TnRiver46

Always catches drum for me

I have gone on this particular annual fishing/camping trip since I was in 7th or 8th grade, circa 1999. The family that I tag along with has been doing this for 60ish years. It’s kind of a big deal, we even starred in a commercial about it one time. The 2026 version was rainy but nothing we couldn’t handle (it has been worse before). We caught plenty of fish but not any record setting results. My biggest was around 19.5-20” on Thursday evening with a spinnerbait of all things. The spinnerbait my work buddy makes had done some damage throughout the week but I lost it in a field of lily pads on Tuesday evening . The best fish I caught was on a different spinnerbait that @LrgmouthShad had given me while back. I didn’t have a trailer on there but the fish grabbed it in water willow and put up a great fight. I also caught an 18”+ Alabama spotted bass with a rattle trap one day, fun battle. One youngster that was camping with us landed a 3.42 lb 19.25” LMB out of my boat with a weightless yum dinger (after extensive coaching from my buddy to stop reeling it in so fast). Another fun catch in my boat was a 26” bowfin that my buddy’s son wrangled on a shakey head, it even crapped out 20oz of tomato paste onto the floor of the boat…….. 🤮. Lots of rain, lots of wonderful sunrises and sunsets and plenty of great food and fellowship as always. I went on a 67 mph gas burning journey in a stratos with 200 horsepower………There was even a gulf striper captured, a first for us. I also caught crappie (which is rare for me). My best baits for the week were Zoom horny toad in junebug, jig my work buddy makes, weightless worm, academy rattle trap, and spinnerbait . Almost forgot, saw two American white pelicans, many alligators, storms, rainbows, and lily pads.