AC870

I got an old overnight duffel bag I stuff 4-5 3600 boxes in. Works pretty well. Has a shoulder strap. Occasionally I’ll throw my boxes in my camo deer hunting daypack. It works well too.

Congrats. Got my first of the season other day too. But Guntersville was stingy last week. Should get better next couple weeks.

The stripe were smashing topwaters. Older guy didn’t have one. He’d driven from Birmingham to Guntersville Dam for a morning of fishing. He looked to be maybe late Vietnam era and had on a Marine hat. I had to give him a topwater. I’ve done a few nice things I guess. Took people and stuff. But life is short and I’m set in my ways. I get tired of hearing “We should do this, we should do that, blah blah blah.” Only one who gets pass on backseat captaining now is my bride of 21 years. I’d like to do one of those CAST events for special kids and their families. It’s an awesome organization.

Fix it, sell it, get something else.

A-Rig. Frog in dense mats. Punching.

Spend a few more bucks and get a Hammer.

I got no problems with yaks but I’m concerned about their safety. I’ve seen a couple under Guntersville Lake bridges more than once and that is not s good place to be.

Heck yeah! congrats! My personal goal is just to get out there. We had a flood here on G’ville last week.

Let us know how it goes.

I played with spinnerbaits really for first time last fall and fell in love. I was pinging it through submerged grass. Natural Shad color. No trailer. It was fun.

Get a Trion. Can’t be beat for the money. I was not impressed with the Sahara. I did abuse it a bit. Got in the Spanish and blues pretty good on a pier at the beach. I rinsed it well but it was loose as a goose, lot of play in the handle, after that episode. I’m about to put a Sienna through the paces. It’s a cheapo but a saltwater bay guide I fished with had em on his rods. At some point, I’m gonna go with all the same reels on my spinning rods. It’s a mongrel lot now — President, Trion, Sienna, Spirex and just bought a Lew’s XS30 I think is going to be a good one.

May have been mentioned (I only read the first page) but stuff like Alabama rigs, big spinnerbaits and really “chunking and winding) traps and squarebills, you really need a baitcaster. Heavy vegetation, baitcasters have more power to winch them out. And I don’t know anyone fishing an Alabama rig on spinning gear. That said, I love fishing Texas rigs around docks with my spinning gear. I just kinda beefed up a spinning rig for that.

Baits I like (and if I catch on them, I know you can) are: 1. Whopper Plopper. 2. Texas rigged Zoom Speedworm. You can fish it fast, slow, in between. No wrong way to fish it. 3. Lipless crank bait ( Rat L Trap, CottonCordell Spot, Redeye shad). I like a natural shad color or red. 4. Natural shad colored spinnerbait. 5. Squarebill. Like the Trap, red or natural shad. 6. Trick worm (pink or school bus yellow). Not much different from your Senko. Cast it weightless. Let it sink a little. Twitch it back. 7. Alabama rig. 8. Ned rig. Thess are my baits. Not sure I fish much else although I say I’m going to learn the shaky head. I’m going to play around a little with a Carolina rig this spring. I’ve thrown chatterbaits and swimjigs until I was blue in face and hadn’t made em produce yet.

I need to fish some of those minnow baits. I heard you could put a green pumpkin minnow on a shakyhead, dip tail in chartreuse and put a dab of chartreuse on chin and murder the fish.

I had a nice 6-6 medium (it got broke). I fished a lot of Texas rigs, square bills, Traps with mine. I woulda replaced it under warranty but it cost nearly as much as a new one. I’ve kinda gone the other way in my thinking on rods. I know 7-0 MH is the standard but I’m really liking my 7-0 heavy and 7-3 heavy rods. For certain manufacturers (Hammer, Duckett) they’re not much heavier than a MH.

They’re mesh so air circulates a little better in hot weather. I deer hunt some out of a Millenium tree seat so I knew it would be comfortable. My wife always sits fishing. She sat in mine and had to order her one too. There’s a guy on eBay sells them a little cheaper than retail.

Looking good!

I have to have something or I’ll lose my balance and be out of the boat. I prefer a butt seat. But I got rear ended in a car wreck a year ago and it hurt my back. I went to a Milleniun seat. It’s good back support.

My Revo S reels came in tonight for the new Duckett Terex rods.

I know I’m slow to the party, but I went out Sunday afternoon and slung an A-Rig for the first time. I think I’m gonna like it a lot.

Not “baits” but tackle. Dyckett is running a weekend special, 2 Terex rods for $100. I got a 7-0 Heavy and a 6-8 Medium Heavy.

I’m a fan of Old Lake Customs out of North Carolina. Cory is in Guntersville this weekend and I spent my allowance on some of his baits:

Just so you know - War Eagle spinnerbaits are fun!

There are some pretty good deals around on Ducketts if you look. I think you can find one of the Duckett models a little higher up the chain than the Ghost for $100. Shelton’s in Moulton Ala. runs some good deals and ships fast. I’ve also bought their stuff at auction on eBay. I got a Duckett Terex for $55 plus $20 shipping in August.

My wife rarely has a hair out of place which is what made this photo so funny to me. It was windy on the Big G yesterday and it was hitting her right in the back of the head. She’s a fan of Guy Fieri of “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives.” I told her she looked like Guy’s twin sister, whom I called “Guydean,”