TnRiver46

Amateur campfire guitar picker here

Years ago, I bit the bullet and ordered a long tail kit straight from Thailand for running the river. A lot of folks told me it wouldn’t work well in the rocks but i had to try. This setup is fairly incredible!! I can run almost as shallow as a jet boat (5-7”) for a small fraction of the cost. So, then there’s the matter of the engine. I got a 420cc predator engine (Honda clone) from harbor freight for like $280 (with the 20% coupon). So all together I have about $800 in a boat motor than can run in 5-7” of water on plane. I figured this motor would just run for a bit then I would replace it knowing the reputation of harbor freight equipment. Well 7 years later and it’s good as new somehow! I haven’t used it in two years + because we haven’t had much shallow water with plentiful rainfall. I took it off the boat and just laid it underneath the hull in the driveway completely neglected. One of my friends was having motor problems on his boat so I figured I would try to start the ole predator and by golly it’s ready to rock! It puts my Briggs and Stratton push mower to shame . I now have probably a dozen buddies running the same or a similar setup including one full time smallmouth/trout guide. It costs less than a lot of kayaks on the market today and you won’t need a shuttle (I still love all my yaks though, don’t come after me paddle mafia )

The Tennessee River is 62 degrees by my house currently Funny you would say that about the rock bass..... we stayed in a cottage on big platte and check these out! Only boated one smallie but lost a big fat round one. Also, there are solid black squirrels in Michigan ...........

Thank you and go Vols!

Last we were there was Sept 2015

Did Paul show you this?? I think that was about 3 years ago, he was in the back of my boat throwing a 2 foot crankbait over 20 feet of water right next to the boat ramp haha. Small world!

Paul cupfer???? The clinch is tough, a lot easier upstream of Norris dam in the lake. Between highway 61 bridge and the city of Clinton is nearly void of fish, except maybe in spring migrations. From Highway 61 bridge up to Norris dam is pretty much only trout and Stripers . I’ve only caught two bass lifetime on that stretch

Well...... Let's go fishing!!!!

Smallmouth is king where I live in the “south”

Bring it! Point Betsie light house! Haha

I can’t see far enough to tell if another boat is catching anything.....

Never know til ya go

Exactly! The TN River is one of the most crowded places in the US, 4 boats in every spot. When I was 16 we used to have a dynamite spot to fish from the bank below a dam. I recall on time being disappointed when a couple anglers were standing on “my” rock. My fishing partner says, “don’t worry, they don’t know what the !&@$ they are doing.” That was a lesson I learned that rings true to this day

I’m with you, I only cook if I get to make a fire outside. My fiancé is a professional cook inside

Well the spray only works if it hits the wasp, I would try to spray the nest directly right before dark. It won’t hurt a battery, those things are full of acid. The only thing I could imagine it hurting on the engine is the finish on the cowl

Maybe use the swatter near the electronics haha.

Hot shot with 25 foot jet spray. I’m allergic to bees and wasps aren’t that scary to me, usually only 10-12 to a nest. Yellow jackets and hornets have way more number and just as bad of a sting (if not worse with hornets). I’ll do battle with wasps with only the hat on my head. If I see a swarm of yellow jackets, usain bolt couldn’t catch me

Thanks! I shall try that

Bait monkey got me twice in 4 days! But a week long camping/fishing trip calls for it anyhow. I’m starting to feel like @JediAmoeba on this thread....... got all this at academy sports for $60, found one of my wheelhouse $12.99 7’ medium heavy fiberglass rods (should be good for chatterbait and buzzbait) I’ve never pegged a bait, thought I might try but couldn’t find bobber stops. Think a split shot will do it?

Nah, I just need to know about every fish captured all across North America. It’s a disease and I can’t cure it

I care man....... I care....

Sand county almanac by Aldo Leopold is the greatest book you could read on the subject of wise use and conservation vs preservation

You rascal....... they run smallmouth jet boat tournaments even up in the rapids down here! Haha

Fish beware!!

Heck they want $40 for those things now. Same price as the far more sensitive Berkeley lightning rod. I only need heavy tackle once a year for my Deep South vacation.