Choporoz

Sounds like you're dialed in just about perfectly.

Just in case there aren't enough reasons listed already..... Big bass get released at ramps....tourny bass, and even just daily bags saved for stringer photos...lots of big bass get brought from all over the lake only to be released at the ramps. Now, of course, they don't all stay right there, but some will be around....so, even if areas near a launch get relatively more pressure, that may well be offset by the likelihood of a higher concentration of big fish within a few cast lengths .

In the last 48 hours, I've driven over the York, the Rappahannock, the Occoquan and the Potomac and every one of them looks like Yoohoo...and there's still more rain in the forecast...quite a bit more

American Legacy has a bunch of Tatula rod models on sale for $99

LOL....I guess that's why they created the pull tabs to go with...seemed a bit too much to me, but I guess I can see the attraction

I think all moving water in eastern VA is chocolate milk right now.

I'd not heard of these, but this vid showed up in my Google News Feed.....the skipping stuff is interesting, but the look of the lure in the water is what grabbed me. Anyone use these?

I get some tungsten from Siebertoutdoors....some Reins from TW when on sale, and all the rest from OMfishingsinkers.com

Looks like the park rents boats. If you don't have a boat/tube/kayak, I'd suggest renting. Without topo map, I have a hard time advising you this time of year. If you're limited to the banks, you'll want to find places where you can reach deeper water -- while there may be an early and late bite in shallows or on surface, most of the day, the bass are likely going to be more than ten feet deep....maybe much more. I'd want to know more about depth you can cast to than about above the surface features...at least in July and August. I spent last Friday and Saturday on a similarly sized/shaped lake and every bass, except two, were caught was from just five spots, none very big....ALL between 12 and 17 feet deep.

Probably about half the times I've caught them, there is someone within hollerin' distance who wants it. The rest, I release. I'm not yet convinced they are going to harm the bass population...no more than blue cats, anyway. Nothing too scientific here, but I enjoyed the reading.... https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/stop-killing-the-potomacs-snakehead/2018/07/13/c48ecf7e-7e3c-11e8-b660-4d0f9f0351f1_story.html?utm_term=.042076eda025 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2017/06/16/apparently-the-once-feared-snakehead-is-just-another-fish-in-the-potomac/?utm_term=.5759a4de29cb

Hopefully, none. Will come back with pics if there is an issue....but, off the top of my head, it seems as if the the 'chute' will be far above where my trolley line rides (mostly just below 'chine line' on Tarpon 100.) Typically, I tie my anchor to a triangle ring that rides the trolley. With anchor line now running through the chute, not certain how I'll rig the anchor line through the trolley. But, I haven't started playing with it...was just looking for any experiences to copy.

Got the Anchor Wizard in....with tracks, installation will be a breeze. However, I'm not sure how/if I can use it with my existing trolley. Anyone use the Wizard with a trolley?

I am not much help with that. I have a TCS 7'11" H that I recommend for the value, if that's what you need. I would gladly buy another TCS, but would want to handle it first, if only because the Mat Daddy that I have may not be a good representative of 7'3" TCS. I have not handled the St Croix Bass X model line. (I own a number of St Croix rods and I wouldn't hesitate to send anybody to their lines of rods. So, they probably make a $100 rod that is as good as anyone else's $100 rod.) Highly recommend that you get your hands on them before you buy, if possible. The handles/grips are different and the balance may be a lot different in your hands.

I have St Croix and TCS rods, but without a LOT more info, I can't recommend one over the other

I'd say get some of each and see what you like. @J Franchois right, matching plastic thickness makes a difference in thicker stuff. BTW, I used their screw-in weights all weekend in nasty grass with good results. However, plastic durability goes down dramatically with them. I've never used screw-in weights before. Tough to make a worm last more than one fish with the weight screwed in. Worms get shredded with any fight at all. I will use them again in heavy weeds, but probably not in other situations.

Send it here: https://www.ndss.org/advocate/national-advocacy-public-policy/2018-buddy-walk-on-washington-advocacy-conference-adult-summit/1966-2/

Congratulations! Great weekend! I always look forward to your reports. Thank you for taking the time.

Spent nearly 12 hours yesterday trying to put this thread to good use. Bass were all on bottom between 12 and 15 feet in thick stuff. Never got jigs working comfortably. But T-rig trick worms behind 3/16 tungsten bullet worked best for both getting to bottom and then working back to the boat. Key was boat position...made challenging by the wind. Keeping retrieve as straight as possible made working it much easier....just a little drift and the line wraps and pulls more weeds into the retrieved lure.

Me, too. BPS, Cabela's, DSG , Academy ok, but not nearly as satisfying than TW. Fish USA not too bad. I was visiting family in the Midwest and was in a Fleet Farm that impressed with selection and prices, but I haven't ordered from them.

Sounds like a fun, but daunting task. My lazy side might just split this with him: http://www.pondking.com/product/complete-bass-fishing-kit/

I have little opinion on the topic going in....I rarely use either fluoro, nor mono...but since it's getting all scientific in here, wouldn't water absorption over time affect density, sink rates, etc.?

Makes a little sense....but I probably won't adopt for two reasons - I have had leader knots fail on rare occasions, but never with fish at the boat, that I can recall...second is that by my nature, I'm somewhat inattentive and lazy regarding my knots, so having a shorter leader knot forces me to re-tie more often than I might otherwise

Doing a little research before heading to a couple grass choked lakes and came upon this gem. I realize this is a serious necro-thread bump, but wow, what great info for this time of year. Thanks, Catt...and Steve and others.

That answers it for me quite well, also. I generally need a 'style' that has me 'actively' working the lure, however. Sure, getting on a school and dropping a DS or shaky into them is fun when they're biting...but it doesn't completely do it for me. (I acknowledge that part of the reason is psychological -- I still lack some confidence in getting onto active fish -- so, in my mind lures that aren't moving might be 20 feet from the nearest interested bass.) Same for fishing other species -- couple of weeks ago on a walleye trip, we stumbled upon a narrow fish-highway that carried 27 inchers through it every evening -- loved catching nice fish, but anchoring and vertically soaking a leech just wasn't nearly as much fun as trolling and casting for me. So, chucking and winding....flipping and dragging...that's where I generally find myself

ICAST best of category: Fly Reels SEiGLER (formerly Truth Reels and Release Reels) isn't on most of our radars yet, because they don't appear to be targeting us (yet?) And, I know that fly fishing isn't huge here, but there are a number of you who may be interested. However, country of origin for our equipment is frequently discussed. And SEiGLER are 100% (except some bearings, maybe?) US made. Not many other reels can claim that. I don't own any of their reels and don't know much that wasn't an easy google - but what I learned has impressed me. I am pulling for these guys and do hope they enter the freshwater/small profile market. https://www.seigler.fish/pages/the-original