spool with 14# Excalibur line and seldom use hooks larger than 2/0 octopus. Sometimes I use circle hooks in 4/0 or larger, depending on the size and type bait I am chucking.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]For most of my cattin', I use a medium spinning rod and one of several decent medium sized reels loaded with 10# Excalibur. I actually catch more and bigger cats on that, than when I am targeting larger fish specifically. I have lost a couple of gorillas to the flooded tamarisks though.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I NEVER use weights. I always tie directly to my hook. A well tuned and adjusted baitcaster can huck a large kitty bait quite a ways. If you know how to use a revolving spool reel, and if you have your tension and magnetic controls adjusted right, there should be no problem with "professional overruns". And, if you are fishing on the water, from a boat, tube or toon, you shouldn't need to make long casts anyway, with proper positioning.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The decision one has to make is "quality or quantity". I am basically a light tackle kind of guy and enjoy catching lots of smaller fish on light tackle. I like a good battle and get no real enjoys out of winching in a fish overmatched by the tackle. I would rather catch more average sized fish, on lighter gear than to fish all night for one or two bites from the big boys.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The good news is that with a two pole permit, you can do both. And, if you are in the right spot, you can catch both numbers and the occasional biggun.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]If you have not used the superbraids much before, make sure you learn and practice the right kind of knots...and use some knot glue. That stuff is notorious for knot slippage. Big fish will challenge your best knots.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I did get a PM from the guy you referred to me. I forwarded some "light reading" to him. Sounds like he usually goes forth with a boatload of "bobber-baiter" kids. Great stuff.[/#0000ff]
[signature]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I would say that med-heavy would be plenty. That is enough for big flatheads and blue cats, so it should tame even our largest channels. E-glass is good. It is more forgiving than pure graphite on large cats. You don't need to do a "Bill Dance" (broken rod) while rasslin' a biggun at boatside.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]My heaviest cat tackle is a medium heavy 7 1/2 foot stick with a standard baitcast reel from BPS...nothing fancy, but functional. I spool with 14# Excalibur line and seldom use hooks larger than 2/0 octopus. Sometimes I use circle hooks in 4/0 or larger, depending on the size and type bait I am chucking.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]For most of my cattin', I use a medium spinning rod and one of several decent medium sized reels loaded with 10# Excalibur. I actually catch more and bigger cats on that, than when I am targeting larger fish specifically. I have lost a couple of gorillas to the flooded tamarisks though.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I NEVER use weights. I always tie directly to my hook. A well tuned and adjusted baitcaster can huck a large kitty bait quite a ways. If you know how to use a revolving spool reel, and if you have your tension and magnetic controls adjusted right, there should be no problem with "professional overruns". And, if you are fishing on the water, from a boat, tube or toon, you shouldn't need to make long casts anyway, with proper positioning.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The decision one has to make is "quality or quantity". I am basically a light tackle kind of guy and enjoy catching lots of smaller fish on light tackle. I like a good battle and get no real enjoys out of winching in a fish overmatched by the tackle. I would rather catch more average sized fish, on lighter gear than to fish all night for one or two bites from the big boys.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The good news is that with a two pole permit, you can do both. And, if you are in the right spot, you can catch both numbers and the occasional biggun.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]If you have not used the superbraids much before, make sure you learn and practice the right kind of knots...and use some knot glue. That stuff is notorious for knot slippage. Big fish will challenge your best knots.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I did get a PM from the guy you referred to me. I forwarded some "light reading" to him. Sounds like he usually goes forth with a boatload of "bobber-baiter" kids. Great stuff.[/#0000ff]
[signature]