NathanW

I have not seen the new Curado yet. But I have all of the old ones. I also have Daiwa HSTA, Tatula and Type R. I do not have a problem with the size of the Tatula, and still fish my HSTA's all the time which really are tanks. For me, Curado > Daiwa's. Curado's are increadibly consistant, which means I am not thinking about my gear while I am on the water.

As said ease of use, no stretch AND it doesn't have to be re-spooled often. The strength of the braid is just a welcomed bonus when talking about topwater baits with trebles. The leader is so it does not tangle on the front hook. For topwaters I am not worried about visibility much but I dont have to think about it because I use a leader for other reasons.

20# is the lowest I have gone without regretting it completely. I do keep one setup with tuffline hevi-core in 20# test with a fluoro leader for stickbaits/soft jerkbaits. Its not the easiest fishing setup but the braid will stick more fish, no question, especially on long casts. If you havent spooled up yet, I would recommend the 30# or better. But my topwaters are either straight mono or 40# braid with a 15# Mono leader. I use a Mono leader because thats what I am used to using. Brent Ehler uses a braid mainline with short fluoro leader with Sammy's. So I wouldnt think that a couple feet of sinking line is going to make a difference.

I also prefer centrifugal. But have a few Daiwa's I use that are magnetic. I have found that when dialing them in adjusting them more than 2 clicks at a time can cause major regrets. I start at 80% and work my way down 1 or 2 clicks at a time.

Step by Step It will take you to a better place...

Absolutly go with the cardinal. S10 or smaller. They are built better than the Revo S just not as light. So you can count on it lasting. The ugly stick lite is great for the younger ones because it will build their confidance in casting, just make sure they use light wire hooks so they set themselves. Once they get better at fishing and taking care of their stuff then you can upgrade them to a faster graphite rod.

Couldnt tell you what to expect of your expereince, but when I transitioned from lakes to rivers I'll tell you how it went. First few times I fished a river I remember how frustrating boat control was. I ended buying a bigger anchor and some drift socks, but now I dont use either. It just takes a lot of getting used to. You cant always point your bow at the target like you get to on lakes and you have to modify the way you fish. I found it was easier to cover water than to spot fish, either slipping downstream or creeping upstreem. I really struggled with the bank bite. I found that the fish relate a lot less to the bank and a lot more to the first edge of the river channel, offshore grass and rock, and as mentioned current breaks. Come post spawn they do get on 45º banks but it seems like the better fish are still found on grass and channel edges. The ladder half of the season they stack on very prominent breaks, but this half the types of breaks they are on can be very subtle, like a rock on the downstream end of a long point and typically they are not stacked... With one exception, fish cannot spawn on every bank so if you are fishing around the spawn you can find them stacked pretty good on or around the choke points or staging areas that lead into backwater sloughs (I think Randy Howell knows a thing or two about this). Also, smallmouth typically prefer a smaller profile lure. Think Roboworm instead Juice Worm. Dry Creek tube instead of Flippin tube. Pointer 78 instead 100. Rattlin spook instead of super spook. 3xd instead of 6xd....You get the point.

Your weather looks pretty similar to ours (Snake about 150 miles north of Brownlee), You probably just got over the same cold snap we just had last weekend, now you are dealing with lower pressure and precipitation. I think this weather change is going to help with getting the smallies moving out of their winter locations but I am not sure that they are ready yet. Our water temps last weekend were still in the upper 30s lower 40s. Also, I doubt that stained rain water will pull them shallow quite yet. Maybe drag a tube along the shoreline at 15 foot of water. Keep it on the bottom and cover as much ground as possible. Also, wouldnt hurt to leave the house later in the morning, wear your bibs, and keep your hands out of the water the best you can. You are going to freeze your tail off. But I hope you find some fish.

Lamiglas Drop Shot Special, 7'...Not sure if you can find one but if you can... I have 3 other dropshot setups. LAmiglas Pro X -7' Medium Perfetca - DS/Senko/Fluke Abu Veritas - 6-10 ML (second favorite) They are mostly average, but the dropshot special is rediculous!!

I agree. The best way to accomplish this is to fish tournaments as a co-angler. Think of the entry fee as "paying for lessons." Added bonus these guys will take you right to their favorite spots without Bradshawing.

I have gone through bulk spools of 10 and 12 lb test Red Label. I love the line as it handles really well and casts great. I do replace it frequently and I cannot attest to any other test #'s. I have had bad experiences with P-line and have not tried it in a few years.

