Turkey sandwich

I think that in general, a lot of people have moved away from the outdoors, really beginning with my generation. I'm in my early 30s and have plenty of friends who have never gone hunting, gone on a legit camping trip, or have ever really been fishing beyond their parents giving them a Wal-Mart Rod and some worms for the first day of trout or maybe a charter party boat. I think instant gratification and excitement may play into some of it (no doubt there are more people skiing/snowboarding in Park City than fly fishing the Provo River) but I think other recreational sports, like golf for example, have better marketed themselves to younger people. And maybe some of it has to do with being social. Most popular sports/hobbies involve interacting with other people, even if over the Internet, and being on the water is something we often do alone or with just a few friends.

Not to keep bringing Hybrid up, but I really like it's abrasion resistance. As for flouro and mono, I use them almost always as leaders only and for anything high abrasion (rocks, especially in rivers, trees, etc), I use 12lb Hybrid. I like it because it's heavier than it's lb test rating (12lb hybrid is closer to 15-17lb test) and have never had an issue with knot strength. For less snaggy/rocky applications, I really like InvisX, but I'm not going to be throwing it around sharp rocks/trees, and especially not both rocks/trees in current. For finesse, I've recently picked up Sniper in 7lb test and don't really have an opinion on it yet. Really though, even if Hybrid isn't your go to, the stuff is great as a leader tied to braid and It's become my go-to for abrasion resistance. What issues were you having with it that lead you to not like it?

1) sponsorship exists to help sponsors sell products/services. It would make sense, then, for them to display options that anglers can afford. If all the pros fished NRX, Megabass, Tournament Extreme, etc, they'd be marketing a product way above what most of us can afford. The goal is for the prospect/angler see pros catching fish with the equipment and then immediately going out and purchasing it under the idea that "If it's good enough for Ike/Skeet/Clunn it's good enough for me." As opposed to "Ike/Skeet/Clunn are catching fish because they have a dozen $500+ Rods sitting on the deck of their boat." Also, related, sponsorship is a huge part of how guys get paid. If you look at "career earnings", something like 2 million dollars may seem like a lot, but if you break it down over 20 years, that's 100k/year. Now, take into account travel costs, vehicle repairs, food on the road, tolls, etc and make adjustments for the expenses, the pro "making" $100,000/year may only be really making 50k before taxes. That really isn't a whole lot of money for a "professional" to be making in most fields. Money is made via sponsors, seminars, guiding, etc on top of whatever career winnings show, and have to make up a huge portion of earned income. 2) Despite the urging of the tackle monkey, we don't really need a locker full of $300+ rods to catch fish. The Rod is simply a piece of a tool (other pieces being everything else attached to it). The line, lure, and presentation are more likely to affect the fish's decision to bite or not. Also, none of this matters if you can't find the fish. Yes, better rods can help us cast them farther, feel them better, and get less tired/sore in the process, but it's not as essential in getting more bites as everything else. 3) Rods now are really, really good. For $90-150 you can get rods that are leaps better than anything available 20+ years ago. Just look at the graphite, itself. How many rods can you get with 30 ton or better graphite for under $200? How many different options that give you the grip/blank exposure that feels best to you? How many manufacturers make lines of rods with a huge variety or weights and actions for every presentation imaginable? If you need to tighten a bolt, you can do it better with a properly fitting crescent wrench than with a pair of vice grips that may cost twice as much, right? Though the vice grips may work, why use them is you're getting properly fitting tools for free that do the job perfectly without stripping the nut/bolt? - Especially if part of your job is to help sell crescent wrenches.

I picked up a 3lber earlier this summer/post spawn throwing an X-Rap or Shadow Rap. I didn't have any electronics with me, but, based on the anchor rope, and nearby water skiing buoy, I know we were fishing over some sort of submerged structure and about 25' of water. The fish were suspended over deep water, maybe recovering from the spawn(?), maybe already recovered and chasing alewifes(?). The pattern I found that day - deep, suspended, and alewife colors. I could definitely see it working even now so long as bass are hanging out suspended/feeding up and shad/herring/alewife make up the the primary forage.

