Steveo-1969

Great fish! I fish a river not a creek, but I love catching the brown fish. I'm shorebound much of the year myself but when the water is low enough to safely wade I'm standing in the middle of the river instead of on the bank. That's my escape, I'd rather wade than fish from a boat. And I'm jealous, I only catch 1-2 3# smallies a year. Most of mine average about 12 inches.

I'm like you too, I would consider myself a soft plastic fisherman (and jigs). I have an aversion to anything with treble hooks. I'm sure I am missing the opportunity to catch fish but I'm ok with that.

I've read some complicated (for me) ways to figure out how much backing to put on, but for me I just fill about half of it with a cheap mono and then fill the rest with the fluoro or braid I'm actually going to fish with. I don't worry about matching the line size of the backing to the main line. If you are worried about not having enough main line stop filling with backing before you get halfway.

Welcome to BR Phu Man! I'm in Falling Waters, WV which is just north of Martinsburg.

I grew up in WI and have caught lots and lots and lots of pike that size in my life. I've never caught a chain pickerel before though. I bet they are slimy little suckers, eh?

Very cool! Were those pickerel or pike?

I was braid on both spinning and casting until this year. I put fluoro on my jig/worm rod to see if what I've read is true - better sensitivity for bottom contact baits on slack line in deep water. I won't find that out until June while on vacation. Line manageability has been fine so far, but the stretch is going to take some getting used after using braid exclusively for the last couple years.

I would love to say I look at weather patterns and then conditions when I get to the water and decide what to try first. But I'd by lying. I usually try a new bait at the beginning of the season and will throw that first. Then if I don't get bit I start using other baits. 2 years ago was t-rigged craws. Last year was finesse jigs. This year will probably be the Ned rig with all the good things I've been reading about them.

These are my favorites. They make a light-wire version too.

Ah, Juniata. I've got a buddy in PA that has been after me to fish the Susky with him. I gotta take him up on the offer! Congrats again!!! BTW: I googled "Backroom Baits" and didn't see a website. However, the results it did give me were NSFW. ;-)

I use 10# braid (so even thinner) and I've never had the braid catch the large rod guide while casting. The problem I occasionally have is when I miss on a hookset and my bait comes flying back at me the line will get wrapped around the rod tip guide and get knotted up.

Oh my goodness, that's a pig! Congrats on your PB, I think she could eat my PB smallmouth!!!! I noticed your location is PA, but your favorite river is the Potomac. Did you catch this on the Susquehanna? Or the Potomac? Or neither? Not looking for secret spot, just curious...

I just watched an episode of Timmy Horton Outdoors and he was fishing in upstate NY (I think) and throwing a BPS Speed Shad. It looks EXACTLY the same, even the same clamshell packaging and weird sizes (3.8", 4.8"). He looked pretty dry, so I bet the natives hadn't caught on yet to what he was throwing...

I've used spinning reels my whole life but never paid attention to brand or quality until a few years ago. It was always "buy the cheapest combo". I bought an Abu Orra S about 3 years ago that has been a workhorse for me. It's grindy and looks like h3ll, but the drag is still smooth and it works great for me. 2 years ago I bought a Pflueger President after reading great reviews about this $60 reel and the bail stopped working after 3 months. Never again. Last year I bought a Shimano Stradic CI4+ and couldn't be happier. It's had 500+ hours of fishing and still feels brand new. For casting my first reel 3 years ago was an Abu Revo S and still works fine today. 2 years ago I bought a BPS Carbonlite (black) and while I don't have any real complaints it's not my favorite. 2 months ago I started using a Shimano Curado I and so far this is my favorite BC reel. Smooth casts, smooth retrieve, smooth drag and with 2 brakes on I'm having a hard time backlashing it. YAY!! You didn't ask about rods so I'm not discussing them.

Green pumpkin or watermelon red are the only two colors I use for Senko (type) baits.

I've used this technique before and it works great. http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/12981-how-do-i-remove-a-hook-a-bass-has-swallowed/page-2

Congrats, what a great fish! I leave for my annual fishing trip on KY Lake in 37 days. Not that I'm counting or anything.....

I have no experience with a Smoke BC reel, but I fished with a buddy's 7' MH Smoke rod for a couple hours last summer fishing a football head jig and t-rig and loved it. (He had an EXO reel on it). It was noticeably more sensitive than the Carbonlite rod I was using and that couple hours of fishing with his rod helped me decide to upgrade my jig/worm rod this winter.

Most of the smallies I catch aren't any bigger, but man they are fun! Congrats on your first smallie, hope the future gives you many many more!!!!

I like the Buckeye JWill swimbait heads for the 4". For the 3" a jighead with a 1/0 hook. Never fished the 2" Ripple Shads.

I have a Revo S that's a couple years old, has had no maintenance on it (I know, shame on me) and it still works great.

Mine is a Loomis walleye jig pitching rod WPJR 821S GLX. Mag-light power and XF action. 3000 size Stradic CI4+ spooled with 10# Sufix 832 and an 8# fluoro leader (brand varies). I am seriously in love with this setup.

On my spinning rods I've been using braid with fluorocarbon leader for a couple years now with no complaints. I also used braid on my baitcasting rods, but about a month ago I spooled up a reel with 12# Invizx. So far I haven't seen any manageability issues. I do apply KVD L&L conditioner the night before a fishing trip though.

http://muskyinnovations.com/chatterbait.htm

My family and I are taking our 5th annual vacation at Kentucky Lake this year, we will be there from May 30 - June 6. We always stay at Shawnee Bay Resort near Benton, KY. Very friendly owners and nice cabins. They have a marina right at the resort to launch and keep your boat in a covered slip during your stay.