Teal

manually moving aqautic vegetation with heavy machinery is typically an expensive task. I doubt that is the case is a local pond. Either sommeone raked it out or you had a lot of it wash out a little due to heavy run off. I've seen that before in lighter/looser sedements (soil types). Remember Hydrilla is the survivor man of aquatic vegetation, it can and will grow and thrive in almost all types of bodies of water and sedements. Chances are that the plants just washed out a little, they will settle and thrive again soon. Invasives like hydrilla pay my bills... I promise you, its not gone.... hydrilla doesn't disapear that easy... and even if it was raked out by a pond caretaker, ...if there's a stem or two left, it will be back.

Hootie, grump or not you do offer a lot of good info to the forrum. We do appreciate you. ....and you've never come off as a grump to me.

Heck yeah! That's. Awesome for ANY man of any age!!.... but good job old man! That's a beautiful fish! I'm glad that Cabo/Okuma is putting in WORK!

This topic again.....

Seibert outdoors jigs are very inexpensive. Jigs for 2.50 each. Heavy duty big O jigs for 3.50. Outstanding color selection. But if you wana try yyour hand at jig making you can buy the finished jig heads from mike at seiberts for a little over a buck each. Then buy the skirt tabs at fishingskirts .com. I would suggest buying finished heads first and then if you are satisfied,you can always buy molds and hooks that you like.

Good stuff dude!

Tom and Arv are on point on this one. The rod builders that both men named are excellent choices and will last a long time. I can personally tell you that Powell, Dobyns, St. Croix, and Shimano are great values and outstanding rods. As for reels, take a hard look at the Lews line up as well as the Shimano Curados, and Chronarchs. They are all work horse reels.

Steller year! Can't deny it. He is an incredible fisherman. He is going to have a great career. Is he the next KVD? No, there's only one KVD, there's only one Michael Jordan, there's only one Peyton Manning.... you get the idea. But what Jason Christie is doing is setting himself up to carve out his own name...He is becoming a better Jason Christie. will he have the longevity that the three athletes I named have? Who knows, but if he does yes, his name will be up there KVD and all of the other Fishing greats. But to get the sense of you meant, yes, he is quickly becoming the "next big thing"

Awesome trip dude!! Love the way you guys were methodical and worked as a team!!

The Powell 725 is a beast of a rod. It loads up well with light hollow body frogs and is a ridiculously strong rod. Reg price 170, the fish ranger has them for 110. IN LOVE WITH THIS ROD. MAKES A GOOD FLIPPIN OR JIG ROD TOO! The mojo rod will prob be fine too. I like rod between 7-7'3 for froggin because its hard for me to roll cast and skip with a roll cast with a longer rod...

Welcome from Roanoke Rapids NC

Welcome from Roanoke Rapids NC

The first time i caught fish on a big spoon. I was likke "man really" fish love em..

I have 2 723s and i love that rod. Its a great worm and light jig rod. Its also my go to for spinnerbaits,chatterbaits,swim jigs, and hollow body swimmers. I use the 714 as my jig rod, its a little more stout. I love it for 3/8-3/4oz jigs!!!

Powell 723 - 7'2 MH

Dont skimp dude. I wear Costas. And i will not look back, but i do own some less expensive glasses that i feel good about. Calcutta sunglasses are great for 25bucks. The new S11s seem nice for 40. I own the calcuttas, dont have S11s ...yet... If you cant afford Costa or Oakley, look at the WileyX glasses or SolarBat glasses, they seem like they would be great and are in the middle price range wise between the S11 and Costas.

This!

You should be fine with 2/0 or 3/0. I fish the 4" and 5" often. My best results come from the following in order from most productive to not as productive. 1) t rigged weightless. (My go to way to use a senko) 2) t rigged with 1/8oz tungsten (best when water is a little more choppy) 3) Carolina Rig (i dont care for c rigs but i cant deny the effectivness of a senko on this rig) 4) Wacky rigged on a 1/8oz wacky jig head (can be very productive) 5) wacky weightless ( product tactic, but i have much more success with with the others) With exception to the c rig, 20lb power pro should be fine.

Haha... shake it off. Telll her to call the "still legally married police"...LOL That reminds me of my 3 year old. He has toys that he NEVER touches, but heaven forbid there is another child in my house that attempts to play with it. He will immediatley put down or stop what he is doing, go to the child, rip the toy away and proclaim it as "MINE", then he will playy with it for two mins and throw it down and ignore its existance until another child begins to have fun with it again. I have had girlfriends like that, they leave or break up with me, and then they see me with a better looking woman, and the do one of two things. 1) go into a mini rage and curse out or harass the new gf or 2) blow mmy phone up or show up at my house at 0130 hrs proclaiming thier undying love for me by screaming in the front yard while shining headlights on my bedroom wall. 2) was a true story...ugh Dude, realy dont know what to say other than to stay strong and focus on the new job, new gf, your boys and fishing when you have time. You seem ttoo busy, to be dealing with childish games.

Looks like you established a good pattern. Good luck next week!!

Thanks Sam! Its definitely refreshing to hear that message from a seeminglyy like minded person. That is exactly the way i look at it....but i didnt say it was easy. Im def not job hunting. I cant afford a move like that. And i know this is the path that He put me on. As for fishing, that is really the least of myy concern...tho i do miss it. I guess what im saying is, myy head is screwed on straight and im doing this rkght and for the right reasons, im just really feeling the burn.

Absolutley! A 6'6 to 7' M or MH is pretty much the standard. Those ratings would be good to go what you want. I use a powell 723 for stuff like that....its perfect IMO for 1/4-3/8 t rigs, spinner baits, hollow bodys and flukes

I personally like a jig with an arky style head and any soft plastic trailer that has flat or smooth bottom. Beavers, rage craws, paca craws. If i plan of swimming a jig a frog gets a nod alot the time be cause it skips like a dream. Flukes, tubes, and some t rigged craws Some shaky heads skip pretty well for me too, the key for me is to pitch skip it so that the worm somewhat stays upright during the skip, if the worm falls over it doesnt skip nearly as effective.

Ok this is something that i deal with every summer and I still dong have it down to a science but im pretty close. Shallow banks and brushy cover with hydrilla (less than 8ft or so) - WEEDLESS, i go to my flipping baits, weedless swimbaits, and snag free topwaters. Examples, i like beaver or craw type baits on a texas rigged flipping hook with stout gear and thing from 1/2 to 1.5 oz tungsten weights on braided line. Same or similar gear for my topwater frogs, soft plastic frogs or buzzbaits. My swimbaits in this case, im around 1/4oz weighted hook, i can buzz the durface or like sombodyy said, run the weedline or drop it into holes...if the situation calls for heavier weighted hooks then ive gone heavier. Dont forget about tricck worms and senkos, just pitch them over to the cover and holes. Sparse hydrilla, same baits but ill go a bit lighter on flippin weights and ill expand my topwater selection as well as lippless cranks. I love a lipless in thks situation, especially in slightly deeper water or points that have hydrilla. Yo yo method gets the job done. When the baits start feeling like its touch or falling into the weeds, i rip it out and kill it for second and do it again. Be ready on the fall...thats when they hit it. I also like big worms or heavier shaky heads here Matted or extremly thick, punch it or use a weedless topwater. Hollow frogs, punchingbaits, or weights worms/senkos worked as topwaters. Dont forget about your soft plastic topwaters like the ultra vibe speed worms, rage shad or frogs.

Send a PM to Nitrofreak, i believe thats his home water. Sam can probabbly give you some helpful tips for that lake as well.