Great fish! Those are footballs!

Ike should be a very strong pick. He and Gluszek fish it a lot and have fished off-season tournaments there. Where they're launching from, it should be more largemouth than smallmouth.

Update on my Speed Spool BB1. This weekend I fished it in my crankbait Rod in place of my Chronarch 50E. I had a weird time getting the brakes under control... I've never had this kind of trouble with a reel. Once I did, and with a very active thumb, it was casting a mile. Maybe it's because I've gotten so used to the reliability and ease of use of my Chronarch's, but I'll likely be buying more of them over a comparable Lews. Like others have mentioned, it's totally worth it to get what you want/the better option if it means less frustration and more time enjoying your time on the water, even if it involves a little more time saving up. I can justify saving money on spinning reels, but not casting. The difference can be huge.

You need to put a weed wacker on your boat.

I grew up near Wilkes-Barre and still try to get up that way to fish the north branch whenever I can. We did a drift from Tunkhannok (White's Ferry Launch) all the way down to Apple Tree Rd Harding yesterday. Not a great day for size (a bit frustrating), but I took a friend out who's never fished a river for smallies. We put 20+ in the boat and missed another 10-15 on 9 or 10 different lures. I lost one well over 15 around 7:15 or so on a Skitter Pop. Where do you typically get on the river?

that card seemed to go for forever. We were falling asleep waiting for the Rousey fight, and then had to be up for 5 to get on the river. As for Rousey...I've been around the sport for 12 years (When I'm not waiting for back surgery, I teach Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA), and have been lucky enough to have been around a lot of great fighters. Rousey is the first dominant, technically sound woman in mainstream MMA. Before her, there was no really high level grappling and her learning to throw hands has really made her sharp. Barring some sort of freak incident, I don't see her losing anytime soon. She's just that much better than the rest of the women at 135.

That's solid. I have a 7'2 MH XF Rage that I like for jigs, worms, and spinnerbaits and I like it a lot. It's sensitive and has a ton of backbone - and they're currently on sale for $89 on the St Croix website. It has microguides, and the grip is different, but it's a ridiculous value even if you prefer normal guides and cork.

I don't stress much over spinning reels the way I do wish baitcasters. (The difference between a quality and mediocre is a much wider gap with baitcasters and one that doesn't cast well can ruin time on the water) I have a bunch of Chronarch's that I bought around $200/apiece and they cast well, fit great in my hand, and only backlash if I really screw up, or cast terribly into the wind without adjusting the break accordingly. I can typically fish them with both brakes backed off almost completely, relying only on my thumb. I also have a Lews Speed Spool BBS that I picked up on sale for around $130 (right around your price range), that has given me headaches with backlashes, I think, from spooling with too light a braid (20lb PP Slick) and casting with a ***** rod (old Ugly stick that's up next to be replaced). When the Lews has casted well, it's been fantastic. If anyone else can provide feedback on the Lews, it might be a great option around that price point.

I'm having back surgery at the end of August, and that boat is the next fun thing I'm spending money on after I recover. I was hesitant looking into a kayak because of my back problems, but that adjustable seat will likely be a life saver. And it's ridiculous weight capacity makes kayak fishing/camping trips easy because it holds so much gear. I'm ridiculously jealous.

Stick with the lightest* jig heads you can.

Finesse "go to" lures for smallies: 3-4" grub, weightless or drop shot Senko, tubes, and suspending jerk baits you can keep shallow. For the tubes and grubs, stick with though test jig heads you can. On extreme occasions, I've fished 1/32 oz jigs on 2.5" grubs. Keep the colors natural. OR... get on the water when you have some stain and visibility is impaired. Light weighted Colorado blade spinner baits in dark colors (slow rolled), and small jigs (with a rattle) and craw trailer can both be high percentage. Also, smallies get curious when they hear noise on top. A little stain in the water, and a popper like a pop-R or Skitterpop can be money.

