Turkey sandwich

I have a MF premier series spinning that throws all of the above really well. I can't imagine the same weights would be a problem with a good baitcasting reel. Extra emphasis on "good". A Chronarch 50 would pair up with it well.

A pretty reliable general rule (at least for me) is that trebles require a little give to help keep the hooks buried. So, the give has to come in either the Rod or the line. Braid = no give, while mono and most copolymer = stretch. With rods: Moderate or moderate/fast = give, while Fast/XF = no give. Stiff rods with stretchy line or bendy Rod with no-stretch line... Either works. It's just preference. Personally, I like the benefit of casting distance I can get with braid, so I like having a Rod wih more give than stretchy line.

Apologies, meant weights vs actions.

I have a MH XF Rage that I use for jigs, T-rigs, C-Rigs, etc typically around 1/4oz or heavier. It's a great rod, but I would go medium weight if you're planning on fishing most shallow rivers. The MF or MXF 7'-7'2 would be an ideal stick for throwing light t-rigs, tube jigs, flukes w/weighted hook, finesse jigs, etc.

You're confusing power and weight. Medium, Med/Heavy, Heavy, etc are all weights. The action of a Rod is how he Rod loads weight. "Whippy" rods that load the weight further down the blank have a slower action, compared to those that bend higher up on the blank that have a "faster" action.

I like my Veritas M crankbait rod for most topwater (poppers, torpedoes, etc). I like having something heavier for throwing bigger lures like Spooks. In general, though, I like a softer tip any time I'm throwing treble hooks. Edit: this is largely because I spool my rods with braid (no stretch) If I were to use mono, I'd be using a faster tip.

for largemouth, flipping a jig, t-rig around, or frog around pads/heavy surface weeds is always exciting. For smallmouth, nothing beats a smallie blasting a spook or Skitterpop in current.

That's some pretty good advice on fishing different cover, and the basic conditions. Also, since you have a depth finder, some notes... - don't always expect to mark fish, especially if shallow. The signal doesn't cover a very broad area until you get deep. Instead, look for changes in depth or bottom composition on your sonar. Even if you don't have GPS, draw a map and note those changes on lakes that you fish frequently. Ledges, bottom change, and submerged cover will hold bass, even if they don't show up on your sonar. - Now that you're off shore and can follow patterns, figure out what the fish are feeding on in your local lakes, and their basic patterns. (ie. Shad, alewife, herring family all school) - boat position can be really important. When approaching an area you plan to fish, think about how to position your boat without spooking fish while allowing you to keep your bait in the strike zone the longest. (ie. For fishing steep shorelines, position your boat perpendicular to the shore line to allow you to keep your presentation in front of the fish at whatever depth they're holding. Also, by staying perpendicular, you can simply move forward or back on your boat to change the depth you're working) - When dissecting lay downs or complex cover, work outside in, and not inside out to avoid spooking the majority of fish. When you are working the heart of a lay down, you can be pretty fearless regarding snags. You'll want appropriate tackle, but you'll be able to get your gear back 90% of the time.

I like Fat Free Shad/Fingerlings/Fry a lot. I was beginning to like my Perch DT6 quite a bit, but it was recently sacrificed to the river God.

Sco is the man!

I've seen a lot of really cool shows, so picking one is hard. Most recently awesome - Soundgarden reunion tour at the Tower Theater. I had pit tickets, 10 feet from the stage and they played over 3 1/2 hours straight Huge and awesome - I was at Rock the Bells in 2007 (I think?) on Randal's Island off Manhattan for the Roots, Common/Mos Def/Blackstar, Public Enemy, Cypress Hill, Wu-Tang, and Rage Against the Machine. It was incredible - and one of the most exhausting days ever. 100 degree heat and a 70,000 person mosh pit. Allman Bros a ton of times John Scofield in a tiny club and got a chance to hang out with him for a bit after (I played that same small club with friends, so it was a cool "in") I saw Wayne Shorter with Herbie Hamcock I saw moe. at a show that was released as a live album back in 2000 or so. Primus - played Sailing the Seas of Cheese or Brown album (can't remember anymore) straight through The Flaming Lips - headlined some weird free festival sponsored by Southern Comfort (also free somehow) on the pier here in Philly Roots/Medeski, Martin, and Wood/311 on the same bill I saw the Black Crowes at a secret/warm up concert before their reunion tour (2004?) billed as "Mr Crowes Garden" Ridiculiculous - My company has had Snoop Dogg, Sublime w/Rome, and LL Cool J perform at our last few holiday parties.

My dad used to take my brother and I out to fish farm ponds, and even spent a vacation fishing the St. Lawrence. I remember in high school, rushing home to get on the river. Man, I really wonder how many hours we spent wading the river with a backpack full of gear as a teenagers. That's awesome to hear that you guys are just as passionate. The outdoors are awesomely addictive.

