I'm going to be trying to live line for stripers this year, already gearing up for catching bait - which should be a pain but a new challenge.
What's everyone's though on specific reels? Do you have a prefence on pound test that might work better for live lining than say casting?
I don't have a live well, but will be creating one from an old cooler - about 30" wide, 16" tall. Do you think this enough for pogies? Has anyone bastardized a cooler, and if so, any suggestion on aerators?
Last year the all around striper reel was a penn 330 gti. Used it for chunking and livelining. Looking at the penn website, it looks like I might try to pick up one of the new 760L reels, which was designed for livelining.
Last edited by dunn6253; 04-14-2008 at 11:17 AM.
Reason: spelling
make sure you use braid, 30 or 50lb doesnt really matter. we usually use 50, but thats just preference. you can feel the bottom better and it isnt effected by current as much.
about the cooler, i would say no. pogies are really fragile and dumb as anything. if it isnt a round cooler, they will swim into a corner and get "lost" and die.
I use 20 pound test. I just picked up a couple new bait runner reels. Before the bait runners I would sit in the front of the boat with a rod off both sides and the lines in each hand so I could feel the pogie get hit. As far as keeping bait fresh I used a plastic barrell with an aerator and some bunjie cords to my console. I like the barrell because it takes up less deck space then a cooler. When I was done I would dump the water out and use it for cleaning up.
Live wells!? Oh My.. Yep the learning curve has begun. I've had 4-5 or more "designs" that I have created. Learned the hard way , of course!!
A few tips: Have some sort of drain in bottom to get rid of poop and scales . Oh ya most important part round or oval. Even a little lip the little buggers will try to swim into or " get lost". 4" over flow for 1" fill , baits get pinned on small drains and die , over flow well. Gotta have a top or baits and water slop over. Don't put in to many baits , they ALL die. There are tons of do's and don'ts.
Fishing with live bait will turn you into a hero, every boat will be following you. It REALLY works. Good Luck
I like the shimano bait runner as well, the 4500 as mentioned is a great reel. Other option is to use a lever drag conventional reel like an Avet, engage the knob like 1 notch up for tension with clicker on, then ramp it up to strike when ready. I use that for the dead stick, works like a charm.
As for the live well, do not use a square cooler.
I do not have a picture as it is at someone elses house that "borrowed" it, but I made a nice well out of a blue bait barrel, with lid. I drilled two holes, one in bottom, another at the top. In flow hose from a bilge mounted on a pvc tube w/ an elbow and a suction cup to put it below the waterline, hose overboard from the top hole for water flow. Would keep 10-12 alive nicely, the blue barrel keeps em calm. I'll see if I can get a picture for you...
Go to a car wash and get one of the big plastic drums that the soap comes in - about 50 gallons ( you can cut it down if needed). probably cost you $10 - from there West marine for a couple fittings and you can plum in your washdown hose. Sky is the limit with how extravagant you want to be. One of the livewell companies even sells a kit for plumbing your own well - so you get all the needed hardware in one shot.
You can keep 1/2 dozen bluefish alive in one of these all day - god knows how many pogies.
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