Dwight Hottle

I have lost more than my share over the years. Some were PB's waiting to be landed because we actually saw them. Those always hurt the most but that's fishing.

I have picked up some Guy Harvey spf 50 long sleeve hoodies & also some Harvey regular cotton hoodies that work really well instead of wearing a buff style mask. The only sun screen I have to put on is my nose & cheeks. AFTCO, Coolibar & LL Bean also carry similar hoodies. I find the hoodies are cooler than the buff or sun mask type.

Anything white or off white was the best color for us. The pike liked metallic brown best. I did best with a pointer 128 & an ima flit with upgraded hooks size 5 & larger split rings. We used white zoom flukes rigged on an owner twistlock light 5/0 hook with 3/32 weight & screw lock.

Yes they are cosmetic. I leave them on new lures & don't replace them until they wear out or the hook needs replaced. I have tried them on baits that came plain without & never noticed much of a difference. If you fish baits fast they are of little consequence. If they are going to be effective it's when fishing a bait really slow.

I use a lot of medium to large jerk baits. With braid I prefer a mh moderate rod. When I'm using mono or flouro I use a mh extra fast. The idea is to have a soft enough rod action to cushion the strike & fight so as not to pull out treble hooks when using non stretch line. When using stretchy line like mono or flouro you can use a fast or extra fast rod action & still keep hooked up. Also don't forget to use a loose enough drag to help compensate for non stretch lines if needed.

Congrats on a great Stick Marsh trophy Mike.

First off Shimano's past flagship reels & current top quality reels are all aluminium. Conquest, bantam, antare/calais. Early graphite reels were considered inferior by most manufactures. More recent renderings have improved in strength & durability but most guys in the know still prefer aluminium based reels

My condolences to his family and yours.

I use the owner beast hooks for swim baits & works. For lighter stuff i’ll Use the light wire with built in weights & screw locks.

Try switching over to Owner hooks. I have never had a problem with them.

I agree your question is worded confusionally.

Jerk baits, crank baits, jigging spoons, blade baits, jigs & hair jigs all come to mind. I prefer a mhm rod for treble baits paired with either a certate spinning reel or a shimano bantam casting reel. A mhf or extra fast rod for the jigs, spoons & blade baits.

Congrats on the new PB.

I remember reading about reptile farms in south Florida suffering hurricane damage causing the release of snakes into the everglades. By Livia Albeck-Ripka Sept. 8, 2017 When Hurricane Andrew battered South Florida in 1992, conservationists say, a slithering, voracious species escaped a breeding facility and made its way toward Everglades National Park. There, the Burmese python, originally from Southeast Asia, would feast on raccoons, eggs and deer, multiplying into the tens of thousands, until it had ravaged the ecosystem. Now, with Hurricane Irma fast approaching Florida, wildlife organizations are concerned that other nonnative species could be unleashed in the state. There are more than 1,200 species of reptiles and amphibians kept in captivity in Florida, according to the United States Association of Reptile Keepers. Many of them, like the veiled chameleon, Mexican spinytail iguana and Javan file snake, are nonnative. “You’ve got a lot of exotic pet breeders down in South Florida,” said Bruce Stein, associate vice president for conservation science at the National Wildlife Federation. “The question is: What’s next?” There is no definitive proof that Hurricane Andrew was responsible for the invasion of the Burmese python, which was first spotted in the Everglades in the 1980s. Exotic pets are frequently released in the wild by their owners. But after a reptile breeding warehouse was destroyed in the 1992 hurricane, the python population boomed. Florida, with its muggy, swamp-like conditions, has long been a hub for exotic breeding. More wildlife shipments pass through Miami’s ports than anywhere else in the country except New York and Los Angeles. Once a year, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission organizes an amnesty pet drop-off: Keepers can give up their king cobras, Komodo dragons and other exotic species, no questions asked. Commercial keepers need a permit for certain nonnative species. Those who apply must submit a disaster plan to the wildlife commission, but they create the plan themselves. “It’s really just for their own use,” said Gaby Vega, a spokeswoman for the commission’s Captive Wildlife Office. In an evacuation, the reptile keeper’s association advises slipping snakes into a bag and putting the bag, tied closed, inside a crate. Owners can take the crate with them or anchor it to the ground with a rope, so that the snake doesn’t drown or float away.

I have both the 30 & the 15. The 15 weighs in 1/4 lb increments & the 30 weighs in 1/2 lb increments. I have used the 15 on fish up to 18 lbs without any problems. If you think you will be landing a lot of esox I would go with the 30 lber so you can be able to weigh those bad boys & girls.

Excellent idea. The Tekota line counter 300 or 500 will serve you well. The 300 series holds enough line using braid to work well for all your mention species. You would need the 500 series if you want to run lead core in 10 colors or 100 yards plus backing. The 300 holds 5 or 6 colors plus backing as I remember. The 8.5’ rod works well to help absorb shock as well as moving the lines further away from the boat. Look at 2 piece rods like St Croix’s steelhead rod lineup or other manufacturers. The croix’s are lighter & smaller in diameter than the shimano talora I believe. Good luck with your trolling adventures.

Great story.

Congrats on the new PB.

I agree with the others that your scale gave you a false reading. Congrats on the big fish.

Getting old isn't the issue. At 70 I am old. Guys my age complain about having to fish for 8 hours straight & not going in to take breaks. The fire doesn't burn as hot as it use to. It's bittersweet. But I still enjoy it.

Steve welcome to the 7lb club again. One could be a fluke but two indicate a successful trend of a good angler.

PB's are always sweet. Congrats.

Welcome aboard.

Welcome aboard.

Welcome aboard.