Choporoz

Another vote for Seguar. Invisx and Abasx are pretty much interchangeable. I tried both side by side years ago and decided on Invisx, but they were virtually indistinguishable.

They each had issues. Nothing major, but I would have preferred to have had new with warranty.

I have bought only 2 used reels one Daiwa, and one Shimano). I regret both purchases.

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/163752-its-almost-blade-bait-time/

I hope so....but my 175 hasn't been exactly water-tight

The line and rod really have to pair and work together. I used braid exclusively for years on MHF with what I considered a somewhat soft tip. Loved it, fishing over mostly shallow grass and wood. Tried fluoro in same rod and absolutely hated it. But when I tied on to a jig rod with less tip and fluoro to fish slower, deeper hopping, it was perfect. I won't pretend to say I can explain why. But, I suggest you try both fluoro and braid and see which works best for you.

I have been fishing sub 50° water almost daily for months. I have caught bass on a lot of different things. But nothing compares to blade bait. Many days, that is all I threw.

After almost 60 years of fishing - last 15 bass almost exclusively - I can definitively say that there is no best for everyone, when it comes to bottom contact and moving baits. I can list all the pros and cons of each for every technique, but you've seen that. You just need to get some braid...and get some flouro...and get some mono...and find what you like. And also find out if you can tie a leader knot that you are confident with, so you can mix it up a little more, if you want. But this becomes a personal choice and me telling you what I like is useless. Top water is a little simpler, IMO - mono floats (as does most braid), and sinking line with most topwater can be frustrating.

I have used many different rod covers. I in my mind, there's really only three different categories I have found to choose from, with some range of quality, price, features within each. All work, none are perfect. 1. Mesh. Usually nylon, I think. Think Rod Socks, Amazon no-names, etc. Cheapest choice usually. Biggest plus for me is that they dry quickly. Cons: hooks WILL get caught in the mesh at some point...whether in the car, or rod locker, or kayak...it is a PITA. The 'looser weave' (cheapest, generally) versions will allow you to poke a rod tip through the mesh, and will they do start to fray after a time. BPS and TW both have branded socks with a nice tight weave that are currently m the best choice for me. 2. Neoprene. Think Liv, 6th Sense, Rod Glove. Hooks don't get caught, tips don't poke through, best actual protection for the rod. More expensive and can be a bit more frustrating to put on (the ends fold over and you have to be a bit slower/more mindful; not a big deal to most, probably, but when you are stowing 10 or 12 rods at the end of a long day, they can be a bit trying). The real drawback for me is that these can take forever to dry. I tend to toss them in the bottom if the boat some times and if it rains before I put them away, it is guaranteed that I will stow rods with wet socks in the locker. 3. Fabric. Not sure if any commercially available, but I have had homemade versions that are pretty good. Used to be a variety on Etsy, FB, etc. Not sure anymore. The ones I had years ago were great. And, I contributed to a young entrepreneur saving for college. Of course the quality and price may vary widely here. One problem I had with all of them is that they sink. Fast :). I see that Liv claims to float, and that is a good selling point.

Jinxed myself. Buried one in my forefinger today. Don't worry...no pics.

Made this post outdated pretty quick. Yesterday, I put a Rage Craw on a Fogy, only because it was the only red plastic I had. Always heard that red is the spring deal. This girl slammed it like I owed her money. There is more to consider, I suppose. I was fishing this fairly slow, with short hops off the bottom - just enough to get some vibration and then drop. So, more like a 'regular' jig. More crawfishy than baitfishy. Maybe trailer choice will also depend on what I think the bass thinks this contraption looks like.

Like the 'treble buried in my hand' posts, I was very reluctant to open this. Whew

This. And a fair amount of time looking for cover and structure. I have only been on this lake for 3 years and I find new cover or structure elements almost every day. Finding new offshore cover is always exciting to me. There's no way I'd know about 35' trees standing in 50 FOW without idling around looking at sidescan.

Electric socks have made a huge difference for me fishing through the winter...and occasionally even in the house

Good video - gives up the juice! Two personal observations/adds: 1. The good 'transition banks' are often money even when bass aren't in much of a transition. 2. Some good transition banks cannot be discerned from looking at anything on the bank, and may not actually be all that close to the shoreline. So, maybe not technically 'transition banks', but same features hidden beneath the surface.