Johnny Wilkins

[Peter McAuliffe]

        Johnny Wilkins Chicago Urban Fishing School pod-cast has intrigued me to try a new type of fishing.  If you don't know who he his, here is a brief overview.  He is a bank fisherman.  He has fished for team USA in three world championships located around the world.  His pod-cast tells how big-box stores have forgotten the live bait fisherman by providing crap hooks, crap split shot, over sized hooks, and crap floats(bobbers).  The tackle he uses is, waggler floats, Anchor brand split shots, hooks the size of your pinky nail( size 14,18, and size 8 max), 2lb, 3lb, 4lb, main line with a hook leader that is 10-20% lighter than the main line.  He also uses different size poles(not rods) all the way up to 42 ft. in length,  He also says how 10, 11, and 12  foot light spinning rods are ideal for urban lakes that have all the big bass stripped out of them.  One more snippet from his pod-cast, a great fisherman will never hear the fish pull drag, but instead use the selectable ant-reverse switch to give the fish line when it runs.

        Here is my Conclusion.  I am looking for a 12 ft. minimum length spinning rod with the ability to cast 2lb. line.  A reel that matches and does not get spooled out with occasional urban lunker.  What do you guys think?

 

         

[Tony Livingston]

Are you truly wanting to "cast" that 12 footer, or simply swing the bait out?

[DAVID L EITUTIS]

WOW that's a tuff one Peter !!!!!!!!! Of course I'm limited my self to Ultra light spinning or fly gear. Don't know or have ever heard of an american company that makes that kind of gear. I spose if you found some it would likely be from Europe because of the match fishing they do there with ultra small hooks and wiggle bobbers and longggggggggggggg rods. I"m sure if you really checked the internet you would come up with some, but shipping from Europe to here would really be expensive and so forth.

   You'd be best suited to find an American company that imports the stuff for sure....

[carl hendrix]

peter  on the floats;;  a lot of us here use some real old type floats;; called porcupine quill floats.  we have found; that these are proably the best stealth float ever made.  once balanced right;;  no fish can try to take your bait; without you knowing it!  and generally;; we make them up ourselves!  get some quills;  on line;;try to get the ones in a 7 inch or so range;; and take a paper clip;  to make the loop your line goes thru.  its also held by a :o" ring.. really super easy to make and use.  I have some pix of mine on my page if you care to look.                                                                                                             but that type of rod-- buddy I have no idea on it- sorry.

[Walt Foreman]

Peter, I make custom rods and specialize in longer live-bait rods for bluegill.  I just made a 9' super-UL spinning rod for a bluegill nut in Louisiana.  That rod was made on a 2-weight fly rod blank from a company in New Zealand.  I'll send you a friend request - PM me if you're interested.  

[Walt Foreman]

For floats, the Gapen company out of Minnesota makes a series called panfish floats that to me is light years better than any other float available in this country for bluegill.  It's super-sensitive but also casts very well without added weight, and sometimes a no-weight presentation makes the difference between catching and not catching fish.  Gapen imports these floats from Hungary and once you fish them you'll see why.

[Tony Livingston]

Gapen offers some killer floats. Some of my favorite off-the-shelf pieces.

[Joe Angelucci]

Peter

You have a couple of different concepts in play . Pole fishing is especially powerful . Light lines / small floats  and small hooks allow for near perfect bait placement. The concept is a near vertical presentation with no drag and no line in the water.

I've used 16 foot crappie rods in the same manner. No casting , just a small fly reel to hold the line. A simple vertical drop, no casting.  

Not sure if that's what your looking for but the presentation works and is finesse fishing at it's simplest.