With those water temps I wouldn't dare leave that lake be for any longer than a week or two. The shallow bank bite could turn on any-day now. If there are fish in the lake you will start catching em.

I bought tungsten bullet sinkers in bulk. But just looking I couldn't find the website. I think it was bulktugsten.com. The price per each piece was incredibly reasonable but I had to buy minimum 50 pieces. Was not a problem for me because I think I ordered closer to 100 pieces. Great quality too, all had inserts but I could remove the insert with a drill if I dont want them in there. Smart investment if you can find such a website because I know I did not pay over $1.50 per 1 ounce sinker. Painted a handful of each size green pumpkin.

My curado D's have heavier spool and throw light baits really well. I have thrown heavier shakeyheads with it (like 3/16 - 1/8 ounce) when fishing in water from 6-2 foot deep. I love casting gear. But for both of those techniques I would overwhelmingly recommend spinning. For shakyhead I usually prefer 1/32 to 3/32 ounce. But for drop shot I fish 1/8th ounce all the way up to 5/8 ounce when fishing strong current and 30-60 foot deep water.

usually like 3 or 4 spinning and 8-10 casting.

LC Pointer 78, SK 3xd, 5xd, flipping tube, 4.5" curly tail roboworm, Rattlin Spook, arkie style jig, Terminator titanium spinnerbait...How many do I get?

Just judging by the word "frogging" under both of those setups tells me you should be using Braid. Low stretch doesn't hurt for the soft plastics or jigs either. I like Fluoro, and use a lot of it, but if you start froggin with it... You're ganna have a bad time. If you start throwing hards, back your drag off and after the initial hookset put your thumb down and give it another short jerk to make sure you hooks get through... Clear water? Tie on a leader. Also, be careful about listening to Pro's talk about using fluoro all the time. The line companies make more money off Fluorocarbon line than any other and encourage their Pro's to push it. Not just because of the initial price but also because it needs to be replaced frequently, unlike braid. I see it all the time pros talking about how they "always" fish fluoro mainlines on spinning setups, but then you see them on tournament days fishing a braid mainline.

I completely agree. You would have to be nuts to throw a state record back in the water. Its one oldballs fish who is well beyond her reproductive prime.

D&M is better due to quality of components and skirt/color detail. If you see one and feel one in your hand you will understand why they are more expensive.

For grass the Red Eyed Shad. For riprap, shade lines, and docks the Super Spot 1/4 ounce. The super spot is a probably a little offbeat from the norm but it is a much more subtle rattle and has a slower fall than most. Just works great on one of the lakes I fish. Sometimes its hard to keep the walleye off of it though.

Replace it right at the break. You will want as much of the original length as possible. Did you try the online warranty form? Do they have a no fault warranty? It is really unlikely that a break that close to the tip is E21's fault.

Great question. Around my parts Salmon, Steelheading and Sturgeon fishing previals and I find myslef trying to explain myself constantly. Most people dont get it. I fish for bass. Thats it. I will even go as far as saying that I do not enjoy fishing for those other fish. Beats a day in the office right? Not really because I would be wasting time away from the office that I could be tracking down schools of bass. I think its a lot to do with the casting and reeling as opposed to sitting there anchored or trolling. I also love the search and finding new spots, and I love finding fish that nobody else know about. The idea that I can get better and better every year drives me, and the idea of fishing the same crowded waters year after year for salmon/steelhead wouldn't. I also love fishing around cover and structure, especially grass.

The more of these 13 rods I fish the more I like them. At first I thought I couldnt get over the reelseat and grip, but I spend time with a file on each rod and file the sharp edges waay down, dont even notice it now and no more blisters. I hadnt fished my 7'3" Medium much until last weekend but what a great stick. The way the tip transitions into backbone is something special. I fish a lot of other brands but I wouldnt have a problem sticking to 13 if they offered more veriety in their "*** Black A" line, the sizes they offer now are kinda odd.

I will always remember long ago I was talking with a Co-Worker about fishing on Moses Lake and I was telling him its a terrible lake and there are no fish. He looked at me striaght faced and said, "I doubt Moses Lake is a terrible lake, I think that you are just a lously angler." I immediatly defended myself in contradiction. But he was right, I was a lously angler, and Moses Lake is an awsome lake, didnt know it at the time but I know it now. Something to think about... Just keep fishing it, learn about the seasons, and you'll figure it out.

X2. At first I was thinking no way can one brand suffice for an entire arsenal of rods but on second thought they probably can. I am just not willing to pay for em now that the 100 dollar sticks are fishing at such a high level. I have 9 different brands currently that I use.