TnRiver46

This thread is horrifying!!!!

Not one but two disaster days??? Ouch! Hope things turn around for you quickly..... I hate breaking off on snags, it drives me batty. River smallmouth is most of what I fish so I can feel your pain. One thing I never use anymore is braid in the river, it gets chewed up. A lot of times I will just say “forget it” and switch to a weightless worm rigged weedless. Sometimes those days end up being great because I can keep the lure wet and I’m not paddling around trying to get a ned rig unsnagged

After seeing your trail cam pics, there will be an otter in that pond very soon

There are several that live around my house, and I live 3 miles from the middle of downtown. You can see them basically everyday if you are on the river long enough. There were two living in tall pines where I camped in south Alabama during Memorial Day week. Then on this weekends camping trip, one flew straight down the gorge close to the water at the campground before we even shoved off. I’ve got too many pictures of them to count, my buddy calls them “buzzards wearing tuxedos” haha

Well........ Kentucky lake goes from “pert’near alabama clear across-t to darn near illi-noise!!” so it might not be the best one to transition to from ponds... I grew up fishing everything and ponds were always easier, reservoirs were always harder. It makes sense, there’s no escape for fish in a pond. You know your lure will be in front of a fish because most of them can’t leave the pond. This increases confidence, and in turn success. The TN river contains lots of smart bass, KY lake being one of the most popular. And it’s monstrous. A good way to get started on larger reservoirs is fish below the dams, while wearing PFD and being cautious. Everything is more predictable and there are far less options to choose from

If you’re counting 70 scales, might as well fillet it

That secret lies inside your brain, my friend im not going to call myself a big bass expert but a lot of replies seem like everyone thinks if you find a magic spot you catch the biggest fish automatically. Also the quote about being able to see underwater........ I can tie these together......... I snorkel a lot and you will be very surprised how many big bass are always around and don’t bite lures. I also believe these fish swim around and don’t always eat at the same spot. How many times have you personally or your friends set up in the perfect spot to kill a monster buck and the thing was somewhere else? Veeeeerry very sneaky....... I can fish a place for hours and catch nothing, jump in with snorkel and see big bass just staring back at me. Since I can’t shoot them with a rifle like a monster bucks, I just enjoy the swim. In the world of fish and game, the most targeted creatures are the most wary. They respond to the pressure applied to them and adapt. A good example, coyotes........... to @A-Jays question, I vote suspended, like @Jermination. Probably because we fish the same waters

Here’s a video of Rachel going through in the new Jackson Liska

Another fun camping trip! We had about 12-15 people do an overnight Saturday/Sunday float, maybe 18-20 miles of river with a couple class 3 rapids. Fishing was a little tough, big full moon and a lot of fish were still spawning, that’s our excuse anyway. I think there were a few Muskie sightings and some delicious frog legs! There were a lot of folks flipping boats but everyone was fine. We borrowed my buddies old town 158 and it was awesome, filled it half full of water a few times but never even came close to flipping. My fiancé of course paddled her new Jackson with canine Bo in tow. He stole her chair everytime she got up.... at the end of the trip there’s a rapid called devils jump, I forgot to get a good pic of it but the bottom picture is where it all spits out, several folks swam it. Tyler captured some good video of everyone going through from that rock he’s on. Edit: I got a grainy version of the video added at the bottom

Carp are useless. They hit lures about as frequently as the browns make the playoffs

I think the first time I was knocked out I was about 10 years old and headed for the makeshift end zone thinking about my celebration. Next thing I know I’m waking up looking at a root. It’s a lot more pleasant when a doctor does it

Yeah I drove my aunt to hers and made the mistake of sitting next to the bathroom in the waiting room

I learned to never take off sunglasses working on a lawn care crew. I’ve finished weedeating many a yard in the dark wearing sunglasses. It only takes once and you’re out an eyeball.

Zoom , color depends on location. Rigged weedless on an 1/8 oz round ball jig head

Because the bait monkey dabbles in rods and reels too

Savages........without eyelids......

They will eat their own offspring and not even blink. And humans think it’s cruel to catch them off their nest

I like mayo but I don’t like watching carp it eat fresh out of a squeeze bottle

I saw a waitress feed them mayonnaise one time, thank goodness I had already finished my food

Like every restaurant on the water??

I believe it was the always exciting grey squirrel

breakfast has been foregone this morning, more pressing matters are up in the Maple tree

The ones in the reservoirs where I live can be hand fed, and caught with bread or corn. The carp in the river shoals will move out of the way to let corn go by then reposition.

I used to have some snake topwaters that worked pretty decent and I cleaned a bass with a snake in its throat once. There’s a pond at work where a big bass will follow a 5’ water snake everywhere it swims

Does the ribbit frog count or is that in the toad category? I like em!