Congrats! That is a gorgeous smallie!

Awesome story! This is the kind of thing that helps keep faith in humanity, and makes me glad to have found this forum.

Do you expect anyone to be crazy enough to run Susquehanna shallows for smallmouth?

Caught in a landslide

I don't know if this was intended to be sarcastic or not, but my phone stays in the bag unless I'm taking pictures or checking weather. I don't post from the water and tend to ignore all calls/texts unless it has to do with work or which boat launch I'm drifting to for a pick up. My time on the water is my break from a stressful job and the only hobby I have that 5 herniated discs and an upcoming surgery haven't sidelined.

That's a great deal. I've had a Premier that's built on the same blank for the past 15+ years and I still use it. That rod has some serious miles on it.

It pretty much stays in my bag if I'm not taking pictures, checking time, weather, etc.

I don't think it's worthwhile to complain about technology for it's problems if we aren't willing to take advantage of its benefits. This year I started posting pictures to facebook and Instagram kind of as a means for me to track patterns, but also to see what kind of response I'd get. To my surprise, I started getting hit up by friends asking questions, or wanting to get on the water. My point is, I've been on the water about 15-20 times this summer (fly, trolling for strikers, and fishing for largemouth/smallmouth) and have been pretty successful getting friends or family in the boat with me - some who haven't touched a rod in years. I don't think people have an aversion to the outdoors so much as they've only found it accessible via guided hikes, and what's visible from the highway. Post some fishing pictures. Post some scenery. Make it welcoming. I've been surprised by some of the feedback I've received.

The link took me to the aol home page, and not (what I assume) was the video showing the smallmouth with the tumor, followed by commentary from two yokel idiots (one of which, IIRC, was trying to cast flies downstream on fly rod lined with mono), stating something about three-eyed fish. If that was the one, the video made me furious. I've fished the north branch for over 20 years and have seen the fishery/ecosystem rebound from years of mine/industrial pollution to a beautiful fishery that's loaded with everything from healthy crayfish and helgramite populations to a very strong bald eagle habitat. The problems are that A) most folks are extremely uneducated about the the environment/waterway, and PA's DNR and the EPA (but especially the DNR) are almost useless. The DNR would rather ignore things than rake muck and solve problems, and most folks in small towns would rather ***** about things they don't understand than solve problems. (you should have seen tin foil conspiracy theorists go nuts when the DNR treated the rivers with bacteria to combat gnats/black flies this year).

Braid is much more manageable in a baitcaster as a main line because it has such low memory and even in the event of a backlash, it's a lot easier to clear while doing much less damage to the line (in my experience). Also, it casts a extremely well, has excellent sensitivity, and can cut through a lot of vegetation. The only downside it really has as a main line is that it lacks the forgiveness of stretch and can be a nightmare in very small diameters on a baitcasting reel (20lb Power Pro slick had me second guessing my abilities with a baitcaster). The problem wi using it as a leader or straight to the lure is that it's very easy to see compared to mono or flouro. By using mono/flouro leaders, you can get the best of both worlds. Flouro offers great abrasion resistance, is nearly invisible, and is either neutral buoyant or sinks. Mono floats, is generally solid all around, and offers better "stealth" than braid. And both flouro and mono stretch more than braid and can add a little stretch/shock absorption between you and the lure.

I've spent the past couple years getting used to long leaders (5-8' typically) and have had very few issues with knots. Ironically days after posting about never having an issue with Uni to Uni, I casted off a chatter bait due to a garbage leader knot. I've since spent a lot more time getting my knots tighter and have added a dab of super glue after cinching down the lines super tight and clipping the tags as tight as possible. Since, I've had no issues with breaking or any real damage while on the water. I also try to replace my leaders after almost every trip I use that Rod heavily. I may be a bit anal, but I get angry when I lose fish due to equipment failure.

My god, that is a ridiculous day. I need to make a trip to Florida...

I have a weird time with most colored flourocarbons/hybrid/copolymer/etc, too. I think they tend to look stupid/pointless a lot of the time (and since I now just use them for leaders..). I do, however, also like colored braid on spinning rods for watching line movement if I have to fish really finesse. I fish Hybrid in the smoke color only as a long (5-8') leader on 30-40lb 832 braid. I still tend to get a really good feel for the bottom or vibration of my lures. Now, I haven't fished AbrasX or Shooter, and maybe I'd prefer them for the rough stuff, but Hybrid has never given me issues with knot strength, abrasion, or shock strength the way that other flouro or flouro/copolymer lines have, and it's one spot where I've gotten a lot of bang for the buck.