FishwithJD

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Which rod for divers & bait for steelies?

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JD — I fish a river that is +90% hatchery steelhead. The last few years I have started backtrolling sand shrimp using Brad’s divers. What rod would you recomment for this? Also how do you like your drag when backtrolling bait or when you are backtrolling plug for steelhead?
–Eric T.

Hey Eric, depending on how big your steelies are, the GLoomis HSR 941 is a dandy stick. I’ve also had lots of fun with smaller spring-run fish on the HSR 9000.

I run a really light drag setting because I’m using braid most of the time when pulling plugs or bait divers. Since braided line doesn’t stretch, the light drag builds in some “give” that helps keep the hooks from pulling free on the takedown.

Downriggers: Precision Depth Fishing…Or?

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downrigging

When downrigger fishing, do you really know exactly how deep you are fishing?

Despite the fact that downrigging is called “controlled depth fishing,” there’s some room for error here.

Say you’re out on some large reservoir chasing kokanee. You’re dragging a chartreuse Needlefish behind a 4/0 dodger. The whole rig’s running 35 feet behind the downrigger ball. On your graph, you notice a school of fish at 50 feet and you drop your weight down to 48 feet so you’ll be just above the fish and in their collective window of vision.
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Swimbaits for BIG bass

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They’re big, realistic and expensive, but big bass truly love swimbaits. If you’re looking to get into this ever-growing craze, here’s a partial list of top baits to get you started…

It’s Armageddon for Big Bass!

Ten and a half inches long and weighing a full 7 ounces, 3:16 Lure Co.’s “The Armageddon” is not a bait for anglers with weak hearts. While you may not get a ton of bites on a giant bait like this, the ones you get are likely to be very big.

Armageddon Light Trout
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