LCG

Not small independent companies but... Zoom brush hog Reaction innovation kinky beaver Reaction innovation double wide beaver Not sure how big your looking for.

I live in Ontario, Canada and we have some of the strictest regulations. We can have as many rods as you like but can only fish one line at a time unless in a boat in the great lakes, then you can have more lines. Seriously doubt there is any restrictions on how many rods you can have. You can always call your local DNR or whatever it's called and verify.

It's always best to bring a friend to talk you out of buying more than you went for

This is my tackle back pack from bass pro. Works well

YouTube is a great source. Bassresources has a channel that will show you how to rig a senko and a lot more.

Back pack is the best I have used so far. Usually have two Plano 3600 thin boxes. One plastics one lures and jigs. A double sided Plano box for terminal tackle. Side compartments for line, scale, tools, etc. Plenty of room for water, food, sunscreen. Tackle boxes a pain to carry and tip over. Shoulder bags better but I like to keep Plano boxes flat for the plastics. I do have a sling bag that works well for walking through rivers.

Congrats. I recently caught my first as well. Such a beautiful fish. They do seem very fragile though. I have caught a few now and it seems to take them awhile to recover and swim away.

No they look like regular crocks but have a slightly narrow top. The tag on them said swiftwater clogs. The ones you posted might be a new model not sure. I have plantar fasciitis and wear orthodics and these are very comfy, so that's saying something

Just got a pair of swift river crocs. They fit a bit tighter on the top of the foot and stay on well while walking in water. Comfortable and dry fast. So far so good.

I started using a baitcaster last year. I just purchased a Daiwa Fuego CT in 8.1:1 left hand to pair with my St Croix Avid X 6'6 Mh-f casting rod. No regrets at all. I fish from the bank and wanted a shorter rod for pitching jigs, Texas rigs, and frogging. High speed reel to get them out of cover and to shore fast. Left hand retrieve just feels more natural to me. Personal choice. I think a MH-F casting rod in your desired length would suit you best. Combined with a medium powered spinning rod you have a lot of techniques covered.

The medium power should be more than sufficient. Just today I caught an 8lb carp on a st Croix mojo 6'8 m-xf spinning rod. It was a fight but it had the power to bring him in. If your mainly targeting bass I would choose the medium. Especially if you have or might be getting a medium heavy baitcasting setup.

Happy wife, happy life.

This year I am running kastking 4 strand braid in 10lb on spinning, 30lb for casting, and 50lb for frogs. All high vis yellow. So far it's been very solid. $15 Canadian for 550 yard spools, you can't really go wrong. $45 total and I have more line than I will use in 5 years.

Palomar and uni knots are the only two I use. Never had an issue with either. Take your time and do it right.

I like a 4/0 round bend off set worm hook over an ewg for trick worm type baits.

I will second the fenwick hmg and st Croix mojo series. Great rods. I own the st Croix in one piece and the hmg in two piece. Both sensitive and strong. With a nod towards st Croix. I found a used 2 piece shimano compre 6'10 Mh-xf casting rod that I wasn't sure about at first but it has proven itself to be pretty good as well.

Is the line frayed? Are the guides on your rod in good shape? What about the eye of the jig itself, Any sharp edges? What action is the rod your using? With braid there is no give, too fast of an action and a super hard hook set could be a problem, maybe. I have not experienced that but my hook sets are not insane either.

Fantastic brake system. Set the spool tension so that there is no wobble and magnetic brakes to 10 and you will be fine. Adjust from there as you see fit. Any backlash I have had has been completely my fault

Spinning for distance Casting for accuracy To be honest my distance is very close with both.

Never had a kayak but thinking of getting one. Transportation makes me very nervous though. How tight do you make the straps exactly? Like baby car seat no wobble side to side kind of tight? How do you guys and gals strap the front and rear down? Can these straps hold at highway speeds for an extended road trip?

Can it be done, sure. Should it be done, no. The rod is meant and engineered to be used with a baitcasting reel. I suggest you use it accordingly. You can find decent reels for $60 new. A good reel for $100.

Zman TRD Zoom trick worm Mepps gold inline spinner #4

I will also throw a vote for the fuego. I purchased the 8.1:1 recently and it's a solid reel for the money. Shimano makes a good reel too but I feel the fuego is the better reel over the casitas. YMMV.

Fishing is something that I have grown to love. It's a passion for me. I enjoy being outdoors and around nature. It can be as cheap or costly as you want. To each their own. I started with zebco to ugly stick to fenwick and now to St Croix. The fish don't care, but I feel the difference and I am willing to pay for it. Not necessarily the latest greatest but there is something to be said for quality. There are lots of quality bang for your buck products out there too. My upgrading has also been more of a fine tuning to the techniques I prefer to fish. Right tool for the job so to speak. I fish from the bank, no boat. Maybe a kayak someday

Caught my first rainbow trout while targeting carp. Used a 6'10 Mh-xf casting rod, daiwa tatula 100, 50lb braid to a 15lb fluorocarbon leader, and a gamakatsu octopus hook #8. Overkill, yes. Worked just fine though. I will target rainbow again but with a medium light - medium spinning rod just for the fun aspect. Granted mine was not near as large as A-Jay's. That's a nice fish. I am starting to learn that a lot of this technique specific gear is not required. Which I have read here many times, but its actually starting to set in