redmeansdistortion

My last cat I had to have put down due to his failing kidneys, he was 14 years old and acted more like a dog than anything. Super friendly, greeted everybody that walked into my home, and got along great with my dogs. I still see him out of the corner of my eye every so often. Just last night I was sitting at my basement workbench servicing my reels and I caught him out of the corner of my eye. I miss him tons. Especially those mornings he would jump up on my bed and gently pat my mouth to wake me up for work.

I have a Boomerang Line Cutter. You can find them on Amazon for $10 or less often. Been using my same pair for half a decade and they're still super sharp. It has a retractable lanyard and it's very light weight. I keep a pair on my fishing vest. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002BWW9A4/ref=twister_B07HFQSPYF?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Big Game gets my vote. I've been using it a good decade or so now without issue. I was a Stren guy before, but the low price of Big Game got my attention and it works great on baitcasters. Big Game, while good, is far too stiff for spinning tackle so it will be best used on a casting setup. I was a Stren guy prior and my only complaint is that knots came undone from time to time. I've never had that issue with Big Game.

12lb Big Game. Big Game is about the only mono I use. Strong, tough, and cheap. The memory is excessive for some out there, but I haven't found it to be problematic.

This is just a bump in the road of life. Sure it's a setback, but not all is lost. A friend and former coworker of mine is a Type I and has worn an insulin pump for most of his life. He maintains a healthy diet and works out regularly and enjoys what life has to offer as much as anybody else. He's a big outdoors guy like myself; a hunter, hiker, and fisherman. You'd never know he was diabetic unless he told you. My thoughts are with you and your son.

The smallies where I fish hit on even the size 14 Husky Jerks. Most fish smaller baits for them, but they are anything but lure shy. Back when I musky fished Lake St Clair, we used to hook into them regularly trolling big baits for muskies.

Blackberry has always been my go to color/flavor of Jelly Worms. I've pulled a lot of bass by docks and under parked boats with that color.

Amen. The Texas rig has been my go to all of my adult life and the majority of my teenage years. It produces when other things don't. Most of the time I am fishing largemouth, it's about all I throw. It's simple and effective and if you are a bank fisherman it's very easy to carry an assortment of colors, weights, and hooks without having to lug around a big tackle box.

I haven't watched the race in quite some time. That said, I do like to go to the smaller tracks and watch the local guys, great fun. My favorite tracks are Flat Rock, Toledo Speedway, and Birch Run. Always a good time. I also like hitting Milan Dragway a few times per year. One of my favorite classes at Milan is when they run mini bikes. You'd be surprised how fast an old Ruttman mini bike can go with a modified Honda 196cc log splitter engine. Quite a few are breaking 100mph in the 8th mile. http://www.roadkill.com/the-outlaw-minibike-scene-of-detroit-michigan/

I've always fished them weightless as well. It has been over 20 years since I used them, but I vaguely remember the back of the package saying they are best fished weightless.

I hit the Amazon lottery last time I bought a rod from them. I ordered a 9'6" Okuma SST steelhead rod and they sent me a box with five of them. I got on the phone and they said to keep them, so I gave three to friends and kept two.

I like Kokanee rods for fishing rivers for smallies. Kokanee rods typically come in light or ultralight and moderate action and have an excellent backbone. Mine is a 7'6" Okuma SST Kokanee light power and I use it with an Abu 4500CS Rocket spooled with 8lb mono to throw small Hot n Tots, Wiggle Warts, Little Cleos, Rooster Tails, and Mepps spinners. I landed my PB smallie (6lb 10oz) on this setup and the rod didn't even blink.

I know some people claim to feel the difference between a 1 or 2 piece, but I never have. That said, I've been buying 2 piece rods the last few years because I drive a small car and can't fit a 1 piece without sacrificing space.

The new production Spooks still use the same setup to hold the hook. As for the Arbogast stuff, the Jitterbugs and Buzz Plug are still made, but not the Jitterstick. I had a Jitterstick long ago and it worked great for spring pike and summer bass. I don't believe those are still made as I haven't seen on on the shelves in probably 30 years.

Try the South Channel

I'm getting ready to head to the Au Sable River in the northeast Lower Peninsula at the end of next month. I'm going to try a little bit of everything. I have some new waders and boots to put into action too. My old pair is about 75% Aqua Seal lol.

This guy will be here Friday. Abu 3500C, great for throwing light baits. I also have a set of Carbontex drag washers and new spool bearings coming for it. It's going on a 7'6" light power moderate action for chasing brook trout and river smallies.

I've been doing pretty well in fall using Hot n Tots and Wiggle Warts. They produce well for me when the water temp is in the 50 degree range. For spring time I like to drift beads or marabous tipped with wax worms as they don't seem to be too keen on the crankbaits then.

The carbon matrix drag is somewhat a hybrid system. The drag washer between the drive shaft and main gear is Teflon while the others are Carbontex. It doesn't really need to be upgraded, but you can always replace the Teflon washer with Carbontex for peace of mind.

Reels with a disengaging level wind tend to cast further because there is nothing but the spool rotating. With a synchronized level wind, an idler gear must turn the worm gear while the spool is spinning and this cuts down on distance a bit.

The bump tends to work itself out after a few long casts, then the line lay levels out. My reels have a synchronized level wind though so this may play a part in my experience.

Sucker is pretty dang good smoked. You gotta get them when the water is cold otherwise the meat is mushy. Other than that, no thanks lol. I'll give drum a shot next time I hook into one.

I use Berkley Big Game, it's good and cheap. It also makes good leader material.

The jitterbug has been my go-to nighttime lure for decades now. It never fails to produce. It's cousin the Hula Popper works great as well. Zara Spooks are another good one. Anything topwater that makes a ruckus should do well.

How did you prepare it? From what I heard, it's good to soak them in milk for a few hours prior to cooking. What was the flavor like?