TOXIC

Agreed. Since there isn’t a standard rating for rod power and every maker is different, the thing to remember is those 2 baits fish different. A Senko is much easier to get a hookset than a Fat Ika. Also consider what line you are going to use and how you are going to fish the bait. Long casts suck up a lot of power on a hookset and you need a rod that can deliver it with some power. I personally like a medium powered rod with a fast tip.

We are re-thinking our annual trip to Okeechobee in February due to lack of availability at Roland’s and the fact there is a huge tournament going out during our planned dates. I have been researching Headwaters as well as other locations. We have gone to Kissimmee in the past but it was tough. Even the big o was tough last year but we go in late by some accounts. My problems with headwaters is 1. The crowd. 2. Lodging. And 3. The fact that you’ve got a boat destroying dirt road to get there. We’ve got a local guy we link up with looking around and some options have been getting tossed around like Rodman, Toho, Harris Chain and maybe even Kissimmee for another try. When I lived there, I stayed pretty much on the St Johns since that’s where my house was and the boat was on a lift.

Unfortunately, access is by invitation only. Ramps are either personal ones or community with card key access. I used to guide clients that lived on that side of the lake and I had access to a community ramp. Unfortunately my contact passed away and now I only have access from a friend of a friend and unless I am with him, I don’t have open access anymore. Your best bet is to get on some of the Virginia fishing pages like VA Outdoors and try to get an invite.

The only good thing about winter in Virginia is that I can fill the freezer with crappie until the creek freezes over and if/when that happens, I can go to the hotside of lake Anna and fish all winter in 55-65 degree water. As long as I can get there, I can fish.

When we caught them in the lake, burning them required the heavier weight and they ran about mid water column in 4 to 8 foot of water. Never slow rolled them. Never fished them in dirty water. I have slow rolled spinnerbaits in other situations for largemouth. Dirty water or cold water required slowing down.

?? Good deal. I’m glad it helped. I did notice that the range from my truck didn’t increase all that much but it does work more often with fewer pushes to get the door to respond. My opener is ancient as well, I’ll assume it might not be as much of a factor in the newer units.

My school of thought is what a lot of the pros say….show them something different……bass are looking for the oddball and will key on it.

Fish school by size. Big fish don’t run with small fish unless they are trying to eat them. Finding big fish is harder than finding schoolies. When I was guiding, I called them “client fish”.

I do one a day ever since my 40 something year old gastrointestinal doctor told me it was a magic elixir. He said he drinks it himself. I must admit the results are very impressive.

Preferably warm right out of the oven. Somebody has to counter all of these healthy options.??

I prefer my oatmeal in cookie form.?

And the Northern Snakehead.

I never drop waypoints directly on my spots. I always do a series of waypoints that outline the spot. This allows me to approach from any direction relative to wind and current.

For most waters maybe…..but throw in Lake St Clair and everything is different that what was suggested. We hammered smallies in crystal clear water, totally void of structure/cover by burning a 1/2oz Nichols white on white spinnerbaits with chrome willowleaf blades. My point being, spinnerbaits are very versatile and to not lock yourself into any single season or set of conditions.

I have some of his old “1 rod for everything” combos that I got when I was pro staff for Bass Pro. They are very heavy. I’m sure he’s had to adjust over time. Likewise, not to throw shade on one of the masters but in the video, he is making very short casts. You can tell by how long it takes him to retrieve the spinnerbait. Nothing wrong with that but your form does change if you are going for more distance.

Something I forgot to mention…..the fish on the hot side always bite waaaaay better when the power plant is pumping water. The more the better and they were not pumping at full steam when we were out there. You can check the pumping schedule and the water temps on their website.

We normally go to either Kissimmee or Okeechobee in February but this year is really messed up. I heard Kissimmee got a lot of rain that trashed the lake and there’s a 200 boat tournament going out of Roland’s the week we were planning to go. I’m looking for alternatives myself.

Had mine out young. My grandmother had hers out and a second set grew in.?. Sorry if I can’t feel too much sympathy for you since I just got done with a year long process with 3 oral surgeries and a full set of implants due to a genetic gum disease that almost required rebuilding my sinus cavities. I’m a little done with dental procedures.?

I got a news flash for ya…. It does the same to bass boats! ??

Oh yes, yes they do. Water never drops below high 50’s most winters and will be in the mid 60’s around the discharge canal in pool 1. I would go stir crazy if I couldn’t get out there in the winter. Even in the cooler pools and creeks you can jig blade baits and have a fine day in the middle of winter with snow on the ground. I have a picture some where of me catching a bass on a buzz bait in a snowstorm in December one year. Just remember, you can’t get to the hot side from the cold side and visa versa. Cold side is public with marinas and public ramps. Hot side is private with private ramps.

Made it out to the warm side for our first trip of the fall. Water still in the 70’s, bluebird sky and post frontal made it tough. Fish are definitely scattered, water was very clear. Best luck was on main lake points. Still managed a few good fish on Ned’s and a Yamamoto Ned Senko.

The thing to remember is that all of those baits will work year round but excel more at certain times or certain conditions. The more experienced you are you can adapt them to the conditions you are in. Take for example a SPRO Little John crank with the computer chip bill. Originally it was a cold water crank due to its tight wobble, tungsten wrapped bearings and slow retrieve. If you can force yourself to slow retrieve it, even in warm water, it produces well. A spinnerbait can be burned in summer, slow rolled in cold water and waked as almost a topwater.

Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.

I feel your pain. Took me a couple years to build some confidence in them. Since then, I have boated more.

Was out fishing yesterday with my buddy who has ffs and I was on the front deck with him since we took another guy as a favor and he had to use the Bill Dance seat on the back deck. We were catching a lot of dinks when he turned the boat to reposition and he looked down at his graph as we swung around and said, there’s a biggun out here in the middle of nowhere….he cast his Ned out to it and BAM! Hooked up and brought it boatside where it threw the hook but I got to see it and it was a good 4lber. Made me a believer. No place to hide.