Brian R

Great shot, Scott. Thanks for sharing!

True, I know both of you had on some nice fish, and I lost one definitely 17" or more right by the boat on the Honey Buzz. Just being facetious...

Looks like Terry, Eric, and I floated the wrong stretch...LOL...Congrats!

I am. Are there any other RSVP's besides those in this thread, Terry?

I'm in and I'll be bringing my kayak..

I'm sure Strike King offered a hefty sum of money. I'll always opt for the custom product even if it's a bit more. You'll get exactly what you want, and the bait is going to made much better made than a mass produced product.

Sorry for the late RSVP...I'll bring a fruit salad. See you tomorrow.

I'll be down in Bloomington for a few days this week for work. I'll be taking I-55 due south. Can anyone give me recommendations for Vermillion River access points not too far off the expressway? Also, during my stay in Bloomington where can I find some good access points for the Mackinaw? Thanks much for your help!

Hey Bart, Tried to message you, but the site wouldn't let me. How long does this stretch typically take to float?

I'm in. Looking forward to it. See all of you then.

Cool. Looking forward to it. I'm itching to get out there.

Sorry for your loss, Bart. I lost my mother to pancreatic cancer 1 1/2 years ago, so I've been there. Actually, I still am as I will always miss her. As far as the float, I'm hoping to make it. I just got back from two weeks in Japan. I'm over the jet lag, but still have a lot of catching up to do. I'll let you guys know by Friday.

I'm planning to be there this year. Had a conflict with work last year, and I hated to missed it. Looking forward to seeing all of you then.

I, too, am a believer. I've been using the Honey Buzz throughout this season and without a doubt it's the best buzzbait I've ever fished. Fishing one on the Kish last weekend again scored the largest fish of the day. This fall, the majority of my fish 17" or over have come on the Honey Buzz. You'll definitely get some smaller fish on them, however, by and large, they tend to be "big fish" baits. Eric's not kidding when he describes the sound they put off as a "jackhammer." The "CLACK CLACK" as the blade hits the head is LOUD! I also had the rusted rivet added on two of mine which creates a bit of a squeal along with the clacking (...along with the buzzing). The racket those two baits produce is crazy! As Eric said, like all buzzbaits, fish will still completely miss the Honey Buzz on the strike occasionally. When we were out in his tandem a monster bass completely fanned on mine. However, I think we've all had the experience of a fish striking at the buzzing blade and not the body of the bait. The way the Honey Buzz is designed, it's almost impossible for a fish to strike at the blade without mouthing the body and hook as well.

It was a great float. As Terry mentioned, I dumped my kayak for the first time & was baptized in the waters of the mighty Kish. Nearly everything in my kayak was tied down except the rod and reel I was using, a few tools, and my water bottle. In the end, the only thing that was lost was the water bottle. Thanks to Jim for the help; the tools were easily recovered and the rod and reel was pushed by the current about 10 yards downstream and found there. I worked pretty hard for that 17". As I was floating by an eddy, I tossed a Flappin' Hawg into it directly under an overhanging tree. The fish smacked it on the fall and I missed the hookset. I turned the kayak around, and paddled hard upstream in an area of strong current and worked my way back to the spot. There was a very shallow area just upstream from the eddy where I hopped out of the kayak and grabbed the leash. I grabbed another rod that was rigged with a Honeybuzz. I ended up putting the bait right under the tree and on the second crank he came charging again and crushed it. I was a bit disappointed, it looked like a bigger fish initially, but he put up a heck of a fight. Certainly not going to complain about a 17 incher.

I'm in!

I agree with hellgrammites being a prized bait for smallies. Last summer on the Dupe, most of my smallies between 17"-19" were caught finesse fishing plastic hellgrammites. I can't say the same for this year, however, they sure were targeting helgies last year.

Can't do it guys, however, I plan to join you for the float on the Kish later in the month.

I don't know of a mono or braided line that doesn't float (except the leadcore braid specifically designed to sink). Currently, I have Berkley Sensation on the rod I use mostly for topwater baits. I don't know if it's technically "mono" as it's billed as a "multipolymer," but it floats and works just fine. I've never tried the Sufix mono (love their braid), but I've heard favorable reviews as well.

Anyone have any idea why I can't quote posts anymore on the forums?

Wow. Only 9 fish? The promising conditions never occurred; so much for it being cloudy today. The Dupe has been really challenging, but it's been a strange year, Scott. It's either been storming or it's been sunny. Very few cloudy days that always seem to be most productive. It's been really hard locating the fish. I've had sporadic luck at best in the areas that usually hold fish at this time of year. A few fish at best, never any size. That hasn't been the case on the Fox.

Yeah, it's looking like you couldn't ask for better conditions tomorrow. I really hate to miss this one. Good luck and tight lines to all!

Jude, to be honest one of the smallies was 22.5" and for clarification it was the Hula Grubs not the Senkos.

I fished with Jim, Terry, and Tim. Tim and I "speed waded" back since we both had to head back home due to plans that evening. Sorry I had to leave so abruptly. I caught six fish, and all my fish came on the new Yamamoto Tate Pencil "walk the dog" topwater bait. I didn't get any action on a popper, but soon as I tied that bait on plenty of action ensued. I got at least twice as many strikes as fish. Seems that the smallies in the Kish had bad aim that day. My best was probably around 14", but I didn't measure it. I had a great time and it was nice to meet all of you. Looking forward to doing it again. I'm always up for a paddle as well. I have to say I was a bit disappointed. Jude had me thinking that I'd hear some great lies, however I left a bit disappointed.

Very nice, Scott. Looks like a fantastic rig! That seat does look very comfortable and the add-ons are great.