MN Fisher

My MAN!!! No leaders here either.

Dunno about evidence to refute and I only run braid on two rigs, Fuego-XS 50# Green Power Pro and President 20# Green Power Pro, and I don't do leaders. Best of the year (my profile pic) was caught on a spinner with the President. So I'd have to say the braid didn't deter the fish in any way.

Dunno exactly - grew up with left-handed spinners, so cast right/retrieve left. Got my first BC and it was a righty, so cast left/retrieve right...guess I'm partially ambidextrous. New spinning reels picked up the last few years - swap-able, so switched them to right-retrieve. I have done most of my heavy work (lifting/shifting) with my left arm, right was for 'delicate' work...so my left is stronger and steadier - makes for better distance on my casts.

Ya, but he's got a $200 budget for rod AND reel - the Champ XP would take the whole schmeer by itself.

"et tu brute?" Same here - righty for everything...except casting. Cast with the left, retrieve with the right.

You're in 'my range' - my most expensive rig retails for about $230 My personal choice - Pflueger President XT 25 or 30 ($79.99) on a Dobyns Fury 661SF or 702SF ($119.99) - puts you right at $200 before tax.

I do all my drop-shotting on a medium-light. You're saying mid-price - dollar amount for rig?

Open water or light weeds - 6'6" M/F spinning rig with 10# YZH Medium to heavy weeds - 7' MH/F baitcaster with 20# Power Pro

Quite a few sites do this as the secure pages take more bandwidth than unsecured ones. So long as the page you're putting your payment information into is secured...you should be fine.

I wouldn't doubt it - we have Timber Rattlers in SE Minnesota.

If I hadn't just gotten a Fuego for my cranking, I'd jump on this. Pflueger Supreme 6.4:1 Right handed for $65 on Pflueger's site. http://www.pfluegerfishing.com/pflueger-reels-baitcast-reels-low-profile/pflueger-supreme-low-profile-reel/1315404.html

Happy Yule!

Minnesota is nice that way - every ramp I've been to has a porta-potty.

Too bad you're down south...I just picked up a 6'6" M/F Aird-X spinning rod for $40 at the local Fleet Farm store. Makes four of that model in my arsenal now. I've been impressed with them for a 'budget' rod.

Look at the sponsor list on the right side of the forum - SO (Seiberts Outdoors) link is there.

I'd go with your original plan: 8 speed on the flipping rod - you want the fast retrieve to get the fish out of the 'salad'. 50# braid if it's moderate-thick weeds...higher or lower test depending on the weed density 7 speed on the cranking rod - even that's fast for my tastes...I was always having to slow the retrieve on my 7.3 President which is why I got the Nitrous for a 'fill in' crank reel until I set up the Fuego/Fury rig. I'm going with straight 12# YZH on that. Dunno about the knot - I don't use leaders.

I'll admit - the spinner I used wasn't an SK or big name - it was a Jawbone...$2.99 from DSG/F&S

Try them more often - my best of this past season (one in my profile pic) was caught on a 3/8 Chartreuse/Yellow Willow/Colorado blade spinner

Yep - 2#+ LMB this past year on a Rattlin' Rap 07 in Perch.

(Blinks) So your 55th is the same day my wife turns 55 (cue Twilight Zone theme)

Gotta know what to search for - this one maxes out at 100gm (3.5oz ), in increments of .01gm (.00035oz). https://www.amazon.com/Weigh-Gram-Digital-Jewelry-Kitchen/dp/B06Y61YW7S

Sorry - if I was invited to go alligator hunting, this is what I'd want to carry

The Heavy/Fast, Medium-heavy/fast and Medium-heavy/moderate are 7', the rest are 6'6" But I could easily swap the lengths and not have an issue - I bought them based on price, not length. Look at my signature for the rigs.

I have nothing but graphite rods in 6'6" or 7" length - length isn't too much an issue with me - so here's the power/action I use Frog - Heavy/fast graphite - I'm tossing them atop lily pads or weed rafts. Need the heavy rod to pull the fish out of the weeds crankbait (shallow, medium, deep, lipless) - Medium/fast or Medium-heavy/moderate - depends on the size of the lure jerkbait - Medium/fast or Medium-heavy/moderate - depends on the size of the lure buzzbait - Medium-heavy/Fast tr worm - Medium or Medium-heavy/fast - depends on the size of the lure dropshot - Medium-light/fast ned - Ultra-light/fast or medium-light/fast spinnerbait - Medium-heavy/fast jig (football, swim, finesse) - Medium/fast or Medium-heavy/fast - depends on the size of the lure flipping/punching - Heavy/fast weightless wacky - Medium/fast topwaters (Spooks/Whopper Ploppers) Medium-Heavy/fast or Heavy/Fast - depends on the size of the lure poppers - Medium/fast