T-Billy

Pat, we all know you're a legit hawg snatcher, but you really need to work on your story telling. The fish are supposed to keep getting BIGGER with time. YOU"RE DOING IT WRONG!!! 😂

I'm largely nocturnal from Memorial Day til after Labor Day. My night fishing is largely about weed beds and large structure features. Pinpoint casting accuracy isn't required. Gimme a topwater, a chatterbait, and a jig or big worm and I'm good to go. Keep it simple, have your boat organized, and fish bodies of water you know well.

@A-Jay's collection is similar to mine, except his reels are clean, well maintained , and organized. Mine are ... well... That's a topic for another thread. 😁 On the budget end of things, the Lew's LFS is king of the mountain IMO.

My friend I invited to fish with me caught his PB, so I'm gonna smash my rod. 😂

I agree with @Catt's suggestions, and will add laydowns to that list. My lakes get dropped 5-8 feet in fall. The wood left in the water can be loaded, especially on sunny afternoons.

My advice, don't fish with him anymore. I'd rather bank fish, than fish with that guy.

Like @TOXIC, TW lost me when they had the security breech. Getting hacked happens, that wasn't my issue. Their response was inexcusable. They waited several weeks to notify me my card was compromised, even though they knew the day after it happened. Thankfully my CC company was on top of it. Haven't shopped there since.

It's seasonal and weather dependant. Insulated boots, sneakers, hikers, crocs, rain boots......

That sucks. Sorry to hear. I know how ya feel. My local lakes are flood control reservoirs that get drawn down every year. I lose access on my #2 lake some years depending on how far they draw it down.

Good luck brother. Looking forward to your pics of those Texas Hawgs!!!

If it's just started coming down, that will position them more to the outside edges of that same shallow cover, and in isolated pieces of cover that's just a bit deeper IME.

Rising water means shallow cover for me. Often REALLY shallow, and while I don't wanna be in muddy water, I do prefer stained over clear.

Crongrats on an awesome season brother. @roadwarrior nailed it. That's a lifetime of big brown bass for most of us.

The Ark 7'4" H MF composite Invoker is hands down the best chatterbait rod I've ever used, and I've tried a bunch. It will also do a better job of ripping lipless out of grass than a MH, while still having enough tip to keep 'em pinned.

You're asking a lot of one rod, but I'd go MH.

Rod for bottom contact. Reel for moving baits.

Great early season rig. Trick worms and 4" ring worms are my favorites.

Often not easy, but it's what I'm commanded to do, so I try my best.

Nice. I believed that bull about fish not using it because it uses oxygen instead of making it for decades. Then a few years ago out of frustration I started pitching it and low and behold it was the hands down best pattern all the way up until it broke up.

Very nice @gimruis. Congrats on a great season. I see you even found yourself a pretty nice floater!!! 😁

I wish I'd figured this out YEARS earlier. I fish busy lakes. I used to run all over looking for a spot nobody was on. Several years ago I finally figured out, I can fish right behind most people and do just fine.

I'm with ya @papajoe222. I don't see a need to sell them for a fraction of what I paid for them. They ain't eating anything, and sometimes they get brought out of retirement.

I vote, dump the spinning gear all together. Curado/Scorpion 70's and BFS reels have completely replaced spinning for bass fishing for me. No more wind knots. Spinning's just for crappie these days.

I can usually come up with 10#. 13+ is a really solid day. I can count on one hand the times I've topped 18#, and I haven't managed 20# yet. OH public waters ain't exactly lunker factories.

I always enjoyed the snow, until I started driving a crude tanker for a living in 2017. Hauling 8000 gallons of liquid that can be ignited with just a static spark, up and down steep, narrow backroads changes your whole perspective on the stuff. #KEEPTHEDIRTYSIDEDOWN!!!