galyonj

Did some gear rearranging and got my finesse rig setup yesterday, so I thought I'd show off a little bit. Fishing from the bank, it's not really feasible to carry a huge massive loadout, so I've got these three that'll cover the vast majority of the presentations that I'd wanna throw, along with a huge backpack full of tools, tackle, bug spray, vape juice, and once I found an M&M in the bottom of the big compartment. That was a good day because who doesn't love a bonus M&M? Anyway, here's a picture of some stuff. From left to right: My new baby, a Lew's Mach 2 strapped to a 6'9" Lew's TP-1 Black in ML/F, spooled with 15lb Power Pro V2. My crankbait/treble hook setup, a 6.8:1 Lew's LFS on a 7' M/M Falcon Bucoo, spooled with 10lb Yo-Zuri Hybrid. My jigs and weighted plastics and everything else rod, a 7.5:1 Lew's Tournament MB on a 7'2" Lew's TP-1 Black in MH/F, spooled with 40lb Sufix. Also I didn't really intend to color coordinate, it's just that the water is about the same color and clarity as split pea soup.

I paid for that whole speedometer, and I intend to use every bit of it.

@Koz's advice about the pipes and watching waterflow is something you really want to heed. Remember, too, that bass, like predators, much prefer to expend the least energy they can while hunting or feeding. They're always gonna gravitate toward good ambush spots – overhangs, laydowns, culvert and pipe edges, etc. On a sunny day, you can even treat the outer edges of shade lines on the water as points unto themselves. If current flows past or through any of that stuff, all the better, because it'll be bringing prey with it.

Eh. Wasn't much of a secret in the first place. I'll live.

That's the one.

The little park/boat ramp at the end of Ginn off 129? Yeah, that's the spot. They've got the whole place tore up right now because I guess they're putting in a new walking trail around the back side of the cove. Still good access from the bank from the boat dock around to the point, though. All the opposite bank looks like good fishing between the logs, laydowns and overhangs. I didn't have but a few minutes this morning, but I'll be back to investigate further and scare all the fish away. If I'd had any ultralight gear I would've cleaned up on bream this morning, though. They were going buckwild under and around that dock.

Tomorrow's new rod day and I'll finally have a proper rig to throw neds and shaky heads and whatnot on instead of trying to make my cranking rig work with it, so that'll be fun.

Stopped at a new spot on the way in this morning. Had about 20 minutes to fish and look around, but I found one that was as agressive as he was dumb, and he hit this plug just about as soon as it hit the water. It ain't much, but it's honest work.

I've been pretty happy with the Kastking glasses I picked up a while back. Got them from Amazon, of course. They do okay. Speaking as a mole person that also has to wear regular eyeglasses, I think your issues with smudging and fogging are less to do with the sunglasses you're using than how you're cleaning them. Anti-fog or water-repellant sprays for eyeglasses are a pretty cheap alternative.

I haven't but I'm sure it would work.

Atta boy.

I had one, with fluoro (of course), but I'm pretty sure it's cause I burned the knot. Way too early for me to tell how good the knot actually is, of course, but I like the size.

That is the exact video that got me to switch to the GT knot.

I tried these recently and I can't decide if I like the action on them or not. It looks and feels tighter than the Rage Swimmers and Keitechs that I'm used to – like the rubber is stiffer or something. I wonder if a) that's intentional or a byproduct of the plastic they use; and b) if that action gives them a different look that maybe the fish don't see much.

It's worked for me in the past, and I did it again today. Fishing with a buddy, he let my Tournament MB get away from him to the point it just had to be cut apart. Double uni and we were back in business. I've started playing with the GT knot for my leaders. I like it okay so far.

If ever a rig is named after me, it'll probably be something cheap that gets snagged and lost, followed by something expensive that gets snagged IN THE EXACT. SAME. PLACE.

I'm not an addict. I can quit any time I want.

Nosir, mine is a 7' M/M casting rod, and there are times I feel like it's got a hair less backbone in the blank than I'd like. So the M/MF that you got, if it follows that, ought to be a really great blank for the purpose.

I use a Bucoo for my cranking rig. You'll be very pleased.

I wanna be just like you when I grow up.

I love my MB. I think the MP probably can get away with aluminum gears because of the upgraded and better-supported pinion. Less flexing and movement in the gear system means that you don't have to have as tough a gear. That said, I paid $120 for my MB and would happily do it again. I love that reel.

Yeah. Talked myself out of it. It'll get here when it gets here.

I do that every so often. I didn't have a lot of time this morning so I just parked where I could hop out of the car and start fishing real quick. The issue is that I'm not good at fishing, while also being limited to very highly pressured spots in a highly pressured region. To quote @TnRiver46, "Every swingin' **** here has a rod and reel." So the (self-inflicted) curve for me is pretty steep, but I have fun so I guess it's whatever. I think I'd just die if I pulled in the weight i see some of y'all posting. lol

The Tournament MB's gonna be sold out just about everywhere since the model's been replaced in the lineup by the Tournament MP (which I'm sure is an amazing reel, and if you can get it for under $130 you should ****** it up). I got my MB from Tackle Warehouse last fall when they were on discount.

IC King. It's on the way to the office. Apparently I've got this weird monkey's paw style curse in which I can go to places where "nobody catches fish," and then catch precisely one fish in an outing. Last year I was fishing down along the beginning of the walking trail, and pulled a fish out of some brush (the same brush pile I posted a fish from here earlier this week, actually). Dude and his dog were walking back to the parking area as I was getting it unhooked, and the guy said "I've been coming here for years and have never once seen anyone catch a fish here." From that moment, I was cursed. Now and forever, when I go there, if I catch a fish at all, it'll be one really dumb, hungry fish, then it goes back in the water and the bite's dead to me. lol