Dwight Hottle

Why would you fish with a tight drag when using treble hook jerkbaits? I catch a lot of big smallmouth using pointers & hardly ever have split ring problems. Some occasional bent hooks but that is normal with 4-7 lb smallies.

They always look bigger than the scale indicates. Nice bass.

X3

Your are going to be very selective with what days you fish with a 16" on Erie. Have you considered a good used boat with more length?

This one was a pound & 2 ounces shy of the PA state record. 22.5" by 17" measured & weighed on two different scales.

Know the feeling. Welcome to the club.

Sweet. Congrats on the new PB.

Knowing your fish exploits and success as a multi species angler would indicate straight braid does indeed catch a lot of fish without sacrificing bites.

I bought a new destroyer in 2014 black jungle F5-71XBJ classified as deep cranking & slow rolling. Broke the first time out on 3.5lb smallie just after the hook set about 3 guides down from the tip. My first & only megabass rod. They dropped the retail price by $100 the next year which didn't make me overly happy with my decision either.

When using light braid & moving baits straight braid is an option. Fish are not suspicious of braid attached to faster moving baits because they are reacting to the signals the bait gives out as it moves through the water. Guys fishing around vegetation like in FL use straight braid almost always because it cuts through the weeds. If you are fishing clear water & are concerned with line visibility or abrasion from rocks/shell beds then use a leader. If you really want to know how important fishing line visibility is to detering the bite try using braid with leader versus straight braid on your home waters for a single trip splitting the time in half for each line type. Just use the same presentation & bait. That little experiment will give you confidence in your selection.

It would help if you read what I said. See the quote. The he I was referring to was the the PA conservation officer.

He didn't say it was close to 9 lbs. He stated it was at 9 lbs. I don't care what someones fish credentials are looking at a photo and declaring it was 9lbs is plain old bull sh`t. If he had said it looks like 8-9 lbs that could be defended. "Ian landed a 25-inch smallmouth bass that Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission waterways conservation officer Mike Walsh estimated, from a photo, at 9 pounds.

First of all no one caught a 9lb smallmouth. The fish was never weighed. You can estimate all day long but the scale tells the true story.

Congrats on the win.

Looks & sounds like you made the right decision. Lund makes a quality boat.

Short review, I have five of them so far. A PG for cranking, two HG's & two XG's. The new Bantam is the Conquest of low profile reels by Shimano.

X2 Totally unacceptable. Run away from that dealer as fast as you can.

Congrats on your new PB.

I have a fishing buddy who just went through the robotic surgery for prostate removal & after having to relearn how to urinate he is doing fine. Good luck with your surgery & stay positive.

Go with the 120's. They work just fine. I speak from experience.

Sweet new PB. She's a slobasaurus.

For all you exclusion doubters " You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make him drink"

IGFA has the new record listed as 19.25" long by 17.75 girth regarding the measurements.

Looks like your little brother is following in your footsteps.

I didn't see any mention of jerk baits They should be killer for prespawn & fall.