Tennessee Boy

They should express line capacity in terms of line diameter. Line # ratings are opinions, line diameters are measurable and the only thing that affects the line capacity of a reel.

If it’s a bass I want to see it. If it’s a catfish I don’t want to see it so I can tell everyone on BR about the DD bass that got away.

When I said I learned to use different weights, that’s the what I use. 😉

A Carolina rig is very versatile. When I first started fishing the lake that I live a mile from, I would throw my c-rig out and drag it about 10 ft before it would get stuck between two rocks. I learned to use different weights and a different technique. I love to fish weightless soft plastics and the c-rig makes it possible to fish them deep. I use to use it to “feel” the bottom to find transition areas between different bottom types. In the modern world it’s faster to use electronics for that.

There is this perception that fishing baits like the Damiki rig utilizing FFS have made all other ways of fishing obsolete. This was debated at length earlier this year when some major tournaments were won by young anglers using these techniques. One thread was suggesting that every pro tournament this year would be won with a Damiki rig. I don’t think anyone’s mind was changed on this subject after endless debates. If you think the Damiki rig and FFS has permanently changed fishing then I guess the answer is just keep fishing it until you master it. Personally, I think it’s like every other technique. It works sometimes and sometimes it doesn’t. It’s up to me to find the technique that works. Around here it’s been my experience that targeting suspended fish is only effective in the winter and early spring. I’m not say you can’t catch one in the summer but you will need to make a lot more cast to do so.

That was a good one for sure. $100K check for KVD is a nice retirement bonus. Jordan Lee leaves the MLF in style. Now someone needs to start a thread on the roll FFS played in this tournament.

I release almost every bass I catch. I'll admit I sometime feel guilty for doing so. I occasionally keep a spotted bass.

KVD!!!

Did Poche jump over anything to get into that creek?

I pulling for KVD. Would love to see him go out with a big win.

The final round of the MLF Heavy Hitters is live. Jordan Lee is fishing is last MLF event. KVD is fishing what I assume will be his final professional tournament. Right now they are 1st and 2nd. Lee is throwing a frog and KVD is fishing like KVD of old. He's power fishing.

I’ll be THAT guy. There will always be something that you want to buy that will improve your fishing experience. If you pay $150K for a top of the line bass boat and a truck to pull it there will still be more that you will want to buy. How fast do you want to go? 20 mph? 50 mph? 80 mph? I’ve always lived by the rule that you shouldn’t borrow money for fishing. You’re catching fish now in a nice kayak. Start making your boat payment into a special fishing account and buy the boat you want and the truck you need when you can pay cash.

I’ve heard rumors that Earl Benz (founder of many boat companies) has a private lake at his home in Tennessee that is epic.

This list makes for interesting reading. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_snake_bites_in_the_United_States

A while back I saw a list of snake bite deaths that occurred in Tennessee. The most common place to get a deadly snake bit in this state is in church. Almost all of the bites that ended up being deadly happen during religious services. I’m glad the most dangerous thing we do in my church is eat too much. 😊

I was surprised to see the address of the company. I used to live near there. It was a nice residential neighborhood across the street from a farm then. It’s behind a Target now.

When my dog was bitten in the 1970s the vet gave her a shot which I assume was anti-venom. He kept her two days for observation and the bill was in the $200-$300 range. I remember we paid $70 for her as a pup. She was a registered black lab. The front half of her body swelled up and she looked like a miniature bull. She made a full recovery. My dad had a beagle when he was a kid that got bit twice. The dog recovered both times without seeing a vet. He said the dog was so swollen the first time that he could not move. They had to bring him water. If your dog gets bit the first thing you need to do is take their collar off.

It’s interesting that with all of the outdoor people we have on this forum, no one has reported being bitten. I don’t know anyone personally who has been. When I was growing up we had a lot of snakes and I had a few close calls but never had one get me. My black lab was bitten on the nose when I was a kid. The vet said it was a Copperhead. I don’t know how he knew.

@casts_by_fly I appreciate what you’re saying but I got a very good look at the snake. It had the pit viper head which is completely different from a water snake. The coloring was very much like a copperhead. I’ve encountered probably a dozen copperheads in the wild and hundreds if not thousands of water snakes. I know the difference. This was the only copperhead I have ever seen swimming in the water. I was watching the snake and not paying attention to my lure and I pulled it right in front of him and he struck at it. It appeared that his fangs were stuck in the worm and he could not let go. He was not hooked. It was very unusual.

If the goal is to catch some fish then yes. If you’re wanting a 10 pounder then no.

I grew up with that way of identifying them. In my earlier post I used the term hourglass because that’s what the biologist say. It looks more like a Hershey’s kiss to me.

I don't like rules but all things being equal here are my preferences. East vs West - Whichever offers more shade at the time. AM vs PM - AM in warm weather, PM in cold weather. Wind - I like it if I can fish it safely.

I did the break in for my current boat before I installed my electronics. The water pressure speedometer said my top speeds was 47 mph. When I installed my fish finder the GPS said my top speed was just over 40 mph. Now the water pressure speed tops out at about 10 mph if it reads anything at all. Personally, I only change props when I break one. It was around there that Paul Allison hit something and bent his prop. The bent prop was faster and the cupped propeller was born.

The best way to identify a copperhead is by the distinctive dark hour glass pattern in its markings which I have circled in the photo below. These markings are pretty clear in the photo I posted. There are multiple species of copperheads. The ones we have are Eastern Copperheads.

Chichamauga is definitely in decline. It might still be your best shot at a DD in Tennessee. I would suggest that you drive a little further to Guntersville.