Dwight Hottle

Shimmy Chief250 brought up a good point. The rod you want will balance better with a Bantam. I have the 50 Aldebaran and always paired it up with a lightweight rod that balanced well with it. The current non BFS Aldebaran MGL 18 31HG is size 31 not 51, smaller line capacity yet. If you find a regular Aldebaran 51 HG or XG it holds 100 meters of 12lb mono. If you have your heart set on the NRX893 get a Bantam. Or you could wait a couple of months & try the NEW metanium coming out. I sold all my mets for replacing them with bantams. I still have a like new alde but it is a right hand model.

I’m still ticked off by the Clemson/OSU game outcome to watch the others. I told my wife it will probably take a month to get over it.

Bent tubes like that are 99% the cause of being placed on a moving belt which jams one end & then the force of the moving belt torques the tube in half.

All my fish over 5lbs came on SK red eye shad 3/4oz, vision 110+2, yellow magic popper, owner flashy swimmer with kalin grub, gan craft 178 glider, deps buzz jet & Seibert swim jig with boot tail trailer.

My biggest of 2019 was a new PB at 11-8 measuring 27" by 19.5" and caught on a SK red eye shad lipless.

That pretty well covers anything you ever wanted to know about spark plugs.

LSU & Joe Burrow looked outstanding today. There is only one team left who might beat them.

The differences between the 110,110+1 & the 120+2 are all depth related. The +1 runs approximately 3 feet deeper than the 110. The +2 runs 6 feet deeper than the regular. So you need all three to cover greater depths depending what type of water you are fishing. The +2 will get you down around 15’ with the right line diameter.

Sweet almost new boat. Looks really good and with all your updates should serve you well. Enjoy & stick some pigs.

Dick Kotis, president of Arbogast in Akron Ohio. His wife was my 5th grade teacher. Dick Kotis inducted into ODNR Hall of Fame Mike Sever December 11, 2010 By MIKE SEVER | STAFF WRITER A legend in the world of angling, Richard J. Kotis of Twin Lakes has been inducted into the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Hall of Fame. For 30 years, Kotis was president of the former Fred Arbogast Co. of Akron, an innovator and maker of fishing lures used by anglers all over the world. The firm was named for its founder, a former Goodyear employee, who started making lures in his home in the 1920s. Kotis, 84, got his start with the company in the 1950s a few years after graduating from Kent State University, where he had played linebacker and guard, and later was backfield coach for Trevor Rees. Kotis also worked as an assistant basketball coach at KSU. Kotis directed Arbogast Co. from 1959 to early 1989. He retired Dec. 31, 1989, after 35 years with the firm. "I loved it. It was absolutely the best job in the world," he said.Kotis was well-known for his talents as a fisherman and he traveled extensively to fish and promote the company's products. He got started fishing at a young age with his dad off Euclid Beach for blue pike. "For me, it was exciting as heck," he said. Kotis made many films for the "American Sportsman" show on ABC. "I enjoyed more than anything else the opportunity to fish with a variety of people" -- from the rich and famous to the regular guy -- he said. Kotis said he's most proud of three accomplishments. "One of the most significant things I was able to accomplish (was) we put together what is now called 'Fish Ohio,' the largest fisherman recognition program in the nation. The program gives recognition pins to anglers for notable catches. All I was trying to do was get more guys fishing," he said. Secondly, Kotis said he was proud of taking coaching philosophy to sporting shows. "I put clinics together to teach people how to use a rod and reel, how fish lived," he said. Starting in Cleveland, the idea took hold. "They discovered people really wanted to find out" how to fish. All I was trying to do was get more youngsters involved in fishing." Kotis said probably the most important thing he did to help fishing was to get an excise tax expanded on all fishing tackle and equipment, with the money going back to ODNR. Thursday's induction ceremony was a surprise. Kotis said he expected it to be a small group. "When I got to ODNR I was shocked. There was the governor and 400 to 500 people there. It blew me away. You have no idea how humbling that is for me. I appreciate it tremendously," he said. Kotis remains an ardent Golden Flashes fan, attending most Kent State football and basketball games. "I can count on one hand the number of games I've missed," he said. Kotis said he likes to say, "I never played on or coached a team that lost to Akron." ________________________________________________

I hope it all works out for you. Maintain your hope & positive attitude.

I was just trying to compare the fight of a 7lb largemouth with the fight of a 7lb smallie. I love catching big largemouth but really really really love catching big smallies. The body type of the great lake smallmouth is a lot thicker throughout the whole frame than the typical smallmouth. The fish above measured 22"x17".

Evidently you have never experienced a 7lb smallie jumping & shaking her head while totally out of the water. No comparison for me.

Sam might as well think SEC big & throw in a 10-pounder, too.

It's a great rod but a little underpowered for bigger jerk baits. It's only rated up to 1/4 oz.

You can open carry in Florida while fishing or traveling to your fishing spot.

I have caught a lot of smallies & walleye on hot & tots. They float but have a metal bill for diving. Basically a crank bait. What makes them so unique is that they hunt when trolled. They dart left then right very erratically hence the term hunt. They dive around 15-17 feet deep on 10 lb braid. Their erratic action makes them a great search bait for smallies either casting or trolling.

I was a bartender at the Inferno in Athens while going to school.

Sweet.

Waiting on a teenager for a replica. Might be a real long wait. LOL

Yes he felt a learned a lot from the coaching staff at OSU. I just recently found out he was from Athens Ohio. I graduated from Ohio University where his dad was a defensive coach. He made it a point to mention the poverty level associated with SE Ohio.

I don't deny that they might exist but none has ever been caught. There isn't a documented 10lb smallie caught from the great lakes in the United States that I have ever heard about. Do you have any info supporting a 10lb catch?

That young man is a true class act.

This fish came on a shiner during a super cold front in Florida.

Yes it works great. Just buy a tube dedicated to knots not lips.