TournyFish001

light line and spinning gear is the way to go- but if you want to use casting gear go for it- anything is possible you can catch fish that way. The drag is the main benefit of spinning gear it is better on light lines than baitcasters.

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I am all about confidence in my gear too- so I'd go with a drop shot on my GLX DSR 820s with a Daiwa Fuego 2000 Spinning reel spooled with 4lb florocarbon line(the whole setup weighs less than a can of coke)- rigged with 1/4oz weight, #2 Gamakatsu dropshot/splitshot hook and a straight tail fat roboworm a panic minnow or small 3 to 4" tube- I play with the leader length sometimes its suprisingly short like 2 to 6" up here I find that when its tough the fish are generally tight to the bottom and hitting craws. I also like my 852S GLX spinning rod rigged with my Daiwa 2500 Black Widow Limited addition spinning reel spooled with 6-8lb Florocarbon- This rig is used for my shakey head technique, which is 1/8 to 3/16oz head with the screw. The bait that I really like to use up here is a reaction innovations 3.5 smallie beaver- any time I go to a worm its usually on the drop shot. These two rigs are my go to presentations- if they will not hit one of these there is no fish there.

google earth satellite view- real view(actual) no lies, good scouting tool for zero cost

Its all a thrill but the satisfaction of landing a big fish is like no other feeling- especially in a tournament $$$$

The netbait worked well for me soft and swims just fine catches fish. For those short strikes add a small treble (#8) hook to the big hook- all you do is put the main hook through the nose like normal but before you put the point back thru the bait put a #8 treble on the big hook just put the main hook though the eye of the treble kind of like a trailer hook on a spinnerbait-now go ahead and put the main hook all the way through the bait like you normally would now the treble will just be dangling there make sure you have the treble going the right way(there is two possible ways for the treble to be placed only one works for the bait to swim properly, with two of the three treble points down and the third stuck in the bait- I will try and post a picture when I get a chance. This helps dramaticaly with short strikes and the bait swims like it should-

WHAT! Okay, here is the #1 trick: If you are fishing single hooks, use a Medium Power/ Fast Action spinning rig with a drag you can depend on. When a smallmouth first sees your boat, she will bolt, everytime! You really need equipment you can count on. 8-) If he told us his secret , he would have to kill us !!!!!!!! No nothing like that guys, it's just everybody has their own little system for smallies on Erie. I just have a couple little tricks besides a fast action rod. And RW Erie smallies are surprisingly bold Often drifting you have 150 feet of line out depending on depth. One of those little tricks is eliminating some of the stretch of mono or flouro while maintianing a small amount of it. I think you can figure that one out right. It's the little things that turn a bite into a boated fish!! So you drift with 200yds of braid out oh I mean 150yds?

I enjoy both species very much and I am lucky where I fish because there are really good numbers of each. The tactics and location differ but that is what makes it so fun- as far as the fight- yeah a smallie is gunna win a UFC battle over a Largemouth pound for pound- but I get just as big of a rush pulling in a 4lb Largemouth out of the water as a 4Lb Smallmouth. This makes me wanna go fishing in a major way-

The more often the better with-in reason each fishing situation will differ; catch ratio/cover/open water/rivers/ect- you can just plain waste your line and time if you do it unwarrented. Feel for nicks/abbrasions/strech if its good keep swinging if not re-tie.

those senko like antanae look interesting

the used bass boat market should be flooded- excuse the pun

it has a yamamoto look to it

I hear ya Catt! my concern comes from getting more bites than before and better quality bites at that, but losing 5 fish in two outings with the jig makes me think I am doing something wrong. I am hoping the tight drag will be the difference. In my experience the jig has been a pretty high hook up and catch ratio- but yeah everyone will lose some every now and then.

A jig really bailed me out of a bad finish at a tourny earlier this year- I got a good fish on the jig, great bait. Shakey head is big up here so I thought I'd give the fish a little different look, I fished a 5/16oz eakins jig/smallie beaver trailer (shortened the beaver first three ribs removed) with rattle. I casted it into open water 10-20ft with the line tight I would shake it just by the line not moving the bait with the rod tip. I repeat only with the line by twitching (I have access to a swimming pool so I know just how to do it without moving it but rather making the bait vibrate in place (with rod in hand its kind of like shaking the ice in a coctail drink, not much movement and don't move that bait with the rod tip- this has proved to be quite effective for open water jigging- try it

a solid 4.25 to 5lb'er definately over 4. Seen lots of those this spring unfortunately not at the end of my line... my best was a 2.98 this year so far.

I have heard this works well-

Maintaining pressure is the key. 8-) yep

Mine usually go M.I.A on their last tour of duty LOL.

Very good advice- keep that fish in the water once you got'em keep constant presure it takes practice but I can tell when that baby is coming up to jump, when that tip is down he will often times still break the surface with a tail slap but most times the fish will remain under water and not get the hangtime it takes to easily spit the hook. As for the braid I have no use for it where I am from- sounds like you are doing well get'em to strike. With powerful braid it seems to me like very little drag is needed especially with the hook of a flippin jig- others on here are more qualified than I am in this area

The biggest smallmouth I have seen in person was caught off the back of my boat on a "discolored" spider grub on a jighead. It was originally watermelon but was mixed with some darker green pumpkin. It pays to be a little different even if it is on accident.

I was playing in my sink with the finess worms and they floated. I even drop shotted in my sink with a a short leader and that thing was trying to float to the surface. I did the same with a trick worm and it sank really slow tho. I would assume the flukes sink

Trailer hook in open water.

Every Zoom I have so far floats, is it their plastic formula? Wait I think trick worms might sink... I want to know if Flukes float? They are packed away in my boat I don't want to get them out just for playing in the sink- LOL

Trick worms are awesome plain and simple very effective

It pays off sometimes to be different but at some point one must draw the line-