iceintheveins

If you need extra casting distance, a 7'6" or 7'10" rod will help. Right now I use a 7' for everything and it works just fine.

I pop it and throw in a couple short walk the dog strokes in per retrieve. But pop and pause is usually my main retrieve.

The popper actually walks the dog better than the regular spro frog IMO. I use it where I need more noise. It doesn't come through the cover QUITE as smooth as the original frog though.

You can't go wrong with those baits.

Heavier jigs, carolina rigs, drop shot, deep running cranks.

Starvation's Smallie fishery beats Powell's hands down. A 2 pounder is a nice smallie at Powell, while a 2 pounder is common at Starvation. Caught tons of 1 - 2.5 pound smallies at Starvation by accident fishing for walleye.

Lake Washington has good smallmouth fishing, and there are a few other scattered fisheries but the fishing isn't quality.

I like the Sedona's and Sahara's, but the President beats them hands down. I believe it to be the best spinning reel out there for under $100.

I use frogs more in sunny conditions than in cloudy ones. This is because those conditions are conducive to bass holding under thick surface vegetation, and in shaded pockets along the shoreline. Both are the best places to throw a frog. So if you can't find thick vegetation, throw to the shoreline shade!

Good reels for the price, not as good as the PQ though.

I still use mostly mono. Why? Because it is far more versatile than braid or fluoro. Braid stinks for every topwater out there besides frogs, with which braid is a must. Fluoro sinks too much to use for topwaters and doesn't IMO cast QUITE as well as mono. I use mostly mono for everything except frogs, heavy cover pitchin' and flippin', and hard jerkbaits. Fluoro is very good for plastics, spinnerbaits, and cranks though. I use about 70% mono and 15% braid, 15% fluoro. Original Stren is the best mono IMO because it has enough toughness and enough castability and easy handling. Also like the visibility of the clear/fluorescent blue). I will put a fluoro leader on with thicker test except with topwaters.

Never had this problem with the Curado or ANY baitcast reel. Have had it in spinning reels though after several years of heavy use, with reels as expensive as a Shimano Symetre.

As far as retrieves, I generally believe in frog fishing slow retrieves are better. I like to walk the dog a little bit , slooowly. When I am in thick weeds, I use a chugging or bobbing retrieve, meaning I will move it enough on the weeds to create some disturbance, then let it sit for 15-30 seconds. When I am in a pocket, I walk the dog till I hit the edge, then I will let the frog sit for 30 seconds to a minute. Same thing when I am nearing and edge in the weeds. The other major pattern in frog fishing besides fishing matted weeds is pitching or skipping the frog back into shaded pockets near the banks during the day. Bass will often sit in these, and you will often get bit as soon as the frog splats down on the water or you move it a little bit. The bigger the shaded pockets and the deeper, the better IMO. Once you leave the productive area, quickly reel the frog in and pitch or cast it back to the pocket or weedmat.

Trust me, even with 1 - 3 pounders, you need the extra strength to horse bass out of the thick weeds and brush, or they will bury you and you will often lose them. Plus, braid gives you a MUCH better hookset due to lack of stretch. You need the heavy action rod and the heavy line, believe me! You will be extra glad you have it when a 4 - 6 or maybe bigger bass blows up on your frog. I use a 7' heavy action graphite, a 6.4:1 baitcast reel, and 50 pound power pro and a 20 pound mono leader. It's easy to cast most frogs on this, even a 5/16 ounce scum frog.

Overall I like a split shot presentation, or when fishing cover I like a parasite weight pegged to my worm.

I would go with topwaters early and spinnerbaits fished pretty fast. Natural colors on them as well. Rage shads and smaller walking baits will work well. As the sun comes up, work the edges of the first major depth changes with flukes or senkos. Move out deeper with natural colored crankbaits, smaller worms or drop shotting later on. This should work to catch some fish.

Buzzbaits and prop baits are best IMO. I prefer 1/4 ounce buzzbaits. For props, go with skitter props and baby torpedos. The Cotton Cordell Crazy Shad is my favorite double prop.

Most of the bigger rivers in PA, including the Main Susky, West Branch of the Susky, Juniata, and Allegheny are fantastic smallie fisheries. They are wide and shallow rivers, look for rocks and fallen timber that block the current. For lakes I'm not that familiar with them, but normal tactics should work. This time of year, concentrate on mornings and evenings with topwaters and spinnerbaits, and later in the day drop shotting, deep running cranks, lipless cranks, and grubs and tubes fished on heavier jigheads.

I use casting gear for smallies with buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, spooks, and deep cranks. Everything else I use spin gear for them. I use probably 60% spinning and 40% casting for smallies, and the opposite of that for largemouth.

I like the Tru Tungsten Madd Maxx too, walks the dog better out of any I have tried. The spro popper and spro bronzeye walk better than the bronze eye junior.

Just go with the real senko, its really worth it. Lately they have been catching at least half my bass, and I prefer to use other lures so I can develop other skills.

I only fish the 1/8 ounce bitsy bug and I throw it on spin gear and 8 pound test. I just fish it the same way as a regular jig, with a lift fall, but I will swim this one a little bit more. I prefer a 3" zoom creepy crawler or a tiny paca chunk on them.

The Revo is a little bit better, but the PQ is really about the best baitcaster out there for the money. I would go with it and use the extra mula for some lures.

Nope the length won't be a problem. Of those the Premier is probably the best for cranks but I like the crankin' stik a lot because it's a bit cheaper and does better for topwaters than the premier.

Scum frogs and scum frog poppers are great and cheap. I do well on spros of all sizes and models, but they do take on a bit of water. It's not as bad with the popping and bigger sizes of the frog. But I have heard REALLY GOOD things about Bobby's Perfect Frog, the Koppers, and some others.