NathanW

We call it stroking. The technique where you cast out a tube or spoon and rip it off the floor and let it sink back to the bottom. When they are on it they bite it really good. I make medium length casts to avoid snagging as I am usually fishing this on chunk rock. I have not wacked em stroking until later in the summer and into fall but I am sure others have different experiances. Regarding the C-Rig. Used to be my staple while I was learning how to fish the Columbia river, its got a great deep bite. I always used either a roboworm and mostly a 4" or 5" zoom lizard. Typically kept the wieght to around 1/2 ounce with 14"-18" leader. If you can find deep weed edges or a nice ledge there is no better way to find the productive areas if they are not biting a crankbait.

For smallmouth I go with the green color that roboworm uses in their "aarons magic" colored worm, or yamamoto "Watermelon 042". Its darker that what I view as traditional watermelon, it pops pretty good in brown tinted water and we all know SM love green. I don't like green pumkin or pumkin just because I feel like they match the water color and dont pop. Looking at your bait if you cannot see it likely they cannot either. When I am fishing largmouth in the same type of water its a very easy choice of junebug or some type of plum color or something close, no need for anything else. Black wont get the nod unless we are talking less than one foot of visibility or very low light conditions.

I trim about 1/2" off and bevel the edges a little where you make the cut. You're going to love the way these puppies swim. Great buy at half off.

I would be pretty deadly if all I ever used was drop shot roboworm and crankbait. Drop shot will catch them any day of the year, and when they are eating a crankbait you'll catch good keepers in a hurry .

Oh yeah buddy! I remember when I first tore into some smallmouth from the banks of Potholes Resevoir after a 15 year hiatus from fishing. INSTANTLY HOOKED. I am sure my wife regrets going to that Bachelorette party that weekend and leaving me at home with nothing to do. Life will never be the same, nor will the bank account.

Crossing their eyes and possibly horsing them in due to stronger/faster rod than you probably need. I went through the same deal a few years ago with tubes, started losing a lot of fish 3/4 of the way to the boat when I started preferring heavy and MH rods. Its a bummer because I would rather fish the stiffer rods. I would also acknowledge aavery 2's comment, that trailer may be giving the fish something to lever against. I use a 6'10" medium action rod for scroungers that honestly is underpowered for its label. I cant recall if I have ever lost a fish on an exposed single hook with it and I am mostly fishing smallmouth.

With out a doubt it's the gear. Most specifically the rod. Sometimes the fish hooks itself, sometimes you've got to hook the fish, so definitely not saying it cannot be done.

Swing Impact, KVD swim n shiner, Havoc beat shad are about all I use. Out of the bags you mentioned find a color aside from the chunks that match best and go with it.

Reading these is causing stress and anxiety. I should stop. Seen most of this first hand, made a couple of the same mistakes, have a sprung driver side door to show for it. Witnessed a guy get cold clocked several years ago for offering help to another guy trying to back his trailer and refusing. Cops were already on their way due to a prior fist fight at the ramp (Memorial Day Weekend, Vantage WA), only thing funny about this was thier tribal arm band tatoos. On another note I will never own a trailer with rolling bunks because winch strap fail, I have seen it first hand. Finally, I am thankfull we are not required to pull the plug while in transport here in Washington because the first day of the season is the only day I will likely attempt to sink my boat (Learned to turn the bilge pump on a stay calm, water goes out faster than it comes in when you have a good pump).

I have done this a couple of times. Most regretable time was with a brand new Terminator T-1, its not so bad when you do it with a crankbait, just look stupid.

My advice is that you limit yourself to the type of lure your gear is best suited for and lean towards the ones you have the most confidance in. I have not fished that lake but it looks like you've got a lot of vegetation to deal with. If you like chucking and winding a spinnerbait, buzzbait, swimjig combo could put a few fish in the boat in the morning. Note that throwing a buzzbait is somewhat of a gamble but has big-fish potential and takes little experiance to fish dangerously. As the day progresses you could slow down and fish the outside of the weeds and docks with a dropshot or Senko, again baits that take little to no experiance to catch em on. If you have depth a dropshot would be a better choice. Your morning bite will last longer if you fish the East bank and if its a high skies sunny day do whatever you can to cast your bait into shaded waters. I would be curious to know what kind of stuff you are used to fishing.

