T-Billy

High dirty water is my biggest nemesis this time of year for river smallies. When the Tuscarawas does get down to fishable levels this time of year, I do best in slower stretches with lots of chunk rock and rip rap. They'll spawn in these areas in a couple/few weeks.

Congratulations!!! Beautiful fish. Waayyy bigger than my first brown bass.

You know I will win. Why torture yourself? Just buy it now. You know you want to.

Thanks. That's my opinion as well. I was just trying to be nice and not get the OP's thread blown up by flouro lovers flaming me. ?

Tharp gets my vote. I like the grip better with most reels and the guide upgrade is well worth the extra $29 to me. Good choice IMO. It's got the tip to pitch fairly light baits and the backbone to bring 'em out of heavy cover. Versatile rod.

The Sluggo way back when they first hit the scene. I couldn't believe the number of fish that stupid looking piece of plastic produced.

I learned this from Bill Dance Waayyy back when. Works well.

Maybe 5-10 minutes tops on the water. Like A-Jay said, it doesn't happen often, but I'll usually blow one or two up through the course of a season. Those get dealt with later. Always clean and neat A-Jay. I imagine your reaction to seeing my tackle storage would look something like this. ? LOL. Just funnin ya brother. I wish I could be as organized as you. I just ain't got it in me.

Rotometals. https://www.rotometals.com/bullet-casting-alloys/ Not the cheapest route, but I get good, clean, pre-mixed alloy. Using clean alloy goes a long way to keeping your bottom pour pot from dripping. I like 1-40 alloy for jigs. 2.5% tin flows better than pure lead.

No noticable fumes as long as you use clean lead and you're not fluxing, or overheating the lead. When I add new alloy, I do it outside, flux well with sawdust and get a good bed of ash built up on top the pot to stop oxidation. After that I'll sometimes pour indoors if it's really cold out. Not saying it's a great idea, but I doubt casting jigs indoors is what's gonna kill me. Bullets are a different story as I use an alloy with more tin and antimony and flux much more often, which creates alot of smoke.

Garage. Sometimes I pour jigs in the basement if it's really cold out. Plastics have to be made where there's good ventilation. They ALWAYS get made in the garage with the doors open and a fan pulling the fumes and smoke out.

The Lord is always with me. Just the two of us most of the time. The wife likes to come along once in awhile.

I'd forget the flouro and spool it up with 40# 832. LM in cover aren't a bit line shy even in clear water. Flouro in cover will get your heart broke.

I'm right handed and fish Lefty reels. That is the correct location for the spool release button IMO. I had a couple quantum's years ago that had a plastic button on the left side and I prefer that to a thumb bar. Not a huge issue but, I do like it better.

Wacky rigged worm is by far my #1 choice for a follow up bait.

Half the field was still in it right up to the end. That was a fun one to watch. Congrats to Ott.

This has been my experience too.

I should probably try this, at least when I have a flippin stick in my hand. Might keep me from throwing all those poor little fish over the boat. ?

Pretty tight today. Anybody's to win tomorrow. Should be an intersting final day. Git'r done Fletcher!!!

I noticed they're both on the front treble. They CHOKED those cranks.

Can I join y'alls club?

Exactly. I'm not getting into a fight and risking them gaining control of my pistol. I'll do everything in my power to de-escalate and end a confrontation peacefully. That said, I'm too slow to run away, and too old to take a butt whoopin so.....

Ratings are subjective and all over the place from company to company. My ARK Tharp Money Maker, 7'3" Mag MH, and Abu Veritas 7'3" MH are both more powerful rods than the Fury 735. Especially the ARK, it's similar in power to a Dobyns 5 power Flippin stick.

These guys were all delicious. All taken during the rut with the crossbow. Bottom two are huge bodied mature bucks pushing 300# on the hoof. Top two were both probably 3 1/2 year olds 200# or so.

Dudley throws some pretty good tantums. Not Ike level, but close sometimes. Can't say that I'd fair any better with that much $$$ on the line.