fishing gear – Fishing on Foot

Wading Staff Opens Access & Adds Safety

Discussing the virtues of a wading staff and detailing the staff I carry.

A few times while fishing the Chattooga River last week I thought about how thankful I was to have a wading staff in hand to test the depth of the next step or provide a “third leg” of stability while crossing the the river in significant current.

It was actually a previous trip to the same river with the same friend that prompted me to finally add a wading staff to my stream gear. Very early that day, we came to a spot where we had to cross to continue upstream, and I was apprehensive because of the depth, amount of current, and uneven bottom. My friend, Eric, had brought a wading staff, as he typically does. He ended up crossing easily, with aid of the staff, and then tossed it back to me so I could find my way across.

Eric actually forgot his wading staff at home last week. After realizing that as we geared up by my car before hiking to the river, he went into search mode along the trail and found himself a stick that was a good length and sufficiently sturdy for the job.

I should have picked up a wading staff long ago, and I’m still working on remembering to bring it (and use it when I have it). Having a probe to test the bottom depth and makeup and a third point of support makes it SO much easier and safer to wade anywhere depth, current and/or an uneven bottom make-up add wading challenges.

My Wading Staff

My wading staff is made by Aventik. I’ve been happy with its functionality through several uses.

It’s a four-piece design, with elastic through the center, so it can be folded small but extends and snaps together like a tent pole. It’s 55 inches long and has a tungsten pointed tip and an EVA foam grip.

A coiled leash allows you to tether the staff to a belt loop or vest. It also has a camera mount on the handle to use the staff as a monopod, but I haven’t experimented with that application.

An included neoprene sheath is designed to hold the folded-up staff when not in use. I found the sheath tended to twist, and the pole would fall out. That’s not an issue for me, though. I keep the staff folded in the sheath at home and in the car, but wouldn’t want to keep folding and re-extending it astream anyway and would prefer to just let it drag behind me.

I like the light weight of an aluminum staff and definitely prefer something I can attach because I don’t like carrying extra things that I have to set down and remember to pick back up whenever I move. That said, a simple wooden hiking stick or even a stick you find by the trail or the river can do the job and is far better than not having a wading staff when you need one!

New Ultra-Finesse Jig from Rebel Lures

New jigs are a great fit for multi-species creek fishing.

My most recent post focused on a few recent catches, but I failed to note that I caught the Bartrams bass, redbreast and shoal bass on the same kind of jig — the new Ultra-Finesse Jig from Rebel Lures.

The purpose of both short afternoon fishing trips was to get photos of the new jigs for my job. Of course I had to try them out, though, and I was impressed by the results of my short test runs — not just because I caught fish, either. I fished a few versions and was super impressed with how they looked and moved in the water.

The Ultra-Finesse Jig is built with a Keg Head Jig with a small collar added to help secure a silicone finesse skirt, and comes pre-rigged with a LIVEflex soft plastic body.

The buoyant trailers, when combined with the Keg Head design, really stand up nicely, helping fish find the bait. The same buoyancy slows the jig’s sink rate, adding an extra measure of finesse.

The jigs come in “Snack Packs,” with two jigs rigged with different LIVEflex baits and a spare of each of the soft plastics. All include one jig rigged with a Creek Craw. The second is either a Cata Crawler, which is a small Ned-style worm, or a Shore Shiner, which is a small, narrow swimbait.

I’ve been fishing with LIVEflex baits since the first samples came out, and they play an important role in my creek game. The Ultra-Finesse Jig is a natural progression for me, and having fished them just a tiny bit now, I’m eager to do a lot more!

Bartrams bass on Rebel Ultra-Finesse Jig

Travel Rod for Car

Earlier this year, I added a pack rod combo to the stuff I always carry in my car, and now I can’t imagine ever not having a “car rod.”

For the past six months, I’ve immensely enjoyed keeping a quality travel rod in back of my car — all the time. In part due to the convenience and in part because it fits so much of the fishing I do, I’ve used my car rod combo extensively for the amount of time I’ve owned it.

I had previously carried a cheap telescopic rod combo in my car — just in case opportunities arose — but it didn’t cast well and wasn’t great for working lures or landing fish. So, what I found was that I was just driving it around. I always grabbed a different rod for a trip, and even if some chance to fish came up, it generally wasn’t suited for the task.

I’ve also tried just keeping a regular fishing rod handy in my car, but even a two-piece rod gets in the way and always seems like it’s just waiting to be broken.

My Travel Rod & Reel

My car combo consists of a DAIWA Ardito 7-6 medium-light three-piece spinning rod and a DAIWA Fuego 200 size reel. I typically keep it spooled with 6-pound mono, but 4 or 8 would also fit nicely if the situation called for going a bit lighter or heavier. The rod is rated for 4- to 15-pound test and 1/8- to 3/8-ounce lures.

The rod came with a tube, which is important. That keeps it protected no matter what other junk I’m tossing into back of my car. Three pieces keep it short enough to fit neatly in the car hatch, but it casts as smoothly as a one-piece rod, from my standpoint.

I do a lot of stream wading — whether for trout, bass or whatever chooses to bite — and quite a bit of fishing from pond banks. This combo is the perfect size for many of the lures I throw and is at least suitable for a pretty good selection of the lures I’m apt use.

I don’t claim to be a super techy gear guy, but I know what feels good and works well. The rod’s fast action makes it easily to deliver accurate casts, even with small lures, and the reel is smooth. After half a year of fishing this outfit, I’m completely happy with how both rod and reel perform — casting, working lures and landing fish.

Add a Rod to Your Car

My intent wasn’t to spin into a review, though. Although this particular travel rod combo has served me well, and I absolutely would recommend it, more important is the general principle of adding a travel rod and a small selection of lures to the stuff you keep in your car.

Because of mine, I’ve done quick fishing outings that I otherwise wouldn’t have — when I found myself near water on other types of outings or passed somewhere interesting on the way to or from somewhere. Having a rod I’m comfortable with and a few favorite lures handy makes it very simple to stop, even if it’s only to make a handful of casts and scout a spot for another time.

Beyond that, it’s one less thing to think about when I’m gathering lures and other equipment for a day on the water. Several days this summer and fall, I didn’t pack any other rods or reels. I just put that one together upon arrival.

The primary consideration in picking out a travel rod to carry in your car is an assessment of the kinds of situations you’re most apt to encounter. I’m an all-species angler and my day-to-day local efforts include a lot of fishing with small lures. Therefore, the medium light spinning outfit suits my needs perfectly. However, if I mostly fished for bass around thick cover or maybe fished in saltwater on a regular basis, I’d want a heavier rod and bigger reel.

Finally, I also mentioned handy lures. I keep that part simple. I carry an old ice cream bucket in my hatch that stays filled with a selection of soft plastics, jigheads and floats and a little box of my favorite hard baits. There’s no exact formula, and the selection varies from time to time, but if I find myself in a situation where I’d really like to make a few casts, I want to have the stuff I need to do just that!

Category: fishing gear