Logan S

I'm really surprised he chose not to weigh, every point is valuable to those guys - For the classic and re-qualifying for next year (though Clunn could use legends exemptions if needed). I know he's getting older and all, but I have to imagine the Classic is still important to him? I watched a lot of the coverage today but not all, did they actually say he dumped his fish? I'm wondering (hoping) if it was something like he had a couple fish but was late to weigh in or something. I don't care about the fantasy aspect at all...I'd just be really surprised if he willingly decided not to get the points.

My lineup glitched or something - Somehow missing my bucket C angler (Benton) . That plus Clunn, well it there goes the season.... Oh well, can always get lucky in a single event.

You already identified KY Lake's primary issue in your first post....And all tournaments are catch and release, most just release them later and in a different spot . You've got a freight train barreling down on you but you're focused on a gnat buzzing by your ear. Tournaments or not, KY Lake is going to be in bad shape until this issue reaches an equilibrium point or is somehow mitigated by your DNR (which is probably impossible). Maybe regulating tournaments during this time where the lake is struggling is a good idea, but tournaments didn't put the lake in this condition. Obviously I'll add the disclaimer that this all my opinion and I'm not a scientist etc, etc, etc...But I've seen this similar scenario play out on my home waters multiple times so I do have some perspective on the 'tournaments vs larger issues' topic. The larger issues are much harder to deal with so people tend to block them out and tournaments end up on the chopping block.

Most of the very best bass fisheries in the world have no closed seasons and heavy tournament pressure year-round. They have been that way for decades too. Obviously there could be some specific scenarios on specific lakes where tournaments might be problematic...But generally speaking I don't believe tournaments harm fisheries. Tournaments should still be run with an emphasis on fish care and follow best practices though....And organizations/directors that are negligent in this area should face some consequences (like denied future permits, etc).

One of those times where having all the physical things correct like location, bait, color, depth, etc, are just not enough. He was probably doing something subtle in his presentation that was trigging the strikes. Or it could have been a matter of making more precise casts to track his bait exactly on a line that was more likely to get a strike, as the boater he can set himself up for that...You wouldn't be able to from the back. Keep on that guys good side and and see if you can draw some tips out of him on how/why he was doing things, sounds like someone to learn from .

For me, solid orange skirts on chatters and spinnerbaits to mimic the goldfish in the Potomac grassbeds during the summer. Not something I do a lot, but I'll throw it for a dozen casts or so if I've worked a good stretch of grass without a bite or on days when tons of other boats are out throwing the normal stuff. Every now and then I'll catch a fish or two on it that I don't think I would have otherwise.

If the canal was narrow enough to where you're pitching or making short casts to either side from the middle - It's really on the boater to fish both sides from the front and let the co fish whatever he wants behind him. That's how I handle narrow waters. If the canal/creek/cove/etc is a little wider where the boater is sticking to one side and the Co has to make a long or hail mary type cast to hit the other side (in front or behind 'the line')....Then I tend to side more with the boater there, the co should stick to the same side. Either way, the opposite side thing has tons of grey area and almost every situation is unique...So it really comes down to communication. I always tell my co's what the plan is with things like this, but IMO a lot boaters sort of suck at communicating so as a Co it helps to speak up and just ask. You may or may not like the answer, but it's better to know than not know. This is spot on... It doesn't seem like that's what happened in the OP's situation but great advice in general.

All bass boats brands are pretty good these days and I'd consider a 2012 boat to be apart of 'these days' . One standout area with Skeeter's is the on-plane handling. It handles like it's on rails at moderate speeds which great for winding waters like creeks or channels. At top speeds it's arrow-straight with no chine walk all the way up to 70+mph. You could (not that you would or should) take your hands off the wheel at top speed and the boat would keep tracking exactly where you pointed it...You don't have to 'drive' it, it drives itself. A drawback on Skeeter's is porpoising at slow on-plane speeds. It can be difficult to run under 30mph on-plane without porpoising. With practice you can get it down and ride smooth, but I can see where it might be an issue to some. I've been very happy with my Skeeter and love the SHO.

Cool, I agree on houses and cars...I've done those too. If I'm wrong on the how common this is that's OK, it was based in my actual experience and seemed to be generally accepted in my circle of boat owning friends. I thought it was decent advice but if not, it's worth what you paid for it My rates for both boats were from USAA which is a fairly substantial national lender and the rates were their published ones, not just for me...So I'm not alone. The point was to get the lowest rate. I think that's been hammered home.

