Spring summer trout outfits
 

Always subject to change, but I think I've got my rods and reels set for mid spring/early artificial speckled trout season. What's your arsenal look like and what do you have tied on?

Here's mine, allowing for an admittedly obnoxious number (if I'm fishing alone)
of outfits, brand names left out, but feel free to add them if you want:

Light topwater (super spook jr.) casting reel, 12 lb mono 7.5 ft rod. I like mono for most tops because of the forgiveness and confidence I have in it. Topwater is all about distance for me and a 7.5 gets it out there.

Heavy (she dog) topwater. spinning rod 6/20 braid 7.5 ft rod. (doubles as cork rig) I can cast this sucker a long ways, longer than I can effectively walk the dog and maintain good contact on a strike far away with mono. Braid makes it easy to work, but a spinning rod makes my wrist numb frequently. Love/hate relationship, but it's an outstanding search outfit when drifting, plenty of time to stop the boat before getting too close on a long strike. But I'll switch over to the casting rod and mono if given half a chance.

1/4 oz jighead 7 ft medium casting rod with 12 lb fluoro. medium action and length allows me to cover a lot of ground on the hook set in deeper water. Fluoro allows for great sensitivity and the quality brands cast great.

1/8 jighead 12 lb fluoro 6'8" medium light rod (can double as jerkbait rod) great finesse outfit.

Utility 7 ft medium action spinning rod with 6/20 braid.

I've got 30 lb mono leaders on the topwater rods with loop knots on the business end. Mainly to prevent braid from getting into split rings and so I don't have to grab braid when a fish is in the boat, as well as not having to retie as much. 20 or 25 lb fluoro leader on the utility spinner, though I'm not averse to using the same 30 lb mono.

Sounds good to me. Only thing is that I usually don't throw a She-dog unless it's muddy and/or choppy. For big tops I like a One Knocker spook. Pink/gold or silver or black and chrome.

1/8 oz jighead with matrix or lil John usually does the trick. Starting to take a liking to the wedgetail mullets as well.

Your set ups sound fine.

Two Rods...

One with topwater (Bone one knocker or junior)
The other with 1/8th oz. jig head and various plastics.. mostly rat tails.

I like my rods a little shorter 6'6 / 6'9, they fit in the truck better.

Thanks, men.

Come on, everybody! This is a chance for an exchange of ideas.

Also looking for line test, type and rationale for different baits and rod/reels.

I hate messing with braid, tying knots, backlashes, etc. and I've shaken off some bigger because of it. But it is truly invaluable for contact at long distance, like with a cork rig.

While we're on the subject, I don't like corks either. They are, however, incredibly effective sometimes, especially in the fall when shrimp are the main forage

Usually take 4 rod/reel combos- all spinning with 10 lb Fireline, 12 lb Floro leaders. One top water that's usually a Skitter walker, chrome black back or she dog. One will have a Corky or Catch 2000, the other two 1/8 jig head for plastics. Like Little Johns, glow chartreuse. All of my rods are 7'0" with two being Med action the other two Med Lite, all with fast tip action. I find with braid I have none of the problems normally associated with mono and you do not need as heavy action rod as hook set is easy with no stretch line. I can cast farther and have no issues casting into wind with spinning reels.

Most of my rods are 7 foot with spinning reels and 20lb braid. Unless it is very windy, I never have trouble with the braid, and I usually stay home on the very windy days.

I like corks, because I frequently fish over shallow reefs. It makes it easy to have a steady retrieve without getting stuck on the bottom. That said, most of the corks are clip on, so that I can easily take them off and just fish with the jig and swim bait (and no cork).

I bring a bunch of rods with different things, but 99% of my trout are on 1/8 to 1/4 oz jig heads with 3 inch swim baits. This time of year, it's 1/8 oz double rigged. My live bait 2/0 kahle hook two feet under a cork comes in handy if I bring shrimp. My topwater getup, hard lures, chatter baits, and other random junk that I bring on the other poles pretty much never leave the rod holders unless I'm just screwing around. Why mess with a good thing. My jigheads and swim baits typically get the job done.

As for line and rod and reel recommendations, I'm still very much in the experimenting stage. I've had good and bad trips doing everything. 30 lb Fins with a 20 lb fluoro leader has been working for me throwing everything from tops to mirrodines to 1/8 jigheads. Uni to uni knot to tie two likes together and a loop knot on the business end of everything.

As for rods, I've been using a 6'9" castaway med Lt and a 6'10" G Loomis Medium and am liking them for just about everything so far.