There is absolutely nothing wrong with spincast reels. the bad things that you hear about them is from what they were 50 years ago and what the bottom line cheapest ones do. Even the plain Zebco 33 now has a smooth gear train and a drag that works fine for most normal fishing.

A good spin cast reel is better by far than a cheap baitcasting or spinning reel. I like the slightly higher grade spincast reels for pond fishing and crappie fishing. I have caught a lot of pretty big bass with them up to around 7 lbs and a 15 lb flathead.

They usually don't last like the more expensive reels but they cost so much less that this isn't a problem. I wouldn't use a small spincast in saltwater but then I wouldn't use a small spinning reel either. You never know in saltwater what is going to grab your bait and take off.

There is very little in freshwater that is commonly caught that a good mid-priced spincast reel can't handle. If you are only interested in the biggest fish there are big spincast reels. I watched a friend drag a 35 lb flathead out of a stump field with a Zebco 808 and he had no problem handling it.

As was pointed out above the major flaw with spincasters is that they don't hold a lot of line. Most times when you are using the line weight that the reel is built for you will have about a hundred yards. That is plenty for bass but some fish will take off and spool you if you don't have more line. All things considered, I never worry about what others think about the reels that I may use. I fish for fun and don't need or want to just winch in the fish like you want to do in a tournament. I can't think of a single fish that I lost because my reel failed when I was using a baitcaster. I have lost fish when I tried some of the cheaper baitcast reels and spinning reels. I'm sure that if I didn't use the better grade of spincasters I would have had some problems. It is the fact that cheap reels are a problem. Cheap is measured by how much a really good one costs of that kind of reel. not what knd it is.

The lake is sort of divided into three pieces by two bridges that cross the lake. The North end is where I usually fish. It is the part above the 1375 bridge. There is a lot of wood and the deep channels are easy to find and work. The middle section is more open and I pretty much have only fished it for crappie around the 1097 bridge. I avoid the South part of the lake. I've had a couple of close calls with crazy people in boats that are crazy fast and stupid for a small lake like Conroe. I'm talking boats that are 25+ footers with three 300 hp black max Mercs hanging on their transom and some with huge twin-engine inboards. ???

One bit of warning about the lake. Watch the clouds. Conroe can get wildly rough in a hurry. There have been a lot of people get in trouble there during tournaments when a cloud pops up and swamps a lot of boats. I've seen it go from calm to 5 to 6 foot waves in like 15 minutes.

I mostly fish Conroe for cats and crappie there so am not a lot of help for bass.

I carry all sorts of plastic worms, grubs, and flukes along with plastic hard baits and spinner baits behind the seat in my black truck and never have any problem. I live near Lake Livinston in Texas too.

I've also have had a transducer mounted on a trolling motor several times with no problems. It is nice to have one up on the bow with you when you are bass fishing from the front seat and then have another one on the transom for running and search larger areas for structure. the only problem I ever had was if I forgot to turn my fish finder with the transom transducer off when I was using the one in front and they were both the same brand and used the same frequency.

The only problem that you will have with the gators is them trying to get your fish before you can get them in the boat. If they get too close just whack them on the head with your paddle. I have not kayaked Sabine Lake but I have run my boat to the flats and then wade fished. There is nothing like fishing for reds when they are tailing in the shallows. Their heads will be down going after food and their tails will be sticking up out of the water.

I always fished the Texas side over where the Sabine river meets the lake. The islands on the lakeside have all sorts of pools in and around the islands. You could launch at Bailey's and in a Kayak just go straight across the flats then across the river to the islands and the Black Bayou. The good part is that you will not be exposed to the open lake very much and it is calm there.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Baileys-Fish-Camp/442977309073173

You don't need or really want braid for carp. They have rather soft delicate mouths and you will rip the hooks out if you try to just yank and winch them in. Carp also don't fight like bass in short side to side tugs. they will turn their tail to you and head for a different county. What you need is a reel with a good smooth drag and a rod with a slightly soft tip. I love my ugly sticks and have used them for all sorts of fish and never had one fail me. The 8lb test is fine for the size of fish you are talking about. I actually use 6lb line on light action 7' spinning rods for most of my non-tournament carp fishing. Most of the time when I am fishing for carp it is in water that isn't covered with a lot of brush so letting them run is not a problem. Light line fishing is a little more of a challenge but it is also more fun to me.

There are 50 States and that means that there are 50 totally different sets of laws and rules. The only national rules that I know of have to do with endangered species. The rules are often hard to understand. As with anything that involves politicians the rules sometimes make little sense. Some states regulate how many rods you can use. Some even have rules about where the hook can be in relation to the weight on a bait fishing rig. ???. Some states have seasons for some species like the hunting seasons. Each state offers a pamphlet covering their rules. Any time I travel to a new state I try to pick one of those up. They make interesting reading.

I have the fishing tackle of three generations of fishermen. They are all precious to me. I have an old bamboo rod, a Stainless steel True Temper rod, and my Grandfathers solid glass rods. They were all mated to lovely old knuckle buster baitcasting reels with either braided linin line or early braided nylon line. I have used them all from time to time to feel the connection to my roots. I have my Dads, little Langley Shorty solid glass rod with a small Langly baitcasting reel on it, an older fiberglass Speed Stick with an ABU 5000C, and his Mitchell 300 on a two-piece glass rod.

They are all loaded with memories. Fishing is the thing that we all could share both in good times and bad. Our differences were forgotten and laid aside when we fished.

Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy... The Sabbath is the Seventh day of the week. Look at any calendar or ask a Jew which day is the Sabbath and then go fishing on Sunday the day chosen by MAN not the one chosen by the Biblical God. The Sabbath is Saturday.

All that said, if you are not Jewish you are not held by that or any of the other many restrictions laid down for the Jewish people like the prohibition of eating of pigs, catfish, shrimp, etc. As far as the Preacher he needs to read his Bible and remember, "Judge not lest you be judged." It is not his place to judge you. He, if he practices his faith should be forgiving and offer love rather than try to use his position to create fear of a Loving God, to line his pockets, and raise himself up.

I have a pair of Bantam 100s that I bought new and still love them. they were not cheaply made reels in their day and even now they are a lot better than a brand new cheap reel. Take care of them and freshwater or saltwater doesn't make any difference. I love them for casting lighter lures and catching baitfish and panfish with them in saltwater.

Boating is just like driving a car. If you act like a dumbbutt and don't pay attention you will get hurt. Even in a car if you don't adjust your driving to the weather conditions you can end up hurt. If you pay attention to the conditions and learn how to safely handle your boat you have very little to fear. Kayaks are great if you know how to swim follow the above general rules and wear a life jacket.

I fish a lot and use all THREE reel types. Baitcast, Spincast, and Spinning reels. Each has its good points and its problems. I catfish with baitcasting reels. They are better for slinging heavy baits and sinkers, handle heavy lines better and have good line capasity. I also use baitcasters for crankbaits that need a lot of speed to get them down deep and are heavy pullers. I prefer them for fast-moving baits like rattle traps and buzz baits and have high-speed reels specifically for that. I like baitcasting for bigger worms and jigs in heavy cover because they just generally have more pulling power to turn a big bass before they can wrap you up

I prefer Spinning reels for all of my fitness fishing and I probably do that more these days than the heavier stuff. You can cast smaller baits of all kinds with more distance than you can get with even the smaller baitcasting reels. I love casting unweighted 4" flukes and worms in grass and light cover. Unless you are strictly fishing for lunkers the lighter action Spinning rods are just generally more fun. There are things that it doesn't do well at all though. I like to pitch and flip in the spring and can do that easily with the casting reels and not well at all with a spinning reel.

When I am panfishing for crappie and bluegills I use Spincast reels if I am using bait and light to ultralight Spinning reels for tiny lures. I also use Spincast a lot because I like to fish with kids and they do better with Spincast when they are learning and I fish with the same rods and reels that I offer them. I have probably caught more fish with a Zebco than all the other reels combined. I have even caught bass up to 7 1/2 lbs with a Zebco 33. I LOVE to watch a kid light up when they stick a nice fish for the first time and Spincast reels offer them a short learning curve and fewer problems.

The thing that you can do with a casting reel is have your thumb on the spool constantly controlling the flight of your bait. When I am pitching the lure is never more than a foot off the surface of the water when I am pitching under trees and docks. I can slow it down so it lands with almost no splash. In shallow water, this pays BIG dividends. Accuracy, when you are casting to places that are different distances, is easier and more accurate when you can fether the line and control it.

I can do a lot of this with a spincast reel. I cast with my right hand but with the reel in my left hand with my finger over the hole. When I need to skip baits way back under docks, usually for crappie, I like to do it with spincast reels. they also work well for bow and arrow shots.

the biggest downside to baitcasting reels is that there is a fairly long learning curve and if you don't have someone that can show and tell you how to do it it can be pretty daunting. If you fish a half dozen times a year or less I'm not sure that they are worth the effort.

PS: The problem with both Spinning reels and spincast reels is line twist. I ALWAYS carry extra spools and line when I'm using them so I can just respool if it gets bad.

Just a couple of other points and ideas, I like the curly tail grub on a 1/8 oz lure for another reason besides the fact that it is a great fish catcher. I can carry a little zip lock bag with grubs, jigheads, and some spinner harnesses and fish all day. I usually have a few of the roostertail jig heads, a few split shots and small hooks for a grub wacky rig in the bag too so I can offer a lot of different techniques and looks. I like to wade fish and have a little bag that I wear like a necklace for that.

The biggest reason that I think that I have so much success with these little lures is that they are dirt cheap and I will throw them right in the top of any bush or weed bed that I see. When your lure costs pennies instead of dollars you are just a lot freer with where you throw it.

I like the small spinnerbaits too and use them in open water but if I can only have one it will be a small grub

For some applications, fiberglass is better than graphite. I use glass exclusively when I am using circle hooks for catfish. I also prefer glass for a spinnerbait rod. The softer tip allows the bass to fully take the bait before they feel it and you react. With spinnerbaits and buzz baits if you set to fast you pull the lure out of their mouth. Grafite is lighter and more sensitive so it is a go-to for when I'm going to be making a lot of casts or for working plastics where you need a better touch.

As far as wearing out goes I have several rods that are 50 years old, one with an Ambassador 5000B reel that I got for my 16th birthday, that are still strong and used occasionally. I like to use the old stuff sometimes. I have several solid glass rods and one TrueTemper Stainless steel rod that are all over 60 years old. The stainless steel rod has a jeweled Pflugger knuckle buster on it with original linin line and I caught a bass on it last year on a 50 year old lucky 13. Linen line has to be taken off the spool and dried after use to prevent rot and mildew.

2" curly tail grub, Tripple colors blue/chartreuse body with a red tail on a chartreuse 1/8 oz jig head. It will catch anything in freshwater. I use it for white bass, crappie and bull bluegills and catch a lot of bass on it too.