Dwight Hottle

Looks like the brakes from the 2012 antares.

I use braid all the time. Here in Florida there are many moving baits techniques that allow to use straight braid. If the water is tannic or cloudy you can use strait braid as well. For clear water I use braid & a mono leader but I tie longer leaders up to the length of the rod keeping the knot just off of the spool

Well you should see Robert's boat. Always looks immaculate.

Hey Jeff the only thing better than your 2012 video will be the new improved 2013 version.I can't wait to see that one.

It just goes to show your are full of a lot of posts.

Well we have shared at least two favorites regarding lake erie colors. Dare we share any more?

That is the norm on my boat. I had a few fellows who brought up 20 lb braid & were so disappointed after one day of fishing they wanted to change out their 20 lb braid for 10 lb just to be competitive . The baits do track deeper on 10 compared to 20. it's a confidence thing. Most 10 lb braid breaks at 15 to 20 so its plenty strong as long as your not back lashing & snapping it.

The reel question is are you bringing one back? Or maybe two, with one for me!

Pointer 100 in shell white. My favorite st croix caster with 10lb braid & maxima leader.

Forget the hat just bring down the PBR.

Inspirational. Good job Jeff.

You went from a cooked goose to smelling like a rose. Congrats.

That is an outstanding fish & pic. The way he is holding it really emphasises the girth & head.

X2 If you watch his video's you see that the rods get plenty of stress on his hook sets.

I have three and like them. Not only do they look good but they add a little leverage, reduce weight & the cork knobs are very comfortable. The Hawgtech guys are getting into more customization. Here is a pic of a reel that has been hydro dipped on the end plates.

I have the calcutta te dc 100 & the calais dc 200. I like the calais much better. For me it is a better caster. South FLA & I were out frog fishing. I just got a new 2013 legend extreme MHM in 7'8" to replace last years model which broke on a hook set. Robert casted 5 or 6 times trying different settings & pronounced he thought he could spool it. I said no way. It was filled with 50lb braid and had a 1/2 oz spro popping frog tied on. He gave it a heave and the spool went empty down to the spool knot. That impressed me even though I know he is an excellent caster. Great reels for sure.

Take your suction cup transducer & mount the transducer to a board by bolting it thru the board without the suction cup. Then you can C clamp the board to the transom. This would allow to you to use what you already have.

I have not met Roland yet even though I stayed & ate at his facility. I did get to meet A-Jay this last spring though!

Such a pretty smile!

I have a 250 pro xs on a 20' starcraft stx. 2008 models with about 400 hours. The pro xs's are very economical motors. Check mercurys own website for fuel economy figures. I believe the verado comes in 2nd. Reliability of the pro xs is very good. The secret to longevity is to warm it up to operating temps before taking off. For me that is 120 degrees on my smartcraft gauge. You also want to let it cool down for a minute or two trimmed down before shutting it off. My previous boat was a 18' lund mr pike with a yamaha 150 4-stroke. The fuel consumption on the bigger boat with 100 more horsepower is equal to the smaller boat. There is a wealth of knowledge on this website regarding both motors. I loved the yammi 4 stroke but I also love the merc pro xs. The verado in the bigger sizes requires a steering pump & a dedicated starter battery as I recall. Both motors reqiure a 1150 cca battery for best performance. The smartcraft guage gives you motor temps, trim level, fuel consumption usage at different rpm so you know what you are using at what speed/prm, fuel used per outing, battery charge, etc. Very useful piece of equipment for all levels of boater experience. At the time I got my pro xs it was the only 2 stroke engine to meet California emission standards. Very clean running motor. It is noisier than the verado but it does growl nicely. Oil fumes are not an issue. There is a guy on walleye central (T-Mac) who is a retired lund dealer that has a wealth of knowledge regarding your boat & engine choices. If you leave him a message on the boat forum he will respond to your questions. Terry is highly respected for his unbiased advice if you have further questions.

Tiger minnow in the deep diver. Its discontinued. Please bring it back.

I aint got time for that.

I tried some in 50lb test & it seems pretty smooth. No problems but not necessarily better than suffix 832.

Sounds like your planning to pull the tin ship to Falcon or Amistad.

I have spooled all three ways you mentioned. With a wiffle spool or spool with holes in it run your braid thru two holes and tie an arbor knot or double hitch. This will prevent the braid from slipping on the spool. On a solid spool without holes or a spool knob pin if you want to use backing & partially fill the spool with braid. Attach your mono filler with an arbor knot & then join the braid & mono with a back to back uni or some other knot you trust. On a solid spool with all braid I tie the braid to the spool then tape over it one revolution with electrical tape. Then I proceed to fill the spool. All three will work to keep the braid from slipping. I use the tape for shallow spools and mono backing for deep spools.