Tennessee Boy

Without getting out of my chair I just counted 16 reel boxes. One of them is at least 25 year old. So yes I’ve been known to keep a few reel boxes. I can’t explain why. ?‍♂️ Sorry

When the wind is that strong, positioning is critical. I position my butt in my recliner and post BS on BR.

I learned an important lesson on Sanibel Island Florida that I always remember when fishing. The south side of Sanibel is considered the best shelling beach in the northern hemisphere. Why? Because there is deep water south of the island and the prevailing wind is from the north. Seems kind of odd that a north wind would result in shells being pushed north on to the beach. What happens is the north wind pushes the surface water south which causes a northerly currents along the bottom to replace the water being pushed south. This current moves the shells on the bottom north toward the beach. When the tide goes out, there are tons of shells for the tourists to pick up. The stronger the north wind is, the better the shelling. The lesson I learned is this. The wind blows the water around but it does not blow it out of the lake. What the wind blows away at the surface is being replaced by currents from somewhere and when the wind blown currents reach the bank, the water has to go somewhere. I try to think about what currents the wind is producing down where the fish are, not just the obvious ones at the surface.

Wisest advice on this thread. ?

Who says the business climate is rosy? The business climate is as difficult as it has been in at least 40 years. Markets are very good at balancing things that are out of balance. Right now the market is red hot for workers and extremely bad for businesses. A high percentage of the restaurants around here are not running viable businesses because they don't have the necessary employees. Eventually, the poorly run business will go out of business and lay off their employees. The economy will probably go into a recession. This will ease the labor shortage. Then we'll start seeing threads on here about the good ole days when someone who was willing to work could easily find a job. That's when you'll know it's time to invest in the stock market and the cycle will start over.

I know plenty of workaholics. They just look different than they did when I was a kid. People with a good work ethic are doing better than ever. Yes there are people who can't keep a job but these people have always existed. The labor participation rate has been dropping since the late 90s but it's still higher than it was in the 1950s. It started going up in the late 60s when women stopped being stay at home moms. It started dropping in 2000 as the population got older. What does the typical person who doesn't work and has no interest in work look like? Like me. I'm still of working age but was fortunate enough to be able to retire at age 59. So why is there a big shortage of people who want to work in the trades? I think it takes a certain type of person for this work. It's typically a guy who helped his dad change the oil in the car when he was a kid. More boys are growing up without this type of influence in their life so there are fewer men with the mentality to work with their hands. Of those that do have the right mentality, more of them are choosing to go to college than did a generation ago. When I graduated from high school my dad offered to get me a position as an apprentice pipefitter but he encouraged me to go to college instead. I chose college over pipefitting and even more are making that choice today.

I’ve never heard anything like that before. I’ve seen in multiple lakes a direct correlation between the amount of aquatic grass and the quality of the fishing. I’ve also fished for fish on beds on Guntersville where the weeds were so thick it was difficult to run my trolling motor. The bass found holes in the grass where they made their beds. I never assume that what I observe here is the same everywhere else. I’m sure weeds affect other species differently as well.

For the way I fish a heading sensor is a must have.

This thread is fascinating to me. I don’t know what’s more interesting, bass or bass fishermen.

I’ve reached a point in my personal development where I can say that I don’t know why bass hit buzzbaits and I’m okay with that. It’s enough for me to just catch fish on them and appreciate the mystery of it all. I’m still working with my therapist on plastic worms. ?

Sounds like fluorocarbon. ?

I have to ask. Is the netting made of fluorocarbon or mono? ?

That’s why I throw into trees…. To shake stuff out. Mayflies in the summer and squirrels in the winter. Been doing it for years. ?

That’s amazing. You need to give the technique a name and then we can start arguing on this forum about what brand of net is the best for your technique. ?

I don’t know the answer but I do know anyone can put up a sign. I saw a marina recently on a Corp of Engineers lake that put up a No fishing sign. I’m pretty sure they don’t have the authority to prevent fishing. I’ve even seen people put up No Wake signs on their private docks that are 50 yards from the main channel where barges travel. I guess they’ll have to shut down the local power plant because barges create a wake at any speed so they won’t be able to deliver coal past these docks. ? TVA doesn’t put up with stuff like this. Many years ago a marina and water front park own by a city decided to stop allowing bass tournaments. TVA informed them that they would cancel their permit for the marina and park if they did. They changed their mind.

You had the fancy stuff, I had a Zebco 202.?

Was it more exciting when we got to watch someone offshore stare at open water?

I was on the water yesterday and it looked like it could rain at any time. A few drops fell here and there. There was about an hour total of off and on light rain. I got a little damp but not wet. Never put on any rain gear. The heavy cloud cover seemed to extend the morning bite all day. It was near perfect fishing weather in my opinion. ?

Check out the Fish The Moment YouTube channel. Jonny Shultz did some recent live videos from the lake with video from his electronics. Most of the videos you see on YouTube show the highlights when the equipment is working perfectly and the big fish are biting. Jonny’s live videos are much more realistic and similar to my experiences. As for me, I’m addicted. I’ve had FFS since the Spring of 2022. It makes fishing much more interesting knowing what’s down there and how the fish are reacting. Do I catch more fish with it? Not yet. I do catch fish I wouldn’t have caught without it. I also know that I waste time messing with it and trying to catch fish that are not biting. Over time I’m sure I’ll get more efficient with it.

I got 14 years out of my last gas grill. It was made by Vermont Casting. I don't think they are making grills any longer. I replaced a few parts including the burners. I got rid of it in 2020. I don't think I will ever get another gas grill. I have a gas Blackstone Griddle and a charcoal Weber Kettle. They seem to meet all my needs. A griddle is fast and much more versatile than a grill. They are also much cheaper. When I want to grill I go all out and use charcoal. The best move I've made was replacing the grates that came with the Weber with cast iron ones. They cook great and are extremely easy to clean.

All of the above. You definitely need to be wading. Concentrate on areas with good current.

I’ve read this before. I think you recommend it previously. It’s kind of a traditional take on the “Shad rules” and what I’ve always assumed the Shad were doing. After I got FFS, I noticed that the Shad in the lakes I fish don’t know these rules. ☹️

I’ll share a few rules I still believe in. 1. Bass live in the water. 2. Bass need to eat. I got live sonar in the spring of 2022. It has rocked my reality. The bass in the lakes I fish primarily eat Shad. I’ve noticed that when the Shad are deep, you won’t catch many bass shallow. When the Shad are shallow you won’t catch many fish deep. Shad appear to have more rules than bass. I don’t think anyone knows the Shad rules. I’m convinced that I need to try to figure out the Shad rules. If you don’t have Shad in your lakes then you can probably ignore everything I have to say about bass. ?‍♂️

I do it the same as the reel rotation. I've never done it any other way so I don't know if it makes a difference or not.

Very wise thoughts from someone who's voice I have come to respect in these matters. A Chinese knockoff by any other name is still a Chinese knockoff. It doesn't matter if it's Piscifun or Lew's. It's doesn't even matter to me if the quality is there. I like to reward the people who got us here not the one's that copy their work. That's how I make my tackle buying decisions but I do not expect others to do the same. Buy what you like for whatever reason you like.