Snakehead Whisperer

Those all look great. I especially like the icey blue and deep red ones in the bottom right corner. I bet you do pretty well with those.

Put some shoes on! But seriously, the PFD is a no-brainer. I wear mine whenever the boat is underway, and all the time when the combined air/water temperature is below 120 degrees. I was ejected from my boat and landed at least 30' from it while underway, and the PFD saved my life. Water was in the 50's and air was colder. I was experiencing the early stages of hypothermia within 10-15 minutes, and I have no doubt that I wouldn't have made it without the life jacket. The thing that strikes me as odd with this story is that Tenkiller is not a lake that has a ton of boat traffic. I'm glad nobody was killed. If it can happen there, then it can happen anywhere.

Sounds like a great dream. The VA state record is nothing to scoff at, and you're actually in the right part of the state to beat it... 16lbs 4oz caught by Richard Tate at Lake Connor.

Had a memorable one a couple weeks back. I was fishing the tidal Potomac at the mouth of a non-existent creek near Alexandria, VA and throwing a popper. Had a fish just barely suck in the lure... set the hook and the fight was on. All in all a pretty lackluster fight, netted and brought aboard. Then upon looking closer at the fish, it was a warsaw grouper that went about 20lbs. Weird. Pretty awesome dream, got me wishing it was warmer outside.

While I'm not superstitious, I do believe in Murphy's Law. Couldn't help but think of this when I read your post.

Always bring my gear, life jacket and some water/coffee/snack items. I don't really believe in luck and I'm not superstitious at all. I did get into a boat accident a while back. The guy I was fishing with brought a banana on board. 2 hours later we took a swim and had to be rescued. Still not superstitious though.

For yourself and your son I'd get these if you're considering a conventional life jacket. They are really comfortable and have a waterproof cell phone pocket and a d-ring for a kill switch. The best part is that the back is not bulky, so you can drive and sit down on seats with backrests. http://www.basspro.com/XPS-Platinum-Series-Life-Jacket-for-Men/product/10202751/ As for the difference between the $30 and $80 vests, I'm pretty sure it's mostly just styling and finish quality. The cheap vests work, but they look dorky and are bulky. The one that I posted is lightweight, comfortable and works (was wearing it when I crashed my boat the year before last.) Pretty much all type II/III jackets will provide exactly 15.5lbs buoyancy, which is enough to keep most adults heads above water. Some inflatables provide you with up to 25lbs of buoyancy, which is greater than a type I offshore life vest (although they are not held to the same standards as a type I, which are designed to turn an unconscious person face up.) It takes about 7-12lbs (iirc) to keep an average adult afloat, so having that extra 9.5lbs of buoyancy is a pretty big advantage. I know the Cabela's inflatables are 25lb, but I can't speak for others. I always wear the conventional style when it's cold outside, but it becomes too hot to wear in nicer weather. The inflatable is the way to go in any weather over 60°F.

There's a Gander Mountain in Charlotesville on 29. Never been inside, but it's a big store.

That is a great gift. I got both of those from BassnChris too. Great job you do on this gift exchange. Can't wait for next year.

This is a great deal, and it includes side imaging. You wouldn't be able to do a through-hull transducer installation with this. http://www.amazon.com/Humminbird-409380-1-Imaging-Chartplotter-Fishfinder/dp/B00BSJDRDE

That's a Tennessee Grip. It's made that way intentionally. You tape the reel to the grip.

Nice fish! You guys getting out again before the season closes?

I don't own any sinking line, but love to throw heavy streamers on floating line. If fish are deeper than 10' I'll break out the casting/spinning gear. Fly fishing is a lot of fun but like everythingthatswims said, there is a time and place for all techniques.. my main objective is to actually catch the fish.

B'n'M rods are legit. You'll be hard pressed to get a better rod at the price. I can't think of many crappie rods that go for over $50. Seems like a cheaper alternative to building a rod from a fly rod blank. Get this: https://www.bnmpoles.com/p-78-bucks-best-ultra-lite-pole.aspx or this: https://www.bnmpoles.com/p-220-the-original-bucks-graphite-jig-pole-redesigned.aspx They are both made for spinning reels and the Buck's jig pole rod is available in 8-16'.

x2. Don't connect/disconnect the cables to the battery terminals when the charger is plugged in (this prevents sparking.) Charge in a well ventilated area. I use that charger, and I'm very happy with it. 2 years and it hasn't failed me yet.

I'm always working on my metal attitude... but that's just me. But seriously I plan on trying to do more deep structure fishing, and (not bass fishing) trying to step up my dry fly game for wild trout.

Most of my spinning rods that I use for throwing jigs/dropshots to smallies are spooled with 10-15lb PowerPro with a 6-10lb Red Seguar fluoro leader. Usually 10lb braid on my ML rods, and 15lb on my M rods. Anything above 8lb fluoro on the leader and I start having a harder time with wind and finesse presentations. For topwaters I'll usually switch the leader out to mono of the same diameter or use straight mono. For crankbaits and the like I'll usually throw 10-12lb mono on a baitcaster unless they are tiny lures. I've found that a line conditioner helps to break the braid in much faster and prevents mono from memory and soaking up water. I use Ardent Line Butter, but I've heard good things about the KVD stuff too.

7'6" ML with a 5.2:1 2500 reel spooled with 10lb braid and leader, or a 5wt fly rod with floating line will keep me busy freshwater fishing for a long time.

If you truly want the most stability out of your jon boat, I'd forget the casting deck and stand on the floor. 36" width jon boats are pretty stable to stand in when the center of gravity is low and the water is relatively calm. If you stand up on the seats, it gets pretty sketchy. I have a 1548 and I stand on the floor when fishing. I've built a floor out of plate aluminum and anti-fatigue flooring material. It's the best solution that I've seen for smaller jon boats. You could possibly raise the floor a few inches to allow for a recessed trolling motor pedal, but I wouldn't recommend going any higher than that. The beauty of the jon boat is it's simplicity.

This one?

Beautiful bows there. That last one is a serious pig.

Eaten it a few times. It's pretty gritty, but not bad if you filet it soon after catching. It's definitely a fish for the fryer, and not the oven/grill.

And it'll only set you back $3100.

This may be true for many, but I've never understood it. This rings true for those who bought too much boat, or bought a boat for the wrong reasons. One of the best days of my life was when I bought my first boat. Buying my next boat will probably rate right up there too.

We have some serious carp anglers out here who have the whole setup. They bring the rod holders, the 15' rods, boilies, a carp mat (so the fish doesn't get hurt when releasing,) etc. Oh... and a chair, of course.