Bankbeater

The seed ticks are the worst around here. You can see and feel a regular size tick, but sometimes those seed ticks blend in, and are so small that you completely miss them.

When I'm fishing off of the bank the only crankbaits I use are the shallow running ones that won't go more than a foot or so deep. Bring them in slow so they don't dive and don't be afraid to stop the retrieve if you see you're going to run into a snag. The bait will float to the surface and you can hop it over the snag. A longer rod helps when you are lifting the bait out over the snags along the shore. On the retrieve, run the bait along side the brush pile not across the top of it. If a bass come up out of the brush and takes the crankbait it will be able to dive back down into the brush while you are reeling it in. Most times if they are on the side, you can turn them and bring them in.

Such sad news. Sorry for your loss.

My mom and I got my dad a pocket fisherman for Xmas back in the 70's. I'm pretty sure it got to the lake once.

2 pins and no tension. I keep my thumb on the spool at all times.

I use 15# Big Game for all my jigs.

Weedless Senko, fluke, wakebait, or maybe a weightless full size brush hog.

This stuff usually takes over the flats from late May to Mid July. If you can drop the bait into the right hole with the right rate of fall then you'll catch some bass.

Strike King Bitsy Bug. I like fishing the 1/8 size from the bank.

All the time.

When I get poison ivy I put a very small dab of my eczema medicine on it. The poison ivy is gone within the hour.

I've been using t-mobile since 2007. Sometimes the network cuts out depending on your location, but I have never been anywhere where phone calls and texts would not work.

Drop shot Weightless Senko Split shot rig (not listed)

Zoom Speed Craw, and Ultravibe Speed Craw.

The majority of the topwater baits I see being used are frogs, and buzzbaits. I never see anyone fishing with a jitterbug or spook any more.

Nice bass! You did some fine catching right there.

Congratulations on the new PB hawg!

I doubt it. It was during the week and this guy wasn't acting like an angler.

Welcome to the forums.

This happened to a friend of mine that was pond hopping at a state conservation area some years back. He's the only person at this pond and another car pulls up with two guys in it. They were sitting and watching him for about 5 minutes or so and then they drive off. Now this is not unusual. Other anglers will sit and watch to see if you are catching any fish or not. After about 10 minutes this car pulls back in and one of the guys gets out and starts walking toward my friend with his head down like he is looking for something. My friend, who carries by the way, starts to get a very bad vibe about this. He pulls his pistol and holds it down at his side where it can be seen. When this fellow sees my friends pistol he turns around and made a line back to the car which then pulls out of the lot fast.

Back when I was about 17 or 18 my dad and I were casting from the bank on a local urban pond. He was using a two piece rod and it came apart as he was casting. The top of the rod went out into the lake maybe 20 feet or so. The rod piece was floating like a bobber with the end sticking up out of the water. After a couple of minutes of trying to snag it, my dad looks at me and said "go get it". I thought he was joking, but he wasn't. I came out of that water smelling like a sewer.

I don't have a rod specifically for crankbaits. I have rods that I use for moving baits. The weight of the bait determines the length, power, and action.

I like a 7'0" mh/f for large topwaters around 1/2 oz and up. For lighter topwater baits I use a 6'6" m/f rod.

As long as I find more baits than I lose I'm good.

Best way I have found to keep ticks away is to stay out of where they are, and don't think you're safe fishing out of a boat. One trip we were under overhanging trees casting toward the bank and I found a tick crawling up my arm. It turns out that ticks get up in the trees and will drop down on top of their host.