T-Billy

Open year round on all species in OH.

The four today put me at 12 + put the wife on her PB 44 incher. I lost a fat mid 40's yesterday. I was drifting toward the bait as I was retrieving it, and the fish was coming at me when I swung. Just didn't get a good hookset. Couple big head shakes and it was off. I got a good look at it though. It hit about 10' from the boat about a foot and a half down. I was gonna get the wife a replica done. Just out of curiosity, I went to the big auction site and typed in muskie mount. First auction on the list was a 44" VERY close in color to the fish she caught. Mount was really well done. Seemed like it was meant to be. I picked it up for half what a replica would have cost me and no wait. It arrived yesterday. She's tickled with it.

I remember seeing those in the stores when I was a kid.

Hmm...... Plus the 10 on the deck of the boat when I took this pic. Oh... I've also bought a few since then. I have issues.

? I've learnt to catch pressured fish. ?

I'm not catching many bass on the Yumbrella, but the muskie are mauling it. Four today, 33"-33"-35"-40". Water's down to 49. Temps were in the mid 30's all day with W winds at 10-13 and light snow on and off. Only one other boat on the lake. Yesterday I caught a snail on it. The strike was vicious. Nearly took the rod out of my hand.?

Come fish Ohio for a year. It'll make you feel much better about your home lakes. 1-2k acre impoundments that get pounded from April till October. You either learn to catch pressured fish, or take up golf round here.

Have you tried rigging it with junebug worms? ?

Well... That's a new one on the rig!!! Lol. I catch 'em on other baits all the time. My favorite lake is loaded with these snails.

3.8 Keitech Fats on the corners, 4.3 on the center. Shad pattern of some sort.

At least you have the satisfaction of knowing you caught it. No where near a record, maybe a pound and a half, but I caught a bullhead when I was a kid that was coal black like they are when they're babies. Guess it just never lost that pigment. To answer the OP's question, yep. The only records I have a realistic shot at are muskie and saugeye. Both are stocked fish in our lakes, and the lakes are HEAVILY pressured anyway so revealing the location wouldn't matter.

XF has a softer tip that transitions into the backbone faster. My favorite rod for weightless plastics, light T rigs, and 3/8 and under jigs. Works great for skipping too, that's the original reason I bought it. I really liked it and quickly added a second to the lineup.

Flukes are a great bait for skipping. I throw 'em on an ARK Invoker 7' MH XF, Daiwa Fuego with a shallow braid spool, and 20# 832.

Umm... Those five tricks catch you more bass than the rest of us soo...... ? ?

I'm coming full circle. I've tried and have lots of stuff, but I'm getting to where I just roll with a handful of confidence baits most of the time. From now till ice over it'll be an A - rig and the mighty Sweet Craw getting most of the work.

Great Blue Heron.

40# braid on the 7'11". That's what I run and it allows me to straighten hooks out and get my snagged rig back. It'll also work well for pitching heavy cover with braid.

Sure is. I bought an HD 1000 and after fishing with it once, I ordered a second. There'll probably be a couple more coming after Christmas. I like my BB1 but, the Zillion HD 1000 will outcast it, is smoother, FAR less touchy to dial in, and the Daiwa braking needs no maintenance. I won't be buying another BB1, but I'll probably have four HD's when I hit the water next spring.

I like a jighead with a little lead keeper on the shank. Add a tiny drop of loctite gel superglue and you're good to go until you lose it, or need to put it on a new jighead. Bait stays in place better, and gets twisted around the hook less, than with wire keeper jigs in my experience.

?

The cold water seasons are my best time for bigguns. My PB and #3 LM came a week apart in april 08. Caught my #2 LM last Dec. from 40 degree water. My PB SM was caught in Sept. at night, but most of my big brownies were caught March/April and Nov/Dec. Mid 50's on down is big fish season for me, and I really get focused on 'em when the surface temp starts with a 4.

Same here.

Thanks brother, I appreciate ya. I've been thinking about picking up a Go Pro. Couple inches of rain coming Friday, then our unseasonably mild temps are gonna crash. I'm off Tues - Fri next week. I'll be spending a bunch of time with the rig in my hands. Man that thing is addictive. I caught several LM on it yesterday on windblown rip rap, then those musky today. You're comment recently about retrieving it at a speed where it kinda floats stuck in my head, and though it's only two trips (small sample size) it's working for me, with most bites coming right after a HARD crank.

Yes. So much so that I bought a second one.

Roll Tide!!! I got off to a good start this morning on the Bama Rig. Caught two musky, had one come off, and three follows that wouldn't commit. First one was a 39" that hit on the figure 8. Whole buncha fun on a few feet of line. Second was a fat 45" that absolutely SMOKED it clear out at the end of the cast. Put on a great show. Tail walked twice. Just an inch short of my PB, and beautifully marked. Angry Musky + A-Rig + Net = TRAIN WRECK!!! Musky bite shut down once the sun got high, but the laydowns were full of LM. No bigguns but a bunch of these guys. Didn't keep count but a couple dozen or so. High 30's to start, but light winds and lotsa sunshine. Mid 60's by noon. Gorgeous day on the water. Goin back tomorrow. My days off next week are forecast for lows in the 20's and highs around 40. Fur hat weather for sure!!! ?