corn-on-the-rob

Can't go wrong with any of them, just let your budget determine which one.

Those things are about to burst at the seams...

Mono AND fluoro have quite a bit of give (stretchiness) in them BUT unless you are tying very long leaders, shock resistance I believe would be minimal.

In order: #1 abrasion resistance (rocks/toothy critters) #2 clear water/no cover #3 ease of breaking off intentionally That being said, almost always for spinning outfits/applications, almost never for bait-casting applications. (the above scenarios coincide with spinning applications much much more frequently)

I'll try my best. POWER (descending order) Xtra-Heavy Heavy Medium Heavy Medium Medium Lite Lite Ultra-Lite In that order, provided from the same manufacturer, is power. That means strength, particularly of the "backbone". The backbone is usually meant as the portion of the rod where it stops bending when adequately loaded and below (towards the handle). A heavy POWER rod will have a higher backbone strength than a medium POWER rod of the same manufacturer. ACTION Xtra-Fast Fast Moderate Slow Action is basically the amount a rod tip will deflect (bend) before it "reaches" its backbone. Any power rod can theoretically have any action, and visa-versa. If you took a Medium Power and Heavy Power rod of any action (even dissimilar) and tied unbreakable line to a tree and began to pull back with steady increasing force: They would both load to their action point, then when stressed too far, will begin to yield (bend where it shouldn't aka well below the action point) and eventually fracture. The major difference is, the LARGER POWER rod will take more force before it yields/fails, theoretically. If you took a Fast Action and a Moderate Action rod of the SAME POWER and tied unbreakable line to a tree and began to pull back with steady increasing force: At the very start, the initial pull back, they will bend very similar at the tip, then as force increases, the FASTER action rod will start to resist bending more, hitting its backbone sooner than the MODERATE rod. Since the moderate rod is still absorbing energy while the faster one is already at its backbone, even though you are pulling both with the same force, the tree feels a little less from the one that is still bending. Once both are fully bent to/past their action points, the tree is now feeling the same "pull" from both. Any further pull will be felt the same from the tree, until BOTH rods fail at the same time, because their power will limit their strength, and same power = same fail, THEORETICALLY. I tried to explain it a little differently and tried to simplify, if anyone has anything else to add or correct me on, feel free!

Since you are a beginner, I would actually suggest limiting yourself to just a couple baits/presentations. This way you can become familiar and build confidence with them. For only 2.5 hours, I feel that you switched lures too fast to work them properly. Try taking that chigger craw and a moving bait of your choice like a spinner-bait or topwater and only use those the entire time you are there. Then the next time you are out, use two different baits to slowly familiarize yourself with them. Eventually you will figure out when each one works better than the others. As for changing spots, that can be tricky, for now stay efficient and cover water, hit high percentage targets, then move on. Don't be afraid to revisit spots like you said, fish move in and out. Also, when it comes to bass fishing, remember a lot of bass will be right up on that shoreline so cast close and make parallel casts to get them. When it comes to hooksets, since you are not used to them, when ever you feel a bite or feel a fish is on, reel in slack if there is any, then let it rip. For now it will be better to set the hook too hard rather than not enough as you are learning, you will eventually dial it in.

For finesse jigs, I like a medium power fast action bait caster for shallow water and same but spinning for deep water. The medium keeps me from overpowering and bending the lighter hook. 8lb or 10lb works for both just make sure to have your drag set accordingly.

Yea, I enjoy fishing pads as long as they are hot! But some lakes have so many pads that you have to find the "good" pads which can be a pain.

Welcome! I actually haven't fished Alum yet, and look forward to. I'm from Cleveland and fish for Akron so I don't get down to Columbus a ton.

Others might disagree while using weightless plastics, but for any application, unless I miss multiple fish, I set ASAP at the first sign of a bite. The second "tap" a lot of the times is the fish spitting it back out,

Yea I Punch pads all of the time. I found that 1/2 to 3/4 works best for me, it gets through easy without burying down too much once it's through. I like throwing craws, creatures, or 8 inch worms. Don't get too caught up in the application, just because it is tied on doesn't mean you can't work the edges with it too!

The ones they are biting on.... This is very general as this can depend on location, time of day, water clarity, temperature, etc. Also, just about any lure CAN and work regardless of its "ideal" time of year. That being said, I like to focus on shad imitation in the fall. It is my favorite time of the year for moving baits. Spinners, chatters, swimbaits, cranks, lipless cranks, spooks, buzzbaits, pretty much dang near anything but like to stick to shad colors unless the situation calls for something different. Don't overlook drop shot as a great baitfish/shad imitator. Just because certain lures seem to get a lot of attention this time of year, don't over look the staples: Jigs, tubes, shakey head, beavers/craws, etc will still produce effectively. Constantly be aware of the conditions and feedback the fish are giving you, then adapt! No rules are ever certain in fishing, heck, they often like to do the opposite at times. Go in with a game-plan based on expected fall behavior, but don't force it!

