PennBass

Open water applications mostly. Anything with abrasive cover (wood, rocks, anything that can rub against the line) will cause it to fray real bad and snap left and right. I've tried Gliss on both spinning and casting setups, and the only noticeable difference in casting distance is on spinning tackle (maybe 20% extra distance v. regular braid).

Last summer I caught a ~4 lber LMB on a 2" rebel jointed minnow

I either use a moderate glass rod paired with braid, or a graphite rod paired with mono. If you use a glass rod with mono/graphite rod with braid I find that there's too much/too little stretch. I've heard that the Lews cranking rods are excellent for the price

I have a pair of Mustad braid cutters that work anytime I need them

I don't have any complaints with the micro guides but maybe that's cause I tie the FG knot and use rather light line. I feel that the Avid X is a bit tip heavy though, but might just be me.

I did try a sunfish colored zoom fluke but they weren't interested either (didn't even look). Are some fish just uncatchable?

Used to have the exact same problem. I've found that switching to a keel weighted hook keeps the frog upright every time. Pay attention to the hookset, cause the bass might only be holding on by the legs. Wait until you feel the weight of the fish before setting the hook.

I have this one duo realis I found in a tree that works really well. It has a sort of half sphere on the lip that makes it walk easier apparently and I've caught tons of fish on it

Went bank fishing yesterday and I could see a few really big bass hanging around a bluegill school. Every once in a while a bass would suddenly dart out and eat a bluegill. i tried everything I had, including wacky rigs, spinnerbaits, etc. but couldn't get them to bite even when I literally hit them on the head. Do you guys have any luck with these fish?

I used to have an old Premier. Was a great rod overall until I broke it in two while casting. Then another time. And another. And 2 more after that. Of course, St. Croix, being the great company it is, replaced it every time (and I have a few halves laying around from broken rods). I'm not sure I'm casting wrong or something, or maybe I got really unlucky, but a 1/4 oz. crankbait on a ML rod isn't unreasonable. Also, I haven't ever had a problem with the SCIII rods, like the Avid, so I think my problems stem from the lower-quality graphite

So up until January I always struggled to find ways to keep my tackle organized, and since space was limited, I just kept everything jumbled up in tackle boxes. I came up with a new system that's worked great for me, and basically anyone can do it at home. Materials needed: Some kind of drawer Paper Hot Glue Basically, you roll a tube of paper with 2-3 sheets of paper then tape them together so they don't unravel. Then, flatten the tube out, cut it to the width of your drawer, and glue the ends to the sides. Remember to leave some room at the top so the drawer can close. Hope this helps anyone out there looking for a cheap, condensed storage!

I've heard good things about the Bucoo. St. Croix is a great company but I don't have faith in their rods made with less than SCIII.

Why do some fish tense up when you reel them in? Sometimes, especially with dinks, when I'm unhooking them their body seems very taught with the tail curved up. What causes this?

Don't think anyone's mentioned this before, but if you search up 1rod1reel on the App Store (if you have an Apple product) there's a great app called Fishie that lets you take pictures of your catch, and also saves information regarding when you caught it - location, weather, time of day, and you can add on fish weight, lure used, water temp., and any other notes. Also, it's free!

If you're desparate for a fish, tie on some kind of soft plastic (like a T-rigged Zoom Trick Worm) and walk around the pond, casting as you go. Might not get the biggest fish but you'll sure catch quantity.

Line choice depends a lot on the applications you're going to use the rod for. When fishing treble-hooked baits, I prefer some kind of shock absorbance, but not too much. For example, I pair either braid with a moderate-action rod, or mono with a fast-action. If you combine both a moderate-action rod and mono, I feel there's too much stretch. If you're looking for an all-purpose rod, I'd suggest 30-40 lbs braid. (less will make the line cut into itself, causing backlash) or a quality 12-17 lbs. fluorocarbon, but if you're going to use any type of topwater, stay away from fluoro. With baitcasters line memory doesn't quite have the same level of negative effect that it has on spinning gear, since the line comes straight on/off, not in "springs", so using heavier mono/fluoro line is certainly an option. I really like the limpness of braid, but since this is your first baitcasting setup you should start off with mono. Backlashes with mono/fluoro are much easier in general to get out than braid. With rod choice, I think a medium is more versatile than a MH because you'll be able to cast a good variety of baits, from weightless soft plastics to jigs. However, choosing a M would limit you when fishing jigs/frogs and might not have the backbone you might want. The rod power varies from brand to brand, so see if you can get your hands on one to see how it feels. Again, if you're buying St. Croix, highly recommend the M over the MH because the MH is more on the Heavy end of the spectrum. Hope this helps!

Yeah, for St. Croix get the Medium if you want a "standard" MH: St. Croix's rods are under-rated. My MF Avid X is quite similar to my Tatula MHF in terms of power.

I have the 6'10" MHF and it's great for bottom contact since it's so light and sensitive. Far lighter than any other rod I own, and also my favorite! It's also good for frog fishing (not too heavy cover), cranking with mono, and jerkbaits, lipless cranks, and pretty much anything else. If you pair it with a decent reel, you can cast weightless plastics a good distance, too.

Well you already bought it so spool it up and give it a few hours of testing!

Last summer I left a minnow trap in a small stream for a week, and when I came back, I found two eels and around 20 half-digested minnows in it. Smelled horrible

Sufix 832, PowerPro, and many other brands work great, but personally I prefer TufLine XP because its 2x cheaper per yard and it's got amazing abrasion resistance.

I sometimes wonder how Daiwa isn't losing money making them

Also would choose the Lew's LFS. Tried and tested, great performance overall for a very good price.

+1 for St. Croix. Not sure how they would hold up to abuse, but if you do manage to break one of their rods, their warranty service is unbeatable. For your price point, I'd suggest the either the new 2016 model Mojo or the Avid. Both are great performance-wise, too. For a casting reel, I know that Lew's reels are great, especially for the price point. For a spinning reel, highly suggest anything Pflueger (great company with great reputation). Hope this helps!

I'm guessing that as a beginner, you're probably starting off with monofilament (stretchy, nylon line). I used to have the same problem as you because I didn't tie a proper knot. A good knot to know is the improved clinch knot http://www.animatedknots.com/improvedclinch/#ScrollPoint The reason you may not have had problems before is, like the other mentioned above, your line could've degraded from both the cold/heat and UV rays: the combination of the two greatly decreases monofilament's tensile strength. Another possible factor is abrasion from structure/the bass's teeth. If you get hung up over a branch or fish in a rocky area, it's a good idea to retie often. Welcome to the forums!