A-Jay

There really are no other advantages over a jig other than it seems to get hung up less. It's basically a Texas rigged soft plastic with a skirt - certainly not magic. And it's not like I am getting snagged on every cast when throwing a traditional jig but this deal really cuts it down considerably. If you can punch it through a solid grass mat and expect to get it back, why not use it all the time ? Hook up ratio seems about the same. I still use jigs off and on, mostly around lighter cover like docks. This was one of those rigs born out of necessity. Rigging it up is a bit time consuming as compared to just tying on a jig. So if you don't mind or care about getting hung up and losing baits, then jigs might be the way to go. I like this. A-Jay

Yes Dwight, my shipmates did want to and got to man the rod and reel. Early on, I handed a loaded rod to the Commanding Officer. After an exciting battle which included some breathtaking leaps and ridiculous runs, he landed a nice mako. It wasn't long before the Skipper was ordering me to take the ships morale money to procure "the right Tackle and more of it" ! As for staying in shape - I just fell in love with all the things that go with that at an early age. The long hours on that unit allowed time to exercise. You just had to adapt to working out on a constantly moving platform. My passion for that stuff eventually landed me an assignment as a DI, 8 years of it. I've been fortunate enough to be able to continue that life style even today. (of course the dogs help me out with that). A-Jay

Here's a link to Rage Tail Rigging Tips and Information. http://www.ragetail.com/news/rigging-info/ A-Jay

Earlier this week I mentioned in another thread that I would scan / post some old photos of fish I'd caught off of a ship when I was in the USCG. First a little information to answer who, what, where, when and how. The who: I was 19 years old. I was aboard my first Unit in the Coast Guard. It was the WLV-613 NANTUCKET Lightship. She was 128 ft long with a 10-12 man crew. We sat on-station for 3 weeks or so and then came in port for 3 weeks and then back out again. **** Something to note ~ this was 30 years ago. It was a different time. The US Coast Guard was, is, and will continue to be a truly Professional organization dedicated to serving the people of this country with Honor, Respect and Devotion to Duty. The ship was essentially a floating lighthouse. There was a bit of time to kill. So we fished (when we could go out on deck without being washed off the ship). The what: They are Blue, Brown and Mako sharks pictured. There is also 1 small Billfish as well, a Marlin I think. Additionally, there is a photo containing a nice collection of "jaws" hanging off the stern life lines. Once the meat was cleaned off (a painstakingly slow process ~ we had plenty of time) we dried them in the sun and preserved them with salt. They would eventually harden, lose the smell and make a pretty cool/unique nautical gift. I gave one set to a friend who put them in a large fish tank that housed a dozen red piranhas. The where: The ship was home ported in Boston, Ma. This was cool as I grew up and lived less than 10 miles from the base. When the ship was in position or "on Station" we were anchored (with a 7,000 lb mushroom anchor so weren't going anywhere unless the anchor chain parted which happened in the winter of 1981, that was fun) about 60 Nautical miles off Nantucket Island in around 250 feet of water. The summers were fantastic and the winters were hellacious. The when: These photos are from the summers of 1980 and 1981. The how: Prior to my reporting on board, no one thought of or attempted to land anything except bottom fish, (cod, haddock, pollock, whiting and a few bluefish) with a rod and reel. The larger fish, which included bluefin tuna, assorted sharks and swordfish, were taken via floated dead bait left off the stern. A large hook and chain rig under a big cherry fender completed the rig which it was attached to the ship by a long length of rope. The fish would hook themselves. Once the float was spotted swimming away or on rare occasions underwater, we would haul the beast in hand over hand and pull it aboard. Where was the sport in that? Enter A-Jay. I geared up and went for it. As I mentioned, the ship was anchored so I got spooled many times. I had rods snap and reels blow up on screaming runs by creatures I never got to see. But sometimes I landed them. By Far, my favorites were the Mako sharks. The fights were always epic. It was fun to remember this. A-Jay

I hear ALL of That ! But at least we (as men) sort of know when it's coming. I mean at least there is some "schedule" so we can prepare for it ( whatever that means) But My poor woman get no warning at all when I decide to FLIP OUT about some stupid nothing. I just go off randomly like some cheaply made bomb with a Mickey Mouse wrist watch for a timer. So, who has the better of that deal ? I will admit however that my mental tirades rarely last more than a day or two ~ A-Jay

Nice Smallie ~ Congrats ! Bummer about the tourney - I bet that won't happen to you again. btw - who's your little four-legged buddy there with you in the photo's ? A-Jay

