Bird

VA requires a boater safety course, started in 2011 for all registered vessels. Buddy of mine was fined severely and escorted off the water. It took the wife and I 5 hours to complete and we get checked often on the big lakes. Jet skiers should have to take it monthly 😁.

Have never loosened a drag but a fanatic when it comes to checking them. Maybe it's something I should consider when I do a winter tear down.

I stay off the water on holidays and weekends during the summer months. Be safe

The last time I used live bait was 2 years ago. This lake that the wife and I were camping at had a major cicada outbreak. They were buzzing all over the top of the water so I simply grabbed them, hooked them and casted. The Smallmouth were in a feeding frenzy and occasionally hit the one with a hook in it. 😄 Other than that, I'm all artificial.

Brown/orange - black/blue - green pumpkin works here.

Happy birthday. 82 is getting it done very well....... hope I'm fishing then.

I've used mine 1 time in over a year since getting a bass boat. They do fish well and are comfortable but loading it and unloading it on the back of the truck got redundant.

I don't have a lake that I'd consider home. The wife and I travel to 15 different lakes and setup camp. Most are very clear and very deep mountain reservoirs in VA / WV. I'd give them all ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐.

If I were a kayak fisherman this boat would get my attention for sure.

For the most part, MM is geared towards top water and baits with treble hooks. BUT you also have to consider the weight rating stamped on the rod. And lastly...... there's the bait monkey 🐒. Do I have the perfect rod for the technique being used ? So now you need a plethora of rods to accommodate the many techniques present today 😁

I like BPS and have bought a plethora of tackle there. It's over an hour drive but still make it there several times a year.

Flukes and Senko's on spinning is all I ever skip. I " skip " trying with casting gear 😁

Welcome to the site 👍

Bluegill is # 1 then spotted Bass.

@OldManLure Just 2 weeks ago I spent a week fishing Jennings Randolph. Water was way up and was afraid to get on plane from all the debris floating on the surface. The whole lake had current and the fish were off the banks. Most of my fish were caught at mouth of creeks that were flowing well.

Culpeper lake.

Didn't know that 😳. This same lake I've caught 2 snakehead, ate both.

Sweet corn and tomato sandwiches, that's how we do it here. 👍 Oh, just boil, butter salt and pepper.

My deepest smallmouth are caught on Drop-shot and Zoom speed craw on Shaky head.

With finesse gear it would be a challenge especially around cover where the fish likes to wrap. I caught a 3lb spotted Bass this spring that took me from submerged tree to tree that I simply had to wait out until it freed itself. In open water it would be no issue. This blue cat took 10 minutes to net but was in open water, just time consuming.

I fish 15 - 20 different lakes every year and if I cast a spinnerbait to a lay down, a bass is gonna hit it. 😄

The only bait or technique that I intentionally deadstick would be drop-shot.

If you could only have one reel..... manufacturer ❓ Sorry but like all my Shimano's.

Welcome to Bass Resource Eric

I'm only a cast or 2 after telling myself " last cast " . On rare occasion does the last cast produce a fish.