OntarioFishingGuy

More of a fast action rod, with a little bit of flex at the tip. Casts light baits very nicely.

1. 10lb 2. Use mono as backing 3. Any knot, I use a Palomar

Steelheading, ice fishing and prepping gear for next season.

X3

10-14lb copolymer or 20lb braid.

Lol, 65 sounds a bit light now...

Fenwick HMG Is a great rod at 100$

I'm It really is a great rod. I have actually landed small steelhead and even a 4lb carp with it. Great little rod.

I haven't used the premier, but I have a 6' UL St. Croix Trout Series spinning rod that I use with 2lb P-Line for trout, and It is the best rod that I have found for protecting light lines. Also makes a fun bluegill rod.

I prefer a shorter rod, around 7'2", with a MH power. My rod of choice is a Rapala R-Type, but there are much nicer rods out there that would work for you.

Fishin' stick.

On a side note, 16 lb fluorocarbon would not handle well on a spinning reel. Tie a leader when needed, and you will cover pretty much all the bases. I use cranks on braid with a leader, and don't have any issues.

Calcutta D, Metanium, maybe a couple TD-Z reels.

X-Rap, Husky Jerk and Original Floater.

I use mostly 5/16th oz weights, but will drop down to a 1/16th or go up to a 1.5 depending on the cover.

Does anyone else like putting a Rage Craw or Chigger Craw on a shaky head jig? Crawled slowly along the bottom on a heavier jig, it has been one of my best presentations for smallmouth, and pitched into cover on a lighter jig, it is perfect for when the largemouth are not very active.

I prefer full length cork, split grip cork is a close second, and EVA would be my last choice.

1. Tie a swivel to your mainline 2. Tie your leader to the swivel 3. Tie your leader to your hook with a Palomar knot 4. Pass the tag end of the knot back through the eye of the hook (From the top) 5. Tie a weight to the end of your leader Or you can use VMC Spinshot hooks. They are quick to tie on, but the hooks are not the strongest. Good luck with the dropshot rig!

I use either 5lb Power Pro or 8lb Fireline. I like the Power pro better, but the Fireline comes out when I'm fishing bigger water for big smallmouth. I add a 4-8lb fluorocarbon leader when fishing in clear water. Monofilament, while not ideal, will certainly work fine for dropshotting.

Mainline to leader: Double Uni Mono/Fluoro to lure: Palomar Braid to lure: Double Palomar

Salmon hit anything that ticks them off or looks good. They will work fine.

It does look like a very nice reel. I haven't had any experience with it, but the SH series Balistic was bulletproof and built like a tank. If you do end up buying it, let us know how it performs!

Lures that will cover water quickly like cranks, spinnerbaits, swim jigs etc.

Big steelhead + tiny creeks + light spinning rod.

Go with a Fenwick HMG or used Aetos.