Good Or Garbage?

Welcome to Good or Garbage, the blog segment where the three of us argue about fishing gear and whether it's good, or total garbage. 

Storm Wildeye Swim Shad, Good or Garbage?

Grady: I have to go with good. If I see a guy schoolie striper fishing and throwing a 2oz shad off a jetty I’ll roll my eyes, but they do undoubtedly catch fish. I don't trust them as far as I can throw them for most saltwater uses (bad hooks), but the perch colored shad catch me a ton of freshwater fish, and the 1 inch long shads are a cheat code for jigging brook and rainbow trout through the ice. GOOD

Max: Swim shad have a special place in my surf bag, and it’s way way way at the bottom. I keep one peanut bunker sized swim shad on hand at all times, more for good luck than anything else. As a kid I caught a ton of schoolies and snappers on them, but their price, poor castability, integrated design and flimsy hooks are all serious drawbacks for me. GARBAGE

Declan: Quite a versatile lure - can be used in all sorts of fishing from striped bass, pike, walleye, and even jigging for trout while ice fishing. I always have one near, but I never really seem to use it that much anymore. If there was ever a gateway lure, it would be the wild-eye swim shad. A must have for every beginner and a nostalgic token for the experienced angler. GOOD

Mop Flies, Good or Garbage?

Grady: I’ll say good but only because I’m garbage. I have at least a dozen mop flies hidden deep in my fly fishing vest, but I’ll break them out when we fish for stocked trout in ponds. The way I see it, I’m not going to burn nice flies catching trashy trout, so I might as well use mop flies that I know will catch the attention of tank scrubber fish that only have a taste for cheese flavored PowerBait. Once the river fishing starts I put the mops back in the broom closet where they belong. GOOD 

Max: I don’t have a lot of experience with mop flies, but my general opinion is that they belong in the Target home and bath isle. I prefer realistic patterns 9 times out of 10, and the mop fly doesn’t really resemble any aquatic insect I’ve ever seen. They’re good for perch or sunfish, but I’d never sling one at an actual trout stream. GARBAGE

Declan: Again, we’re looking at an entry level pattern that is simple to tie and annoyingly effective. Snooty fly fisherman may claim you are dumbing down the river or might accuse you of not even fly fishing, but that’s all hogwash. The mop fly is a great way to get into fly tying and when tied with the right coloration it can actually look quite buggy in the water. Again, I don’t use one anymore - but I’d be lying if I said that a mop fly didn’t get me started. Plus, they catch fish. We are fishermen, right? GOOD

The Diawa BG Reel, Good or Garbage?

Grady: I’d rather fish with twine tied to the end of a bamboo pole a la Huckleberry Finn than use a Diawa BG. There was one year in college where I blew up two BGs in one season, and I didnt catch a striper bigger than 32 inches. I know people love them, but in my eyes they are total trash and should only be used in farm ponds to catch bluegill. GARBAGE

Max: The simple fact that a 4500 size reel is the same size as a Penn 8500 tells you all you need to know about this reel. I opened one up once for a cleaning and there was more salt than you’d find in a fettuccine alfredo made by a 3 pack a day fry cook. I accidentally dropped one on a beach once, from waist height, and it completely disabled the anti-reverse. How does that even happen? GARBAGE GARBAGE GARBAGE

Declan: A poor workman blames his tools. I am simply disgusted reading the slanderous gibberish that my colleagues are vomiting onto the page. One of the best reels I’ve ever owned: but most importantly, one of the best friends I’ve ever had. My BG comes with me everywhere and has stood the test of time. ETHEREAL 

The Rocket Fishing Rod, Good or Garbage?

Grady: Next to the banjo minnow (if you know, you know), the rocket fishing rod might be the most significant fishing invention in the last century. I can still vividly picture the Saturday morning infomercials on the outdoor channel, showing fishing champion Roland Martin fearlessly demonstrating the many virtues of the RFR. I never had one, but my younger cousin did, and I used it to catch a 4 inch bass in a scum-covered pond in New Jersey. Those things were built for red blooded American men to conquer the underwater world. GOOD 

Max: Never owned a rocket fishing rod, but damn is it funny. Someone really ought to make an adult version with compressed air or something. GOOD

Declan: I have nothing else to contribute that hasn’t already been said. A true feat of human engineering. GOOD 

Circle Hooks, Good or Garbage?

Grady: Those close to me know that I hate circle hooks, and it's not for the reasons you think. Learning how to set the hook on a circle should only take a few outings, then it should be as easy if not easier than a J hook. Don't get me wrong, nothing compares to hitting a fish hard in the face with a J, but there is some satisfaction in letting a fish run and then letting the full weight of the fish pull gradually. What I hate about circle hooks is that if you do gut hook a fish (which happens all the time, I don't care what people say) there is no way to get the hook out without ripping the fish to shreds. At least with a J hook, you have a chance of popping out the hook without giving the fish a gastric bypass. Garbage

Declan: The discussion surrounding circles hooks is quite complicated. On paper, fishing with circle hooks should result in less fatal gut hooking incidents than fishing with a J-hook. The science supports this, and thus the regulations followed. I have no problem with this. However, in my experience, the circle hook is not a blanket solution. In situations where you’re fishing bait and setting your rod down, I think circle hooks are necessary. By the time you run to your rod and start reeling, a circle hook is vital to ensure that the hook gets pulled out and slots itself into the lip of the fish. However, when you are in direct contact with your bait (fishing eels for instance), applying a firm and quick hook set with a J hook will result in a clean hookup 9 times out of 10. That being said, fisheries managers don’t get enough credit from fisherman for looking out for the species they target. GOOD

Max: I like circle hooks, and I don’t think their design particularly helps or hinders my hookup rate. I think some of Grady’s doubts can be attributed more to the kind of bait you’re fishing with than the hook you’re using. When fishing with adult bunker, for example, you’re naturally going to have to wait a long time for a strike, to let the bass batter it around a bit. A circle hook is better in this situation, because most of the time the bass will eventually swallow the bunker whole. You’ll very often end up gut hooking that fish if you’re using a J hook, while a circle hook has a better chance of sliding out to the lip of the bass. In my opinion, if you gut hook a fish you’re better off cutting the line than trying to get either type of hook out, which renders Grady’s point a bit moot. GOOD