RandySBreth

It really depends on what your bait is - soft plastics with the hook point buried like a Texas rig - go Medium, if it's smaller exposed hooks go light.

My best all around would be a tandem Willow/Colorado Terminator in 3/8th. Color is trail and error - all white or firetiger in murky water, more baitfish in clear.

I think soft jerkbaits (Flukes) and Shakey Heads and Dropshot all are different enough set-ups that no one combo will be ideal for all - especially if you factor in what kind of line you'll use.

If someone thinks they're ugly, they must be blind. There are more colorful fish in freshwater, but I really like the way they blend into their enviroment, sometimes pure white on the belly and the color of melting butter on the sides with tiger stripes - pretty cool.

I really liked the XCaliber XS4 suspending jerkbait, the new EEratic Shad that replaced it is shaped the same but suspends nose-down like a Megabass, instead of level like the old XS4 or Rogue or Husky jerk. That and some of the XPS tubes and grubs that had holographic eyes and were great soft plastics.

Multi-piece rods. (I know, I know, I can hear it already, they aren't as sensitive as one-piece rods, not many to choose from, etc.) The rod tubes do work well, but I find myself buying more two and three piece rods, even though even long one-piece rods fit just fine in the Jeep.

Shimano spinning reels are nice... until you get them wet:https://www.google.com/search?q=shimano%20binding%20up&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=np&source=hp I'll use them on the big boat but not in the canoe or wading where I'll probably get them wet. Nothing like wading across a deep pool and your only reel (because you're hiking a long distance upstream) stops working.

Yeah - that was my thinking too. We'll see.

I don't know where you're from but most of the local people near me aren't going to be happy with you keeping any Smallmouth - just too precious of a resource. Lake Erie or somwhere like that is a different story. With no location or any other infor on your profile maybe you're just trolling for a responce like mine, who knows. The "kept it and then after ice and water and whatever it was back alive" probably killed it eventually anyway so why put it back after all that?

I tie a small finesse jig like those War Eagle showed - but I also use the same head for a bucktail and craft fur jig that both Smallies and Spots love in colder weather. So my answer is yes - get some hair and try it - if they're hitting jigs they'll hit a hair one, too.

I'd see if it is covered by their warranty. http://www.fenwickfishing.com/about_contact.php

But the average guy doesn't care if the micro rod is .06 of an ounce or whatever lighter, and even if they did they'd probably still spool up with Big Game in the bulk spool because it's cheaper. I've seen it a hundred times. I'm really just surprised spiral wrapped casting rods never made it to regular production rods.

I have a couple still rolling along - nope no instant anti-reverse.

People catch fish through the ice all the time, so catching them in "Winter" in Georgia is not a problem. I catch some of the biggest Largemouths of the year in Winter - you just fish a little slower and and in different spots. Are you fishing small ponds, or bigger lakes and reservoirs?

Micro's are a fad that will pass, but leader knots have a hard time passing though them while they're here.

Bass Pro Outlet store is my #1. Always fun to buy a lure off the rack for a dollar when it's in the main store for 15.99 or whatever. Sometimes there isn't much in there and other times it's like a gold mine. I buy some from other places from time to time but mostly it's for tackle making and not lures or rods and reels.

I like the 40 size reels for bigger stuff on spinning gear, and like everyone else said I'd just make the leap to superlines. One of my favorite rigs has a 40 size Pflueger President spooled with 6/20 Sufix Braid - I use a 12 or 14 pound fluoro leader becuase I either throw medium size swimbaits or swimming jigs with it. Inexpensive reel that has really held up to some abuse for 5 years.

Not very many of the big rod maker have caught up with superlines - so most of them still use the old mono ratings. Like Crestliner I use smaller superlines, including 8-pound test Nanofil (diameter like 1 or 2-pound test mono) on a rod rated for 6- to 10-pound test mono. It works just fine. The reality is you can use whatever you can make work, and throw the ratings out if it works for you.

The other thing is hit where the fish are - usually out of heavy current. I drop shot rivers here but hit the current seams and eddies - not the big heavy main current.

I think most of the guys hit the high points already - it's only too small if it's digging in or other issues are popping up. I use everything from micro-diameters of 4 and 6-pound test NanoFil to 65-pound test braid for Alabama rigging and heavy pitching - it's all about what kind of cover and if you can use what test line in it more than a specific size.

BUT - if you use superline (not all are braided, like NanoFil) that "Floats" with a "Sinking" fluoro leader and they would cancel each other out, right? (I'm not picking on you, but this idea drives me crazy!) I'm sorry but no line will make a 1/2-ounce lure not suspend. Doesn't happen. I sometime let a jerk sit there for a minute or more and if the lure is tuned to suspend right, it doesn't float up or sink in that time. This one of the biggest myths about superlines. Take a tiny split shot and pinch it on even heavy 80-pound test braid and toss it in the drink. Does it float? Ah, no.

Don't forget 4" and 5" grubs with jig heads from 1/16 up to 5/16 or so.. I like watermelon/red or pumpkin/purple for swimming close to the bottom and pearl or smoke for swimming up high like a shad.

Two of my favorites for suspending jerks are MXF - and I use superline with a leader. Remember that you control the rod, reel, line, and lure, so you can make it do what you want. As far as "ripping hooks out" people need to learn how to set the drag on their reels, that's what it's there for after all.

I'm late to chime in but but like everyone else already said you'll be fine, as long as you tie good knots to begin with.

I do like Bluebasser - three time around pretty tight and then twist the ends with a locking hemostat to get it even tighter. I leave about 1/4" tag end and fold it over. I also like the fact that you can use a matching or contrasting color wire. I know you can use any color thread also, but it doesn't stand out like the metallic shine of the wire.