LrgmouthShad

That’s been my thought for a couple years now. I believe it can affect lure choices as well. If something is just too unnatural, why risk it when there’s a perfectly real bluegill close by? Gosh, you’ve seen 100 boats over the past week too… man, better play it safe… An exception is that summer bass can like speed. Something moving quick gives bass less time to think.

10/10 world class whoopsie. Watched it go bye bye

Hey y’all, Im willing to endure some embarrassment in the hopes that this helps someone out. If you purchase an anchor, and it comes with a nonlocking carabiner attached to the rope, DO NOT use the carabiner to put around the anchor. An unlocking carabiner is not a secure way to attach the anchor. You may lose it. Worst part is I should know better. Instead, use your knot of choice to attach the rope to the anchor. I like a bowline with safety. Have fun

It’s hot today. I’m dreading sweltering for 4 months now. It can’t be as bad as last summer though

Nichols Pulsator Metal Flake Colorado/willow 1/2oz. Something like Blue Crystal or Bombshell Bass should work well. Slow roll it just outside the weed lines. Let it fall to bottom and creep along the bottom. If that doesn’t work, keep working a little higher in the water column. If that still doesn’t work, throw it into the weeds from outside the weedline, bringing it through the mess.

What is your water clarity like? I’m going to suggest a spinnerbait but want to know water clarity before I suggest which one.

Pat tells me he can get a trophy series frog to turn 180 degrees around while walking it. It blows my mind. This is what I mean when I say he’s way ahead of us

I use a bunch of different baits. I throw jigs, spinnerbaits, and texas rigs primarily, but I have a lot of plastics, a lot of jigs, and a lot of spinnerbaits. I will often go back to old baits after a hiatus. I think good organization helps revitalize old baits. If you know where everything is - including your old stuff you haven't used in a while - there may come a day soon when you decide to tie it back on.

I am just light. Got a small frame. I ran for a long time too

I believe I’ve got a fish at a small pond that has defeated me three times. Twice on a spinnerbait. Normally if I hook a fish on a spinnerbait, it’s lights out. Not with this particular fish. It’s the only fish in the whole pond that will eat a spinnerbait and it lives on a particular piece of timber at a corner of the pond. It’s gotta be huge by now.

Dang @A-Jay. I hate COVID. The symptoms were pretty rough for me. Hope you feel better ASAP. I have always been pretty skinny but currently tied for my heaviest fighting weight at 165lb, 5’8”. Have been working a semi-aggressive regiment to try and gain some more lean muscle and trim off excess fat. Strength has gone way up very fast. I eat a lot of chicken breasts. At some point here I want to switch gears and swim a lot but just focusing on strength and lean mass currently. My knees and back feel better than usual today. I hope that continues.

@Bigbox99 I think everything above answers your question

I just use original power pro 🤷🏻‍♂️. I like that rough 4 strand

No. The season goal is to catch a DD. But I have the opportunity to see my family so that is what I’m going to do. My parents and siblings.

🤣 I’ve never caught a bass in my life actually. For real, I’ve got Ol’ Muddy though. The sky could start falling and I could catch nothing out on the big lakes, but I bet I will still pull 2 6lbers from Ol Muddy. Thats my prediction. Last time I was in NC over winter the water was frigid. I said I’ll pull a 5-6lber and it happened 👍🏻. It’s my favorite lake ever

As I am wrapping up some final preparations, it is time to get ready for some July NC fishing while I’m on leave from work. I’ll post my reports on this thread. I should be fishing daily. I do plan to fish with @Pat Brown and @FishTax if we can make it happen. I plan to fish Badin, Randleman, Thom-A-Lex, Brandt, “Ol Muddy” pond, a private lake, and perhaps one or two of @Pat Brown’s other places. I’ve got about ten days to make that all happen. What about my DD bass hunting this year? Since I will just be fishing in July out of a basic fishing kayak with no pedals and no sonar (unless Shaky Head Wizard takes me out on his boat), I’m not taking the hunt too serious, but I will not throw something somewhere unless I think both the location and the bait have at least some chance for a DD. Why make this thread? I want to archive my reports someplace since NC fishing is not the norm for me. I’ll try to be detailed on what happened so I can review my trips later. It might prove helpful if I’m in NC again. Stay tuned!

I PREDICT Stillhouse Hollow will reopen some of its ramps in a short two weeks or less #optimism #freestillhouse

@BrianMDTX take a look at videos online testing the strength of big game at various lb tests and then compare its diameter with fluorocarbons which tend to break close to their rating. What you will find is that big game as a very loose rule of thumb rates its line such that the true DRY breaking strength is close to 150% of the label. The diameter is, once again, 150% of the label. It is merely 150% stronger and 150% wider than the label. If you buy 12lb big game it is 18lb test line. I still really like big game and still use it a lot.

^ Too cool to die? What do you think @Pat Brown

It depends on far more than just the type of rod. The more weight I am using, the less confident I am that I am going to land that fish. It is more leverage for the fish. If I am using treble hooks, I am scared to death. If I am using a rod that I know to be a little less forgiving, I am more nervous. If the line tie blocks the hook point in any way, I am more nervous.

Tatula 200

They flex easier though. Not a fan, most of the time. It’s good they work for you though. I ain’t trying to change your mind

It wasn’t hard to convince Pat to try them. I think the conversation went something like this: Pat: “Y’all ever try scum frogs?” Me: “They’re the best” Pat: “Got it, 20 of them on the way” I took a few liberties but that’s the gist of it 😂

What is your drag set to? What do you mean by awkward hookset? Describe what happened

Pat likes that one For years I threw mostly the Trophy Series as the ultimate heavy cover frog. Lately I’ve branched out into fishing frogs in sparser cover. I got a Scum Dog Walker to actually walk and I was pretty happy with that. Pat fishes so much, and fishes so much with frogs, I promise you he will be light years ahead of most of us within a few months . He’s going to be one of the best resources on the scum frog lineup.