Toeshots

I still the love the 7" Power Worm in Blue Fleck or Black w/Blue Fleck. Bought several packs of Roboworms which I'll be trying on Shaky Head and the T-Rig this year. Can't wait to get them in the water.

Shaky Heads, Finesse and Hair Jigs, Tubes, Jerkbaits. I want to be more successful when the fishing gets tough.

I grabbed a few of the 110 yd spools in 12# with the order I placed last week. Reviews have me a little concerned but I'm willing to give it a shot.

I think it's too late. Was out today for almost 2 hours in freezing rain because I found a portion of open water on a local river. Didn't catch anything.

7.1:1, 7' MH/F for Jigs, Frogs 7.1:1, 7' M/F for T-Rigs 6.4:1, 6'6" M/M for Shallow to Med Depth Cranks

When spooling a reel, I put a healthy amount on a rag and run the line through the rag as it is coming on the reel. I also spray down my spools after fishing and do it again the night before I am supposed to go out.

Right

You could honestly use 50# PowerPro (12# equivalent) or another braid for both setups. If you want, though, you could step up the H to 65#. Flouro leader 12-20# depending on the sparsity or density of the rocks and how much abrasion resistance you will need. Connect them with an Alberto knot and you'll be all set.

Yep

12# mono. Have some Sunline Super Natural mono on the way but right now it's Trilene XL.

The BPS Crankin' Stick is a great option in that range ($80) and every so often goes on sale for $60 which is a fantastic value. Not sure what size crankbaits you are throwing but for small/med size baits, the M power 6'6" or 7' would be a good choice. If you need more power for heavier lures then step it up the MH. Although the Crankin' Sticks are all listed as being Fast action, they are much closer being a Moderate action rod, IMO.

Black/Blue hands down

Tatsu is awesome stuff. It's pricey but you can find it on sale fairly often at one of the major online retailers. In fact, it's 25% off right now at one of them. The other nice thing is the 4# Tatsu is probably 2# equivalent mono diameter, so if you wanted to step up to 6# you'd probably retain the 4# diameter.

I'd say the Chronarch 200E7 or E6. I know it lists for $200 but I'm sure you can easily get it for less this time of year.

SK 1/2 oz Pro Model in black/blue with black blue flake Rage chunk. I will start with this combo 90% of the time. I also have some Seibert jigs coming soon that I can't wait to try. Sounds like they could become my go-to.

Before finding BR, I had 1 baitcasting setup that cost about $80 total and was happy with it. Since finding BR last year and excluding the countless new lures/baits I bought based on discussions here, I've purchased the following: - 2 Chronarchs - Lews TP - Daiwa Sol - 2 PQs - Pflueger Supreme MGX - 2 St. Croix Avids - St. Croix Premier - Crankin Stick - Lightning Rod Shock (frogs) - Fenwick ET Smallmouth It's a slippery slope I guess. I'm hoping to NOT buy anymore setups this year. We'll see if that happens. As far as lures go that I found on here, the biggest would have to be the Red Eye Shad. I bought a few after reading the praise from people on the board and I went from catching nothing last spring/early summer to being confident I'd catch at least a few even if the jig bite wasn't on. The yo-yo retrieve just works wonders that time of year.

Chronarch 200 E7

If you're mostly throwing to specific targets, 6'6" - 7ft. If you're mostly throwing to open water, 7ft+ to maximize casting distance.

Rage Chunk for a more lively action, Zoom Salty Chunk for a little more subtle.

Really makes that $40, 200 yard spool of FC last much longer. I back all my baitcasters that have FC or braid. Just curious - do you guys put backing on your spinning reels as well for braid/FC?

Trying to find the right shaky head(s) for my setup. I have a Fenwick ET Smallmouth 6'9" M/XF spinning rod with a Pflueger Supreme MGX size 30. Will be spooled with 8lb Tatsu. I was pretty set on the Siebert Zenith shaky head but I watched Gene's video and he mentioned that these have heavier wire hooks that would be better suited for a bit heavier setup. It seems like it may be too much hook for the rod and line I am using. What would you guys recommend? I was looking to get some in 1/8oz and 3/16oz. I did notice that Siebert also has the ball head versions which looked like they'd work. How heavy are the hooks on these? Finally, do you guys stick with black colored jig heads? I was thinking about getting some in black and some in green pumpkin. Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving!

Got it. Good to know if I divulge into the Sunline stuff.

Thanks for the input. Will go with the 8lb.

Hmm isn't Shooter Sunline's top of the line product? Surprised to hear it's less manageable that the cheaper Sniper although I admittedly have not fished either. Tatsu is a level stronger than it's diameter, so the 8lb test is 6lb diameter. I would think the 8lb Tatsu would be fine on spinning gear with some KVD L&L but would love some input on this before I drop $40 on a spool.

I have fished the 20 and 15LB and absolutely Iove it. Very sensitive and very strong. I remember having to break off a snag with the 20LB and when I finally got it to break it sounded like a gun shot went off. Will be buying some 6 or 8LB soon for my new spinning setup.