SWVABass

I know the feeling my four year old didn’t wanna leave the bank yesterday after four hours without a bite. He was having a blast just casting and winding! Hope you have a happy new year and more awesome fishing times in 2018!6

Beautiful day, hope when my boy and girl are that age they still wanna go fish with daddy.

@clayton86 you waterfowl guys are a different breed. I would be waiting for it to let up before I went out chasing a muley! Looks like you had some good success though!

Mine would be to build on a successful year in my club and end the season higher than 3rd in aoy, and to finish competively in the federation as a non boater.

We have around 10 weeks to wait here.

Currently 33 here with a high close to 70 today. My boy wanted to fish yesterday but was busy so as soon as he wakes and eats we are going bank beating today.

@Bluebasser86 or @A-Jay isn’t it lindy that makes a weight similar to how you described rigging with your set up?

Not positive but maybe @Bluebasser86 could help you with this.

I have never used them but a buddy does. He swears by them, unsure if he is flipping them or not. They really don’t work for the way I like to fish a tube. Sounds like solid plan that you have though good luck!

Always love seeing fat smallmouth. Would love to try fishing for them someday down there!!!! Nice catches!

We fish in this fashion in the early spring, east and south facing banks tills 10 or 11, then we will switch and fish west facing banks for the remainder of the day. Also our north ends starts warming faster but there is a point in late spring it actually cools do to snow melt. At that time the mid section is warmest. On the north end we were catching spawning fish till mid June this year.

Awesome little boat. I wish we had similar ponds close to here I would love to take on a project like that. Just wonder what size motor could you put on that? And would it be a tiller?

@5-20 that honestly was your best post yet. I understand your concern with how the grass carp will leave your lake. True it will be hard to eradicate hydrilla. Thereare native plants that can slow slow hydrilla from being able to regain its foothold one it is knocked backed. That’s what needs to take place after the carp are gone. At least they are not using chemicals, I have seen major fish kills here when water temps didn’t stay high enough. My advice is to get involved maybe not in Virginia but since your in Texas find a way to help lake fork they have there own battle now with giant Salvinia and that will kill your fishery too.

For me it really depends on wind. No wind I try to go as light as possible down to 1/8th. Bump it up as it gets windy. I like you pitch and flip it to targets in shallow water as well as fish it deep.

Just wondering has anyone used their cranks or jerkbaits? Any problems if so?

All i will say is a can not adopt the stand point that we should embrace non natives based on an article that is an opinion and does not provide research to show a positive effect for native species. hope your lake turns out ok

I totally understand that hydrilla is a benifit to bass. What you are failing to recognize that hydrilla is a invasive species. Just as you totally dislike the idea of the grass carp, hydrilla wrecks native plants and changes an ecosystem. So the question I have is are you a conservationist or just a bass angler? Non natives may have some positive effects, but the damage they do to an ecosystem can rarely be made right again. We should try to keep our waters as native as possible as conservationist. Here where I am we are actively trying to eradicate salt cedar. Why it is a non native outcompetes and takes over an environment. We have lost miles of shoreline that used to have willows to this plant. again I disagree with the stocking of the carp, but I also am a supporter of native fishes and habitat. https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/ipc/hydrilla/pdfs/why_hydrilla_is_bad.pdf here is one link showing some negative impacts. On area that stands out is the amount of dissolved oxygen hydrilla uses at night. https://www.northeastans.org/hydrilla/ecoleconhydrilla.htm here is another link again showing the negative effects.

I didn’t see anywhere that people are saying not to stay involved in the post. Are aquatic plants good for bass... yes. Is hydrilla the plant for this most biologist and land management and wildlife management organizations will say no. It’s not native. If you want to help that lake lake get involved. If not a member already join BASS and talk to the conservation director. I joined to help my home lake that has no vegetation. Are we going to introduce hydrilla no, we are looking to help restore native plant species. I can understand your frustration about the carp, but to battle for a non-native invasive is ludicrous.

Sad to hear they are stocking a non-native but hypothetically sterile fish for this problem. Though hydrilla is a non-native invasive as well. Reading the above comments regarding your game and fish officer sounds like they are on track. I think it is important for bass fisherman to remember they are not in the business of managing a lake just for us and our fishing opportunities but for the public and for all game species. So while weights or quality fishing for some has declined the opportunities for the public might have increased.

I love my 90. I haven’t fished the other two sizes. I fish it slow or at times kinda how you would fish a popper. Both large and smallmouth have eaten it up. Haven’t caught any huge fish but it has done well for me. I fish it on 30lb spiderwire. I haven’t had a problem with the line twist. The lake I fish has little veg so as far as the grass fouling it I haven’t experienced that either. I believe it fills a niche that other baits can’t, so I wouldnt just trade it in either. You got a free one maybe pop for another and try them heads up?

@Primusthat would be a small splash to break into the wake/swimbait game!!! I like the idea of throwing them, how do you think they would would in a highland clear water impoundment with smallmouth and largemouth?

Take a look on Craigslist, boat trader and other sites to see what prices are running on boats you might be interested in. You never know what you might find out there. Then once you save your money and find your boat take it to a mechanic. I learned the hard way on this, pay to have them inspect and see what works must be done to it. That will give you a good starting point.

So I’m a cheap braid guy and use spiderwire. I haven’t had a problem with it. I make a higher investment into my fc line. @A-Jay has made great points about cost vs quality.

I fish a 3in and 4in on a drop shot kills smallies

Cool thanks guys. I don't have much veg to fish here, but catch a lot of fish off rocks and rock walls. I think I can find a time and place to throw one.