Fishing Tackle and Recommended Gear to Bring
Fishing Tackle
If you don’t own any fishing tackle, don’t worry, there is usually plenty of fishing equipment to go around (check with your captain and your crew just to be sure). If you are a true fisherman then you need to bring a bream rig, bass rig and a couple of catfish rigs. While we catch a lot of catfish we’ll fish for anything!
Small Catfish Rig
While it may sound counter to your thought process there is one technique we use to catch catfish that requires a smaller rod and reel with light line, say 6lb or 8lb test, a snap swivel and a small circle hook. If you have a nice bream rig this can usually double up. Be sure to bring extra line as this technique tends to get hung up a lot but it produces LOTS of fish.
Standard Catfish Rig
Other times you’ll be tight lining on the bottom and drift fishing or fishing with a float near the rock walls so you’ll need something bigger. Typically 7ft rod with a nice size spinning reel is the recommended tackle.
Fishing Licenses
Can be purchased at the park upon arrival.
What Will Be Provided
The *general fund* will provide plates, napkins, forks, paper towels, foil, saran wrap, cookware and food (chips, meat, bread, bacon bacon bacon, beans, etc). The general fund also provides lots of things to drink (water, cokes, beer).
Gear You Need To Bring or Acquire
Sunscreen, Flippy floppies and or water shoes, phone charger, swim shorts, shades and croakies, flash light, multi-tool (leatherman, swiss), fishing gear, dip net (be sure your boat has one, you can pick one up in Corinth, MS Wal-mart cheap after you get there), and a BIG HAT (seriously, otherwise you’ll sun burn your face to death if you aren’t use to the water).
Other – Misc
Not necessary but recommended: It is recommended to not wear t-shirts as you’ll still sunburn (trust me). Stay away from cotton clothing, you want something that will dry fast after it gets wet if you can and bring something with a good SPF built-in. Columbia makes good outdoor weather wear along with other manufacturers.
NOTE: JP Coleman/Pickwick isn’t in the middle of a city. Thus when you arrive, be sure you have everything you need. It is a 30 minute drive to the nearest town.
Recommend Fishing Gear (for those that don’t fish year round)
Here’s a rod&reel combo that isn’t too expensive.
http://www.basspro.com/Quantum-Bill-Dance-Select-Rod-and-Reel-Spinning-Combos/product/10210206/-1760462?cmCat=CROSSSELL_THUMBNAIL
Of the choices on the page you want to look at the 9.1oz reel or the 10.4 oz reel. You need something fairly light that you can put a 6lb or 8lb test line on and that will give you good casting distance with virtually nothing but a hook on the end of the line (won’t be any weight). The 10.4 may be too big, start with the 9.1oz and see how big it is.
If you want something cheap that works see if you can find (or just order) these reels here. I have a 2000 and a 1000 and I caught a lot of fish with these last year in a short amount of time. They have the trigger finger on which makes it easy to cast.
http://www.amazon.com/Shimano-Shimano%C2%AE-IX-Spinning-Reel/dp/B00022VAI2/ref=pd_sim_dbs_sg_4
If you buy this reel get the 2000 model. Of course you’ll have to find a rod to match but sure you get a spinning rod (there is a difference) 6ft long.
If you want a really good real the Shimano Syncopate 2500 is a great reel.
For line for these reels get either 6lb or 8lb line. If you find really thin 8lb line go for that, thinner the better. DO NOT buy spider wire. Regular old monofilament line is all you need, can buy flouracarbon if you like spending more money. This berkley big game in 8lb would do fine:
For hooks all you need are #2 circle hooks. Doesn’t matter which brand you buy but here is one I buy all the time.
http://www.basspro.com/Gamakatsu%C2%AE-Circle-Hooks/product/19936/-854869
Also you need some wire leaders with a swivel on one end and a snap swivel on the other:
I couldn’t find any online at bass pro but I know they have them. Don’t get them any longer than 6inches though.
OR AND ALSO
some snap swivels:
(doesn’t have to be this exact thing there are cheaper options)
http://www.basspro.com/Sampo%C2%AE-Split-Ring-and-Lock-Snap-Swivel/product/37965/-504475
I tend to buy a little larger ones so they add more weight to the line, just go bigger than smaller, but not guady big (look at the hook and match it up).
The way we’ll rig this is your line connects to this short wire leader or snap swivel, your hook snaps onto the snap swivel and then we’ll put a worm on it and cast. The weight of the leader or swivel, the hook, the worm is all you have so that’s why we need lighter line to be able to cast it.
That cover’s the one way we’ll be fishing the walls. We’ll also drift fish and thus need a different rod&reel for that. Thus anything rated as a catfish combo will work. Stay with spinning rods, don’t buy a bait caster unless you know 100% for a fact you can cast it (and if you never have, you can’t). Here’s some options on their site, be sure to get a 7ft rod:
To make the bait sink to the bottom get 1 ounce sinker weights or even larger:
and also more #2 circle hooks as we’ll put two on the line at a time.
That’ll give you two rods: one smaller for fishing the walls with a 6ft rod, and another heavier one for drift fishing with a 7ft rod.
The 6ft rod and reel can also be used to double as bass fishing with, and it is real easy to switch to bass if you use the snap swivel since all you’d have to do is take off the #2 circle hook and then put a bass lure of choice on the end of it. Great dual purpose reel. And also, you can rig it easily for catching blue gill or panfish which are GREAT eating.
In terms of how many hooks, snap swivels and weights to buy, over buy than under buy. We are fishing for 4-5 days so that’s a lot of time on the water. We’ll get hung up a lot and have to break the line.
Recommended Line (get 8lb for smaller reel, and 15lb for larger reel):
Trilene Line XL Smooth Casting
Other Items You Need
If you are renting a boat, be sure you have two coolers: One to put fish in, the other to put drinks in.
Fish Pliers – a must have
Knife – a must have
or acquire a nice multi-tool like the Leatherman Wave.
Having a fish gripper is a good idea as well. Keeps you from getting finned, easier to take pictures.
Fish net – a must have
Flashlight – good to have in case you get caught out on the water late, or boat breaks down and you can’t make it back
Deep Fried Bytes
