One more thing the Canadians laugh at us Americans that we go for the walleyes for food. Kind of like we laugh at others for going after carp. I'm told they eat mostly the pike. It is a solid white very tasty firm sweet flesh that I have had many times, Hard to clean and get the y bones out but worth the effort. A chain in Wis. that I fish is over populated with undersized pike and they want you to keep all you catch. I have a friend that used to cut them into one inch chunks and pickle them and the bones would be dissolved man were they ever good. but that was for pike that were undersized like 14-18" which are illegal to take most anywhere else.

You want to leave the larger of any species in the lake in order to maintain the genetic gean pool. So many times people take the trophy fish out of lakes and they lose the predator aspect and you see the lake become over run with an over population of stunted fish EXAMPLE You have a lake with blue gill and shad for forage for either bass or catfish. If you don't have enough large bas or catfish to control the forage population they overpopulate and become stunted . What a lot of people who have private lakes do up north here do is stock HYBRED MUSKEYS which are voracious feeders but do not breed to help keep things in balance. Nature usually balances out itself but when we interfere that's when it's time to step in. That may be the best reason to put that larger fish back (besides the smaller ones are tastier). Kind of long winded but it's something I VERY much believe in.

not really many use it as an attractant

line conditioner will help takeout the stiffness or set in a line that has been on a reel for a long time and is a good thing but will not take out the twist and loose winding , which are probably the biggest reasons for the problems he's experiencing. And the line conditioner is just like a lubricant that will allow the line to flow thru the guides a little easier too. You might also just want to spray some WD-40 on the guides and your line and it will produce similar results.

The easiest way to wind that line TIGHT on the reel is tie the end to something (tree car bumper) and walk as far away as you have line on the reel. Close the bail make sure you have some tension and reel the line in while walking back towards where you had it tied. Make sure you have enough tension against you reeling like you were fighting a fish and you will not only have a tightly spooled reel but it will cast much better. In the future be sure to have some tension against the line when you are reeling it in if you don't have a fish on put pressure on the line between your fingers and I'm sure many of your problems will be solved . Now go catch some fish.

Especially with the frogs you must use braid. I prefer Power Pro ( Slick ) The slick costs a little more but it has a coating on it that will make it last longer and cast farther. If your going to be throwing crankbaits or spinning baits I would add a fluorocarbon leader. Just remember that with braid it doesn't strech so with your crankbaits you would want to use a softer rod or loosen up your drag so you don't pull the hooks out on a large fish fighting you.

what I use on my spinning reel is Power pro Slick 15# brown line . most of the water I fish is very dirty. In a clear water I would put on a 8-10# fluorocarbon leader for some of the spookier fish. now sometimes when it's windy and the waters riled up the fish get very aggressive and leaders don't really matter just let the fish's reactions tell you what they want.

Bass Pro has the Pro Qualifier @ on sale right now at a VERY GOOD PRICE for the quality your getting. Don't buy a piece of junk you'll regret it. This reel is a very good starter .

I think anything over the 2000 or 2500 size might just be overkill for you. The 2000 size is a good all around alternative that you should be able to adapt to just about anything you would encounter. If you have too big of a set-up I think it takes a lot of the fun out of your catches and I think that's what most of us go out there for not just to get food. just my opinion.

In the clearer water you go to the more natural colored baits. most baitfish have silver or whiteish sides that's kind of the logic behind the white or lighter colors and for the dirtier waters the darker colors stand out and are easier for the fish to see. I tend to go more with the greenish shades in clearer water no matter where I fish and seem to get better results. when it's sunny I'll be sure to use the added shades with red or gold flake. just a little something extra.

Probably the best advise you can get is go to a Bass Pro Shop or Cabela's and spend some time with one of the associates there. I work there part time selling boats and I know that most all of our guys are more than willing and able to spend time and help you start out the right way. They also occasionally have many seminars that are very informative to both new and experienced fishermen.

just as many above say every time wash off and atleast once a month grease

the BIGGEST enemy of braid line is sunlight. Do not store in the sun and if you use in saltwater always rinse after every use and you should get MANY years of use out of it. A tip from KVD take a BLACK dry marker and run it over the last 10-15 feet of your line it makes it less visible to shy fish(?) don't know but it seems to work for me give it a try. hope this helps you. Another key I've picked up from fishing with some of the big boys that change their fluorocarbon line everyday during tournaments. They know how far they cast out say their reels hold 150 yards of line and they only cast out 70 yards they will put a piece of tape at about 75 yards on their reel and replace with uni to uni . Even though many of these guys are sponsored the amount of line they go thru is unbelievable and this saves a lot. just sayin. Kind of long winded but I hope it helped

only problem with the heat is it will melt the line

Go to ether the bait shops or the biggest Walmart's in the area and you will find a much better selection of equipment just don't buy the REAL cheap junk they have for the tourists. If they have someone there that can help you with advice that would be a big plus.