You could try something like the rig pictured below. You can rig / customize this to match whatever conditions you encounter. For me, this rig is very weedless and especially snag free in rocks and wood. The ridge hook of any traditional jig (including Football)seems to have it's limitations in an especially rocky/snag-filled environment. But that's were the fish are so often. From the line to the hook here's this rig - - A stopped knot (I use a double uni-knot made from left over braided line) - A small bead to keep the knot from slipping through the weight. - A 1/2 oz tungsten weight - a Boss Punch Hub - this is placed inside the skirt collar - The skirt of your choice - A parasite clip (optional, but does help prevent the plastic from sliding down the hook) - A 5/0 Owner wide gap plus EWG hook (#5139 - very stout, I love this hook) - Your favorite soft plastic - pictured is a Power Bait Beast Hope this helps A-Jay

Quite a Hawg ! I'm a little surprised that such Giant fish will consistently eat that bait. When you consider the size of the Eeliminator, it's relatively small. But the is No Denying the impressive results ! A-Jay

I use this box from Minn Kota. I power a 50 lb TM and a FF/GPS with it. This box provies 2 manual reset circuit breakers 15 amp for accessory plugs and 60 amp for trolling motor. I placed an accessories plug on the FF wire and just plug it into the battery box. I fish from an Old Town square back canoe. Check it out. A-Jay http://store.minnkotamotors.com/products/418930/Trolling_Motor_Power_Center

Clayton, the BR crew did not pull any punches did they? I'm betting you knew this was a pretty tough crowd. If you were hoping for some feedback, you certainly got it. The conviction and passion they possess is evident in their responses. I hope you and your wife are able to come to some common ground. Although post didn't reflect it, I bet there was a time when there was encouragement with smiles and sincere words of praise and time to listen to and care for each other affectionately. Perhaps some of this is what got you two together. Simply getting back to that may be the answer for both of you. The rest will take care of itself. A-Jay

Yup - the Capture, the Carving and the Consumption ! A-Jay

Yes I did catch them. And it was fairly challenging to say the least. The ship was anchored, my tackle always seemed in sufficient and we used Mono back then. The fight was Always an adventure which routinely ended abruptly with a gunshot to the cranium, of the fish that is. I'll scan in some photo's later this week and post them up. It's some wild stuff~ A-Jay

So can I get 1/2 a cow in a 10 cu/ft ? - my brother-in-law is working on making that happen. And as for the walk-in - I'm an old salt and My first unit out of basic training was a Light Ship (google that) I've been know to store a few Tuna and Mako shark that was ear marked for human consumption . . . . A-Jay

That's one hefty Poker ! Congrats Roger ! I love that name too - Pig Pen A-Jay

THAT is Not Funny - It's True But Still. . . Not Funny OK - It's a little funny A-Jay

The weeds have really died back up here. We are getting our first frost tonight. I'm hitting it tomorrow so I guess I'll find out . . . . A-Jay

FROST ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM TO 8 AM EDT TUESDAY... HAZARDOUS WEATHER... * TEMPERATURES TONIGHT WILL DROP TO 30 DEGREES IN THE NORMALLY COLDER SPOTS OF INTERIOR NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN. THIS WILL RESULT IN WIDESPREAD FROST DEVELOPMENT. Come on Man ! AT least my dogs will be comfortable. A-Jay

OUTSTANDING ! Thank You ALL Very Much for your input and advice. WE decided go with a model just under 10 cu ft. That's the most our spot could accommodate but it should be sufficient. As is often the case, there was drama . . Picked it up today at the local Lowes (where a military ID card is worth 10% off e v e r y t h i n g , and that's on top of any sales.) Got it home, removed the packing/carton, and the unit was buckled and bent and the top was creased in the middle. The box was unmarked so apparently, it was packed and shipped to the store that way. I was not impressed. Called "Mark" the salesman. He said what he was supposed to and they delivered us a replacement this evening. So it'a all good. And now - bring on the meat ! Thanks again everyone. btw - Lund - 26 cu/ft - holy smokes - are you freezin dem deer whole or what ? A-Jay

Going to take advantage of the holiday sales to purchase a chest freezer. It's just time. Should have purchased one of these a long time ago. I'm looking for any and all "Lessons Learned" from current and past owners of said units who are willing to share. Thank in advance. A-Jay

Me Too - made me laugh right out loud . . . A-Jay

Sell it here ! A-Jay

There have been many a times when I've lost a good fish or two, that I end up talking to myself ! A-Jay

I do. And It's The Best ! The competition is friendly by fierce. I've become very good with the net. A-Jay

Thank you very much. I do appreciate it. And I am serious. A-Jay

Take the time off - and here's a thought . . . Perhaps you could take 1/2 the time before you go and the other 1/2 when you get back. This will give you time to re-acquaint yourself with your family before you have to go back to work. Stay Safe and Thank you. A-Jay