Dana Sanders keeps it simple when selecting his rods and reels. He prefers quality equipment that he can use year round so he doesn’t have to switch up as the seasons change.
“I’ve tried different reels; I’ve tried the Calcuttas,” Sanders said, “and I’ve tried different low profile reels. I use an old Curado and I have some of the newer ones too. I like Shimano reels, I think they hold up real well.
“I like to use 1/8-ounce jigheads in the spring when I’m fishing shallow water and they (Shimano Curados) seem to cast better than anything I’ve ever used. The Curado gives me the best of both worlds,” he said. “I can fish the smaller jigheads when I’m fishing shallow and the heavier jigheads when I’m fishing deep.”
Sanders matches the reels with a rod that allows lighter line.
“I love Falcon Coastal series rods; I use the Medium Popper (8 to 17-pound),” he said. “I like a rod that has a limber tip, not a stiff rod, a medium light to medium with lighter line. I feel like I can detect bites better with lighter line and a more limber rod.”
Sanders spools his reels with 10-pound test, clear Trilene XL. He finds this line to be durable and smooth casting.
“In the winter I like to go down to 10-pound monofilament,” he said. “I’ve caught some awful big trout on 10-pound line. Last year in the river we were catching trout up to 6 pounds on 10-pound line.
“It’s all about setting your tackle up right. It’s about using a fairly limber rod and setting your drag a little bit looser than you would otherwise. It’s not like bass fishing where you got to get her out of the water quick because she’ll break off on some type of cover. I like to use as light of tackle as I possibly can for these trout.”
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