T-Billy

Here's how I make mine. 90# coated 7 strand. 18" main leader with a #3 AFW Mighty Mini swivel up top. 150# welded ring connecting the two leader sections. The short leader section is about 3" after looping and crimping. #1 treble up front for hooking the crappie through the nostrils. It's attached with a 100# hyper wire split ring. 3/0 rear hook gets skin hooked mid body. Both hooks are 4X strong VMC's. 90%+ hookup ratio. 80%+ have gone into the net so far. If I remember correctly, between the wife and I, we've put 16 in the boat with this rig so far, and only lost two. The vast majority of fish get hooked right in the corner of the mouth. I use a free sliding 3oz egg sinker on the main line to keep the crappie down. Why not? While I enjoy a crappie dinner as much as anyone, I'll gladly trade a 6"-8" crappie for a battle with a big ol muskie. 😉

Ha!!! I know how this will end. The lightning strike will come the day after I win the lotto. It'll either kill me (not a problem), or more likely, cripple me and all my winnings will go to medical bills. 😂

Thanks @A-Jay. For sure on the hat. It's in the boat but it's been WAY too warm. Maybe next week. 60's today, 70's tommorow, the back to more seasonal temps. We need a cool down to get that rig bite going.

Well... you can, but you'll 100% for sure hear about it. 😂

Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. 😉 I got my first muskie double today, and one of them was a dandy!!! I had a big girl come in hot on the A-rig. She went around hot on it through the first turn of the 8, then as I started into the second, she went straight. I thought, she's gonna smoke my crappie rig... NOPE. I waited a couple minutes... nothing. I picked up the rig again and on the second cast got bit mid retrieve. It was a smaller fish, but things have been really tough lately, so I was happy to have it. As I get it next to the boat and start trying to net it, one of my crappie rigs gets SMOKED. I'm trying to net the smaller fish and that big girl is headed for deep water with my crappie in her mouth, bait clicker screaming away. By the time I got the little fish squared away and swung on the big'n she was 50'-60' out. Couple big head shakes and she starts peeling drag, then once I got her close she launched and tail walked twice. Pretty unusual for a muskie in 56 degree water. By the time I got her in the net too, I was shaking like a dog pooping pine cones. 😂 I think she was down there eyeing my crappie, and that little fish going ape next to it triggered her. So... the little fish is 34.5" and the big girl is 46.5". She's a gorgeous, heavy fall fish. Best of the year so far, or at least tied for first with that August full moon 46.5". She was a heavy beast too. Slow going for the next few hours, with only one follow by a mid 30's on the rig, then on my last spot I bagged a 42" on the crappie rig. All in all, one heck of a trip. Thank you Lord. I appreciate it.

Sensitivity matters most with bottom contact rods. There comes a point of diminishing returns though. I say buy the best you can easily afford.

Way to make the most out of the limited opportunities you had to get out this year brother. Those are some outstanding catches in anybody's book. We were all thrilled to see Lynn be able to get out on the water. Praying that the healing continues and she's able to get out with you more in 25. Sending positive waves up to y'all.

@gimruis, they don't count as a PFD, but the insulation will keep you afloat for a couple hours. I got the least insulated series and they're PLENTY warm for the coldest weather I fish in. Air in the 20's some mornings. Windproof and water resistant also. Excellent product for the cold weather fisherman.

@TnRiver46, pucker factor directly correlates to a sudden increase in athletic ability!!! 😂

Thankfully you were fit enough to pull it off. I didn't used to sweat it. I'm a good swimmer, but it's concerned me more in recent years. I'm not getting any younger and I'm not nearly as athletic as I once was, so I broke down last year and bought a Striker ice fishing bibs and coat set. They're very warm, yet light weight, and not bulky. Most importantly, they'll keep me afloat should I fall in cold water and cramp up. Considering the amount of cold season muskie fishing I do these days, I think they're a wise investment.

So I saw this today.......

Congrats on an AWESOME year Katie!!! Thanks for taking us along on your adventures.

Thank the Lord for crappie!!! Cuz I can't catch a muskie on artificials lately to save my butt!!! 😂 I had one follow on the rig Sunday, and that's the only fish I moved on artificials in four trips. 🤦‍♂️ I had a big girl show up to T-Billy's all you can eat crappie buffet today though!!! 46.25" Man it feels good to FINALLY put a big'n in the net. She's my first 40+ since the last week of August. Followed up shortly after by a 38". Back to the grind for the next four days. Unfortunately it looks like warm fairly stable coming, so I suspect the bite will be tough next week too. I'm REALLY looking forward to the rig bite at this point, but it's looking like we may still be a few weeks out.

I got out with the wife today for about 5 hours. There's some fish using laydowns on the steeper banks and we got a couple of them to eat a crappie rig. Tammy went 2 for 2 on 'em, putting a 37" and a 38" in the net. Water's down to 56-58 and there are shad balling up at the base of the breaks in the main basins. It won't be long now until the rig bite fires up and I'm chomping at the bit. I'll be working the wood and breaks with glides and dawgs the next couple days, and I'll have some tasty crappie dangling on quick strikes.

Way to get after 'em. Sucks it didn't pay off. 5 hrs straight is a long time ripping rubber IMO. My arms do OK, but it makes me feel like I got kicked between the shoulder blades by a mule.

Nice. Glad you got to finish up on a high note Andy. Congratulations brother!!!

Atta girl!!! You've officially been promoted from Corporal Crickety to Sergeant Swap Girl. 🎖️ Congratulations!!! 😂

Nope. #STRAIGHTBRAIDBRIGADE.

Nice work @Bluebasser86!!! Congrats!!!

Sucks, but on the positive side, it happened in Oct. instead of Feb.

Any bait with an exposed hook, I just use a firm sweep set. When pitching cover, on a scale of 1-10, my hookset is about a 13. 😉

I have a few years on my 200ah Ampere Time now. I'm 100% happy with it. I just fished about 15hrs over two days in a 15-25 mph blow and it still doesn't need charged. + It weighs less than 50#. There is no going back to lead acid. Just do some research before buying. I watched several YT vids including one where a guy opened up several to look at build quality. I knew my battery doesn't have low temp charging protection, but was otherwise well built before buying, so I just make sure I don't charge it in below freezing temps and all is well with it.

Prayers for a successful surgery sent up.

50 follows and ZERO fish? Dang. Sounds like somebody needs to work on both their retrieve and figure 8.

Boo........ I don't need advanced and seamlessly connected. I just need a good reliable cable steer TM, which Motorguide has provided me for many years.