Dwight Hottle

Sweet. Love that last picture. Good shot.

I didn't put this in the fishing location area because it covers both SE & NE groups. Group of four guys going for a week in May. We are looking for lodging & one boat rental or guide service for two guys. Other two guys are bringing their own boat to use. Preliminary plan was to stay at King Creek Resort in Benton on Kentucky Lake. Has anyone fished both lakes and have a preference for one over the other? Looking for suggestions as none of us have any experience with either lake. We are traveling from Michigan, Georgia & Florida & picking a location somewhere in the middle for everyone. Any help is appreciated.

X2, X3, X4, etc.

Welcome aboard Mark. Your fishing primo waters up there.

That's a covid result because they usually ship EMS then USPS but EMS is disrupted.

Bantam for low profile reels. Not rare but the best quality for the price in my opinion. Conquest for round reels.

I have had a few of those that never made it to the net.

Never got one with about 20 reels purchased from Japan. But I always new it could happen. Who was the shipper?

It doesn't matter where you fish geographically or what body of water your fishing jerkbaits work everywhere. Most fish are predators & eat other fish period. Jerkbaits represent a dying or struggling fish to all predators. Find the depth that the baitfish are in & work your jerkbait at or above that depth. It's a killer presentation to both numbers & trophies. It's a universal bait.

Absolutely they will cover all rods sold under a previous warranty. If they change the warranty it will only apply to new stock that comes after the change.

No issues at all. The JDM reels are the same or better than the USD reels. The only difference is the warranty. If it is same reel sold in both markets you can get warranty repairs in the US. If it is a reel not imported for the US market you would have to send it back for repair. But almost all reel repair companies in the USA should be able to handle your repair. Warranty repairs are pretty rare in higher end reels from my past experience. I have purchased at least a couple dozen reels from Japan with zero problems. Digitaka is a good vendor.

Well everybody should have one: megabass rod of your choice loomis nrx st croix legend extreme or elite kistler z bone just so you can compare what is best. That's 4 combos minimum.

That first picture makes that bass look like he is having an elimination problem. LOL

If I had to put a dollar figure on yearly maintenance for a used boat $500 would not be unreasonable especially if you live in a northern climate where winterization to protect from freezing is necessary. If you budget with that amount each year & don't spend it all you can always allow the extra to ride in the kitty to help with unexpected repairs. The amount you actually spend yearly will vary with how much maintenance you can perform personally based on your time constraints. Marine shop labor starts around $60 per hour & up if you have to pay someone else to do the work.

The musky is a tough one. It used to be considered the fish of 10,000 casts. On a really good day on lake St Clair you could troll up a half dozen but most would be on the small side. Trophy musky guys have always set the holy grail at 50”. A 20lb musky usually measures out around 42-43” with average girth. A 25lb musky measures more like 45-46”. A 30lb ski would measure more like 48-49”. So if you use the 50” standard as a trophy the bar is set too high. To me the 50” standard is more the equivalent of a 11 or 12lb largemouth. Now about minimum lengths. Some states set minimum lengths low while others wanting to protect or grow a trophy fishery set them high. I like to see musky minimums set at 50” or 52” to promote catch & release. I probably caught 25-30 musky in my lifetime but only one over 50” and only a few over 25lbs. I can tell you I racked up more shunked fishing days while fishing for skis than any other fish species. Lol.

Steve here is my response based on my experience chasing multi-species in trophy waters. 10lb largemouth equivalent in scarcity & hours spent 10lb walleye 4lb pickerel 20lb northern pike 25lb musky 25lb king salmon 30lb lake trout 2.5lb grayling 15lb artic char

If your PB smallie is just over 7lbs you should change your profile to 7-8lbs. Congrats on having a smallie PB bigger than your largemouth PB. That's unusual.

Take a look at a camera flash. I use to use one for glow jigs when jogging for walleye.

He always had my respect & attention. RIP brother. It would be nice if there was a way to share this thread with his family.

I understand your sentiments. Sounds like you take pride in yourself as a student of the game. I’m 72 soon to be 73 and I admire Rick Clunn’s longevity as a successful tournament angler. Winning a Bassmaster elite series at the age of 72 against a much younger field is impressive. Being able to grind it out for multiple decades over a fifty year span is impressive. Let’s just agree that they are both in the running for the two best tournament anglers ever. It’s ok to disagree. Rick has proven his worth over time while Kevin has not yet been competing for as long. Only time will tell.

Very impressive. I was really surprised that she is holding it up with just one hand and smiling like it wasn’t heavy.

No disrespect intended but Rick Clunn won two Bass Master Classics before you were born. It is hard for you younger guys to have real knowledge about the older pros because you didn't grow up with them. It's like guys listing the top 10 NBA pros of all time. Younger guys almost always forget about Wilt Chamberlain & Oscar Robertson & many others. You memory is limited to your lifespan unless your a real student of the sport.

I would go out of my way to report you, enough said.

X2 Good advice, pulling for you.