Spankey

Like you I’ve been fishing a long time 50+ years. Kid fishing…….I was a kid and fished for whatever would bite at the streams and quarry. I started trout fishing seriously at a very young age. To this day it is a big part of my fishing. My biggest regret was not picking up a fly rod at around age 12 years old. Learn it and live it. But no harm no foul, I take that a bit more serious these days. Bass fishing regrets……..probably not fishing a lot of different water around the country. Put myself on different water types that are out there. This is what I believe makes these pros as good as they are. I never put myself in the position to apply myself in places like Lake Murray, St. John’s, Gunthersville, Lower Mississippi. I can hold my own on a few rivers near me. In the full scale of thing not sure how good of a fisherman that makes me. Now that I’m retired and still able to get around problem free I need to test these different waters.

The river sections I fish is basically suburban. I’ve fished some of the urban sections also. Smallies are there. I don’t overlook anything. Creeks that flow in with a typical creek mouth, creeks that flow in and create points w/ quick deep drop offs, concrete and steel storm drain pipes, old locks (destroyed stuff), stone banks, lay downs, concrete slabs that I don’t know what they are from (railroad ?), foundations and boat docks. But as TnRiv said they vary from day to day or week. The larger smallies are very nomadic. I say not so much with the dinks or runts. They seem to be more like homebodies to an area. There is nothing wrong with knowing the river like the back of your hand. It’s a big part of success. And safety also. When I first set out in a morning I don’t put faster water first. I just run with more of an intuition. I’ve caught some nice smallies in lower flow areas. Pick a spot and go with it. Change up as necessary. On this site a read many different statements about fishing for bigger fish or just fishing or bigger fish won’t be there. Wherever I start on the river, whatever I’m throwing from first cast till last I’m fishing for respectable smallies. They can be there at any given time.

I’m a long time Trilene XL fan. Will always recommend them. It’s easy to get for sure. Over the last few years I’ve been fishing the SunLine Super Mono in 6# and 8#. This is great stuff. Only draw back is that I can’t find it in bigger bulk spools. Good luck with your search.

Nice fish ? up north here the lake I fish has both the flowering and the non flowering pads like that. Pads = bluegill = bass

Nice fish. ? Good and dark, caught in grass?

The hurt will go away some after fishing the new set up. Good luck.

Don’t overlook a tube. Great crawdad imitation. Plenty of colors available. But don’t get hung up on colors.

That is a great pattern also. Red yes but has the spring yellow highlights to it. Good luck with it.

Crankbaits are a big part of my. I fish some of the SPRO’s, great baits. I’m fishing the off colors due to the river being in a pretty much constant stain. Melon Craw, Spring Craw and Burnt Orange Craw have yielded fish. But I don’t put them head over heals better than a Bomber, Bandit or Rapala. An equal good quality bait. Rapala’s natural patterns seem to produce the best for me.

I was out this morning real early. Had the whole river to myself. I spent a lot of time in an area that is productive and has always been a good section. I’m catching fish but not the ones I want (size). Really feel respectable smallies have regressed out of the area. The area is not dead but you feel like your beating a dead horse. Got two on a topwater and got one to bite a tube. I’ll be out again in the am. I’m not gonna hit it. Gonna lay off of it for awhile. Got up into another section of river today. Never fished it. Scouted it out. Found a few section that look promising for that big one. Boat docks, wood structure that drops off to 10+ feet of water quickly and more rock structure. Change will do me good.

I’m not real particular. Great post. I like the OP’s way of doing it outside of the mayo spread on it. No mayo for me. I’m liking it grilled more and more. Up my way we are getting great corn now. Not market corn. Farm stand corn.

You’re in a tough business (one I know nothing about) can see it being very demanding with extreme needs. Hope it turns around for you soon. Working with people and public all day is tough. Different form of service.

You’ll break out of the funk you are in but don’t continue to get more stressed out. Will get you sick. Sucks you missed your opportunity for some stress relief. Not my place to tell anyone what to do but I’d get my daily ducks in a row. Have my gear where I want it and take a sick day. Dedicate a day to it during the week. That will break that funk in a hurry.

I don’t know much about them other what my wife makes in them is great. I was told a long time ago that I’m not to touch her cast iron pans. Ok, I’m fine with that.

For me I have to take the ride to Greater Philly Area, Harrisburg or Allentown Area. The drive is no big deal. But the show have really degraded over the years. The ones at BPS may still be decent but I have not been to one there in a long while. Miss the St. Croix Factory Dealer not being there in mY area shows, discounts are great.

Took advantage of the cooler air yesterday morning. Real pleasure to be on the river. By no means is fall at my finger tips yet. That big bit has still been tough over the last month. I’ll get her. Water temps need to drop and some rain that’s not flash floods. Caught close to 2 dozen dinks and runts from 8” to 13”. The way things have been going I was satisfied. I had to be. Kept things as simple as possible only throwing a few soft and hard confidence baits. I’ll be back in there in a day of so. I might hit the deeper sections. Concentrate all my efforts there. Nothing to loose. Maybe go at them a bit different.

I’ve heard that also. I use tubes being a river rat. You don’t hear guys talk tube much these day. Tube are here to stay.

For what it’s worth, if you like fishing a smaller ribbon tail worm (5”), Dry Creek Outfitters puts this size out. Good quality. In my area finding a smaller finesse size ribbon tail worms dried up years ago. I stumbled upon this company a couple of years ago. I fish smaller sized buzzbaits. As a trailer I use these or a Zoom 4” curly tail.

Been on the river I fish a long time. Find this to be true for me. This is not to say I’ve never caught one in 13ft of water. Generally the deepest part of the channel or around bridge piling. Don’t know really anything about the OP’s river but it seems to be a great place to fish for smallies and greenies in the same areas.

Looking forward to air temps when I’m out tomorrow am. Probably right under 60 degrees.

I grill year around. Prefer the smoker-griller but the gas grill is great and is convenient at times. I’m a yank up here in the north and purposely will grill on the coldest days of the year. We can see 13-17 deg. at times. Have you guys noticed (May just be my imagination) that the colder it is outside the better your grill performed. Grilling in the dead of winter is uplifting for me and it keeps my neighbors on the fence as to whether or not I’m crazy. I hope they think I’m crazy. Hope to get some bluegill or crappies of size next weekend. Will take the grand sons out again. Had them out on Tuesday and they had gotten some nice size one. Maybe the hottest day of the year and I didn’t feel like dealing with them. Will probably be chicken tonight.

I won’t touch the climate change debate. But, years ago, as a kid and as an adult when kids were younger we had what I believe were 4 true seasons. I fish and hunt and the weather window is not what it was. But I am not a scientist.

There are a few older vintage kick butt power worms I’d like to get my hands on but what I’ve seen on eBay doesn’t look worth buying. Not sure how they were taken care of. Soft plastics can last half a lifetime in kept properly.

I just hope and pray I don’t see a hurricane(s) to set back the river. Last years devastation has and does have an effect on this current season. Helps in some situations and has long lasting poor effects in other ways. We should be breaking out of this long heat wave shortly. Strange year this year.

I’ve had many many memorable Columbus Days fishing. Was able to put my dad and father-in-law some nice fish over the years. Both have passed. That’s as cool as catching it yourself. Was never a paid holiday for us. Called in sick every year except if weather had to put it off. More than once I’d be calling in and the freight train would be rolling down the tracks along the river in the back ground. I never missed much time but I had priorities also.