hook line from main line

Question
QUESTION: i brought a new spinning rod combo reel, with the line on it do not know how to set it up
ANSWER: John; I am confused by your question.  Did you get a fly rod and reel or a spinning rod and reel?

Please use a follow up question on AllExperts and give  me a bit more information as to just exactly what you want.  If the reel has line on it already why do you want to put line on it?  If you mean by "set it up" you mean how to rig it for fishing let me know that too.
I am sorry to have to ask for the follow up but I simply cannot answer the question as it is. If you would prefer to contact me directly by e-mail use the address below.

Jack L. Gaither   (JackfromSeminole)

[email protected]


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi thanks for trying to answer my question, but i took my spinning rod and reel to a bait & tackle shop. next question is how long should the line with the hook on it be? and what distance should the bobber be on the main line? or do it go on the line with the hook? and what is a leader? and can you use a weigh with a bobber? or just use a weigh by it self? and how big should the weigh be? the pond i am fishing in is about two to five feet deep.it's a big pond. 120yd by 150yd. an also my line keeps sliping off the reel, how can i keep it tight?
thank you for your help.

Answer
Ok John; Lets start with a new spinning rod and reel.  Some come with line on them.  Depending on the quality of the rod and reel the line may be good or not so good.  What I would do is to assume that it is not the best line and remove about half of it from the reel, keeping that you take off for future use.  Tie the end by keeping about two feet and pushing the tip end of that line under a turn or two of the line on the reel. Take the end piece around the spool the same way the other line is turned and push the tip under annother couple of coils.  You may have to use a needle to do this. Don't worry about sticking the line on the spool as it is simply filler.  Keep doing this and pulling each taught but not so tight as to cause the line on the reel to draw in or seem be thrown out of shape.  When your end is too short to go around again cut it off as short as possible.  Next take your new line, I suggest a good brand of 8 or ten pound line.  Ten pound line should never be larger than about .011 diameter.  This is usually given on the spool.  8pound whould be slightly smaller.  If you buy quality line you will have much more success casting than with cheaper line.  Next look at your spool and see if it has directions on spooling the line on the reel.  If so follow the directions.  If no directions lay the spool on the floor label side up and unwind some line off the spool.  Put the line through the guides of the rod srarting with the tip and be sure the line goes theough all the guides toward the reel.  Next open the bail (I hope you have an open face reel as those closed face reels are really not for serious fishermen.)  Tie an overhand knot or just plain single knot in the end of the line and snip off the tip as close as possible after pulling the knot tight.
Now with the bail opened tie another overhand knot making a loop and slip it over the spool and backing line.  I Like to put it near the back of the spool.  Now taking the line between your thumb and index finger of your right hand between the reel and first or second guide and hold it snug but not really tight.  Now with the rod tip about 5 feet from the floor start cranking the reel with your left hand.  Of course an open face reel is on the bottom of the rod.  The bail will close and start winding the line on the spool.  After ten or twelve turns stop cranking and drop the rod tip about two and a half feet toward the floor look at the line between tip and floor.  If it seems to be twisting and looping turn the spool face down on the floor.
Again crank a few turns as before and check.  If the lint twists and turns worse than before turn the spool back over, if not keep reeling keeping enough tension with you thumb and index finger to make it a bit difficult to reel but not to stop it or make it extremely difficult.  This next is very important.  When the line gets to within 3/16 of the rim of the spool slow down and stop it before it is 1/8 of the top.  Filling the reel spool too full is the cause of the line slipping off the reel.

When it comes to weights, hooks and bobbers a lot of factors come into play.  If you fish for catfish (except flatheads, and there will likely not be any in your pond as they are river fish) You will want the bait on the bottom.  I would likely not even use a float fishing this way.  I would simply put enough weight probably a couple split shot to make it heavy enough to cast would do.  put them about 8-10 inches above your hook and tie the hook using a Polymer knot.  To do this double back about 4 inches of the end of the line coming fromthe rod tip.  Push the doubled end through the eye of a 1/0 supersharp hook then using the doubled end tie a simple overhand know around the main line and the doubled part.
This will leave a loop of the doubled line. Push the whole hook through the loop and pull tight. Snip off the end.  This is a very strong knot and will not slip.
Now bait your hook, cast to a good looking place and put your rod into a "y" shaped stick stuck in the bank or in a rod holder in a boat and wait for old whiskers to walk off with your bait. Set the hook and bring him in.

If you are fishing for Crappie you will likely need a float.
If the water is only three feet deep you can use a fixed bobber.  These are the kind that have metal ring like things that can be pushed  out to put the line through and back in to hold the line.  For crappie, use live minnows or very small crawfish, minnows being the best usually.  Rig just like a catfish except use a smaller hook made of thin wire and usually gold coloored.  Clip the bobber so that the minnow is just off bottom.  Hook the minnow either under his chin and up through his upper lip or in the back just behind the last fin on top.  Do not hook too deep or you will kill the minnow.  Crappie seldom bite a dead minnow.
For bass, wow!, Many books have been written about this but I will try to get you started.  Of course you can fish for them just about like you did crappie except use the same hook you did for catfish and a much larger minnow.  If there are two pound or larger bass in your pond a 6 inch minnnow would be good.  You can buy shiners but they are very expensive.  I always found it more fun to catch my own.
If there is a small creek that you can get into rig your rod and reel with a small hook, a split shot and a very small cork or foam bobber not more than an inch long.  Use worms and fish a relatively deep hole in the creek.  Have a good bucket to keep the minnows alive and don't try to crowd. A dozen big minnows is many as you can keep in an ordinary size minnow bucket.  If the weather is hot put a little ice in the water.  Be sure to use water from the stream where you caught the bait.  Don't try to carry them too far or too long.  If they start coming to the top take some of them out and add some ice.   I have found that some of these water bottles that you buy at the store filled with fresh drinking water can be used in the buckets and then when you get thirsty you can drink the water after rinsing the bottle of course.
When you get your minnows to the pond keep them in the shade and keep them cool.  In some places you can use a small minnow seign to catch bait but that is not as fun as catching them.   Anyway cast the minnow easily, that is don't wind up and heave him as far out as you can and have him slap the water hard.  Bass like live minnows too.
It is best to toss him underhand near a log or into a fallen tree.  Yes you will get hung now and then but if you are not getting either hung up or catching weeds now and then you are fishing where the bass AINT.

