Pacemaker Fishing Forum

Sounds like you are getting excited for your college experience to get underway!

Keep it simple. 2 Rods. 2 Reels. Breakdowns if you have them, but one pieces can be easily stored in the closet or the corner...though you are handy if you wanted to use them as wall ornaments.

The amount of baits and tackle you bring is subject to how frequently you think you will be fishing. A few bags of soft plastics with some bullet weights. A couple of spinner baits (one willow leafed, one colorado leafed), a couple of crank baits, a couple of top waters, and you are good for the fall.

In terms of line, you are entering the fall season so the thick grasses begin to break down. Unless you are fishing super heavy and rough cover (wood, rocks), you only need 12lb line (baitcaster) and maybe 8lb line (spinning) with the 12 being mono or copolymer and the 8 being fluorocarbon.

Good luck down at school and keep fishing!

I make similiar decisions when i go out to new bodies of water where I'll be fishing ths shore and would prefer not to bring too much gear.

What I like are:
1 x baitcaster M to MH combo with either 12-14# mono/copoly/hybrid line or 30# braid depending on whether or not I'm fishing in thick stuff
1 x spinning ML combo wit 6# test

i condense most of my gear into one tackle box with two spinner baits (white and white/chart), mepps inline spinners, a shallow and medium diving crank, a walk the dog stick, buzzbait (ghost minnow and black), a soft bodied frog, a jig or two, and a swim bait. The rest are soft plastics: a mixed bag of tubes, lizards, senkos, and flukes. I then pick a few packs of 3/0-5/0 EWG hooks, 1/8-1oz slip sinkers, pliers, sunblock, super toxic deet bug repellent and I'm good to go.

Sounds like a lot but it really isn't and its usually all I need.

Also helps if you know what kind of fish are down there and what types of water you'll be fishing.

At school I had two or three rods (two pieces) that I kept in a ceiling high closet and a big tackle bag from Bass Pro (the kind that holds four 3700 boxes) that I kept under my bed. I could fit everything I needed into that one bag but it sucked to carry around. I would just take a few baits out of it when I went fishing.

It helped that my roommate was my twin brother so he put up with my stuff. (A roommate that you just met might not take to the scent of Powerbait very well....)

Charlie:
Having fished most of the waters in that area, all you really need is a medium action spinning rod with 10# line. A small box with 1/4 oz. spinnerbaits, shallow and deep diving crankbaits, a couple of topwater poppers and soft plastics of your choice, along with terminal tackle. Most of the lakes in the area are tannic. Next to no grass. Plenty of pads and cypress trees. Great fishing. You will love it.

When you get there and get ready to head out to a lake, drop me a line and I will try to offer some guidance.

Thanks Charlie!  And thanks for all the other advice guys!