Just Hook'n

That is PRETTY. Nicely done sir.

Nice job. It is exciting to get your first bow deer. Very different than a gun hunt.

That's a dandy. Nice work.

SAWEEET. Nice job.

NICE. I guess you are done for the season????

Nice job George. I was just commenting to someone this weekend that there are still guys catching fish on the lake. They didn't believe it. Thanks for the proof.

Back in the day with my dad we used to fish mitchel 300's with nothing more than 15lb mono on downriggers. It was a riot. I tried this a couple times this year and we had a ball. Not a typical thing I do, but fun if you get a chance.

Welcome to our hell. Always more equipment on the wish list than in the budget. A lot of great advice here from some darn good fisherman. A lot of them have chimed in already. Myself (not a great fisherman, but ok I guess) I like Okuma and I like my stuff to match (picky). I like 8'6" rods for my lead core (1-10 color). I like 9' Okuma rods for my full core. They give a little more backbone. I like the leadcore/copper series they came out with last year for copper. CV55 series Okuma Convector reels for copper and any core over full (12 color and 15 color if you run it). 45CV or counters (D) if you have the money Okuma Convector Series reels for others. Convector servies 30D for downriggers. Oh, I also run Okuma downrigger rods for the downs. They are grey near the handle, and like Maniac I run mono only on these. A high quality mono is a good idea. You will save some fish that get wrapped in the downs and other close by setups. Not that this happens. hahaha. I also suggest a vertical tree for running planners. I have these and I really like the way they get multiple rods up and out of the way. You have to brace them like crazy because of the pull all in one spot on the boat but they work great. Best advice - Spend some time on others guys boats to see what you like. Everyone runs a little different and you'll get a sense for how you want to set up. Good luck shopping for Christmas and we look foward to seeing you on the water next year.

Funny, but all the good fisherman seem to end up in the same water all the time.

Let me know if you need someone to try them out for a test run. I volunteer to try every color.

Great conversation starter Kevin. 1. Moonshine Flounder Pounder Mag Size 2. 11" white glow pearl paddle with any green and white glow fly 3. Stinger Stingray size Mixed Veggie 4. Size 4 JPlug (no matter the brand) glow with Green/Black Ladder back 5. Double Orange Crush - medium size for all seasons 6. Lemon Ice - mag or standard 7. Yellow Tail 8. Green Dolphin - mag works best for me, but probably because I drag that one the most. 9. Stinger Nitro Area 51 -or older lures with these colors. I know this has not been around long. 10. Coyote - which is another that has probably not been around long, but blue yellow and orange combo is great.

I use 36" bags (one out each side) and they work great. I can't slow the boat down much either depending on the current and waves on the lake. Just watch it when you pull them up. I recommend having your lines clear before you pull them. If you pull them two slow (one before the other) you are liable to turn quickly if you don't watch it. I got mine at D&R in Kzoo.

What a great year Jim. Way to go. It was great getting you know you better this year and I look forward to next season.

Sweeeeet pictures. What a sunset. Very nice.

NICE WORK. I have been out of the water for over a month now. Bummer.

Way to go. Ended up in PS and caught fish. Why oh why did I pull the boat?

Get the new probe. I drown my old unit last year after I did not notice the seal had falled out. This was largely due to the fact that you went through a 9 volt every trip so you are in and out of that thing all the time. I went the entire season this year with only one change of 4AA batteries. It is SWEEEEET.

Sweet shots. Very cool to see it from that perspective. Thanks for sharing.

Do you guys understand cap and trade and what the intent of the system will be? Being an environmental engineer I am not an expert, but I am plugged into the system a little. Jim, seems like you definately have done your homework on solar and wind. Impressive. I still think there is a place for them, but you are right, they have to get more efficient to produce. Right now they are about 2.5-3 times the cost of traditional power. When they (solar in particular) gets to about 1-1.5 times then it becomes more viable. Cap and trade is about capping the "dirty power" or making them pay for it, which in the long run makes it go away. Anyone remember acid rain? As sportsmen I hope you undertand the devistation that we can do to our natural resources. Cap and trade on Sulfur emissions made acid rain a thing of the passed. I am certainly not standing on my soap box here, as there are many improvements that need to be made to alternative engery. But it is coming. It will certainly come in many forms - wind, solar, goethermanl, etc etc. Just get ready. Jim NAILED it when he said we need to use less. That is the first and most appropriate step to control cost.

Amen Brothers. Opps, can I say that? I BB watching? To think that taxes were started on a temporary basis ONLY to pay for war supplies. They were to end. Give a kid a sucker and he will not only not give it back, but wants the whole jar of candy. Government is just a big greedy kid with seemingly no punishment ever levied upon them.

Nice job out there Mike. MAN that looks chilly.

Way to go Jim. I bet your avatar picture is pretty close to what you had to wear this weekend.

You can also use this and not blacken them. The spices cook in SOOOO nicely. And I typically leave the skin on and never turn my fish. However, GLF is turning me around on this one. I'm just to lazy to skin. HAHAHAH.

NICE Don. Way to go. That is a pretty nice catch for this time of year. Makes we wish I would have stayed on the water a little longer.

You are a machine. Still out there in this weather. Way to go.