FryDog62

Then that would include my first wife ...

I fish smallmouth in rivers 75% of the time. For me personally, I only like to fish with Extra Fast action tips for this type of fishing. I use 2 primary spinning rods - Fenwick Elite Tech Smallmouth rod in 6'-9" Medium XF, or if the current is stronger or lures are heavier a Daiwa Tatula 7'-2" Med-Heavy XF. I also have a baitcaster for jerk baits and topwater - St. Croix AvidX 6'-8" Medium XF.

Loomis and St. Croix have 5'-10" medium rods, thoughts on something that short?

What are your favorite lures to skip and most productive targets to shoot at?

Looking for recommendations on a spinning rod to skip plastics under docks, overhanging brush, etc... Probably in the mid price range but might be flexible. What are the specific features/specs to you that make a rod for this application superior?

Thanks all, how much weight?

I fish for smallies a lot - the 2 crawfish plastics I use are 1) Baby Rage and 2) Crazy Legs. I use the Crazy Legs when in clear water and a slow retrieve, or especially when you stop and just let it sit. The big flaps move when you swim it, but when sitting still, the little crazy legs do "undulate" in the water and coax strikes.

I will be fishing in the morning and looking for recommendations. Fishing a medium sized lake that has 3-4 rock piles, some in 3 feet of water and some 10-12 feet. There are some weeds in/around the rock piles but not heavy cover. I plan on rigging one pole with a Smokin' Rooster... how would you rig? Weightless, on a football jig, 1/4-1/2 oz Texas rig, etc, etc?

I went with the best smallmouth fisherman on Mille Lacs - a guy originally from your neck of the woods, Jim DaRosa. If you're ever up this way he's worth spending a day on the water ...

He may have had as much as I did

Good answer - chase some bronze backs on Mille Lacs. A day for the ages ~

In the past few years I replaced my main line flouros with 12 lb Yo-Zuri Hybrid on baitcasters, and 10 lb on spinning gear. Couldn't be happier. Stretches a lot less than fluorocarbon and I have not had and line manageability issues like you get with FC. Worth a try and economical too..

So far I like the Hevi-core sinking braid fairly well but need more time on the water with it. I also plan to buy some Spiderwire Fluorobraid which is also supposed to sink. Then do a comparison and maybe a review.

Instead Power Pro, I now use sinking Hevicore braid... One additional reason not to have to use fluorocarbon as a main line...

I posted my own independent line stretch tests earlier this Spring. I tested 9 fluorocarbon lines and 9 mono/co-polymer lines. In regards to Sunline Sniper, the good news is that it stretched less than any other fluorocarbon line in the test. However, all 9 mono and co-polymer lines stretched less than Sniper. Happy to re-post or send the test results via PM. Don't want to go too off course for what the OP is looking for though...

I think this sums it up well except that fluorocarbon actually stretches more than mono... You have to look at the above factors sprint61 listed and decide what works for how you fish best. Personally, I agree with Choporoz too and wouldn't spool up a spinning reel again with fluorocarbon. Its too often a rats nest waiting to happen... especially for a newer fisherman which I don't know if the OP is... but it can be a frustrating and expensive experiment many of us have been through at some point.

I think the under-eaten fish are the small northern pike. If you learn how to remove the Y bones, the meat is on par (some think even better) than walleye. Less small pike in the 2-4 pound range is usually a good thing in most lakes up here. Hard to imagine those that throw the 3 pound pike back and keep the 4 pound smallmouth to eat but some actually do and think its a good thing!

Up here in Minnesota, we have a huge lake (128k acres) known as a walleye factory - Mille Lacs. Due to many OTHER factors, the lake's walleye population has gone down considerably in the past couple years. However they are looking for a scapegoat and taking it out on the smallmouth population. The lake also became a trophy smallmouth lake in the past decade with the average fish close to 18 inches, and many 20++ fish swimming around. So, the walleye avid here decided that the reason the population was down was because the smallmouth were eating all the walleye fry. The walleye anglers influenced the DNR here to reduce the smallmouth population by opening up the limit of smallies to 6 per day. All the launch boats are taking out big groups to catch the smallmouth now, walleye fishermen catch smallies and keep them only to throw in dumpsters, etc. Bottom line, all these smallmouth being kept are being opened up and they are not finding any walleye fry in their bellies - basically just crayfish. But they are harvesting them in record numbers anyway. All the resorts and walleye fishermen are having smallmouth fish frys, serving at restaurants, etc. And the word is - they don't taste good...but lets get rid of them anyway. Lots of controversy and tension up here on the walleye vs. smallmouth thing. Walleye is king here despite a lake the might have had the next state or world record bronzeback. But to address the OP, there has been widespread harvesting of smallmouth in clean, clear northern waters, with smallmouth of all sizes - 12 to 22 inches... prepared a number of different ways... and no they aren't a good tasting fish. You have to wash them down with a lot of cold beer. Better to stick to eating crappies, perch and walleyes (where available).

Thx much! -Fry

Drop shot a live leech, or Uncle Josh Pork leech...

Drop-Shotting is the only method I use fluorocarbon as a main line... 7# Sniper for mostly shallow-mid depth waters. If it gets deeper I go to braid + 7# Sniper leader to reduce the hyper-stretch effect of fluorocarbon.

Sent my warranty form to the address on the card when I bought my White Ice.... bounced back as undeliverable. Below is where I sent it, anyone know the correct address? Thx, -Fry Duckett Fishing Warranty Service Center P.O. Box 177 Demopolis, AL 36732

X2 - exactly the line I'd recommend... 12 should be about right too --

Nice rod. I see it's a fast action but the Dobyns a friend of mine has seems almost like an XF. I wish my local fishing stores had them in stock so I could handle it before ordering a $240 rod though...

A couple inches longer than I'd prefer, but the Daiwa Tatula has a 7'-2" MH XF rated to 3/4 oz. A couple posts above also mentioned the Daiwa Procyon with similar specs... Looking for input on reel seats/grips. I think the Tatula has a more comfortable set up but I've not ever seen a Procyon in person. Anyone have a perspective on these 2 handles?