BB pretty much covered it. My biggest advice is if you are unclear or unsure about something, just ask, don't assume. What can I do to help you launch? (if you aren't comfortable with something they ask TELL THEM, don't screw something up) Do I pee in a bottle or off the back? How do you want your fish netted? (some like an aggressive netter, some want you to just hold it there until they have the fish tired and bring it to the net easily) etc. This. It is the best way to break the ice so no one feels awkward about expected behavior. Just say, "hey, if there is anything you want me to do or not to do, I'm all ears, don't hesitate to let me know!" This way the boater knows he can communicate with you easily without fear of stepping on some toes and he will likely give you a reply along the lines of "sure thing, let me know if you need anything or have any questions" Communication is key. Relax, have fun, use common sense and courtesy.

I have always been a shimano guy until recently. I have found that for the lower price range $50 to $100 other companies have stepped up their game too much to ignore. The clarus and compre are a bit heavier it seems and they are particularity tip heavy which bugs the crap out of me. My 6 year old clarus has a much better overall feel and balance than the same exact new one. Of course this is very anecdotal, your experience may vary. I vote exploring other options in your price range.

If you like the Abu brand check out the veracity. Very light, strong, titanium micro guides, etc. Right at $150. Aesthetically pleasing, and I actually prefer the foam grips.

More or less a design error, which would technically be the manufacturer's fault. I have also noticed on certain brands of rods the keeper i directly below and between the reel and the first guide, at time of slack line the line falls towards the blank and occasionally gets caught around the keeper, mostly a nuisance, but in this guy's case, failure to load properly resulting in fracture.

I like a MH moderate for all single hook applications (spinner, chatter, swim. I use a 6' 6'' but anything that length or longer works as well. The MH gives enough power to drives the hook home and the moderate action gives enough play for a moving bait. Whereas for medium or small sized cranks (not deep) I like just a M moderate (7' or longer) for the same reasons above but with a little less power so I don't rip treble hooks too hard.

wait what? This is not true.

Can it matter? Sure Will it always matter? no How much of each scenario? who knows Like Tom said, confidence is key. If you think it matters then change and let your experiences guide you.

When ever you NEED something.... and when ever you don't.

For pilings tube/drop shot and rattle trap. For docks I like to stay away from the obvious senko or jig most of the time so I like crashing a big old worm (8 or 10 inch) down hard n' fast with a 1/2 to 3/4 tungsten weight on a big flippin' hook. If not a jig or senko work great!

Just ordered 16 jigs and about 10 tungsten weights a couple days ago! As usual, I can't wait to receive them, can't beat the quality.

I feel ya. My opinion is based on anecdotal evidence so there will be plenty of disparity between each of our experiences. The point I was trying to drive home with a new frog fisherman is that to make sure the fish has it and in my experience the general time slot that falls into is around 2-4 seconds. That being said if you know the fish really has it, dont wait! set it asap. The point is that for a beginner that feeling like they are waiting too long is likely better than them reacting with a hook set instantly. I may not have been too clear in my original post. What i meant to say is make sure the fish has it before you set the hook, which typically is a slightly longer delay than many other types of hook sets we are used to. whether it be a half second or 5. As long as he has it, go!

1. It's pretty hard to overpower a frog set up, most use MH, H, and even XH and hit em hard. Braid is a must though especially in very thick vegetation. Once hooked, drag em up and out or go in a get him, just never lose tension. 2. People don't realize how long bass take that frog down, and though this might be painful, let a few bass blow up the frog and dont set the hook but keep light pressure until he spits it. In my experience (tournament practice where you don't want to sting the bass) I have had trouble making a bass let go of the dang thing when I dont want to hook it and just let him have it. I would bet that you would have more successful hookups frog fishing waiting a full 8 seconds than setting in less than 1 second. Though 8 seconds is extreme, I believe it to hold true. The more ideal delay is about 2 to 4 seconds in my experience. in summary, too late is better than too early in frog fishing, and horse em out or they win.

The more you fish you realize catching a catfish on anything is not surprising. Any bait any location, even shallow lilly pads... Got this baby last year on my spinning rod, close to 40lbs took 20+ minutes to get in.