JackstrawIII

Pretty much. I rig them weightless on a heavy duty Owner twistlock hook and fish them with straight braid on a heavy rod, like you would with a frog. I'll target cast around docks, weed pockets, and such, but I also use it to fan cast around flats and weedy areas. I used to fish frogs a lot, but I have a bad wrist and walking a frog really exacerbated the problem. I discovered I could straight chuck and wind a toad and get really great results. For me, it's a better solution not just because it doesn't hurt my wrist, but also because it covers water faster and generates a ton of bites.

You're kidding!! Toads are my #1 favorite bait to fish when conditions are right (lower light conditions in shallow water). It's like fishing a more subtle weedless buzzbait. As a fellow NYer, I implore you to give toads a chance!

Rod selection is essentially based on 3 factors: 1. Power (how much weight it takes to bend the rod) - the challenge on this is that power ratings vary greatly from brand to brand. With that said, you want to be in the MH to H range for power. For Daiwa, I'd go MH. 2. Action/Tip (how far down the rod bends) - again, each company's version of "Fast" is different. Most people want Fast - Extra Fast for a t-rig. For Daiwa, I'd go Fast, but XF is ok too. The Tatula 7'1 HXF I have has a really, really fast tip. Good for hook sensitivity and hook sets, not great for fighting fish. 3. Length - this one is more straightforward, but the position of the reel seat comes into play big time. The amount of rod on either side of the reel (handle vs "rod") makes a big difference to feel and balance and every fisherman will have different preferences. For me (I'm tall, but also gravitate towards shorter rods), I've found that I'm comfortable with anything in the 6'10-7'3 range, depending on where and how I'm using it. If I had to just have one length, probably around 7'1-7'2 would be the sweet spot. Hope that helps.

This is also my experience. People look at me like I’m crazy for eating bass… until I make them some. I’ve never had someone say it wasn’t incredible. And I’m nothing special as a cook. Just fillet them well, soak in saltwater, pat dry, and fry properly. To the OP, I’ve never had spotted bass, but we eat lots of large and smallmouth up here in NY. Smallies are a more subtle flavor for sure, and most people prefer them.

Low light conditions: toad Every other time: paddletail swimbait Texas rigged

I don’t have experience with that exact rod, but I use exclusively carbon rods for everything. No glass for this guy… and I’ve never broken a rod because I used it for moving baits.

This. Just remember, the FG knot works best with narrow braid (50lb or less) and thicker leader (at least 6lb) in my experience. Ideal combo for me in your situation would be 40lb mainline to a 12lb leader.

Ooh that's good! Ps. I did just spend MSRP on a pair of sneakers this morning. Gotta keep the feet happy.

Palomar for braid. Clinch or Kreh Loop for mono depending on the lure. FG for braid to leader. Never really had any problems.

I use the Kreh loop knot all the time and have never had an issue with it. As someone said previously, you'll know you tied it right if the tag end is facing back towards the bait.

You're all set. This is what I use and I fish in the rain more often than I'd like.

This is a great answer. With that said, when I'm pond fishing and only want to have 1 rod with me, I bring a Megabass Orochi XX 6'10 MHMF and I can throw almost anything on it. So yes, you can do almost anything with one rod... but it's really better to have 1 rod with mono/fluoro and 1 rod with straight braid. You'll get there eventually, so I'd start with the MHMF with mono/fluoro now and then add a HF rod with braid later.

I’m a big fan of Dobyns casting rods due to the way they tend to fish a bit slower than their ratings… but as far as spinning goes, I really like the way that the St Croix rods balance. I started on St Croix spinning rods years ago and to me, this is what a spinning rod should feel like. I also like how they’re a bit fast and can fish heavier than rated. For example, I caught my largest bass ever on a wacky rig in super thick cover using a 7’ Medium/Fast St Croix premier spinning rod. I horsed that thing out of some serious weeds and sticks with no problem. I can also throw small neko rigs with that same rod effectively. Very versatile and capable, which is important to me, as I don’t like carrying tons of spinning rods on the boat. I need versatile rods that I can let my guests use for a wide range of techniques.

To answer your question about rods, I like a Medium action for shaky heads and neko rigs, whereas I normally use a medium light for dropshots. I like the St Croix Premier line of spinning rods. A decent cheaper option is the Tharp series by Ark.

