Tennessee Boy

How many left handed people use a right hand reel so they can cast with their left hand and then switch hands to turn the crank? Probably none. That tells you something. I made the switch 30 years ago to left hand reels and I’m glad I did. I think it makes me a better fisherman because I use my dominant hand to detect bites and impart action on the lure. That said, I’ve never won a Bassmaster Classic and most of the people who have are hand switchers. I should also mention that I do use right handed reels for crankbaits. I can crank better with my dominant hand and all I do with the other hand is hold the rod. I envy those who can cast with ether hand. If I tried to cast with my left hand I would probably throw the rod in the water.

According to ChatGPT this is a female angle-wing katydid. I ran several errands this morning and she went along for the ride on the hood of my truck. When I first noticed her I wondered how long she could hold on. Well I hit 70 mph on the interstate and he handled it just fine. I did some shopping at Costco and she was waiting for me when I finished. She was still hanging on when I got home. I'm sure the aerodynamic of the truck reduced the wind she was experiencing but still I'm impressed.

During the summer while I was in college I worked construction. We had a contract to replace a steam line on a military base. Before digging up the old line, the steam had to be turned off which involved going down a man hole into a VERY hot environment and turning a large valve several revolutions. I volunteered to do it. They strapped a rope around me so they could pull me out if I passed out. I could only stand to be down there about 30 seconds due to the heat so it took three trips to turn the valve completely off. When I was done an older guy said that was probably the dumbest thing I had ever done. I'm thinking why didn't you tell me that before I did it.

Can other fingers have rules?

Yeah, I'm sure most people can't "fathom" what he's talking about. 😆

This is how I would approach this lake the first time knowing only what you have told me. First let's eliminate unproductive water. It's only 600 acres to begin with. It's hot so we can probably eliminate the shallow water. There's a thermocline at 12 feet so we can eliminate water over 12 feet deep. That shouldn't leave much water. I would focus on areas with the right depth near the best structure. Honestly, I would probably fish the deeper docks and try to show them something they haven't seen. Fish don't stop using docks because of fishing pressure, they're just harder to catch. Also there are probably lots of brush piles around the docks. There's a lot of information I don't know that might change my approach. What is the water clarity? What is likely the primary forage for the bass? Does the lake have a lot of structure?

I think he's ready for a name change. 10poundbass maybe? 😀

I have several that I haven't used in 20 years.

I agree with @bigbearstroop122. I use HDPE marine board for all kinds of stuff. You can buy whatever thickness you need. I buy mine here. https://buyplastic.com

Expensive Piece of Plastic. 😆

I'm with @casts_by_fly. The only advantage lithium has over lead acid when it comes to cranking is weight. Some outboards are not designed to work with lithium. Why pay more for something that's not ideal for a cranking battery?

Doesn't sound fun. Hang in there. The fish will be waiting for you when the stone is passed.

I bought my first boat at a company that was in the boat repo business. They had a lot full of boats. I negotiated and paid the bank that owned the boat. The boat was a little over a year old and I was able to take it out on the water before buying. I was very happy with the purchase.

My grandfather introduced me to fishing at a very young age. My first time in a fishing boat was in a wooden boat that he built with a 10 HP outboard. He later upgraded to an aluminum Jon boat with a 25 HP. Those experiences on the water with my grandfather are priceless memories. How much better would those memories be if we had been fishing out of a high end bass boat? NOT ONE BIT! I share this to say you don't need an expensive boat to create precious memories with family and friends. In fact too many people are convinced they need to wait till they can afford the boat they really want. You'll never own the perfect boat. The day you think you've bought the perfect boat you will begin to realize there are better boats to be had. It's about the experience, not the boat. The key is to learn to live and enjoy life within your means. I would never borrow money for fishing. Fishing does not have to be expensive. My first boat was a used 17ft Aluminum Tracker with a 50hp motor. My current boat is a 18ft Aluminum Ranger with a 90hp. I don't think I missed out on ANYTHING by buying within my means when I was young. I retired at 59 and do a lot more fishing and create a lot more memories now that I'm retired. I'm 63 and would still be working if I'd been making boat payments for the last 35 years. I'm so glad I didn't go down that path.

After 8 years I haven't had any issues. Which Ultrex do you have?