Dwight Hottle

@IndianaOutdoors They like jerk baits & cranks too. Also bottom techniques like blade baits & jigging spoons to go along with tubes. Crappies are easy to target with crappie jigs once you locate them on your graph.

My wife & I both got vaccinated early on based on age over 65 then had two bosters shots. We never got covid until about 2 years later. We both had relatively mild symptoms which were gone after 5 days. I didn't take any medicine for it but my wife took Paxlovid and it did lessen her symptoms compared to mine. My take is it affects people much differently based on your general health & immune system.

Look at GG Megabass Kinkuro to mimic the golden shiners & GG Perch OB or GP Pro Perch or Mat Perch.

I fish Erie a very large body of water because it flat out produces quality smallmouth. I also fish the big water Florida lakes & the St John river system for largemouth & Lake Baccarac in Mexico a large river dammed system.

@thediscochef I know of two other PB's over 11lbs caught on the red eye shad so clearly they do produce.

Welcome to BR.

Have you considered the MBR 744?

I prefer 3/4 oz but will use 1/2 oz on occasion. The heavier blade cast further, gets to the bottom quicker & enables a size bigger hook change when needed. It’s also a larger profile in some cases & causes more disturbance when it hits bottom.

I think it’s Washington, Michigan, Alabama & Texas regardless of the FSU outcome. That’s after watching the first half of the FSU game.

We have all gotten so good & raised the bar so high that new PB's are monumental tasks to achieve. That's my story & I'm sticking to it. Right @A-Jay?

I’ll add to the already given advice by letting you know those rods would be great for trolling & long lining treble hook baits in open water areas. Lots of possibilities.

Bitters Bait & Tackle just north of Orlando is worth a stop. Headwaters/Stick Marsh is good but does have some issues regarding parking & the sand access road getting there. Also lodging nearby can be a problem because there isn't much close by. Numbers are probably better than Toho but quality is the same in my eyes. Only you can decide if it is worth the extra driving time.

I fished Erie with a 18’ as my first boat ever owned. I moved up to a 20’ two years later. If you’re going to fish St Clair you definitely want the 19 as a choice between your two candidates.

@Jamesg0418 Yes I have heard of guides using the customer's boat when requested but you will have to ask Eric. He uses livescope sonar & teaches anglers how to use it when requested. When fishing with him you can use his gear or bring your own. Dec-March are all good months. Book him early as he gets filled up.

Well as a smallmouth fisherman you're especially welcomed to BR.

Excellent guide on Toho is Capt Eric Tilson of Tyson's Big Bass Guide Service. Eric knows Toho like the back of his hand. He will fish with shiners or artificials your choice. PM me if you need more info.

@PaulVE64if you think a crank bait bite is fun you need to try a jerk bait bite for smallies. But do some pushups before hand so your arms will be conditioned to what will happen next.

As always very insightful @Catt

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. And for the long suffering Detroit Lion fans you can finally enjoy your thanksgiving day game knowing you're probably going to win.

I bought two Edge Epitome rods one casting & one spinning both on sale for $299. I also bought an 8' swim bait rod LMX on sale and I am extremely pleased with the quality, lightness and sensitivity of the Edge rods. I waited about 6 months on the swimbait rod but it was worth it. Edge rods sell directly from the factory to the consumer. They run frequent sales for their existing customers on the email list. They are not competing with traditional rod companies because they are a niche builder that cannot keep up with demand. They take orders then fullfill them. If you understand how they run their business & appreciate the quality product that Gary Loomis has always produced they are the best I have ever been exposed to. Most of their blanks are unsanded so they feel rough or textured to the touch but are stronger than a sanded blank.

Replace your KVD 300 jerk bait with a Raid level minnow. It will keep you at the level your looking for.

Go out like you came in.

My guess is 6-7 lbs. congrats on your catch.

Welcome to BR.

@Mike L I think the game is going to be closer than 42-24. The final score between Michigan & Penn State was 24-15 a 9 point spread. The score between OSU & Penn State was 20-12 an 8 point spread. That's my reasoning for the closer score spread. Go bucs.