Bankbeater

Sounds like you had a blast! I wish I didn't have to drive 2 hrs. for smallies.

Good going. I hope you heal up fast.

I do the same thing with senkos sometimes. I pull it away from them before they have it all the way.

Spro in green tree. That seems to work best in thick slop, out away from the bank.

If I have caught fish on a certain bait in a certain lake, I will use that bait first. After several different presentations with the same bait and still no bites I will change baits.

More times than I care to think about!

Another eyeballer here. I go about 1/2 way up the spool with backing. I like to have a little extra usable line on the reel just in case.

I treat a swim jig like a crank bait. I set the hook.

I leave after I have picked the area apart with my confidence baits.

Congrats!

One more vote to take only what you need. I use to carry a tackle bag full of plastics, and one full of crankbaits. I sat down one winter and went through each of them. I picked out the baits that I throw on a regular basis, and put those baits into a third tackle bag. Now if I am going to be a co-angler, or walking the bank I take bag #3.

Just be patient. I can't tell you the number of wives/girlfriends I see on the lake getting yelled at by their husbands/boyfriends because they do something wrong.

Congrats! That is a cool looking cake!

We lost my mom about eight years ago. Her and I were never very close, but it still chokes me up to think that she is gone.

We have some Gov't overseers at work. It seems that most of the time they are trying to see who has the bigger office.

While fishing for bluegill one time I put a dead fly on the tip of the hook and lowered it down into the water. The bait only lasted for one hit, but I caught a bluegill.

I have seen small bass jump while going after bugs flying over the water, but never one that big.

If this would have been around when I went to school then I would have at least one class that I enjoyed.

Very sorry to hear this. A couple of weeks ago lightning hit a van parked out at a lake that I fish. A friend of mine said that the owner was burned pretty bad on his legs, but luckily he wasn't killed.

What a great trip! You guys did excellent!

I have those days every once in a while. My friends have coined the term a "Scott day".

Saw a bald eagle sitting on the edge of the water while I was fishing, and It was quite a site. I have never seen one this far south at this time of year before. I got to within 100 feet or so before it took off up into the trees. I hope it hangs around a little longer so I can take my kids back out to the lake to see it next weekend.

I'm from the middle. I can hit all side equally.

Normally for jigs I use a MH/F 6'6" rod. If I am in really thick cover I change up to a 6'6" H. For t-rigs I like a 6'6" H all of the time.

You caught some monsters!