Fishlegs

I have both. I really like both, but I prefer the 6:1 for almost everything except t-rigs. The 8:1 seems way, way faster. So fast that I have a hard time keeping moving baits off the surface with it. YMMV, but I'd go with the 6:1 for all around use, and an 8:1 specifically if you need to take slack up quickly. You'll have a nice reel either way though.

T-rig has always been a confidence lure for me, but I intend to use a jig more in the future. I want to get better fishing with a jig.

Jimmy's show & career has been enjoyed by countless anglers. His family is in my prayers.

It can be hard to resist doing a big hookset, but do it exactly like @roadwarrior said, and the hook will do its job. He knows what he's talking about.

Nice fish! I bet that one pulled a kayak around a little.

I could listen to Chris Cornell sing pretty much anything. The Cornell wail was special.

The fish are dinks, but my fortune cookie from lunch was nice.

You’re on a trend of finding fish with old lures in them @BrianMDTX.

You may have a marlin, sail, and snapper, but where's your white bass? ?

I like the attitude. Fishing can be a great experience every time if you understand that it is not all about catching. I like to fish with people who know more than I do (which includes almost anyone). ? I try to learn something from them, and look for small ways I can improve each time I go out. This is a good site to read about the things you'd like to learn about as well. There are some good folks who like helping people improve their skills here too.

Thanks for the detailed response @Team9nine. That makes a lot of sense. It's hard to imagine leaving a hook in is a good idea. I guess it's not a "feel good" thing. We all want to give the fish the best chance to survive when we release it. I only remember throat hooking a couple of fish last year. I did a terrible job of removing the hook on one, and I felt bad watching it suffer. I know it died. On the other one the hook seemed to come out clean, and it swam away immediately. I'll never know whether it lived or not, but I'm hopeful that it did.

That is good info. Did they give any thoughts on why they think the fish died after removing the hooks? It seems like they would occasionally get cut in that area when swallowing prey that doesn't want to cooperate with being eaten. I wonder if that causes them to die, or if it has more to do with the metal hooks?

He must be well liked. It seemed like everyone (including his competition) was genuinely happy to see him hold on to win.

I traded in a 30 year old reel toward a new Daiwa reel. The Daiwa wasn’t on sale, but I got the trade in credit.

There's less than half a pound difference between 1st & 2nd with an hour left until weigh in.

They're about to get hit by another line of wind and rain.

Very nice! Congratulations on a great catch.

I don’t know if they’re available on demand, but I’ve seen them both in the rotation on the world fishing network. You might check into that. They’ve been around for a long time, but those guys are still fun to watch. Good luck.

That is fantastic! Way to go, girl!

Looks like a winner to me!

This is me 100%. I'm hooked before I leave the store or I wouldn't buy them. lol

Alright! It always feels good to get that first one on the board.

Wow! That is a beautiful view in that picture. It's easy to see why you'd want to get back there.

I thought you were joking, but apparently not. A skunk on the water is better than one on land. lol

Shout out to @roadwarrior for putting me on some nice smallmouth, including my PB. Thank you,sir! I don’t have a digital scale, but my spring scale said it was between 4.75 and 5 lbs. I put a more thorough write up at Heading to Pickwick Tuesday for anyone who’s interested...or bored. ? PB smallmouth ~3.5 lbs another ~3.5 lbs