If you have the Norway Reserve DLC (You should, its great fun. You'll want some heavy tackle first.) All you have to do is complete the main missions for "Find The Rod", "Find The Reel", & "Find The Lure" on the reserve. It's got great line poundage and is an amazing universal rod.

• Stallo - An absolutely amazing rod with phenomenal line strength for it's class. Can be used comfortably for everything up to roughly 30 lbs (15 kg). With a bit of line management skill and proper line poundage, 40 lbs (20 kg). This is your bread.
  
  
• Whippet - A solid and dependable light lure & jigging baitcasting setup. Anything under 22 lbs (10 kg) of weight with a maximum average of 5-18 lbs (2.5-8 kg) will be defeated with this rod with extreme prejudice. This is your butter.
  
  
• Gilgamesh - For when you need a little more power this baitcasting setup is a solid choice for jigging or luring large deep water fish species like Lake Trout or Atlantic Salmon. Can comfortably handle species up to 40 lbs(20 kg), and with some skill, 50 lbs(25 kg).

CRITICAL INFORMATION: Reel speed is determined by gear ratio. Gear ratio is as follows: 5 (very slow) | 5.5 (slow) | 6 (moderate) | 6.5 (fast) | 7 (very fast)

Be aware that if you are using a lure/jig any gear ratio lower than 6 will sink the bait if the retrieve speed is set to 1. This can be useful if you wish to bottom trawl your baits such as spoons, spinners, grubs, or shad using a 5.5 reel on 1x retrieve speed, or surface the bait at 2x retrieve speed. Just keep in mind that some fish will hit slower moving lures more often, and some will hit faster moving lures more often. Using that information combined with your targeted species and whether or not they dwell on the bottom, middle, or top water columns should allow you to determine your preferred retrieve speed and ratio. Personally, I find a 5.5 to be a jack of all trades. Just remember that the longer your lure is in the water, the higher your chance of a successful strike.

• Hund - Used for the Stallo.
  
  
• Lurcher - Used for the Whippet.
  
  
• Nebuchadnezzar - Used for the Gilgamesh.

CRITICAL INFORMATION: If you wish to maximize your catch score, experience gain, and credit revenue you need to match your line poundage to the species you are looking to target. (I.E. Swap the 22 lb (10 kg) line on the Whippet to a 2-3 lb (1-1.5 kg) line to target Kokanee Salmon)

DISCLAIMER: Line type is up to the caster's preference and currently does not make a difference in performance.

• 38.58 lb (17.5 kg) Mono/Fluoro/Braid - Used for the Gilgamesh/Nebuchadnezzar combination.
  
  
• 33.07 lb (15 kg) Mono/Fluoro/Braid - Used for the Stallo/Hund combination.
  
  
• 22.05 lb (10 kg) Mono/Fluoro/Braid - Used for the Whippet/Lurcher combination.

• Stallo - This should still be your standard rod for nearly anything until you reach souvenir-grade equipment.
  
  
• Whippet - This should still be your standard light rod for nearly anything until you reach souvenir-grade equipment.
  
  
• Graureiher - A solid replacement for the Gilgamesh and should be a direct upgrade in regards to your ability to land large species.
  
  
• Nexus - A solid float fishing rod that is excellent for light to medium sized species with a long reach & accurate cast.

CRITICAL INFORMATION: Reel speed is determined by gear ratio. Gear ratio is as follows: 5 (very slow) | 5.5 (slow) | 6 (moderate) | 6.5 (fast) | 7 (very fast)

Be aware that if you are using a lure/jig any gear ratio lower than 6 will sink the bait if the retrieve speed is set to 1. This can be useful if you wish to bottom trawl your baits such as spoons, spinners, grubs, or shad using a 5.5 reel on 1x retrieve speed, or surface the bait at 2x retrieve speed. Just keep in mind that some fish will hit slower moving lures more often, and some will hit faster moving lures more often. Using that information combined with your targeted species and whether or not they dwell on the bottom, middle, or top water columns should allow you to determine your preferred retrieve speed and ratio. Personally, I find a 5.5 to be a jack of all trades. Just remember that the longer your lure is in the water, the higher your chance of a successful strike.

• Hund - Used for the Stallo.
  
  
• Lurcher - Used for the Whippet.
  
  
• Mediator - Used for the Graureiher.
  
  
• Tauch - Used for the Nexus.

