whats your favorite panfish rig??

[cal okeefe]

i have been using a small mitchell reel and a ultra light berkley tactix rod.. like many of you i have many poles but i allways pick this one for some reason.. i have alot more expensive setups but they are collecting dust. ( st croix-allstar)

[Jeff Soto]

Well Cal, my rods and reels are not expensive, but they do the job of catching large, strong fighting fish well. Part of the work is through using good reels that have smooth drags and can handle very light lines. Reels that have a drag that grabs and not move smoothly are of no use to me. A 1 pound Redear will run like crazy and if you are using 2 pound test line and your drag binds a little...SNAP!...There goes a good fish with your lure in it's mouth..
Here are my current favorites for Bluegill, Redear and crappie fishing:

1. Rod- Daiwa "Spinmatic" #602  6 ft long 1 piece, 1-4 lb test line
Reel- Daiwa "Crossfire" 1000 ultralight spinning reel

2. Rod- Quantum "Micro" MS-54UL 4' 6" super ultralight Rated for 1-2 lb test line
Reel- Daiwa "Spinmatic-X 500T This is my favorite set up for Bluegills because it is so tiny, even small fish are fun to catch. I've landed a 4 lb bass with it and several 3 lb class Channel Catfish.

With each one of these rods I use 2 lb test line, either Trilene XL , Maxima, or Yo-Zuri Hybrid brands. The rods are older models, but I keep them clean and take care of them. Remember too that with a longer rod, you can cast tiny spoons and jigs farther, but I fish a lot from a float tube where I don't need to make very long casts.

[Jim Ducy]

 Jeff I think the key point you made was Fishing from a float tube. I do not know what the fish think you are,big duck or goose??  But for sure you are not a threat. I have had them swim between my feet and all around my tube. Boat and motor make noise,water transmits noise

that alters fish to possible danger. If using a boat cosider using a push pole.  My rig of choice for fishing water up to 20 ft is a fly rod. I like my Scott G 9ft 4wt with a cortland

lime 444 5wt dt and also a cortland 5wt intermediate in blue. I also use a cortland intermediate camo. Any light single action fly reel will work. example Pfluger 1494,

Hardy LHR, Benson made a simple reel that was sold by Sears and True Temper.

I have went back to Mono for my leader because it floats.  Next year I will be chuckin'

spoons. I got a set-up that Musky Mod talks about in his blog. I am going to try a twist

on the spoon rigging. I will tye flies on Temco 101 size 8 hooks. They will be simple

one in black with marrabou tail, an orange one colored with brown highlights and some sort of dragon fly nymph. I am going to use the book  What Fish See by Colin J Kageyama, OD  for insight into what color of spoon and fly to use. His research is simuliar to work done in the 90's by Mepps. I want to explor  beyohd what I can fish with a Fly Rod. Fishin' Jimmy AKA Jim Ducy

[John Sheehan]

I can't find 1# test line ,I want to try it Jeff! Those first  two rods I mentioned below are rated 1-4 #test.I also use 500T reels (have two) but currently prefer the UL PFlueger President and Pflueger Supreme reels.

[John Sheehan]

St. Croix Rod and Shimano Sensilite get the nod paired with Pflueger reels with 2 or 4#test .I want to utilize the 8'Crappie rod more but have to change the lousy tiptop.For wading and long casts to a dropoff it's the rod of choice.

 

 

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Its like that Cal, we each have lots of favorites. I've had closets full of clothes, for example, but I can live in the same 5 articles of clothing!

For fishing rods, I'm good with most anything modern. I like a light to medium action rod, and the make isn't important. But I do want adequate quality. Note the word 'adequate' - I seek value and it might not be the top dollar item. I find the line guides set the tone, here - as long as they are all ceramic/silicate, the rod will generally do for me.

When it comes to reels, I follow Jeff's thinking. Smooth drags are the main thing I look for. Being more of a pan fisherman than any other sort, it's no surprise that I favor two kinds of reels: spinning reels and the spincasters.

When it comes to reel construction, I look for spinning reels with metal gear boxes/bodies. That seems to identify the best value in the knuckle buster reels. My current favorite is a Shakespeare UL I got off ebay. I was buying the rod, actually, and it came outfitted with this beauty of a reel. It was a lucky deal, that one.

As mentioned, my other favorite reel is the spincast. I have made it no secret that I prefer none so much as the older Johnson models.  For all intents, I don't even look at new ones any more. Like everyone, I have a few Zebco's that I've picked up here and there. But currently my everyday pan fishing rigs are older Johnson star drag, "big mouth" spincast reels. These are on Shakespeare rods of no particular note.

We should also make mention here of my other outfits, those I love above all others. Of course, I'm speaking of "cane poles" - and here I lump the newer telescoping type in with the traditional bamboo versions. There is nothing quite as sublime as fishing with these seemingly out-dated rigs. This is intimate fishing, where you are usually no more than the poles own length from the fish. It is thoughtful, primal fishing, with none of the hi-tech, long distance appeal that goes with the "bass rigs."

I do not embark on a fishing excursion without at least one of the poles at hand. And where it is warranted, I will happily leave all other fishing gear at home. Here in the South, they are considered both classic and effective.

[John Sheehan]

Duane Allman is shown fishing a Southern water with an old spincast reel on one of his albums.My deceased dad is honored every ice fishing season with a green Johnson 230 Crappie Pro put into use .I think back in the late 50's early 60's he actually used a Green Johnson Century reel when he first took me fishing.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

The Johnson 'Crappie Pro' is the near ideal spincast reel, in my humble opinion. The Century 100 series (100A/100B) are also very nice and built in the old school way. I still don't know why Johnson reels seemed to take a back seat to Zebco.

[John Sheehan]

Maybe marketing to  kids parents  is why.Is there a big price difference?

 

[Jeff Soto]

John- I've been getting a few things including that I lb. test Vicious Panfish Ice line through Jann's Netcraft. They have some cool stuff, especially for tying jigs and flies. The only problem is that shipping costs are pretty high. www.jannsnetcraft.com  I want to try their 1/50 oz. Sunfish jig that I'll tye with gray maribou and paint as a baby Threadfin Shad to try on the Lake Perris Bluegill.

[John Sheehan]

Great thanks.I have the Janns Catalog.I have to order some spinner kits and other stuff too .

 

[Vic Tankersley]

I like the Shaimono 1000 series reels and a 6 ft medium rod of at least 6 mil graphite ..this will do for me....

[Tomas Daniel]

spinning, abu garcia cardinal 101c reel, shakespear micro graphite 5'6" rod

spincast, zebco omega pro z02 reel, shakespear 5' 1 peice ugly stick

fly, old american made martin automatic reel and 8' pro star rod

baitcast, quantum tour pt 150 and 7' st. croix mojo bass rod