Turkey sandwich

Morel are supposed to be delicious. Great find!

Great day! Congrats!

d**n, dude.

What style of jig are you fishing and what type of cover? Also, how heavy? Are you fishing from shore or in a boat? There's also a lot of feel to jig fishing, and once you get it down, life will get easier.

This is where personal reference starts to really develop, I think. Everyone is going to have slightly different takes on which lines for which presentations based on conditions, how they fish, the water they fish, etc.. I've become a big proponent of braid main line because it allows me to swap out leaders quickly based on conditions rather than requiring changing spools/reels. That said, there are some huge benefits to FC main line when you find one that handles they way you like, too. I probably have 6-8 different spools on the boat/kayak most days in case I want to change up the leaders I tied up he night before.

Trolling will also give you more depth than simply casting. Man, anything over 14' or so for hours on end is work. With my nerve problems, my arms start going numb after about 30 minutes of throwing an XD6, DT16, etc..

They're a little different in lakes than in current, but he same ideas hold up. 55-65 will be your pre-spawn into spawn temps, but that can vary from one body of water to another. They generally prefer gravel and smaller rock when available, but will also spawn around wood or weeds. Also, unless they're the dominant species in the lake, there's a good chance you'll find them spawning a little bit deeper than largemouth, etc.. I really like fishing finesse jigs with small trailers (Bitsy bugs can be deadly) and small football jigs. A shaky head or wacky senko can be be money once they're hanging out on/around beds as well. Similarly, don't be afraid to mimic panfish or crayfish that feed on their eggs. Another piece of advice, while larger females are often the first to spawn, they don't spawn all at once, and often lay eggs multiple times, resting/feeding between sessions. Because of this, you'll often find big females at the nearest change in structure or large piece of cover to the beds. This time of year in PA, be it rivers or lakes, this is what I'd focus on.

Bingo. Probably the easiest way for a beginner to get the feel. As as for the posts about mono/FC - if you can show me a line that handles as well as braid (no memory, no stretch, resilience to kinks/knots, and super limp) I'll suggest it for beginners. Until then, 30-40lb braid is the best handling stuff I know of. I wish I learned to use casting reels on braid. I would have cursed much, much less.

This wins the thread.

The upside to jet skiers (on the note of casting accuracy) is that they're great practice targets for finesse baits like Super Spooks and Alabama rigs.

I think most of the time decency and common sense prevail. Usually when I run into folks on the water - be it folks on docks, in boats, other fishermen, etc friendly small talk follows. Usually they ask how the fish are biting or for some advice on bait, location, etc.. I have no trouble being friendly and obliging. On the other hand, anyone on a jet ski is open game. I f'n hate jet skis.

I think that learning slowly with braid is way easier than damaging line with mono and having to cut line off the spool or dealing with a ton of memory. I would suggest learning on at least 30lb braid, but preferably larger because it's less likely to dig into the spool. Removing a backlash requires patience, but will very rarely damage braid. I might suggest you also look up the tape trick for baitcasters either on here, YouTube, etc.

I have never owned Costas, but I have owned quite a few pair of Ray-Bans and still wear them regularly. I have no issues with the quality, and actually enjoy that they've been great about replacement lenses and service when I've needed them.

Great fish!

Bingo. Sierra Trading Post rocks for finding all sorts of stuff with crazy discounts, not just outdoor gear.

You should have no issue with the Uni to Uni or blood knot line connections with FC. If it's breaking away from the knot without being damaged/stress, I would lead towards defective line. I've tied FC 6x tippet (2lb test approx) to leader and have found the problem is in my knot and not the line 95% of the time. Still, bad spools happen.

I actually carry a shoulder bag now to allow for two machetes. Seriously, I gave up on a traditional box by the late 90s and just started using a backpack/similar bag for most shore/wading trips and carry everything either in crates (kayak) or a giant Rubbermaid bin (tin boat). Seriously, though, machetes.

I use braid almost exclusively for top water and spool 30-40lb test. Even on rods spooled with 2+ year old line, I have never seen braid just snap. The only likely ways that this would happen would be either a bad knot (that's how 90% of break-offs probably occur, despite our egos not letting us admit it) or because the line was damaged. Damaged 80lb braid will fail just as quickly as damaged 20lb braid.

