Turkey sandwich

Smallmouth will basically eat anything that either seems like a viable food source or is smaller than them and irritates them. That said, they have distinct preferences. If I'm picking bait on a river or stream, I'm looking for helgramites or madtoms first, followed by gobies/sculpins probably next, Shad/alewives (if present and legal), perch, crayfish, and then eventually sunfish and crappie. Most folks I know using sunfish for bait target catfish.

There is some excellent footage in this video! The In Fisherman largemouth and smallmouth series have some pretty good information and lay out a lot of general information about behavior. Bob Clouser's fly fishing smallmouth book is also a great resource for the general information, even if you don't own a fly rod, same for John Tartuliani's Smallmouth in Streams. Some of the best books that have helped my lure choices and presentation have been books on fly fishing. Yes, there are differences in tackle and conditions, but some of the presentation details you'll get from reading how to dead drift flies and mend line are applicable to any river situation, dammed reservoirs with current, etc and listening to/reading someone like Bob Clouser or Lefty Kreh talk about imitating baitfish with streamers is immediately applicable to any minnow immitation you throw. I also like Greg Vinall's Why Fish Don't See Your Lures... because it provides insight into color properties at various depths and water clarifies (though some of you guys may have run him off the forum a few months back. Let's simply agree to disagree on this one ). A lot of he older heads on here reference Spoon Plugging a good bit, and I'm still guilty of not picking up a copy. Is your primary concern finding the fish, or how to gauge activity level/ideal presentations? That might help give you specific answers or point you to the right books/articles/videos.

I have never thrown a grub on a fly rod, though, if weightless and on a 7-8 weight it might be doable. I would NOT try casting 1/8-1/4oz jig on a fly rod because I would render myself unconscious and keeping a loop would be a nightmare. I typically fish them on a medium fast or medium light XF spinning Rod.

You can fish big baits in a finesse style. However, most of my finesse fishing is done with 3.5" tubes and grubs. You can present them in most places and work them at a variety of different depths and speeds until you can really tune in on the fish. In fact, most of the big smallmouth we've boated this year have come on grubs and Bitsy bug/Bitsy craw trailer.

I'm so sorry to hear about this. What an absolute nightmare.

I've never dropped big money on a spinning reel, so I can't compare it to $200 reels. However, unless I have a very good reason to drop $200 on a Shimano, I'm extremely happy with my Presidents. They're way better than a sub $100 should be and I can't recommend them enough. If I have a $300 budget for a spinning combo, I'm spending $250 on the rod and $50 on the President.

To my understanding, it tames substantially with line conditioner. Still, I prefer using it as a leader with braid main line for most applications. The stuff is low vis and virtually indestructible.

I have an Avid X and will likely be buying several more. They look and feel like much more expensive rods and really are great to fish. Everybody has their own preferences, and individual taste has its place, but you're hard pressed to find a better Rod than an Avid/Avid X in the $200 range.

Any words like "fun", "interesting", "flavorful", etc when combined with "light beer" becomes kinda an oxymoron. Dude, you're in Louisianna, right? Abita makes a bunch of delicious beers.

Search this forum for reviews on the avid X. You'll find a ton of praise from anyone liking split grips and micro guides.

Keel weighted Super Flukes ripped across the surface and then immediately allowed to die. I have no idea why I forgot about fishing these this way, but holy **** is it exciting watching fish smash them out of the water as soon as you pause them and let them fall.

I have a 6'8 mlxf that I use for finesse plastics and I couldn't be happier with it. I've never fished the Loomis, so I can't give a comparision, but I can say that it's a lot of rod for $200ish and you won't be disappointed.

Nope. It's yet another reason I tend to stick to the easy paddling on the Susquehanna.

It sucks you didn't get there, but it's awesome you caught fish and hung out with your grandfather. For or future planning, count on there almost always being wind since it's a mountain reservoir. The only reason I don't fish it is because I refuse to paddle a lake that big with only one access ramp. I'm a year out from back surgery and my kayak is anything but fast. Maybe picking up a pedal/electric drive for my kayak will change my mind, but I'm not sure. Realistically, it's big enough to want a bass boat to fish it, but the horse power restrictions make that impossible.

How'd it go?

I'm an advocate of keeping it. You can never have too many rods and as you spend time on the water and reading this forum, you'll find a use for it. Even if the rods are identical in length and weight/power, the action (or where the rods bend) can drastically effect what techniques they fish best.

I wish I knew this earlier! Still, odds are good I'll be placing an order this week. Your jigs look incredible!

Wait... Weren't we discussing this same kind of stupid on the "strange noise" thread? Why would anyone think this kind of behavior is ok?

Disrespecting property/killing fish/leaving a mess is one thing, politely apologizing, complimenting the property owner, and if goes well, asking future permission is another. I grew up fishing farm ponds on private property in can only recall one negative incident, and the circumstances had to do with a property dispute and later sale that we knew nothing about. As as for differences in the south, really, there aren't many. If someone testifies they were shot at, good luck retaining your freedom, let alone your property. I'm very pro gun, and irresponsibly "shooting at turtles" is exactly why so much of the country isn't. Bravado is cool until it lands you in jail.

Not sure if/what you're asking, but welcome!

The bulk of fish I've caught in the past 2 weeks have been in 6' of water or less and either in current or in adjacent flats including an 18" 3+lber in 2' of water. You're going to want an anchor. Basic shallow water techniques - tubes, grubs, craw/jig, spinnerbaits and shallow cranks can be very productive. Find any maps you can and good luck!

Even in fast current/riffles, light weighted tubes, grubs, and if the bottom allows, football jigs can be money. In short, you can fish virtually anything you would normally fish so long as you mind current and the depth range you'll be fishing. If the conditions dictate it, I'll even throw light C rigs. Approach it as you would a lake with current, remember fish are going to be 95% facing into the current and staged around seams, eddies, and grass.

Jesus, that thing looks like it was eating softballs.

It's a notoriously tricky reservoir to fish, but I have heard plenty of stories of size and numbers. Draw down/water level can effect fishing there significantly and without a depth finder, it can be tough. I wish I could remember where I found my maps of that lake, having some sort of chart will be very, very helpful.

I've "caught" a pretty sizeable collection of Crankbaits and jerkbaits over the years ranging from inexpensive jointed jerkbaits to husky jerks, Long-As, Shad raps, fat raps, and several that I never bothered to identify. Also, fishing a lot of rivers, I've managed to recover countless pieces of soft plastic and terminal tackle rigged every which way imaginable. I feel like every other trip or so I'll snag into a line or branch attached to something. I guess it's the River God repaying me for my own lost tackle and the garbage I regularly clean up on floats.