With what I have available, how would you recommend setting up these two rods (which line for which rod and which bait would you use for which rod)? I primarily fish small ponds and lakes in Colorado. Bass, crappie, occasionally stocked trout and catfish. My goal is to set the two rods up so I can do as little bait changing as possible and have some versatility if I need it. I fish soft plastics (texas rig, senkos), jigs, and sometimes crank baits. I guess trout dough and salmon eggs too on occasion. 

 

Rod 1: 6'6 pfleuger trion spinning combo with 35 size reel, medium power, moderate fast action

Rod 2: 7'0 abu garcia vendetta spinning combo with 30 size reel, medium heavy, fast action

 

The abu is a little bit longer, lighter and stiffer.

 

I have 8lb mono, 10lb braid, 14lb braid and 20lb braid available. Have always just used mono with a snap directly to the hook for quick and easy bait changes but I want to start setting things up to be a little more specific. Maybe my rods are too similar for that, but I got a great deal at the gander mountain going out of business sale and this is what I have.

 

Which line would you put on which rod and which bait would you use for which rod?

If you only have what's listed, this is what I'd suggest:

 

 

8lb mono for the Pflueger, use it for small spinnerbaits, squarebills, and rat l traps (about 1/8 - 1/4 oz).

 

20 lb braid on the  abu, use it for soft plastics, bigger spinnerbaits, and jigs, etc.

Now me here is what I would do and it is a little different. I would use part of the 8 pound mono on each reel. Not all of it. I would fill each reel with less than 1/3 full with the mono. I prefer 12 to 14 pound mono but it is okay. Now I would fill the Pflueger with the 14 pound braid and a 4 foot leader made up of the 8 pound mono. You will find the braid casts really nice and has no memory issues.

 

I would do the same and add some mono to the Abu reel. Then fill it with the 20 pound braid.  Depending on the lures you are throwing and how clear the water is I would run the same 4 or 5 foot mono leader.

I would throw basically the same type lures on these rods as Outdoor Zach suggested.

 

The mono backing does provide a few benefits. Braid has a bad habit of spinning on a reel. The mono allows for a good tight knot on the arbor.  If you line is moving you will have trouble when a big fish is pulling drag.

Next it provides a nice smooth surface for the braid to set on.  My wife and I fish a bunch of spinning reels setup this way. In my case I always use 12 t 14 pound Stren mono and half fill my spools with it. I then fill them the rest of the way with Berkley Original FireLine in 14 pound test (= to 6 pound diameter for mono).

I usually use a 4 to 5 foot leader made of either 8 pound Stren or P Line CXX in 8 pound test.

 

Tie the lines together with uni to uni knots with 5 loops each and things should work well.

As for baits consider these baits if you do not fish them. They work everywhere in the country. Look to throw Kalin 5 inch grubs and tubes.  Go get some Reaction Innovation Skinny Dippers or Keitech paddletail swimbaits. These can be fished either on a weightless swimbait hook, on a light weight belly weighted swimbait hook or deeper on a heavier swimbait jighead ( looks like the head of a fish on a hook.