Bankbeater

I use Zoom Mag 2 worms. Still deadly on a Texas rig down deep.

Years fishing the same water over and over, and always remembering that no two lakes fish exactly the same way.

Black Jitterbug fished on a 6'6" heavy Daiwa Procaster rod paired with an Abu 5600 C3.

I've had issues with Trilene knots slipping, but only on heavier test line. With 10# line and below, the knot cinches down nice and tight.

I organize by lure size and by diving depth. I may have more than one size of baits in a box, but I always keep different divers in different boxes.

I fish poppers around vegetation. Most of the time I don’t retrieve the bait with any set cadence. I like to mix it up, sometimes on the same cast. I‘ve also had bass hit poppers while they are sitting still in the water.

Shad, fire tiger, baby bass, and crawfish are my best colors.

I have about a dozen of them. I found each and every one.

Congratulations on your retirement!

One of the presentations I always have tied on. Most of the time with a craw as a bait.

That’s a nice hawg right there!

After all these years I still get fooled at times. Last year, fishing clear water, I had a bass hit a swim jig and spit it back out a split second later before I could set the hook. If I had not seen that bass hit the bait I would have sworn I hit a piece of vegetation.

I had my license checked once last year. Missouri needs more game wardens. Some of these waters are a complete zoo on the weekends.

Last Saturday I was out in the yard, digging up a spot of ground, getting ready to plant grass seed. I looked over and saw a tick on a blade of grass. The grass is maybe 4" tall. I checked myself real good when I came back in the house.

Shimano 200 E7 Abu Revo - S 1st Generation Abu 5600 C3

I always bring a long a scoop or an manual pump. You never know when you'll need to start bailing.

Both anglers using the same bait, then the boater is going to be out fishing the co-angler, unless the boater is preoccupied with something else like the wind and waves in harsh conditions.

You scored.

There is a soccer park by my house with a retention pond that runs the length of it. During a flood about 15 years ago the creek that runs between the soccer park and a city park lake came up and made one large shallow lake for a while. When the water went back down we discovered that some bass got caught in retention pond in the soccer park. We went and fished it one Saturday morning maybe an hour and a half before the soccer games started. We got quite the stares from the parents and kids when we walked back to the parking lot carrying our fishing tackle.

About 50-55 years ago we had a vegetation choked lake around St. Louis. The thing was if you knew how to fish vegetation your could catch 5, 6, and 7 lb bass out of this lake. A lot of people griped about the vegetation, so the lake got sprayed. Then carp got added to finish what the spray didn't kill. Now the carp population in this lake is self sustaining, the only vegetation I've ever seen has been lily pads, and the water is muddy year round. Big mistake to add carp.

That is quite a collection.

Lipless crankbait or a swim jig.

Spinnerbait - 3/8 oz. Strike King Redeye. Jerkbait - Rapala Original Floating Minnow. Lipless - 1/2 oz. Cordell Super Spot. Jig - 3/8 oz. Strike King 3/8 oz. Bitsy Flip. Square Bill - Strike King KVD 1.5. Crankbait - 3/8 oz. Cordell Big-O Soft Body Swimbait - 4" Keitech Swing Impact. Hard Body Swimbait - N/A

My switch has been broken for a long time. I have a check list I go through before a trip to make sure I haven't forgotten anything.

I don't seal the cork, but I'll wipe it down after a trip.