Scott F

Usually, if they aren’t stopped by dams, smallmouth will migrate out of the river into a lake or reservoir where they can find deeper water to spend the winter.

Case Plastics sells a 3 1/4 inch hellgrammite. $2.49 for a pack.

The last one, that you didn’t like, has been my go to. Lock-tite gel. I like the way you squeeze the side of the container to apply. It’s deceiving though, there is just a small tube inside that larger container. I glue up my Ned Rigs at home ahead of time so I don’t take a chance on glueing myself to my reel or to the boat.

You don’t say which river or how big a river you are talking about. In my rivers, 10 feet is about as deep as it gets. Winter smallies group up tight in their wintering holes. In winter, the best days are sunny afternoons when the air temps are up. You’ll have to find and fish near those wintering areas. Slow to still water in eddies that are deep and near current are the high percentage spots. Soft plastics like Ned rigs are a good choice.

Take it back to the builder and see if you can exchange it, or maybe he’ll build one that suits you.

The best way to do it, is the best way that works for you. Whichever way you choose isn’t a lifelong commitment. Try one way, if you like it stick with it. If not, change.

That statute is for using reasonable force, not deadly force.

If you shoot someone breaking into a car, you’ll go to jail.

So you’d use the death penalty on thieves?

Bass and every other creature don’t live forever. Some bass do die of natural causes.

I have always used straight braid for everything. I don’t believe bass have the brain power to reason or to figure out that line attached to a lure is something to avoid. So, I don’t worry or care about line visibility. Where I fish, even in rocky streams and rivers, I never have problems with abrasion. I’ve never had a reason to even try FC or mono leaders.

I’ve been using an inflatable, personal pontoon for over 15 years. No matter which kind of watercraft you use, there are positives and negatives. On the positive side, personal pontoons, are very stable, they can be deflated and transported in the trunk of a car. You can carry a pretty fair amount of gear, you can customize them in many ways. You can use oars or add a trolling motor. If you add a floor, that they don’t usually come with, you can stand and fish. Prices range from $300 to well over $1,000. They really excel on floating downstream on a river. On the negative side, they aren’t great in the wind. If you don’t use a motor, they don’t row as easily as a kayak. They do take about 10-15 minutes to inflate and assemble using an electric pump.

I believe at least 2, 10 pounders have been caught out of the Great Lakes but not everyone who catches a record sized fish wants the publicity.

A unit with GPS mapping and high def maps is the kind of unit you want. The cheapest depth finders will easily show you the rock piles. Good GPS maps will let you drive right to them without having to spend hours driving around looking for them. Just pick the unit with either built in maps or buy map chips. Get the biggest screen your budget can afford.

The units and the technology are changing so fast, it’s hard to keep up. I chose Garmin a few years ago when they were including high def maps built in, while Humminbird and Lowrance were charging hundreds of dollars extra for map chips.

If it were me, I’d go a flat or modified bottom, 16x52 with a 24v trolling motor. Very stable either hull choice as both are mostly flat on the bottom. The wider you go, the more stable.

I just got 3 rods and reels from St. Croix. Came in a cardboard box with the air-filled plastic packing material. I’ve gotten rods only direct from St. Croix before in tubes, but obviously, the reel boxes weren’t going to fit in tubes, so everything came in one box. St. Croix isn’t clueless. If the box is sturdy and packed correctly, cardboard can work just fine. I’ve never seen or heard of any company using PVC tubes.

I just can’t get comfortable talking to Siri or Alexa or any other device. Especially when others, outside your home have been able to hear anything that Alexa had heard.

I’d have kept a few of those cleaning supplies. I like to keep my boat relatively clean.

Minn Kota offers 2 different brackets that allow you to take the motor off without unbolting it. You might be able to drill new holes in the bracket that will allow you to use most, if not all of your existing holes.

My favorite spinning reels are Quantum’s. They took off the switch too a few years ago. I’m not a back reeler, but it thought it was essential for convenience for me. I learned to deal with it, now they are bringing the switch back.

WHAT!!? Why isn’t that in the window all year long?

I believe that harassment of migratory birds is a federal law. So you can’t mess with geese even in your state.

Why is a tube jig twisting your line?

The way some guys feel about the Megabass lures, I feel about Lucky Craft. I have such good success with them, that in the spring, I have one tied on all the time. If I switch to any other bait, I know in my mind, I’d be catching more with a Pointer. No, Megabass isn’t the only bait that will work. You find the one that fits where you fish and your wallet.