cheeky fly reels Tyro 350 Reel and an updated frame featuring a blade design which minimizes weight and strengthens structure Cheeky Sighter 425 Fly Reel

In these waters in the cold-water period, smallmouth bass may be almost anywhere except in the fast water

For decades, one of my favorite baitcasting reels has been the classic Shimano Bantam Curado CU-200 (below)

The goal was to keep the line capacity low (less than a 3000 spool) while having the extra torque and strength provided by the larger rod and gears

Of all the things to consider when figuring out how to choose a fishing reel for your rod and style, this is extremely generic and extremely important

It is particularly effective around docks, laydowns, and grass edges

Pay special attention to flooded, dead brown grass we call hay. I use double willow-blades in sunfish or natural shad under normal conditions