MIbassyaker

I have 5 rods behind the seat in the kayak, one to right and four to the left (can kind of see in my profile pic) The right-side rod is almost always a spinning rig with a fluke or senko. It is there for quick access when I need a follow-up cast. The left-side rods are arrayed behind me standing in a row, generally with the ones I expect to use more frequently closer, although they're all close enough that order doesn't matter much.

Around here my go-to's are: Clear water = Watermelon-candy Stained/dark water = Junebug/Chartreuse tail

I am going to agree with Pat on this, despite being someone who persistently, every year, does exactly what he recommends against. I fish a loose rotation of around 40 distinct bodies of water or stretches of river, and only usually only hit 2 or 3 more than once a year. Last year I made it to 27 of them by kayak, bank fishing or wading, and only two places got more than one trip. This is what I enjoy doing, but it is definitely not for everyone, and it is not a recipe for maximum consistency or success. It's like playing on a higher difficulty setting, and you're not going do as well as if you focus on one or two places. When I started fishing for bass in earnest here, I spent most of my time on two bodies of water -- a little river bayou and small natural lake- and fished them both almost exclusively for the first 3 years. I would try a few other places here and there, but it was only after after I got to know those first two places pretty well that I really spent significant time branching out to others. Fewer variables change when you go to the same place compared to a different place. That means you can make more direct comparisons from trip to trip, moment-to-moment, spot-to-spot on the same body of water, and you more clearly see the effect of changing conditions on location and activity of the fish. What I found was that once I learned a few places very well, it was much easier to be successful when I showed up somewhere different, because I'd already worked out patterns for parallel situations on a consistent body of water. So if you feel the urge to diversify like I did, do it after you've learned one or two or three spots like the back your hand, not before.

No Shrimp?

Every smallmouth I catch from still water (e.g., a lake) seems like an accident. On rivers I mostly know what I'm doing for SMB. On lakes, I'm pretty confident about largemouth, as long as they are in there. But smallmouth in lakes -- both manmade and natural-- elude me persistently.

I can stop at the river sometimes after work, although even that takes me about 20min out of the way, and isn't the most productive stretch (there are better spots both upriver and down). Still, sometimes I can find a few biters in a spare hour:

Name checks out!

That used to be the case in Michigan as well until 2015, when year-round catch & release was approved.

There's enough open water around me now that I could be out there. Still about a month away from being able to spare the time, though.

I fish texas-rigged zoom lizards every year spring through fall. With so many people using newer creature designs, I feel like the humble lizard has fallen by the wayside and bass in many places don't see them much anymore.

*Envy Intensifies*

Yeesh, three crash-and-burns in a row for me.

1. Jigead + worm - Maybe cheating, but I'd include all variations of this: Jigworm, Shakyhead, Slider, Ned, etc. Different techniques and applications, but all variations on the same theme. 2. Weightless t-rigged soft jerkbait -- senko or fluke-style bait rigged weedless. The go-to around weedy cover. 3. Small swimbait or action-tailed grub -- swimming presentation on a light jighead; good finesse option for covering water. 4. In-line spinner -- Not the most popular choice, but one of the most consistent fish-catchers ever invented. Finsesse would include Size 3 and down 5. Slip-shot creature -- variation of split-shot/mojo rig: A small t-rigged creature 12-18" behind a bobber stop, with a light barrel weight sliding freely above.

I was all-spinning until about 10 years ago because...that's what I learned on, that's what everyone I knew always used, and it never occurred to me that I "needed" a baitcaster for anything....including spinnerbaits, jigs, frogs, etc. I did indeed use a spinning rod for those things and believe it or not actually caught fish. Nowadays I use a baitcaster and spinning rod each about 1/2 the time, and wouldn't want to be without either of them. When I started using baitcasters, I discovered why they are preferable over spinning for many presentations. They are much better for heavy cover and most horizontal crank-and-wind retrieves, for instance. The learning curve wasn't as steep as I thought it would be -- I picked up on how not to backlash pretty quickly after a little practice (the braking systems on reels these days are very forgiving). I'll still use spinning over casting for light lures, especially vertical presentations. I also still prefer spinning in current, as well as fishing from shore, where casting angles are limited by tree limbs and stuff. I do not experience the same frustrations others seem to have with spinning. For instance I find line twist mostly avoidable or at least managable as long as you are careful. Braid nearly eliminates the effect of twist, but even without braid, simply paying attention and occasionally letting out line to detwist a bit solves the problem. Nor do I experience all the advantages people claim about casting, such as inherently better accuracy. I can easily match thumb control on casting gear with "finger-control" on spinning. I can pitch, roll-cast, and drop a bait with more-or-less silent entry using either. My point is, it's not really possible to predict whether you'd find using spinning more useful or advantageous than a baitcaster. It depends on the kinds of water and cover you fish, the kinds of presentations and lures you use, your own preferences, comfort level, habits, and skill. You'll have to try it a bit to know.

Most of my stuff is several years old, bought on various closeout sales from St. Croix, Pure Fishing and some others. Haven't done an inventory in a while, though, so why not... Casting: 6'6" LF Tsurinyoa Dragon II (2pc) + 6.4:1 Abu Silver Max 3 6'4" MXF Fenwick Aetos + 6.8:1 Lews Speed Spool 6'6" MF St. Croix Premier (2pc) + 7.1:1 Pflueger Supreme XT 6'8" MXF St. Croix Mojo Bass 2 + 7.1:1 Daiwa Tatula 7'0" MF Fenwick Techna PX + 7.3:1 Daiwa Tatula CT 7'2" MM St. Croix Rage + 7.1:1 Pflueger Supreme 6'8" MHF Fenwick Aetos + 7.1:1 Pflueger Supreme XT 6'9" MHF Fenwick Elite Tech Smallmouth + 7.5:1 Lews Tournament MB 6'10" MHMF Fenwick Elite Tech Smallmouth + 7.1:1 Daiwa Tatula 7'1" MHF 13 Fishing Omen Black 2 (2pc) 7.3:1 Daiwa Exceler 7'5" MHF Fenwick Aetos + 7.1:1 Daiwa Tatula 7'1" HF 13 Fishing Omen Black 2 + 8.1:1 13 Concept A 7'0" HMF Fenwick HMX + 8.1:1 13 Inception Spinning: 5'5" UL BPS Fish Eagle (2pc) + Pflueger President 25 5'6" LMF Berkley Heritage + Shakespeare Agility 30 6'6" MLF Berkley Lightning rod (2pc) + Daiwa Crossfire 2500 6'7" MLXF 13 Fishing Omen Black 2 + Pflueger Supreme XT 30 6'10" MLXF St. Croix LTB + Pflueger Supreme 30 7'0" MLF Cabelas Tourney Trail + Pflueger Summit 35 6'0" MF Fenwick HMG + Pflueger President 30 6'8" MXF St. Croix Avid X + Pflieger Supreme XT 30 7'0" MF Fenwick Silverhawk (2pc) + Pflueger President 35 7'0" MF Fenwick Aetos + Pflueger Patriarch 35 7'0' MHXF No. 8 Blackout + Pflueger Supreme Magnesium 35