Been awhile since I've gone after them but, Billy chinook Res, East Lake and Suttle Lk in Oregon. Fishing from a boat.

Depends on what your fishing for. For most fish I'd use the 12#. Most my bait casting reels have 10# on them.

I think I've tried every rig made for Kokanee but have never caught the first one!

I wasn't aware rod handles were made of anything else anyone would buy!

Breaks my heart. Haven't had the first bite from a cat this year.

Used to see lot's of Pheasants at Clarno, ore on the John Day river. Oregonian newspaper did two articles on it called the "best kept secrete in Ore" and every damn person in the state showed up to get their share. Been ruined for many years now!

I've got several of them in that color. Never caught the first thing on them.

Bog rocks and heavy weeds make getting hung up now and then a fact of life!

And I have to say again, if it works, don't fix it!

If one reel is really all you'll have two spools would be a good idea. Were it me I think one with max 6# line and one maybe 15# and if one rod, max 7' and med action. Be surprised ho big a fish you could catch with 15# line on a med action rod. Where it might bite you is on the 6# line with smaller fish. Around here a 11" crappie is a pretty big crappie and we use 1/16 and 1/8oz jigs for them. that heavy line might limit your ability to cast. Then my crappie rods and reels are ultra light with 2# and 4# line. Problem is with one rod and reel for everything you can't cover base's that well. To much difference in the size of fish!

Proper hook set. I've been pretty much doing what you do for about 70 yrs and somehow it just seems to work. Something I've noticed in fishing and shooting, wait long enough and someone will come up with a better way to do everything that's better than the way that has always worked for you!

If that is what I had that is what I'd use. haven't used a Texas rig in years though. I like the Carolina rig and doesn't seem to matter what type sinker I use.

I've got two reels with braid on them but don't like braid much. just seems to hard to get good knots that don't slip with it. Seldom ever use the two with braid. just getting going I doubt it makes much difference what you use and if truely just getting going you probably wouldn't realize the benefit of one line over the other anyway. You'll not notice it until you reach a point where you decide to try a new line and then the advantage might not be so obvious. I like several different lines but mostly I like inexpensive line and mono. favorite id Ande as it is quite a bit less expensive than most, of course there's a down side to it. Depending on line weight the spools hold 500+ yds of line. Also like eagle claw and Berkley lines and usually they have a good price on them. Tried some floral line and stuff was to thin and again didn't seem to hold knots well. Something about holding knots, I'm pretty sure that people that like those lines also know how to tie different knots that hold. I'm old and pretty set in my ways. Been using the stuff I use for years and have this idea not to change something that works for me!

I had hip boots one time. Got a hole in them first time I wore them. Today I go wading I wear cutoff jeans and tennis shoes.

Beautiful little guy, love all puppy's! Best thing for a broken heart is a new puppy!