Jar11591

A ribbontail worm works well as a topwater bait over emergent grass and lilies.

He’s already talking to a professional which is a good start, and thats a hurdle that a lot of men in particular have trouble getting over. So that’s really good. Maybe Eric needs to get out and stick some fish with his pops-in-law? Physical activity also does wonders for mental health. Like some full court basketball or going for a run. Two things I try to do if I’m feeling off, mentally. Hope Eric gets it figured out and can get back to running the farm.

I never get overly excited about picking up either of the 2 rigs that have Abu reels on them. Abu is a brand that I will certainly never buy again.

Well put.

https://www.immaculategrid.com

I fish worms up to 12” in upstate NY. I do well with them in July and August.

Love throwing hula grubs on a football head around rock piles and humps.

Nice Ohio tank @T-Billy!

You said it’s spongy. Is it moss growing under the grass? That’s usually a symptom of soil that gets a little too much water and shade. Other wise I’d agree with @padlin, possibly some burns from uneven fertilizing. Another thing on the “sponginess’s of it. One of my lawn customers last year had a big patch of grass that was bulging and very jiggle and bouncy. Took my pocket knife and stabbed the bulge in the middle and gallons and gallons of water drained out. No more spongy bulge. So if you can feel water underneath, try stabbing it and letting some water drain out.

Should be at least 3 from NYS on there. St. Lawrence and Cayuga should be near the top and I’m sure Lake Champlain will be on there somewhere.

NYS bass opener used to be the third Saturday in June. They’ve recently changed it, thankfully, to open year round but December-June it’s C&R and artificials only which doesn’t affect me anyway.

Except when it doesn’t. Like fishing an expansive milfoil flat. For fishing certain specific pieces of cover or contours, of course accuracy is better than distance. But there are plenty of situations where accuracy matters none, but distance is what will get you the most bites…like expansive hydrilla and milfoil forests with no contours. Being stealthy is also a situation where distance is important, but in these cases accuracy is usually equally important as well.

Same here. Don’t think I’ve ever even casted one. When I was a baby my dad put a little spinning set up in my hand. That’s what I fished with when I got my start. I was learning to use a baitcaster on my own accord by the time I was 10. My dad never used one so he couldn’t show me.

Yup. I remember when @Master Bait'r started this thread way back when.

It’s rare that I fish water that isn’t clear to ultra clear, but when I am in dingy stained water I use black with some shiny blue or purple flare.

@TnRiver46 yeah that’s the only reason I found the tiny one yesterday. It was the size of poppy seed. Never woulda noticed if I didn’t itch like hell

Yup. I found it hilarious. Laughed so hard I cried! Hurt a little to pluck it off though. I have my girlfriend help search me now whenever I’m done mowing or landscaping or otherwise in the bush. A 2nd junk tick probably won’t be as funny. Found a tiny tick on my stomach just yesterday.

I love throwing frogs into lay downs on steep banks. Often with laydowns the closer you get to shore, the more of a tangled mess the laydown is. I love throwing the frog right into that gnarly wood. Especially if there are some pads or other emergent vegetation around it. Matted milfoil/hydrilla or pad fields are also great froggin water. The more pocked with openings, the better. Standard frogs come through pads better but ill throw a popping one on the matted vegetation. When the frog hits an opening, I love to twitch in place. I just try to shake the line and it causes the frog to gently twitch and make rings in the water while staying in place. My favorite frogs are the Booyah Pad Crashers. Standard, Jr, and popping varieties.

I love my burgers with cheese and just a thick slice of raw onion. Butter the bun then grill that too, then a little mayo. I like the burger to be pretty black on the outside and pink in the middle so I cook it right on the high flame.

BTL is great, although definitely features a lot of tournament talk. But Thursdays they get really in depth about techniques or baits or other educational stuff. Usually has episodes every week day but day 4s with Frank Scalish is what you’ll want. Tackle Talk is another really good one. Don’t get much in to tournament stuff so it’s mostly educational. Sometimes you may have to skip a 20 minute sponsor plug in the beginning but thats what FF is for. I wish this was more than once a week. The Mercer podcast is pretty good too but I don’t like it as much as the other 2 I mentioned.

While I’m not necessarily sure what “pull the bait away from the fish” means in this context, for jerkbaits and topwaters I want the rod to have a snappy, fast or extra fast tip. Trying to work a jerk or topwater bait with a more moderate rod is for the birds. Like trying to stir a pot of soup with a piece of cooked spaghetti. I also like a shorter rod for these applications because you can snap the rod tip down to work the bait without slapping the surface of the water. Check out the St. Croix Victory 6’8” M-XF. I have the casting version of this rod that makes an excellent rod for jerkbaits, walkers and poppers.

I wear Huk face shields and gloves. Very happy with them. Lightweight and breathable and keeps you cool.

Gamakatsu Finesse Wide Gape 1/0

Mowing lawns in the heat, with my mind on bass and bass on my mind.