Steveo-1969

Yes I am (at least for now). I don't know enough about super high-end reels yet so the bait monkey hasn't been bugging me about upgrading. I've had my spinning combo for a year and it's still my dream. GLX rod and Stradic CI4+ reel. Just bought my dream baitcasting combo this year. NRX rod and Curado I reel. Every time I cast it I just giggle...

Well, it depends......

I carry a very small tackle bag when I'm shore fishing (or wading) and don't have much room for line. I bought 2 small 25 yd. spools of leader line a couple years ago that fit nicely in the bag. When they run low I fill them up by hand from a larger (and cheaper) spool at home.

X3. You can find them on Amazon for about $30.

X5. My go-to rod for river smallie fishing is a MLXF spinning rod.

Last night I put a 7/8" black chair leg cap on my NRX 893. By adding 4 nickels inside it the balance feels much better and the tip is now light as a feather. I didn't need to tape it, the cap wasn't easy to get onto the rod butt and it's not coming off. Thanks for the tip guys!!

Ditto. After I watched a video of Aaron Martens holding his spinning rod like this and explaining better leverage and less fatigue I practiced this until it became second nature.

Your reel should have come with a little fold-out "owner's manual" that has a picture of the brake drum and instructions on how frequently to oil it.

Caught my first bass of the season yesterday on a SK swim jig with Menace grub trailer. I won't tell you how little (er, I mean BIG) it was though...

Welcome! I'm a transplanted cheesehead that grew up about 10 miles from Winnebago.

I agree, maybe try a different brand of fluoro. When I first started using fluoro leaders I was using 17# Berkley Vanish (w/ 30# braid mainline) and had problems with the leader breaking on the hookset. Since then I've used 3 different brands of Seaguar (Red Label, Abrazx, Invizx) and haven't broken a leader since then. I've always used a uni-to-uni knot with more wraps on the braid and less on the fluoro to get the knots about the same size. A Trilene knot for attaching fluoro to the bait or hook.

From what I've read the rainbow and steelhead are basically the same fish, but are differentiated by where they live and how big they get. If they live in the Great Lakes they are called steelhead, so you caught a steelhead. I think...

Here are a couple other threads that also address your question: http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/154233-new-spinning-rod/ http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/154379-st-croix-avid-vs-other-spinning-rod/

Pretty simple goal for me this year: just get out fishing as much as I can.

Actually I opened this topic because I've never caught a bass on a chatterbait and just bought a couple to try this year. I'll be reading all chatterbait related topics for any tips/tricks.

I use Spike-It garlic chartreuse most of the time on my soft plastics, it's just a confidence thing for me. Numerous times I've been fishing a soft plastic without it and not getting bit. Dip the tip of my bait and start getting bit in the same area. Is it the garlic scent? The chartreuse color? Or just my raised level of confidence? However, last year on my annual KY Lake trip my buddy outfished me all week (more and bigger fish) and he doesn't believe in using any scent or dye. Hmmmmm...

Ha-ha. Guilty!!

Good advice here, this is definitely personal choice. When I use my son's 6'6" rod it feels too short for me. When he uses my 7' rod it feels too long for him.

Thanks for the tip! I have the exact same rod and reel and had it out fishing for the first time this weekend. I also found it a little bit too tip heavy for my liking. I'm going to use your suggestion to move the balance point.

Sufix 832 for me. 10# for spinning. 30# for baitcasting. Been fishing it for 3 years and no problems.

I don't know if I agree or disagree either. I'm not a freshwater fisheries biologist. But if they are purposely being over-dramatic about "almost always breaking the jaw" it's probably a good thing. Get's people more conscious of how they hold/handle fish. We've already hooked it in the mouth, gill, gullet, side, back, tail, etc. and had it fight us all the way in. Time to treat it gently and get it back into the water quickly.

I'll be following this thread closely. I bought an NRX 893c a couple months ago and just got a Curado I for it. Haven't put it on the rod yet though, I'm hoping the rain will let up enough this weekend to play with it in the back yard.

Two rods for me when fishing from the bank. One spinning and one baitcasting. I feel I can use any needed technique with these two rods.

I typically fish an 1/8 ounce jig head with my plastics, sometimes up to 1/4 ounce if the river is flowing fast. Casting jigs from the shore. My rod/reel set up is a 6'10" ML/XF spinning rod. Specifically a Loomis WPJR 821S GLX rod paired with a 3000 size Shimano Stradic CI4+. 10# Sufix 832 and 8# fluoro leader.

Congratulations Mr. Hottle. Enjoy your new rod!