And unfortunately they did NOT bite me…. 👀🤔 This has to be the closest you can come to catching a double without actually getting bit:

Man, Garmin Panoptix LiveScope is absolutely wild [!] but ohhhh soooo frustrating when you can see how many fish are down there that won't bite.

I didn't have any minners with on this trip, but did get a few "overs" to bite a #5 Rapala Rippin' Rap (custom-painted by DH Custom Baits) before the sun completely set and they turned into sniffers:

Definitely need to do a better job of the whole "practice what you preach" thing...some of that preaching in the next Top Item...

We're obviously not to the "dog days" of winter yet, but have noticed the set-line bite (rattle reels, tip-ups, deadsticks, etc) has been accounting for more and more fish. Wanted to get this info out there so you had what you needed in time for those next trips out.

Do you use your split-shot as a pivot point to adjust how far the minnow is able to swim away from center? Or how about adjusting how/where you hook a minnow to change how much "action" it's giving off??

Here's a few tricks I use to get those fussy buggers to bite when they won't commit to the jigging stick. I'm specifically talking rattle reels in the vid, but the same tricks work for any set-lines:

Those VMC Glow Resin Treble Hooks loooove to make Catch Cover Rattlesnake Reels sing. #DingDingDing

Talking about open-water...but with all the lithium battery talk in the fishin' world, I found it too interesting not to share right now.

This info was from Top Item #2 in Jay Kumar's last BassBlaster email.

Jay was chatting with bassin' pro Patrick Walters after his Lake Fork win, and Patrick mentioned he had this setup where he could run everything except his trolling motor off 1 BATTERY. And it never ran down. If you don't think that's impressive, bear in mind we're talkin' a pro angler with 5 [!] 12" screens on all day, plus livewells, Talons, radio, lights, cranking over the outboard, etc. So Jay ran that whole deal down:

> Patrick: "I'm running Relion batteries -- 3 RB100s in series…for my trolling motor [Minn Kota Ultrex], and a single RB100HP...off that I'm running the outboard motor, Talons [he's going back to Power-Poles], 5 graphs, livewells, radio, deck lights [etc] -- off 1 battery."

He says the Relions are stellar -- "I'd been running Relion batteries for 5 years and was absolutely floored with them" -- but it's not all the batteries:

> "A college buddy of mine Trip Palmer, started running Sonar Pros….

> "At the end of the [fishing] day I'd get low voltage [warnings] on graphs or whatever, and I never paid attention to it because it was normal. Voltage was being restricted through the factory setups sometimes...gauge wire [used in boats] was not built for these [graph setups]...weren't planning on people running 4 12" screens...factory harnesses were not designed to handle that.

Seems like the Sonar Pros deal involves thicker-gauge wire that eliminates voltage drop to each unit. So I think it's like this: no voltage drop = crispy-sharp sonar + longer run time = all day sonar with max capability + improved battery life:

Note: His rig ain't cheap at $900+ per battery and $100+ per harness if you wanna install it yourself. Though like Jay said, "I do believe that for us to get the most outta all this stuff, having experienced pro folks do it will make a difference now and maybe forever. Just too technical for most of us to get it right on our own."

This snot rocket smacked that "firetiger glow" color PK Flutterfish so hard the bait was stuck in its mouth -- reeled it in with no hooks engaged. #Pinned

Speaking of PK Lures, I came across this Instagram story from Tracy Krona (@fishnkween) and was wondering when PK started making earrings outta their 3/8-oz PK Rattle Spoons with the holographic backs? 😂

You see it?

Was sent this from TW fan Paul Quiter:

> "On recent trip to Lake Erie my friend lost control of his boat, ran over his lines and one caught the kicker motor. It pulled the Off Shore Tackle Planer Board in and stalled the kicker! But true to Off Shore products it's still fine!

#BeastMode

Tiger trout = a brookie-brownie hybrid. Gatlynn Mayes just set the new ID record with this 4.8-lber (24") caught outta Becker Pond in Idaho Falls:

The previous record (4.04 lbs) came out of Deer Creek Reservoir in 2018.

Unless you've got a 10-lb walleye on (lol). But seriously, here's a comprehensive list of line-recycling and disposal programs available out there. Maybe even start your own.

The Fishing For the Cure ice tourney FUN-raiser (hosted by the employees of Alexandria Industries). Extra-bummer since all derby proceeds are donated to the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life to help find a cure for cancer. They raised over $75K in donations last year alone.

The event may be cancelled, but that doesn't mean cancer stops…. Can still donate if you're able to spare some coin.

- Jan 12: Oneida, Price and Vilas counties.

- Jan 19: Florence, Forest, Marinette and Oconto counties.

For now...but things are going fast! 💯

That tall 10" version is super cool -- can see your bobber from basically any angle inside the shack, or when hole-hopping around your set-line. Here's a short vid of one going down.

...to buy Sportsman's Warehouse:

...despite all the COVID-related challenges.

Available through 2 different phone apps.

...despite most (all?) boat shows being cancelled. Save up to $1,000 + get a free cover.

Cost is $20 and designed "for the beginner or intermediate ice angler who wants to learn or improve their fishing skills. At the Zoom class you will learn about ice fishing gear, dressing to stay warm, and how to be safe on the ice. Saturday morning you will be fishing on the ice."

...and chat all sorts of fishy goodness, including a little background on how I stumbled into this crazy industry. Give it a listen if you're on the road and sick of hearing the same 12 songs on repeat. 🙏 Thx much for the opportunity, fellas!

In this AnglingBuzz vid, Joel Nelson talks about how he picks out a spot to set up shop in the mud...he first looks for small irregularities on the contour map, and then drops an underwater camera to see what's actually going on -- lot of times there's more "uniqueness" down there on those contour blips than you might think:

- That quote from Ray Welle on Instagram gave me a chuckle. #Relatable

Love this shot of ol' big head T-boning John Hoyer's Berkley Hit Stick, a bait he says might be "the most-lethal shallow crankbait of all time!"

Btw Hoyer says "self gifting" is allowed if there weren't any Berkley Hit Sticks in your Christmas stocking lol.

National Professional Anglers Assoc.