i also agree that the 30 lb is too heavy. i actually use 12-15 LB "P-Line" and i have never had a fish break my line. I caught a 33 LB fish 4 years ago with no problem. With any line, just be cautious of the drag and play the fish properly. While trolling, make sure you have the drag set properly. These fish hit like you are salt water fishing and they can strip 50 foot of line off in a hurry. As far as rods go, I started out with a couple "catfish" rods and a couple spinning reels that i used for walleye fishing. My first couple years down there were spent praying that a fish would not spool off my line. I always hear rumors of that but it never happened. I probably had 75 yards of line on those spinning reels and never lost a fish. I caught 20 LB fish trolling with that spinning rod. It is just too expensive to go out and buy all those poles at once. 10 years later, i feel i am a little more equipped. back to the line, i use 10-12 when i am casting. as the other guys stated, try a guide the first couple of times and ask them a ton of questions. that is what i did. the guide told me to downsize my line, especially in the clear water of cumberland. another thing, you need to get out on the lake and get accustomed to the different patterns of the fish. having the gear is one part of it - BUT knowing the lake and their patterns is key. i have spent more time down there NOT catching fish than catching fish. but there are days that i caught6-8 fish and the guides got skunked and then there are days when i get skunked in 12 hrs of fishing and the guides are back in the marina by 9 am. about the shiners, i think they work just as well. the mistake that most people make is using the bigger shiners. i think the bigger the shiner, the less likely you will catch fish with them. some of the bigger shiners are gold in color and resemble more of a shiner than a shad. i have done best using the 2-4 inch shiners. my 33 lb striper came on a 3 inch shiner in the middle of april. now the suckers work best but only in the october and november months for me when the fish are down deep. they are hearty and live in 90 ft of water. i have never caught a fish in the winter on those suckers.
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