T-Billy

What kind of braid? I routinely fish trigs on 20-40# 832 in rock for hours or even days on end without having to retie.

Depending on where you're fishing it, 15-20. I prefer braid for CB's.

They're tasty if you can get into some big enough to be worth cleaning. A stretch of river close to me used to hold lots of 10"-12" Rock Bass. The city cleared all the overhanging brush along the bank and they disappeared.

Most trips to this lake I catch a few on it if I'm fishing it close to bottom. 5/0 hook and a 3.5" Do-It Ripper trailer, and those little buggers choke it. LOL. If they got to the size of LM and SM they'd be all we ever fished for.

Taking me way back with this one. I haven't thrown one in years, but used to catch lots of river smallies on 'em when I was a kid. Grew up a 5 minute walk from a good stretch of the Tuscarawas River. My friends and I spent lots of summer days wading after brown bass. White grubs, Tiny Torpedos, and Rebel Wee Craws were hot baits.

Well then... Good talkin to ya. ?

Getting Kevin to sing "kicking a dead horse" was priceless!!! I laugh every time I see it. It's such an out of character moment for KVD. Nobody else would have got him to do it. Some funny episodes with Fieder, Hackney, Martens... He brings the fun side out of all his guests. Imagine Mark Davis in Zona's seat. It would be unwatchable.

The Texas Rig is your friend. It's a rare day that I can't put at least a few in the boat with a Trigged worm or beaver. It's a must know technique for a bass fisherman, and there's a vast array of baits available that won't cost you an arm and a leg.

Went back to lake #2 last night hoping for another slugfest like Wed. night, but alas it was not to be. It was a grind all night. Only managed 9 SM, but ended on a high note with this 3-11 about a half hour before first light. All on the chatterbait. Nothing but Rockbass, and dink Saugeye interested in my Trig.

Congratulations!!! Beware of this guy.

Big bass seem to have an affinity for jigs, be they standard, have a shaking blade on the front, or a wire sticking out of it with spinning blades on it. They just seem to get an above average number of big bites.

My kinda wierd. I'd love to spend a day chasing smalljaws with him. Dunno about that. He's entertaining for sure, but dude's a legit hammer.

Mono, cuz flouro sucks. cheap mono > top of the line flouro.

^^^ THIS^^^ I wasn't expecting much last night. Weeds are dead or dying, thermocline has gotten shallower and less defined, schools of bait everywhere, lots of fish suspended offshore... I went out, and for three hours, I WRECKED "EM!!! Best trip in a month and a half. If I had D-B's friends attitude, I wouldn't even have gone.

No. Caught it pitching a trigged Sweet Craw into a brush pile.

Ark Invoker Pro 7'4" H MF Composite > Daiwa Tatula 741 Glass. I've got to fish the Invoker a couple nights now and couldn't be happier with it. Close to 3 dozen bass last night on a 3/8 chatterbait and the hook and land percentage was fantastic. The invoker is a little more powerful, with a very similar taper as the Tat. Invoker is lighter, better balanced , and casts further. I like the full cork handle on the Tat better, but prefer the invoker aside from that.

Made the 50 min drive down to my second favorite lake in the wee hours this morning. It's been tough at my two closest lakes lately. Glad I made the trip. My new Chatterbait rod got a workout, and I couldn't be happier with it. First stop was a little cut about 100yds long with a weed flat in front of it. The weeds have died back to a stuble field but there were LM roaming on it. Caught 9 with the best being about 3#. Next stop was a little secondary point that has a bunch of old sandstone foundation stones scattered across it, also covered with weed stubble. Collided with a big school of smallies on top of it. All 1-2 pounders, but they were chewing. Not sure exactly how many, but it was fast and furious for over an hour. Couple dozen anyhow. First light shut 'em down like someone flipped a switch. This is one of the better ones. That Ark Invoker 7'4" H MF composite is one heck of a chatterbait rod. Plenty of tip, with enough power in the mid section for really positive hooksets. Loads up great. Only had one smallie jump off, but it also helps a bit when the vast majority of them are eating the bait like this. Picked up the flippin stick after daybreak and managed another 6 LM before heading home. Biggest was about 2.5#. Best outing I've had in awhile, and I got to catch 'em the way I wanted to. Twas a good morning.

It's my fault. Kevin switched to Lew's after I told him I was fishing them. He's a T-Billy fanboy.

A hybrid caught fire locally a few days ago. The fireman were hiding behind the firetruck while the batteries exploded throwing schrapnel in every direction.

The latest episode of Dave Mercer's Facts of Fishing has a ton of underwater footage that addresses this stuff. I recorded it. Intersesting stuff.

Baby Shark is one of my great grandsons favorites!!! ? WARNING: If you watch the video, it WILL BE stuck in your head for hours, if not days!!! Bass fishing was slow. Only seven bass, but I did get to take the new chatterbait rod for a spin, and I'm happy with it. Biggest bass was about 3#. Highlight of the trip was this toothy critter.

? You're Abby. Abby Normal!!!

I haven't been able to find any bigguns since July, but I've been catching decent numbers dragging a Trigged Senko or Zoom Mag II around the thermocline the last couple weeks. Going out tonight to take my new Ark Chatterbait rod for a spin, but I'll be draggin a worm in 14-18 after sunrise.

My photos got much better after picking up one of those little phone tripods. Edit to add: @ol'crickety you've been a breath of fresh air around here. I've been enjoying your posts and fishing reports. Looking forward to your upgraded photos.

105 I'm sitt'n in the AC watching Zona and MLF waitin on dark thirty. Sounds like you have a solid plan though D-B. Chase the shade and punch the thick stuff. That's what I'd be doing if I were to brave that heat.