Dwight Hottle

@DitchPanda Do you remember his old stories catfishing with Otis 'Toad" Smith? Those were classics.

Lake O at sunset.

That's the female on the left & the male on the right in case you didn't know.

It's been a really long winter in Maine. 😀

I never gravitated towards the 6'6" blanks because I always preferred the 7' or 7'6". The versatility of the 844 MBR in the IMX line or higher has always been the industry standard. It is the one rod that can do just about anything regarding techniques. From single hook baits to treble hook baits to oversized/overweight baits exceeding the 1oz upper limit rating it does it all. And it can handle big fish without any problems. I have caught 30lb+ lake trout & pike on it & have used baits up to 2.5 ounces with it. The unique taper (MBR) is the secret sauce.

I’m really happy for you buddy.

Well Roland Martin & Bill Dance are still working in their mid eighties although both men's net worth would suggest they doesn't need to. Maybe it's just the love of the sport.

I’m 76 will be 77 at the end of this month. I have been blessed with good balance & a lack of everyday aches & pains. I walk briskly for 4 days a week & weight training with dumbbells two days a week. That seems to be the right mix for me to maintain strength & flexibility without burning to many calories. Adding weight is problematic for me so I don’t want burn to many calories.

@MediumMouthBass Are you using braid or mono for line? A moderate or moderate fast with braid will get the job done with hook sets on single hook plastic baits. If your using mono then you want a fast action rod. The moderate action rods do well with treble hook baits like glides & swim baits.

Like @Mike L I never bought a used rod or reel except buying one from a close friend who didn’t want it but I did.

@JHoss I looked but could not find the actual size. I'm pretty sure you want size 6 or size 5 hooks. I use mostly size 6, 5, & 4. to replace jerk bait hooks.

Switch to Owner ZoWire hooks STX-38ZN series & increase the hook size one size bigger than what it comes with stock. Use a sweep set hook set with a somewhat loose drag & keep pressure on them until they are in the net.

Your correct. 4 strand braids are more course & will cut through vegetation better. Suffix 832 & 131 having 8 strands or 13 strands is rounder & smoother thus less coarse. The multi strand braids cast further because they are more round & create less friction thru the guide train.

The pound test has little to due with your problem. The fact that braid in all test strengths has no give or stretch is the culprit. The number of strands doesn't change thing either regarding stretch.

So did Michigans.

I think what @A-Jay 's pictured portrays is it's ok to boat flip a bass you intend to kill & eat. If you watch his videos he goes out of his way to protect any bass he is going to release.

Yes that's true in general but vegetation will grow much deeper than Lake O's bottom depth. The reason for the lack of vegetation is because they have been spraying the hell out of it.

I use amber lens with green mirror for inshore fishing, driving & general use. For ocean fishing with bright sun I would use gray base with blue mirror.

Welcome aboard Abel.

Dworshak Reservoir in Idaho for a week with the chance to catch the biggest smallmouth of my lifetime. Anybody else thinking the same thing? I have some LC pointer 128's that mimic baby Kokanee that I'm dying to try.

Let's all wish Catt good luck with his pending surgery for a blockage. I'm sure he would appreciate any prayers & or good wishes.

My most memorable smallmouth is my current PB at 7.47 or 7lb-7 3/4 oz. My buddy didn't want to go that day because it was supposed to rain & be cold and he preferred to go to the casino instead. So I fished without him & was really happy with the outcome. His luck at the casino sucked & it was a short trip for him. When I got back I asked him how the casino trip went and he said not very good. That's when I told him I got a new PB & showed him the pictures. I think I said something about his luck might have been better if he fished instead.

I have had a few good memories of bass caught but this one stands out for the largemouth category. She went 11-2 my first DD ever on a day filled with great action of all quality bass. We were fishing a super cold front with temps in the upper 30's went we launched. We were fishing Stickmarsh/Farm 13 with Hugh Crumpler a famous Florida guide on Stickmarsh. It was the 2nd day of the front & we had caught only 3-4 bass the day before. We were fishing live shiners on the south end at the water control structure. The secret to our success is that they had opened the gates at the end of first day creating a flushing current that blew most of the vegetation away. On that 2nd day we had more than 20 bass over 5lbs. Numerous 6 & 7lbers with 2 bass over 8lbs & my big girl.

Peas are slowly migrating further north in FL as they become less venerable to the cold. They are adapting. On the east coast Palm Beach County is the northern most area to catch numbers. You would increase your chances if you try further south.

@freelancer27 Maybe this will help a little. 904 Conquest is 133g and a 901 NRX is 96g. So the904C NRX+ should be in-between so I'm guessing around 4oz.