OK. One of the reasons I said "most" and "usually" instead of an absolute...There's bound to be exceptions. Could have changed since 2018 too I guess. I've financed two boats and both times the rate was lower for longer terms. Have several friends with the same experience. These are real world experiences. Have you financed a boat? What was your experience with the rates if so? I guess to be more accurate I'd change my advice to, "The lowest rate might be on a longer term so look for that option."

For boats, yes...At least in my experience on my last two boats and several friends who went thru the process as well. Boats are 'toys' and I think they want you for as long as possible... I'm sure there are all kinds of different scenarios out there though...So bound to be exceptions.

Most lenders will only give you the lowest rates on long terms...So long terms are almost 'standard' now to get the best rate. Plan for this and figure out what your payments need to be to get it paid off in whatever term you want (and so you don't spend extra on interest). Getting the lowest rate should be the #1 priority and that usually means a long term (15 years is the norm it seems). Unfortunately, a 'good' rate on a boat loan is usually a bit higher than what you might expect for a car loan...Good to know this going in. Some dealers also tack on freight, prep, or rigging charges...Ask about these early in the process. Don't forget about tax on the boat and the trailer....It's a significant additional expense that many don't remember until the very end. Good luck, hope you find a great new ride! It can be a pain sorting all the financing stuff out but the piece of mind with a new rig and a long warranty is worth it .

IMO, Edwin Evers needs to be in the conversation. Look at the type of tournaments he's won and you won't find a more versatile resume. To my knowledge he's the only angler to win separate top tour level events with all LM, all SM, and all Spotted bass....But even beyond that he's literally checked all the boxes in terms of types of bass and bass waters for professional level wins. Great Lakes Smallmouth (Erie) River Smallmouth (St Lawrence, he stayed in the river) Florida Largemouth (St Johns) TVA Reservoir Largemouth (KY Lake) Northern Largemouth (IL) Spotted Bass (AL River and Norman) Non-TVA southern Reservoirs (Rayburn and Eufala) Tidal Rivers (St Johns and Atchafalaya) ....And his massive Classic win at Grand Lake, OK.....And as much as I'm not a huge fan of MLF/BPT, he's won there too - A tour event, an AOY, and the Redcrest. I'm not saying he's the undisputed #1, but there's no way he's not in the conversation to me.

I don't have any of the latest model DC reels, but I can say that all the ones I do have have been trouble free (a few for more than 10 years now). It's pretty impressive how reliable the DC systems are. The only thing different about DC reels when it comes to maintenance is that it's slightly more difficult to get at the spool bearing on the side with the DC unit, but it's more like adding a step or two to the process...Not a drastic increase in difficulty.

As a co-angler you're along for the ride, for better or worse. Most people out there, boaters and co's, are normal people and will get along just fine. Since you were a boater previously, I don't think you need any advice on the boat etiquette stuff like not stepping on seats, spills, etc...But for anyone else out there reading - Yea, don't step on the seats, don't bring messy/spill-prone food or drinks, if you smoke or dip ask first (and be prepared for a 'No'), and anything else along these lines. The fishing etiquette part can be the tricky one because people have different views on what's acceptable/courteous or not (both boaters and co's). The steering wheel guideline is pretty common and a decent visualization but I don't really like it because the boat is never completely parallel with whatever you're targeting. My version is just to not try to beat the boater to the targets, that's what I tell my co's and it seems to work well....Cast wherever you want just don't try to beat me to a cast or skip ahead of me. Boater's should also be proactive about this stuff. If I'm doing something a certain way that might not be obvious I just tell the co-angler so there's no confusion. Co-anglers aren't mind readers and a lot of times they simply don't have a ton of experience....Being proactive helps them a lot.

I don't know that I know of an official PB for me in many of the lakes/rivers, but I know these... Black Hill: 7-4...Also have two 6-15's Deep Creek: 5-15 (LM), 4-8 (SM) Conowingo: 5-9 (LM) Tidal Potomac: not sure, but have several 6's (one in my profile pic) - haven't broke 7 yet Not MD, but 'local' enough that I fish them regularly... Lake Anna: 7-1 Lake Gaston: 6-1 and 5-14 on the same day (also have 2 other fish that I'm pretty sure were bigger than 6-1 but I didn't weigh them) Everywhere else is a 4 or 5, except I don't know if I ever broke 4lbs on the upper Potomac for SM or LM - But I haven't really fished it since I had my aluminum Tracker which was 12 or 13 years ago now. Also, thread is worthless without pics - It's winter time, cmon man! Here are the two 6-15's from BH, both were caught within a couple weeks of each other in July 2013 (both in tournaments too). A few casts before I caught the one on the left I lost a fish that was very clearly bigger...2013 was a special year for that lake.

