Boomstick

For me, it depends on the purpose of the rod. For spinning gear, braid to leader is almost always preferred but keep in mind that it is also more expensive. Straight fluorocarbon/mono is also acceptable and if spooled correctly, shouldn't give you many issues. For my casting rod I use for frogs, jigs and soft plastics, I use braid because I fish frogs. I plan on ultimately getting a heavy rod for frogs and jigs in heavy weeds, which will have braid and then I will run 15 or 17lb fluorocarbon on the MH rod I use now, which will work for everything I use that rod for. In short, do whatever works for you.

For reels, I like Daiwa, Shimano and Pflueger and it doesn't really matter if it's spinning or casting (The Pflueger Supreme XT is a great casting reel that most people don't know about!) For rods, I like Daiwa, Dobyns and St. Croix in my normal target price range ($100-200), and Berkley or Abu Garcia when I'm on a budget.

I got my oldest son a Curado K and a Dobyns Sierra 704C for his birthday. The 704C is titled a heavy fast action rod and is rated for the same weights and lines as my MH/F Daiwa Tatula, but is definitely a beefier rod with more tip for throwing heavier baits. Should you plan on throwing mostly lighter baits and weightless soft plastics and can forgo the heavier baits, I would recommend the 703C instead. Of course, the Fury line seems to be more in your price range which should have similar actions. I will also recommend the St. Croix Mojo Bass line. They're solid rods and nice and light as well. I would probably be between the M/F soft plastics rod and the MH/F rod again, deciding which range of baits would be optimal, which I believe is labeled as being for jigs for an all around type of rod. Finally, I got my 6'10" Daiwa Tatula MH/F on Amazon for around $110. I would highly recommend this rod as well, although if you are planning on throwing lures much above 3/4oz, I would go with the Dobyns 704C as they have more tip. The Tatula has a slightly better reel seat. I have no complaints with all of the above rods, it's just a matter of finding the right rod.

I should have said I prefer aluminum because I largely know reels like the Pflueger President and Diawa BG will hold up. It's like buying a truck where you can buy one with an aluminum engine and maybe get better gas mileage, but you know that truck with the proven iron block is going to keep on ticking...

Your issue sounds strange at a first glance but you didn't mention your smallmouth gear. You could be fishing frogs, spinnerbaits and cranks, which will get smallies on the right time of the day and year, but often smallies like smaller baits and vertical presentations, which I think might be what's happening here. Think drop shot, ned rig, shaky head, etc.

Aluminum reels will likely last longer but as terms as far as functionality, I would think that depends on the reel itself and how it was engineered. I'm sure some better designed graphite reels also last longer than some poorly designed aluminum reels as well. I try to go for aluminum personally.

Replacing a level wind is still much cheaper than a new reel. Even if you go out and buy a better reel, I'm sure you will find some use from your old one, even if you buy a cheap 2 piece rod to keep in your trunk or something so should you pass any lakes when you weren't planning on fishing, you can always give it a shot.

I haven't used much YHB to be honest. I just got some YHB line to replace some 15lb Fluoroclear I put on my son's reel, and we had issues with memory forming in very weird ways that caused issues with it. So far with the YHB, it's been good.

First, I second what Glenn said. I wanted to add that on my Pflueger President (not XT), the largest issue I had running straight mono is losing loops on the spool -- which was my own fault. I tend to fill the reel a little bit over 1/8" from the edge of the spool, which works on many reels but on the President, you have to be sure to leave a full 1.8" from the spool. The only issues with line twist were caused not from normal casting, but a heavy wind gust blowing my line around, which is nothing I would deal with under normal conditions. I have other reels that have line twist issues, but that is largely because the bail does not leave much room for my thumb. I spooled that reel with braid and it's been good to go since. I would still go with 15lb braid to leader personally if money is a non factor (plus the braid lasts longer) but if you have the fluorocarbon already or are on a budget, spool it up!

One question so I can give a better informed response. What are you fishing that requires 20lb mono? Without knowing if you actually need 20lb mono, I will say that fatter lines largely do not cast as far as thinner lines, but if casted on a reel that can handle the fatter line, it's good for beginners as the fatter line backlashes minimally (but of course, a reel made for 10lb line will likely cast horribly).

