STARTING-OUT with Lures
Craig Jewell

Don't always believe what you read
I started out fishing for pike with deadbaits and never thought much about spinners, plugs, lures or whatever because I had always been told and read in magazines etc that spinners only catch small pike and naturally I only want to catch big ones!

Since then I've learned a lot and am now heavily into spin fishing but I made quite a few big and expensive mistakes along the way, so maybe this will help others avoid the same pitfalls that I fell into.

My First Big Mistake
My first big mistake was to follow some advice I read (by someone who I had thought at that time to be an "expert") that my 2 lb TC deadbait pike rods would be OK for starting out spin fishing: WRONG ! Now I think that they were jerking my bait! And I've read that same advice more than once: grief!

The second choice I had to make was whether to stick with my trusty fixed spool reels or to buy a new multiplier reel for my spin fishing: not cheap! I now know that this mainly depends on the weights of lures that you're going to use, how far you need to cast and whether you're fishing from a boat or the bank.

Also, length-for-length, baitcaster rods usually have more guide rings to hold wet line off your rod whereas spinning rods for fixed spool reels may only have 6, 7 or 8 rings including the tip ring on a 9 ft rod! A properly designed spinning rod will have a really large diameter butt ring and it shouldn't be too close to the handle for maximum casting distance.

With a multiplier reel, your reel sits on top of the handle and your rod rings also face upwards, so you really need a different sort of rod with a trigger type grip on the handle, one that's called a baitcaster: more expense!

Duff Advice
I've got to admit that like a fool and thanks to that duff advice, I did start out spinning with my deadbait rods but every time I went out I was very soon completely knackered from casting! I knew this couldn't be right, there just had to be an easier way! I must have been mad, but what can you do when you read stuff by so-called "experts"? All I can say with the knowledge and experience that I have now is that half of them can't have actually done much spin fishing from the bank for 6 or 8 hours at stretch, like I do now.

Elsewhere I'd also read loads of times about balanced tackle written by other "experts" but who to believe? Then I hadn't really understood just how important it is if like everyone says, you want your spin fishing to be fun and not a drag, and now I do understand!

I've found that you can't so easily balance a multiplier setup for several reasons: firstly your reel and rings are all facing upwards and gravity keeps trying pull them downwards and twist your rod through 180 degrees to the normal underneath position.

Secondly, baitcaster rods are usually much shorter and the reel mount for mulitpliers is well forward on the handle and so the fulcrum balance point of the setup is well forward of the handle. There's no doubt in my mind now that where baitcasters and multipliers do the business best is with medium and big lures from about 1oz upwards.

A Properly-designed Lure Rod
After a lot of messing about and mistakes like that, I began to see the sense of things and finally splashed out on a rod properly designed for lure fishing: it just happened to be an ABU Crossfire rod because my local tackle shop did me a good price on it but there are loads of other spinning rods around and you don't have to pay silly money: just make sure that you get a rod designed for lures and not for baits: mine cost me just under £60.

I also use a small Abu Cardinal fixed spool reel with this rod and they balance up pretty well and the whole setup doesn't feel heavy at all. So my simple advice is to make sure that you match your reel to a proper spin fishing rod. There are loads of small and medium fixed spool reels around that won't break the Bank: £35 to £45 will more than do it, so you can get a complete setup for less than £100 if you shop around: got to be good news.

Take it from me, anyone who starts out spinning and plug fishing with a 2.5 lb TC double-handed deadbait pike rod needs their head well examined, period!

Deadbaiting's not so much fun as spin fishing
I still fish for pike with deadbaits and it is true that they seem to catch bigger fish but I'm not sure that it's so much fun as spinning. OK, so many pikers may only be concerned about weights and numbers (I was exactly the same at one time) and for that you've probably got to stick to deadbaits, and livebaits where they are permitted. On the other hand, what were the last two UK Record Pike caught with?! Say no more!

But I reckon that if you fancy more fun and different species, spinning and plug fishing is where it's at: great fun! But only if you've got a sensible balanced setup. After all, you wouldn't fish deadbaits with a spinning rod would you?

Braids improve your spin fishing
Another thing that has tremendously improved spin fishing for me and I guess for many other anglers too is braided main line. How I ever cast with mono I can't imagine! With braids you get half the diameter or less for the same BS as mono and this means that you can cast much further and with lighter lures too: magic! As for which braids to use? Well, take your pick! Have a browse around the Tackle Section right here on Nick's website: there are loads of articles about all sorts of lines.

And finally, here's my recommended starting-out spinning and plug fishing tackle for lures from say 15 to 45 gm (½ oz to 1½ oz), fishing from the bank, not from a boat and to give a good casting distance:-

ROD
8 or 9 ft rod designed (a) for spinning not for deadbaits and (b) for a fixed-spool reel.

Use a proper baitcaster and strong multiplier reel set-up for big lures and jerk baits.

REEL
Fixed spool reel that when it's fitted to your rod (e.g. above) gives a fulcrum balance point on its handle as close as possible to the reel mount. Use a decent multiplier with a baitcaster rod for bigger lures.

MAIN LINE
Braid of 15, 20 or 30 lb BS depending on where you're fishing and what with. Up to 100 lb BS for jerkbaits and the like.

TRACE WIRE
20 or 30 lb BS multi-strand wire e.g. Drennan Original 7-strand or new SoftStrand
Nylon coated wires kink less easily but have much bigger diameter e.g. Middy Use heavier wire e.g. solid 120 lb BS for jerk baits.

LINKS, SWIVELS AND SPLIT RINGS
High tensile stainless steel split rings and snaplock links e.g. Cordell, and good strong swivels e.g. Berkley

SPINNERS, PLUGS AND SPOONS
Start out with plugs and spoons that weigh around an ounce (25 to 30 gm). Spinners and spinnerbaits can weigh less. You can move on to kerk baits and the like later on.

With new lures, check the diving lip, all hook hangers and trace link eyes, split rings and hooks etc BEFORE leaving home! Epoxy glue any dubious but easily re-enforceable hangers, lip etc., otherwise ask for a refund!

HOOKS
Check ALL original hooks and bin them if they
(a) are too large(size) ........... (b) too heavy(weight)
(c) too heavy gauge(wire diameter) ......... (d) too blunt
(e) have large barbs (crush small barbs or use whisker barbed hooks instead)

Use only top quality replacement hooks; they'll be the best investments you'll ever make, spin fishing-wise!

ESSENTIALS
A good, large frame and a soft large mesh landing net is essential and so are some long-nosed pliers, forceps and side-cutters. A combined weigh-sling and unhooking mat is a good idea too.

Hooked on Lure Fishing
If you're not already hooked on lure fishing by now, I hope that after reading this, you're ready to start out right now? Have fun! And don't make the mistakes that I did, and leave those 2½ lb TC double-handled pike deadbait rods at home!

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