Missourifishin

I'm not sure what it's called. But I have one in one of my tackle boxes somewhere around here that I need to find, because those things catch fish!!

I have the Avid M/F. I love it!! But, as others have pointed out, it does fish a little heavier. So ML might be something to consider.

When people in this topic first started suggesting that the OP find somewhere else to fish, I didn't immediately agree. I thought to myself, "Why should he have to go elsewhere? He's not in the wrong." But after thinking about it, I agree. I usually drive just a few miles out of town specifically so I can enjoy nature and not even have to see other people, besides fellow fishermen, nature lovers, etc.

Strike Kind KVD 1.5 (I also use the 1.0's and 2.5's) Favorite color is chart/black back, followed by any of the shad colors.

I agree with the guys who say spend just a little more for a better Lews.

I'm not too picky with my spinnerbait rods. But I usually use a MH/F

Wow

If you're catching and releasing, how do they even determine what species you were targeting with any certainty?

You're getting some great advice here. All I can say is be patient. At one point in time I was content to just have a couple good spinning rigs. But I love my baitcasters now, and I couldn't imagine going back to spinning only for bass fishing. Don't try to overpower your casts. Focus on smooth easy casts without backlashing before you even think about bombing long casts. Also, if you haven't tried casting a baicaster sidearmed, give that a try. For me personally it is much easier to not backlash sidearmed. Different casting styles have their time and place, but get one thing at a time down proficiently.

Both have their advantages. I do a lot of fishing alone though, and kinda wish I had company more often.

I personally would be fine with throwing squarebills on that rod too This topic is linked often here. I think they are some good guidelines: You could adjust it a bit since you're looking at 3 casting setups.

You didn't mention the length power and action of the Mojo. The medium action ghost would be fine for squarebills, though I prefer a reel in the 6.4ish:1 range for that.

Fishing private property without permission doesn't really fly around the small town I'm originally from. Especially when you really get out in the country on the farms. It's a good way to get approached by someone with a gun. My buddy and I even call ahead to some of the places we have permission to fish just so they know we're headed out there.

This. Plus, going slightly lighter than what the rod says isn't going to do any damage. I usually go with 1/4 myself.

Googling some nearby lakes' water temps, it seems to be in the low to mid 50's. Obviously it will be going up in the near future. I am not able to get out very often right at the moment, so I'm kind of thinking ahead too, as it gets warmer.

I was thinking St. Croix Avid as well.

I guess I should have been more specific about my personal situation. There are several types of lures I have never caught a fish on, and don't use much since I have zero confidence in them. People here talk about using certain lures in certain temps, or at least certain seasons, all the time. So I was kind of wondering if the next month or two would be a bad time to practice with lures that people often consider colder water lures.

What are some examples of lures you use only during certain seasons or water temps? What specifically got me thinking about this was wondering, "at what point in the spring time do I put away my A-rigs and jerk baits?"

My brother only uses spinning gear too. He got a 6'6" MH Abu Veritas. It seems pretty broomstick-like to me. Nice rod though.

About half of my bigger bass in the last 3-4 years have been on roadrunners. We should stop sharing this secret though

I kinda like the red ones. but I don't think i've done any better with the red than black.

I have the same problem, although I've practiced and improved my overhand cast a lot. Try practicing with short, smooth easy casts and working on the release point. That's the key. I can really muscle a cast out there side armed, but it is taking me a lot more practice and not worrying about distance to improve my overhand cast. I think with enough practice you'll get to where you can cast overhand about as well as you can cast side armed.

Good suggestions. If I needed a new cranking rod right now, I'd probably go with the Ghost. I've handled them in store and thought they felt great. My current cranking rid is the St. Croix Mojo Bass 6'10" M/M, and I like it a lot too.

Possibly a lifetime.

ww2farmer hit the nail on the head, in my opinion.