FishTank

How about topwater and a jig for bluegill?

That's the one. I have two. I one on the P5 Kasumi Six Eleven and the other on a Rayz Integral. I use this one for small pan fish but I have caught several bass on it. Fun set up.

Magdraft for me but I'm curious about the 6in 6th Sense Whale. I've caught a lot of fish on the 3in, 3.5in and 4in.

Xzone Swammer. I've caught several fish them but not on as a trailer. I fish them with a ball head jig. I also would recommend the Mayor again. I have no issues with hook clearance on these.

Shimano Twin Power or the Daiwa Certate. Both reels can take a beating but you still need to take care of them to get them to last.

I am going to suggest 4 different ones depending on what you want to throw. Dobyns Sierra Ultra Finesse 700C - You can do anything BFS with this rod but it works best for small plugs and crankbaits. It can handle bottom contact but it's not its strong suit. I have a Curado BFS on this one. This is a good all around combo that won't hurt your wallet too bad. Kistler Hunt Series 3X 6'8" - A really good all around rod BFS rod. More of a true BFS rod in my opinion. Again, it's best suited for cranks and trout plugs but can do some soft plastic better than the Dobyns. Overall, a much better quality rod and probably my favorite. Aldebaran BFS on this one. Also, I caught a 5lb Smallmouth on this set up. Megabass P5 Kasumi Six Eleven - A BFS crankbait powerhouse. It can do whatever though. I have caught more fish on this rod than I can count. It is a heavier powered BFS rod but you can throw 1/8oz crank with no issues. I have it paired with a Calcutta Conquest BFS. Jackall Revoltage II 6'9" - I picked this up last year and I am still breaking it in but I use it for small jigs 3-5 grams and small soft plastic. It just sets the hook well on these little baits. I have it paired with a Daiwa Tatula BF 70. I do not recommend this reel. Just too many issues. For line I use FC. I like 5 and 6lb Sunline Invizible but I would start with 6lb Invizx. It's cheaper and if you are like most people you are going to backlash a few times. Just something to think about. Lures are a whole different topic. Also, I have looked hard into the Cashion Icon and the Shimano Expride B and I didn't care for them. The Cashion just didn't do it for me. It just felt off, not balanced, it didn't cast well to me and I didn't like the handle wrap or the trigger. At that time, I chose the Dobyns instead. The Expride felt too stiff and not like what I thought a BFS rod should feel like. It felt as though it would struggle to load with something around 1/8oz but 1/4oz might be perfect. It might be me and this rod is just fine but I chose the P5 Six Eleven instead, which is my favorite P5 rod. I might end up buying another one.

I've been on a staycation this week. I fished Sunday and caught 8, then just 1 on Monday, 5 on Tuesday and 9 today. Sunday and Monday I was out on the water and today and Tuesday I was bank/pond hopping. Today was fun though, the ones I caught were all in that 13-15in range. Nothing exciting but fun. I used my 24 year old G. Lommis 783C GLX and a Chronarch 51e. This old gear still brings them in. It is weird to think this rod was top of the line back then. It still feels good and sensitive but way different from today's rods. The baits of choice today were a Deps Bull Flat and a Bottom Up Gimmie.

Poppers mainly but I have tried a buzzbait and a Showerblows, the smaller size. It did ok with the buzzbait but Showerblows felt off.

Zero today and yesterday on it but 4 on a swimbait and 3 on a jig.

Spinnerbaits. I do use them but my lakes are burned out on them. I can throw a small crankbait and crush them but a spinnerbait is the quickest way to skunksville.

I trim a few depending on the the jig. The dirtier I can make it look the better. I try to choose jigs with a high stand count so it doesn't look too barren when I'm done butchering it.

This topic has discussed quite a bit over the years and I am still not 100% dead certain on my thoughts. I have been in some conditions were it didn't matter the line or the bait, the fish were just biting whatever. Then there are days where line choice was everything but I don't think bass seeing braid makes a difference in the number of bites. I think they tend to feel it more than anything else.

A buddy of mine has one and it's a pretty good reel for the money but 4lb braid is going to be hard to handle on this reel. The line management is not the greatest. I would go 6lb mono or a bigger diameter braid.

Based on price and quality, I'd go with the St. Croix Legend X. Omnia has it on sale if you are a Pro Member, $329.

I haven't fished that technique in a while but I use to use a Loomis 844C IMX for it. Worked great.

Most JDM rod line ups are different than what is in US. Most Japanese anglers are fishing from the bank so the rods are shorter and the tapers may be a bit softer. The biggest difference will be, no warranty on JDM rods. Good news is the price and Digitaka is a retailer you can trust.

On the Motorguide I use, 3 is for perfect conditions, 4 in to the wind, 2 in reverse to slow the wind if its blowing me one direction, and 5 to get from one place to another.

Another vote for the Chinook. Saved my life about two years ago. I got stuck on a stump with no one around me and no cell service. I had to get out of my kayak. It was 70+ degrees outside, the water temperature read 62 so I put my feet in to test it and jumped in. The surface temperature was 62 but water below that was freezing. I went into shock and passed out. Without that life jacket, I wouldn't be here.

I have the Megabass P5 Zcrank Elseil and I love it for small cranks and jerkbaits. It is also great for topwater. I have used it for senkos and a 3/8oz jig and it wasn't bad. It's a bit soft but the main thing is the tip on this rod. It recovers quickly so if you like to pop baits, it's great. It would be a good alternative to a MBR rod.

In my experience, no but I've seen people do it and just keep fishing.

@TimTheGearNerd 3/8 and 1/2oz.

I also have the 894C NRX+ and it's my favorite jig rod. If I am jig fishing, this is the one. Absolutely love this rod. I have used the 894C for Dark Sleepers and it works just fine but I prefer the 853C instead. I can't explain why but it works for me.

Core 101 MG.

I have the Daemos and it's not bad. It's sort of a jack of all trades rod. I have tried spinnerbaits, jigs, swimjigs, topwater, and chatterbaits on it. To me, it doesn't excel at any one of these techniques but it does a good job at all of them. It struggles with a 3/4oz jig and a trailer but at 1/2oz, it's pretty good. 3/8oz is it's sweet spot depending on the trailer. Also, this rod is pretty soft. It does a great job of controlling fish but you do have to pull hard to get a good hookset. For chatterbaits, I like NRX+ BJR. It's just a great rod for all things bladed jig and spinnerbait. It too is good around 1/2oz with trailer.

For that type bait, I like the Gamakatsu ST-36s, BKK or the Ryugi Pierce.