Tennessee Boy

The other day my brother in law couldn’t get his mower started. I stared at it, rubbed my chin and asked him try it. It started right up. What can I say, some of us just have it. ?

I’d like to see some objective evidence that one rod is more sensitive than another. Billions are spent on rod sensitivity and no one has ever found a way to measure it.

A beetlespin to target bream is a little small to cast well on most traditional baitcasters. I suggest you give it a try anyway. It will give you a feel for the advantages and disadvantages of bait casters and spinning reels. A lesson learned in the field is worth far more than one read on the internet. Bream fishing definitely calls for finesse tackle which means a spinning reel or a bait finesse system (BFS) baitcaster. Also check the weight of your lure and make sure it’s within the suggested lure weight range printed on your rod. As for line, I’d recommend a $5 spool of 0.009 diameter monofilament like 6 pound Berkley XL.

When I was 20 I would have rated myself a 10. When this thread was created 18 years ago I would have said 7. Now I would say about 5. Aging is humiliating. ?

I’m more concerned about bluebird skies than clear water. As long as the weather is not life threatening and the temperature is between 40 and 95 degrees, fishing is not a bother.

@TnRiver46 Thanks for providing some facts to support your position. In my working days I had contract with several government agencies and private companies. I learned that the number one priority of any organization is self preservation so I don’t doubt that some of your concerns about the TWRA are true. That said, the problems with the introduction of Alabama bass outside of their native region are well documented in many states besides Tennessee and in scientific journals. Unlike Asian carp, I’m unaware of any money being spent to reduce their numbers in lakes where they have already been introduced so I don’t see any reason to overstate the problem for financial gain. All they are asking is that angler not introduce them into new water. I agree that it’s too late to stop it in the Tennessee river and eventually in the Cumberland. If it plays out like it did in Lake Norman in North Carolina, in 30 years the fishing will be great, as Alabama bass are aggressive and fun to catch. The problem is a 4 pounder will be considered the fish of a lifetime.

I hope I’m reading this wrong. A video by the TWRA that is meant to educate people on the dangers of invasive species is attacked as part of government conspiracy to spread false information and fear in an effort to make money. If I read this wrong, please correct me.

I guess I’m just humble enough to admit that someone with a PhD in biology may know more about biology than I do. That doesn’t mean that I believe everything they say. They get things wrong sometimes just like I’ve gotten things wrong in my area of expertise. It’s just troubling to me that when someone post a video like this, that it is attacked by so many people on this site. Many times people's have bragged on this forum about moving fish from one body of water to another, which is illegal almost everywhere. They are well meaning they just don’t know the rules, and they think they understand the ecosystem better than the experts. I think we all need to be more careful about our responsibility to protect the sport and the fisheries that are critical to it. I don’t want this forum to be a source of misinformation. Just my humble opinion.?

@TnRiver46 I didn’t accuse you of illegally stocking fish. Someone obviously has stock many of them. Someone has to decide what fish we want and what fish we don’t want in Tennessee. If I like snakeheads, do I have the right to decide they will be introduced to Tennessee? There are many nonnative fish in the state. There will certainly be more in the future. The potential damage they can do far exceeds any benefit they might provide in my opinion.

The law says don’t move fish from one lake to another so I don’t. I don’t get to choose what fish are stocked in the public waters I fish. Ignorant people with good intentions can do great damage to fisheries.

If you don’t own the lake you don’t have a right to manage it. I follow the rules. The people who we pay to manage the lakes get to make the rules.

https://www.usfa.fema.gov/blog/ig-102022.html

LifePO4 batteries perform better in the cold than lead acid batteries. The issue is when charging them. Charging at a high rate in below freezing temperatures can cause permanent damage.

Here’s my thoughts. The battery the OP linked to is not a lithium battery. If the link is correct then there was no BMS to provide short circuit protection. There is no mention of a battery fire just burning alligator clips. If the battery didn’t burn then I don’t see how it could be a battery problem. I agree with what @guitarplaya39 said about a bad connection increasing resistance which causes heat when current runs through it. The alligator clips are not ideal but I don’t think your small graph would draw enough current to cause them to get that hot that fast. Was the graph even on when the fire started? The fact that both clips started burning immediately when connected screams short circuit. Water is a conductor so if there was some water in the bottom of the boat that would increase the chances of two wires being shorted out. I see many potential short circuits in the pictures provided especially in a wet environment. To me the obvious answer is a short. You need better connections with fewer exposed wires and you need fuse protection. Glad you’re okay and that you caught some fish!

Everyone should read up on the difference in visual acuity between humans and animals. It’s fascinating stuff. There are many aspects to vision. Visual acuity is the ability to see fine details. It’s what the doctor is measuring when asking you to read the letters on a chart. You could say that visual acuity is a human super power. Our’s is better than any other animal with the exception of birds of prey. Eagles put us to shame in this regard. Here’s a good article to get you started https://www.futurity.org/visual-acuity-vision-eyes-animals-1772002/ I read one scientific study that tried to measure a largemouth bass’s visual acuity by dissecting the eye. They concluded that it was 10 cycles per degree but noted that it was probably higher than that in reality. 10 cpd is considered legally blind for humans. This science suggests that fish would need to be very close to your line to see it. Less than a foot to just a few inches in most cases.

Yes. I don’t currently have room in the back for a 4th battery. I have a lot of electronics and needed another battery. I mounted a battery box at my feet under the console. It has worked extremely well. It’s a 75ah Battleborn LifePO4 group 24 that weighs 27 lbs. I plan to move it to the back when I replace my trolling motor batteries and can reconfigure everything.

My concern would be if the rod locker can structurally support the weight of the battery. I'm also in an aluminum boat. There have been times when I've hit wakes where it seemed like it was going to bruised my kidneys. The further forward you put the battery the more downward force it's going to experience when you hit a wake. I'm not saying the boat or battery can't handle it but that would be my concern. I've installed a battery under my console for my electronics and it has worked beautifully but it's a lighter lithium battery.

I use the first one on my Carolina rigs because I have a few dozen left over from the 1970s. ?

I don’t know about your state but here it is illegal to move fish from one body of water to another. A lot of damage can be done by well meaning people.

If I can see them and they never react to my bait, not more than 5-10 cast.

Personally I would replace the spare. I spend a lot of money on fishing stuff that is not necessary. Safety is a necessity in my opinion and I don’t skimp on it.

Cleared the catch on day one. Did not work for me.

I use 2500s almost all the time. I do have several 4000s that I’ve used up to .013 diameter line on. I caught my PB on a 4000 skipping a dock with .013 line.

Absolutely, talk to Glenn about that. I remember as a kid watching a barge going under one of these bridges and having a long discussion with my Dad about what would happen if a train and a barge got there at the same time. ?

Well I’m not sure I know the correct answer but I know of 4 of them. New Johnsonville, TN Decatur, AL Bridgeport, AL Chattanooga, TN (just below Chickamauga Dam) I know there are two railroad bridges near the UT campus in Knoxville but I don’t think they lift. I can only think of these 6 railroad bridges that cross the river.