Dwight Hottle

A 30% sale on the high dollar stuff is more of a steal than the low dollar stuff because of the greater savings. Think Conquest & Bantam & the DC models. Also high end spinning reels.

When I upgraded from a 18' to a 20' I noticed a big difference in ride comfort & ability to handle bigger waves.

More slow than fast but my best retrieves have been irregular & erratic.

He's catching 7 & 8lb smallies like they are 2-3 pounders. Amazing streak he has going.

This was a very special day in November 2009.

Smallies don't start disappearing until the water temps really slow down their metabolisms (below 40 degrees). They start showing back up in the spring when their metabolisms start speeding up again (above 40 degrees). That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

@pdxfisher Your story is inspirational. I hope the smallies keep coming to your net & you make some more progress with your kidney replacement.

I like medium fast or moderate action rods for all treble hook baits & some single hook baits as well. You can always fine tune the rods actions by using mono or braid. Braid will help speed up the action of any rod while mono helps slow it down. Stretch versus no stretch line. Like others have said it depends on you & what feels best for your style of fishing.

I'm not a tournament fisherman but understand tournament rules mandate wearing a PFD when on plane.

Talk about hemmroid relief. I’ll bet that bass was so happy with you he didn’t want to swim away.

There was a collision between two boats last Saturday during a tournament on Lake Chesdin. A bass boat and a jon boat hit head on approaching a curve in the lake. All four occupants were ejected. Two were rescued by a good samaritan but the other two never surfaced. No life jackets were worn according to the report.

Thanks she colored up while in the live well before the pic & release.

Unless she has died from old age she is still swimming.

I was fishing in the far north of Canada wearing a coast guard float suit. The guide running the boat made the comment that life jackets are only good for one thing in the cold water of northern Canada and that " is to keep your body afloat so the seagulls can poke out your eyeballs easier". Shocking observation from a young guide I have never forgot. Fishing cold waters after ice out doesn't leave much time for a rescue.

This is my favorite striped up smallie.

This is my most beautiful bass of 2022 based on her classic shape.

Welcome to the club. Florida gives residents a lifetime license for both fishing & hunting at the age of 65. Finally a little perk for all those years of financial support.

I'll use hi-vis braid but with a clear mono leader. For straight mono I like clear, green & smoke depending on what type of water I'm fishing. My favorite mono is Suffix Advance copoly. I also like Mean Green. Maxima & Yo Zuri Hybrid. I replaced my previous favorite Defier Armilo (expensive) with Advance.

Most guys will catch a big fish or a new PB then kinda lose the desire to keep on fishing as they reflect on what they just accomplished. But the smart angler will keep on keeping on because another big fish may be close by. Multiple big fish can come out of the same spot or area.

Excellent post. For what it's worth In-Fisherman still delivers some of what your looking for especially with regular contributions from Reflections & North with Doc. Unfortunately with all periodicals there are more advertisements & fewer worthwhile articles & less overall content. As I kid I always anxiously awaited my Sports Afield & Outdoor life issues. I also enjoyed Esox magazine, Musky Hunter, In-Fisherman & Fishing Facts. I only read Field & Stream occasionally.

She is probably right handed & only wants to reel with her right.

That's why the most popular scale from the past was called a de-liar made by Zebco

Public Notice according to todays Baron's the yen is at a 24 year (1998) in value versus the dollar. That means any JDM purchase is the cheapest your going to find it in a long time. For those guys worried about warranties your JDM reel can always be serviced by almost anyone who services reels independently here in the states. If you receive a bad reel you can exchange it. Brand new defective reels are pretty rare. As to the Paypal controversy you can link your paypal purchases to your credit card or your bank account. The small currency rate differential is no big deal considering the extra layer of protection they provide for an oversea purchase. Most credit cards charge a currency conversion also.

X2 For me a scale is an essential piece of my fishing equipment.

That 2nd interview sounds like it might be a better fit for you. Don't be afraid to ask for more money than you were making. The job market favors the employee right now & employers are quickly learning the have to pay to get good help.