Leatherneck

Getting back into the fishing game after some time away from it. Does line type determine what size reel you buy? Do you size down for braid and up for mono? Or, can one particular size do both? I'm probably just going to stick with Mono line. I should mention that im asking about spinning reels.

Maybe this deserves its own thread, but do Smallmouth ever hit Hard Swim baits and will not touch a soft swimbait/tube/grub/finesse worm?

For fishing the Boreal Shield type lakes from Maine, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ontario which have clear-ish tea stained waters - what color of Mono line would you pick?

Wondering if a person could do well if they went through a season with only 3 or 4 rods rigged with nothing but your favorite soft plastics?

I have NEVER caught a largemouth because I don't live in an area that has them. I do live in an area that has chain pickerel and smallmouth. I often find that shallow water fishing is easier and more enjoyable than open water fishing. It's so easy to see structure and vegetation that hold shallow water fish. Perhaps this is why largemouth fishing is so popular. Open water fishing can be more frustrating, tiring and less visually appealing if that makes any sense.

Anyone still use the classic round baitcaster like the Abu Garcia Ambassadeur reels? I'm getting back into fishing after many years away from it. I know these used to be considered the more durable reel, but have low profile ones gotten just as rugged and durable? Is there any benefit these days to using the old style round ones?

Yeah, those are great. I have a few hoodies, but they can be annoying when wind catches them. I often wear my Buff over top of my hoodie to prevent it falling down. It looks silly, but works. I see now some hoodies have an extra button that looks like it might prevent this, but I don't own one.

Some great tips already. My preferred fishing clothing setup is light colored synthetic hoodies, sun gaiter and UV baseball hat. I love brimmed hats when off the water, but I find the glare on the face just as bad sometimes as wearing no hat.

I've heard and read that a lot of Bass guys hook into Muskies......obviously on what would be considered "downsized" Musky lures. Just curious what Bass lures, and the colors and sizes of these, would also be good for catching Muskies?

I have a hard time getting a good hookup percentage with a Wacky Rig Senko for Smallmouth. Any tips for worm size and hook size and style for Smallmouth? Alternatively, do you think there are alternative lures or hooking styles that likely attract just as many bites as a Wacky Rig Senko?

I'd be ok with paying $150 to $200 for each combo. Really just looking for what most people would consider to be the best quality for the price reels and rods are these days......specifically ones that can be used to target SMB.

Hey all, I'm finally getting back into Smallmouth fishing after a lot of years focusing on other things. Looking to upgrade some of my gear and there a ton of options for rods and reels - almost overwhelming. I don't mind paying for quality and prefer ruggedness and dependability over high performance. It used to be that Shimano dominated in this category many years ago, but things may have changed now. If you could pick one spinning reel/ rod combo for throwing SMB sized plastics like tube/grub/wacky worm and one baitcaster/rod combo for SMB sized stickbaits and spinnerbaits what would they be? Thanks for any recommendations.