CRITICAL INFORMATION: If you wish to maximize your catch score, experience gain, and credit revenue you need to match your line poundage to the species you are looking to target. (I.E. Swap the 22 lb (10 kg) line on the Whippet to a 2-3 lb (1-1.5 kg) line to target Kokanee Salmon)

DISCLAIMER: Line type is up to the caster's preference and currently does not make a difference in performance.

• 55.12 lb (25 kg) Mono/Fluoro/Braid - Used for the Graureiher/Mediator combination.
  
  
• 33.07 lb (15 kg) Mono/Fluoro/Braid - Used for the Stallo/Hund combination.
  
  
• 22.05 lb (10 kg) Mono/Fluoro/Braid - Used for the Whippet/Lurcher combination.
  
  
• 17.64 lb (8 kg) Mono/Fluoro/Braid - Used for the Nexus/Tauch combination.

This is almost exclusively souvenir-grade tackle and are the best of the best, capable of landing legendary rating fish with extreme efficiency. This will take you a very, very long time to obtain; and is the end of your gear progression journey.

• Devil's Advocate - Universal fishing & general use. A lazy man's rod with high adaptability and lots of line poundage.
  
  
• Whippet - Light lure & jigging, primarily trout and bass fishing. Anything under 22 lbs (10 kg) of weight with a maximum average of 5-18 lbs (2.5-8 kg) will be defeated with this rod.
  
  
• Deft Nexus - General use float fishing rod with excellent reach and line strength threshold, good for getting tight spots and shore fishing.
  
  
• Graureiher X - Extremely heavy fishing, primarily used for legendary fish and deep water jigging and luring. Excellent choice for targeting large species, especially on Norway like the Atlantic Salmon, or gold to diamond Lake Trout on Golden Ridge Reserve. Not often used but very convenient to have.
  
  
• Goldhorn - A very light Dock Demon model, used for pier, boat, and shallow water fishing. Used almost predominately for float fishing & jigging panfish. The low reach on short casting with this rod helps position your float right into the panfish. My go-to rod for sniping panfish that get close to the boat. With a size 9 hook/heavy jig head & bloodworms/tube you can pretty much guarantee a catch on that little fish thats been hanging out around your boat or dock.

CRITICAL INFORMATION: Reel speed is determined by gear ratio. Gear ratio is as follows: 5 (very slow) | 5.5 (slow) | 6 (moderate) | 6.5 (fast) | 7 (very fast)

Be aware that if you are using a lure/jig any gear ratio lower than 6 will sink the bait if the retrieve speed is set to 1. This can be useful if you wish to bottom trawl your baits such as spoons, spinners, grubs, or shad using a 5.5 reel on 1x retrieve speed, or surface the bait at 2x retrieve speed. Just keep in mind that some fish will hit slower moving lures more often, and some will hit faster moving lures more often. Using that information combined with your targeted species and whether or not they dwell on the bottom, middle, or top water columns should allow you to determine your preferred retrieve speed and ratio. Personally, I find a 5.5 to be a jack of all trades. Just remember that the longer your lure is in the water, the higher your chance of a successful strike.

• Pure Champion #1 - Used for the Devil's Advocate.
  
  
• Lurcher - Used for the Whippet.
  
  
• Pure Champion #2 - Used for the Deft Nexus.
  
  
• True Mediator - Used for the Graureiher X.
  
  
• Epilogue - Used for the Goldhorn.

CRITICAL INFORMATION: If you wish to maximize your catch score, experience gain, and credit revenue you need to match your line poundage to the species you are looking to target. (I.E. Swap the 22 lb (10 kg) line on the Whippet to a 2-3 lb (1-1.5 kg) line to target Kokanee Salmon)

DISCLAIMER: Line type is up to the caster's preference and currently does not make a difference in performance.

• 99.21 lb (45 kg) Braid - Used for the Graureiher X/True Mediator combination.
  
  
• 38.58 lb (17.5 kg) Mono/Fluoro/Braid - Used for the Devil's Advocate/Pure Champion combination.
  
  
• 33.07 lb (15 kg) Mono/Fluoro/Braid - Used for the Deft Nexus/Pure Champion combination.
  
  
• 22.05 lb (10 kg) Mono/Fluoro/Braid - Used for the Whippet/Lurcher combination.
  
  
• 5.51 lb (2.5 kg) Mono/Fluoro/Braid - Used for the Goldhorn/Epilogue combination.

• Glow Bobbers x3 - Used for the Devil's Advocate, Deft Nexus, Goldhorn, Stallo, & Nexus.
  
  
• Poppers - Sizes 6 & 7, used primarily for Largemouth/Smallmouth Bass fishing on the Stallo & Whippet.
  
