RandySBreth

XCaliber XS4 Never heard of it? Oh, well. A rogue that suspends perfectly, and has the weight transfer "long cast" thing going for it.

What rod power/action, and what pound-test braid? You may need to set your drag lighter, with braid if it doesn't give a tiny bit on the hook set you can reach "critical mass" and break off.

One of my favorite rod/reel combos is a 7' med/light spinning setup for finesse stuff like you are describing. It's spooled with 4/10 Fireline, and I always use a leader. I've been liking 8- or 10-pound Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon, I make my leader about 7- or 8-foot long, and it's tied to the fluoro with a blood knot.

I use a Matzuo baitholder (Left, below), or my own weedless version of the Tiemco 8089( Right, below). Less snags.

It also depends on what "bargain bin" you're talking about. My personal one is the Bass Pro Outlet store. Lots of returns, overstocks, etc. They recently had an entire bin full of either the real "Smallie Beaver" or the best knock off I've seen, in green pumpkin. I bought the entire bin, I think it was 11.80$ for what may be a ten year supply. I've loaded up on 5" pumpking Kalin grubs, Yum Dingers, and many others the same way. And hey, those 4" Renegade worms in motor oil are awesome little dropshot worms, so don't be hatin' ;D

I have the biggest one, the 40 size paired with a 7'6" med/power fast action rod. Mainly wanted something for casting smaller swimbaits, 4- or 5-inch gubs, or action tail worms on 1/4-ounce jigheads into the next county. ( For Smallies cruising flats) It's been really nice so far, probably bigger than most guys would like.

I have the larger Supreme, so I can't comment on the 2500 size model, but it is a sweet reel. I bought it for making long casts (which according to experts I don't need to do, right? :) and it really delivers. Light, and the drag has already been put to the test by Table Rocks' Spots and Smallies, and passed.

Senkos (and all the lures like the Senko) are great for wacky rigging. Use a weedless worm hook for snaggy areas, or dock skipping. Use a weighted hook or a jighead for deeper water. One of my favorites for vertical structure. Take a wild guess what I caught my profile picture fish on? (Dropped a Tiki-Stik beside the bridge support, ya think?) 8-) My take on wacky rigging these lures: http://ozarkanglers.com/forums/index.php?automodule=blog&blogid=16&showentry=149

Try bigger, faster baits fished around the heaviest cover. Here in SW MO I catch nice Smallies float fishing right behind guys who are using small grubs and tubes using Super Flukes, spinnerbaits, and full size hard jerks like the original floating Rogue.

I've done this with a couple of friends on a float trip. No fish kept, only digital pictures. We decided to make a "de-liar" card for everyone to hold up beside the fish when you took a picture. (The card was coraplast, 20"x 8", and marked, uh, distinctively.) Everyone made one to exchange with another participant, so no one knew what their card would look like until the morning of. One buddy did not think it was funny to have to hold up a card that read, in Purple Sharpie: "The hardest part of learning to kayak is telling your parents you're gay". with his fish! ;D (He fishes from a Pamlico 120, I'm a solo canoe guy.) It was payback for " KVD Sucks A@#" that I had to hold up, I knew he'd put something stupid on there. :

I use a jighead with a single strand weedguard. Sometimes use a weedless worm hook and wrap 50/50 solder around the hook 'til it's weighted up real good. Both work.

Moby, the main reason I use superline ( Mostly FireLine, fused, not braid) on spinning tackle is lack of memory, spool, fish and go. Never worry about line twist, and then second is sensitivity, followed by long casts. Adding a leader is not that big a hassle, and you can vary the leader, use 6 or 8 or 10 or 12 or 14 lb. test, flouro or mono, or whatever is needed for the task at hand, w/out respooling the whole reel. You would have to fish side by side with both for a month or two, then you would see the advantage.

