Bird

^ X2

Wow, doesn't sound fun at all. Had an uncle that saved all his stones in a jar, made me tremble. Hope this can be remedied so it doesn't continue.

If you saw me shadow boxing you'd put your money on the shadow......no thanks.

A terrible cast high into the limbs of a waterfront tree landed me a 5lb LM with the assistants of a young man who loved to climb trees......remember it like yesterday.

You should she the guy my daughter married......a bass boat will outlast the marriage. Lol

My youngest daughter just got married and she loves fancy name brand things, very expensive taste, the wedding ?.....it stung.

Don't forget about the influence of legendary coaches, they play a major roll in a programs success. Many examples.........Saban, Tom osborne, Lou Holtz , Bobby Bowden, bear Bryant. Look at coach K at Duke or Geno at Uconn.

At 22 I had a John boat with trolling motor and fished out of that boat for many years. After that, all my bass boats were used, of course they were significantly cheaper in the 80's. No way would I advise a young man who loves to fish to go out and buy a brand new fiberglass bass boat, not in this current market. Go out and get yourself a Pelican bass raider 10e, 55lb trolling motor and at least a group 27 deep cycle battery, much easier to fish from than a kayak. OR, be very patient and search the used market for a gem. My fishing partner for over 40 years found this 1995 Cheetah in mint condition for 3k. Good luck ?

Oh wow, this is an old thread, back when we used cane poles. Anyway, fish the same equipment for SM as I do LM, even many of the same baits. A general rule for myself..... Baitcasters for faster moving baits and all baits with trebles, and especially baits that I want moving apon hitting the water ( spinnerbaits Buzzbaits ). Spinning for skipping ( flukes wacky rig )and slower presentations. BUT there's always exceptions.

Always use leaders in the VERY clear water I fish. 15lb braid to 8lb Sunline sniper via an Alberto. Straight braid on moving baits.

VA fishing license is good for 365 days apon purchase date. All other states that I buy a license is simply a calendar year.....I'll be ready and legal.

The temptation is to great to bob the bait after casting over a limb, wish I could refrain from that.

I completely understand the term K.I.S.S......keep it simple stupid. I could likely throw everything in my tackle bag on a 7' med with the exception of finesse. Only use 2 baits on heavy action for Bass, frogs and mag flukes with 5.0 hook. Don't let the bait monkey dig into your pocket book. Lol

Was gonna say that crawfish are delicious but then saw the stingers. Had no idea that people ate Scorpion. The rest looks good though. Lol

Think you nailed it....to close. I fish very clear water and can make a cast and visually inspect it's action whether it be a side sweep or an upward twitch, depending on how I want to present it. And yes, the action falls off as the bait approaches the boat. I'll also add this regarding suspending Jerkbaits. I can work them MUCH better standing up and sweeping them vs sitting in a kayak with more of an upward sweep. Imo

Thanks for the kind wishes and a very Merry Christmas to all.

SEC is the elite conference, has been for quite awhile. Bulldogs and Tide in a rematch, Tide wins ( Saban factor ) but will root for GA. What's the chances of a Cincinnati vs Michigan championship game ?.....none. lol

Sounds like a great vacation awaits and some good planning. Got family members coming in from around the globe. Wife has been preparing all day for big seafood feast at the house this evening. Church fron 5 - 6 and then it's on. Oh, don't go back to work and don't miss it.......retired over 2 years ago. Merry Christmas.

All the water I fish is very clear and about all the pre-spawn fish I catch is relatively shallow, fish that have moved up on points entering coves, submerged timber in proximity to spawning sites. Definitely my favorite time of year to fish.

Reels have been serviced, batteries charged, preferred pre-spawn baits already tied on. My personal favorites don't change much from year to year for pre-spawn. 1. Jerkbaits 2. Spinnerbaits 3. Jigs/brush hogs

Last year I switched over to Zman spinnerbaits. 2022 will see me throwing nothing but Zman spinnerbaits......they always stay tuned.

It's apparent that a lot of ya'll threw Manns. I've had minimal experience with them but will certainly give them a try. From the late 70's and many years after, threw nothing but culprit. Nowadays it's 95% stick baits.

PB&G , Junebug and watermelon red for Senko's.......I throw mostly Senko's. Lol

I'm a power fisherman at heart, fast and aggressive at times. But with new popularity in bass fishing and pressured water, I'm finding a new home with finesse.

I'm not a fan of those conditions but have had some success TIGHT up against the banks. Big bladed spinnerbaits also will land a fish or 2 but my vote is up against the bank. Imo