Try to stay weedless or at least "snag resistant", carry lures that can cover a variety of depths, and learn to feel cover/structure with jigs, T-rigs, and light C-rigs. Get good with spinnerbaits - around shorelines, they're your best friend. Just as importantly, learn to read water and not waste time fishing hours on dead water. Find shorelines that have access to cover, access to deep water, changing bottom textures, submerged vegetation, etc. Watch for areas with baitfish activity, active birds, frogs, etc. Pay attention to wind. When it's hot, look for shade. When it's cool, look for shade near the sunny shorelines (ambush points).

As for bass... You could get started with almost any medium weight Rod and 8-10lb test line. My suggestion would be to start with panfish first - long days without catching much could turn your son off to fishing before he even gets started.

Welcome to the forum, and to fishing in general. "Where to start" can be pretty intimidating. A good start is figuring out what you want to fish for. Where are you located? A good start would probably be picking something where you can both learn together, and have a lot of success early (especially to help keep your son interested). Fishing for panfish can be a ton of fun with kids, is pretty simple to get started in, it's inexpensive and it's a good way to gauge interest. Also, you can fish for panfish from shore, on almost any freshwater body. You can get light or ultralight rods and spinning reels without spending a ton of money, spool them with 6lb test monofilament line (Trilene XL is a great start), pick up small bobbers, and some size 6-8 hooks. To connect the hook, learn a basic Palomar knot. It's easy to tie and you can find video on YouTube to walk you through it. As for bait, go to the local bait shop and ask about what's popular in your area. Night crawler/worms, leaches, grubs, a variety of minnows, and the list goes on... All make great baits. More on rods/tackle... 1 piece or two piece rods - two piece can be handy to break down for you to fit them in the car. Starting out, whether the rods are 1 or 2 piece shouldn't make a difference. Also, don't worry to much about finding a "rod for everything" right now. You can always expand on your gear later as you learn, take up interest in different types of fishing, etc. Also, stop in the local tackle shop and make friends with the owners. You'll find that the owners of almost any "ma and pa" shop love fishing and are super passionate about helping. Most outdoor sports are like this. It's great that you're trying to get your son involved early. Getting kids outdoors is awesome, and you can really make some awesome memories together. I hope this gives you a good place to start, and good luck on the water!

d**n. I was too busy having my phone destroyed to have seen his thread sooner...

Man, it's easy to be jealous of you guys down south. In PA, largemouth over 5lbs and smallmouth over 20" are considered trophy. My PB largemouth was 6.5lbs and smallmouth was 19" and a fat 4lbs and change (it looked like a brown football with fins). I haven't been able to get out as much as I used to, and now I'm happy learning new lures/techniques with my time on the water, even if it doesn't bag me a monster or 20 fish on every trip. That said, the feeling of putting together a 20+lb limit up here is incredible when it happens.

Last year I picked up a Veritas 1 7'M crankbait Rod for something like $70 on sale and it's become my favorite rod to throw shallow/med cranks and jerk baits with. It casts great, but it feels ridiculously light for an inexpensive rod. It rocks for covering water and not wearing your arm out. I was pretty weary about what to expect from a Rod for under $100, but I'm really impressed. Some of the $100-$120 rods available today really feel like what $250 rods felt like 10-15 years ago.

I use it for leaders if I'm throwing around rocks, trees, etc. I like either an improved clinch or Palomar. Typically, I'll use the improved clinch because that doesn't require tucking big baits with treble hooks through a loop. Either knot works well, and the knot strength oof hybrid is pretty impressive.

I was wading the river last weekend scouting out a drift for this weekend and had essentially the same thing happen to me... 7 times! Seriously, what kind of an ***hole do you have to be to do that?!? Now, I'll be drifting through that same stretch on Sunday and my fingers are crossed that I won't have to deal with it again.

Welcome! I grew up in Luzerne Co before moving to Philly. Near you, there's a ton of great water. The Susquehanna and Delaware are both close. Wallenpaupack and Shahola (big and shallow and a Great Lake to fish from a kayak) both produce big bass, also.

Good choices. My dad has a cabin in Lovelton PA. The farm ponds and the Mahoopany - Harding stretch of the Susquehanna are phenomenal.