>>1678283>>1679176I've only caught up to 30lb blue cats out of reservoirs. But for me, my M bass rod, 3000 reel, 20lb braid mainline, .5oz tungsten barrel sinker, 30lb mono leader, and a 6/0 circle hook worked fine. I didn't lose any fish or destroy any gear, but I had a lot of room and time to play the fish out and had a net handy to land them.
For river fishing, you'll want heavier gear because there'll be more snags and you're fighting the current in addition to the fish. Something like a H rod, 4000 reel, minimum 50lb main line, at least 1oz of weights would work. Live bait works well, but you can get them just as fine on dead or cut bait which are both easier to deal with. Buy some frozen shad from a bait shop or bring a smaller rod with you and catch some bluegill to use.
