Hooligan

That's not the one that I'd seen, in regards to RW's post. There's a pretty legit picture of a TWRA biologist holding a VERY large brownie. It's held in a horizontal fashion with another picture of it on the bump-board. In the pic it's stated as "well over the 11 pound mark" with no further information. The bumpboard pic shows the fish at being right around the 24-25" mark which wouldn't be out of question to get a weight in that range. It's not outlandish for me to envision a 24"x say...20" fish. A 24" fish could hit the necessary girth. I'd expect it to be more in that 25-26 range to hit those weights, though. The kicker, though, is that if you look at how those fish are typically built, they're short and fat; usually a couple inches shorter for the same weight for many of their counterparts. I'll do some digging and see if I can find that picture again. It definitely is not the same as the one you posted, JF.

I fish both 15 and 20 on a number of sticks. I flip/pitch with 20lb most consistently.

This is true, in it's entirety. Dale Hollow is just one of those magical fisheries, no doubt about it. There haven't been any tens to my knowledge, and it's inlikely that they'd be unheard of. In part, though, I have to believe what the genetics and the studies tell about the lakes. I'd also agree that a fish from below Pickwick would be a very good candidate. We've lost many, many big fish down there. My brother has a 9-4, my wife has a 9-0 (which dwarfs my biggest brown fish and I'm not afraid to admit it.) You make a very good case for it.

Agree 100%, parts are interchangeable for the most part.

Tatsu has the best attributes of pretty much all the best fluorocarbon lines. Shooter doesn't compare.

Late April would have me slinging Warts and Spinnerbaits, quite a bit of fish still smacking jerkbaits, too. I wouldn't be without a 4" Senko and a 5" grub, either. A 1/4 ounce Northstar jig and Rage craw would be, without a doubt, one of the very first things that would see water. A clear Spook can be deadly, too.

Without a doubt my best spinnerbait for smallies last year was a 3/4 ounce Willow/willow in Table Rock with blades I painted. I caught a lot of fish on New Gill, too.

Those prices all seem relatively high for almost anywhere in the US, in terms of resale for those model years. Right now, for the most part, it could be said that a 1989 19 to 19-6 glass boat with at least a 150 of relative year is going for the $2800-$3000 mark. Based on that benchmark, which seems reasonably accurate, you should be able to get a lot more boat than you're finding for the money. In a general sense, as well, those two Skeeters will be a wood transom, which is something that you'll need to have checked out in depth. Wood transoms with some age on them, like the two boats listed, are notoriously problematic if the boat has not been well cared for. They can rot and cause all sorts of issues. All the other things that LE listed are very pertinent, as well. There are some other things that you don't always think about like the carpet and upholstery that need to be paid attention to, too. The steering cables on the boat, if it doesn't have hydraulic. If it does have hydraulic steering the rams and seals need to be checked to make sure they're not leaking. The trim motor needs to be checked to verify the same. Check the motor toter, too, see that it's been used and the boat hasn't been trailered without it. Those are just the start, really. There's a lot more that can be looked over to make sure that your purchase is a viable one. Find a reputable mechanic in your area and talk with them about just what you should be aware of, too, for your area.

Jerkbaits, no. Topwaters of all sorts, yes. It makes a very good squarebill rod when you're up tight to cover. SUPER big buzzbait rod when you don't need casting distance. Also it's excellent for fishing spinnerbaits around docks and heavy cover.

I respectfully will point you to Bantam1's post informing us that Re: New 2012 Shimano Reels by Bantam1 » Tue Jul 19, 2011 5:33 am Double anodized spool and handle have been added for corrosion resistance. This is pretty much the only difference. on that other forum. Rea the entire thread, and that's what you'll find. There's ZERO mechanical difference, this coming from the lead tech at Shimano USA.

It's always done on full spool. IPT is worthless as a measurement on a low or empty spool, one of the primary reasons you should keep a spool as full as possible is that is when the reel is performing at its most efficient.

Your crank stick is still more than adequate. You won't want to fish them on your jig rod. You still want the softer rod for fishing them for many, many reasons.

I firmly believe that the next WR brown fish will come from MN waters, one in particular. The density of fish is very low, the predator to prey balance is very good, they're a minimally targeted species on said lake, and the individual size structure is incredilbe. In fact, the size structure and year class on this body of water might currently be the best in the world. I've seen many studies on the lake, both in limnology and bathymetry, as well as in biomass and genetics and they go a long ways in confirming this thought process. While it cannot be absolutely proven that the record is currently there and swimming, the structure studies and sampling of the target species strongly suggest that it's more than a remote possibility. I state Chequamegon Bay as the best because it's got more 6-8 pound fish than probably anywhere in the world, in terms of number of fish angler caught. They're just there, that's all there is to it. There are also several fish in the 8.5+ range that are caught annually, but none that have been a registered new record. There are several that have been released at well over the 9-1 marker that is the current record, some even having been weighed on certified scales but not otherwise verified. MN gets the vote, but it's really one of those situations that it could take an eternity to get to the biggest of the big.

I've found it to be very good on shad based lakes when fish are negative or neutral, it can punch them into gear quite often. It's also a great tool for those fish that are on small schools of shad, they'll somehow become more aggressive with the difference in sound. It's perfectly worthless on bodies of water that aren't shad based, however.

The 4" Bull moves a lot of water indeed. MUCH more than the Egg, I always forget about that bait because I only have a couple of them. Yet every single time I fish them, I catch BIG fish on them.

Someone else.

Fulfillment date on my order is currently Feb 27, which means I won't get it until mid March anyhow, as I said in my original. I haven't gotten to fish it but have one on the way.

Haven't gotten to fish it, but have one on the way.

Roumba and a Mouldy's Hawg Wobbler in the 7/8 ounce.

Never said I worked there, I just got my hands on one. I don't have scan capability, though.

Same reel. Literally. Exact mechanically. Double anodized spool, double anodized handle. No difference otherwise.

There's this place in CA, just a little south of Medford called Shasta. There's some pig smallies in there. Great topic on the whole.

Got ahold of one today. Some cool stuff, not a lot of rods/reels on sale. The new Carbonlite for $110, Shimano participating in the reel trade, rods, too. $1.25 Cordell spots on a One Day sale. Berkley Havoc for $2.49 and buy three bags, get three bucks back; I'll stock up on them, you'd better believe that. There are a LOT of rebate type things this year. XPS or BPS line it's a buy two get one deal. Nothing terribly remarkable, really. I can't think of anything other than the Havok that REALLY gets me.

I agree with you. I wish I had another couple of Pluton 200 SH. I adore the one I have, and would really like to find some more. The problem is they never come up used.

The solid I just can't come to throw is some hideously ugly cherry red from, I think, Luck E Strike. I'm sure it would work somewhere, but I haven't found the need.