the reel ess

Stick my feet or fingers in. If it's not uncomfortably cold it's warm.

My dad was a crappie fisherman when I was small. In the days before people and the DNR put out fish attractors, there were only stumps in the lake to concentrate crappie. Many of the best ones had a stake driven into them to tie up to. This was cane pole and minnow territory with a lot of down time. Later, I turned it into a chunk and wind pursuit using my trusty Zebco and curly tail grubs. I made him a believer in artificial baits.

It gives you free hands and time for a beer. Not bad for dock fishing. That's an area where, if the fish aren't there, an artificial won't get bitten. But a live bait might draw one in. When you fish the creeks around here you get a lot of creek chubs. I've often thought about keeping some for use in my local reservoir. It's creek fed so they probably would not be invasive to the lake.

Gold/black is THE hardbait color where I usually fish, though it works well elsewhere. These are my 2 favs: Cordell Super Spot and the H2O Xpress store brand. Both are under $5. I have a box chock full of Traps that I don't use because these two outproduce it 2:1, at least where I fish. A lighter color gold may work well in places with shad as the primary forage.

I saw a boat so fast it turned a sharp corner and ran into itself. (A variation on a Ty Cobb joke)

Does the lake level rise when that many boats launch?

I fished for peacocks for a day with a guide. He had me using a Super Spook with 3 trebles. I caught a good one and had it beside the boat. He had no net and didn't want me to boat flip them. He says to me "Handle your fish." I said "I'm not paying you $400 to get a hand full of trebles attached to a peacock flopping around the boat." My hands were like hamburger. They were throbbing. I didn't even have lotion at the hotel. The wife suggested I try Chapstick. It did the trick overnight.

If you averaged out a whole year, maybe close to once a week. More when it's warm. Less in winter. So my wife has been goin to Weight Watchers for more than a year and has nearly lost 100 lbs. I've just been eating her cooking and also lost weight. But she hit a plateau and wanted to join a gym. That's a money commitment, so we go when we can. I do it to encourage her, but I also love the health benefits and how it's making me look in the mirror. That has taken a few fishing days away from me this spring. But honestly, weather and other obligations took April away from me...again.

Yum Dinger. And you can get 100 for $28. I bought a hundred pack of black/blue flake. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=yum+dinger+100+pack&crid=WFV6UCOURLRK&sprefix=yum+dinger+%2Caps%2C94&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_3_11

I use the same rod for pitching/flipping that I use for worming and often pitch a worm. Thus I do peg it all the time. A certain pro fisherman had a YT video saying he never, ever pegged a worm weight because, in his opinion, it caused fish to be lost. Later I saw another of his videos where he was pitching laydowns and had one pegged and he didn't even mention it. As stated above, in open water, there's no need to peg it and might get your hook in a few more fish.

Kayak starting to really hurt my lower back after an hour. Just gets worse unless I get out and stretch. I live in town and barely have room for my cars, so a boat is out of the question for now. I really would like to give a jon boat the electric bass boat treatment.

I went to Florida. But generally, if I'm going to be fishing from a local person's boat, I'd do 2 hours. If I'm doing everything I try to stay on an hour radius. There are still plenty of places I haven't fished on that circle.

Whatever the wife has. But usually only put it on my legs. Face and head are covered.

If you want a baitcast reel, buy one with a solid frame. Don't buy every color of every lure. Most if not all of the colors work. Take a minute before you drive off for a fishing trip to go over the list of things you need. Not a bad idea to write one out. Look on a maps website at the areas you want to fish. 95% of the water has no bass. Try not to get too drunk to fish. Don't forget the drain plug if you have a boat. You don't need to give a kidney for a rod that you'll be using for a technique that does not require much sensitivity. The most versatile BC rod is a MH somewhere between 6-6 and 7ft. Cover up and/or use sunscreen. Set the drag somewhere around 60% of the line test for single hook lures like T-rigs and less than 50% for treble lures. I usually set mine pretty light for trebles and use the thumb as required. Braided line all but eliminates line twist on spinning reels.

My wife went crappie fishing with me once. I just kept baiting her hook and she kept catching crappie. When the bite slowed and I had time to fish, all I could get was catfish. I bought her a combo and everything but she never went again. She said it's just not her bag. So I guess what I'm saying is just keep her baited up and catching.

It's antiquated for sure.

I can't get bass to bite a tube, but they're all over a craw. So that's what I do.

I'm hoping at some time in 2023 I'll have a free day to fish. I thought I was past all the spring obligations then the wife tells me I have to attend the BD party of two great nieces. Can you guess how many great uncles were ever at a birthday party for me? When will I be old enough to say no, thanks?

Interesting trailer

And very difficult to locate, right?

I can't disagree that most big bass move to deeper structure and cover after spawn. But they don't just haul butt to 15' deep. They take a while to get there. I still catch good bass shallow in May and June. The best bite moves from middle of the day to morning/evening for the shallow ones. I had a PB in July in 3' max of water one July but I have eclipsed that one since.

Weather has joined forces with other responsibilities and circumstances to completely ruin my fishing in April, usually the best month of the year for me. I told my wife I wanted to fish 4X a week in April. I haven't fished in nearly 2 weeks. Responsibilities, storms and lake wind advisories. Also, joined a gym. So, if weather is marginal, to the gym I go. One reason I love April is because all the turkey hunters are off the water.

I started using the slither rig for wood as well. Looks just like a jig and waaaay more weedless. Also, of course, it works quite well in vegetation. Aside from this, the Trashmaster jig, exclusively at Karl's Tackle is also a very weedless jig and it skips quite well with a beaver type plastic. Also, a T-rigged craw or beaver with pegged weight is always an option. It'll actually get a few more bites because it's more compact. The stick worm is also an excellent choice for a pitching plastic. My PB came on one. Just gotta use the superline or flipping hooks. I prefer the superline EWG from Gamakatsu. Nothing is more infuriating than to get a traditional jig hung up on a laydown on your first cast to it. Might as well just move along to the next because that spot is ruined.

Golf glove. ? I fished two days in FL for largemouth and peacocks and my hands were hamburger meat. The wife suggested Chap Stick. Dang if it didn't work quick, fast & in a hurry.

Why, a new PB, of course. ? That would be any bass bigger than 8.02 lb at this point. Yeah, my PB was barely enough to get me into the 8-9 range. Honestly, my lifetime goal is a 10 pounder, which is a very big bass for SC.