Multi-species fishing

When I was a kid, I had one rod-and-reel combo. Whether I was fishing for bream in a pond, chasing bass or catfish on the lake, or surf fishing at the beach, that’s what I used. It was less than ideal.

For panfish, the rod was overpowered, cutting down on the fun of battling a bluegill. For surf fishing, it was underpowered. It could barely handle a pyramid sinker heavy enough for the surf.

Now, I’ve got more rods and reels than I can count. Some of it’s for good reason. You need certain gear to chase bull redfish, and you don’t want to use that same gear to go after shellcrackers.

But, it is certainly nice to have one rod-and-reel combo that works for multiple species, even if it can’t work for all of them.

Having such a rod makes it easy to keep it stowed in your truck at all times, eager to get some use when an unexpected fishing trip falls in your lap.

For a combo like that, I’m focusing on fun, and to me, the most fun reel size is the 1000. I’ve had plenty of anglers tell me that size is too small for the likes of big crappie, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, but I’ve caught my share of all those species, including numerous fish better than 5 pounds.

1000 is the key

Sure, I’ve lost a few fish, and even been spooled a time or two. But compared to the fun I’ve had battling and catching far more than I’ve lost, it’s easily worth it.

The 1000 certainly shines when chasing trophy bluegill, shellcrackers and crappie, but it does just as well against quality bass, and even keeper-sized stripers. And mountain trout are a joy to catch with a 1000-size reel. It’s a versatile size, and I own plenty of them.

One of my newest is the one I keep in my truck. The Shimano Miravel 1000 is a top-notch multi-species reel.

Crafted with Shimano’s legendary carbon-infused CI4+ body, it’s lightweight and extremely sensitive, so you feel even the slightest bites, and that means fewer lost fish.

But don’t let the light weight of this reel fool you. It’s incredibly strong, and smooth as silk.

I’ve got the reel paired with a 7-foot, 4-inch Shimano Intenza sprinning rod in medium light with a fast taper. Like the Miravel reel, this rod is super light and super strong.

I’m using Power Pro Super8Slick V2 in 8-pound test, and when other anglers make a cast, they marvel at the distance and smoothness of this setup.

When I showed up to fish for smallmouth on the Broad River, I got a little bit of ribbing from another angler who was using a 3500 spinning reel on a medium heavy rod. He said I didn’t know what I was in for.

All about fun

But, by the end of the day, he had my combo in his hands, reeling in a 21-inch smallie, bragging about how smooth, how light, and how easy it is to cast and retrieve with this combo.

But most of all, he talked about how much more fun he had reeling in quality fish with it, than with what he now called an oversized setup.

Now I’m not downing anyone who fishes with bigger gear, especially if they’re fishing in a tournament and can’t afford to lose even a single fish. But for me, personally, fishing is fun, and I want to do all I can to keep it fun. And the best way I know to do that is to fish with gear that allows you to feel every shimmy of the lure, every bump of rocks or debris, and even the lightest of bites, as well as every second of every fight with any fish I catch.

Put a 1000 on a comparable rod. You won’t regret it.