JackstrawIII

I fish underspins a LOT, but never that deep. I'm not patient enough to let them sink that far and will normally choose something with a much heavier weight/bulk ratio for a quicker sink. For me, underspins are a go-to technique in like 12' of water or less. If you ever have questions about their use in that scenario, I'd be happy to talk.

I always keep a MH spinning rod or two on the boat for when I have guests that aren't comfortable using a casting rod. I let them use the MH spinners for topwaters and swimming baits.

Heck yes haha. Here's my favs: 1. "The Christmas Song" by Nat King Cole is my favorite album. It has a lot of the "classic" Christmas carols that I love so much. 2. "A Family Christmas" by Andrea Bocelli, his son, and his grand daughter is one of our favorites too. I can't listen to it on repeat, but it's very precious a few times a year. 3. "Smoky Mountain Christmas" by Al Perkins. Very nice, upbeat bluegrass instrumental album I used to listen to as a child and still enjoy. Honorable mention to Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Saw them live as a teenager and still love remembering that moment.

Now you just have to figure out how to choose which one to fish haha. Enjoy.

Awesome post. Thank you.

That's exactly what I thought when I read the OP. I refer to carp splashes as psychological warfare... they mess with your head!

I'd fish a paddletail swimbait on a weighted swimbait hook. Very snag-proof and can be fish deep or shallow effectively.

Biggest eyes I've ever used are on the Dobyns. I like them because my leader knots go through much more smoothly than other brands.

Usually 7'1.

I have the 6'8 Heavy Dobyns. It's a good rod. Pretty sensitive for a short & heavy rod. It's pretty light too. I've also used 6'8 Mediums from St. Croix. I couldn't find much use for them at the time, but that probably reflects more on my style than on the rods themselves.

Thank you so much.

Chris Reeve Sebenza 21. Every single day for many years. That's about it.

I make knives (@danfreda on IG) and enjoy shooting/reloading. I play guitar and do some golfing when I can't fish. Also back in grad school, which puts a damper on all of the above.

The SLX XT is way better than it has any right to be. Highly recommend.

I work really hard to limit myself to 20 total setups in my garage... means I have to sell one when I buy one... which helps me buy fewer of them. Same... except I usually end up with 7-8 in the boat.

You don't give a budget, but Dobyns has some long BFS style rods in their Sierra line that are reasonable and perform well.

My favorite (and I've tried many) is Suffix 832. Got turned onto it by others on this forum and I have been extremely pleased. It handles well, is plenty durable, and isn't overwhelmingly expensive. It's all I buy at this point.

I don't have this particular rod, but I have many Dobyn's rods and they're all incredible. With that said, they tend to fish softer than their ratings. But, you're using pretty small frogs, so it would probably be a good match.

I try to only bring 6 rods if I can... but usually I end up with 8. Don't feel like typing everything out, but here's the gist 1. (Spinning rod) M/F for ned & neko rigs (starts with a Ned) 2. (Spinning rod) M/F for flukes and wacky rigs skipped around docks (starts with a caffeine shad) 3. MagH/XF for frogs & toads (starts with a toad) 4. MH/F for paddletails (starts with a Keitech) 5. MH/M for chatterbaits & spinnerbaits (starts with a Jackhammer, usually) 6. MH/F for pitching/flipping (starts with a texas rig, usually) And then I usually grab a few more because I want to try something different that day and it's easier to grab another rod than re-tie. Like a carolina rig rod, or something more appropriate for crankbaits, or another rod with a jig already tied on.

I do the same thing. I always try to take a minute to appreciate the moment. Part of that is holding the fish out so I can look it over. I look at how healthy it is, the unique coloring of that particular fish, and take a deep breath before returning it to the water.

All the northern boys said "Amen" Fall will come and will bring it's own fun (hunting, bonfires, fresh apples), but I will NEVER wish away summer.

I love the soccer, swimming, and track & field... but I mostly focus on introducing my kids to the more obscure events that we only see once every 4 years. So, things like handball, water polo, rugby, fencing, volleyball, equestrian etc. We only watch those sports a few times, but it's fun to introduce them to something they've never seen.

Save your used paddletails that have the tail ripped off. They’re perfect as spinner bait and chatterbail trailers… and anyone who fishes paddle tails regularly has plenty of them readily available.

I use one of these in a 7.5:1. It’s a very solid frog reel.

Looking good. I believe the tatula line is the best value in the fishing world. Enjoy your first of many to come.