Dwight Hottle

I like the Blue Fox Vibrax the best.

Yes but especially bigger fish.

He!! yes. Prespawn is the very best time. The fish are heavier & feed up for the spawn. Your just not finding them. They will be less likely to school up before spawning than afterwards. So you have to keep looking for them. Once you find some good spots with structure & depth & bait relatively near their spawning areas the same spots will be good year after year. Smallies winter all grouped up in deep water then they disperse in smaller groups looking for warmer water & bait. They gravitate to spots within a reasonable range of their spawning area. They will move from deeper water to shallow water during the day depending on bait movements.

Looking good bud.

You need to remember that most jerk baits are 1/2 to 1 ounce in weight. And if your primary line choice is braid a moderate fast or moderate action rod is best for treble hook baits. If you are using mono or flouro you can use fast action rods. The fast action or extra fast action rod is best for sensitivity.

It not so much where you live & fish but water temperature that triggers the spawn. Smallies start to spawn when the water temps hit 55-56 degrees in the spring with the heaviest concentration occurring in the low 60 degree range.

X2 I learned a long time ago that stealth works but sometimes the opposite is what gets fish fired up to bite. My buddy & I were fishing up in Canada casting for pike in shallow dark bottom bays. It was early season & the pike were stacked up shallow in the reeds but would not bite. Our Indian guide sensed they needed woken up & proceeded to take a paddle & slap it loudly on top of the water. The pike scattered in all directions disturbed by the sudden loud noise. Within just a few minutes they started to bite like they had never seen a lure before. The loud disturbance triggered their their predator instincts and it was game on for us. I have never forgot that lesson.

X2 That drainage pipe is always a fish attractor in ponds & small lakes. Fish it from both sides so you cast past it & retrieve towards it. Also fish the general area where you saw her. Low light conditions are best and doesn’t hurt to be stealthy in your approach.

They don't bother me at all. I do use quality swivels when needed which is only for jigging spoons & drop shot rigs.

That's my experience also. My last trip to the St Johns I had a 6lber fight like a really big fish thought it was a DD. Caught a 10-2 the same day & thought it was a 5lber until I saw in the water boat side. I have caught lots of 5lb smallies that I swore were 7-8lbers before seeing them for the first time. Some fish just have an attitude.

I have done this for treble hooks baits for as long as I can remember. It only takes a second to remove the bait when your packing up. +++ I agree I get better action with my baits because they can pivot around the bend of the snap with or without the split ring +++ And the convenience of changing baits quickly is a big plus. +++

I can tell you from years of experience that wet cell batteries do bubble when charging. That is normal & the reason they require ventilation when being charged. The only exceptions are sealed batteries which allow for the sulfating to slow escape as part of their design. The danger point with a bad battery is when the battery case cannot release the build up of pressure & the case starts to swell or pulse. That's what happens before it blows up or explodes.

If it's any comfort to you it does happen to all of us. Learn from your mistakes & don't take anything for granted.

Congrats on the new PB.

Congrats on the new PB. That one will be tough to beat.

Good luck with your surgery. Most of Florida waters are relatively shallow with maximum depths 10-15' and lots of vegetation limiting the use of drop shot fishing.

Tough trips like yours are disappointing but they prime us to keep trying hoping for a good one. I feel your pain. Thanks for the report.

Munroe lake north of Thompson.

No but I have fished in your great province. Welcome to BR.

Duck Duck Goose

Congrats on the new PB. Hope you got a picture or two.

Impressive congrats.

Take it easy & get well. It’s a much slower process as we age.

Congrtas on the new PB.

Living the dream.