Choporoz

There was an interesting article in Jan/Feb 2018 Bassmaster. Hackney and Christie were discussing two issues for tournament anglers (though, I'm sure they'd say that they are different than tourny anglers discussed above, because they're elites.) First they talked about gawkers and seemed fine as long as looky-loos stay a couple hundred yards off. Then, when they talked about sharing the water, is when it got interesting. The more they talked, the more upset that I got....you could easily infer an entitled mentality that they were there for just a short time and it was their 'job', so locals should just get out of their way. Hackney: "I'll be honest with you, if I'm fishing a tournament and you're out there watching, don't fish at all within eye distance. If I can see you fishing, you're too close......If you fish here all the time, I'm like 'c'mon man, give me some slack four four days'. I'm not here because I want to be here....I'm forced to fish here" I found it a bit disturbing.

Heard it on the X? To OP, I have mostly Smokes and Tatulas. Most of the time, I prefer spool tension to allow smallest (side to side) play. Then I do most tuning with dial opposite handle. Some situations dictate adjustments before even trying to backlash: - skipping situations - after sunset - changing to lighter or less 'aerodynamic' lure - incoming wind

Each time I read this post, I come down to answer.....but there's two very different questions that I feel like replying to...lol...."Solely" and "sole" as used above make it easy for me to say no. I've always liked to think of myself as more impervious to any marketing than the average human. However, I freely admit that if I watch a pro tearing them up for hours or days with something....in conditions that look like what I fish....well...I just might find myself buying a very specific lure in the subsequent days or weeks. I will also admit that I have bought a lot of stuff after reading some of you guys talking it up. And just for the record.....in my big box of 'never gonna use that again' stuff, there is far more lures that I got after reading about it here than there are lures I watched some pro using.

Don't think I've seen a hula grub jig. But I did put a hula grub on a Seibert Zenith shakeyhead this weekend and caught quite a few with it, tossing it into laydowns.

Months ago on here, I made fun of the idea of fishing Ned rig deep....that I didn't have the patience to find out how long a 1/16 oz head with buoyant plastic would take to drop 20+ feet. I am glad I tried it. Caught a couple dozen keepers last two days, most on a Baby Goat, and many over 17 feet deep.

Surface temps are still a (crazy) 53 here in north central NC. He's probably just needing a little sun. Melatonin challenged, I guess.

This little guy hit a blade bait today. I'm thinking white bass, but I can't find any mention of them in this lake in anything I've read. Any ideas?

On my Wildy, I attached a Mighty Mount 2 with rivets. That was 6 or 7 years ago....still holds Visicarbon pro light/flag firm. Did the same on my Hobie On my wife's, I used a StarMount, but those aren't nearly as good...can be a pain to put in and take out the flag

No. Rained on a few times, though

Yeah....no.. I don't know who is dumber; Plano for the design....or me for believing the ad copy. First rusty hooks I have had in years.

Found it....if you are on mobile version, go to top of page, click on the three lines icon top right. From there, click 'Account' and then 'Account Settings'.

I don't have a rod like that, but I can see myself using it for size 78 jerk baits and tiny cranks. I just think you may miss fish out 75 feet with a TRig on that rod. .could be way wrong, though

The first...and maybe only announcer that I would watch a game for. I learned as much about the game from his book, One Knee Equals Two Feet, as from any other book

I bought some Gene Larew shooter baits and 'jigs' a few years ago. I used 6'10MF spinning rod. I got a little proficient, but never felt like it was better than skipping a senko, so stopped doing it.

Open hook presentations? I ask because I imagine it might be challenging to set the hook at long range with that rod.

Good luck with the fishing excursion. I'm no help. But I'd probably just busy myself with cigar factory and rum tours... ?

I get a couple a year. Only the first bad one a few years ago put me in the hospital. Had one about 3 months ago that was so bad, the pain had me vomiting for an hour. Mine all pass on their own. It has gotten so I know the cycle well. The side/back pain on the first day is horrible....it subsides within about 12-18 hours as the stone starts moving. Second day is marked by repeated sharp, relatively short stabbing pains as it makes its way down. I keep some Percocet handy for Day 1, and grin and bear it. Just crossing my fingers that I don't get one that can't make the trip on its own.

@A-Jay, those Gammy Octopus hooks were one of those that I had the most trouble with.....those and Mustads...not certain if the Mustads were octopus or circle. Now I use Owner (and some Decoy)

Had a way-too-close encounter with a bass boat on plane the other afternoon a little after 4PM. I was crossing a wide creek not too far from the mouth on Sunday in my kayak, going south to north...maybe about 2/3 of way across when he came around the corner. The boat turned into the creek from my right at good speed. He cut the turn wide, which was good, but then was headed straight towards me. He started turning a bit astern of me....towards center of channel and I relaxed a little....and pedaled faster. I looked to my right seconds later and he's coming right at me again....and hasn't eased the throttle at all. I started yelling and waving my paddle....when he throttled back and threw the wheel over to the left.....I'm a poor judge of distance on the water, but I would say that he wasn't more than 25 yards away before he saw me. I had a flag and a yellow PFD. But, because my attention was to the south....and then to the east....I didn't realize until afterward that he was driving straight into the setting sun and could not see me....it just didn't occur to me until after. Had I been more aware, I'd have taken more overt action much sooner.....I just thought he was a bit reckless.....no clue he might not see me. It was a stupid, careless run when he was essentially blind (there were other kayakers further up the creek on that unusually warm day), but I should have been more aware.

+1 For no apparent reason, I don't do well with roboworms....even when everyone around me seems to love them. Maxscent Flat Worms are my go to. Curious....what hooks are you going with? Only asking, because my hook up ratio was terrible in my early dropshot days.....better hooks made a bigger difference than which plastic....but....Reins Bubble Shaker is another solid choice

When I try to fish slow, I feel like the owl in the old Tootsie Pop commercial.....I'll count to 30 seconds....one...two... three...nope...can't do it. Now, I will make 20 casts to the same branch...but I don't have the patience to deadstick or do a reeeaaallly sllloooow drag

I fish Lake Yoohoo often. @Bird and @Team9nine and @DitchPanda advice is perfect. Shallow wood....tight to shallow wood

Maybe in 3-4 months you will be, IMO. I don't plan to ever again live with the threat of hard water, unless it is a part year, snowbird deal. For me, I think hundreds of possible places loosely defined by a (flexible?) triangle with Memphis, Richmond and Augusta at the corners.

My thoughts on carp are disjointed and somewhat random....I don't particularly like them, but not strongly. Snagging one from a kayak is an adventure, but removes me from the bass hunt for a good 15-20 minutes....masses of carp during spawn means move on...no active bass around......rest of year, they could be inches apart.....having a big one crash the bottom of your kayak after dark....well, crap ...literally...crap.. ....paddling through shallow narrows filled with spawing carp is more fun than scary...in the daylight, anyway ..... I have wasted WAY too much time chasing moving pads and reeds that were usually....probably...carp. I have never targeted them intentionally, but I have caught a few in the mouth on small plastics

Try it. I haven't had luck chucking and winding, but honestly haven't done it much. I generally fish blades when water is cooler, fish are slowing down, and so I bump them on bottom. If I want to wind away, it will be in warmer water and I'll be throwing something different.