Now for artificial lures.  This is a lifetime collection deal.  I started out with two.  Now I have hundreds and have lost as many as I have.  My suggestion is for you to buy four.  A topwater such as a chug bug or devils horse, a crank bait such as a bomber or one of many such that run about 4-8 feet deep. Yes even in your shallow pond as they will skip along bottom kicking up bits of mud and the fish think they are crawfish.  Next a minnow shaped lure such as the original Rapala or many others that float until jerked and then dive less than a foot.  That's three, I said four but I forgot one.  Next a spinnerbait. I would start  with one about 1/2oz with a large Colorado blade.  The fifth and the one I forgot for heaven's sake is some kind of plastick worm or lizzard or other such critter along with a package of #1 ultra sharp worm hooks which will be useful for any of the plastics.  A package of varied size split shot in one of those little plastic skillets will work fine for your weights.

If your pond has some visible cover, stumps fallen trees,weed patches rocks etc. I would start my fishing by casting that minnow shaped floater around those places or near weeds, stumps etc.  Cast it as close as possible and let it set for a few seconds or until the circles die away.  Be alert bass often strike while the lure lies dead in the water so long as they saw it move before.  If after ten seconds twitch it once very slightly and hang on as this is the most likely time for a strike.  If after three or four twitches slowly reel it in so it wobbles in.  Fish may hit it then.  If not cast to another likely spot and try the same proceedure.  If after twenty five or so casts take off the minnow lure and put on the popper.  Do it just about the way you did the minnow lure but after a couple of twitches Make it "Pop" or spin it's propellers. After two or three pops without a strike I figure he's not home and begin bringing the lure in with pops and twiches all the way home.  There may be some invisible cover down there part way between the visible cover and you where a bass may be hiding.

If none of this works try your crankbait.  Cast it in and around good looking cover.  Don't be afraid of losing it.  Most of the time It will come through or you can usually get it by shakin it.  If not it will be one of many you will eventually lose.  That's the way it goes.

Now try your spinnerbait.  Cast it right into the thick stuff and let it fall to the bottom.  It may be hanging over a limb.  If it is reel it up to the limb and let it fall again.  I have caught some lunkers this way. One time Icaight 6lb striped bass and the next day from the same log II caught a 5lb bluecatfish doing just as I explained.

Now the plastic worms/creatures.  I have found that creatures that look like nothing truely alive in the lake do better than those carefully moulded crawdads or minnows.
Maybe it is just me but I have done better on plain old plastic worms and lizzards than anything else.  Of course I have more confidence in these than in the others so thet is likely why I catch more on them.
I don't think there is a wrong way to fish these critters.
Lots of people just stick them on a hook with enough weight to pull them down, toss them in the water and catch fish.  I have found that casting them under docks and into log piles or brush or weeds is most successful.  I live on a lake that has acres and acres of standing timber that has broken off at the waterline.  Sometimes casting a worm or some other critter up against a big tree stump and letting it fall can catch some really big ones.  One spring I tossed a ten inch worm to a tree that was considerably bigger than the ones around it.  I caught an 8lb bass.  I Tossed the worm bass right back and caught her twin.  I have fished that tree many times since with no luck.  They may have decided on another tree someplace.

Well I hope this has been of some help.  Your question was a very general one and I tried to cover enough to get you started catching some good fish in your pond or elsewhere.
If I can be of future help please do not hesitate to ask. Please be as specific as possible that makes it much easier to answer.  Thanks for calling on me to answer your question and thanks for using AllExperts.  

John; This is an addendum to my answer to you.  I failed to answer two parts of your question.  One was "what is a leader?"  the other was "how far up the line on the line should the bobber be.  

A leader is usually one of  two things.  In some fishing especially salt water and when fishing for toothy critters like Pike and Muskie either a metal link between line and hook prevents the fish from biting itself free.  The other case is used in fishing for certain very sensitive fish such as trout  where if they see the line attached to the lure they will not bite.  To overcome this a very fine, often tapered leader is attached to the main line and the fly or other lure is attached at the thinner end so the fish cannot see it.

The bobber has two purposes in fishing.  It's first use is to set the depth at which the bait is below the surface.
A weight is often used with a  bobber to keep the bait from swimming up to the surface and to keep the bobber sitting at it's proper angle or position.   The next purpose of the bobber is to indicat to the fisherman when a fish is biting the bait below.  Sometimes you want the bait right smack dab on the bottom and other times you want it somewhere nearer the surface.  Most bobbers are adjustable so you can set it where you want it.  When fishing deep water it is difficult to cast with a bobber  set at several feet deep so a sliding bobber is used.  To use a sliding bobber the bobber itself slieds up and down the line.  Some sort of stop is placed at the depth the fisherman wishes the bobber to stop.  There are special devices made for this that slied freely through the guides.  Often a bead is placed above the bobber and below the stopper device keeping the bobbber from sticking to the device.
I think that covers your question, if not send me another follow up.

JackfomSeminole

Jack L. Gaither  (JackfromSeminole)