Have you looked here?
https://www.sdosuperspoons.com/products/the-nature-collection

Awesome! I like the way the shimanos sound when the fish is pulling drag.

I'd like to hear what you all finally go with!

I think you'll find fishing very therapeutic, without the feeling of being in therapy. It's quite remarkable. Welcome!

And when you're out on the water you won't feel like you compromised. Put the set together at the store to try it out against the "Bass Pro recommended". That's what I did.

For the reel, try Legalis LT, best bang for your buck, try it against other reels before you buy something expensive. I use the 2500 for smaller fish and the 3000 as my 'sturdy rod/reel' set.
For the rod, I kid you not, try the Shakespeare micro series LIGHT 7'0 rod for bass, the ULTRA light (LT) 7'0 for crappie and bluegill. Super inexpensive, but to get back in they're only $20-$30 and I'm telling you, try this setup before you dish out all kinds of dollars first. And you can swap the Legalis LT on either rod and it feels balanced either way. You'll end up with two rods & a nice reel, for the price of just a rod on the expensive side.

Thanks for this update! I had similar experiences at a couple of the same lakes. I've noticed that these spots are being hit pretty hard early in the week when they plant so if you try and go late in the week or for sure on the weekend, the fish are not really responsive and a lot of them have already been caught. Nice that North Lake is open though, I've been wanting to go up there, had the same question in my mind that I think you answered tho. Slow fishing.

I might have to look into those solunar tables. I always get skunked at Gregory 😂
Thanks for the pics! I didn't even know there was blue gill in there!

Thanks!

I'm imagining a Carolina rig? What's the leader length? Or you just let it go float as high as it wants to?

They're all fishable. A couple I talked to pulled 30 out of Bridgeport. You have to go early in the week tho, by the weekend, it's slow.

I was there last week. June and Gull are good to fish, but from shore was reeeeal slow. Bridgeport is fishing well if you go early in the week. Twin lakes at Mammoth was open and I caught some beautiful large brook and rainbows. They were only biting on flies for me (spinning rod, bubble float). Lake Mary road to lake Mary, George, etc. was still closed at twin lakes. I didn't hike up.
It sounds like the best days to go to any of them are Wednesdays right after they stock, otherwise it's hit or miss. The streams were still unfishable except around the bishop area where they are waning a tiny bit. Intake 2 and Sabrina have fish as well. But again, early in the week is best.

I was just there this past week. They still have lake Mary road closed at twin lakes. So you have to hike if you want to get to the upper lakes. (I didn't)
Fished twin lakes with a water bobber and flies off a spinning reel, had a great time pulling out decent size brookies and rainbows. Power bait seemed to not be working, but was probably because it's being fished pretty hard with the summer crowd and no upper lakes to drive to. I heard night crawlers were doing good, too.

Stream nd river fishing is the best! Beautiful catch!

If all I catch from now on are larger and larger brookies, I'm perfectly ok with that! 😂 Such a beautiful species.