Angling Gear - Some Pros and Cons
Posted in Freshwater Angling on the November 5, 2007
To many fishing enthusiasts, angling means simply more than just “going fishing”. There are many types of fishing techinques and angling gear that are better suited to some types of angling than others. Fishing in a fast-running stream is done differently than angling on a deep-water lake and trying to hook a Brook Trout differs greatly than baiting for Salmon.
When trying to decide what type of fishing gear you should purchase, your rod and reel are first on the list. Pond angling or small lake fishing lets you get away with an ultralight or medium weight rod and reel combination. Bigger lakes mean that you may have to take the size of fish you’ll expect to hook into consideration. A heavier rod will give you more control once you hook your fish and it permits you to use lures with more weight. The upside of bigger lures is that you can cast longer distances.
Likewise, the type of fishing boat you have has a big impact on your fishing experience. For the most part, recreational boats like ski boats, speed boats, and pontoons don’t make a good fishing boat. Many of them are too large and cannot be safely maneuvered around structures to allow successful angling. If you are fishing a lake or other large body of water, especially if there are many waves or rough water, a fishing boat whose bottom has a V shape will usually fare better than a flat bottomed boat. In V bottom boats the V shape helps to stabilize the boat against waves when fishing and it cuts through waves when moving between fishing spots. The weakness of a V bottom boat is that it cannot go into shallow water. This is usually not a problem on many lakes, but it makes taking a V bottom boat on many rivers somewhat risky. A flat bottom boat, on the other hand, if the motor is fitted with a ‘jet’ instead of a prop, can make it through water only a few inches deep.
Many types of setups and fishing gear can let you carry out angling in all sorts of environments and areas. Consider where you’d like to fish and for what species when making your purchases. Many people enjoy larger fishing boats for bass, but many of those fishing boats are specific and can’t be used under all conditions. Having fishing gear that lets you enjoy your sport when you’d like to, is the best choice.