The Salty Fisherman

In my eyes, Stellas are the top of the line reels for boat fishing, while Staal and ZeeBaas are the high end reels for the surfcaster. The reason that the later two are utilized in the surf is because they are fully sealed and because of this they are able to take splashes, waves, or even submersion. On the other hand, Stellas are more designed for boat use because of their smoothness and utmost quality. While they have a certain degree of protection against the intrusion of water, they are certainly not meant to be submerged. As for why Stellas are so expensive, it really comes down to the name -Shimano- And the overall quality of the product that you are buying. Along with most high end reels the Stella also comes with good customer service. Plus, the Stella has a phenomenal drag system and other specs that will blow most other reels out of the water.

I am heading out tomorrow morning on my first tarpon trip. I talked to the guide and he said that I will most likely be throwing a 12wt fly rod. I have never cast anything that big before. Any tips on casting this as opposed to the 8wt that I usually use for stripers? Thanks for any help. Salty

I use Ande mono leader material when I don’t want to blow hundreds on fluro. I have not had any issues with it. Plus, it’s cheap and you get a ton on one spool of leader.

Love the programable aspect, seems like it could really come in hands.

Thanks, I had heard mention of it before but had never known the benefits of it.

What's the advantage of having the red beam on the headlamp? In what scenario would it be more useful than a normal light beam?

I was walking around some stores today looking for a higher quality headlamp for this year. I had previously been using an extremely cheap lamp that barely threw any light in front of me. When I reached the headlamp section I was very surprised by the endless choices. There were headlamps ranging anywhere from $15.00 and less than 100 lumens to more than $100.00 and more than 500 lumens. There were also lights that were rechargeable and even some that were waterproof. I would love to hear which headlamp you have been using along with what features you think are necessary and which ones are simply for the flash. I don't think that I would have any problem shelling out a large sum of money for a headlamp, as long as I know that it will be one of high quality. Thanks for any advice. Salty

I would suggest trying something different. I find that there are many people out there who focus so intently on catching one species of fish one particular way. That in itself will eventually get old. Mix it up a little bit by targeting some new species, fishing different areas, or even trying fly fishing. When I began to fly fishing it opened up many doors and all around increased my love for the sport. Plus, its more of a challenge, and everyone loves a good challenge. If you are trying to get into fly fishing I would suggest getting a cheap freshwater fly rod and going to a local lake/pond and catching some bluegill. It will boost your confidence and feel good in general to catch something on the fly. Who knows where it will go from there...

I’m located in NJ, never had any mosquitos bite me through even my shirt. Maybe I’m just lucky...

Long sleeved white performance shirt, long pants, a buff, and a hat. That covers up most of my normally exposed skin and doesn’t make me sweat too much. (Not that much of a sweater in general though.) I also feel like the bugs have been much worse than normal, maybe it’s just been a while since swarms of tiny insects have attacked me...

Dogfish get a lot of crap. I get that it can be annoying when targeting a specific species, but aren’t you happy that at least you’re catching something? Anything is better than nothing in my book, even if it is a sand shark...

Good idea, I’ll have to give that a try.

I figured that they would be more for the freshwater application, however, that is disappointing to see. I feel like a clip like that should not be bending on fish in that size category.

I began using the larger size TA clips for surf casting early last year and fell in love with them. They are super easy to use and so efficient. I was recently browsing a website and saw that tactical anglers offers a smaller (micro) clip. I was wondering if anyone has any experience using them and how they overall liked them. I am also curious how the size compares to the other clips that they make and when you would use one of the micro clips over the larger ones. Thanks for any help. Salty

I began using the larger size TA clips for surf casting early last year and fell in love with them. They are super easy to use and so efficient. I was recently browsing a website and saw that tactical anglers offers a smaller (micro) clip. I was wondering if anyone has any experience using them and how they overall liked them. I am also curious how the size compares to the other clips that they make and when you would use one of the micro clips over the larger ones. Thanks for any help. Salty