91 Stratos and missing a friend

This entry finds me in one of the most difficult and one of the best times in my fishing career. A few weeks back I made the decision to sell my 1991 Stratos All Pro Spitfire Edition. It was a decision made partly because I have been bitten by the bass boat bug and know that I want to upgrade into a newer, and a bit nicer version. This boat has an interesting story behind it though and is why I say it is a difficult time as well. I came into this boat when my friend Tony, who was as crazy as I am, told me that I should buy it for my first bass boat. This was in the beginning of the year right after ice out 4 years ago. Tony told me to save up the money for the boat and I agreed because this seemed like a great first bass boat.

Well cut to about two weeks later and we were talking and he was like "You got the money for the boat?" I was like "No, you said you were going to sell it next year." Well Tony being Tony, could not stand going from the boat he just sold, a Ranger 521 into this boat. So my parents helped me out with some money, while I was selling my duck boat so that I could purchase the rig. In May, we finalized the sale and I had my first bass boat.

Unfortunately, later that year my buddy took his own life and to this day I feel like maybe I could have done more to help him so he would still be around. I am a counselor and had a difficult time reconciling that I could not make a difference so he would see the value of his own life. I guess when it comes down to it, he had made the choice and once that happens, not much can be done to stop this kind of thing from happening no matter how hard one tries. He taught me a lot about bass fishing and I am grateful to this day that he turned me onto bass fishing because I had always been a walleye and musky guy.

Cut to the present and about a month ago I made the decision to sell the boat. Now I know that the price I was asking was going to make the rig move quick but I had no Idea how quick. I had a club meeting with my local bass club, The Cast Nation and started to spread the word. I really had no takers but a call from my friend Chris came later that night asking about the boat. He said that his other friend Mike might be interested. I had no idea how interested. The next day Mike gave me a call and we wound up meeting that night, and just like that the boat was sold. Now I know Mike and he's a good dude so I'm glad that he got the boat because I know he will fish the crap out of it and take good care of it. I was not ready for the myriad of feelings that would come up as a result of the sale though.

I was immediately feeling a bit depressed that this boat was no longer going to reside in my garage. I didn't even recognize why. You would figure being in the helping profession I would have been able to spot feelings coming up but even though I'm a counselor, it's difficult to see the process when you are in the process. Anyway, it really hit me this week when The Braidwood Nuclear Power Plant opened. Now I have fished this opening every year for the past three seasons and now not only was my boat sold, I would miss the opening. I did go and that was less than a good trip due to not catching very many fish but reflecting on my feelings toward my friend not being around for the past few years. It's weird how feelings like this just creep in and one does not see them affecting their mood or life.

I know that I will be able to find another rig because my dad has expressed interest in going in with me on a new boat, but until that happens, I can't help but wonder why my buddy did what he did those couple years ago and what our relationship would be now. I guess we all move on in our own ways and I have fought the moving on process because I feel like I am forgetting him in a way. Selling the boat that I bought from him I guess confirmed that thought but when I look at it, I had some great times on the water with him and will never forget that. Just never take your fishing partners for granted because the next time you hit the water, they might not be there with you. I have the knowledge that he gave me and I can still hear him when I'm trying to skip a dock and I throw way too hard, cast it easier and use your wrist. I hope to eventually remember these times only and not the way he tragically took his own life. He was a good dude and I still miss him to this day. Funny how long these things can linger on in our mind.

Thanks for reading and this is just one more way that I can process my feelings in a healthy way. I know that whether I'm on the water or writing about issues that confront my life, or spending way too much on fishing gear, these are all very healthy alternatives compared to my coping skills in the past. My wife might put up a little protest about this notion but she has been a great support and I think recognized the positivity that fishing in general has brought into our lives.

225 Sub Giveaway!

Well this is going to be a short little entry. I am trying to grow my youtube channel and having another giveaway. I am at 192 subs right now and trying to get 225. I am hoping that the people that get into the giveaway don't just do so to get the stuff in the giveaway but rather, keep supporting my channel and maybe learn a thing or two. I have tried to make good quality videos for the people that support the channel and am learning how to make better vids all the time.

I appreciate everyone who has supported my channel so far and looking forward to making better and better videos with more content. So come on over and like, subscribe, and comment so you can get a chance to win the stuff in the giveaway!!!!

If you're not using a snell, you should be!!!

So I was talking to my cousin and we were discussing knots. That's how I started the idea for all the knot videos on my youtube channel. We were talking about a good way to secure braid to fluorocarbon and I suggested The Alberto Knot. He learned that one and it's an easy knot to tie for sure. However, I mentioned tying a snell knot for flipping and he was not having it. So I thought I would check into this and see what the general consensus is with tying a snell when flipping.

By all accounts, a snell will increase your percentage of a hookup due to the way that the pressure on the line forces the hook into an upward position on the hookset.

It does this due to the way the line attaches to the hook. I went online and most guys report a twenty percent increase in hookups if a snell is used. I do not know if this is the case but if I'm fishing in a tournament, I will take any advantage I can get. Even if it is perceived, I will take that chance because sometimes cashing a check is only an ounce or two from going home empty handed. Another thing to think about is you just got a great bite and it is a possible personal best, I want every chance to have a positive hookup to land that fish.

