Steveo-1969

Most of my smallmouth fishing is done with a ML WALLEYE spinning rod. ?

I’ve always been a Tabasco fan but wished it was a little hotter. Enter Habanero Tabasco. My new favorite!!!

^^^ This

Do you have access to Sufix Advance Monofilament locally? This is the lowest stretch/most sensitive monofilament I've tried yet. Look at the diameter to determine what pound test will work for you on a spinning reel though.

Welcome to BR!! I took a 13-year fishing hiatus from 1997-2010 and am still kicking myself about the time I lost and will never get back. But at least I'm fishing now and the past decade has been very fulfilling. Like you I started from scratch gear-wise. I went out and bought an Ugly Stik spinning rod and $20 reel because that's what I had before. Then gradually upgraded from there.

If you are a fan of "Zona's Awesome Fishing Show" you've probably seen Mark Zona do this with smallmouth bass. He will keep them in the livewell until finished with a spot so the released fish don't somehow turn the rest of the school off the bite.

My #1 favorite movie of all time, no contest!!!! My wife? Not so much... ?

Very spooky. Do you think it will scare the fish away?

... AND... when I start reeling I extend my index finger and let the line bounce off my finger a few times ensuring that no loop is reeled onto the spool. It's all muscle memory now and I don't even think about it.

^^ This. Only you know what bottom contact technique you use the most. Spend as much as you can afford and you will be smiling from ear to ear every time you pick it up! ?

Thanks for introducing yourself. GO BEARS!!!!

On my local river lead heads and plastics are very popular and effective for walleyes. Flukes, paddletails and curlytails.

Susquehanna Fishing Tackle sells ball head jigs with larger hooks: https://sfttackle.com/jig-heads/sfttackle-big-hook-ball-head-jigs-1-16-1-8-3-16-1-4-3-8-1-2-oz-12805.html

From April through October I target smallmouth on every outing because the section of river I fish is predominantly smallmouth. If it was predominantly largemouth then that's what I would target. From November through March I'm targeting walleyes on the same river. With that being said my favorite fish is a smallmouth bass because they just don't quit.

Welcome to Bass Resource! It's already been suggested but I'll second it. Read all you can about the Ned Rig here on Bass Resource and give that a try. It's a fish catcher! On a side note, Da Bears are now in sole possession of 1st place in the NFC North. BEAR DOWN!!!!!!

I've never used either of the above rods so can't give any feedback on them. I'm still trying to wrap my head around buying a fishing rod based on its color rather than its length/power/action, etc....

Hmmmmm..........

I've tried Gamma Edge in 10# on a baitcaster and it performed very well! Abrasion resistant, minimal stretch and handled pretty well. But it's thicker and more expensive than Tatsu. I'm fishing 10# Tatsu on the same rod right now and it's thinner, just as abrasion resistant, minimal stretch, and handles better (softer and less coiling). I didn't want to believe the Tatsu hype you read on here all the time, but after using it the hype is real.

My custom bottom contact casting rod was $400. Almost half of that cost was just the blank.

I bought a Gen 1 Carbonlite (black) baitcasting combo when they first came out. I like the rod very much and still use it occasionally. The reel was junk and was replaced with something different.

Welcome to Bass Resource! Your member name suggests you are a Mark Zona fan?

MVL for me this year is a 1/16 ounce jig head. Doesn't seem to matter what small plastic I put on it, the thing just catches fish! (I could have said Ned Rig I guess.....) Runner-up MVL is a 3/16 SK Bitsy Bug jig with Baby Menace Grub trailer because it caught my PB smallmouth in April.

1. How often do you go fishing? Normally once a week all year long. 2. What type of fishing do you usually do? (fresh, salt, target species) Always freshwater. April-October is smallmouth. November-March is walleyes. 3. How do you hear about new products? Social media? Friends? Online? Bass Resource and TV fishing shows. 4. When buying a new product what makes you finally decide to purchase it? Reviews? Friends Recommendations? Reviews and recommendations on Bass Resource. 5. Where did you usually shop pre covid-19? In stores? Online? I've been 95% online for years. mainly Tackle Warehouse and Bass Pro Shop. Very limited brick and mortar options in my area. 6. Does the fishing industry have enough gadgets? Never!! 7. How much do you spend yearly on fishing equipment? Anywhere from $500-$1500.

I am no expert and don't catch giant brown bass like @A-Jay but I've been using a uni-uni knot for years and have never had one fail on a fish. When I break off a snag I want the leader to break at the lure, but lots of times the leader breaks below the uni-uni knot. The main line (braid) doesn't break. I only use a leader on spinning. 8#-10# braid and a mono or fluoro or copoly leader from 8#-12#. The leader line is always the thickest and gets 3 wraps. Then the braid will get 5-7 wraps depending on it's thickness. I'm trying to get each knot to be the same size when I pull them together. The result is a fairly small knot and the leader length is about 3 feet.

This rod is 82 inches long, or 6'10".