So, I skimmed this, and there's some really good advice. Probably the most important is that above $200, you're looking at diminished returns and a rod to match your personal preferences over actual sensitivity. A GLX or Legend Elite/Extreme would be a killer rod, but ultimately it isn't going to be an ultimate sensitivity machine on its own. To say that a rod "isn't sensitive enough" for you might be a product of overlooking a lot of details. What kind of line are you using? How is your technique? Where and under what conditions are you fishing this rod? An Avid X, IMX, Mojo gen 2, Aetos, etc are all going to provide you with a LOT of feel. If you're having trouble feeling changes in bottom texture, cover, etc with any of those, likely tweaking your technique or line will make a much, much bigger difference than dropping $500 on a new stick.

I haven't fished the LTB, but I do have the above mentioned Avid X ML XF drop shot rod and really enjoy it. Unbelievably sensitive, light, and handles a wide variety or lures well. It's great for the dropshot and finesse plastics in general, but isn't usually my first choice for tubes or finesse jigs. I tend to prefer a 7' Med power Fast action rod in both those instances.

Welcome! If you're punching mats or planning on cranking deep ledges, you'll want much different gear. As for reels, most of mine are Chonarchs and I love them, but I've heard great things about the current Tatulas and for $100, that's a tough reel to beat for most applications. For a jig/worm rod, a fast 7.1 or greater ratio will typically serve you best, for cranking, I prefer 6.4 or slower most of the time. I think the above options for worm/jig rods are great - lots of companies offer really good sticks now for $150-200 that are super sensitive in either fast or X fast blanks (I tend to favor St Croix's Avid X, and Rage lines, but I also have a Fenwick Aetos in that price range that is a really nice rod and a Mojo that is yet to see the water). However, I also think that if you're starting to expand your collection, you'll eventually want something for fishing Crankbaits that will let you cast a mile, give you a feel for bottom composition, and be soft enough to help you keep the fish pinned. I also don't think you need to spend a lot of money for a good crankbait rod. On another thread @A-Jay posted a link to KVD series crankbait rods on sale for under $100. Similarly, I just picked up a 7'6 MH Veritas Winch for $79 (Cabela's and tackle warehouse both have them on sale). If you plan on fishing moving baits with treble hooks, either is a great deal, will expand your repertoire, and will save you money to put towards a good worm and jig rod. welcome to the money pit.

I just picked up my second Veritas crankbait rod, this one a 7'6 MH winch, and I'm excited to get it on the water. I've had a 7' Med Winch for a while now and have enjoyed it for shallow running cranks, but I'm excited for the something with more backbone for cranks running 10'+ with the length to cast a mile. Really, I think any inexpensive, limber rod with some sensitivity that doesn't wear you out will work well and really don't think it's that important to spend much in a crankbait rod. Both of my Veritas rods? Under $80 apiece.

There's a lot that plays into catching big fish. Locating them and getting them to bite is only part of understanding them. First, seasons play a huge role in where fish will be, when/how they feed, and their overall size. That 4lb summer fish will likely be pushing 5 later into the fall or during pre-spawn. Also, especially in rivers, big fish are going to occupy the best ambush points that provide water conditions that make them comfortable. Another huge thing that impacts the size numbers of fish is where they sit in terms of species dominance in that body of water. I've never fished the Ohio, but strong populations of pike, walleye, or musky can displace bass or effect their access to ideal feeding areas.

They are killer smallmouth baits, but also really versatile and make great trailers for spinnerbaits, swim jigs, etc...

I've never fished Tennessee Lakes, but I can say that smallmouth (generally) are less finicky about the lure or technique than largemouth, but can be more difficult to find. A good sonar and search bait strategy can be really helpful. Smallmouth can move a lot, but can be super aggressive when feeding. Even after a bite dies down, the schools can often be turned back on just by changing baits. Also, it's important to remember that they hunt almost entirely by sight, so keying on clear water and sunlight can be huge.