Dwight Hottle

International travel is always problematic. If your group really wants to go it's an option. Obviously it's your choice. The airline change would be the major hurdle.

Go a day early & circumvent the change.

I like the look of unsanded blanks & carbon fiber handles. Simple but understated.

My condolences. The above advice is all good & spoken from the heart. My only advice is you continue to speak with others about him and how you feel. Talking about your loss is cathartic. You need to grieve his loss in order to get better.

I can see buying a dozen at a time to get 2 or 3 magical baits but a gross, I don't think so.

I caught a new PB smallie in May of 2022 on Erie. While fishing the same general area by weigh point this year another angler in a different boat caught her again. She had the same markings & sore spot on one side area as a year earlier. She weighed a couple ounces less. We compared pictures latter that day. I had a buddy hook an easy 11lb or 12lb largemouth in a farm pond down in GA. Both times he was using a wacky rigged senko casting to a log laydown off the d**n area. Each time she was hooked she jumped mutiple times giving us a good look as to how big she really was before coming unhooked. I kidded him without mercy for choking his chicken everytime that subject came up.

Your own saliva on a blood spot works really well before it dries. Rubs right out.

@NorcalBassin Love the smile on your dad's face when he is holding a fish for a picture.

Alfred Hitchcock from the past Clint Eastwood current

I'm glad your familys all safe. That had to be scary as he!!.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_coastline

Good luck with your new boat. I can feel your excitement.

X2. An angler with one 10lb bass to his credit might just be lucky rather than skillful. But an angler with two 10lb bass to his credit has demonstrated to me a higher level of skill.

I think you can judge an anglers skill level by both trophy fish caught & frequency of catching fish. You can have all the fishing skill available but your not going to catch a trophy bass unless your fishing a trophy water. Time on the water contributes to your skill levels. If you fish with a guy who always out fishes you under equal circumstances then he has a higher skill level no matter how you define it. I also think there are a lot of fisherman who don't explore why they are not successful. If you want to improve you need to consider what you can do to improve your chances and start exploring new waters & methods that are proven winners.

Your answer is right here.

@Team9nine suggestion try pulling them hard to the side as soon as the head starts coming out of the water. This especially works better with heavier baits & trebles which they get leverage on when they sling their heads from side to side. Also try using light wire hooks that are super sharp.

Keel weighted hook with a (Strike King) or Rage toad. Cast it & slowly retrieve with the back legs buzzing the surface. They work better in the heavy stuff than a buzz bait.

I have fished with all the offering from Shimano except the SLX models and my best casting model is an older Curado 200 PG. It was professionally tuned by a friend.

Winner, winner chicken dinner.

Take a look at St Croix, Loomis & Edge steelhead rods.

No but I would love to give it a try. I do have a buddy that lives & works in Washington state that fishes for them. Good luck this fall on Dworshak.

Glad you made it back Brad. Enjoy sir.

I used to live in Erie PA for 12 years chasing smallies until I moved to FL full time. I have gone back up to Erie the last two years in May for a week getting my smallie fix.

Welcome to the 75 year old club & Happy B-Day.

Yep LC pointer 128 weighs 1oz and has a big profile. LC pointer 127 weighs 7/8 oz with a slimmer profile. Jackall Rerange 130 has the weight forward snap transfer for long casts.