WVU-SCPA

Crazy doing this at night an solo. Summer of 2020 I was paddling out lines through some choppy waves for my brother and 2 inexperienced anglers. With 4 hooks in tow off the back of the yak I gave the instructions to listen to whatever my brother instructed them to do as I was already a little uneasy about the 4 lines. Drop the first line and look back at the beach to get my bearings for number 2 when I see someone running down to the one rod and everyone else well up the beach. As I'm paddling over to spot 2 I can see the one guy swing away like Kevin Van Dam between crests of waves. I saw at a minimum of 10 full hook sets before the line became taunt between the rod and back of the yak and each swing started to pull my back end out. My brother finally noticed and put at end to it before we could flip me. When I got back in the explanation I got was he saw the tip bounce and thought it was a bite.....

5 of 6 fish in 90 minutes came from bouncing a 3.2" keitech on structure in 8'-10' of water yesterday. Rigged on a flashy swimmer as the structure was a little too grabby for an open hook. Sure other methods would of worked, but those fish all passed on 3 different jerkbaits, chatterbait, worm coming across at the same place before munchin. Ned and drop shot will probably be tied on for this weekend tournament.

Fish get conditioned into a feeding response just like people do. I used to fly fish for trout under a rail road trestle 100+ hrs a year. I can't validate it statistically, but had a higher catch percentage when a train was passing or just passed. My belief is the passing train created vibration and air movement resulting in bugs falling and a feed opportunity. The fish became conditioned to this as a dinner bell. Same goes with wind, current, and ambush locations.

Give me a 1/2 oz. lipless and I'll eventually snag a carp/shad/something in any body of water. If it has to be in the mouth, a trd on 1/10oz or lighter.

Didn't pull the trigger on it last year and have been struggle to find it through my normal venues. Finally found available at Susquehanna Fishing Tackle and added it to the team.

With all the success of maxscent baits fished by other methods, I plan to throw some on the back of a chatter at some point this year. I always have a few used ones floating around the boat. Not sure it will make a difference but maybe it help a few fish fully commit. I have the most success slow rolling and bumping into cover in my local lakes over burning them.

This is something over looked. Learned a lesson last year with a fish that came out of about 12' first thing in the morning. Caught adjacent to 45'+. Wasn't prepare with fin clips or a needle as the plan wasn't to fish deep that day.

No one swims a ned rig to search? Once set on an "area" a few cast with a 1/10 oz trd can give me a pretty good feel on what and how to throw the next bait selection to fish more efficiently.

Decided to mix it up with tomorrow's forcast and do something I haven't done in years. Bucket of shiners with Dad to chase toothy critters. Sure we will bump into some bass and I'll probably toss a ned around to pass the time.

Black and blue comes off the top of my head but that's only because I don't use it. I'm sure it works, but I started with the mindset of it's for dirty water and the lakes I fish most often are clear so I built confidence in other colors. Being colorblind is a blessing when it comes to the bait monkey. I don't buy all the hues, flecks, blah blah blah because I can't see the difference.

I was given a pack of zman crusteaz and pounding on them with a finesse jig when I truly had no idea what I was doing. Not sure why I haven't given them another go.

With the past 2 years of crazy and adding a first newborn with a overload work schedule, I'd take 4 straight days on my local lakes over anywhere else. Would love every minute of it.

Think the saying goes something like....wind on my homebodies of water anglers delight, wind on unknown water anglers take flight. Or maybe that's something with the sunrise or sunset and fish can only be so predictable due to all the variables. That being said the lakes I know like the back of my hand, wind is usually the 3rd factor in what I decided to do first.

You haven't saw a fish "go" until a steelhead busts some knuckles. Have had a few fly reel knobs cause blood loss.

Add just a bit more bulk to the hook and fish it like a fluke or jerk bait. Had a school of striped and large mouths one evening where they wouldn't sniff the hard jerk, but the same cadence with the trd was lights out. Went through many baits and only picked up the trd in frustration.

I've used that method fishing for suspended Steelhead before. Often though about tying a crappie jig or fly about a jig but have yet to do so. I'm sure they will catch fish in the right conditions.

When he put the logo on I thought "well crap a fish won't bite bc it will see that". Then I remembered bass eat spinerbaits and ordered them.

The BANJO MINNOW probably caught more people then fish. Lived on those infomercials as a kid. Couldn't understand why I wasn't slaying pike and walleye with the ones Santa brought me.

The birth of a first child has really put the last few months into warp speed. Less time on the water Less tinker time Less sleep Well worth it and wouldn't trade it in for the world. If he only knew his onesie read "I'd rather be fishing" this morning.

There was a gator that was captured after it escaped on the Susquehanna a few weeks ago.

Maybe its more common and I never paid attention to it, but I watched 2 boats be loaded on to trailers that they didn't belong on this weekend. One of which saw a 15'ish sailboat that I can't imagine it made to its destination without issue. I would think using items to wedge between boat and bunk would be the first sign......

Decided to avoid the lakes at all cost last weekend. Unfortunately had a fatality/drowning at the closest lake. Afraid it won't be the last this year, too crowded and some many people not having a clue what they are doing. Hoping for some rain tomorrow to keep the pontoon parade at bay during tournament hours.

The first time I got on a solid spinnerbait bite. Transitioning from solely fly fishing for trout to bass fishing with a buddy that would only beat the bank with t-rigged power worms. My whole fishing life to that point was making things appear natural as possible, I couldn't compute why a bass would bite something that looked so stupid. Looking at all my stuff now maybe a T-rigged power worm was the way to go.

You see the full range at buddy events. From 3 hours early to panicked phone calls because someone over slept. The guy that was out the night before stumbling with all his gear to jump on his buddy's boat at takeoff is solid entertainment.

Don't remember if it was an HMX or HMG, was replaced by Fenwick with a Techna which I'm not the biggest fan of. Hit on the drop in 20'ish of water, reeled tight and swung for the fences. Butt end snapped against my side making for a fun battle.