Stangman

Thanks RangerJoe. Since I have 2 spools for the spinning reels should I load them up with some heavier line? or maybe some braid? Also, on your baitcaster comment, how much different will the 15lb BG handle than the 50lb Powerpro I had on there last season? I had no issues with the PP and think I got the hang of using the baitcaster. Speaking of that, what types of baits would you suggest I throw with the BC? The spinning gear I have is more suited to the lighter plastics (I think :). It sure would be nice to catch a fish on the BC this year!!! ;D

Hi folks, I have 4 primary rod/reel combinations that I plan on using this year and I have just stripped all of the reels to get ready for a new season. I am looking for some opinions on re-spooling which will give me some options for different techniques or situations. I primarily have fished with soft plastics (tubes / senkos), but I have a decent collection of hard baits that rarely get used. I will primarily fish soft plastics again this year but I am committed to try a couple of more things out of the tackle box. Please let me know what you how you think I should rig these rods so that I can evaluate my options. I primarily fish in a shallow lake for both Largemouth & Smallmouth. Here is the equipment that I plan on using this season: #1 - Baitcast - St. Croix Avid AC60MF (medium, fast) with a Shimano Citica 201D #2 - Spinning - Shimano Crucial CRS-66MH (medium-heavy, fast) with an Abu Garcia Cardinal 503 ALB (2 spools) #3 - Spinning - Shimano Convergence CVS-66M2A (medium, fast) with a Shimano Symetre 1500FI (2 spools) #4 - Spinning - Shimano Convergence CVS-66M2A (medium, fast) with a Quantum Array 20 (2 spools) I bought the baitcaster last year (my first) and have yet to catch a fish on it. I had it spooled with 50lb PowerPro and tried fishing everything off that line. I am hoping it was just bad timing when I used it, which wasn't very often. I also have the following spools of line hanging around and would like to make use of them as possible. We are in a recession. : - Sufix Elite - 8lb clear - Berkley Big Game - 12lb green - Berkley Big Game - 15lb green - Trilene XL - 8lb green - Trilene XT - 12lb green - Power Pro 20lb green (enough left for one reel) Thanks for any input you may have. There are a few local shows coming up and I will be visiting BPS next week and I am looking at building the shopping list. Tight lines!! ...Stangman

I was wondering if anyone can tell me what the expected performance / feel changes i could expect by replacing 3-inches of a broken rod with a new tip? The rod is a 6-foot, medium action, formerly fast tip.