No, it allows one to "swing land" them, bounce them off both consoles and step on them to keep them from flopping off the deck. Much better for tournament fishermans' image, and great T.V. (<--This is sarcasm, for those unfamiliar.) :

That's a start. I like the BFL division of FLW. Good folks in the Heartland Pro-Am, too. The old Superbass is now "Anglers in Action", used to be really good on Table Rock. They have a Grand Lake division.

Xpress is a good one. Like was said, it's light, so watch the big wakes. Or jump them like I like to in my Lowe. ;D

It's not about freedom or not- it's about liability. If no permit, something happens, harder to sue. If you have the permit, something happens, it's still harder to sue because most permits have the "will not be liable for your idiocy" in it somewhere, and you had to sign it, right?

If it's new, lube well, stop every couple hours and check if the hubs are warm or hot, and take spare parts. If you have any doubt, repack your bearings before you go. I tow from my place to Beaver a couple of times every year, about 2 1/2 hours, and never have a problem, but when you are going to tow that far, be double sure.

Superline, braid or fused, will not prevent line twist, but it will make it go away as an issue. It's funny how folks will tie in swivels and yet shy away from a superline/leader system. Use 2/10 powerpro or 4/10 fireline, then tie in a good 6-8 ft. flouro leader with back to back uni knots, and line twist will not be an issue. You won't need a swivel. For dropshot you will, but again, use 2/10 powerpro or 4/10 fireline, then a swivel, then some good 3X Mirage or Grand Max flouro leader to tie in a drop shot. It's what the serious guys on Table Rock are using, and not talking about.

Don't let it slip by if you like this line, RoadWarrior and others swear by it. http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat21404-cat21406-cat21436&id=0046976119280a&navCount=1&podId=0046976&parentId=cat21436&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=OG&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat21436&hasJS=true

Don't sell off of any type of gear, unless of course you are upgrading. Just keep the casting gear, update the spinning gear, and you're set. I was talking to a new guy at my day job, and he asked me how many rod and reel combo's I have and I said I only know how many fly rods I have. 10. All the others I would have to go home and count, because I'm not sure. Moral of the story, there is no such thing as a "do it all" rig. You need at least a few to cover the bases, more so if you are a multi species type guy.

I've never had a problem with Fireline. In my experience, most of the people who have spooled up and expected it to work the same as mono which, of course, it won't. I blame marketing at Berkley for that..: "The superline that handles like mono.." Yeah, right, small diameter, no stretch, just like mono. : And yes, it isn't braided, it's fused of the same type of material as some braids. If I got a spool that puked like that, I would demand a refund, but it has never happened to me. I never bought a bad spool of Spiderwire Fusion either, and EVERYONE called that crap. Anyone remember it? Nope? Ah, well.

Only when the amount of line on the spool is really getting slim due to cutting back to re-tie knots, or really getting ratty due to fraying. Not often, in other words.

That's not what I am saying at all, sharks need something to prey on, and if someone fishes against some of the best guys on Heartland (say Wes Endicott or Kelly Power) they better be ready to get schooled. I have been trying to fish more tournaments, being a not quite middle age still running around with not enough money dreamer. ;D I'm saying at lower levels, winning or showing well means everything. Lots of guys try for a year or two, then fall by the wayside. Anyway, this is all off original topic. RoadWarrior, you can look up weights of every event on the FLW tours, not as well at B.A.S.S.

This also depends on what level of tournaments you are talking about. I read somewhere (another site?) that the pro that had the most money from sponsors last year was.... Skeet Reese. No kidding. To the tune of aprox. 600,000. Now what was 'ol Skeets last win, anyone remember? 2003 I think. My point? Marketing is what gets a pro the mortgage payments in on time, not wins. BFL or say, Heartland or Central Pro-Am is populated by a lot of middle aged dreamers with too much money, and young single still running around types and such.

I have a 2001 170W w/ an Evinrude 90 on it. Every person who has been in it with me has been impressed with the ride and handling, even guys who own 20+ ft. glass rigs. Why they changed the hull design is beyond me.