They're trying to tell you just how great they are to eat. Catfish are very tasty. Not so much fun to try to clean. The very "name" catfish" seems to deter some from considering them for the table. Same story with Carp.

Both are basically (bottom feeders) and quite good for a meal. Somehow, that is lost on a lot of fisherman that really don't have a "clue".

It's been a long time since I really used a top water much. But for my money, a Devil Horse which has a prop on each end is hard to beat.

Early morning just after sunup and/or just about sundown are the best times that I recall. Make the cast and (leave it alone) until the ripples of water after the "splash down" have moved a few feet at least from the lure before you make it move at all. Then, take up any line slack and give it a slight twitch. After that, try some more aggressive twitches on the rest of the retrieve.

Ya might find that will and/or can really "start your heart"

It's obvious here that some spinning reel users want to eliminate the bail and use their finger to move the line over the roller for the retrieve. If that is your desire, go for it. Most users are gonna use the bail to perform that job whether or not the reel uses a "trigger" or has no trigger at all.

For sure I can say that during my time working at Bass Pro in the fishing dept, no customers ever approached me and/or my fellow dept. workers as to wanting a "kit" so they could remove the bail. I also do not recall anyone seeking to buy a spinning reel without a bail.

While I can see from some referenced sites here that there are indeed some models available that are made without a bail at all, I don't remember that out of all the ones we had on display at the counter that any of them were (bailess).

In prep for my upcoming trip to Florida, I'll be soon making a venture down to the M.B. Bass Pro Shop to buy more tackle that (I don't really need). Out of curiosity, I will be sure to scan the entire reel rack display to see if any of them at all are bailess.

By the way, although I live about a 1/2 mile from the intracoastal waterway and less than 3 miles from the coastline at Sunset Beach, I rarely do any saltwater fishing. So my focus is really on freshwater gear and not the larger and heavier reels used along the coast for salt water.

"there was a site that listed the top five and most of them were spin casters, or just looked like regular spinning reels."

In the (context) of this posting topic, the use of the word "trigger" is not at all the same as a (button) which is what you push to operate a (spin caster). A spin caster has a small hole in a cone shaped front that the line spools out of on each cast after (release of the button). Think ZEBCO for reference.

A "regular spinning reel" as you mention...............either has a "trigger" or it does not.

The trigger is an extension that hangs off the reel and when you retrieve the line/bait, and get it reeled in to about 5-6 " of your rod tip, all you have to do then is work the reel handle backwards and it will stop exactly when the line is at the top of the reel. Then you pull the trigger which releases the bail and at the same time puts the line directly into your finger to hold for the next upcoming cast.

Without the trigger, one would have to look down at the reel about when the line is retrieved close to the rod tip to be sure that the line (at the reel) was on top so that when the bail was opened, the line could be captured by the finger. Not at all as handy and/or convenient as having a trigger model.

Those here advocating going bailess" have yet to describe why/how anyone should.

Thanks for your input. My experience has been exactly the same. No problems with any of mine with bail triggers. The ones that I have with no bail triggers are an absolute pain in the azz.

I just enrolled in this Forum a few days ago. I do know how most Forums work as I belong to others and have been for years. This posting was my very first one here and your answer and many others did indeed address the "topic"..................Whereas many other replies went off the map and (posted topic) and groused about fishing license costs which should have warranted a different posting altogether.

I reviewed this video. Guy shows how simple it is to install this "kit" to eliminate the bail. No where that I noted did he say WHY it was a good idea and/or WHAT advantage over using the bail it would provide.

So, Perusing info as to what the damn bails purpose really is, I found this............

It would seem that reason #2 shown here leaves going "bailess" questionable at least.

BAIL
The bail serves two essential purposes. For one, it is the casting trigger. To cast your bait, you must open or activate the bail for line to spool off properly. To retrieve or reel in, you must close the bail. To close, turn the handle as if you’re reeling. The automatic closing system should activate. Tabrosky also notes that you can close the bail manually by flipping it to its original position.

“Some anglers prefer this method so they can control how much line is releasing from the spool,” she says.

The second function of your spinning reel’s bail is to keep your fishing line in-line as it comes off and rolls onto your spool. Without the bail, your fishing line could act without direction. This could potentially cause knots and limit performance. The bail arm keeps everything orderly for smooth casts and retrievals.

When you're dealing with bait casting reels, most all of them have had a thumb bar on them since the 50's/60's. On the other hand, while many years ago one could find quality brand spinning reels with a bail trigger, most of them are gone and the better quality spinning reels do not have a "trigger".

I detest spinning reels where I have to manually open the bail when preparing to cast. Backing up the reel handle with a trigger, stops at the correct spot and pulling the trigger opens the bail and puts the line against your finger at the same time.

I've heard of broken bail springs, but hard for me to believe that it became such a problem that most makers no longer offer them. I have a few, and they work great, but never could understand why the lack of brands offering this option anymore.

I worked in the fishing dept at Bass Pro in No. Myrtle Beach when they first opened in 2004/5. We still had some spinning reels available with triggers back then but not so much now.

We live in Sunset Beach which is on the coast line about 7 miles above the So. Carolina State Line via Calabash. Getting ready to make sure things are "water/road ready" for the trip. Last time we took the boat out, I got to a lake in Western No. Carolina and when I tried to back off the boat trailer, I quickly found out the steering was "locked".

Had to unbolt the steering rod/arm and lube it up and reconnect and was good to go. Seems like it is always something especially when you only get out there two or three times per year.

We're an old couple and like to get out a few times a year. Live in No. Carolina on the coast. Want to get out of the chilly winter weather for a while.

We did big Lake O down there a few yrs ago for close to a month. Had a great time. Hoping to connect with some big bass and maybe some nice crappie too on our trip.

Any info on Lake Istokpoga would be welcome. I seem to have accumulated way too much tackle over the years and will be trying to pare it down to a manageable amount before we head out. Have a 17' Bass Tracker which works OK, but really miss the big Skeeter I had back in the 80's.