Spankey

I would like to work with a great rod builder and have him teach me how to build my own. It may not necessarily be a bass rod.

Maybe fish a 3” grub, tube, craw or a baby brush hog. Fish slow. Drag it. Pop it. Maybe throw Slider. Throw a smaller/micro jig.

If I feel that strongly at that particular time, it may just happen at that log, I’ll hammer it. With more than one bait. If a hookup doesn’t take place I’ll circle above it and come back down to it. I don’t feel I wasted my time if nothing occurs.

Remember those ads from the 60’s and early 70’s. Never had to mail order anything like that. The stuff was probably ok to fish with back then. Growing up I was lucky enough to have a couple of hardware stores my dad and grandfather would be in and they had fishing and hunting supplies there. Real cool and a nice find you have there.

Who’s laying around in bed for 20+ hours a day. In my case I don’t care if I have pneumonia a broken foot or whatever else possible out there I ain’t laying to bed all day. I have a thing about being somewhat productive as long as I’m alive.

What are some of your water depths you are fishing a drop shot?

I think what as worked for me with my grandsons (started them younger then the 20 yo you are working with) was even though I wanted them to establish a PB from day one, the most important thing is for them to catch fish. Bigger bass and PB will come. My older grandsons fished with worms, night crawlers, minnows, crickets, grubs, small crawfish and have caught everything in the lake but a musky. Now days they toss artificial and have a PB they look to break. Now I have a 3 year old grandson in the mix. Having fun with it is a big part.

I feel the last two days there has been a good change in the way I feeling. We are having a nice break from that extreme temp and difficult air we had for many days straight. I’m just trying to honor everyone’s wishes to not go back to what I normally would do or want to do. I will. But did miss two great mornings on the water, but that’s ok. We are expecting some real rain for a day or so. I suspect the bite will pick up some because of it. I don’t want to go in reverse so I’ll chill for a couple of more days. I hope you guys never get it. But I’ll tell you what sucks. And meds may affect everyone differently. I was on this steroid for 4-5 day and I couldn’t sleep. They cause insomnia. 1 1/2 hours of sleep a day for 4 days. That was tough. Pneumonia is serious, listen to your body (I didn’t quick enough) and not be aah oh well. I’m not a big fan of the doctor. Going to one or being around one. But I made a couple of appointments for some check up. Routine stuff, I’ll try to be a bit smarter. Don’t get dehydrated. Even if you think you are hydrated, you may not be. I drank more water this past week than I did for the last month. I never thought dehydration was behind this. But it was. You guys have fun while you’re. I’ll be back out at it soon. Got to get those grandsons back out. The 3 year old is a piece of work. I’m gonna get him to fish some soft plastics this next trip.

I’m a big fan of Rapala hardbaits. 50+ years I guess. Face of the company has changed a lot since buy ups and buy outs. Hope they hang in there.

I agree with you on the chatterbaits. But I have to put some (most) of that on myself. Pretty much have taken a lackadaisical and a non committed approach to using them. Have been used as just another bait. I should take every bait and rod out of my boat, throw a few chatterbaits and a few trailers in a ziplock bag and grab one casting setup and go to the lake or river. Force myself to use it. Nothing else to throw.

You’ll be busy with the bait monkey. 🙈

Not sure how much color means. Too many colors and what I like may not appeal to you. I don’t fish big worms but always have a curly tail, straight tail and a cut tail on or ready to be on. Something you have to build confidence in. You might be all about Junebug, I might be motor oil. Quite different, who’s right, who’s wrong?

Thanks man. I think I’m feeling a bit better. Symptoms are weaker if that’s the right term. Dr. office called me today to do a check in and they were not short on words to tell me that my conditions was more serious than I might be thinking it is. But I’m just trying to chill a bit longer. Do what I’m told. They just don’t want me out in that soupy air we are in. Way too many pollutants in the air to hear them. I’m not in the city. A burber. But there were making a lot of sense when telling me how pneumonia and coughing damages your lungs and heal time can be longer. They want me to wait until after this weekend before I resume some normal activities. And stressed I will not be all the way healed and have to not get my heart rate and breathing rates up. It’s just weird. My fault because I should have had it looked into a while ago. Thought it would just go away.

When I’m on the hoof I’d rather use a vest. Easier to carry what you need. But I’m sure this is just because of being a trout fisherman. There are some decent mesh type vest out there that are not that expensive. Not hot to wear. A decent canvas creel bag would suffice. I like breaking away from the norm of fishing out of the boat sometimes during the summer and fishing under the canopy of stream trees. The mile or two of walking feels good.

I’m temporarily side lined, trying to get over a bout of pneumonia but will be back on the river shortly. My last couple of time out the topwater bite and activity has increased. Throwing a few different versions of pop-r’s. Have to break out some old chug bugs. Guess misses are just a timing thing and hard to control what goes on with a slash. I don’t throw big buzzbait. Smaller SK baits w/ and w/o trailer hooks or baits. Different bite to them, bait is in motion.

So many rods out there. BPS has a Pro Qualifiers Series that doesn’t break the bank. Decent all around rods. Abu has the Vendetta or Veritas Rods on sale all the time. Check out some Fenwick HMX and HMG, they are on sale from time to time. I’m not gonna recommend anything specific because it has to comfortable to you. I would not say the rods I mentioned are low end they are not high end. But have some sensitivity and quality.

