[Dirt's72]

Pete I would definitely use a 8lb fluorocarbon leader attached to your already spooled braided line for the smallmouth. I dont use braided I strictly use a fluoroclear line or mono. The brand I use is P-line. I mostly use 4lb or 8lb for crappie, walleye and white bass. My brother fishes small creeks in Illinois for smallmouth and uses poppers and he says a fake worm with two hooks he gets at walmart. For them bluegill you cant beat worms. My favorite bluegill rig is a slip bobber rig. You can set it to any depth. Get a balsa or plastic slip float that is hollow so you put your line through the top first then tie a hook #4 or #6 gamakatsu or the red eagle claw from walmart. Tie a small rubber band above the float one knot and cut the tag ends to set your depth and small removable split shots one 12-18' above the hook and another 12' above that. The size of the split shot is how you adjust how the float sets so if it sinks use smaller split shots. The fish when they bite dont feel the weight of the balsa float as compared to traditional plastic bobbers. Then all you need is a beer a comfy chair and lots of skeeter repellent.