fishballer06

He forgot the oversized brass snap swivel between the egg sinker and hook!!!

Similar action and softness, sure, but no two baits from different companies will every be exactly the same. As for durability, I've yet to see a paddle tail swimbait that holds up completely on its on to more than a few fish. If they lasted any longer, they probably wouldn't catch fish like they do.

Then the Brenious is out of the question. Get the Scorpion.

The Scoundrels are great worms.

What are you using the reel for? The Brenious has a very low capacity and is only suited for flipping/pitching.

And.... There goes all the kayak guys to buy these for their photograph and release tournaments.

Dobyns 705CB - Fury if you're on a budget, Champion if you want the best

Tubes are notorious for this. I believe it's for absorbing moisture and keeping them from sticking together.

Blade baits is a loose term and can mean a few different things (spinnerbait, Silver Buddy style lures, and Fish Head spins). I fish my spinnerbaits on a MH-MF or MH-F action rod, around 7'. At least 14lb. FC or 40lb. braid. Silver buddy type blade baits I prefer to use on spinning gear. 2500 size reel, 7' M-F rod. I'll use 7-8lb. FC for this. Fish head spins I throw on casting gear, generally a slower ratio because I prefer a slower reels honestly (5:1 or 6:1). I use a 7' SC Avid M-F. For heavier fish heads in deeper water, I'll use a Zodias 7'2 MH-F rod.

Buzzbaits

I have this rod in the MH. For your applications, the H would be perfect.

They're not bad for the price. Good for practice, and use the Keitech's in tournaments. The Keitech's have a better scent and a softer material.

I'm a Bill Lewis type guy, but I own both.

I'll throw chatterbaits and spinnerbaits on one of two rods. A Champion 705CB and a Veracity 7' MH-F. Both rods work great for this application, but the 705CB is obviously a much slower rod. I prefer the Veracity because I can feel any time I get weeds on the bait, and I can rip the weeds off the bait easier.

Buff and a baseball hat.

Tatula or Curado, you won't go wrong with either. I've owned both, but have since sold my Tatula. But I'm sure other guys will say the opposite. Both are great options. I say buy both!

I wouldn't advise skipping a Matt Lures Gill. They're very soft.

The Matt Lures is very well crafted. However, it is a very soft rubber, so be sure to get a bottle of Mend It whenever you order it.

As of the past few years, I've done much better with a chatterbait than I have with a spinnerbait. Doesn't mean I don't have an occasional day where the spinnerbait is the bee's knee's, but you're better off throwing what you have the most confidence in and what the fish are biting.

I personally recommend: St. Croix Avid Shimano Zodias Abu Veracity or Ike Series

Superglue will help keep any plastic in place better on a hook.

Looks like you're right in downtown Chicago in the river. I don't fish rivers much at all, especially in urban environments. I know I live in Pittsburgh, but I avoid the rivers and down town whenever it comes to fishing around here. From what I know though, largemouth don't really care for current, so try to find a spot that breaks up the current. Whether it be a big rock in the water, a little pocket, or behind a bridge pillar. Smallmouth however do great in current. Look for area's where there might be a deeper channel and it comes up shallower, or areas where it's very rocky. If you're able to, fish around docks and docked boats. During the summer, fish will relate to those for cover. Remember, fish can't wear sunglasses like us, so whenever the sun is overhead and bright, they need to beat the heat somehow. Edit: Maybe you should check out this nearby park, if it has fish in it. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Garfield+Park+Public+Pool/@41.8834146,-87.7173805,560m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0xa8dcf2d1cdf6a48!8m2!3d41.8827215!4d-87.7166844

3/0 and 4/0 worm hooks are the most common size. As for your plastics, green pumpkin, watermelon, and black/blue are the go to colors. As for cranks, I'm guessing you're fishing from shore. A deep diving crankbait is just going to run too deep for the water you're fishing and you'll just get lots of weeds/algae/leaves/etc. Nothing more than a simple squarebill or lipless cranks is all you need to start out. I'd also recommend spinnerbaits and chatterbaits. These are very popular lures for all fishermen.

Mark is right. Mend It is for splicing torn plastics back together. It essentially melts the two pieces of plastics into each other. Watch YouTube videos and you'll see exactly how it works. I use Super Glue to repair the heads on my Keitechs as they get torn up throughout the day. It works great and I have no problem getting multiple fish off one bait now. One word of advice, keep a lighter with you. Eventually you'll have to rip a bait off and the glue left behind (especially in screw locks) can be a pain. A lighter will burn that glue right off for you.

Like Hog said, start keeping the little guys in the 10-13" range. You're fortunate that you're averaging 1.5-2 pounders. Most over crowded ponds are full of 8-11" bass (at least around here). 150 fish a day in your range sounds like fun! Cull out some of the little guys and you should be able to get your average fish up into the 14-18" range.