bighed

The countdown is on!

Is it too early to put a clock on these trips???

Just sold the gen 3 winch and was not pleased with it. Got the Lexa coming from TW and found that Melton still had a Chronarch 201E5 so ordered it as well. I think I've got Chad hooked up on a deep cranking reel at this point. Thanks for everyone's feedback!

Thanks guys. Ordered a Lexa for him to try. Still looking at others.

What Chris said x 10, don't miss out!

He's just unloaded a Revo Winch that was disappointing. Not sure if the Diawa would cut it deep cranking during the summer. Seems short in bearings. What's your experience with it been? Btw, thanks for the feedback!

Looking for a new cranking reel for my son. Want something similar in quality to a Chronach or Curado but I guess Shimano doesn't have an offering. 5:1 ratio, light, not too bulky. Not finding much. Any ideas? Thanks!

10 easy

Booked into F&F for Wednesday thru Sunday. Not sure on the Mrs. right now but hopeful she will attend as well. Anybody sitting on the fence better jump in on this trip. It's a flipping (literally) bass paradise! Hoping last years attendees will be present!

Crankbaits made by Normans. Typically, the structure I mentioned that have fish on them are too far from shore to fish without a boat. There are fish that stay shallow through the heat of the summer though.

Put on a shakey head, eliminate water, and grind

Bass in my area lakes (North Cental TX) are pretty predictable this time of year. A good portion of the fish relocate to points, humps, and road beds and hang in about 15-20 feet of water. The thermocline is showing up well on my graph and has been running 18-24' deep. This is the time of year to throw DD22's and C-rigs for fish on the bottom and flutter spoons, DD14's, and swimbaits for the suspended fish. The fish bite well all day but get started a little later in the morning. These are just generalizations but I think you get the point. Good luck!

In on both barring cataclysmic events. Where did y'all stay last time on KYL? Have that in mind for next year?

Is it too early to get the ball rolling? KY lake is on MY bucket list! TB in March, KYL in May???

Can't wait for the second annual Bake Potato Classic next spring!! That's a fun lake to fish!

Had a long bout of this too. Never got the shot or surgery, just bought the lightest rods and reels I could find. Started fishing finesse more. Pain slowly went away and I started catching more fish to boot!

So our drought has ended in my area. The 23000 acre lake 2 miles from my house was 13' low two months ago and now the are letting water out of the dam. There are areas of the lake that have not seen water in three years that used to be honey holes. The bass have not returned to those areas yet. The bite overall has been poor during this time and the fish seem scattered. Fished several hours for a couple dinks tight to shore most recently.

I'd expect the place is bustin wide open this very minute! Better take an elbow brace and some tape for the thumb, lol.

I enjoyed the classic on Grand but not the drive to and from the lake. I'd like to see it on Amistad but the lake is not fishing well, there are few facilities to hold such an event, and nobody is going to drive down there for the event.

Well, they are catching them off beds right now so I guess the water is not too bad. The lake has come up several feet in the last month or so. Lake Fork Marina is one of the better places to stay on Fork.

Ryan, my best suggestion would be for you to open google maps and look for ponds that way. There are tons of subdivision ponds that can be accessed by car and fished without being told to leave. What are the dates you will be in the area?

A few ramblings of my own: I really enjoyed fishing with Felix. I enjoyed our conversations, learning about his family and life in NY, and making some memories on a lake that was new to both of us. For a guy who has not been fishing for long he is very knowledgeable, a skilled angler, and is welcome to fish with me anytime! It was great to see Chris again and meet Jerry for the first time. I'm glad I got to know everybody in a way that can only happen in person. When we do this again I hope Becky sends enough bacon along for Chris with maybe a little extra to share and if Jerry would let me help him cook one of his Cajun dishes that would be perfect! Also thanks to Jerry for sharing his lake knowledge with us rookies. Josh, I hope we can connect next time, would have been cool to meet you! Toledo Bend is a mind boggling lake. As Jerry said, it has 160,000 acres of everything. Endless timber, grass, structure, even current at times. Everywhere you look seems like it should be holding a 10# bass. Much respect to the men who have spent a lifetime learning it's in's and outs The place we stayed was not what my sweetheart is used to when we travel. Thankful for her good attitude about the whole trip and lodging especially. I will say, having a slip to keep the boat in steps away from our room was nice and the owners were very nice and helpful to us. I ate too much. Big Mama's was bomb even though they ran out of food and we never got our baked potato. Truth is, I'd have been hard pressed to eat it if they had brought it. The weather and lake conditions were tough but everybody made the most of their time on the water. It rained HARD most of the day Saturday but everybody soldiered on and kept fishing. I can't wait to do this again. Not sure how I never made it to TB before but I'm certain his won't be my last trip. Mike, start planning the next trip now. I'm in!

Just read everybody's comments to Sharon and she wanted to add a few of her own: -- while Fox's Lodge is not the Hilton, the owner's sure made you feel like family coming by to visit -- I knew I wouldn't catch as many as Bert, but I knew he would make sure I caught at least one -- glad to see there were other guys just as consumed with fishing as my husband -- all the guys were very polite, friendly, and pleasant to be around. Enjoyed our dinners even though I didn't get a baked potato with my steak -- it's pretty cool to make new friends from all over with such a variety of accents! -- sure enjoyed hiking at the lake while the guys fished and would love to go back! Would love to meet some wives next time! -- enjoyed watching the guys do what they love most!!

Baked Potato Classic, I like it!!

I'm back home and wishing I could go back to TB next weekend! Only got a few hours fishing in this morning but Felix an Chris both got a good one to close out the trip. This was a great group to fish with and I hope to get together with them again!