Well done BF.

What I read on the internet was the fish was released. The fish was 41" long with a girth of 27". The fisherman is from California. In the article it said he had caught several rainbows that were well over 20 pounds.

Very Very Good!

Thank you all for the prayers. They are working. She was able to put the Christmas Tree up!
Everyone have a Merry Christmas.

My wading boots were sized for my feet. I recommend going to a store and trying them on. I wear a size 12 but got 13's. I like a lot of room for my feet. Hope this helps.

My wife and I tested positive for covid on November 8th. We both became very ill for over three weeks. In the fog of the illness it was nice to get on FS and read all the posts. Was not clear minded enough to reply to any posts but was great to get my mind on something else. There are so many good things written on here. Seeing pics of the fish being caught was the best. Made me start planning for the coming fishing season.

I am fully recovered but need prayers for my best friend and wife. She is getting better every day but developed blood clots in her lungs and still has the pneumonia from the covid. She is at home on oxygen and blood thinners.. Doctor said it will take at least another 2 or 3 weeks. God has already brought her a long way but she has a way to go yet. The good thing is she a little better every day and with God's healing I have no doubt she will make a full recovery.

Your not out of line here, Ben. I'm in your boat on your thoughts. Here is something I would like to add. If I have a friend going with me in my boat i like these two things. If your meeting me at my home. Be on TIME! If I'm picking them up. Be READY to GO!

My number one by far for me are tube jigs. I keep on hand lots of colors. I do seem to do a little better if there is some chartreuse or orange on the tube.
I also like plastic crawdad imitations where the claws flutter a lot.
Also ned rig.

Look up I-80 lakes in Nebraska. They are rock quarries from the construction of I-80. There are 20+ of them. North Platte is right in the heart of them. They all have some kind of boat ramp. There is a state map on how to find them. Fish species are about any warm water fish. I have done well on largemouth and bluegill. I'm pretty sure the Nebraska Game and Fish sight has a section on them good luck.

Thank you, Ivey for a well written explanation on tight lining. I read your post yesterday and went to youtube and found some good info. Your well written post today cemented it into my brain. I do a modified version now late in the fall that works pretty good. Can't wait to get out and do what you say works.

I have been trying to go fishing for a week. The weather here has not been that good. It was either raining and snowing or way to windy. I'm blessed that my home lake is only a 15 mile drive from my home. I drove to the lake twice over the weekend. Only to turn around and go back home because of the high winds. Yesterday we finally had a perfect day to fish. I walked outside at work about noon and thought "I must go".
My stepdaughter is staying with us for a while and said she would like to do some fishing. She hadn't gone for a couple of years. Plus she can back up a boat trailer like a truck driver and I don't have to get my feet wet getting the boat in and out. I texted her and here reply was "No, I got to much to do today". I guess the thought of going fishing was too great for her on such a perfect day. Less than 5 minutes later my phone rang. She was ready to go.
In three hours of fishing we put 20 or so smalljaws in the boat. She caught a PB 17"er. We kept a couple smaller ones for dinner and released the rest.
Not bad for smallmouth in Wyoming and in November. This is why we go!

17" PB

I smoke sockeye salmon I bring back from Alaska. We make salmon patties with it. Pretty good.

So glad you are ok!!!
One of the best written posts I've read yet. Your a much better writer than boat builder. LOL My great uncle Fred, called those little boats "Get wets".

Yesterday I was fishing my local lake. Been doing pretty good on the dam for smallies. Left town knowing it may be too windy to fish the dam. Put the boat in and did not think the wind was all that bad. Made the 2 mile run to the dam. Wrong! Two foot swells. There was a small cove by the dam so I pulled in there to get out of the ruff water. Fished it for about a half hour. Nothing. Not even a peck on my tube jig. Came out of the cove to head out and the wind had subsided a little. Still pretty ruff but I was there so may as well try. I bounced my way down the dam. Nothing again. Changed tub jig color. Now I have put an hour into fishing the dam. Started thinking of all the things that needed done at home. Said to the dog "One more cast" and thought to myself "Last cast to get the skunk off or we are going home". Worked that jig out from the bank and BOOM! Felt that hit set the hook 15" smallie. Four casts latter had two more. Can't go home now. The wind had let up some more. So I kept fishing. Ended up catching 6 or 7 more. On my way home I was thinking it turned out to be a pretty good outing. And it would not have happened if I had not made that "One more cast".

Like what you said Rhyno, "Just the bite n fight". Going to use that. I like to say, "The tug is the drug".