Hello everyone,

The bottom line is that my wife and I just started getting into fishing. We are "Newbies", and aren't real sure what the heck we are doing.

Here is a little background info:

We went fishing at Gull lake in the eastern sierras and had a blast. A lot of people laughed at us because we were using little kid collapsible poles with 8 pound test line.

I was using the 8 pound test line as the leader as well... Apparently fish can see it, and I bet they were laughing at me as well.

We went fishing at Gull Lake again 2 days later, and this time I did a little more research so that I wouldn't look quite as stupid (I'm sure I still looked like an idiot!)

We each purchased SPL 1102 5'0" ultralight ugly sticks, put some 4 pound test line on shimano fx1000 fb and fx 2500 fb reels, some 3 pound leader, and purchased a few size #18 treble hooks.

We ended up catching two fish that day, and we are pretty "hooked" now.


Now we are back home from our mammoth lakes vacation, and I have some questions that I can't seem to find the answers to.

We live in San Luis Obispo, Ca, in san luis obispo county

There are two lakes within 30 miles of our house for fresh water fishing.

Lopez Lake
http://www.slocountyparks.com/activities/lopez_fishing.htm

AND

Santa Margarita Lake
http://www.slocountyparks.com/activities/santa_margarita_fish.htm

The fish that inhabit these lakes are: LMB, Crappie, Bluegill, Redear, Catfish, and Rainbow Trout (Trout are only stocked during winter I believe.)

From what I have read, and understand, there is not a real consensus on what hook sizes to use on specific species of fish, let alone a general hook size to use on multiple species. Nightcrawlers seem to work on the species that inhabit the lakes in my area (I could be wrong, I'm a noob after all).


Here Are My Questions...

1) What bait or lures could I use on our ultralight setups that could work well for multiple species. What could I use on bluegill, trout, crappie, and bass. I know this is a shot in the dark, and that the answer is probably not as simple and straight forward as I would like.

The only bait we have used so far is Gulp Powerbait (Garlic and chunky cheese).

2) What size hooks should I use that would be able to land a wide variety of species. I am trying to keep things simple right now while I am learning. We used size 18 treble hooks, which are pretty small, and caught two trout on them.

The hooks might have been a little small, but I tried to use my misguided "newbie" logic in my reasoning that a small hook can catch both small fish and large fish, but a large hook won't catch small fish.

Also, I don't know if I want to use trebles anymore... It seems like they really tear up the fish. I had a hard time getting them out. I had to keep a small guy that I wanted to release because he was bleeding really bad.

I guess what I am asking is, is there a size hook I could use (like a #10, #12, #14, or whatever) with a specific bait (live or artificial) that may have success across multiple species that are in my area?


3) If I wanted to fish for cat fish (like a pound to 3 pounds? Nothing spectacular, but it would be nice to hook a large one) what pound test line should I use? Catfish, from what I understand, have poor eyesight, so I was thinking we might be able to get away with a thicker, stronger line.

My wife's Grandfather recently passed away, and we inherited what looks like maybe a decade old SP 1100 6'6 Medium Action Ugly Stik. The reel looks like the bearings are worn out, so I will have to replace the reel.

I was wondering if the pole is strong enough, what pound test line, size hook, and bait should I use?

4) We fish for trout with a small egg sinker on the main line, followed by a swivel, then a 2-4 foot leader. Would a similar setup work for catfish?

5) What kind of reel should I put on my wife's Grandfathers SP 1100 6'6 Medium Action Ugly Stik that might be appropriate (and cost effective) to get the job done?


Thank you all in advance for your help! I really do appreciate it.

Dr. Flores D.V.M.