I used Tatula SV reels for this sort of stuff with no complaints. I also would check the drag and knot (as others have said), but the SV really helps with lighter baits, skipping, pitching, etc. I have other reels that I use when I need especially long casts (frogs, swimbaits, etc)... but whenever I don't need long casts , I'm using an SV reel.

I have used them and have been very pleased. Significantly less messing around fixing your bait and I haven't seen any issues with hookup percentage.

Pretty sure that would be the VTC73HXF, which I ordered this winter and am very excited to use in a few weeks!

Caffeine shad. Neko rigged stickbait. And yes... the ned.

Nice upstate NY walleye caught a couple weeks ago, my biggest ever.

Hey, welcome. Good questions: Q1. Would I be correct in thinking that under docks, lay downs and rock structure are places to start fishing? The lake I will be fishing next (Lake Bowen in Inman SC) typically has dirty water on top end and clearer down near its Dam. - Fish can be in any of those spots. I'm a big structure fisherman and always start there, especially early in the year when a majority of bass are shallow. Try different presentations (swimbaits, jigs, plastics) around those spots for sure. Q2. What water condition is better to start in? Typically in my recent prior attempts at fishing I think I may be spending too much time in single locations. - Fish will hang in clear water (usually deeper) and dirty water (usually shallower). Different approaches are idea for each condition, but the fish can be anywhere this time of year. I'd focus on shallow, warmer water. Q3. When fishing a spot believed to hold fish how long is reasonable to cast at before we move? - Good question. If you figure this out, let the rest of us know haha. Q4. Is it best to just start trolling down the shoreline at a slow pace casting at potential holding spots? - This is my favorite way to fish. With that said, the danger of doing this (especially as a beginner) is that you'll go too fast and miss opportunities. Try to force yourself to slow down and focus on delivering baits into high percentage areas quietly and accurately. One highly accurate and sneaky cast into a good spot is better than 10 haphazard casts. Good luck.

I stop on the way into the office for 20 minutes of bank fishing a few times a week. It's worth it. I just bring one pole with one lure tied on and give it a shot. If it works, great. If not, no sweat. It's just nice to have that moment of peace and quiet before the day begins. Ps. My office happens to be in a church (I'm a pastor), so I'm very familiar with stopping to fish on the way to church haha.

Woah, that's epic. Nicely done. And this is a good challenge to me. I hate fishing in the wind and don't normally go out if it's over 10-15 mph. Maybe I've been missing out on some good days.

That's how I chose. I have the 80 for normal use and the 100 for when I need to bomb stuff.

For bank fishing, I like to be as simple and unencumbered as possible. I want one rod in my hand... and that's it. After trying everything, I settled on a 6'10 MHMF (happens to be a Megabass Orochi XX Spinnerbait Special) for literally everything. The only thing it can't do is heavy cover frogging, but I don't do that from the bank anyways. With this rod, I regularly fish paddletails, chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, texas rigs, smaller jigs, topwater toad baits in sparse cover, and more. Heck, I've even thrown dropshots with it successfully. You could also throw crankbaits on it, but I'm not much of a treble hook guy. I've caught bass, walleye, perch, catfish, and drum with this rod. No joke. If I'm going to stay near my truck, I'll throw in another long/heavy rod occasionally with braid so I can throw a frog for fun... but honestly, I could just carry an extra reel spooled up with braid and throw a frog on this rod too, if I really wanted to. Honestly, when you're trying to keep it simple, it's amazing how much you can do with one rod. With all that said, if I was going out on a kayak with your two rods (which are good all around choices), my third rod would depend on what I threw most often. I love topwater, so maybe I'd bring my SA735C to throw frogs... or if I was going to throw jigs/t-rigs more often, I'd bring something like my Tatula 711HFB. I guess it depends on what you wanted to do most often. Something like the SA735C spooled up with braid would probably be my choice, as it could work for frogs AND flipping/pitching/punching. Very solid all around choice.

I love Dobyns and Daiwa for casting rods, but I would 100% recommend a St. Croix Premier at that price point for your spinning rod. I'd go 7' medium fast. I also happen to really like and trust Pflueger spinning reels, specifically the Supreme in the 3000 size.