IYAOYAS

I don't have any issues with Googan squad soft plastics. Little known fact the bandito bug was actually designed by Scott Martin. I don't ever close my mind off to a bait company unless they have personally wronged me. You never know when you get on the water and that pinky toe colored googie worm might be the only thing they'll bite.

A "work" photo from when I went to top gun years ago. I am down in front.(I didn't take the pic but it was taken with my camera so....)

I have a buddy who NEVER brings the soft plastics he needs to fish with as my co-angler. I am always giving him flukes or worms or whatever. Last year I took a shiny new bag of flukes and cut up a banana into slices and put about 3 slices of fresh banana in the bag with the flukes(You know for scent) My buddy got the bag from me it was dark. After the sun comes up we are fishing and I hear "YOU SON OF A BISCUIT EATER! IS THAT screwing BANANAS IN THESE FLUKES?" I confirmed his nightmare and he didn't catch a fish the rest of the day BUT he NEVER EVER asked me for plastics again.

I try to handle them as little as possible. I haven't had a fish die on me since my buddie's livewell failed in a tournament on Jordan 3 years ago and we had 20+ pounds of fish in the box on the way to weigh in.

I am a fluke guy. This year I am gonna put a swim jig in my hand and throw it till I either start liking it and am so dang good with it the fish see me grab a swim jig and just jump in the boat or I hate it so much I'd rather dig up my mother in law than fish one.

Nothing odd about that at all. Heck I only shoot bullets I build myself because I trust my process way more than any of the big companies these days. I took a free class on how to make plastics last year and it was so cool. I plan on starting small with a few of my most used bait molds and eventually move up to only pouring my own baits.

I use mostly zoom but I am ok using whatever brands works best. Really been digging crush city here lately.

For me it was always "Wind from the west they bite the best, wind from the east they bite the least"

That depends on what grass you are referring to.

I have a dime laying in the floorboard of my boat. It was in there when I brought it home from the dealership and it has been in there everyday since. I have to tell people when I bring them on the boat not to take my lucky dime if they see it on the floor. Also I have a hat that says "This is my lucky fishing hat". It is the most UNLUCKIEST hat ever! Every time I've ever worn that hat fishing something catastrophic happens.

I use my anchor ever now and again in high winds on the boat. On the kayak I have a pedal drive so it's easier to stay in place pedaling than anchoring.

I keep everything in the bag except for swimbaits. I keep them in a 3700 tray.

I get a sausage and egg biscuit to compliment my coffee from a little place on the north end of Hartwell where I get gas on the way called Durham's. Best biscuits in the upstate. Then while on the boat I have a ready up supply of toasty crackers and bottled water

Welp, let's see where this goes.🤷‍♂️

two events in and my fantasy season is pretty much sucking. Couple of dark horses I put my money on early completely let me down. Dakota Ebare and Hackney really put the screws to me at St. Johns River. Still playing catch up from that.

The freeloader is a really good trailer for just about everything. I've used it on swim jig, chatter baits, and spinnerbaits and caught fish on all of them!

I love the lapping of the waves on the shore.

Lake Hartwell SC

I keep about 25 rods in my boat. I don't have a list but the bulk of my rods are 13 fishing(pre rapala) and all my reels are Abu with the Revo X's getting most of the work. I have a few higher end reels consisting of a Revo Premier, Revo Rocket, Revo SX rocket, and a few more but I still have a couple of good ole black maxes on some rods(toughest cheapest baitcaster on the market.)

1 medium spinning rod 1 medium casting rod 1 med. hvy casting rod 1 hvy fast casting rod.

I just throw all mine in a non partitioned 3700 box. Haven't had any issues so far.

Sounds like it is time to put a gate on your access road.

To be honest the way I eased myself back into fishing after I got out of the service was to pick up a 3/8 ounce roostertail and a decent spinning rod and just fish it everywhere. All the baits I used to kill them on as a kid that were cheap and simple was what I used for the first few years I was back. Beetlespins and roostertails will catch literally everything in the water and they are cheap to buy. Give them a try and see if your catches increase.

So I know some of us carry multiple state licenses each year. Do you just get the license for the time you'll be fishing? Get a yearly nonresident? Also what states do you keep a license in? I am fortunate to live in Western North Carolina which is a very central location to many legendary bass fishing lakes. My dad lives in KY and my wife's family live in Virginia Beach so I keep multiple states yearly licenses each year. I have a lifetime license in NC and I live just across the border into NC above Hartwell so I keep a SC yearly nonres license as well. Kentucky gets a yearly nonres license but Virginia usually just gets a license for when I actually take my boat since my brother in law is a guide on the Chesapeake bay and usually I'm fishing salt(which is covered by his boat license) when we go visit the inlaws.

I carry in the boat but not on me while on the water.