BradGuenette

Stroke a flutter spoon or lipless crank. If that doesn't work, get right ontop of them and start jigging a blade bait, my favorite is the Damiki Vault.

Drop shot, it's unreal how versatile this rig can be.

Something similar to this?

Tubes,drop shot & hair jigs once temps drop into the 50's

Black is the only color senko I throw. Sunny, cloudy... Whatever it is they fill the livewell

The 702 is a great rod! I have to admit before I had the rod I was also concered when first buying about the ML rating, don't let that fool you, this rod can handle weights up to 1/2oz.I have fished a few drop shot rods over the years Crucial,Cumara,LTB and I found the Dobyns to be my favorite. It has the soft tip you want to move the bait,but not the weight but it also has the power I need to move those big smallies.

Try not to work the rod with your wrist. When pitching with long rods I find all I really have to do it lift with a slight turn of the wrist. When I'm using the 795 90% of the time I'm using heavy weights 3/4-1oz+, Just let the weight of the bait and the length of the rod do all the work, similar to a pengilum.

Crank baits work for me

Things are changing pretty quick up here in Canada we are already have cool nights where it's getting down to 5 degrees Celsius. For me the fall bite for smallies has always been deep 18-25fow, ledges, humps ect. I also find the largies stage up on weed lines in 10-15fow.

Pretty hard to beat the spro mcstick at its price.

I also fell in love with braid lately for cranking. There are so many upsides to it, stronger, smaller diameter and also comes through grass really well! The only thing I must preach is going to a soft rod and 2x trebles. I have been using the 705cb glass with braid all season and couldn't be happier. I also just got the 805cbRM and will also be spooling up braid on it! In terms of leaders I usually tie on 4' of 8-10 pound mono so if they make a run close to or under the boat there is some give. I'm not worried about them being line shy.

4lb seguar tatsu, that's what I use when spybaiting and it works great!

NRX 893/Lews TP 12lb tatsu DX744/Lews Tournament 15lb tatsu DX745/Lews TP 20lb tatsu

+1 for the 744 it's one of the most versatile rods in the line up. I use mine strickly for Texas rigging. In comparison to the champion series I feel I notice quite a difference in bottom contact presentations, I keep my champion rods for moving bait presentations.

Dobyns for life.

+1 for Dobyns, I even like them better then my Loomis rods.

Drop shot,weightless nose rigged or rigged wacky on a weighted wacky hook.

+1 the DX745, 20lb fluoro unbelieveable stick!

GYCB shad shape

I should also note that it has trailer brakes. That alone makes a huge difference

A good buddy of mine towes his 20ft ranger with a FX4 ford ranger. Surprisingly the truck handles it great!

Weather you are rigging it on a drop shot, dragging it on a football jig or anything else! Lets hear it! Mine has got to be the ISG 4" Dream tube dragged with a tube jig.

Was talking with the Shimano rep and he was saying they are hoping for a mid August release. He thinks that the release of the chronarch ci4 is really going to hurt the sales on the core. Lower price for a just as light and its also a much stronger reel.

Agreed i highly doubt that Shimano will do away with the Chronarch E-series. The new ci4 chronarch is more of a new addition to the line up rather then a replacement.

I find a drop shot rod is also super specific! Other rods will do it, but not nearly as good as a ds specific rod will.