Month: September 2017

Categories
Blog The National Angler

Travel Rods

Travel Rods

Travel rods are probably one of the most overlooked items an angler could have in his or her arsenal.  However, if you have one or two, I promise you will use them. They come in handy at multiple times and at any time you think, “man I wish I had a rod”, those are the time you will want a travel rod. I keep my travel rods and backup reels in my truck. I also take them on every flight I take. You just never know when you might have the chance to fish. So always keep a travel rod, backup reel and a small assortment of tackle ready.

I went on the hunt several years ago for travel rods when I went out to Northern California for training one summer. Went to the local Bass Pro and found the only travel rod they had was the Browning Safari spinning model. It was medium light and thought it would do well. That was almost 3 years ago and I have taken that rod on a half dozen trips.  That rod has been used in lakes and rivers of Northern California, Texas Hill Country streams, and the clear water of the Florida Keys. Being a medium light rod and 4 pieces, I can say it’s one tough rod.

Just this year, I wanted a casting travel rod. Unfortunately, the local Bass Pro didn’t have any travel rods. On a recent trip to Texas, I went to another Bass Pro and thankfully found a Heavy model of the same rod, just a casting model. It had the exact same specs as the Bass Pro saltwater travel rod. So again, I went with the Browning Safari. This rod isn’t rated as high for lure weight as I wanted. However, it works great and I really can’t complain.

So, if you are on the hunt for a travel rod. Seriously, take a look at the Bass Pro Browning Safari travel rods. Under a $100 and well worth the investment to always have a rod handy. If you have any questions, ask below!

Bass Pro Browning Safari Travel Rod Casting http://www.basspro.com/shop/en/browning-fishing-safari-travel-casting-rod-3-piece

Bass Pro Browning Safari Travel Rod Spinning http://www.basspro.com/shop/en/browning-fishing-safari-travel-spinning-rod-1407030701442-1

 

Semper Fish!

Joe, The National Angler

Categories
Swimbait Mayhem

FINESSE CASTING BIG SWIMBAITS

SWIMBAIT TIPS: FINESSE CASTING BIG BAITS

Finesse casting big swimbaits will not draw the attention of bass or the attention from other anglers and key in shallow water.

Let’s just say, that when most people see an angler throwing a big swimbait, they tend to over react. I’ve heard people say, “you can’t use live bait”, “is that real”, “are you shark fishing”, and other crazy things. My response, have you ever seen the mouth of a 5lb plus Largemouth Bass? Usually, the answer is no….

One of my favorite lakes that I fish is crystal clear and you can only use trolling motors. Bass are routinely cruising the banks as the structure is pretty limited. I handful of laydowns, builders, and points. There is very little weed growth in the shallows. In the early spring, the bass bed up and remain stationary. However, throughout the rest of the year, they cruise the banks. This provides an opportunity for me to target fish in the lake. Due to pressure, water clarity, and electric motor only limitation these fish spook easily.

I quickly learned that the big baits splashing set all fish in the close area running, and probably put the rest of the fish in the area on high alert. Finesse casting will be key in these environments and conditions if I’m going to be successful. While I’m still on the hunt for my first big bass on a big swimbait. I’m confident that this technique will prove successful for anyone who wants to implement it. 

Make sure you check out my article HERE or YouTube video HERE for info on how to adjust your reel for finesse casting big swimbaits. 

Let me know what you use in the comments section below. If you have any questions, this is a great area for that as well.

Semper Fish!

 

Joe, The National Angler

 

Check out the video for this article HERE