I found a great little smallmouth lake and am planning a return trip tomorrow.  4#+ fish are a definite possibility.  They're feeding mostly on small emerald shiners and I expect to find them suspended in 15-30+ft. of water, so my plan is to throw a 2.5" Swing Impact or 3.3" FAT on a 3/16oz. head, and 3.3" FAT, 3.8" FAT or a 4" Easy Shiner on a 1/4oz. or 3/8oz. head.  I'm assuming one of my 7' M/F spinning rods with 15# braid to an 8# fluoro leader would work well on the lighter stuff, but at which point, if at all, am I better off going to a baitcaster?  And when I make that switch, which of the following from my options would y'all recommend?

 

1.  Okuma EVx CB-701MHb with a 7.3:1 reel and 30# Power Pro Superslick (with a leader?)

2.  Fenwick Elite Tech ETB70M with a 6.5:1 and 10# Suffix Advance

3.  Dobyn's Fury FR705CB with a 6.2:1 and 10# Suffix Advance

I would not want to use any kind of moderate action for those baits. Something 7' M/F or XF would be better for that style hook. I use a SC Bass X 7-1 MF. 

Swimbaits on a jighead (up to 1/2 oz) for brown bass

in mostly open water happens on M/F spinning gear for me. 

Light braid & leader is my go to.

Throw in more soft cover and or jigheads over 1/2 oz, I like casting gear.

https://youtu.be/02fPoZHOri8?t=1007

A-Jay

 

I don't know those rods, but I start around a quarter ounce and a 3.3 Fat on the baitcaster.  I use my 6'10" Expert MH/MF (though a little faster than that) with 12 lb mono.  I've done an eighth and a 3.3 fat on a baitcaster, but that's overhead casting only (with the rod I was doing it on).  That was with 30 lb 832 braid and a piece of 12 lb fluoro leader.  

I throw those little swimmers on a 7'2" M-F Ark Cobb Series "One More", Curado 70 MGL 7 speed, 8# Trilene XT. Works great for me.