moguy1973

My daughter thinks that the Springfield store is the greatest thing since sliced bread. It's like a mini-zoo to her. I'm surprised there isn't an entrance fee to see the aquariums and exhibits in the store.

I bought a couple of the swinging style buzzbaits like the one below. Haven't caught a fish on one yet though.

Hmmm, I thought this was going to be a free thing

It's Bassmaster#1

My first "big" smallmouth came on the Huzzah right along the campground while I was fishing amongst the swimmers there. I'm guessing most people there are ignorant to the fact that fish, much less big fish, actually live there. I've also seen a 19" smallie caught right there on the Huzzah where Dry Creek dumps in at Huzzah Valley too.

Congrats Champ. I made a run at the top 10 but that last tournament is just too hard to make up ground with only 50 anglers in it.

The Strikers do not have map capability. It does show GPS and marks your route as you go and you can set waypoints and such, just not on a map with contours. Have to step up to the echomap series for that.

LittleRedFisherman has one and it had issues too but it seems they have figured out what the problem is.

Just to let you know, this guy calls every lake he fishes Lake Menderchuck. There is no such lake called that. lol

I was over on Bass Resource this morning and saw this post. 7.29lb smallie caught on Lake Menderchuck in Michigan. Looks like it's been eating a bit.

If waves from boats are capsizing pontoon boats there's a definite problem.

I had a pair of Maui Jim's that I had found when I was fishing in North Carolina once. Awesome sunglasses. Super light and they were super clear. I wouldn't have bought them though since they sell for over 2 bills. They ended up breaking where the lens meets the nose rest. I just use cheaper glasses now although I do have a pair of Revo's that I bought from Sam's on sale for like $25 a couple years ago and those are $125 glasses. They have a lens that has been popping out lately though so I am in the market for another decent pair.

Looks like a nice short handle. I really like my TP1 spinning rod I bought. The Winn Grips have a nice feel to them although they sure do get dirty fast, faster than cork does.

**edited to add the story** This one. 21" 4 1/2lb out of the lower Meramec. I was off for Columbus day a few years ago so I went to this part of the Meramec that has been known in the past for big smallmouth but its rare. There was one piece of cover in the water in the form of a 3-4" log that was half up on the bank and half down into the water. There's an eddy that forms right there and the log was on the upstream flow of the eddy. I started with a walk the dog lure that kept getting leaves caught in the hooks on the retrieve but on one cast I got lucky and was leaf free when it got around the log and BAM!, I missed it as it was only a couple feet off bank and it startled me. After a few more leaf cluttered casts I switched over to a white BPS buzz toad so I wouldn't get as many leaves on the hook. 2nd cast with the buzz toad and BAM! he hit it again only this time I had him hooked. I actually thought I had something other than a small mouth at first because it didn't fight much, but then I saw it was this beauty and I just kind of dragged it up on the bank since, again, it was only a few feet off the bank. I've had a couple three pounders but they were only 18" long and not nearly as impressive as this one.

Big spoon fluttered down through and below the bait balls?