30lb is the equivalent of 8lb test, so most spinning reels should be able to manage that perfectly, although personally I usually use 15-20lb braid (I have 12.5 SX1 on one reel, but that is a fatter diameter line than most 15lb braid)

True. I'm actually more worried about abrasion against rocks in some places I fish too.

You tend to go on the light side, where I tend to go on the heavy side. It may be that I just fish from the shore on many different lakes and sometimes will get caught in weeds. I use 15lb fluorocarbon for crankbaits and spinnerbaits, and currently 40lb braid (with leader as appropriate) on the rod I use for soft plastics, jigs and frogs, although that will be 17 or 20lb fluorocarbon once I get a heavy rod for frogs.

It's cheap enough, try it and see what you think?

As said before, just make sure that the reel you pick is made for the line you would be using on the rod.

Add another to the Daiwa BG train here.

Dobyns Sierra or Champion 703C for weightless, 704C with a little added weight.

When I fish deep, it's usually from a canoe in a small lake. So I will target the areas of the lake where there are drop offs and the water starts to get deeper. If you can see rocks through the water (or in a fish finder) there's a good chance there's a smallie alongside it. In a larger lake, it's much more difficult than this of course.

Welcome to the Daiwa train. I have two SVs, a double drag Regal for catfishing and a BG 2000 for finesse and they're all very solid reels. Good call on the BG too, that reel is an amazing bang for the buck, and is like some reels double the price other than being heavier. What do you think of the Steez? I don't think I'd ever pay that much for a new one (at least certainly not until I pay off medical bills and get a boat and add a few other rod and reel combinations to the collection), but if I found a used one at a good discount I'd be happy to add it to the collection!

I think the sweet spot for rods is around $130-150 (in retail pricing) with a few exceptions that are slightly more expensive, and the same rods can be had for much less as well. More than that, you're spending a lot more money for a only slightly better rod. That said, I have an Avid X spinning rod for finesse and it's the most expensive rod that I own. It's a good rod, but I will note that if you're on a budget, the Mojo Bass has the same blank and retails for $130 -- nice and light rods as well. The Avid X is made in the US though So if you are looking for some high end rods, maybe check out the St. Croix Legend Tournament Bass or perhaps the new Legend X rods, or perhaps the G Loomis NRX or GLX series, or a Daiwa Steez or the like, but I doubt you will find any of them to be $200+ difference over your Premier.

Sounds like an awesome trip! And getting some nice fish like that makes it all worthwhile. I have been looking forward to this years camping and fishing trips ever since my second trip last summer which was on a small motorless lake, lots of drift and didn't catch many fish, but got my PB black bass and smallie that trip.

I'm not familiar with the XT model specifically but based on the President, I would wager you're getting a very solid reel at a good value.

I have no experience with the President XT, but the President is probably the best reel at the price point and they are known to hold up rather well. If you have a little extra money to spend, I'd suggest the Daiwa BG, which I would describe in a similar manner. The main advantage is the President has a smaller diameter reel, thus has more issues with line twist and losing line loops and the BG is also a little smoother as well. Make sure to leave a full 1/8" of space on the reel on the President to avoid losing loops should you go that way, and the reel will last you a long time. And if you have a bit more to spend, try the Pflueger Patriarch, which is a super light reel, similar to a Stradic Ci4+ except the bail gives my thumb more room. Pflueger makes some great reels. Their casting reels are underrated as well, the Supreme XT is a lesser known gem.

As for parts, Pflueger and Daiwa make it simple to find replacement parts, but I don't think it has anything to do with who makes the best reels in terms of quality, at least in the short term. That said, I like the Pflueger Supreme XT better than the Shimano Curado K, first it's as light as the Curado 70 but holds the line of the K, holds like of the K and has noticeably better brakes. And it's $50 cheaper in retail pricing. It's not only Daiwa and Shimano make reels. Lews has some really good offerings at the $100 price point as well.

Weight loss was just an added bonus, however certain diet elements really can help with carpal tunnel. Reduce wheat or gluten intake and salt intake among several other things. I couldn't even make a fist with my left hand and thought I was going to need surgery, but the only time anything bothers me now is when the weather changes quickly for some reason. It may or may not work, but it's free and certainly has enough other benefits so it's worth a shot.