Dwight Hottle

My best five for 2023 occurred over three days on Erie missing two days to high wind & waves. I had a 6-4, 6-0 & three others over 5lbs. I don't recall what the ounces were on the three over 5 because I only keep track of the ones over 6lbs as a rule. So the total would be around 28-29lbs for the best 5 but still less than @A-Jay's 29.22. My total last year was heavier because it included my PB.

Legendary big bass catcher passed away. Bob held numerous line class records & had two bass on the top five all time list. Rest in peace sir.

The season is on the line for the big ten championship as well as the college playoffs. Who are you picking. Michigan is favored by 3.5 as of today.

Swim baits rods are geared towards two handed casting with heavier baits just like a musky rod or surf rod. Hence the longer handle.

The Scorpion is the JDM version of the Curado. Check for it as a curado DC.

Shhhhhhh!

Tire pressure decreases 1lb per 10 degrees of falling air temps. So you should reset it every winter. Plus if you live in the snow states the natural drop in pressure makes your tires more susceptible to damage from chuck holes or impact breaks because of the lowered pressure. I speak from 13 years of experience in the retail tire industry.

RIP Gary. He was truly a very unique individual with a great wealth of knowledge which he was always willing to share.

I looked at the whole lineup & talked to the rep while at I-Cast this summer. I thought the 7'1" spinning stick MHF was a great rod for the price. It felt light & balanced with enough give to make a good treble hook bait rod as well as single hook applications. The weight range was versatile for an all purpose rod.

Pointer 100 series, Ima Flit 120 size & Rapala X-Rap.

Wet suit, dry suit or Coast Guard suit. Lot's of guys in the northern states wear costie suits for winter fishing. I did.

I like to use spinning tackle with a MHM rod paired with 10lb braid & mono leader. If vertical jigging I use a very small swivel between braid & leader to control twist. It's the same tackle I use for jerk baits minus the swivel.

@WRB the 1/2 oz size is smaller in length because they use a heavy weight per length. The 3/8 oz is longer in length than the 1/2 oz. Its an anomaly. Go to the Steel Shad site for clarification.

@TOXIC is right blade baits do catch fish. These smallies were all caught casting blade baits in water too shallow to jig vertically.

The single biggest improvement to better hook sets is increasing the sharpness of the hooks you are using. You want tacky sharp hooks. Try using some Owner ZoWire STX hooks.

Keep your eyes peeled for black Friday sales. Tackle warehouse has St Croix rods on sale Dec 13-20 including other rod brands unless you already bought one.

Because it never ends keeps going on forever.

WTG @shimmy well done as always.

Crocs for me until I'm fishing in cold weather then it's waterproof Gortex Timberland shoes.

I have used jiggin spoons over the years for smallies, walleyes, pike, perch & lake trout. The hopkins shorty was a go to for vertical jigging. They are best fished on braid with a very small swivel attached to a mono leader. Most bites happen on the drop before your upward stroke. The popular blade bait can be substituted equally successful in place of the spoon. I actually prefer it because of the additional vibration it creates.

Congrats on the new PB.

Sweet looking pooch congrats.

@DitchPanda I think @Catt reference to management means Bass Resource management not the management at your place of employment.

Just don't plan on camping while your there.

Store it in the garage. And keep all lids open for ventilation over the winter to prevent mold & mildew.