I fly fish for trout in the winter, it's fun and hiking though the quiet woods is a nice change of pace from blasting around at 70mph chasing bass . I typically make a handful of fly fishing trips each winter and then I've had enough and it's back to bass. I've fly fished for bass and caught them, but generally speaking its just not as effective. Your casting distance and effective depth range is very limited compared to normal bass tackle. It's fun though, something different. I will say that I've been on lakes when huge mayfly hatches were happening, watched bass munching them (and mostly ignoring my offerings) and thought, "this might be a time you could really clean up with a fly rod." Maybe one day I'll hide a fly rod in my rod locker and try it out (at a lake and time where it's likely to happen) .

Bull sharks are occasionally seen in the Potomac and Chesapeake up in the bass waters. There's supposedly a 'Chessie' that lives in the bay as well. Of sort of similar and interesting note, there's a sunken German U-Boat in the Potomac, though further south so not in the areas I fish for bass. I've also heard of the mega catfish at/below dams - I think that's a universal superstition .

People tend to over emphasize how easy new tech makes fishing. I remember the same thing with SI when it came out and it will probably follow a similar path. As it becomes more widely available and more people use it the 'magic' perception of it will wear off. Part of that will also be from the fish adapting to it. The point is to catch fish right? This isn't snagging or netting them or anything else unethical, it's just helping you be more effective/efficient at targeting them. (I don't have live sonar on my boat currently)

In your price range you'll be getting a relatively new/modern boat and as such, any of those brands will be solid boats. There's a lot of flak out on the internet, but I know people that own all of the brands listed and all are happy. The decision point really comes down to things like layout, storage, motor, and accessories. IMO, yes. But plenty of people run AL rigs and are happy with them and would probably disagree with me. The performance and fishability is maxed in a traditional glass bass boat. You'll probably be looking at boats that are 3 to 6 years old...The average 'avid' bass fisherman probably puts 30 to 60 hours per season on their rig just to give you a ballpark on what the hours average out to. Of course the x-factor is how well the previous owner maintained it and it's rare to know that for sure unless you happen to know the seller personally. I think if you can find something that averages in that 30-60 hour per year range or less you'll be looking good. Powerhead replacement many times is done under warranty and it's tough to know how to feel about it. I know people that have had powerheads replaced and then never had another issue, but also have known people that have the complete opposite experience. Wish I had better advice, sorry it's a gut call I guess. Good luck with the search, hope you find great one!

FYI, 2021 season is around the corner so here's my annual plug . Check the main post in the Clubs forum for additional info...Feel free to ask any question here or in a message!

I'm one of the crazy people that thinks magnesium framed baitcast reels make the combo just a hair more sensitive than aluminum or graphite/plastic framed reels...I also think you can balance a rod a little better by choosing lighter/heavier reels to match the rod (IE, heavier reel on a longer heavy-power rod). So yea, I believe you can optimize a rod's performance with certain reels. It's a nuance for sure, but its fun for gear junkies like me.

I was actually talking about cold weather...Seems like they start dying off when ice starts forming and BH freezes frequently in the winter. I just think it's a bit too small and doesn't have the inflow/outflow and structure that a 'real' lake has where they would survive/replenish...It's more like an overgrown pond. Not a biologist though so this is just me shooting the s**t on based on what I've seen .

This is my new favorite feature of the forum --> There's been golden shiners in the lake for as long as I've been fishing it, which is about 20 years now. I doubt shad would survive in the lake, it's too small for them. I've always thought it was managed fine and it was a good lake to bass fish. There was period a few years back where I'd put it in the conversation of the best bass fisheries in the region....But that doesn't last forever and it tapered off. The massive development in the area has slammed the lake in the past year or two, plus the COVID crowds this year. We call it 'Yak Hills' now ....It's completely overrun with kayaks. If it wasn't so close to me and easy to get quick trips in, I'd likely write it off these days.

It'd be nice to see some variety, but I'm just glad they aren't coming to any of my home waters this year .