Zulu:
Good! Your a bass man. Now if you`ll give put down the spinning gear for a tad and really commit to using a baitcaster, I really believe your ratio of dink to possible toad will increase. No doubt a baitcaster can/will be a challenge but once mastered, through much practice, you will go places you never even thought of before. By that I mean, taking all those shots(casts) in and around places that need absolute control to put your lure exactly where you want it. Very hard to do with spinning gear.
Fishing open water with S/G posses no problem but for absolute accuracy, baitcasters give you that.
If you fish areas with lots of trees, stumps, etc, and once you have the feel for your new baitcaster,
you`ll find yourself making casts (on target) like the big boys do.
Once you get that under control, being in the "zone" , you bass catching will jump up.....10 fold!
Commit. Practice. Practice. Practice!! Nothing is easy. Just do it!!
You said, " my biggest bass is 7 lbs, 4ozs. ........." Nice for a dink. Ok, A larger dink!
To catch the big toads you have to be on target. Now`s the time for change.