Preytorien

I use a stick pole. I bought a telescoping tent pole on amazon for $12 that extends to 12ft. drilled a hole and stuck an eyelet screw in it. Works great. For an actual deeper anchor I went the cheap route. I tied paracord to an old riding mower alternator that was stripped pretty good. I rarely anchor, so I don't use it much. Weighs about 5lbs and holds okay unless it's really windy - in which I don't usually go out in large bodies of water if it's windy anyways

I personally haven't ever liked composite reels. I always felt the flex and never cared for it. I bought a Sustain on eBay and have loved it since the beginning. It's probably a bit heavier, but it doesn't flex. I have my Sustain paired to a Crucial 7'2" spinning rod and the balance is just a tad tip heavy, but I prefer just a bit heavier tip anyways. The Ci4+ is a good reel, but I prefer aluminum bodies myself

Yea, this is what I use. I decided that when kayak fishing I might as well buy a really good very right off the bat, so I got their best one. Then I started reading about the H.I.T. technology and I was glad I went that route. I also have fished in heavy rain, and gotten plenty of paddle splashes on it without inflation.

Excellent. You'll love the low profile of the self inflating vests. It's Coast Guard approved, and should definitely hold your weight. Just make sure you wear it. Every. Single. Time.

It's hard to beat the Dredge Brush Head jig. Versatility is it's strong suit. I'd go with some more of those.

That pretty much sums it up. So effective it's almost silly.

18lb Gliss - no leader

I've noticed this if I use too heavy of a braid or flouro on a spinning rig. The roller on the reel catches the line, and spins it, as it's doing so, it's creating a sort of whipping. When the whipping happens, a heavy braid will have more momentum and whip further out than the lighter line. Think of it like those jump rope songs on the playground - a kid holding each end. A heavier jump rope swung out further since it was heavier. Might be something to look into.

If the rod is primarily for frogging, sensitivity isn't as paramount. However, I did basically the same thing, and ended up using my frogging rod as a heavy cover jig rod, where sensitivity IS important. If you spend a decent few bucks though it'll still be sensitive. I have a BPS Carbonlite as my frog rod and I love it.

Yea, braid, especially heavy stuff, like 65lb would be hard even for a pickerel to easily bite through. If you're set on leaders though I use Seaguar Red Label since it's cheaper and tends to be a bit more wiry/tougher than true finesse braid.

I don't have the Curado 70, just the standard size, and I don't have any play. I'd start by seeing if the washers for the drive shaft/drag assembly are in the correct location - I can't imagine it'd come from the factory that way, but you never know. If they're good, I'd see if the place I purchased it would allow me to exchange, and test the new one before I left.

Looks like a great place! Maybe you stumbled on one of Bill Dance's ponds? Hehe. Just kidding. I'd guard that place like Fort Knox. Maybe the property is for sale?

I think it'd be interesting to see the pros fish a no-electronics tournament just to see how they would go about finding fish

I have the Sustain you're yaking about, in the 2500 size. It's the best spinning reel I've ever used. It's my go-to for finesse applications and is built like a tank. You'd be happy with it I'm certain

I have been giving Tatsu as a mainline a good try here lately, and I can tell you without a doubt, I won't be trying it again. Now understand, the Tatsu has performed perfectly - no tangles, easy to cast, and very smooth. It just comes down to one thing for me, that's stretch. I can't get used to even a LITTLE bit of stretch. I fish finesse about 60% of the time, and I need very good no-stretch contact with my lure at all times. I can see how it'd be good for cranking and such, I just rarely do that much cranking. I will keep it on one of my cranking rods, specifically my spybait rig, but that's it. In my world, nothing beats braid as a mainline.

I almost exclusively use the Alberto knot. I haven't had it slip on me yet, seems very strong, pretty easy to tie, and makes a very small join knot when it's done right that doesn't impede your casts quite as much.

I've done it. Like stated above it takes a bit of creative technique to impart the desired action, but it can be done.

I'm sure I'll be corrected if I'm wrong, but I think they'll stay on their beds once they spawn. They may cruise in bigger patterns, but I've seen some of the same weather patterns you have, just a couple days earlier, and once the water cleared up, those beds were still there and the fish guarding them were still there.

I know when I change rods my casting mechanics don't quite catch up as quickly, so I lose some distance until I get used to it a bit more. Also I've noticed using different lines can affect it. If I switch between a braid and flouro and mono rigs with all their stretch differences, the lures load differently and cast differently. Give it some time and see if it improves. I guess you could always return it?

AH, The Gongulator - did they manage to recover that from the Stalag?

I use Maxcuatro on a couple of my rigs. I love the stuff. I haven't ever had a breakoff, and that's also fishing in very heavy weeds. I use it mainly on my topwater and my jig rods. I've also fished it in our local rivers, dragging tubes and jigs around rocks without any frays. Its small diameter and very strong. I would recommend it - it's been great.

I've been using the Maxcuatro since it came out and I'm very impressed. I've not noticed any degradation in strength or toughness and I use this on my jig rod, topwater, and punching rigs. It's a 4 carrier braid, but has great strength. I think you'll like it.

I like soft plastics, but in very rocky areas I tend to hang them up. Not usually a problem since I'm wading, but I hate casting to a nice rock outcrop only to get snagged and potentially spoiling a good spot. For those times I'll use a squarebill shallow crank or spinner. Along with soft plastics I like the Ned Rig, just make sure to use a heavy enough weight for your flow. A lot of nice summer mornings I'll also use a popper or small buzzbait (1/8oz Strike King Mini Buzz) or Heddon Torpedo with great results. Check out the Rivercast app - it gives you up-to-date information on your river's depth and flow at your closest USGS streamdata station

I have a 7ft spinning and it's awesome. Great sensitivity and build. Looks really good too

I think the I series is the best one I've used for a while. The E is undoubtedly good, the G had its issues (I personally never had any), but I've used an I since the year it came out, multiple times a week, for various techniques and it's still the one I reach for before any others.