  
• Swimbaits - Sizes 4 & 6, used primarily for Tiger Muskie & Northern Pike fishing on the Gilgamesh, Devil's Advocate, Stallo, & Whippet respectively.
  
  
• Grubs - Sizes 3/1, 5/4, 7/6, used for jigging with the Graureiher X, Graureiher, Gilgamesh, Devil's Advocate, Stallo, & Whippet respectively.
  
  
• Tubes - Sizes 8/7 & 10/9, used for jigging with the Stallo, Whippet, & Goldhorn respectively for panfish and various other small species. Good for targeting specific species that populate among other types that eat the same bait.
  
  
• Worms - Sizes 2/1/0 & 5/3, used for jigging with the Graureiher X, Graureiher, Devil's Advocate, Gilgamesh, & Stallo respectively for large species such as Lake Trout & high rating Largemouth/Smallmouth Bass. Can be used with the Whippet but be careful of line tension.
  
  
• Shad - Size 5/3, used for jigging with the Graureiher X, Graureiher, Gilgamesh, Devil's Advocate, & Stallo respectively for large species, but mostly for Tiger Muskie/Northern Pike in deeper water. Can be used with the Whippet but be careful of line tension.
  
  
• Crankbaits - Sizes 6, 7, & 8, used primarily for Walleye with the Stallo & Whippet respectively but can fill in various niches for specific fish that tend to hang around other species that like to eat the same bait.
  
  
• Hooks - Sizes 3-4 are recommended for the Devil's Advocate, Stallo, & Deft Nexus respectively. Sizes 5-7 are recommended for the Stallo & Nexus respectively. Sizes 8-9 are recommended for the Goldhorn.
  
  
• Heavy Jig Heads - Sizes 1 - 4 are recommended for the Graureiher X, Graureiher, Gilgamesh, Devil's Advocate, & Stallo respectively. Sizes 5-7 are recommended for the Stallo & Whippet respectively. Sizes 8-9 are recommended for the Goldhorn.
  
  
  But Weerum, Why Not Light Or Medium Jig Heads?
  
  It's one simple thing. Sink rate. When you're jigging you're going to want to have fast sink rate.
  A good method I use for grubs & shads for example is to cast and start jigging as it falls to the bottom, and then slow retrieve while continually jigging for about 10-15 feet. I then swap it to twitching while still retrieving, eventually if it floats over a deeper pocket I will let it sink again by reverting to the jigging method. Whilst retrieving at about half my cast distance to the boat I will alternate between the constant and twitching methods; occassionally letting it drop back down to use the jigging method. This is what I like to call "dancing the jig".
  The extra movements and erratic nature of the grub attracts fish like bees to honey, it's irresistible to whatever fish takes a grub/shad (which is a whole lot of species) and will almost guarantee a strike. It's only downside however, is that it is extremely active fishing and can get tiring fast. So don't be afraid to let it drop down and go back to just jigging as often as you'd like.
  
  
• Spoons - Sizes 1 & 3 are recommended for the Graureiher X, Graureiher, & Gilgamesh respectively. Sizes 4-5 are recommended for the Devil's Advocate & Stallo respectively. Size 6 is recommended for the Whippet.
  
  
  Used for a multitude of different fish and are an excellent choice for universally testing new areas to research what's biting. I tend to use spoons & spinners mostly for Trout/Salmon species.
  
  
  
• Spinners - Sizes 1 & 3 are recommended for the Graureiher X, Graureiher, & Gilgamesh respectively. Sizes 4-5 are recommended for the Devil's Advocate & Stallo respectively. Size 7 is recommended for the Whippet.
  
  
• Natural Bait - All natural bait except for marshmallows & hotdogs, as the fish that tend to strike these can be caught better with the other baits provided you have the level to obtain them.
  
  
• Live Bait- All live bait. If it lives, it's food for something else.
  
  
• One Open Slot - Simply for a bigger lure/hook if you are looking to track down a very specific rating, such as gold or diamond ratings.

I very strongly suggest you join the public discord[discord.com] for more information and to add your valuable input to the community. You can help this game grow and define the genre of simulated fishing.

Big thanks to Jamie D 93 for putting together the Golden Ridge Reserve & Trollsporet Reserve Exploration Guides.

Lastly, I would like to give a huge thank you to WeDGE & his team for putting together the Golden Ridge Reserve[docs.google.com] & Trollsporet Reserve[docs.google.com] research together to make those species statistics & charts possible.

Tight lines, folks.