InfantryMP

I read stories like this all the time, and it really makes people who haven't fished tournaments before, think twice about being a co-angler. I know it can be a great thing especially for experience. The last thing I want one the water is tension with someone over a fishing spot.

Soft plastic lizards for me. When I was a kid, I used to throw them all the time...A simple green pumpkin zoom lizard, and I would catch a lot of volume, but not a lot of big ones. I have tried them again as I have progressed in my fishing life, and I cannot get a bite on one anymore. I have tried them T-rigged and Carolina rigged, to no prevail.

I fished a ton of ponds in SE GA. The most fun I have had fishing has been smaller ponds, that I can walk around, and even some that I can be in with the boat, and trolling motor only. Metz Pond, on Ft Stewart was/ is home of some of the largest LMB in the state of GA. I have caught a ton of great fish in those ponds every time out, some never saw more than 12ft deep. (No freezing, and an abundance of food throughout the year). They are heavily pressured though. When I go to the lake here in Indiana, I get 1-3 bass max. I think my issue is the inability to accurately locate the "right" fish via my electronics. I have watched a ton of videos on reading the graphs, but I am still no good.

Yes....My son loves to go out fishing, but only if he is catching fish....If not he is complaining the entire time. Also being obnoxiously loud on the boat for no reason. Kids screaming really breaks my ear drums for some reason.

The Dick's near the Indy area has no fishing gear anymore, The last time I was there it was all major team sports. Luckily there was a Cabelas across the street I wandered over to so I could grab some stuff. Dicks has changed a lot since they stopped with the AR stuff.

I have had awesome success with a black whopper plopper with smallmouth, especially in creeks and small creek arms.

I did some grunt work 11B from 2006-2017. Few times over the big pond. The Military bouncing me around a lot of places makes it fun for fishing!

I have caught more smallies in the Wildcat creek, than LMB anywhere in Indiana. I think I like the challenge of it being "tough". It definitely has been good for some folks, Wheeler included. I think it just depends on pressure and how you deal with it to be able to still catch em.

I have 8 total in the boat. 6 casting 2 spinning I have a smaller boat TR17, and I think it starts to get cluttered easily on the deck if they are out. I would like to get a couple more though for sure! I have way more bags / 3700's full of bait than I need.

To be honest it has been a couple years since I have been back there to fish. I went to Smith Lake in Alabama last year for my annual trip...

I grew up on the Tennessee river in Rogersville, AL, near Wheeler Lake. I remember spending weekend nights with my father on the pier, and we would have like 9 rods out on the bottom fishing for cats. We would stay up until 2 am or so fishing, and then we would put the cats on ice overnight, and fry em up the next day. That is where I learned to love fishing, even though now, I fish mainly for bass.

Yea just the other day actually. It was 25* outside, and my local creak is still flowing freely. I decided to suit up and try to catch a couple smallmouth. My 2nd cast, I snagged a bush behind me. Backlashed the hell out of the my SLX DC, to the point I had to cut it out...I have fished that creak so much, I didn't even think about it. That day in the freezing cold, I asked myself what the hell, and am I really that bad? Or did I just have moment of bad luck?

I have never had a problem with throwing jerk baits on a 7' MH, or my 7'2 MH. I usually use 10lb Fluorocarbon line. I guess it also depends on the size and wt of the jerk bait. I think it could also work on my 7' M rod just as well. To be honest, I use a lot of 7' MH and 7'2 MH fast action rods as my go to rods for just about everything besides top water / punching. If I have a super light weight crank or something maybe I will go down to my Medium rods, or a spinning rod, I guess it just depends on wind and how I am casting that day.

I love bass fishing, but I also love being out on the boat cruising around. So as long as I am on the water, I love it.

I use the smaller I think it is 3.5 or so for chatter baits and the larger one for spinner baits.

The Eeliminator is my go to for chatter baits, and spinner baits.

I would have simply went out just a little more than I did in 2020. I am flipping a house for a quick sell....1 year flip...So I did not get to go out as much as I would have liked to.

Wheeler....He is from around my area originally. I think it would be great to talk about spots here, and the the pro stuff.

I have two HDS 7 gen 2 touchs at bow, and one HDS 7 gen 2 touch at console...The console, and one upfront are linked with SI, and DI. I have a Motorguide X5 (I do not like it) with a 2D sonar transducer for the other HDS 7. I would like panoptix, or the new Lowrance Active with an Ultrex, but I feel like if I am going to spend $5 in cash to upgrade all that, I may as well upgrade my boat to something new with the majority of what I want / need.

Been bass fishing for about 15 years for fun of course.... I have never caught a bass on: Swim Jig, Deep Crank (10+), Spoon, or a rooster tail. I will say I have only started fishing a swim jig for the last year or so.

There are not a lot of things going on in Indiana, unless you are on the local tournaments, or the Indiana Bass Federation trail. I am in Kokomo, and there is a local tournament every Monday night during the April-October time frame. I know a few local guys who go out in yaks, and boats, but no "clubs" around here that I know of.

I have always gave a little jerk here and there, usually in an upward direction. I guess I have done it so much, it is one of those things I do not even think about anymore. I have not caught a bass this year on a square bill however....I catch on lipless all the time, and chatterbaits. I think adjusting your retrieve, and even a pause will work well, especially in the colder water days.

Yea that is all what I have done in previous years. I just wondered if it was truly needed kept inside.

I have an unheated garage, do I really need to winterize the boat fully? I mean I do not mind putting fuel stabilizer in and all that, but is all the other stuff necessary in an unheated garage?

I like throwing lipless cranks during the cooler months. I try to match the hatch, so if there are shiners or bluegill, then I would find a 1/2 ounce lipless in those patterns. Also a chatterbait with a slow retrieve has done well for me in ponds all year long.