whitwolf

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Buy a few of each series and fish them. I generally like Bandit baits and am quite partial to the black 100's and 200's.

The Mister Twister cycle tail worms were deadly back In the day as were the Rebel Ringworms. I haven't thrown a cycle tail worm In a long time.

The esteemed member Hootie started a thread about an article In Bassmaster magazine authored by Basil Bacon about PH and bass fishing. I remember the hoopla about PH and while I won't debate the validity of the article I did want to start a thread about the Author. I read an article many years ago (In Bassmaster) and Basil Bacon was talking about his tournament state of mind. He talked at length about what where he was at that point in his career and how he felt at that particular time he was In a better place mentally than he had been in, in a very long time. His point was his personal and professional life were relatively stress free and that you needed this mind set to be at the top of your game. It was a very good and Informative article. It took me years to realize the full extent of what he was talking about. I fished local derbies and did OK but, and he mentioned this In the article, there were always nagging thoughts In the back of my mind that affected my daily life. I was In a failing marriage and with that always In the back of my mind it had a direct effect on many aspects of my life. I fish for different reasons now and I can safely say It's the happiest I have been while on the water. I know for a fact that It's directly related to where I am personally and professionally. The point of all this? Whether It's tournament fishing or fun fishing my opinion Is you will find It difficult to truly succeed If your life has a great amount of strife or a high level of stress. I know It's a subjective subject as people handle stress In different ways but for me It was quite apparent, in hindsight, that the above factors contributed to many years of not having fun out on the water. Thoughts?

I'm a life long NC resident. I have lived down east(coastal NC) and fish the swamp areas and had a ball. It's shallow water fishing at Its finest. But coming from Maine the heat and humidity might not be your cup of tea. I have fished Falls, Jordan, and Harris(In the Raleigh area) and have nothing but good things to say about each lake. I have been in the Western part of the state for many years now. There are many options in lakes Rhodhiss, James, and my personal favorite, Hickory. From the Valdese area It's a short(ish) drive to all three. The climate in this part of the state Is still hot and humid but nothing like Raleigh and points East. As for the numbers you're used to I doubt very seriously If you'll have those on a consistent basis and I suspect Lake James will be a lake you might find like the lakes In Maine. It's deep, clear, and can be difficult but there are plenty of nice smallmouth and decent largemouth to be caught. Lake Rhodhiss Is a durn tough lake to figure out. I fish there a lot and have had great days, but It changes so much unless you can fish 3-4 days a week It can be tough. Lake Hickory Is a gem. I would rather fish there than anyother lake In the area. There's something for every type of fisherman. There's good shallow fish, good mid-depth, and good/great deep fish! If you have any questions please ask.

Zoom finesse and magnum finesse and my all time favorite a Reaction Innovations smallie beaver. I use a Siebert Outdoors Zenith Shakey head, 3/16.

Spro little Jon, Bomber, and Big M!

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I didn't go into detail about the guy I no longer fish with but this was one of many, many, things he used to do. After several trips I decided to count one night. I have fished this lake for years and I usually get 12-15 bites a day/night. The night I counted he set the hook 117 times. It was irritating for a while but It got so ridiculous I found It highly amusing. All those hook sets for 3 fish. The biggest reason we no longer fish was he would be out of his mind ticked off If I caught more fish. He constantly made the trip(s) miserable(whining, pouting, yelling, etc.) when I was having a good trip, fish wise. I had enough and to this day, even after bluntly telling him the reasons we don't fish, he constantly asks to go fishing. I hope all these stories are a good reminder that we do this to have fun, catch some fish, and get away from the daily grind. NEVER settle for being miserable, there's always a choice!

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Great Information smalljaw, thanks! This is the type of thread that makes this the best bass site on the 'net!

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Great topic slo, give me a few and I'll post some pics. of some "stuff" that I have kept through the years. I bet there are others that have some really neat stuff they bought years and years ago!

There's always going to be "that guy" If you allow that to happen. I fished with a guy for years that turned Into a butthole real quick. He was a friend of sorts and I felt bad about saying anything. In the end though, enough was enough and I simply cut off those trips. I don't regret It at all. If you don't enjoy the trip when you're out, what's the point. I fish by myself quite a bit now and that suits me. There's no griping, complaining, or at the end of the day no hard feelings. The folks I do take out now are fun to be around, never act like they should be the only folks that catch fish, and are fun to fish with. It doesn't happen often(fishing with others) but when It does I make durn sure It's going to be a good day, whether we catch fish or not.

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