OHBuckets

It's official! Heck yeah! NEO unlocked today - I literally watched the ice dissolve with the wind and water. Thank gawd, on the 2025 board. Chocolate milk water, 1-2" visibility dragging a t-rig dark chocolate senko with sapphire flakes. Didn't think I'd have water, so went for a haircut and thought WTH take a rod. So one rod, one weight, one hook, one worm -> one good fish!

For more of a baitfish profile, I was enjoying the Beast Coast Bladerunners (in addition to the "go-to's" previously mentioned). I did pick up some of the Bellows Vibes and NetBait HexTek Whip Tails to try.

My last bit of ground ice melted away yesterday, but I woke up to an inch of new snow and rising. So I'm just going to stare at this all day:

My most fun bites came on the Zariganist Jr

Absolutely. I run it on my canoe - I'll just wind/current drift along in small waters and fire things at structure as I see it. Dial it in and you see fish, schools, musky, cats. If I'm not as familiar with the water I'm on, I'm bringing it.

I'm waiting on a new Ark Logan 'All Chatter' rod to play with, as I drool over a dry box of new Seibert 3/8 and 1/2 Fogys. Not too happy with Phil's prediction this morning!

I got a Scheels house set that I quite like. I was on Champlain for 8+ hrs of rain last year and it kept me dry and comfy.

I too love me some D-shads. Monkey just also made me buy more 6" Sakamata Heavy Weights.

I got a few different styles from Island Optics. Quite like them and very comfy over a couple straight full days chasing Chesapeake bull reds

This. I fished an entire afternoon on the same Draggin' Ned hook, just replacing baits as they got chewed up. That has NEVER happened dragging/hopping neds before - I'm usually good for snagging and losing a few.

I saw this pic and realized I forgot to post it to impress (should be in other species thread, but meh). This is by far the smallest fish I have ever caught - it was wedged in the bill/split ring, but I still landed it Still a pretty fish

I paid my card down to zero yesterday and the monkey just made me buy Citizen Micros in the Sunday drop. Argh!

The thing that gets me changing the channel is obvious O line holding. Sure it happens to every team in every game, I don't like when a less mobile QB sometimes seems to get a second or two more time for progressions. There were instances in that game yesterday of obvious holds, illegal blocks in the back/pushes, and straight up tackling of the D rushers. Play on, I suppose. And the less I watch, the more time I can play with fishing gear in my living room and pitch hook-free lures at the dog. (JK, I wouldn't do that - time to play Fishing Planet! ha ha)

My best days in 2024 involved spooks early, then changing over to free-rigs/belly-weighted plastics (the Bellows Shad and the Zariganist Jr get special mention) - that'd be 80%. Then 10% on glides and hard swimbaits, 5% D-Shads, and 5% on Neds/cranks/random fun things. This is 1-4 lb LMB numbers. First 2024 5+ LMB was on a ned, last 5+ LMB was a wacky houdini senko. (previous year was more jigs, cranks, and the bigger fish on chatterbaits)

Ha ha - I've caught a 37" musky on a 1/2 oz Aruku lipless, and a 13" LMB on a Detonator :)