I will talk about the rig that I use when using a snell for my flipping setup. The components are a straight shank flipping hook, a bullet weight, your favorite trailer, and a bobber stop. You do not absolutely need to include the bobber stop but it makes the rig nice and compact. For heavy cover, the bobber stop is a must so that you can get the lure under the cover you are flipping into whether it be mats, lilly pads, or any other heavy cover.

Here is a close up of the bobber stops. The way that you install the bobber stop on the line is that you put the line through the opening in the wire that the stops are on, and then just pull the blue tab. The stop will then be on the line so that you can tie the rig. This method is better in my opinion because if you have to re-tie, you don't lose the stop like a peg. This can save valuable time if you are in a tournament situation.

Hope you try this method of rigging and get a few more in the boat this year. Here is the video of how to tie a snell knot as well as the rest of this rig. Thanks for reading!!!!

Rod and reel setups for 2018

I decided to do a video on my rod and reel combos for 2018. First of all the video came out very grainy and I do not know why so I am working that out. You will get the idea from the video of the gear I use and why I use it. I did not get into depth on the technical aspect of the gear and may do that in another video.

Check out the video and hope you get some ideas for your own gear or if you are thinking of upgrading.

The Palomar Knot

Well since I showed in the last video a knot for flourocarbon and monofilament, I figured I would do the knot I use for my braid applications. This is The Palomar Knot. It is an easy strong knot and works great for braid. I also use this knot for dropshotting but you must pay more attention when cinching the knot down. Make sure you take your time when cinching it and use some lubrication so that the knot does not cause too much friction and weaken the knot. Good luck and hope this gives you another option for a knot to tie.

Downsizing for summer muskies

So I went to the Midwest Musky Expo at Pheasant Run this winter and I could not help but notice the size of the lures now available for the elusive Esox Masquinongy. Now these lures work on the predators for most of the summer and fall moreover, I don't think you could throw a bait too big either. Pounders, Super Top Raiders, and large jerkbaits such as Phantom Lures Hex at 12 inches are productive. I have however; used a technique for these fish in the summer and fall to even the late fall that does not include your traditional upsized gear. I use downsized lures to fool even the biggest fish in the system. In the following I will chronicle my observations that include downsizing not only in the early season, but at other times of the year as well.

Let us begin with the areas that I seek out as late spring turns into summer. I have noticed a shift as the spring turns to summer with the Musky leaving the deeper feeding areas for the shallow water back to the structure that they will remain on until late fall and into their wintering habitat. I look for large weed beds adjacent to deep water, rock piles also adjacent to deep water, and sunken islands. Other prime locations are the mouths and inlets from creeks and washes. These structures provide oxygenated water and baitfish use these areas to feed which bring in other larger fish that the Musky can feed on. All of these areas are prime summer Musky habitat due to the forage present and the cover that allows the big predators to ambush their prey. Here are some of these areas that I look for when seeking out a big Musky.

Underwater island with reeds

Shoreline weeds with access to deep water. The boat is in fifteen feet of water and the fish hit in two to three feet of water.

The red area is a creek mouth that runs into the lake. It is more noticeable when the water is a bit higher and it is flowing however; the water is always moving here and it is a prime location due to the various weeds present for cover.


Now that I have highlighted some of the areas that I look for we can talk meat and potatoes of the whole idea. I use smaller lures, some almost too light to cast on traditional Musky gear. My first lure is a Mepps or any other number five bucktail. They are easy to work high in the water column and can attract some large fish. The colors I use are a chartreuse, yellow, and orange as well as a simple black with an orange spinner. These two colors seem to attract the most action on any lake I frequent. These are the lures that can be a bit tricky to cast with a full on Musky outfit but with some practice there is no need to have multiple setups going. That can save some $$$$$ because Musky gear can get expensive quickly. The next type of lure is still an inline spinner but it is a seven inch tube style lure. These lures seem to get more strikes out on the end of the cast than any other I have used. I don't know quite what entices the fish but these little tube spinners get the job done. My favorite is the Rizzo Wizz and Rizzo Original in black with an orange blade. Other good lures which may not fall under the downsized category are small Bulldawgs and other smaller soft plastic jerkbaits. The smaller Bulldawg is still a larger lure but I have had great successes over rocks with these jerkbaits. I will normally position myself on the deep water side of the rock pile and cast on top of it. Then I retrieve back to the boat. I try to hit all angles because you never know where the fish is positioned on the rock pile. The last type of of lure I will go to is a smaller topwater lure. I like a regular Top Raider, small globe style bait, or any smaller topwater that still makes a bunch of noise. These lures can call up giants when a larger presentation won't even get a look.

This fish was taken in a shallow weedbed leading into a bay that has access to deep water. She hit a seven inch Rizzo Wizz in black with an orange spinner.











I don't have pics of the lures however; please check out this link to my youtube channel. It has the lure I use as well as my rod and reel combos. I will also have a new review coming this season because I am featuring all new rods and reels for the year. This will take place when I can get on open water. Please stay tuned for that and check out this link for the featured lures and other equipment you will need when chasing these denisons of the deep. Here is the Musky setup video.

The Alberto Knot

So I have been discussing fishing knots with my cousin and he was saying that he was having an issue with a good braid to flouro knot. I always have used The Alberto Knot for this application. This is an easy knot to tie and very strong. I did a little video of the knot today so check it out. I hope this helps when you are looking for a good solution for the braid to flouro knot.