I agree completely. I love the stability that the dogs of summer offer. The fish position themselves predictably and are eating every day due to their high metabolism. Find good shade, current breaks, or deep water edges and you are going to catch them. It doesnt matter what the weather was like or is like the way that it matters in spring or late fall. Also, around here it seems like the better portion of the bass boat owners winterize their boats as soon as the fish are done spawning so their is very little fishing pressure. Not saying I am immune to the heat. It deffinently gets to me after a couple hours of straight 90º-110º temps. But I am not fishing for money so I'll take a swim break, relax for awhile or call it quits early if its too miserable.

For Smallies 4.5 inch curl tail roboworm if there is current. 4.5 inch straight tail worm if there is not current Late summer and into fall I switch to the Z-Man Shad-Z in green pumpkin because these fish will flat out eat anything and Elaztech will stay on your hook through multiple fish and constant dink nibbling. For LMB 6" straight tail Roboworm

6.25lbs. On a Dry Creek Tube. Moses Lake, Wa. 2010.

Okay, its a buddy tournament. Co angler tourney is when your partner is randomly selected the night before the event. Guys can either enter with their boat as a boater or without a boat as a co-angler. But your tournament is buddy format. Good luck!!

Yep, a number of times! Pretty cool huh! Did you tell the fish thanks?

I would compare trolling to slow-pitch softball. Anyone can get on base, the guys who couldnt make it past high school ball are star players, and there will beer, oh yes, plenty of beer.

"In the Major League Tournament on Istokpoga, a lot of that heavy cover was cattails and maidencane. In dense stands of bulrushes you've got to reign in your range and play closer to the vest. During that tourney, you'll recall that Chris Lane busted deeper into the bulrushes than anyone else, but it didn't pay off. Getting your lure 'way back' into a bulrush stand is real easy, but getting it back to the boat may not be so easy. Roger" That was Bobby Lane who was fishing the Hyacinth mats mostly... But yeah he was pretty deep in the stuff... I was referring to when, I believe it was Denny,Talk, and Alton had their boat on the outside edge and were flipping way back into the cattails and pulling out fish. I found it pretty impressive and Recall that Denny was getting fish from pretty deep inside.

Are you fishing as a boater or coangler?

Living up North, there are two lakes I fish pretty regularly where, after the LMB spawn, they become extremely difficult to find until fall. Most everybody turn to smallmouth for their tournament fish during this time of year and rarely do you see 5 fish limits all largemouth. Not saying your lake is similar but if it is it may be your best interest to fish smallmouth instead. The lakes that that do still produce good numbers of LMB are typically easiest to find on the North End or whichever end of the lake has the main feeder creek. I usually target them in shallow cover next to deeper water, right on the edge if there is one. If I am fishing a lake with a ton of vegetation I key in on Milfoil or submerged timber/brush and anything that creates good shade. Pay constant attention to the position of the sun and fish the side of the lake or grassline that is most protected. If I see cover that is not currently creating shade but has good potential to, I revisit those area later/earlier in the day. I mostly jig/T-rig fish during the day this time of year. Another tip I can give you is to avoid mush bottom. If I am fishing a lake that has this potential I wont stop to fish until after I check the bottom. I just stick my rod in the water and poke the bottom. Sand is great, mud is not. This is my very simple approach, note that I am not out their catching 25lbs sacks like some of the locals here but I always catch fish, especially in the middle of summer.

You should watch Major League Fishing episodes at lake Istokopoga, Fl. 2013 Challange cup. It will give you an idea of how its done. Some of these fish are caught pretty far back. Looks like a lot of fun.

If it comes with a trailer I would seriosuly consider. What size and year?

I really don't think you can go wrong if you follow this rule of thumb. Regarding reaction baits however I would do pretty well during the daytime if the only color I ever fished was white and pretty well at night if the only color I ever threw was black.

Almost always a swing impact, beat shad,swim n shiner, or Rockvibe shad. Hands down best action is swing impact but you will be replacing a lot of tails if you are around short striking dinks. Second best is Swin n Shiner, great KVD bait!!

Thats a pretty badass story. I have never been around white bass those fish are something else!! Lost a setup a few years back in about 10 foot of water. Was able to fish it out. Luckily it somehow landed tip sticking straight up and I could just barely see the tip about 5 foot down. Have had many close calls. Luckily they dont sink that fast.