I’m fortunate to have a working live well on my boat. Some basic tank solutions. I’m no fish doctor but I feel this has helped a few fish over the years. But I’m no doctor. I’m sure fish in a livewell can stress them out but feel equally as strong that a stressed out fish can be calmed down. I’m not an expert.

I’ve never had a hard time giving one to someone. I dress it, they cook it. Glad they enjoy them. I’ve always felt bad when that happens. Still do. But it has not happened many times in 50 years. I would feel worse having it floating around belly up. Whether ethics or if only for my own head I’ll find it a home. I’ll grill it if I have to, my granddaughter loves eating fish. I totally respect the respect thing. To let it go belly up I’ll pass on that. Respectable game fish like trout, bass or walleye will make someone happy. But it sucks, 1000’s of fish that I’ve caught and released, I hate when it happens. But that’s just my side of things. What others do does not concern me.

Nothing really all that different or new for me. I’ve fished some elastic craws, grubs and tube and have gotten some good results. Nowhere near a new PB river smallie for me but who know might come. I’ve been fishing a few new Strike King version pop-r’s. Color patterns have all caught river smallies. They are a 1/8 oz. Version but I’m chucking them on a ML spinning set up. I’m a crankbait fanatic, picked up a few fish on the new SK Gravel Dogs. Good river color patterns. Nothing real new as far as technique but first of throwing a SK pop-r type. Just wanted to try a few new things.

Keep doing what you are doing. It works great for you. I find fishing different live baits for bass is difficult.

What kind of frog is that?

I’m not gonna go until I’m completely better. I’m gonna chill until that time and we are out of this heat wave. I’m not gonna push anything. I’ve been thinking about reorganizing my craws and creature. I done that last year with different Senko types in one of those Flambeau containers that looks like a mini file bin. Worked out great. I’ll get it shipped right to the house. It’s frustrating. I love being out on a perfectly calm morning no wind, surface like glass and some surface activity. Smallies on a Pop-R. A 5 to 9 morning suits me just fine.

Thank you guys/gals for your posts I appreciate it. I’m sure I need a couple of more days to recover but I feel like hooking up and going down to the river. Family isn’t gonna let that happen. I try it, they'll pull my keys. They tell me it’s more serious than what I have in my mind that it is. The humidity is the killer. Was outside this morning taking care of some of the feathered and furred friends of mine that come across my yard and I could feel it big time. I can do fishing related stuff indoors. My two older grandsons want to go down to the cross roads for some night fishing where we locally do some of our trout fishing. They love stream fishing. Smallies are in there and we’ve caught some nice red eyes in there. They’re talking about hitting that a night or two during the week. Maybe we can come across a few nice holdover trout. I’ll get our ultra lite lines replaced, go over aerator pumps and bait pails and buckets. The craziest thing about this pneumonia issue is, the meds they have me on to beat it. They give me insomnia. Don’t sleep, don’t get tired. Pretty crazy. But a true side effect. I hope in a couple of days it’s all behind me.

Took a trip over to family doctor. Have been having congestion, hacking, hockers, some shortness of breath, wheezing for quite a while. All stuff that we all have had. Pulled an abdominal muscle from coughing so much I decided to make that doctor visit. I’m pretty stubborn so I’m one to keep trudging along from one day to the next figuring it will go away. Someday. He checked me out pretty decent and had a plan to put me on a few meds for the condition. He didn’t like my elevated heart rate. Took EKG and stuff. I couldn’t tell it was elevated. Sent me over to hospital for other evaluations. Hospital did a quick job of getting me hooked up and getting me in the right direction (I hope). They thought higher heart rate was from dehydration and an infection. I never thought that was gonna be an issue. Didn’t feel dehydrated. A couple of IV’s and heart rate came down to normal. Handful of tests and scans show I have pneumonia. They have me on some meds and a steroid. Is not a COVID pneumonia. Most likely from allergies that festered over time. Sucks and stupidity on my part. Not keeping in tune to what your body is telling you but I really never picked up on any elevated heart rate. They suspect our current weather pattern we are in with excessive heat and humidity has not helped. I hope to be back to the fishing hole in a few days, will take a few down day from working around home and on the water. I never thought dehydration was an issue, have to take in more water. And the only thing I can really only pass on is, if your body is trying to tell you something don’t ignore it. Maybe get looked at sooner than later. Should have reacted to the shortness of breath stuff and not be my own doctor back a while ago. You guys stay hydrated. I don’t drink a lot of coffee, ice tea or soda normally but they don’t help you hydrate. Sorry for rambling on, I’m sure others have bigger issues than I do but it’s not fun when you know you might have eliminated the problem long ago if you just react to it.

Gold w/ black back is still and has been a long time favorite of mine. I love throwing a Rat-L-Trap, have productive patterns but for river smallies I really only need to throw a chrome w/ black back, chrome w/ blue back, gold w/ black back and a firetiger. I still fish ones that the chrome is beat to heck and still are very productive. It’s funny on some days you’ll have an old beat up one on and they hit the heck out of it than on other days the seem to want one with a better chrome finish on them. I think you are correct on light condition. Great color, good luck.