wisturkeyhunter

With the internet theres no need to drive anywheres just to buy tackle. If I'm in the area of a tackle shop or outdoor store I'll stop but not worth the gas just to get tackle.

Best bet would be a store branded rod like cabelas, bps, or gandermountain.

Its all about practice and learning to set your reel right for doing it but Spinning gear is better but not always practical. I fish alot of ponds from shore and it makes sense to carry one rod. I want a rod I can throw senkos sometimes 7 inchers too and other plastics weightless and weighted, jigs, smaller swimbaits like a matts bass and perch, and topwater baits like superspooks. Medium heavy casting equipment can handle that all , pretty well I might add. Be silly to carry an extra rod for skipping when casting equipment can work with practice and good equipment. Only time I carry 2 or more rods is if I plan to throw swimbaits alot or fish for panfish.

Daiwa zillion reel then I'd go with to the St.Croix factory outlet and spend the rest of the money on a rod. Usually can get there high end stuff for less than 200 with nothing wrong except cosmetic blemishes that don't effect anything alot of times you can't even find the problem. I like a 7 foot medium heavy fast action.

First time I hit a pond. I pack some fat Ikas or some 5 or 6 inch senkos, and some 4/0 ewg hooks with a medium heavy casting rod and just find out what the pond has in it for bass.

Big pike are most active in cold water so it should be a good time to be out there.

All over 40 inches and one 50+ : That sounds like a stretch. Swimbaits, jerkbaits, cranks, big plastics, spinnerbaits, bucktails, spoons and topwaters are what you need.

Aaron The place where I caught shitfin is open now and has been all year. It dosen't freeze over.

I haven't use much for creatures but I have used both flappin hogs and kreature and both are deadly rigged weightless the fall gets em.

I'll assume that comment was directed at me and the 2 others that post after me. You have no idea what I've done for homeless people and less fortunate in my city. Thinking I've fed a few more than that fish every would have.

I'd put a human life above any other type of life but if the guy had the time to fish he had the time to work and would have more than likely been alot more productive working. I don't think they should throw him in jail for it cause thats just a waste of money but killing illegal fish shouldn't go unnoticed cause the guy had to eat cause no doubt he could have spend that time making money to buy food.

Spinning or baitcasting depending on your preference. I like a baitcaster. M/h St. Croix Legend Elite with a daiwa zillion and pline cxx 15# is about perfect for me but would be to heavy for some guys. Its nice to have 12 or 15# line when you hook into a big pike or muskie it give you a good chance of landing them and I seriously doubt any smallie in a river in Wisconsin is going to spook from line. A small tackle box w/ a supply a jigheads, grubs single, and double tail and also hula grubs. Some floating rapalas, husky jerks, and xraps or similiar baits just be sure to have a variety of both floating and suspending. Senkos, Fat Ikas, trickworms, powerworms, and most other plastics with the right hooks and weights. Superspooks, Sammys, devils horse, poppers, wakebaits and other top waters you like smaller isn't better for smallmouth like alot seem to believe. A variety of spinners both inline and spinnerbaits. Don't over look medium size swimbaits to like the mattlures baby bass. Jigs and tubes are also popular but I haven't used them much.

pline cxx 15# for all my jigging and plastic work

Seems alot of what guys recommend for smallies and topwater is baits that are considerably smaller than what people use for largemouth. Are people just going for numbers with smallmouth or do people really think you have to downsize to tiny baits. I've had good success here in Wisconsin on lakes and rivers with superspooks and other nice sized walk baits, 3:16 baby wakes, and slammers. So why are people using tiny lures for smallmouth? If you want to catch bigger fish use bigger tackle. Big top waters are great at night for smallmouth.

Full time culinary arts student and work part time in a kitchen of a small private college.

Carp are an invasive species that really hurt native fish populations. I'd tell them thanks. Shooting them with a bow is popular around here. Wish we could rid the waters I fish of them.

I go out to the parks here in town and get them at night during the spring and summer. On a nice damp cool summer night I can catch 100 plus in a couple hours time. They hang half way out of there holes you just have to be fast and grab them and gently pull them out. Then get some worm bedding at any outdoors store or even maybe walmart and a worm box and follow the directions. I have a few hundred crawlers now but I don't use them for fishing much anymore.

2.07 cheapest I seen today here in Wisconsin.

Go to the St. Croix store in Park falls if your ever in that area. You can find rods with slight blemishes for alot cheaper. I got a legend elite 07 model for 140. I couldn't find anything wrong with it either could the guy behind the counter except for a little blemish in the wrap. He said alot of the discount rods just have cosmetic problems. You might even find a good deal on one of the newer models.

Going to be a rough one. Colder now than its been in early november in a long time. Animals I've killed have had more fat than normal.

Since none of the canidates are any good I'm going to write in Swimbaits. Few months ago it would have been plastics or topwaters.

I've held several different models of the mojo's in my hand don't remember if I held the swimbait but they all kinda feld strange to me. Just something about them felt different and I like St. Croix rods. There new legend extreme is sweet though. I know I wasn't much help. Good luck. I may be stopping at the st. croix shop this weekend and I'll talk to the guys there about it if I do.

Daiwa makes very good reals. Buy the best you can afford and you won't be dissappointed.

Probably catch fish but its much to purple and flashy.

Wish I was a little closer