RB 77

My personal rule of thumb is to try and match line diameters with in reason.

12 or 15 Lb Copoly or mono for Spinnerbaits. Buzzbaits 15 Lb or heavy braid.

Black, light green (watermelon), dark green (greenpumpkin), brown and purple. Choose your flake colors. Pick your top three from there.

I would try both and see what your results are. I have done both in a similar situation with good results.

Nope. The only time I use a leader with braid is on my spinning reels. That's more for abrasion resistance than anything.

Spro. Ball bearing for light weight stuff (Blades). Power swivel for heavy duty applications (Ploppers).

Just like ITG mentioned, I have added swivels to all of mine. It stops the bait from spinning because the swivel does all the spinning for it. Added a Spro Power Swivel with an Owner Hyper Wire Split Ring to the front of my baits and switched out the split rings on the hook hangers as well. I love the stock hooks on the baits. Sticky and stout!

The K series is a very fine reel and the best one they have made in quite some time. In regards to the E series I like to say it just has that certain "mojo" to it that makes the finest one I have ever used. I have been low key hoarding them over the years.

There are plenty of different ones that come to mind, but if there could only be one, it would be a 6" straight tail. Preferably in some shade of purple (Junebug is nice) with a 3/16 tungsten bullet weight T-Rigged with a 2/0 Gammy RB hook.

I have and do it more with the smaller versions. I do prefer a straight retrieve the majority of the time for all sizes though.

Yes. One of my most memorable fishing days ever was a day when I threw nothing but the same topwater bait (LC GF AB 95) all day long. Never even cast another lure. They were on it from the first cast of the day until the last cast.

This is your problem. Breakage has always been an issue with this line for myself and my buddies. The CXX is SUPER strong and I like the Moss Green color for stained water. It does have a lot of memory though. Yes. Saying goes for me with these lines: Vanish makes fish vanish from the end of your line and FlouroClear clears fish from the end of your line...

I have this rod and love it.

I glue 99% of my trailers on so... There is your answer. Its a habit that I picked up swimbait fishing for saltwater bass that has carried over to fresh water for jigs, spinner baits, etc.

They constitute nearly all of my plastics fishing that don't require the larger EWG hook. If I were you I would consider them for when ever you don't actually need the larger gap to compensate for the plastic potentially balling up and preventing hook penetration.

CU200E7. I have a handful of these and even more from the E series line up in general. I don't what it is, these things just have a certain mojo about them...

My all time favorite T-rig rod is a 7' MH/ F full cork Crucial that is the only rod that I own that if it broke I would shed a tear for! That's saying a lot for the quality of Shimano rods as bottom contact rods since were both certificated worm draggers. As far as OP's original post, I own more Shimano rods than all my other rod brands put together. Great rods at great price points.

60+' Not my favorite way to fish and rarely do it anymore because the fish usually require fizzing.

Super high quality on par with Costa. I consider these two like the Shimano and Daiwa of the sunglass world. There are these two and everyone else. With that being said, I'm a Costa and Shimano guy myself. Haha

LC LV 500

Break offs? Nah, not so much. Littering? Well, for what ever reason, this might be my biggest pet peeve in life. Yes, even more than all the driving and parking related ones, and believe me there are plenty of those. Rolled up to a small pond ages ago and saw it was destroyed by litter. Went home and got a trash bag and went to work. The very next time I came back, it was destroyed again. I realize I was fighting a losing battle. Still do my part though. Still pick up trash. Goes all the way back from doing it on the beaches from decades of surfing. My golden rule these days is; pack out what you pack in and take a little extra on the way out.

I have a drop shot specific rod that has literally never had anything else tied onto it.

Smooth drag > max drag any day of the week and twice on Sunday!

I've heard that about the Kut Tail in Japan as well. Lord knows they are absolutely deadly. The Fat Ika is another staple out this way as well. Along with the Senko, these have been the top three GYBC baits in my local fishing associated circles for years.

For budget line that can beat their price? No. IMO, they are the clear cut leader in this category. With that being said, I use Izorline in that category. Cost about 60% more, but I feel the line handles much better to justify the cost. Both lines are relatively affordable to me considering I started fishing Sniper flouro heavily over the last few years.