NoShoes

My main fishing hole has been shut down two months so they could draw it down in hopes of controlling the overgrown hydrilla. It’s opening up next week, and was hoping to get yalls input on what to expect fishing wise. It’s a pretty flat mill pond, with monsters confirmed. I’ve long been in belief the bass in there hid deep in the hydrilla, but punching and frogs wasn’t very effective. it’s been dumping rain for weeks, but GA is still fairly warm compared to the rest of the country. I’m hoping to capitalize off of two months of no fishing pressure.

I actually wanted a live well for this exact purpose. I ended up with a tracker 175x, I believe it has an 18 gallon livewell. I put a 9 lber in it while I was collecting myself to measure it and it filled up quick.

That extended front deck can be hinderance come time to custom it though. Either have to build on top of it or try to incorporate it. Lose a lot of storage options too. Just personal experience.

You’d have a hard time finding a good wide jon boat with a good motor around here for less than 4K. I second everyone above about going for a used bass boat. I converted my 1448 to a bass boat and sold it for 4500. Bought a tracker 175 the next day for 5k. A helluva lot more boat for 500 bucks.

Some of y’all are so fortunate to have so many options. I live in Georgia’s Dead Sea for freshwater fishing, tons of options for salt. Clarks Hill and Santee Cooper are both about 2 hours drive, i fish Clark’s hill all the time as my in laws have a property on it. Never been to santee cooper. My go to spot locally is a mill pond about half hour from the house. It’s about my only option (rivers aren’t my thing).

Definitely agree with everyone else’s sentiment you have to fish big fish water. A lot of those kinds of places may not be the best place for numbers, but you can’t catch what ain’t there.

nope, and am not planning too haha

Anything north of a pound and a half I net usually. y’all are crazy lipping them, there’s a hook somewhere in their mouth and I’m not trying to catch me and the fish with it.

I spool my big game straight off the floor and never had an issue. I don’t think you need a spooler, has to be something you’re doing.

End of the day it’s just running wires and drilling holes. You take your time it shows, if not it also shows.

I’m on the other end. I like to install my own stuff. One, I’m good at it and Two, I want to know what’s what if something goes wrong on a trip making it way more likely I can remedy myself.

I enjoy fishing until I’m finding I’m not catching. I’m okay with 2 or 3 fish days, getting skunked a couple trips in a row I get frustrated and need to step back. ... but I always come back though.

I looked pretty hard last year just to see one and never could find a bass on bed. Maybe it’s a water clarity issue, but I’ll look again this year.

I’ll have to make the trip. I got a few Florida destinations in mind too, Rodman been calling my name.

Ha you ain’t drilling holes in my boat unless you already paid for it. Shocked any one actually let you do so.

Worth trip? It’s about 2 hours from me, kind of worried about navigating it.

Not to distract too far from the topic, did you find any difference in catch rates between the jack hammer and fogy?

I probably would, but I don’t like to fish the river much where I am where most of the tournaments are. Pretty dangerous place, not a big river by any means and it’s known for tearing up lower units. that and I’m not that good ??

Amazing how consistent the trick worms are in everyone’s listing.

Kinda echoing everyone else. trick worm finesse worm Ol monster senko thats probably 95% of my fish last year.

I retie all my stuff night before, but not really interested in having to rethread eyelets from cutting off lures and the line falling through. How are you storing the loose line? Reeling it up?

It’s not in my braid, it’s in my fluoro.

Thanks guys. It’s been a minute since I wasn’t braided so wanted to double check.

I’ve been a heavy braid user for awhile and tried to forego the leader and go straight fluoro. When I was done for the day I hooked my jig around the hooker keeper and reeled up my slack, and took care to not over tighten to avoid this issue. Couple days later I went to go out and it looks like it kinked up around the rod tip while stored. it’s not a heavy kink, more like a bend. Is this normal for y’all nonbraid users?

Bowfin or gar. I’m not far from you, happens to me quite a bit.